diff --git "a/dev.jsonl" "b/dev.jsonl" new file mode 100644--- /dev/null +++ "b/dev.jsonl" @@ -0,0 +1,712 @@ +{"option":["It is where housewives display their cooking skills.","It is where the family entertains important guests.","It has become something odd in a modem house.","It is regarded as the center of a modem home."],"question":"What does the author say about the kitchen of today?","article":"These days, nobody needs to cook. Families graze on high-cholesterol take-aways and microwaved ready-meals. Cooking is an occasional hobby and a vehicle for celebrity chefs. Which makes it odd that the kitchen has become the heart of the modem house: what the great hall was to the medieval castle, the kitchen is to the 21st-century home.\nThe money spent on kitchens has risen with their status. In America the kitchen market is now worth $170 billion, five times the country's film industry. In the year to August 2007, IKEA, a Swedish furniture chain, sold over one million kitchens worldwide. The average budget for a \"major\" kitchen overhaul in 2006, calculates Remodeling magazine, was a staggering $54,000; even a \"minor\" improvement cost on average $18,000.\nExclusivity, more familiar in the world of high fashion, has reached the kitchen: Robinson & Cornish, a British manufacturer of custom-made kitchens, offers a Georgian-style one which would cost \uffe1145,000-155,000-excluding building, plumbing and electrical work. Its big selling point is that nobody else will have it: \"You won't see this kitchen anywhere else in the world.\"\nThe elevation of the room that once belonged only to the servants to that of design showcase for the modem family tells the story of a century of social change. Right into the early 20th century, kitchens were smoky, noisy places, generally located underground, or to the back of the house, and as far from living space as possible. That was as it should be: kitchens were for servants, and the aspiring middle classes wanted nothing to do with them.\nBut as the working classes prospered and the servant shortage set in, housekeeping became a matter of interest to the educated classes. One of the pioneers of a radical new way of thinking about the kitchen was Catharine Esther Beecher, sister of Harriet Beecher Stowe. In American Woman's Home, published in 1869, the Beecher sisters recommended a scientific approach to household management, designed to enhance the efficiency of a woman's work and promote order.\nMany contemporary ideas about kitchen design can be traced back to another American, Christine Frederick, who set about enhancing the efficiency of the housewife. Her 1919 work, Household Engineering: Scientific Management in the Home, was based on detailed observation of a housewife's daily routine. She borrowed the principle of efficiency on the factory floor and applied it to domestic tasks on the kitchen floor.\nFrederick's central idea, that stove, sink and kitchen table must be placed in such a relation that useless steps are avoided entirely\", inspired the first fully fitted kitchen, designed in the 1920s by Margarete Sch\u00fctter-Lihotsky. It was a modernist triumph, and many elements remain central features of today's kitchen.","id":"1834.txt","label":3} +{"option":["It is believed to have tremendous artistic value.","No duplicate is to be found in any other place.","It is manufactured by a famous British company.","No other manufacturer can produce anything like it."],"question":"Why does the Georgian-style kitchen sell at a very high price?","article":"These days, nobody needs to cook. Families graze on high-cholesterol take-aways and microwaved ready-meals. Cooking is an occasional hobby and a vehicle for celebrity chefs. Which makes it odd that the kitchen has become the heart of the modem house: what the great hall was to the medieval castle, the kitchen is to the 21st-century home.\nThe money spent on kitchens has risen with their status. In America the kitchen market is now worth $170 billion, five times the country's film industry. In the year to August 2007, IKEA, a Swedish furniture chain, sold over one million kitchens worldwide. The average budget for a \"major\" kitchen overhaul in 2006, calculates Remodeling magazine, was a staggering $54,000; even a \"minor\" improvement cost on average $18,000.\nExclusivity, more familiar in the world of high fashion, has reached the kitchen: Robinson & Cornish, a British manufacturer of custom-made kitchens, offers a Georgian-style one which would cost \uffe1145,000-155,000-excluding building, plumbing and electrical work. Its big selling point is that nobody else will have it: \"You won't see this kitchen anywhere else in the world.\"\nThe elevation of the room that once belonged only to the servants to that of design showcase for the modem family tells the story of a century of social change. Right into the early 20th century, kitchens were smoky, noisy places, generally located underground, or to the back of the house, and as far from living space as possible. That was as it should be: kitchens were for servants, and the aspiring middle classes wanted nothing to do with them.\nBut as the working classes prospered and the servant shortage set in, housekeeping became a matter of interest to the educated classes. One of the pioneers of a radical new way of thinking about the kitchen was Catharine Esther Beecher, sister of Harriet Beecher Stowe. In American Woman's Home, published in 1869, the Beecher sisters recommended a scientific approach to household management, designed to enhance the efficiency of a woman's work and promote order.\nMany contemporary ideas about kitchen design can be traced back to another American, Christine Frederick, who set about enhancing the efficiency of the housewife. Her 1919 work, Household Engineering: Scientific Management in the Home, was based on detailed observation of a housewife's daily routine. She borrowed the principle of efficiency on the factory floor and applied it to domestic tasks on the kitchen floor.\nFrederick's central idea, that stove, sink and kitchen table must be placed in such a relation that useless steps are avoided entirely\", inspired the first fully fitted kitchen, designed in the 1920s by Margarete Sch\u00fctter-Lihotsky. It was a modernist triumph, and many elements remain central features of today's kitchen.","id":"1834.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Improved living conditions.","Women's elevated status.","Technological progress.","Social change."],"question":"What does the change in the status of the kitchen reflect?","article":"These days, nobody needs to cook. Families graze on high-cholesterol take-aways and microwaved ready-meals. Cooking is an occasional hobby and a vehicle for celebrity chefs. Which makes it odd that the kitchen has become the heart of the modem house: what the great hall was to the medieval castle, the kitchen is to the 21st-century home.\nThe money spent on kitchens has risen with their status. In America the kitchen market is now worth $170 billion, five times the country's film industry. In the year to August 2007, IKEA, a Swedish furniture chain, sold over one million kitchens worldwide. The average budget for a \"major\" kitchen overhaul in 2006, calculates Remodeling magazine, was a staggering $54,000; even a \"minor\" improvement cost on average $18,000.\nExclusivity, more familiar in the world of high fashion, has reached the kitchen: Robinson & Cornish, a British manufacturer of custom-made kitchens, offers a Georgian-style one which would cost \uffe1145,000-155,000-excluding building, plumbing and electrical work. Its big selling point is that nobody else will have it: \"You won't see this kitchen anywhere else in the world.\"\nThe elevation of the room that once belonged only to the servants to that of design showcase for the modem family tells the story of a century of social change. Right into the early 20th century, kitchens were smoky, noisy places, generally located underground, or to the back of the house, and as far from living space as possible. That was as it should be: kitchens were for servants, and the aspiring middle classes wanted nothing to do with them.\nBut as the working classes prospered and the servant shortage set in, housekeeping became a matter of interest to the educated classes. One of the pioneers of a radical new way of thinking about the kitchen was Catharine Esther Beecher, sister of Harriet Beecher Stowe. In American Woman's Home, published in 1869, the Beecher sisters recommended a scientific approach to household management, designed to enhance the efficiency of a woman's work and promote order.\nMany contemporary ideas about kitchen design can be traced back to another American, Christine Frederick, who set about enhancing the efficiency of the housewife. Her 1919 work, Household Engineering: Scientific Management in the Home, was based on detailed observation of a housewife's daily routine. She borrowed the principle of efficiency on the factory floor and applied it to domestic tasks on the kitchen floor.\nFrederick's central idea, that stove, sink and kitchen table must be placed in such a relation that useless steps are avoided entirely\", inspired the first fully fitted kitchen, designed in the 1920s by Margarete Sch\u00fctter-Lihotsky. It was a modernist triumph, and many elements remain central features of today's kitchen.","id":"1834.txt","label":3} +{"option":["A place where women could work more efficiently.","A place where high technology could be applied.","A place of interest to the educated people.","A place to experiment with new ideas."],"question":"What was the Beecher sisters' idea of a kitchen?","article":"These days, nobody needs to cook. Families graze on high-cholesterol take-aways and microwaved ready-meals. Cooking is an occasional hobby and a vehicle for celebrity chefs. Which makes it odd that the kitchen has become the heart of the modem house: what the great hall was to the medieval castle, the kitchen is to the 21st-century home.\nThe money spent on kitchens has risen with their status. In America the kitchen market is now worth $170 billion, five times the country's film industry. In the year to August 2007, IKEA, a Swedish furniture chain, sold over one million kitchens worldwide. The average budget for a \"major\" kitchen overhaul in 2006, calculates Remodeling magazine, was a staggering $54,000; even a \"minor\" improvement cost on average $18,000.\nExclusivity, more familiar in the world of high fashion, has reached the kitchen: Robinson & Cornish, a British manufacturer of custom-made kitchens, offers a Georgian-style one which would cost \uffe1145,000-155,000-excluding building, plumbing and electrical work. Its big selling point is that nobody else will have it: \"You won't see this kitchen anywhere else in the world.\"\nThe elevation of the room that once belonged only to the servants to that of design showcase for the modem family tells the story of a century of social change. Right into the early 20th century, kitchens were smoky, noisy places, generally located underground, or to the back of the house, and as far from living space as possible. That was as it should be: kitchens were for servants, and the aspiring middle classes wanted nothing to do with them.\nBut as the working classes prospered and the servant shortage set in, housekeeping became a matter of interest to the educated classes. One of the pioneers of a radical new way of thinking about the kitchen was Catharine Esther Beecher, sister of Harriet Beecher Stowe. In American Woman's Home, published in 1869, the Beecher sisters recommended a scientific approach to household management, designed to enhance the efficiency of a woman's work and promote order.\nMany contemporary ideas about kitchen design can be traced back to another American, Christine Frederick, who set about enhancing the efficiency of the housewife. Her 1919 work, Household Engineering: Scientific Management in the Home, was based on detailed observation of a housewife's daily routine. She borrowed the principle of efficiency on the factory floor and applied it to domestic tasks on the kitchen floor.\nFrederick's central idea, that stove, sink and kitchen table must be placed in such a relation that useless steps are avoided entirely\", inspired the first fully fitted kitchen, designed in the 1920s by Margarete Sch\u00fctter-Lihotsky. It was a modernist triumph, and many elements remain central features of today's kitchen.","id":"1834.txt","label":0} +{"option":["It represents the rapid technological advance in people's daily life.","Many of its central features are no different from those of the 1920s.","It has been transformed beyond recognition.","Many of its functions have changed greatly."],"question":"What do we learn about today's kitchen?","article":"These days, nobody needs to cook. Families graze on high-cholesterol take-aways and microwaved ready-meals. Cooking is an occasional hobby and a vehicle for celebrity chefs. Which makes it odd that the kitchen has become the heart of the modem house: what the great hall was to the medieval castle, the kitchen is to the 21st-century home.\nThe money spent on kitchens has risen with their status. In America the kitchen market is now worth $170 billion, five times the country's film industry. In the year to August 2007, IKEA, a Swedish furniture chain, sold over one million kitchens worldwide. The average budget for a \"major\" kitchen overhaul in 2006, calculates Remodeling magazine, was a staggering $54,000; even a \"minor\" improvement cost on average $18,000.\nExclusivity, more familiar in the world of high fashion, has reached the kitchen: Robinson & Cornish, a British manufacturer of custom-made kitchens, offers a Georgian-style one which would cost \uffe1145,000-155,000-excluding building, plumbing and electrical work. Its big selling point is that nobody else will have it: \"You won't see this kitchen anywhere else in the world.\"\nThe elevation of the room that once belonged only to the servants to that of design showcase for the modem family tells the story of a century of social change. Right into the early 20th century, kitchens were smoky, noisy places, generally located underground, or to the back of the house, and as far from living space as possible. That was as it should be: kitchens were for servants, and the aspiring middle classes wanted nothing to do with them.\nBut as the working classes prospered and the servant shortage set in, housekeeping became a matter of interest to the educated classes. One of the pioneers of a radical new way of thinking about the kitchen was Catharine Esther Beecher, sister of Harriet Beecher Stowe. In American Woman's Home, published in 1869, the Beecher sisters recommended a scientific approach to household management, designed to enhance the efficiency of a woman's work and promote order.\nMany contemporary ideas about kitchen design can be traced back to another American, Christine Frederick, who set about enhancing the efficiency of the housewife. Her 1919 work, Household Engineering: Scientific Management in the Home, was based on detailed observation of a housewife's daily routine. She borrowed the principle of efficiency on the factory floor and applied it to domestic tasks on the kitchen floor.\nFrederick's central idea, that stove, sink and kitchen table must be placed in such a relation that useless steps are avoided entirely\", inspired the first fully fitted kitchen, designed in the 1920s by Margarete Sch\u00fctter-Lihotsky. It was a modernist triumph, and many elements remain central features of today's kitchen.","id":"1834.txt","label":1} +{"option":["The impact of the Great Depression.","The shrinking of overseas markets.","The destruction caused by the First World War.","The increased exports of European countries."],"question":"What brought about the decline in the demand for American farm products?","article":"In the 1920s demand for American farm products fell, as European countries began to recover from World War I and instituted austerity programs to reduce their imports. The result was a sharp drop in farm prices. This period was more disastrous for farmers than earlier times had been, because farmers were no longer self-sufficient. They were paying for machinery, seed, and fertilizer, and they were also buying consumer goods. The prices of the items farmers bought remained constant, while prices they received for their products fell. These developments were made worse by the Great Depression, which began in 1929 and extended throughout the 1939s.\nIn 1929, under President Herbert Hoover, the Federal Farm Board was organized. It established the principle of direct interference with supply and demand, and it represented the first national commitment to provide greater economic stability for farmers.\nPresident Hoover's successor attached even more importance to this problem. One of the first measures proposed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt when he took office in 1933 was the Agricultural Adjustment Act, which was subsequently passed by Congress. This law gave the Secretary of Agriculture the power to reduce production through voluntary agreements with farmers who were paid to take their land out of use. A deliberate scarcity of farm products was planned in an effort to raise prices. This law was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court on the grounds that general taxes were being collected to pay one special group of people. However, new laws were passed immediately that achieved the same result of resting soil and providing flood-control measures, but which were based on the principle of soil conservation. The Roosevelt Administration believed that rebuilding the nation's soil was in the national interest and was not simply a plan to help farmers at the expense of other citizens. Later the government guaranteed loans to farmers so that they could buy farm machinery, hybrid grain, and fertilizers.","id":"3671.txt","label":1} +{"option":["to increase farm production","to establish agricultural laws","to prevent farmers from going bankrupt","to promote the mechanization of agriculture"],"question":"The chief concern of the American government in the area of agriculture in the 1920s was ________.","article":"In the 1920s demand for American farm products fell, as European countries began to recover from World War I and instituted austerity programs to reduce their imports. The result was a sharp drop in farm prices. This period was more disastrous for farmers than earlier times had been, because farmers were no longer self-sufficient. They were paying for machinery, seed, and fertilizer, and they were also buying consumer goods. The prices of the items farmers bought remained constant, while prices they received for their products fell. These developments were made worse by the Great Depression, which began in 1929 and extended throughout the 1939s.\nIn 1929, under President Herbert Hoover, the Federal Farm Board was organized. It established the principle of direct interference with supply and demand, and it represented the first national commitment to provide greater economic stability for farmers.\nPresident Hoover's successor attached even more importance to this problem. One of the first measures proposed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt when he took office in 1933 was the Agricultural Adjustment Act, which was subsequently passed by Congress. This law gave the Secretary of Agriculture the power to reduce production through voluntary agreements with farmers who were paid to take their land out of use. A deliberate scarcity of farm products was planned in an effort to raise prices. This law was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court on the grounds that general taxes were being collected to pay one special group of people. However, new laws were passed immediately that achieved the same result of resting soil and providing flood-control measures, but which were based on the principle of soil conservation. The Roosevelt Administration believed that rebuilding the nation's soil was in the national interest and was not simply a plan to help farmers at the expense of other citizens. Later the government guaranteed loans to farmers so that they could buy farm machinery, hybrid grain, and fertilizers.","id":"3671.txt","label":2} +{"option":["reduce their scale of production","make full use of their land","adjust the prices of their farm products","be self-sufficient in agricultural production"],"question":"The Agricultural Adjustment Act encouraged American farmers to ________.","article":"In the 1920s demand for American farm products fell, as European countries began to recover from World War I and instituted austerity programs to reduce their imports. The result was a sharp drop in farm prices. This period was more disastrous for farmers than earlier times had been, because farmers were no longer self-sufficient. They were paying for machinery, seed, and fertilizer, and they were also buying consumer goods. The prices of the items farmers bought remained constant, while prices they received for their products fell. These developments were made worse by the Great Depression, which began in 1929 and extended throughout the 1939s.\nIn 1929, under President Herbert Hoover, the Federal Farm Board was organized. It established the principle of direct interference with supply and demand, and it represented the first national commitment to provide greater economic stability for farmers.\nPresident Hoover's successor attached even more importance to this problem. One of the first measures proposed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt when he took office in 1933 was the Agricultural Adjustment Act, which was subsequently passed by Congress. This law gave the Secretary of Agriculture the power to reduce production through voluntary agreements with farmers who were paid to take their land out of use. A deliberate scarcity of farm products was planned in an effort to raise prices. This law was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court on the grounds that general taxes were being collected to pay one special group of people. However, new laws were passed immediately that achieved the same result of resting soil and providing flood-control measures, but which were based on the principle of soil conservation. The Roosevelt Administration believed that rebuilding the nation's soil was in the national interest and was not simply a plan to help farmers at the expense of other citizens. Later the government guaranteed loans to farmers so that they could buy farm machinery, hybrid grain, and fertilizers.","id":"3671.txt","label":3} +{"option":["might cause greater scarcity of farm products","didn't give the Secretary of Agriculture enough power","would benefit neither the government nor the farmers","benefited one group of citizens at the expense of others"],"question":"The Supreme Court rejected the Agricultural Adjustment Act because it believed that the Act ________.","article":"In the 1920s demand for American farm products fell, as European countries began to recover from World War I and instituted austerity programs to reduce their imports. The result was a sharp drop in farm prices. This period was more disastrous for farmers than earlier times had been, because farmers were no longer self-sufficient. They were paying for machinery, seed, and fertilizer, and they were also buying consumer goods. The prices of the items farmers bought remained constant, while prices they received for their products fell. These developments were made worse by the Great Depression, which began in 1929 and extended throughout the 1939s.\nIn 1929, under President Herbert Hoover, the Federal Farm Board was organized. It established the principle of direct interference with supply and demand, and it represented the first national commitment to provide greater economic stability for farmers.\nPresident Hoover's successor attached even more importance to this problem. One of the first measures proposed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt when he took office in 1933 was the Agricultural Adjustment Act, which was subsequently passed by Congress. This law gave the Secretary of Agriculture the power to reduce production through voluntary agreements with farmers who were paid to take their land out of use. A deliberate scarcity of farm products was planned in an effort to raise prices. This law was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court on the grounds that general taxes were being collected to pay one special group of people. However, new laws were passed immediately that achieved the same result of resting soil and providing flood-control measures, but which were based on the principle of soil conservation. The Roosevelt Administration believed that rebuilding the nation's soil was in the national interest and was not simply a plan to help farmers at the expense of other citizens. Later the government guaranteed loans to farmers so that they could buy farm machinery, hybrid grain, and fertilizers.","id":"3671.txt","label":3} +{"option":["reducing the cost of farming","conserving soil in the long-term interest of the nation","lowering the burden of farmers","helping farmers without shifting the burden onto other taxpayers"],"question":"It was claimed that the new laws passed during the Roosevelt Administration were aimed at ________.","article":"In the 1920s demand for American farm products fell, as European countries began to recover from World War I and instituted austerity programs to reduce their imports. The result was a sharp drop in farm prices. This period was more disastrous for farmers than earlier times had been, because farmers were no longer self-sufficient. They were paying for machinery, seed, and fertilizer, and they were also buying consumer goods. The prices of the items farmers bought remained constant, while prices they received for their products fell. These developments were made worse by the Great Depression, which began in 1929 and extended throughout the 1939s.\nIn 1929, under President Herbert Hoover, the Federal Farm Board was organized. It established the principle of direct interference with supply and demand, and it represented the first national commitment to provide greater economic stability for farmers.\nPresident Hoover's successor attached even more importance to this problem. One of the first measures proposed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt when he took office in 1933 was the Agricultural Adjustment Act, which was subsequently passed by Congress. This law gave the Secretary of Agriculture the power to reduce production through voluntary agreements with farmers who were paid to take their land out of use. A deliberate scarcity of farm products was planned in an effort to raise prices. This law was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court on the grounds that general taxes were being collected to pay one special group of people. However, new laws were passed immediately that achieved the same result of resting soil and providing flood-control measures, but which were based on the principle of soil conservation. The Roosevelt Administration believed that rebuilding the nation's soil was in the national interest and was not simply a plan to help farmers at the expense of other citizens. Later the government guaranteed loans to farmers so that they could buy farm machinery, hybrid grain, and fertilizers.","id":"3671.txt","label":3} +{"option":["He was highly respected by Atlantans.","He ran a drug store that also sells wine.","He had been a doctor until the Civil War.","He made a lot of money with his pharmacy."],"question":"What does the passage tell us about John Styth Pemberton?","article":"The man who invented Coca-cola was not a native Atlantan, but on the day of his funeral every drugstore in town testimonially shut up shop. He was John Styth Pemberton, born in 1833 in Knoxville, Georgia, eighty miles away. Sometimes known as Doctor, Pemberton was apharmacist who, during the Civil War, led a cavalry troop under General Joe Wheelrer.\nHe settled in Atlanta in 1869, and soon began brewing such patent medicines as Triplex Liver Pills and Globe of Flower Cough Syrup. In 1885, he registered a trademark for Something called French Wine Coca-Ideal Nerve and Tonic Stimulant, a few months later he formed the Pemberton Chemical Company, and recruited the services of a bookkeeper named Frank M.\nRobinson, who not only had a good head for figures but, attached to it, so exceptional a nose that he could audit the composition of a batch of syrup ( ) merely by sniffling it.\nIn 1886--a year in which, as contemporary Coca-Coca officials like to point out, Conan Doyle unveiled Sherlock Holmes and France unveiled the Statue of Liberty--Pemberton unveiled a syrup that he called Coca-Coca. It was a modification of his French Wine Coca. He had taken out the wine and added a pinch of caffeine, and, when the end product tasted awful, had thrown in some extract of cola nut and a few other oils, blending the mixture in a three-legged iron pot in his back yard and swishing it around with an oar. He distributed it to soda fountains in used beer bottles, and Robinson, with his glowing bookkeeper's script, presently devised a label, on which \"Coca-Cola\" was written in the fashion that is still employed.\nPemberton looked upon his mixture less as a refreshment than as a headache cure, especially for people whose headache could be traced to over-indulgence.\nOn a morning late in 1886, one such victim of the night before dragged himself into an Atlanta drugstore and asked for a doolop of Cola-Cola. Druggists customarily stirred a teaspoonful of syrup into a glass of water, but in this instance the man on duty was too lazy to walk to the fresh-water tap, a couple of feet off. Instead, he mixed the syrup with some soda water, which was closer at hand. The suffering customer perked up almost at once, and word quickly spread that the best Coca-Cola was a fizzy one.","id":"962.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Skills to make French wine.","Talent for drawing pictures.","An acute sense of smell.","Ability to work with numbers."],"question":"Which of the following was unique to Frank M. Robinson, working with the Pemberton's Company?","article":"The man who invented Coca-cola was not a native Atlantan, but on the day of his funeral every drugstore in town testimonially shut up shop. He was John Styth Pemberton, born in 1833 in Knoxville, Georgia, eighty miles away. Sometimes known as Doctor, Pemberton was apharmacist who, during the Civil War, led a cavalry troop under General Joe Wheelrer.\nHe settled in Atlanta in 1869, and soon began brewing such patent medicines as Triplex Liver Pills and Globe of Flower Cough Syrup. In 1885, he registered a trademark for Something called French Wine Coca-Ideal Nerve and Tonic Stimulant, a few months later he formed the Pemberton Chemical Company, and recruited the services of a bookkeeper named Frank M.\nRobinson, who not only had a good head for figures but, attached to it, so exceptional a nose that he could audit the composition of a batch of syrup ( ) merely by sniffling it.\nIn 1886--a year in which, as contemporary Coca-Coca officials like to point out, Conan Doyle unveiled Sherlock Holmes and France unveiled the Statue of Liberty--Pemberton unveiled a syrup that he called Coca-Coca. It was a modification of his French Wine Coca. He had taken out the wine and added a pinch of caffeine, and, when the end product tasted awful, had thrown in some extract of cola nut and a few other oils, blending the mixture in a three-legged iron pot in his back yard and swishing it around with an oar. He distributed it to soda fountains in used beer bottles, and Robinson, with his glowing bookkeeper's script, presently devised a label, on which \"Coca-Cola\" was written in the fashion that is still employed.\nPemberton looked upon his mixture less as a refreshment than as a headache cure, especially for people whose headache could be traced to over-indulgence.\nOn a morning late in 1886, one such victim of the night before dragged himself into an Atlanta drugstore and asked for a doolop of Cola-Cola. Druggists customarily stirred a teaspoonful of syrup into a glass of water, but in this instance the man on duty was too lazy to walk to the fresh-water tap, a couple of feet off. Instead, he mixed the syrup with some soda water, which was closer at hand. The suffering customer perked up almost at once, and word quickly spread that the best Coca-Cola was a fizzy one.","id":"962.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Because he took to doing a job like Sherlock Holmes's.","Because he brought a quite profitable product into being.","Because he observed the founding ceremony of Statue of Liberty.","Because he was awarded by Coca-Cola for his contribution."],"question":"Why was the year 1886 so special to Pemberton?","article":"The man who invented Coca-cola was not a native Atlantan, but on the day of his funeral every drugstore in town testimonially shut up shop. He was John Styth Pemberton, born in 1833 in Knoxville, Georgia, eighty miles away. Sometimes known as Doctor, Pemberton was apharmacist who, during the Civil War, led a cavalry troop under General Joe Wheelrer.\nHe settled in Atlanta in 1869, and soon began brewing such patent medicines as Triplex Liver Pills and Globe of Flower Cough Syrup. In 1885, he registered a trademark for Something called French Wine Coca-Ideal Nerve and Tonic Stimulant, a few months later he formed the Pemberton Chemical Company, and recruited the services of a bookkeeper named Frank M.\nRobinson, who not only had a good head for figures but, attached to it, so exceptional a nose that he could audit the composition of a batch of syrup ( ) merely by sniffling it.\nIn 1886--a year in which, as contemporary Coca-Coca officials like to point out, Conan Doyle unveiled Sherlock Holmes and France unveiled the Statue of Liberty--Pemberton unveiled a syrup that he called Coca-Coca. It was a modification of his French Wine Coca. He had taken out the wine and added a pinch of caffeine, and, when the end product tasted awful, had thrown in some extract of cola nut and a few other oils, blending the mixture in a three-legged iron pot in his back yard and swishing it around with an oar. He distributed it to soda fountains in used beer bottles, and Robinson, with his glowing bookkeeper's script, presently devised a label, on which \"Coca-Cola\" was written in the fashion that is still employed.\nPemberton looked upon his mixture less as a refreshment than as a headache cure, especially for people whose headache could be traced to over-indulgence.\nOn a morning late in 1886, one such victim of the night before dragged himself into an Atlanta drugstore and asked for a doolop of Cola-Cola. Druggists customarily stirred a teaspoonful of syrup into a glass of water, but in this instance the man on duty was too lazy to walk to the fresh-water tap, a couple of feet off. Instead, he mixed the syrup with some soda water, which was closer at hand. The suffering customer perked up almost at once, and word quickly spread that the best Coca-Cola was a fizzy one.","id":"962.txt","label":1} +{"option":["used beer bottles were chosen as containers","the amount of caffeine in it was increased","it was blended with oils instead of water","Cola nut extract was added to taste"],"question":"One modification made of French Wine Coca formula was","article":"The man who invented Coca-cola was not a native Atlantan, but on the day of his funeral every drugstore in town testimonially shut up shop. He was John Styth Pemberton, born in 1833 in Knoxville, Georgia, eighty miles away. Sometimes known as Doctor, Pemberton was apharmacist who, during the Civil War, led a cavalry troop under General Joe Wheelrer.\nHe settled in Atlanta in 1869, and soon began brewing such patent medicines as Triplex Liver Pills and Globe of Flower Cough Syrup. In 1885, he registered a trademark for Something called French Wine Coca-Ideal Nerve and Tonic Stimulant, a few months later he formed the Pemberton Chemical Company, and recruited the services of a bookkeeper named Frank M.\nRobinson, who not only had a good head for figures but, attached to it, so exceptional a nose that he could audit the composition of a batch of syrup ( ) merely by sniffling it.\nIn 1886--a year in which, as contemporary Coca-Coca officials like to point out, Conan Doyle unveiled Sherlock Holmes and France unveiled the Statue of Liberty--Pemberton unveiled a syrup that he called Coca-Coca. It was a modification of his French Wine Coca. He had taken out the wine and added a pinch of caffeine, and, when the end product tasted awful, had thrown in some extract of cola nut and a few other oils, blending the mixture in a three-legged iron pot in his back yard and swishing it around with an oar. He distributed it to soda fountains in used beer bottles, and Robinson, with his glowing bookkeeper's script, presently devised a label, on which \"Coca-Cola\" was written in the fashion that is still employed.\nPemberton looked upon his mixture less as a refreshment than as a headache cure, especially for people whose headache could be traced to over-indulgence.\nOn a morning late in 1886, one such victim of the night before dragged himself into an Atlanta drugstore and asked for a doolop of Cola-Cola. Druggists customarily stirred a teaspoonful of syrup into a glass of water, but in this instance the man on duty was too lazy to walk to the fresh-water tap, a couple of feet off. Instead, he mixed the syrup with some soda water, which was closer at hand. The suffering customer perked up almost at once, and word quickly spread that the best Coca-Cola was a fizzy one.","id":"962.txt","label":3} +{"option":["the complaint against the lazy shop-assistant","a real test of Coca-enla as a headache cure","the mediocre service of the drugstore","a happy accident that gave birth to Coca-Cola"],"question":"The last paragraph mainly tells _","article":"The man who invented Coca-cola was not a native Atlantan, but on the day of his funeral every drugstore in town testimonially shut up shop. He was John Styth Pemberton, born in 1833 in Knoxville, Georgia, eighty miles away. Sometimes known as Doctor, Pemberton was apharmacist who, during the Civil War, led a cavalry troop under General Joe Wheelrer.\nHe settled in Atlanta in 1869, and soon began brewing such patent medicines as Triplex Liver Pills and Globe of Flower Cough Syrup. In 1885, he registered a trademark for Something called French Wine Coca-Ideal Nerve and Tonic Stimulant, a few months later he formed the Pemberton Chemical Company, and recruited the services of a bookkeeper named Frank M.\nRobinson, who not only had a good head for figures but, attached to it, so exceptional a nose that he could audit the composition of a batch of syrup ( ) merely by sniffling it.\nIn 1886--a year in which, as contemporary Coca-Coca officials like to point out, Conan Doyle unveiled Sherlock Holmes and France unveiled the Statue of Liberty--Pemberton unveiled a syrup that he called Coca-Coca. It was a modification of his French Wine Coca. He had taken out the wine and added a pinch of caffeine, and, when the end product tasted awful, had thrown in some extract of cola nut and a few other oils, blending the mixture in a three-legged iron pot in his back yard and swishing it around with an oar. He distributed it to soda fountains in used beer bottles, and Robinson, with his glowing bookkeeper's script, presently devised a label, on which \"Coca-Cola\" was written in the fashion that is still employed.\nPemberton looked upon his mixture less as a refreshment than as a headache cure, especially for people whose headache could be traced to over-indulgence.\nOn a morning late in 1886, one such victim of the night before dragged himself into an Atlanta drugstore and asked for a doolop of Cola-Cola. Druggists customarily stirred a teaspoonful of syrup into a glass of water, but in this instance the man on duty was too lazy to walk to the fresh-water tap, a couple of feet off. Instead, he mixed the syrup with some soda water, which was closer at hand. The suffering customer perked up almost at once, and word quickly spread that the best Coca-Cola was a fizzy one.","id":"962.txt","label":3} +{"option":["people's attitude towards the road-hog","the rhythm of modern life","the behavior of the driver","traffic conditions"],"question":"According to this passage, troubles on the road are primarily caused by \t.","article":"It is all very well to blame traffic jams, the cost of petrol and the quick pace of modern life, but manners on the roads are becoming horrible. Everybody knows that the nicest men become monsters behind the wheel. It is very well, again, to have a tiger in the tank, but to have one in the driver's seat is another matter altogether. You might tolerate the odd road-hog, the rude and inconsiderate driver, but nowadays the well-mannered motorist is the exception to the rule. Perhaps the situation calls for a \"Be Kind to Other Drivers\" campaign, otherwise it may get completely out of hand.\nRoad politeness is not only good manners, but good sense too. It takes the most cool-headed and good-tempered of drivers to resist the temptation to revenge when subjected to uncivilized behavior. On the other hand, a little politeness goes a long way towards relieving the tensions of motoring. A friendly nod or a wave of acknowledgement in response to an act of politeness helps to create an atmosphere of goodwill and tolerance so necessary in modern traffic conditions. But such acknowledgements of politeness are all too rare today. Many drivers nowadays don't even seem able to recognize politeness when they see it.\nHowever, misplaced politeness can also be dangerous. Typical examples are the driver who brakes violently to allow a car to emerge from a side street at some hazard to following traffic, when a few seconds later the road would be clear anyway; or the man who waves a child across a zebra crossing into the path of oncoming vehicles that may be unable to stop in time. The same goes for encouraging old ladies to cross the road wherever and whenever they care to. It always amazes me that the highways are not covered with the dead bodies of these grannies.\nA veteran driver, whose manners are faultless, told me it would help if motorists learnt to filter correctly into traffic streams one at a time without causing the total blockages that give rise to bad temper. Unfortunately, modern motorists can't even learn to drive, let alone master the subtler aspects of boatmanship. Years ago the experts warned us that the car-ownership explosion would demand a lot more give-and-take from all road users. It is high time for all of us to take this message to heart.","id":"3594.txt","label":2} +{"option":["our society is unjust towards well-mannered motorists","rude drivers can be met only occasionally","the well-mannered motorist cannot tolerate the road-hog","nowadays impolite drivers constitute the majority of motorists"],"question":"The sentence \"You might tolerate the odd road-hog... the rule.\" (Para. 1) implies that.","article":"It is all very well to blame traffic jams, the cost of petrol and the quick pace of modern life, but manners on the roads are becoming horrible. Everybody knows that the nicest men become monsters behind the wheel. It is very well, again, to have a tiger in the tank, but to have one in the driver's seat is another matter altogether. You might tolerate the odd road-hog, the rude and inconsiderate driver, but nowadays the well-mannered motorist is the exception to the rule. Perhaps the situation calls for a \"Be Kind to Other Drivers\" campaign, otherwise it may get completely out of hand.\nRoad politeness is not only good manners, but good sense too. It takes the most cool-headed and good-tempered of drivers to resist the temptation to revenge when subjected to uncivilized behavior. On the other hand, a little politeness goes a long way towards relieving the tensions of motoring. A friendly nod or a wave of acknowledgement in response to an act of politeness helps to create an atmosphere of goodwill and tolerance so necessary in modern traffic conditions. But such acknowledgements of politeness are all too rare today. Many drivers nowadays don't even seem able to recognize politeness when they see it.\nHowever, misplaced politeness can also be dangerous. Typical examples are the driver who brakes violently to allow a car to emerge from a side street at some hazard to following traffic, when a few seconds later the road would be clear anyway; or the man who waves a child across a zebra crossing into the path of oncoming vehicles that may be unable to stop in time. The same goes for encouraging old ladies to cross the road wherever and whenever they care to. It always amazes me that the highways are not covered with the dead bodies of these grannies.\nA veteran driver, whose manners are faultless, told me it would help if motorists learnt to filter correctly into traffic streams one at a time without causing the total blockages that give rise to bad temper. Unfortunately, modern motorists can't even learn to drive, let alone master the subtler aspects of boatmanship. Years ago the experts warned us that the car-ownership explosion would demand a lot more give-and-take from all road users. It is high time for all of us to take this message to heart.","id":"3594.txt","label":3} +{"option":["the driver's ability to understand and react reasonably","the driver's prompt response to difficult and severe conditions","the driver's tolerance of rude or even savage behavior","the driver's acknowledgement of politeness and regulations"],"question":"By \"good sense,\" the writer means \t.","article":"It is all very well to blame traffic jams, the cost of petrol and the quick pace of modern life, but manners on the roads are becoming horrible. Everybody knows that the nicest men become monsters behind the wheel. It is very well, again, to have a tiger in the tank, but to have one in the driver's seat is another matter altogether. You might tolerate the odd road-hog, the rude and inconsiderate driver, but nowadays the well-mannered motorist is the exception to the rule. Perhaps the situation calls for a \"Be Kind to Other Drivers\" campaign, otherwise it may get completely out of hand.\nRoad politeness is not only good manners, but good sense too. It takes the most cool-headed and good-tempered of drivers to resist the temptation to revenge when subjected to uncivilized behavior. On the other hand, a little politeness goes a long way towards relieving the tensions of motoring. A friendly nod or a wave of acknowledgement in response to an act of politeness helps to create an atmosphere of goodwill and tolerance so necessary in modern traffic conditions. But such acknowledgements of politeness are all too rare today. Many drivers nowadays don't even seem able to recognize politeness when they see it.\nHowever, misplaced politeness can also be dangerous. Typical examples are the driver who brakes violently to allow a car to emerge from a side street at some hazard to following traffic, when a few seconds later the road would be clear anyway; or the man who waves a child across a zebra crossing into the path of oncoming vehicles that may be unable to stop in time. The same goes for encouraging old ladies to cross the road wherever and whenever they care to. It always amazes me that the highways are not covered with the dead bodies of these grannies.\nA veteran driver, whose manners are faultless, told me it would help if motorists learnt to filter correctly into traffic streams one at a time without causing the total blockages that give rise to bad temper. Unfortunately, modern motorists can't even learn to drive, let alone master the subtler aspects of boatmanship. Years ago the experts warned us that the car-ownership explosion would demand a lot more give-and-take from all road users. It is high time for all of us to take this message to heart.","id":"3594.txt","label":0} +{"option":["road users should make more sacrifice","drivers should be ready to yield to each other","drivers should have more communication among themselves","drivers will suffer great loss if they pay no respect to others"],"question":"Experts have long pointed out that in the face of car-ownership explosion, \t.","article":"It is all very well to blame traffic jams, the cost of petrol and the quick pace of modern life, but manners on the roads are becoming horrible. Everybody knows that the nicest men become monsters behind the wheel. It is very well, again, to have a tiger in the tank, but to have one in the driver's seat is another matter altogether. You might tolerate the odd road-hog, the rude and inconsiderate driver, but nowadays the well-mannered motorist is the exception to the rule. Perhaps the situation calls for a \"Be Kind to Other Drivers\" campaign, otherwise it may get completely out of hand.\nRoad politeness is not only good manners, but good sense too. It takes the most cool-headed and good-tempered of drivers to resist the temptation to revenge when subjected to uncivilized behavior. On the other hand, a little politeness goes a long way towards relieving the tensions of motoring. A friendly nod or a wave of acknowledgement in response to an act of politeness helps to create an atmosphere of goodwill and tolerance so necessary in modern traffic conditions. But such acknowledgements of politeness are all too rare today. Many drivers nowadays don't even seem able to recognize politeness when they see it.\nHowever, misplaced politeness can also be dangerous. Typical examples are the driver who brakes violently to allow a car to emerge from a side street at some hazard to following traffic, when a few seconds later the road would be clear anyway; or the man who waves a child across a zebra crossing into the path of oncoming vehicles that may be unable to stop in time. The same goes for encouraging old ladies to cross the road wherever and whenever they care to. It always amazes me that the highways are not covered with the dead bodies of these grannies.\nA veteran driver, whose manners are faultless, told me it would help if motorists learnt to filter correctly into traffic streams one at a time without causing the total blockages that give rise to bad temper. Unfortunately, modern motorists can't even learn to drive, let alone master the subtler aspects of boatmanship. Years ago the experts warned us that the car-ownership explosion would demand a lot more give-and-take from all road users. It is high time for all of us to take this message to heart.","id":"3594.txt","label":1} +{"option":["strict traffic regulations are badly needed","drivers should apply road politeness properly","rude drivers should be punished","drivers should avoid traffic jams"],"question":"In the writer's opinion, \t.","article":"It is all very well to blame traffic jams, the cost of petrol and the quick pace of modern life, but manners on the roads are becoming horrible. Everybody knows that the nicest men become monsters behind the wheel. It is very well, again, to have a tiger in the tank, but to have one in the driver's seat is another matter altogether. You might tolerate the odd road-hog, the rude and inconsiderate driver, but nowadays the well-mannered motorist is the exception to the rule. Perhaps the situation calls for a \"Be Kind to Other Drivers\" campaign, otherwise it may get completely out of hand.\nRoad politeness is not only good manners, but good sense too. It takes the most cool-headed and good-tempered of drivers to resist the temptation to revenge when subjected to uncivilized behavior. On the other hand, a little politeness goes a long way towards relieving the tensions of motoring. A friendly nod or a wave of acknowledgement in response to an act of politeness helps to create an atmosphere of goodwill and tolerance so necessary in modern traffic conditions. But such acknowledgements of politeness are all too rare today. Many drivers nowadays don't even seem able to recognize politeness when they see it.\nHowever, misplaced politeness can also be dangerous. Typical examples are the driver who brakes violently to allow a car to emerge from a side street at some hazard to following traffic, when a few seconds later the road would be clear anyway; or the man who waves a child across a zebra crossing into the path of oncoming vehicles that may be unable to stop in time. The same goes for encouraging old ladies to cross the road wherever and whenever they care to. It always amazes me that the highways are not covered with the dead bodies of these grannies.\nA veteran driver, whose manners are faultless, told me it would help if motorists learnt to filter correctly into traffic streams one at a time without causing the total blockages that give rise to bad temper. Unfortunately, modern motorists can't even learn to drive, let alone master the subtler aspects of boatmanship. Years ago the experts warned us that the car-ownership explosion would demand a lot more give-and-take from all road users. It is high time for all of us to take this message to heart.","id":"3594.txt","label":1} +{"option":["incurs suspicion","is a new pursuit","hasn't been realized","arouses curiosity"],"question":"We can learn from the first two paragraphs that alchemy _ .","article":"In a lab in Princeton University's ultra-sleek chemistry building, researchers toil in a modern-day hunt for an elusive power: alchemy.\nThroughout the centuries, alchemists tried in vain to transform common metals like iron and lead into precious ones like gold or platinum. Today, Paul Chirik, a professor of chemistry at Princeton, has managed a new twist on the timeworn pursuit.\nDr. Chirik, 39, has learned how to make iron function like platinum, in chemical reactions that are crucial to manufacturing scores of basic materials. While he can't, sadly, transmute a lump of iron ore into a pile of valuable jewelry, his version of alchemy is far more practical, and the implications are wide-ranging.\nThe process could herald a new era of flexible manufacturing technologies, while enabling companies to steer clear of scarce elements as prices rise or obtaining them becomes environmentally or geopolitically risky.\n\" No chemist would think lithium was in short supply,\" Dr. Chirik said, \" but what happens if you put a lithium battery in every car? This is why chemistry needs to be ahead of the curve. We need to have adaptable solutions.\"\nDespite the cost and relative scarcity of precious metals-iridium, platinum, rhodium-we rely on them to manufacture products from denim to beer, pharmaceuticals to fuel cells. The elements are used as catalysts, substances that kick off or enable chemical reactions.\nDr. Chirik's work involves dissolved catalysts, which are mixed into the end product. The molecules of the catalyst dissipate during the reaction. For instance, a solution containing platinum is used to make silicone emulsifiers, compounds that in turn feed products like makeup, cookware and glue. Tiny amounts of the expensive metal are scattered in all these things; your jeans, for instance, contain unrecoverable particles of platinum.","id":"475.txt","label":2} +{"option":["In some chemical reactions, iron can function like platinum.","Dr. Chirik's practical alchemy enables him transform iron ore into valuable jewelry.","Flexible manufacturing technologies can avoid the use of scarce elements as prices rise in the future.","Chemists would think lithium was sufficient."],"question":"Which of the following is NOT true?","article":"In a lab in Princeton University's ultra-sleek chemistry building, researchers toil in a modern-day hunt for an elusive power: alchemy.\nThroughout the centuries, alchemists tried in vain to transform common metals like iron and lead into precious ones like gold or platinum. Today, Paul Chirik, a professor of chemistry at Princeton, has managed a new twist on the timeworn pursuit.\nDr. Chirik, 39, has learned how to make iron function like platinum, in chemical reactions that are crucial to manufacturing scores of basic materials. While he can't, sadly, transmute a lump of iron ore into a pile of valuable jewelry, his version of alchemy is far more practical, and the implications are wide-ranging.\nThe process could herald a new era of flexible manufacturing technologies, while enabling companies to steer clear of scarce elements as prices rise or obtaining them becomes environmentally or geopolitically risky.\n\" No chemist would think lithium was in short supply,\" Dr. Chirik said, \" but what happens if you put a lithium battery in every car? This is why chemistry needs to be ahead of the curve. We need to have adaptable solutions.\"\nDespite the cost and relative scarcity of precious metals-iridium, platinum, rhodium-we rely on them to manufacture products from denim to beer, pharmaceuticals to fuel cells. The elements are used as catalysts, substances that kick off or enable chemical reactions.\nDr. Chirik's work involves dissolved catalysts, which are mixed into the end product. The molecules of the catalyst dissipate during the reaction. For instance, a solution containing platinum is used to make silicone emulsifiers, compounds that in turn feed products like makeup, cookware and glue. Tiny amounts of the expensive metal are scattered in all these things; your jeans, for instance, contain unrecoverable particles of platinum.","id":"475.txt","label":1} +{"option":["making change in advance","before curving","forward","keeping changing"],"question":"The phrase\" be ahead of the curve\" \uff08Line 2, Paragraph 5\uff09most probably means _ .","article":"In a lab in Princeton University's ultra-sleek chemistry building, researchers toil in a modern-day hunt for an elusive power: alchemy.\nThroughout the centuries, alchemists tried in vain to transform common metals like iron and lead into precious ones like gold or platinum. Today, Paul Chirik, a professor of chemistry at Princeton, has managed a new twist on the timeworn pursuit.\nDr. Chirik, 39, has learned how to make iron function like platinum, in chemical reactions that are crucial to manufacturing scores of basic materials. While he can't, sadly, transmute a lump of iron ore into a pile of valuable jewelry, his version of alchemy is far more practical, and the implications are wide-ranging.\nThe process could herald a new era of flexible manufacturing technologies, while enabling companies to steer clear of scarce elements as prices rise or obtaining them becomes environmentally or geopolitically risky.\n\" No chemist would think lithium was in short supply,\" Dr. Chirik said, \" but what happens if you put a lithium battery in every car? This is why chemistry needs to be ahead of the curve. We need to have adaptable solutions.\"\nDespite the cost and relative scarcity of precious metals-iridium, platinum, rhodium-we rely on them to manufacture products from denim to beer, pharmaceuticals to fuel cells. The elements are used as catalysts, substances that kick off or enable chemical reactions.\nDr. Chirik's work involves dissolved catalysts, which are mixed into the end product. The molecules of the catalyst dissipate during the reaction. For instance, a solution containing platinum is used to make silicone emulsifiers, compounds that in turn feed products like makeup, cookware and glue. Tiny amounts of the expensive metal are scattered in all these things; your jeans, for instance, contain unrecoverable particles of platinum.","id":"475.txt","label":0} +{"option":["catalysts are mixed into the end product","the molecules of the catalyst decompose during the reaction","it would be the biggest deal so far","catalysts feature in wide-ranging function in chemical reactions as well as in the end products"],"question":"It can be inferred from the last two paragraphs that _ .","article":"In a lab in Princeton University's ultra-sleek chemistry building, researchers toil in a modern-day hunt for an elusive power: alchemy.\nThroughout the centuries, alchemists tried in vain to transform common metals like iron and lead into precious ones like gold or platinum. Today, Paul Chirik, a professor of chemistry at Princeton, has managed a new twist on the timeworn pursuit.\nDr. Chirik, 39, has learned how to make iron function like platinum, in chemical reactions that are crucial to manufacturing scores of basic materials. While he can't, sadly, transmute a lump of iron ore into a pile of valuable jewelry, his version of alchemy is far more practical, and the implications are wide-ranging.\nThe process could herald a new era of flexible manufacturing technologies, while enabling companies to steer clear of scarce elements as prices rise or obtaining them becomes environmentally or geopolitically risky.\n\" No chemist would think lithium was in short supply,\" Dr. Chirik said, \" but what happens if you put a lithium battery in every car? This is why chemistry needs to be ahead of the curve. We need to have adaptable solutions.\"\nDespite the cost and relative scarcity of precious metals-iridium, platinum, rhodium-we rely on them to manufacture products from denim to beer, pharmaceuticals to fuel cells. The elements are used as catalysts, substances that kick off or enable chemical reactions.\nDr. Chirik's work involves dissolved catalysts, which are mixed into the end product. The molecules of the catalyst dissipate during the reaction. For instance, a solution containing platinum is used to make silicone emulsifiers, compounds that in turn feed products like makeup, cookware and glue. Tiny amounts of the expensive metal are scattered in all these things; your jeans, for instance, contain unrecoverable particles of platinum.","id":"475.txt","label":3} +{"option":["positive","negative","uncertain","neutral"],"question":"From the text we can see that the writer seems _ .","article":"In a lab in Princeton University's ultra-sleek chemistry building, researchers toil in a modern-day hunt for an elusive power: alchemy.\nThroughout the centuries, alchemists tried in vain to transform common metals like iron and lead into precious ones like gold or platinum. Today, Paul Chirik, a professor of chemistry at Princeton, has managed a new twist on the timeworn pursuit.\nDr. Chirik, 39, has learned how to make iron function like platinum, in chemical reactions that are crucial to manufacturing scores of basic materials. While he can't, sadly, transmute a lump of iron ore into a pile of valuable jewelry, his version of alchemy is far more practical, and the implications are wide-ranging.\nThe process could herald a new era of flexible manufacturing technologies, while enabling companies to steer clear of scarce elements as prices rise or obtaining them becomes environmentally or geopolitically risky.\n\" No chemist would think lithium was in short supply,\" Dr. Chirik said, \" but what happens if you put a lithium battery in every car? This is why chemistry needs to be ahead of the curve. We need to have adaptable solutions.\"\nDespite the cost and relative scarcity of precious metals-iridium, platinum, rhodium-we rely on them to manufacture products from denim to beer, pharmaceuticals to fuel cells. The elements are used as catalysts, substances that kick off or enable chemical reactions.\nDr. Chirik's work involves dissolved catalysts, which are mixed into the end product. The molecules of the catalyst dissipate during the reaction. For instance, a solution containing platinum is used to make silicone emulsifiers, compounds that in turn feed products like makeup, cookware and glue. Tiny amounts of the expensive metal are scattered in all these things; your jeans, for instance, contain unrecoverable particles of platinum.","id":"475.txt","label":3} +{"option":["nesting materials","four skeletons in good condition","two fragmented skeletons","a single feather"],"question":"According to the author, all of the following evidence relating to the first birds was found EXCEPT","article":"The first birds appeared during late Jurassic times. These birds are known from four very good skeletons, two incomplete skeletons, and an isolated feather, all from the Solnhofen limestone of Bavaria, Germany. This fine-grained rock, which is extensively quarried for lithographic stone, was evidently deposited in a shallow coral lagoon of a tropical sea, and flying vertebrates occasionally fell into the water and were buried by the fine limy mud, to be preserved with remarkable detail. In this way, the late Jurassic bird skeletons, which have been named Archaeopteryx, were fossilized. And not only were the bones preserved in these skeletons, but also were imprints of the feathers. If the indications of feathers had not been preserved in association with Archaeopteryx, it is likely that these fossils would have been classified among the dinosaurs, for they show numerous theropod characteristics. Archaeopteryx were animals about the size of a crow, with an archeosaurian type of skull, a long neck, a compact body balanced on a pair of strong hind limbs, and a long tail. The forelimbs were enlarged and obviously functioned as wings.\nModern birds, who are the descendants of these early birds, are highly organized animals, with a constant body temperature and a very high rate of metabolism. In addition, they are remarkable for having evolved extraordinarily complex behavior patterns such as those of nesting and song, and the habit among many species of making long migrations from one continent to another and back each year.\nMost birds also have very strong legs, which allow them to run or walk on the ground as well as to fly in the air. Indeed, some of the waterbirds, such as ducks and geese, have the distinction of being able to move around proficiently in the water, on land, and in the air, a range in natural locomotor ability that has never been attained by any other vertebrate.","id":"353.txt","label":0} +{"option":["confused with others","gradually weakened","protected from destruction","lost permanently"],"question":"The word \"preserved\" in line 8 is closest in meaning to","article":"The first birds appeared during late Jurassic times. These birds are known from four very good skeletons, two incomplete skeletons, and an isolated feather, all from the Solnhofen limestone of Bavaria, Germany. This fine-grained rock, which is extensively quarried for lithographic stone, was evidently deposited in a shallow coral lagoon of a tropical sea, and flying vertebrates occasionally fell into the water and were buried by the fine limy mud, to be preserved with remarkable detail. In this way, the late Jurassic bird skeletons, which have been named Archaeopteryx, were fossilized. And not only were the bones preserved in these skeletons, but also were imprints of the feathers. If the indications of feathers had not been preserved in association with Archaeopteryx, it is likely that these fossils would have been classified among the dinosaurs, for they show numerous theropod characteristics. Archaeopteryx were animals about the size of a crow, with an archeosaurian type of skull, a long neck, a compact body balanced on a pair of strong hind limbs, and a long tail. The forelimbs were enlarged and obviously functioned as wings.\nModern birds, who are the descendants of these early birds, are highly organized animals, with a constant body temperature and a very high rate of metabolism. In addition, they are remarkable for having evolved extraordinarily complex behavior patterns such as those of nesting and song, and the habit among many species of making long migrations from one continent to another and back each year.\nMost birds also have very strong legs, which allow them to run or walk on the ground as well as to fly in the air. Indeed, some of the waterbirds, such as ducks and geese, have the distinction of being able to move around proficiently in the water, on land, and in the air, a range in natural locomotor ability that has never been attained by any other vertebrate.","id":"353.txt","label":2} +{"option":["imprints of bones","imprints of feathers","the neck structure","skeletons"],"question":"It can be inferred from the passage that the Archaeopteryx were classified as birds on the basis of","article":"The first birds appeared during late Jurassic times. These birds are known from four very good skeletons, two incomplete skeletons, and an isolated feather, all from the Solnhofen limestone of Bavaria, Germany. This fine-grained rock, which is extensively quarried for lithographic stone, was evidently deposited in a shallow coral lagoon of a tropical sea, and flying vertebrates occasionally fell into the water and were buried by the fine limy mud, to be preserved with remarkable detail. In this way, the late Jurassic bird skeletons, which have been named Archaeopteryx, were fossilized. And not only were the bones preserved in these skeletons, but also were imprints of the feathers. If the indications of feathers had not been preserved in association with Archaeopteryx, it is likely that these fossils would have been classified among the dinosaurs, for they show numerous theropod characteristics. Archaeopteryx were animals about the size of a crow, with an archeosaurian type of skull, a long neck, a compact body balanced on a pair of strong hind limbs, and a long tail. The forelimbs were enlarged and obviously functioned as wings.\nModern birds, who are the descendants of these early birds, are highly organized animals, with a constant body temperature and a very high rate of metabolism. In addition, they are remarkable for having evolved extraordinarily complex behavior patterns such as those of nesting and song, and the habit among many species of making long migrations from one continent to another and back each year.\nMost birds also have very strong legs, which allow them to run or walk on the ground as well as to fly in the air. Indeed, some of the waterbirds, such as ducks and geese, have the distinction of being able to move around proficiently in the water, on land, and in the air, a range in natural locomotor ability that has never been attained by any other vertebrate.","id":"353.txt","label":1} +{"option":["indications","fossils","dinosaurs","characteristics"],"question":"The word \"they\" in line 10 refers to","article":"The first birds appeared during late Jurassic times. These birds are known from four very good skeletons, two incomplete skeletons, and an isolated feather, all from the Solnhofen limestone of Bavaria, Germany. This fine-grained rock, which is extensively quarried for lithographic stone, was evidently deposited in a shallow coral lagoon of a tropical sea, and flying vertebrates occasionally fell into the water and were buried by the fine limy mud, to be preserved with remarkable detail. In this way, the late Jurassic bird skeletons, which have been named Archaeopteryx, were fossilized. And not only were the bones preserved in these skeletons, but also were imprints of the feathers. If the indications of feathers had not been preserved in association with Archaeopteryx, it is likely that these fossils would have been classified among the dinosaurs, for they show numerous theropod characteristics. Archaeopteryx were animals about the size of a crow, with an archeosaurian type of skull, a long neck, a compact body balanced on a pair of strong hind limbs, and a long tail. The forelimbs were enlarged and obviously functioned as wings.\nModern birds, who are the descendants of these early birds, are highly organized animals, with a constant body temperature and a very high rate of metabolism. In addition, they are remarkable for having evolved extraordinarily complex behavior patterns such as those of nesting and song, and the habit among many species of making long migrations from one continent to another and back each year.\nMost birds also have very strong legs, which allow them to run or walk on the ground as well as to fly in the air. Indeed, some of the waterbirds, such as ducks and geese, have the distinction of being able to move around proficiently in the water, on land, and in the air, a range in natural locomotor ability that has never been attained by any other vertebrate.","id":"353.txt","label":1} +{"option":["to indicate the size of Archaeopteryx","To specify the age of the Archaeopteryx fossils","To explain the evolutionary history of Archaeopteryx","To demonstrate the superiority of the theropod to Archaeopteryx"],"question":"Why does the author mention \"a crow\" in line 11?","article":"The first birds appeared during late Jurassic times. These birds are known from four very good skeletons, two incomplete skeletons, and an isolated feather, all from the Solnhofen limestone of Bavaria, Germany. This fine-grained rock, which is extensively quarried for lithographic stone, was evidently deposited in a shallow coral lagoon of a tropical sea, and flying vertebrates occasionally fell into the water and were buried by the fine limy mud, to be preserved with remarkable detail. In this way, the late Jurassic bird skeletons, which have been named Archaeopteryx, were fossilized. And not only were the bones preserved in these skeletons, but also were imprints of the feathers. If the indications of feathers had not been preserved in association with Archaeopteryx, it is likely that these fossils would have been classified among the dinosaurs, for they show numerous theropod characteristics. Archaeopteryx were animals about the size of a crow, with an archeosaurian type of skull, a long neck, a compact body balanced on a pair of strong hind limbs, and a long tail. The forelimbs were enlarged and obviously functioned as wings.\nModern birds, who are the descendants of these early birds, are highly organized animals, with a constant body temperature and a very high rate of metabolism. In addition, they are remarkable for having evolved extraordinarily complex behavior patterns such as those of nesting and song, and the habit among many species of making long migrations from one continent to another and back each year.\nMost birds also have very strong legs, which allow them to run or walk on the ground as well as to fly in the air. Indeed, some of the waterbirds, such as ducks and geese, have the distinction of being able to move around proficiently in the water, on land, and in the air, a range in natural locomotor ability that has never been attained by any other vertebrate.","id":"353.txt","label":0} +{"option":["dinosaurs","birds","Archaeopteryx","crows"],"question":"It can be inferred from the passage that theropods were","article":"The first birds appeared during late Jurassic times. These birds are known from four very good skeletons, two incomplete skeletons, and an isolated feather, all from the Solnhofen limestone of Bavaria, Germany. This fine-grained rock, which is extensively quarried for lithographic stone, was evidently deposited in a shallow coral lagoon of a tropical sea, and flying vertebrates occasionally fell into the water and were buried by the fine limy mud, to be preserved with remarkable detail. In this way, the late Jurassic bird skeletons, which have been named Archaeopteryx, were fossilized. And not only were the bones preserved in these skeletons, but also were imprints of the feathers. If the indications of feathers had not been preserved in association with Archaeopteryx, it is likely that these fossils would have been classified among the dinosaurs, for they show numerous theropod characteristics. Archaeopteryx were animals about the size of a crow, with an archeosaurian type of skull, a long neck, a compact body balanced on a pair of strong hind limbs, and a long tail. The forelimbs were enlarged and obviously functioned as wings.\nModern birds, who are the descendants of these early birds, are highly organized animals, with a constant body temperature and a very high rate of metabolism. In addition, they are remarkable for having evolved extraordinarily complex behavior patterns such as those of nesting and song, and the habit among many species of making long migrations from one continent to another and back each year.\nMost birds also have very strong legs, which allow them to run or walk on the ground as well as to fly in the air. Indeed, some of the waterbirds, such as ducks and geese, have the distinction of being able to move around proficiently in the water, on land, and in the air, a range in natural locomotor ability that has never been attained by any other vertebrate.","id":"353.txt","label":0} +{"option":["comfortable","combined","consistent","complementary"],"question":"The word \"constant\" in line 16 is closest in meaning to","article":"The first birds appeared during late Jurassic times. These birds are known from four very good skeletons, two incomplete skeletons, and an isolated feather, all from the Solnhofen limestone of Bavaria, Germany. This fine-grained rock, which is extensively quarried for lithographic stone, was evidently deposited in a shallow coral lagoon of a tropical sea, and flying vertebrates occasionally fell into the water and were buried by the fine limy mud, to be preserved with remarkable detail. In this way, the late Jurassic bird skeletons, which have been named Archaeopteryx, were fossilized. And not only were the bones preserved in these skeletons, but also were imprints of the feathers. If the indications of feathers had not been preserved in association with Archaeopteryx, it is likely that these fossils would have been classified among the dinosaurs, for they show numerous theropod characteristics. Archaeopteryx were animals about the size of a crow, with an archeosaurian type of skull, a long neck, a compact body balanced on a pair of strong hind limbs, and a long tail. The forelimbs were enlarged and obviously functioned as wings.\nModern birds, who are the descendants of these early birds, are highly organized animals, with a constant body temperature and a very high rate of metabolism. In addition, they are remarkable for having evolved extraordinarily complex behavior patterns such as those of nesting and song, and the habit among many species of making long migrations from one continent to another and back each year.\nMost birds also have very strong legs, which allow them to run or walk on the ground as well as to fly in the air. Indeed, some of the waterbirds, such as ducks and geese, have the distinction of being able to move around proficiently in the water, on land, and in the air, a range in natural locomotor ability that has never been attained by any other vertebrate.","id":"353.txt","label":2} +{"option":["migrating","nesting","singing","running"],"question":"The author mentions all of the following as examples of complex behavior patterns evolved by birds EXCEPT","article":"The first birds appeared during late Jurassic times. These birds are known from four very good skeletons, two incomplete skeletons, and an isolated feather, all from the Solnhofen limestone of Bavaria, Germany. This fine-grained rock, which is extensively quarried for lithographic stone, was evidently deposited in a shallow coral lagoon of a tropical sea, and flying vertebrates occasionally fell into the water and were buried by the fine limy mud, to be preserved with remarkable detail. In this way, the late Jurassic bird skeletons, which have been named Archaeopteryx, were fossilized. And not only were the bones preserved in these skeletons, but also were imprints of the feathers. If the indications of feathers had not been preserved in association with Archaeopteryx, it is likely that these fossils would have been classified among the dinosaurs, for they show numerous theropod characteristics. Archaeopteryx were animals about the size of a crow, with an archeosaurian type of skull, a long neck, a compact body balanced on a pair of strong hind limbs, and a long tail. The forelimbs were enlarged and obviously functioned as wings.\nModern birds, who are the descendants of these early birds, are highly organized animals, with a constant body temperature and a very high rate of metabolism. In addition, they are remarkable for having evolved extraordinarily complex behavior patterns such as those of nesting and song, and the habit among many species of making long migrations from one continent to another and back each year.\nMost birds also have very strong legs, which allow them to run or walk on the ground as well as to fly in the air. Indeed, some of the waterbirds, such as ducks and geese, have the distinction of being able to move around proficiently in the water, on land, and in the air, a range in natural locomotor ability that has never been attained by any other vertebrate.","id":"353.txt","label":3} +{"option":["required","achieved","observed","merited"],"question":"The word \"attained\" in line 23 is closest in meaning to","article":"The first birds appeared during late Jurassic times. These birds are known from four very good skeletons, two incomplete skeletons, and an isolated feather, all from the Solnhofen limestone of Bavaria, Germany. This fine-grained rock, which is extensively quarried for lithographic stone, was evidently deposited in a shallow coral lagoon of a tropical sea, and flying vertebrates occasionally fell into the water and were buried by the fine limy mud, to be preserved with remarkable detail. In this way, the late Jurassic bird skeletons, which have been named Archaeopteryx, were fossilized. And not only were the bones preserved in these skeletons, but also were imprints of the feathers. If the indications of feathers had not been preserved in association with Archaeopteryx, it is likely that these fossils would have been classified among the dinosaurs, for they show numerous theropod characteristics. Archaeopteryx were animals about the size of a crow, with an archeosaurian type of skull, a long neck, a compact body balanced on a pair of strong hind limbs, and a long tail. The forelimbs were enlarged and obviously functioned as wings.\nModern birds, who are the descendants of these early birds, are highly organized animals, with a constant body temperature and a very high rate of metabolism. In addition, they are remarkable for having evolved extraordinarily complex behavior patterns such as those of nesting and song, and the habit among many species of making long migrations from one continent to another and back each year.\nMost birds also have very strong legs, which allow them to run or walk on the ground as well as to fly in the air. Indeed, some of the waterbirds, such as ducks and geese, have the distinction of being able to move around proficiently in the water, on land, and in the air, a range in natural locomotor ability that has never been attained by any other vertebrate.","id":"353.txt","label":1} +{"option":["She was a distinguished graduate of Harvard School of Law.","She worked her way to success in the entertainment industry.","She used to abuse her children when she was a young mother.","She achieved her fame through persistent advocacy of fake science."],"question":"What do we learn about Oprah Winfrey from the passage?","article":"It's possible to admire Oprah Winfrey and still wish Harvard hadn't awarded her an honorary doctor of law degree and the commencement speaker spot at yesterday's graduation. There's no question Oprah's achievements place her in the temple of American success stories. Talent, charm, and an exceptional work ethic have rarely hurled anyone as far as they have this former abused teenage mother from rural Mississippi who became one of the world's most successful entertainment icons and the first African-American female billionaire.\nHonorary degrees are often conferred on non-academic leaders in the arts, business, and politics.Harvard's list in recent years has included Kofi Annan, Bill Gates, Meryl Streep, and David Souter. But Oprah's particular brand of celebrity is not a good fit for the values of a university whose motto ,Veritas, means truth. Oprah's passionate advocacy extends, unfortunately, to a hearty embrace of fake science. Most notoriously, Oprah's validation of Jenny Me Carthy's claim that vaccines cause autism has no doubt contributed to much harm through the foolish avoidance of vaccines.\nFamous people are entitled to a few failings, like the rest of us, and the choice of commencement speakers often reflects a balance of institutional priorities and aspirations. Judging from our conversations with many students, Oprah was a widely popular choice.\nBut this vote of confidence in Oprah sends a troubling message at precisely the time when American universities need to do more to advance the cause of reason. As former Dean of Harvard College,Harry Lewis, noted in a blog post about his objections,\"It seems very odd for Harvard to honor such a high profile popularizer of the irrational.., at a time when political and religious nonsense so jeopardize the rule of reason in this allegedly enlightened democracy and around the world.\"\nAs America's oldest and most visible university, Harvard has a special opportunity to convey its respect for science not only through its research and teaching programs but also in its public affirmation of evidence-based inquiry.\nUnfortunately, many American universities seem awfully busy protecting their brand name and not nearly busy enough protecting the pursuit of knowledge. A recent article in The Harvard Crimson noted the shocking growth of Harvard's public relations arm in the last five years and it questioned whether a focus on risk management and avoiding controversy was really the best outward-looking face of this great institution.\nAs American research universities begin to resemble profit centers and entertainment complexes, it's easy to lose sight of their primary mission., to produce and spread knowledge. This mission depends on traditions of rational discourse and vigorous defense of the scientific method. Oprah Winfrey's honorary doctorate was a step in the wrong direction.","id":"1341.txt","label":1} +{"option":["She did not specialize in the study of law.","She was known as s supporter of fake science.","She was an icon of the entertainment industry.","She had not distinguished herself academically."],"question":"Why does the author deem it inappropriate for Harvard to confer an honorary degree on Oprah Winfrey?","article":"It's possible to admire Oprah Winfrey and still wish Harvard hadn't awarded her an honorary doctor of law degree and the commencement speaker spot at yesterday's graduation. There's no question Oprah's achievements place her in the temple of American success stories. Talent, charm, and an exceptional work ethic have rarely hurled anyone as far as they have this former abused teenage mother from rural Mississippi who became one of the world's most successful entertainment icons and the first African-American female billionaire.\nHonorary degrees are often conferred on non-academic leaders in the arts, business, and politics.Harvard's list in recent years has included Kofi Annan, Bill Gates, Meryl Streep, and David Souter. But Oprah's particular brand of celebrity is not a good fit for the values of a university whose motto ,Veritas, means truth. Oprah's passionate advocacy extends, unfortunately, to a hearty embrace of fake science. Most notoriously, Oprah's validation of Jenny Me Carthy's claim that vaccines cause autism has no doubt contributed to much harm through the foolish avoidance of vaccines.\nFamous people are entitled to a few failings, like the rest of us, and the choice of commencement speakers often reflects a balance of institutional priorities and aspirations. Judging from our conversations with many students, Oprah was a widely popular choice.\nBut this vote of confidence in Oprah sends a troubling message at precisely the time when American universities need to do more to advance the cause of reason. As former Dean of Harvard College,Harry Lewis, noted in a blog post about his objections,\"It seems very odd for Harvard to honor such a high profile popularizer of the irrational.., at a time when political and religious nonsense so jeopardize the rule of reason in this allegedly enlightened democracy and around the world.\"\nAs America's oldest and most visible university, Harvard has a special opportunity to convey its respect for science not only through its research and teaching programs but also in its public affirmation of evidence-based inquiry.\nUnfortunately, many American universities seem awfully busy protecting their brand name and not nearly busy enough protecting the pursuit of knowledge. A recent article in The Harvard Crimson noted the shocking growth of Harvard's public relations arm in the last five years and it questioned whether a focus on risk management and avoiding controversy was really the best outward-looking face of this great institution.\nAs American research universities begin to resemble profit centers and entertainment complexes, it's easy to lose sight of their primary mission., to produce and spread knowledge. This mission depends on traditions of rational discourse and vigorous defense of the scientific method. Oprah Winfrey's honorary doctorate was a step in the wrong direction.","id":"1341.txt","label":1} +{"option":["He was strongly against it.","He considered it unpopular.","He thought it would help enhance Harvard's reputation.","He thought it represented the will of the Harvard community."],"question":"How did Harry Lewis react to Harvard's decision in his blog post?","article":"It's possible to admire Oprah Winfrey and still wish Harvard hadn't awarded her an honorary doctor of law degree and the commencement speaker spot at yesterday's graduation. There's no question Oprah's achievements place her in the temple of American success stories. Talent, charm, and an exceptional work ethic have rarely hurled anyone as far as they have this former abused teenage mother from rural Mississippi who became one of the world's most successful entertainment icons and the first African-American female billionaire.\nHonorary degrees are often conferred on non-academic leaders in the arts, business, and politics.Harvard's list in recent years has included Kofi Annan, Bill Gates, Meryl Streep, and David Souter. But Oprah's particular brand of celebrity is not a good fit for the values of a university whose motto ,Veritas, means truth. Oprah's passionate advocacy extends, unfortunately, to a hearty embrace of fake science. Most notoriously, Oprah's validation of Jenny Me Carthy's claim that vaccines cause autism has no doubt contributed to much harm through the foolish avoidance of vaccines.\nFamous people are entitled to a few failings, like the rest of us, and the choice of commencement speakers often reflects a balance of institutional priorities and aspirations. Judging from our conversations with many students, Oprah was a widely popular choice.\nBut this vote of confidence in Oprah sends a troubling message at precisely the time when American universities need to do more to advance the cause of reason. As former Dean of Harvard College,Harry Lewis, noted in a blog post about his objections,\"It seems very odd for Harvard to honor such a high profile popularizer of the irrational.., at a time when political and religious nonsense so jeopardize the rule of reason in this allegedly enlightened democracy and around the world.\"\nAs America's oldest and most visible university, Harvard has a special opportunity to convey its respect for science not only through its research and teaching programs but also in its public affirmation of evidence-based inquiry.\nUnfortunately, many American universities seem awfully busy protecting their brand name and not nearly busy enough protecting the pursuit of knowledge. A recent article in The Harvard Crimson noted the shocking growth of Harvard's public relations arm in the last five years and it questioned whether a focus on risk management and avoiding controversy was really the best outward-looking face of this great institution.\nAs American research universities begin to resemble profit centers and entertainment complexes, it's easy to lose sight of their primary mission., to produce and spread knowledge. This mission depends on traditions of rational discourse and vigorous defense of the scientific method. Oprah Winfrey's honorary doctorate was a step in the wrong direction.","id":"1341.txt","label":0} +{"option":["They show inadequate respect for evidence-based inquiry.","They fall short of expectations in teaching and research.","They attach too much importance to public relations.","They are tolerant of political and religious nonsense."],"question":"What is the author's regret about many American universities?","article":"It's possible to admire Oprah Winfrey and still wish Harvard hadn't awarded her an honorary doctor of law degree and the commencement speaker spot at yesterday's graduation. There's no question Oprah's achievements place her in the temple of American success stories. Talent, charm, and an exceptional work ethic have rarely hurled anyone as far as they have this former abused teenage mother from rural Mississippi who became one of the world's most successful entertainment icons and the first African-American female billionaire.\nHonorary degrees are often conferred on non-academic leaders in the arts, business, and politics.Harvard's list in recent years has included Kofi Annan, Bill Gates, Meryl Streep, and David Souter. But Oprah's particular brand of celebrity is not a good fit for the values of a university whose motto ,Veritas, means truth. Oprah's passionate advocacy extends, unfortunately, to a hearty embrace of fake science. Most notoriously, Oprah's validation of Jenny Me Carthy's claim that vaccines cause autism has no doubt contributed to much harm through the foolish avoidance of vaccines.\nFamous people are entitled to a few failings, like the rest of us, and the choice of commencement speakers often reflects a balance of institutional priorities and aspirations. Judging from our conversations with many students, Oprah was a widely popular choice.\nBut this vote of confidence in Oprah sends a troubling message at precisely the time when American universities need to do more to advance the cause of reason. As former Dean of Harvard College,Harry Lewis, noted in a blog post about his objections,\"It seems very odd for Harvard to honor such a high profile popularizer of the irrational.., at a time when political and religious nonsense so jeopardize the rule of reason in this allegedly enlightened democracy and around the world.\"\nAs America's oldest and most visible university, Harvard has a special opportunity to convey its respect for science not only through its research and teaching programs but also in its public affirmation of evidence-based inquiry.\nUnfortunately, many American universities seem awfully busy protecting their brand name and not nearly busy enough protecting the pursuit of knowledge. A recent article in The Harvard Crimson noted the shocking growth of Harvard's public relations arm in the last five years and it questioned whether a focus on risk management and avoiding controversy was really the best outward-looking face of this great institution.\nAs American research universities begin to resemble profit centers and entertainment complexes, it's easy to lose sight of their primary mission., to produce and spread knowledge. This mission depends on traditions of rational discourse and vigorous defense of the scientific method. Oprah Winfrey's honorary doctorate was a step in the wrong direction.","id":"1341.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Cultivation of student creativity.","Defense of the scientific method.","Liberation of the human mind.","Pursuit of knowledge and truth."],"question":"What does the author think a prestigious university like Harvard should focus on?","article":"It's possible to admire Oprah Winfrey and still wish Harvard hadn't awarded her an honorary doctor of law degree and the commencement speaker spot at yesterday's graduation. There's no question Oprah's achievements place her in the temple of American success stories. Talent, charm, and an exceptional work ethic have rarely hurled anyone as far as they have this former abused teenage mother from rural Mississippi who became one of the world's most successful entertainment icons and the first African-American female billionaire.\nHonorary degrees are often conferred on non-academic leaders in the arts, business, and politics.Harvard's list in recent years has included Kofi Annan, Bill Gates, Meryl Streep, and David Souter. But Oprah's particular brand of celebrity is not a good fit for the values of a university whose motto ,Veritas, means truth. Oprah's passionate advocacy extends, unfortunately, to a hearty embrace of fake science. Most notoriously, Oprah's validation of Jenny Me Carthy's claim that vaccines cause autism has no doubt contributed to much harm through the foolish avoidance of vaccines.\nFamous people are entitled to a few failings, like the rest of us, and the choice of commencement speakers often reflects a balance of institutional priorities and aspirations. Judging from our conversations with many students, Oprah was a widely popular choice.\nBut this vote of confidence in Oprah sends a troubling message at precisely the time when American universities need to do more to advance the cause of reason. As former Dean of Harvard College,Harry Lewis, noted in a blog post about his objections,\"It seems very odd for Harvard to honor such a high profile popularizer of the irrational.., at a time when political and religious nonsense so jeopardize the rule of reason in this allegedly enlightened democracy and around the world.\"\nAs America's oldest and most visible university, Harvard has a special opportunity to convey its respect for science not only through its research and teaching programs but also in its public affirmation of evidence-based inquiry.\nUnfortunately, many American universities seem awfully busy protecting their brand name and not nearly busy enough protecting the pursuit of knowledge. A recent article in The Harvard Crimson noted the shocking growth of Harvard's public relations arm in the last five years and it questioned whether a focus on risk management and avoiding controversy was really the best outward-looking face of this great institution.\nAs American research universities begin to resemble profit centers and entertainment complexes, it's easy to lose sight of their primary mission., to produce and spread knowledge. This mission depends on traditions of rational discourse and vigorous defense of the scientific method. Oprah Winfrey's honorary doctorate was a step in the wrong direction.","id":"1341.txt","label":3} +{"option":["A disease.","Type 2 diabetes.","Cancer.","Obesity."],"question":"According to the passage, what does \"a global epidemic\" ( Line 3, Para. 1 ) refer to?","article":"A study of nearly 140,000 women in the U. S. showed that regular helpings of a small portion of nuts can have a powerful protective effect against a disease that is threatening to become a global epidemic. Women who consumed a 28 gram packet of walnuts at least twice a week were 24 per cent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who rarely or never ate them. Eating walnuts just two or three times a week can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by almost a quarter.\nThe latest findings, published in the Journal of Nutrition, are not the first to highlight the anti-diabetic effects of walnuts, with earlier research showing similar benefits. However, this is thought to be one of the largest studies to fmd regularly snarling on them can help prevent the condition. Although the latest research was carried out on female nurses, it's likely that the same benefits apply to men.\nAccording to the charity Diabetes UK, at the current rate of increase, the numbers affected by type 2 diabetes in the UK will rise from around 2.5 million currently to four million by 2025 and five million by 2030. Left untreated, it can raise the risk of heart attacks, blindness and amputation. Being overweight, physically inactive and having a poor diet are major risk factors for the disease.\nScientists at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, U. S. , tracked 137,893 nurses aged from 35 to 77 over a ten year period to see how many developed type 2 diabetes. Their dietary habits were closely monitored, including details on how often they ate nuts, particularly walnuts. After allowing for body fat and weight, the researchers found eating walnuts one to three times a month reduced the risk by four per cent, once a week by 13 per cent and at least twice a week by 24 per cent.\nIn a report on the findings the researchers said: \"These results suggest higher walnut consumption is associated with a significantly lower risk of type 2 diabetes in women: \" Walnuts are rich in healthy fatty acids which have been shown to reduce inflammation in the body and protect against heart disease, cancer and arthritis. Last year, experts at the University of California Los Angeles also found young men in their twenties and thirties who ate walnuts every day increased their sperm count and boosted their fertility.\nThe research comes just after a Louisiana State University study which showed that eating nuts can reduce people's risk of obesity. The study found that those who consumed varieties such as almonds and pistachios demonstrated a lower body weight, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference compared to non-consumers. They were also at lower risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.","id":"866.txt","label":1} +{"option":["was carried out on male nurses.","is considered as the largest study of walnuts' anti-diabetic effects.","emphasizes walnuts' anti-diabetic effects.","is the first study of walnuts' anti-diabetic effects."],"question":"According to the passage, the research published in the Journal of Nutrition","article":"A study of nearly 140,000 women in the U. S. showed that regular helpings of a small portion of nuts can have a powerful protective effect against a disease that is threatening to become a global epidemic. Women who consumed a 28 gram packet of walnuts at least twice a week were 24 per cent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who rarely or never ate them. Eating walnuts just two or three times a week can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by almost a quarter.\nThe latest findings, published in the Journal of Nutrition, are not the first to highlight the anti-diabetic effects of walnuts, with earlier research showing similar benefits. However, this is thought to be one of the largest studies to fmd regularly snarling on them can help prevent the condition. Although the latest research was carried out on female nurses, it's likely that the same benefits apply to men.\nAccording to the charity Diabetes UK, at the current rate of increase, the numbers affected by type 2 diabetes in the UK will rise from around 2.5 million currently to four million by 2025 and five million by 2030. Left untreated, it can raise the risk of heart attacks, blindness and amputation. Being overweight, physically inactive and having a poor diet are major risk factors for the disease.\nScientists at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, U. S. , tracked 137,893 nurses aged from 35 to 77 over a ten year period to see how many developed type 2 diabetes. Their dietary habits were closely monitored, including details on how often they ate nuts, particularly walnuts. After allowing for body fat and weight, the researchers found eating walnuts one to three times a month reduced the risk by four per cent, once a week by 13 per cent and at least twice a week by 24 per cent.\nIn a report on the findings the researchers said: \"These results suggest higher walnut consumption is associated with a significantly lower risk of type 2 diabetes in women: \" Walnuts are rich in healthy fatty acids which have been shown to reduce inflammation in the body and protect against heart disease, cancer and arthritis. Last year, experts at the University of California Los Angeles also found young men in their twenties and thirties who ate walnuts every day increased their sperm count and boosted their fertility.\nThe research comes just after a Louisiana State University study which showed that eating nuts can reduce people's risk of obesity. The study found that those who consumed varieties such as almonds and pistachios demonstrated a lower body weight, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference compared to non-consumers. They were also at lower risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.","id":"866.txt","label":2} +{"option":["The number of diabetes patients in the UK will double by 2025.","Type 2 diabetes is mainly triggered by childhood overweight.","Diet and exercise may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.","Type 2 diabetes will cause a significant increase of weight."],"question":"Which of the following can be inferred from Paragraph 3?","article":"A study of nearly 140,000 women in the U. S. showed that regular helpings of a small portion of nuts can have a powerful protective effect against a disease that is threatening to become a global epidemic. Women who consumed a 28 gram packet of walnuts at least twice a week were 24 per cent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who rarely or never ate them. Eating walnuts just two or three times a week can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by almost a quarter.\nThe latest findings, published in the Journal of Nutrition, are not the first to highlight the anti-diabetic effects of walnuts, with earlier research showing similar benefits. However, this is thought to be one of the largest studies to fmd regularly snarling on them can help prevent the condition. Although the latest research was carried out on female nurses, it's likely that the same benefits apply to men.\nAccording to the charity Diabetes UK, at the current rate of increase, the numbers affected by type 2 diabetes in the UK will rise from around 2.5 million currently to four million by 2025 and five million by 2030. Left untreated, it can raise the risk of heart attacks, blindness and amputation. Being overweight, physically inactive and having a poor diet are major risk factors for the disease.\nScientists at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, U. S. , tracked 137,893 nurses aged from 35 to 77 over a ten year period to see how many developed type 2 diabetes. Their dietary habits were closely monitored, including details on how often they ate nuts, particularly walnuts. After allowing for body fat and weight, the researchers found eating walnuts one to three times a month reduced the risk by four per cent, once a week by 13 per cent and at least twice a week by 24 per cent.\nIn a report on the findings the researchers said: \"These results suggest higher walnut consumption is associated with a significantly lower risk of type 2 diabetes in women: \" Walnuts are rich in healthy fatty acids which have been shown to reduce inflammation in the body and protect against heart disease, cancer and arthritis. Last year, experts at the University of California Los Angeles also found young men in their twenties and thirties who ate walnuts every day increased their sperm count and boosted their fertility.\nThe research comes just after a Louisiana State University study which showed that eating nuts can reduce people's risk of obesity. The study found that those who consumed varieties such as almonds and pistachios demonstrated a lower body weight, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference compared to non-consumers. They were also at lower risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.","id":"866.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Most of them are female.","Their eating habits were closely inspected for over ten years.","Their age is ranging from 35 to 77 years old.","They have about the same body fat and weight."],"question":"Which of the following is TRUE about the 137,893 nurses tracked by scientists at the Harvard?","article":"A study of nearly 140,000 women in the U. S. showed that regular helpings of a small portion of nuts can have a powerful protective effect against a disease that is threatening to become a global epidemic. Women who consumed a 28 gram packet of walnuts at least twice a week were 24 per cent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who rarely or never ate them. Eating walnuts just two or three times a week can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by almost a quarter.\nThe latest findings, published in the Journal of Nutrition, are not the first to highlight the anti-diabetic effects of walnuts, with earlier research showing similar benefits. However, this is thought to be one of the largest studies to fmd regularly snarling on them can help prevent the condition. Although the latest research was carried out on female nurses, it's likely that the same benefits apply to men.\nAccording to the charity Diabetes UK, at the current rate of increase, the numbers affected by type 2 diabetes in the UK will rise from around 2.5 million currently to four million by 2025 and five million by 2030. Left untreated, it can raise the risk of heart attacks, blindness and amputation. Being overweight, physically inactive and having a poor diet are major risk factors for the disease.\nScientists at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, U. S. , tracked 137,893 nurses aged from 35 to 77 over a ten year period to see how many developed type 2 diabetes. Their dietary habits were closely monitored, including details on how often they ate nuts, particularly walnuts. After allowing for body fat and weight, the researchers found eating walnuts one to three times a month reduced the risk by four per cent, once a week by 13 per cent and at least twice a week by 24 per cent.\nIn a report on the findings the researchers said: \"These results suggest higher walnut consumption is associated with a significantly lower risk of type 2 diabetes in women: \" Walnuts are rich in healthy fatty acids which have been shown to reduce inflammation in the body and protect against heart disease, cancer and arthritis. Last year, experts at the University of California Los Angeles also found young men in their twenties and thirties who ate walnuts every day increased their sperm count and boosted their fertility.\nThe research comes just after a Louisiana State University study which showed that eating nuts can reduce people's risk of obesity. The study found that those who consumed varieties such as almonds and pistachios demonstrated a lower body weight, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference compared to non-consumers. They were also at lower risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.","id":"866.txt","label":2} +{"option":["lower people's body weight, BMI and waist circumference","reduce inflammation in the body","lower people's risk of heart disease, cancer and arthritis","increase young men's sperm count and boost their fertility"],"question":"It has been proved that eating nuts can","article":"A study of nearly 140,000 women in the U. S. showed that regular helpings of a small portion of nuts can have a powerful protective effect against a disease that is threatening to become a global epidemic. Women who consumed a 28 gram packet of walnuts at least twice a week were 24 per cent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who rarely or never ate them. Eating walnuts just two or three times a week can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by almost a quarter.\nThe latest findings, published in the Journal of Nutrition, are not the first to highlight the anti-diabetic effects of walnuts, with earlier research showing similar benefits. However, this is thought to be one of the largest studies to fmd regularly snarling on them can help prevent the condition. Although the latest research was carried out on female nurses, it's likely that the same benefits apply to men.\nAccording to the charity Diabetes UK, at the current rate of increase, the numbers affected by type 2 diabetes in the UK will rise from around 2.5 million currently to four million by 2025 and five million by 2030. Left untreated, it can raise the risk of heart attacks, blindness and amputation. Being overweight, physically inactive and having a poor diet are major risk factors for the disease.\nScientists at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, U. S. , tracked 137,893 nurses aged from 35 to 77 over a ten year period to see how many developed type 2 diabetes. Their dietary habits were closely monitored, including details on how often they ate nuts, particularly walnuts. After allowing for body fat and weight, the researchers found eating walnuts one to three times a month reduced the risk by four per cent, once a week by 13 per cent and at least twice a week by 24 per cent.\nIn a report on the findings the researchers said: \"These results suggest higher walnut consumption is associated with a significantly lower risk of type 2 diabetes in women: \" Walnuts are rich in healthy fatty acids which have been shown to reduce inflammation in the body and protect against heart disease, cancer and arthritis. Last year, experts at the University of California Los Angeles also found young men in their twenties and thirties who ate walnuts every day increased their sperm count and boosted their fertility.\nThe research comes just after a Louisiana State University study which showed that eating nuts can reduce people's risk of obesity. The study found that those who consumed varieties such as almonds and pistachios demonstrated a lower body weight, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference compared to non-consumers. They were also at lower risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.","id":"866.txt","label":0} +{"option":["They have the final say in which university their children are to attend.","They know best which universities are most suitable for their children.","they have to carry out intensive surveys of colleges before children make an application.","they care more about which college their children go to than the children themselves."],"question":"Why dose the author say that parengs are the true fighters in the college-admissions wars?","article":"In the college-admissions wars, we parents are the true fights. We are pushing our kids to get good grades, take SAT preparatory courses and build resumes so they can get into the college of our first choice. I've twice been to the wars, and as I survey the battlefield, something different is happening. We see our kids' college background as e prize demonstrating how well we've raised them. But we can't acknowledge that our obsession is more about us than them. So we've contrived various justifications that turn out to be half-truths, prejudices or myths. It actually doesn't matter much whether Aaron and Nicole go to Stanford.\nWe have a full-blown prestige panic; we worry that there won't be enough prizes to go around. Fearful parents urge their children to apply to more schools than ever. Underlying the hysteria is the belief that scarce elite degrees must be highly valuable. Their graduates must enjoy more success because they get a better education and develop better contacts. All that is plausible--and mostly wrong. We haven't found any convincing evidence that selectivity or prestige matters. Selective schools don't systematically employ better instructional approaches than less selective schools. On two measures--professors' feedback and the number of essay exams--selective schools do slightly worse.\nBy some studies, selective schools do enhance their graduates' lifetime earnings. The gain is reckoned at 2-4% for every 100-poinnt increase in a school's average SAT scores. But even this advantage is probably a statistical fluke. A well-known study examined students who got into highly selective schools and then went elsewhere. They earned just as much as graduates from higher-status schools.\nKids count more than their colleges.Getting into yale may signify intellgence,talent and\nAmbition. But it's not the only indicator and,paradoxically,its significance is declining.The reason:so many similar people go elsewhere.Getting into college is not life only competiton.Old-boy networks are breaking down.princeton economist Alan Krueger studied admissions to one top Ph.D.program.High scores on the GRE helpd explain who got in;degrees of prestigious universities didn't.\nSo,parents,lighten up.the stakes have been vastly exaggerated.up to a point,we can rationalize our pushiness.America is a competitive society;our kids need to adjust to that.but too much pushiness can be destructive.the very ambition we impose on our children may get some into Harvard but may also set them up for disappointment.one study found that,other things being equal,graduates of highly selective schools experienced more job dissatisfaction.They may have been so conditioned to deing on top that anything less disappoints.","id":"917.txt","label":3} +{"option":["they want to increase their children chances of entering a prestigious college.","they hope their children can enter a university that offers attractive scholarships.","Their children eill have have a wider choice of which college to go to.","Elite universities now enroll fewer syudent than they used to."],"question":"Why do parents urge their children to apply to more school than ever?","article":"In the college-admissions wars, we parents are the true fights. We are pushing our kids to get good grades, take SAT preparatory courses and build resumes so they can get into the college of our first choice. I've twice been to the wars, and as I survey the battlefield, something different is happening. We see our kids' college background as e prize demonstrating how well we've raised them. But we can't acknowledge that our obsession is more about us than them. So we've contrived various justifications that turn out to be half-truths, prejudices or myths. It actually doesn't matter much whether Aaron and Nicole go to Stanford.\nWe have a full-blown prestige panic; we worry that there won't be enough prizes to go around. Fearful parents urge their children to apply to more schools than ever. Underlying the hysteria is the belief that scarce elite degrees must be highly valuable. Their graduates must enjoy more success because they get a better education and develop better contacts. All that is plausible--and mostly wrong. We haven't found any convincing evidence that selectivity or prestige matters. Selective schools don't systematically employ better instructional approaches than less selective schools. On two measures--professors' feedback and the number of essay exams--selective schools do slightly worse.\nBy some studies, selective schools do enhance their graduates' lifetime earnings. The gain is reckoned at 2-4% for every 100-poinnt increase in a school's average SAT scores. But even this advantage is probably a statistical fluke. A well-known study examined students who got into highly selective schools and then went elsewhere. They earned just as much as graduates from higher-status schools.\nKids count more than their colleges.Getting into yale may signify intellgence,talent and\nAmbition. But it's not the only indicator and,paradoxically,its significance is declining.The reason:so many similar people go elsewhere.Getting into college is not life only competiton.Old-boy networks are breaking down.princeton economist Alan Krueger studied admissions to one top Ph.D.program.High scores on the GRE helpd explain who got in;degrees of prestigious universities didn't.\nSo,parents,lighten up.the stakes have been vastly exaggerated.up to a point,we can rationalize our pushiness.America is a competitive society;our kids need to adjust to that.but too much pushiness can be destructive.the very ambition we impose on our children may get some into Harvard but may also set them up for disappointment.one study found that,other things being equal,graduates of highly selective schools experienced more job dissatisfaction.They may have been so conditioned to deing on top that anything less disappoints.","id":"917.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Continuing education is more important to a person success.","A person happiness should be valued more than their education.","Kids actual abilities are more importang than their college background.","What kids learn at college cannot keep up with job market requirements."],"question":"What does the author mean by kids count more than their college(Line1,para.4?","article":"In the college-admissions wars, we parents are the true fights. We are pushing our kids to get good grades, take SAT preparatory courses and build resumes so they can get into the college of our first choice. I've twice been to the wars, and as I survey the battlefield, something different is happening. We see our kids' college background as e prize demonstrating how well we've raised them. But we can't acknowledge that our obsession is more about us than them. So we've contrived various justifications that turn out to be half-truths, prejudices or myths. It actually doesn't matter much whether Aaron and Nicole go to Stanford.\nWe have a full-blown prestige panic; we worry that there won't be enough prizes to go around. Fearful parents urge their children to apply to more schools than ever. Underlying the hysteria is the belief that scarce elite degrees must be highly valuable. Their graduates must enjoy more success because they get a better education and develop better contacts. All that is plausible--and mostly wrong. We haven't found any convincing evidence that selectivity or prestige matters. Selective schools don't systematically employ better instructional approaches than less selective schools. On two measures--professors' feedback and the number of essay exams--selective schools do slightly worse.\nBy some studies, selective schools do enhance their graduates' lifetime earnings. The gain is reckoned at 2-4% for every 100-poinnt increase in a school's average SAT scores. But even this advantage is probably a statistical fluke. A well-known study examined students who got into highly selective schools and then went elsewhere. They earned just as much as graduates from higher-status schools.\nKids count more than their colleges.Getting into yale may signify intellgence,talent and\nAmbition. But it's not the only indicator and,paradoxically,its significance is declining.The reason:so many similar people go elsewhere.Getting into college is not life only competiton.Old-boy networks are breaking down.princeton economist Alan Krueger studied admissions to one top Ph.D.program.High scores on the GRE helpd explain who got in;degrees of prestigious universities didn't.\nSo,parents,lighten up.the stakes have been vastly exaggerated.up to a point,we can rationalize our pushiness.America is a competitive society;our kids need to adjust to that.but too much pushiness can be destructive.the very ambition we impose on our children may get some into Harvard but may also set them up for disappointment.one study found that,other things being equal,graduates of highly selective schools experienced more job dissatisfaction.They may have been so conditioned to deing on top that anything less disappoints.","id":"917.txt","label":2} +{"option":["GETting into Ph.d.programs may be more competitive than getting into college.","Degrees of prestigious universities do not guarantee entry to graduate programs.","Graduates from prestigious universities do not care much about their GRE scores.","Connections built in prestigious universities may be sustained long after graduation."],"question":"What does Krueger study tell us?","article":"In the college-admissions wars, we parents are the true fights. We are pushing our kids to get good grades, take SAT preparatory courses and build resumes so they can get into the college of our first choice. I've twice been to the wars, and as I survey the battlefield, something different is happening. We see our kids' college background as e prize demonstrating how well we've raised them. But we can't acknowledge that our obsession is more about us than them. So we've contrived various justifications that turn out to be half-truths, prejudices or myths. It actually doesn't matter much whether Aaron and Nicole go to Stanford.\nWe have a full-blown prestige panic; we worry that there won't be enough prizes to go around. Fearful parents urge their children to apply to more schools than ever. Underlying the hysteria is the belief that scarce elite degrees must be highly valuable. Their graduates must enjoy more success because they get a better education and develop better contacts. All that is plausible--and mostly wrong. We haven't found any convincing evidence that selectivity or prestige matters. Selective schools don't systematically employ better instructional approaches than less selective schools. On two measures--professors' feedback and the number of essay exams--selective schools do slightly worse.\nBy some studies, selective schools do enhance their graduates' lifetime earnings. The gain is reckoned at 2-4% for every 100-poinnt increase in a school's average SAT scores. But even this advantage is probably a statistical fluke. A well-known study examined students who got into highly selective schools and then went elsewhere. They earned just as much as graduates from higher-status schools.\nKids count more than their colleges.Getting into yale may signify intellgence,talent and\nAmbition. But it's not the only indicator and,paradoxically,its significance is declining.The reason:so many similar people go elsewhere.Getting into college is not life only competiton.Old-boy networks are breaking down.princeton economist Alan Krueger studied admissions to one top Ph.D.program.High scores on the GRE helpd explain who got in;degrees of prestigious universities didn't.\nSo,parents,lighten up.the stakes have been vastly exaggerated.up to a point,we can rationalize our pushiness.America is a competitive society;our kids need to adjust to that.but too much pushiness can be destructive.the very ambition we impose on our children may get some into Harvard but may also set them up for disappointment.one study found that,other things being equal,graduates of highly selective schools experienced more job dissatisfaction.They may have been so conditioned to deing on top that anything less disappoints.","id":"917.txt","label":1} +{"option":["they earb less than their peers from other institutions","they turn out to be less competitive in the job market","they experience more job dissatisfaction after graduation","they overemphasize their qualifications in job application"],"question":"One possible result of pushing children into elite universities is that______","article":"In the college-admissions wars, we parents are the true fights. We are pushing our kids to get good grades, take SAT preparatory courses and build resumes so they can get into the college of our first choice. I've twice been to the wars, and as I survey the battlefield, something different is happening. We see our kids' college background as e prize demonstrating how well we've raised them. But we can't acknowledge that our obsession is more about us than them. So we've contrived various justifications that turn out to be half-truths, prejudices or myths. It actually doesn't matter much whether Aaron and Nicole go to Stanford.\nWe have a full-blown prestige panic; we worry that there won't be enough prizes to go around. Fearful parents urge their children to apply to more schools than ever. Underlying the hysteria is the belief that scarce elite degrees must be highly valuable. Their graduates must enjoy more success because they get a better education and develop better contacts. All that is plausible--and mostly wrong. We haven't found any convincing evidence that selectivity or prestige matters. Selective schools don't systematically employ better instructional approaches than less selective schools. On two measures--professors' feedback and the number of essay exams--selective schools do slightly worse.\nBy some studies, selective schools do enhance their graduates' lifetime earnings. The gain is reckoned at 2-4% for every 100-poinnt increase in a school's average SAT scores. But even this advantage is probably a statistical fluke. A well-known study examined students who got into highly selective schools and then went elsewhere. They earned just as much as graduates from higher-status schools.\nKids count more than their colleges.Getting into yale may signify intellgence,talent and\nAmbition. But it's not the only indicator and,paradoxically,its significance is declining.The reason:so many similar people go elsewhere.Getting into college is not life only competiton.Old-boy networks are breaking down.princeton economist Alan Krueger studied admissions to one top Ph.D.program.High scores on the GRE helpd explain who got in;degrees of prestigious universities didn't.\nSo,parents,lighten up.the stakes have been vastly exaggerated.up to a point,we can rationalize our pushiness.America is a competitive society;our kids need to adjust to that.but too much pushiness can be destructive.the very ambition we impose on our children may get some into Harvard but may also set them up for disappointment.one study found that,other things being equal,graduates of highly selective schools experienced more job dissatisfaction.They may have been so conditioned to deing on top that anything less disappoints.","id":"917.txt","label":2} +{"option":["know more about the students","make the lessons more exciting","raise the students' interest in art","teach the students about toy design"],"question":"The teacher used Tinkertoys in class in order to _ ?","article":"Five years ago, when I taught art at a school in Seattle, I used Tinkertoys as a test at the beginning of a term to find out something about my students. I put a small set of Tinkertoys in front of each student, and said:\"Make something out of the Tinkertoys. You have 45 minutes today \u2015 and 45minutes each day for the rest of the week.\"\nA few students hesitated to start. They waited to see what the rest of the class would do. Several others checked the instructions and made something according to one of the model plans provided. Another group built something out of their own imaginations.\nOnce I had a boy who worked experimentally with Tinkertoys in his free time. His constructions filled a shelf in the art classroom and a good part of his bedroom at home. I was delighted at the presence of such a student. Here was an exceptionally creative mind at work. His presence meant that I had an unexpected teaching assistant in class whose creativity would infect other students.\nEncouraging this kind of thinking has a downside. I ran the risk of losing those students who had a different style of thinking. Without fail one would declare, \"But I'm just not creative.\"\n\"Do you dream at night when you're asleep?\"\n\"Oh, sure.\"\n\"So tell me one of your most interesting dreams.\" The student would tell something wildly imaginative. Flying in the sky or in a time machine or growing three heads. \"That's pretty creative. Who does that for you?\"\n\"Nobody. I do it.\"\n\"Really\u2015at night, when you're asleep?\"\n\"Sure.\"\n\"Try doing it in the daytime, in class, okay?\"","id":"4262.txt","label":0} +{"option":["He liked to help his teacher.","He preferred to study alone.","He was active in class.","He was imaginative."],"question":"What do we know about the boy mentioned in Paragraph 3?","article":"Five years ago, when I taught art at a school in Seattle, I used Tinkertoys as a test at the beginning of a term to find out something about my students. I put a small set of Tinkertoys in front of each student, and said:\"Make something out of the Tinkertoys. You have 45 minutes today \u2015 and 45minutes each day for the rest of the week.\"\nA few students hesitated to start. They waited to see what the rest of the class would do. Several others checked the instructions and made something according to one of the model plans provided. Another group built something out of their own imaginations.\nOnce I had a boy who worked experimentally with Tinkertoys in his free time. His constructions filled a shelf in the art classroom and a good part of his bedroom at home. I was delighted at the presence of such a student. Here was an exceptionally creative mind at work. His presence meant that I had an unexpected teaching assistant in class whose creativity would infect other students.\nEncouraging this kind of thinking has a downside. I ran the risk of losing those students who had a different style of thinking. Without fail one would declare, \"But I'm just not creative.\"\n\"Do you dream at night when you're asleep?\"\n\"Oh, sure.\"\n\"So tell me one of your most interesting dreams.\" The student would tell something wildly imaginative. Flying in the sky or in a time machine or growing three heads. \"That's pretty creative. Who does that for you?\"\n\"Nobody. I do it.\"\n\"Really\u2015at night, when you're asleep?\"\n\"Sure.\"\n\"Try doing it in the daytime, in class, okay?\"","id":"4262.txt","label":3} +{"option":["To help them to see their creativity.","To find out about their sleeping habits.","To help them to improve their memory.","To find out about their ways of thinking."],"question":"Why did the teacher ask the students to talk about their dreams?","article":"Five years ago, when I taught art at a school in Seattle, I used Tinkertoys as a test at the beginning of a term to find out something about my students. I put a small set of Tinkertoys in front of each student, and said:\"Make something out of the Tinkertoys. You have 45 minutes today \u2015 and 45minutes each day for the rest of the week.\"\nA few students hesitated to start. They waited to see what the rest of the class would do. Several others checked the instructions and made something according to one of the model plans provided. Another group built something out of their own imaginations.\nOnce I had a boy who worked experimentally with Tinkertoys in his free time. His constructions filled a shelf in the art classroom and a good part of his bedroom at home. I was delighted at the presence of such a student. Here was an exceptionally creative mind at work. His presence meant that I had an unexpected teaching assistant in class whose creativity would infect other students.\nEncouraging this kind of thinking has a downside. I ran the risk of losing those students who had a different style of thinking. Without fail one would declare, \"But I'm just not creative.\"\n\"Do you dream at night when you're asleep?\"\n\"Oh, sure.\"\n\"So tell me one of your most interesting dreams.\" The student would tell something wildly imaginative. Flying in the sky or in a time machine or growing three heads. \"That's pretty creative. Who does that for you?\"\n\"Nobody. I do it.\"\n\"Really\u2015at night, when you're asleep?\"\n\"Sure.\"\n\"Try doing it in the daytime, in class, okay?\"","id":"4262.txt","label":0} +{"option":["posing a contrast","justifying an assumption","explaining a phenomenon","making a comparison"],"question":"In the opening paragraph, the author introduces his topic by _ .","article":"I had two routine checkups last week, and both the eye doctor and the dentist asked me to update my health history for their records. Their requests made sense. Health-care providers should know what problems their patients have had and what medications they're taking to be on the lookout for potential trouble or complications.\nOn each history, however, the section labeled FAMILY HEALTH HISTORY gave me pause. Few diseases are purely genetic, but plenty have genetic components. If my father suffered from elevated LDL, or bad cholesterol, my doctor should know that, because I'm probably at higher risk. If my mother had breast cancer, my sister \uff08if I had one\uff09would want her physician to be especially vigilant.\nWhile I know something about the history of my parents' health-my father had prostate cancer at a relatively young age and suffered from macular degeneration and Parkinson's disease, and my mother died of lung cancer-there's plenty I don't know. What were my parents' cholesterol numbers and blood pressures? I assume I would have known if either suffered from diabetes, but I can't swear to that. And when it comes to my grandparents, whose genes I also have, I'm even more in the dark.\nThat makes me fairly typical. According to Dr. Richard Carmona, the U. S. Surgeon General, only about a third of Americans have even tried to put together a family-health history. That's why he has launched the Family History Initiative and declared Thanksgiving National Family History Day. Sitting around the turkey talking about cancer and heart disease may seem like a grim thing to do when you're supposed to be giving thanks for everything that's going right. But since many families will be gathering for the holiday anyway, it's a perfect time to create a medical family tree.\nAnd the Surgeon General is making it easy: if you go to hhs.gov\/familyhistory, you can use the Frequently Asked Questions link to find out which diseases tend to run in families, which ones you should be most and least worried about, and what to do if, like me, your parents and grandparents have passed away. You can also download a free piece of software called My Family Health Portrait, which helps you organize the information. The program prints that out in an easy-to-read form you can give to your doctors.\nThe website insists the software is\" fun,\" but that may be going a bit far. In any case, it's available only for Windows machines, so Mac users and people without computers have to use a printed version of the tree. It's worth it, though, since it could help save your life or the life of your children someday.","id":"584.txt","label":2} +{"option":["only one of them suffered from diabetes","neither of them suffered from diabetes","both of them suffered from diabetes","it's uncertain whether they suffered from diabetes or not"],"question":"The statement\" I assume I would have known if either suffered from diabetes\" \uff08Line 4, Paragraph 3\uff09implies that _ .","article":"I had two routine checkups last week, and both the eye doctor and the dentist asked me to update my health history for their records. Their requests made sense. Health-care providers should know what problems their patients have had and what medications they're taking to be on the lookout for potential trouble or complications.\nOn each history, however, the section labeled FAMILY HEALTH HISTORY gave me pause. Few diseases are purely genetic, but plenty have genetic components. If my father suffered from elevated LDL, or bad cholesterol, my doctor should know that, because I'm probably at higher risk. If my mother had breast cancer, my sister \uff08if I had one\uff09would want her physician to be especially vigilant.\nWhile I know something about the history of my parents' health-my father had prostate cancer at a relatively young age and suffered from macular degeneration and Parkinson's disease, and my mother died of lung cancer-there's plenty I don't know. What were my parents' cholesterol numbers and blood pressures? I assume I would have known if either suffered from diabetes, but I can't swear to that. And when it comes to my grandparents, whose genes I also have, I'm even more in the dark.\nThat makes me fairly typical. According to Dr. Richard Carmona, the U. S. Surgeon General, only about a third of Americans have even tried to put together a family-health history. That's why he has launched the Family History Initiative and declared Thanksgiving National Family History Day. Sitting around the turkey talking about cancer and heart disease may seem like a grim thing to do when you're supposed to be giving thanks for everything that's going right. But since many families will be gathering for the holiday anyway, it's a perfect time to create a medical family tree.\nAnd the Surgeon General is making it easy: if you go to hhs.gov\/familyhistory, you can use the Frequently Asked Questions link to find out which diseases tend to run in families, which ones you should be most and least worried about, and what to do if, like me, your parents and grandparents have passed away. You can also download a free piece of software called My Family Health Portrait, which helps you organize the information. The program prints that out in an easy-to-read form you can give to your doctors.\nThe website insists the software is\" fun,\" but that may be going a bit far. In any case, it's available only for Windows machines, so Mac users and people without computers have to use a printed version of the tree. It's worth it, though, since it could help save your life or the life of your children someday.","id":"584.txt","label":3} +{"option":["you can be careful about some diseases and keep fit","you are connected with your parents and your grandparents","many diseases are genetic and should be noticed","you should be considerate and care about your parents"],"question":"Family health report is very important because _ .","article":"I had two routine checkups last week, and both the eye doctor and the dentist asked me to update my health history for their records. Their requests made sense. Health-care providers should know what problems their patients have had and what medications they're taking to be on the lookout for potential trouble or complications.\nOn each history, however, the section labeled FAMILY HEALTH HISTORY gave me pause. Few diseases are purely genetic, but plenty have genetic components. If my father suffered from elevated LDL, or bad cholesterol, my doctor should know that, because I'm probably at higher risk. If my mother had breast cancer, my sister \uff08if I had one\uff09would want her physician to be especially vigilant.\nWhile I know something about the history of my parents' health-my father had prostate cancer at a relatively young age and suffered from macular degeneration and Parkinson's disease, and my mother died of lung cancer-there's plenty I don't know. What were my parents' cholesterol numbers and blood pressures? I assume I would have known if either suffered from diabetes, but I can't swear to that. And when it comes to my grandparents, whose genes I also have, I'm even more in the dark.\nThat makes me fairly typical. According to Dr. Richard Carmona, the U. S. Surgeon General, only about a third of Americans have even tried to put together a family-health history. That's why he has launched the Family History Initiative and declared Thanksgiving National Family History Day. Sitting around the turkey talking about cancer and heart disease may seem like a grim thing to do when you're supposed to be giving thanks for everything that's going right. But since many families will be gathering for the holiday anyway, it's a perfect time to create a medical family tree.\nAnd the Surgeon General is making it easy: if you go to hhs.gov\/familyhistory, you can use the Frequently Asked Questions link to find out which diseases tend to run in families, which ones you should be most and least worried about, and what to do if, like me, your parents and grandparents have passed away. You can also download a free piece of software called My Family Health Portrait, which helps you organize the information. The program prints that out in an easy-to-read form you can give to your doctors.\nThe website insists the software is\" fun,\" but that may be going a bit far. In any case, it's available only for Windows machines, so Mac users and people without computers have to use a printed version of the tree. It's worth it, though, since it could help save your life or the life of your children someday.","id":"584.txt","label":0} +{"option":["you should present your doctor with a medical history","you should print out your family's medical history","you should gather your family's medical history","you should give thanks for everything that is going right"],"question":"Dr. Richard Carmona suggests that _ .","article":"I had two routine checkups last week, and both the eye doctor and the dentist asked me to update my health history for their records. Their requests made sense. Health-care providers should know what problems their patients have had and what medications they're taking to be on the lookout for potential trouble or complications.\nOn each history, however, the section labeled FAMILY HEALTH HISTORY gave me pause. Few diseases are purely genetic, but plenty have genetic components. If my father suffered from elevated LDL, or bad cholesterol, my doctor should know that, because I'm probably at higher risk. If my mother had breast cancer, my sister \uff08if I had one\uff09would want her physician to be especially vigilant.\nWhile I know something about the history of my parents' health-my father had prostate cancer at a relatively young age and suffered from macular degeneration and Parkinson's disease, and my mother died of lung cancer-there's plenty I don't know. What were my parents' cholesterol numbers and blood pressures? I assume I would have known if either suffered from diabetes, but I can't swear to that. And when it comes to my grandparents, whose genes I also have, I'm even more in the dark.\nThat makes me fairly typical. According to Dr. Richard Carmona, the U. S. Surgeon General, only about a third of Americans have even tried to put together a family-health history. That's why he has launched the Family History Initiative and declared Thanksgiving National Family History Day. Sitting around the turkey talking about cancer and heart disease may seem like a grim thing to do when you're supposed to be giving thanks for everything that's going right. But since many families will be gathering for the holiday anyway, it's a perfect time to create a medical family tree.\nAnd the Surgeon General is making it easy: if you go to hhs.gov\/familyhistory, you can use the Frequently Asked Questions link to find out which diseases tend to run in families, which ones you should be most and least worried about, and what to do if, like me, your parents and grandparents have passed away. You can also download a free piece of software called My Family Health Portrait, which helps you organize the information. The program prints that out in an easy-to-read form you can give to your doctors.\nThe website insists the software is\" fun,\" but that may be going a bit far. In any case, it's available only for Windows machines, so Mac users and people without computers have to use a printed version of the tree. It's worth it, though, since it could help save your life or the life of your children someday.","id":"584.txt","label":2} +{"option":["The software is fun enough.","Family medical tree shouldn't be neglected.","The software is not available anywhere.","It is worthwhile to draw a family tree."],"question":"What can we infer from the last paragraph?","article":"I had two routine checkups last week, and both the eye doctor and the dentist asked me to update my health history for their records. Their requests made sense. Health-care providers should know what problems their patients have had and what medications they're taking to be on the lookout for potential trouble or complications.\nOn each history, however, the section labeled FAMILY HEALTH HISTORY gave me pause. Few diseases are purely genetic, but plenty have genetic components. If my father suffered from elevated LDL, or bad cholesterol, my doctor should know that, because I'm probably at higher risk. If my mother had breast cancer, my sister \uff08if I had one\uff09would want her physician to be especially vigilant.\nWhile I know something about the history of my parents' health-my father had prostate cancer at a relatively young age and suffered from macular degeneration and Parkinson's disease, and my mother died of lung cancer-there's plenty I don't know. What were my parents' cholesterol numbers and blood pressures? I assume I would have known if either suffered from diabetes, but I can't swear to that. And when it comes to my grandparents, whose genes I also have, I'm even more in the dark.\nThat makes me fairly typical. According to Dr. Richard Carmona, the U. S. Surgeon General, only about a third of Americans have even tried to put together a family-health history. That's why he has launched the Family History Initiative and declared Thanksgiving National Family History Day. Sitting around the turkey talking about cancer and heart disease may seem like a grim thing to do when you're supposed to be giving thanks for everything that's going right. But since many families will be gathering for the holiday anyway, it's a perfect time to create a medical family tree.\nAnd the Surgeon General is making it easy: if you go to hhs.gov\/familyhistory, you can use the Frequently Asked Questions link to find out which diseases tend to run in families, which ones you should be most and least worried about, and what to do if, like me, your parents and grandparents have passed away. You can also download a free piece of software called My Family Health Portrait, which helps you organize the information. The program prints that out in an easy-to-read form you can give to your doctors.\nThe website insists the software is\" fun,\" but that may be going a bit far. In any case, it's available only for Windows machines, so Mac users and people without computers have to use a printed version of the tree. It's worth it, though, since it could help save your life or the life of your children someday.","id":"584.txt","label":1} +{"option":["to define what the poverty line is","to explain why some people live the poverty line","to find solutions to the problem of poverty","to show sympathy for those poor people"],"question":"The author's main purpose to write this article is.","article":"The poverty line is the minimum income that people need for an acceptable standard of living. People with incomes below the poverty line are considered poor. Economists study the causes of poverty in order to find solutions to the problem.\nAs the general standard of living in the country rises, the poverty line does, too. Therefore, even with today's relatively high standard of living, about 10 percent of the people in the United States are below the poverty line. However, if these people had stable jobs, they could have an acceptable standard of living. Economists suggest several reasons why poor people do not have jobs.\nFor one thing, more than half of the poor people in the United States are not qualified to work. Over 40 percent of the poor people are children. By law, children less than 16 years old cannot work in many industries. A large number of poor people are old. Many companies do not hire people over 65 years old, the normal retirement age.\nSome poor adults do not look for jobs for a variety of personal reasons: they are sick, they do not have any motivation. they have family problems, or they do notbelieve that they can find a job.\nOther poor people look for a job but cannot find one. Many poor adults never went to high school. Therefore, when they look for jobs, they have few skills that they can offer.\nAt the present time, the government thinks it can reduce poverty in the country in the following ways.\nFirst, if the national economy grows, businesses and industries hire more workers. Some of the poor who are qualified to look for jobs may find employment. Then they will no longer be below the poverty line.\nSecond, if society invests in the poor, the poor will become more productive. If the government spends money on social programs, education, and training for poor people, the poor will have the skills to offer. Then it is more likely that they can find jobs.\nFinally, if the government distributes society's income differently, it raises some poor people above the poverty line. The government collects taxes from the non-poor and gives money to the poor. These payments to the poor are called welfare. In 1975 over 18 million people in the United States received welfare.\nSome economists are looking for better solutions to the poverty problem. However, at the present time, many people depend on welfare for a minimally acceptable standard of living.","id":"1162.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Ten percent of the Americans live a poor life.","Poor people are those who love below the poverty line.","The poverty line rises as the general standard of living rises.","The poverty line tends to be at the same level."],"question":"Which of the following is NOT true?","article":"The poverty line is the minimum income that people need for an acceptable standard of living. People with incomes below the poverty line are considered poor. Economists study the causes of poverty in order to find solutions to the problem.\nAs the general standard of living in the country rises, the poverty line does, too. Therefore, even with today's relatively high standard of living, about 10 percent of the people in the United States are below the poverty line. However, if these people had stable jobs, they could have an acceptable standard of living. Economists suggest several reasons why poor people do not have jobs.\nFor one thing, more than half of the poor people in the United States are not qualified to work. Over 40 percent of the poor people are children. By law, children less than 16 years old cannot work in many industries. A large number of poor people are old. Many companies do not hire people over 65 years old, the normal retirement age.\nSome poor adults do not look for jobs for a variety of personal reasons: they are sick, they do not have any motivation. they have family problems, or they do notbelieve that they can find a job.\nOther poor people look for a job but cannot find one. Many poor adults never went to high school. Therefore, when they look for jobs, they have few skills that they can offer.\nAt the present time, the government thinks it can reduce poverty in the country in the following ways.\nFirst, if the national economy grows, businesses and industries hire more workers. Some of the poor who are qualified to look for jobs may find employment. Then they will no longer be below the poverty line.\nSecond, if society invests in the poor, the poor will become more productive. If the government spends money on social programs, education, and training for poor people, the poor will have the skills to offer. Then it is more likely that they can find jobs.\nFinally, if the government distributes society's income differently, it raises some poor people above the poverty line. The government collects taxes from the non-poor and gives money to the poor. These payments to the poor are called welfare. In 1975 over 18 million people in the United States received welfare.\nSome economists are looking for better solutions to the poverty problem. However, at the present time, many people depend on welfare for a minimally acceptable standard of living.","id":"1162.txt","label":3} +{"option":["they do not have enough motivation","they are so young that they are deprived of chances to work","they fail to get enough education","they are very poor in health"],"question":"More than 40 percent of the poor people are children. This is mainly because.","article":"The poverty line is the minimum income that people need for an acceptable standard of living. People with incomes below the poverty line are considered poor. Economists study the causes of poverty in order to find solutions to the problem.\nAs the general standard of living in the country rises, the poverty line does, too. Therefore, even with today's relatively high standard of living, about 10 percent of the people in the United States are below the poverty line. However, if these people had stable jobs, they could have an acceptable standard of living. Economists suggest several reasons why poor people do not have jobs.\nFor one thing, more than half of the poor people in the United States are not qualified to work. Over 40 percent of the poor people are children. By law, children less than 16 years old cannot work in many industries. A large number of poor people are old. Many companies do not hire people over 65 years old, the normal retirement age.\nSome poor adults do not look for jobs for a variety of personal reasons: they are sick, they do not have any motivation. they have family problems, or they do notbelieve that they can find a job.\nOther poor people look for a job but cannot find one. Many poor adults never went to high school. Therefore, when they look for jobs, they have few skills that they can offer.\nAt the present time, the government thinks it can reduce poverty in the country in the following ways.\nFirst, if the national economy grows, businesses and industries hire more workers. Some of the poor who are qualified to look for jobs may find employment. Then they will no longer be below the poverty line.\nSecond, if society invests in the poor, the poor will become more productive. If the government spends money on social programs, education, and training for poor people, the poor will have the skills to offer. Then it is more likely that they can find jobs.\nFinally, if the government distributes society's income differently, it raises some poor people above the poverty line. The government collects taxes from the non-poor and gives money to the poor. These payments to the poor are called welfare. In 1975 over 18 million people in the United States received welfare.\nSome economists are looking for better solutions to the poverty problem. However, at the present time, many people depend on welfare for a minimally acceptable standard of living.","id":"1162.txt","label":1} +{"option":["they to not have any motivation to work","they are not very self-confident","they are too young or too old to work","they have physical and family problems"],"question":"Most of the American poor people are not qualified for employment because.","article":"The poverty line is the minimum income that people need for an acceptable standard of living. People with incomes below the poverty line are considered poor. Economists study the causes of poverty in order to find solutions to the problem.\nAs the general standard of living in the country rises, the poverty line does, too. Therefore, even with today's relatively high standard of living, about 10 percent of the people in the United States are below the poverty line. However, if these people had stable jobs, they could have an acceptable standard of living. Economists suggest several reasons why poor people do not have jobs.\nFor one thing, more than half of the poor people in the United States are not qualified to work. Over 40 percent of the poor people are children. By law, children less than 16 years old cannot work in many industries. A large number of poor people are old. Many companies do not hire people over 65 years old, the normal retirement age.\nSome poor adults do not look for jobs for a variety of personal reasons: they are sick, they do not have any motivation. they have family problems, or they do notbelieve that they can find a job.\nOther poor people look for a job but cannot find one. Many poor adults never went to high school. Therefore, when they look for jobs, they have few skills that they can offer.\nAt the present time, the government thinks it can reduce poverty in the country in the following ways.\nFirst, if the national economy grows, businesses and industries hire more workers. Some of the poor who are qualified to look for jobs may find employment. Then they will no longer be below the poverty line.\nSecond, if society invests in the poor, the poor will become more productive. If the government spends money on social programs, education, and training for poor people, the poor will have the skills to offer. Then it is more likely that they can find jobs.\nFinally, if the government distributes society's income differently, it raises some poor people above the poverty line. The government collects taxes from the non-poor and gives money to the poor. These payments to the poor are called welfare. In 1975 over 18 million people in the United States received welfare.\nSome economists are looking for better solutions to the poverty problem. However, at the present time, many people depend on welfare for a minimally acceptable standard of living.","id":"1162.txt","label":2} +{"option":["better solutions to the poverty problem are not yet found","welfare will enable people to be rich","poor people are bound to go out of the poverty line if they have chances to do business","employment is the best solution to the poverty problem"],"question":"We may conclude from the passage that.","article":"The poverty line is the minimum income that people need for an acceptable standard of living. People with incomes below the poverty line are considered poor. Economists study the causes of poverty in order to find solutions to the problem.\nAs the general standard of living in the country rises, the poverty line does, too. Therefore, even with today's relatively high standard of living, about 10 percent of the people in the United States are below the poverty line. However, if these people had stable jobs, they could have an acceptable standard of living. Economists suggest several reasons why poor people do not have jobs.\nFor one thing, more than half of the poor people in the United States are not qualified to work. Over 40 percent of the poor people are children. By law, children less than 16 years old cannot work in many industries. A large number of poor people are old. Many companies do not hire people over 65 years old, the normal retirement age.\nSome poor adults do not look for jobs for a variety of personal reasons: they are sick, they do not have any motivation. they have family problems, or they do notbelieve that they can find a job.\nOther poor people look for a job but cannot find one. Many poor adults never went to high school. Therefore, when they look for jobs, they have few skills that they can offer.\nAt the present time, the government thinks it can reduce poverty in the country in the following ways.\nFirst, if the national economy grows, businesses and industries hire more workers. Some of the poor who are qualified to look for jobs may find employment. Then they will no longer be below the poverty line.\nSecond, if society invests in the poor, the poor will become more productive. If the government spends money on social programs, education, and training for poor people, the poor will have the skills to offer. Then it is more likely that they can find jobs.\nFinally, if the government distributes society's income differently, it raises some poor people above the poverty line. The government collects taxes from the non-poor and gives money to the poor. These payments to the poor are called welfare. In 1975 over 18 million people in the United States received welfare.\nSome economists are looking for better solutions to the poverty problem. However, at the present time, many people depend on welfare for a minimally acceptable standard of living.","id":"1162.txt","label":0} +{"option":["students in single-sex schools will certainly become homosexual","students in co-educational schools cannot have extreme opinions","students in co-educational schools are likely to be homosexual","single-sex school conditions may or may not have effects on the students."],"question":"In the third paragraph ,by saying \"though there is no proof that this is the case\" ,the writer means that.","article":"Do you have any strong opinion on co-educational or single-sex schools?\nA supporter of co-educational schools would probably say that schools should be like the societies they belong to.In Hong Kong , men and women mix socially on a day-to-day basis.In many fields men are even likely to have female bosses.It is ,therefore, desirable that boys and girls grow up together ,go to school together ,and prepare themselves for a society that does not value sexual separation.\nSome would go on to argue further that growing up with members of the opposite sex is important for personal development.Regular contact can remove the strange ideas about the opposite-sex and lead to more natural relationships.Single-sex conditions are seen as leading to more extreme opinions, and possibly even as encouraging homosexuality,though there is no proof that this is the case.\nThose who are against coeducation often also fix their attention on the sexual side.Some parents fear that close contact with members of the opposite sex is dangerous for teenagers.They want their children to be attentive to their studies.Such parents feel uncomfortable with modern ways and the free mixing of the sexes.\nA stronger argument comes from research into school results.Girls grow up earlier than boys ,tend to be more orderly and are likely to be better at languages.In a mixed class ,boys who might do well in a single-sex class become discouraged and take on the rule of troublemaker.Certainly in the UK this situation has greatly alarmed the government for it to be encouraging co-educational schools to have some single-sex classes.In the UK the best schools are all single-sex ,strongly suggesting that co-education is not the best answer.This may ,however ,not be as simple as it looks.It may simply be that the famous old schools that attract the best students happen to be single-sex ,rather than that being single-sex makes them better schools.","id":"3196.txt","label":3} +{"option":["co-education can produce a society-like situation","co-educational schools may lead to love affairs between boys and girls","co-education will help develop a better understanding about the opposite sex","co-education can make boys perform well in mixed classes"],"question":"All the following arguments can be found in the passage EXCEPT that.","article":"Do you have any strong opinion on co-educational or single-sex schools?\nA supporter of co-educational schools would probably say that schools should be like the societies they belong to.In Hong Kong , men and women mix socially on a day-to-day basis.In many fields men are even likely to have female bosses.It is ,therefore, desirable that boys and girls grow up together ,go to school together ,and prepare themselves for a society that does not value sexual separation.\nSome would go on to argue further that growing up with members of the opposite sex is important for personal development.Regular contact can remove the strange ideas about the opposite-sex and lead to more natural relationships.Single-sex conditions are seen as leading to more extreme opinions, and possibly even as encouraging homosexuality,though there is no proof that this is the case.\nThose who are against coeducation often also fix their attention on the sexual side.Some parents fear that close contact with members of the opposite sex is dangerous for teenagers.They want their children to be attentive to their studies.Such parents feel uncomfortable with modern ways and the free mixing of the sexes.\nA stronger argument comes from research into school results.Girls grow up earlier than boys ,tend to be more orderly and are likely to be better at languages.In a mixed class ,boys who might do well in a single-sex class become discouraged and take on the rule of troublemaker.Certainly in the UK this situation has greatly alarmed the government for it to be encouraging co-educational schools to have some single-sex classes.In the UK the best schools are all single-sex ,strongly suggesting that co-education is not the best answer.This may ,however ,not be as simple as it looks.It may simply be that the famous old schools that attract the best students happen to be single-sex ,rather than that being single-sex makes them better schools.","id":"3196.txt","label":3} +{"option":["co-education","single-sex education","single-sex classes in co-educational schools","co-educational classes in single-sex schools"],"question":"Alarmed by the situation ,the UK government encourages.","article":"Do you have any strong opinion on co-educational or single-sex schools?\nA supporter of co-educational schools would probably say that schools should be like the societies they belong to.In Hong Kong , men and women mix socially on a day-to-day basis.In many fields men are even likely to have female bosses.It is ,therefore, desirable that boys and girls grow up together ,go to school together ,and prepare themselves for a society that does not value sexual separation.\nSome would go on to argue further that growing up with members of the opposite sex is important for personal development.Regular contact can remove the strange ideas about the opposite-sex and lead to more natural relationships.Single-sex conditions are seen as leading to more extreme opinions, and possibly even as encouraging homosexuality,though there is no proof that this is the case.\nThose who are against coeducation often also fix their attention on the sexual side.Some parents fear that close contact with members of the opposite sex is dangerous for teenagers.They want their children to be attentive to their studies.Such parents feel uncomfortable with modern ways and the free mixing of the sexes.\nA stronger argument comes from research into school results.Girls grow up earlier than boys ,tend to be more orderly and are likely to be better at languages.In a mixed class ,boys who might do well in a single-sex class become discouraged and take on the rule of troublemaker.Certainly in the UK this situation has greatly alarmed the government for it to be encouraging co-educational schools to have some single-sex classes.In the UK the best schools are all single-sex ,strongly suggesting that co-education is not the best answer.This may ,however ,not be as simple as it looks.It may simply be that the famous old schools that attract the best students happen to be single-sex ,rather than that being single-sex makes them better schools.","id":"3196.txt","label":2} +{"option":["single-sex schools are the best schools in the UK","being single-sex does not necessarily make a school better","co-educational schools are better for both sexes in personal development","because boys cannot compete with girls in study ,they go to single-sex schools"],"question":"At the end of the passage the writer suggests that.","article":"Do you have any strong opinion on co-educational or single-sex schools?\nA supporter of co-educational schools would probably say that schools should be like the societies they belong to.In Hong Kong , men and women mix socially on a day-to-day basis.In many fields men are even likely to have female bosses.It is ,therefore, desirable that boys and girls grow up together ,go to school together ,and prepare themselves for a society that does not value sexual separation.\nSome would go on to argue further that growing up with members of the opposite sex is important for personal development.Regular contact can remove the strange ideas about the opposite-sex and lead to more natural relationships.Single-sex conditions are seen as leading to more extreme opinions, and possibly even as encouraging homosexuality,though there is no proof that this is the case.\nThose who are against coeducation often also fix their attention on the sexual side.Some parents fear that close contact with members of the opposite sex is dangerous for teenagers.They want their children to be attentive to their studies.Such parents feel uncomfortable with modern ways and the free mixing of the sexes.\nA stronger argument comes from research into school results.Girls grow up earlier than boys ,tend to be more orderly and are likely to be better at languages.In a mixed class ,boys who might do well in a single-sex class become discouraged and take on the rule of troublemaker.Certainly in the UK this situation has greatly alarmed the government for it to be encouraging co-educational schools to have some single-sex classes.In the UK the best schools are all single-sex ,strongly suggesting that co-education is not the best answer.This may ,however ,not be as simple as it looks.It may simply be that the famous old schools that attract the best students happen to be single-sex ,rather than that being single-sex makes them better schools.","id":"3196.txt","label":1} +{"option":["clothes dryers are more efficient","clothesline drying reduces home value","clothes dryers are energy-saving","clothesline drying is not allowed in most U.S. states"],"question":"One of the reasons why supporters of clothes dryers are trying to ban clothesline drying is that _ .","article":"A simple piece of clothesline hangs between some environmentally friendly Americans and their neighbors.\nOn one side stand those who see clothes dryers as a waste of energy and a major polluter of the environment. As a result, they are turning to clotheslines as part of the \"what-I-can-do environmentalism.\"\nOn the other side are people who are against drying clothes outside, arguing that clotheslines are unpleasant to look at. They have persuaded Homeowners Associations (HOAs) across the U.S. to ban outdoor clotheslines, because clothesline drying also tends to lower home value in the neighborhood. This has led to a Right-to-Dry Movement that is calling for laws to be passed to protect people's right to use clotheslines.\nSo far, only three states have laws to protect clotheslines. Right-to-Dry supporters argue that there should be more.\nMatt Reck, 37, is the kind of eco-conscious person who feeds his trees with bathwater and reuses water drops from his air conditioners to water plants. His family also uses a clothesline. But on July 9, 2007, the HOA in Wake Forest, North Carolina, told him that a dissatisfied neighbor had telephoned them about his clothesline. The Recks paid no attention to the warning and still dried their clothes on a line in the yard. \"Many people say they are environmentally friendly but they don't take matters in their own hands,\" says Reck. The local HOA has decided not to take any action, unless more neighbors come to them.\nNorth Carolina lawmakers are saying that banning clotheslines is not the right thing to do. But HOAs and housing businesses believe that clothesline drying reminds people of poor neighborhoods. They worry that if buyers think their future neighbors can't even afford dryers, housing prices will fall.\nEnvironmentalists say such worries are not necessary, and in view of global warming, that idea needs to change. As they say, \"The clothesline is beautiful. Hanging clothes outside should be encouraged. We all have to do at least something to slow down the process of global warming.\"","id":"3438.txt","label":1} +{"option":["He is a kind-hearted man.","He is an impolite man.","He is an experienced gardener.","He is a man of social responsibility."],"question":"Which of the following best describes Matt Reck?","article":"A simple piece of clothesline hangs between some environmentally friendly Americans and their neighbors.\nOn one side stand those who see clothes dryers as a waste of energy and a major polluter of the environment. As a result, they are turning to clotheslines as part of the \"what-I-can-do environmentalism.\"\nOn the other side are people who are against drying clothes outside, arguing that clotheslines are unpleasant to look at. They have persuaded Homeowners Associations (HOAs) across the U.S. to ban outdoor clotheslines, because clothesline drying also tends to lower home value in the neighborhood. This has led to a Right-to-Dry Movement that is calling for laws to be passed to protect people's right to use clotheslines.\nSo far, only three states have laws to protect clotheslines. Right-to-Dry supporters argue that there should be more.\nMatt Reck, 37, is the kind of eco-conscious person who feeds his trees with bathwater and reuses water drops from his air conditioners to water plants. His family also uses a clothesline. But on July 9, 2007, the HOA in Wake Forest, North Carolina, told him that a dissatisfied neighbor had telephoned them about his clothesline. The Recks paid no attention to the warning and still dried their clothes on a line in the yard. \"Many people say they are environmentally friendly but they don't take matters in their own hands,\" says Reck. The local HOA has decided not to take any action, unless more neighbors come to them.\nNorth Carolina lawmakers are saying that banning clotheslines is not the right thing to do. But HOAs and housing businesses believe that clothesline drying reminds people of poor neighborhoods. They worry that if buyers think their future neighbors can't even afford dryers, housing prices will fall.\nEnvironmentalists say such worries are not necessary, and in view of global warming, that idea needs to change. As they say, \"The clothesline is beautiful. Hanging clothes outside should be encouraged. We all have to do at least something to slow down the process of global warming.\"","id":"3438.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Housing businesses.","Environmentalists.","Homeowners Associations.","Reck's dissatisfied neighbors."],"question":"Who are in favor of clothesline drying?","article":"A simple piece of clothesline hangs between some environmentally friendly Americans and their neighbors.\nOn one side stand those who see clothes dryers as a waste of energy and a major polluter of the environment. As a result, they are turning to clotheslines as part of the \"what-I-can-do environmentalism.\"\nOn the other side are people who are against drying clothes outside, arguing that clotheslines are unpleasant to look at. They have persuaded Homeowners Associations (HOAs) across the U.S. to ban outdoor clotheslines, because clothesline drying also tends to lower home value in the neighborhood. This has led to a Right-to-Dry Movement that is calling for laws to be passed to protect people's right to use clotheslines.\nSo far, only three states have laws to protect clotheslines. Right-to-Dry supporters argue that there should be more.\nMatt Reck, 37, is the kind of eco-conscious person who feeds his trees with bathwater and reuses water drops from his air conditioners to water plants. His family also uses a clothesline. But on July 9, 2007, the HOA in Wake Forest, North Carolina, told him that a dissatisfied neighbor had telephoned them about his clothesline. The Recks paid no attention to the warning and still dried their clothes on a line in the yard. \"Many people say they are environmentally friendly but they don't take matters in their own hands,\" says Reck. The local HOA has decided not to take any action, unless more neighbors come to them.\nNorth Carolina lawmakers are saying that banning clotheslines is not the right thing to do. But HOAs and housing businesses believe that clothesline drying reminds people of poor neighborhoods. They worry that if buyers think their future neighbors can't even afford dryers, housing prices will fall.\nEnvironmentalists say such worries are not necessary, and in view of global warming, that idea needs to change. As they say, \"The clothesline is beautiful. Hanging clothes outside should be encouraged. We all have to do at least something to slow down the process of global warming.\"","id":"3438.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Clothesline drying: a way to save energy and money.","Clothesline drying: a lost art rediscovered.","Opposite opinions on clothesline drying.","Different varieties of clotheslines."],"question":"What is mainly discussed in the text?","article":"A simple piece of clothesline hangs between some environmentally friendly Americans and their neighbors.\nOn one side stand those who see clothes dryers as a waste of energy and a major polluter of the environment. As a result, they are turning to clotheslines as part of the \"what-I-can-do environmentalism.\"\nOn the other side are people who are against drying clothes outside, arguing that clotheslines are unpleasant to look at. They have persuaded Homeowners Associations (HOAs) across the U.S. to ban outdoor clotheslines, because clothesline drying also tends to lower home value in the neighborhood. This has led to a Right-to-Dry Movement that is calling for laws to be passed to protect people's right to use clotheslines.\nSo far, only three states have laws to protect clotheslines. Right-to-Dry supporters argue that there should be more.\nMatt Reck, 37, is the kind of eco-conscious person who feeds his trees with bathwater and reuses water drops from his air conditioners to water plants. His family also uses a clothesline. But on July 9, 2007, the HOA in Wake Forest, North Carolina, told him that a dissatisfied neighbor had telephoned them about his clothesline. The Recks paid no attention to the warning and still dried their clothes on a line in the yard. \"Many people say they are environmentally friendly but they don't take matters in their own hands,\" says Reck. The local HOA has decided not to take any action, unless more neighbors come to them.\nNorth Carolina lawmakers are saying that banning clotheslines is not the right thing to do. But HOAs and housing businesses believe that clothesline drying reminds people of poor neighborhoods. They worry that if buyers think their future neighbors can't even afford dryers, housing prices will fall.\nEnvironmentalists say such worries are not necessary, and in view of global warming, that idea needs to change. As they say, \"The clothesline is beautiful. Hanging clothes outside should be encouraged. We all have to do at least something to slow down the process of global warming.\"","id":"3438.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Its risks cannot be overestimated.","It should be forbidden altogether.","Its benefits outweigh the hazards involved.","It is polluting millions of acres of cropland."],"question":"What does the author say about the use of raw sewage for farming?","article":"Facing water shortages and escalating fertilizer costs, fanners in developing countries are using raw sewage (\uff09to irrigate and fertilize nearly 49 million acres of cropland, according to a new report-and it may not be a bad thing.\nWhile the practice carries serious health risks for many, those dangers are outweighed by the social and economic gains for poor urban farmers and consumers who need affordable food.\n\"There is a large potential for wastewater agriculture to both help and hurt great numbers of urban consumers,\" said Liqa Raschid-Sally, who led the study.\nThe report focused on poor urban areas, where farms in or near cities supply relatively inexpensive food. Most of these operations draw irrigation water from local rivers or lakes. Unlike developed cities, however, these areas lack advanced water-treatment facilities, and rivers effectively become sewers .\nWhen this water is used for agricultural irrigation, farmers risk absorbing disease-causing bacteria, as do consumers who eat the produce raw and unwashed. Nearly 2.2 million people die each year because of diarrhea-related diseases, according to WHO statistics. More than 80% of those cases can be attributed to contact with contaminated water and a lack of proper sanitation. But Pay Drechsel, an environmental scientist, argues that the social and economic benefits of using untreated human waste to grow food outweigh the health risks.\nThose dangers can be addressed with farmer and consumer education, he said, while the free water and nutrients from human waste can help urban farmers in developing countries to escape poverty.\nAgriculture is a water-intensive business, accounting for nearly 70% of global fresh water consumption.\nIn poor, dry regions, untreated wastewater is the only viable irrigation source to keep fanners in business. In some cases, water is so scarce that farmers break open sewage pipes transporting waste to local rivers.\nIrrigation is the primary agricultural use of human waste in the developing world. But frequently untreated human waste harvested from lavatories is delivered to farms and spread as fertilizer.\nIn most cases, the human waste is used on grain crops, which are eventually cooked, minimizing the risk of transmitting water-borne diseases. With fertilizer prices jumping nearly 50% per metric ton over the last year in some places, human waste is an attractive, and often necessary, alternative.\nIn cases where sewage mud is used, expensive chemical fertilizer use can be avoided. The mud contains the same critical nutrients.\n\"Overly strict standards often fail,\" James Bartram, a WHO water-health expert, said. \"We need to accept that fact across much of the planet, so waste with little or no treatment will be used in agriculture for good reason.\"","id":"1810.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Rivers and lakes nearby will gradually become contaminated.","It will drive producers of chemical fertilizers out of business.","Farmers and consumers may be affected by harmful bacteria.","It will make the farm produce less competitive on the market."],"question":"What is the main problem caused by the use of wastewater for irrigation?","article":"Facing water shortages and escalating fertilizer costs, fanners in developing countries are using raw sewage (\uff09to irrigate and fertilize nearly 49 million acres of cropland, according to a new report-and it may not be a bad thing.\nWhile the practice carries serious health risks for many, those dangers are outweighed by the social and economic gains for poor urban farmers and consumers who need affordable food.\n\"There is a large potential for wastewater agriculture to both help and hurt great numbers of urban consumers,\" said Liqa Raschid-Sally, who led the study.\nThe report focused on poor urban areas, where farms in or near cities supply relatively inexpensive food. Most of these operations draw irrigation water from local rivers or lakes. Unlike developed cities, however, these areas lack advanced water-treatment facilities, and rivers effectively become sewers .\nWhen this water is used for agricultural irrigation, farmers risk absorbing disease-causing bacteria, as do consumers who eat the produce raw and unwashed. Nearly 2.2 million people die each year because of diarrhea-related diseases, according to WHO statistics. More than 80% of those cases can be attributed to contact with contaminated water and a lack of proper sanitation. But Pay Drechsel, an environmental scientist, argues that the social and economic benefits of using untreated human waste to grow food outweigh the health risks.\nThose dangers can be addressed with farmer and consumer education, he said, while the free water and nutrients from human waste can help urban farmers in developing countries to escape poverty.\nAgriculture is a water-intensive business, accounting for nearly 70% of global fresh water consumption.\nIn poor, dry regions, untreated wastewater is the only viable irrigation source to keep fanners in business. In some cases, water is so scarce that farmers break open sewage pipes transporting waste to local rivers.\nIrrigation is the primary agricultural use of human waste in the developing world. But frequently untreated human waste harvested from lavatories is delivered to farms and spread as fertilizer.\nIn most cases, the human waste is used on grain crops, which are eventually cooked, minimizing the risk of transmitting water-borne diseases. With fertilizer prices jumping nearly 50% per metric ton over the last year in some places, human waste is an attractive, and often necessary, alternative.\nIn cases where sewage mud is used, expensive chemical fertilizer use can be avoided. The mud contains the same critical nutrients.\n\"Overly strict standards often fail,\" James Bartram, a WHO water-health expert, said. \"We need to accept that fact across much of the planet, so waste with little or no treatment will be used in agriculture for good reason.\"","id":"1810.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Favorable.","Skeptical.","Indifferent.","Responsible."],"question":"What is environmental scientist Pay Drechsel's attitude towards the use of untreated human waste in agriculture?","article":"Facing water shortages and escalating fertilizer costs, fanners in developing countries are using raw sewage (\uff09to irrigate and fertilize nearly 49 million acres of cropland, according to a new report-and it may not be a bad thing.\nWhile the practice carries serious health risks for many, those dangers are outweighed by the social and economic gains for poor urban farmers and consumers who need affordable food.\n\"There is a large potential for wastewater agriculture to both help and hurt great numbers of urban consumers,\" said Liqa Raschid-Sally, who led the study.\nThe report focused on poor urban areas, where farms in or near cities supply relatively inexpensive food. Most of these operations draw irrigation water from local rivers or lakes. Unlike developed cities, however, these areas lack advanced water-treatment facilities, and rivers effectively become sewers .\nWhen this water is used for agricultural irrigation, farmers risk absorbing disease-causing bacteria, as do consumers who eat the produce raw and unwashed. Nearly 2.2 million people die each year because of diarrhea-related diseases, according to WHO statistics. More than 80% of those cases can be attributed to contact with contaminated water and a lack of proper sanitation. But Pay Drechsel, an environmental scientist, argues that the social and economic benefits of using untreated human waste to grow food outweigh the health risks.\nThose dangers can be addressed with farmer and consumer education, he said, while the free water and nutrients from human waste can help urban farmers in developing countries to escape poverty.\nAgriculture is a water-intensive business, accounting for nearly 70% of global fresh water consumption.\nIn poor, dry regions, untreated wastewater is the only viable irrigation source to keep fanners in business. In some cases, water is so scarce that farmers break open sewage pipes transporting waste to local rivers.\nIrrigation is the primary agricultural use of human waste in the developing world. But frequently untreated human waste harvested from lavatories is delivered to farms and spread as fertilizer.\nIn most cases, the human waste is used on grain crops, which are eventually cooked, minimizing the risk of transmitting water-borne diseases. With fertilizer prices jumping nearly 50% per metric ton over the last year in some places, human waste is an attractive, and often necessary, alternative.\nIn cases where sewage mud is used, expensive chemical fertilizer use can be avoided. The mud contains the same critical nutrients.\n\"Overly strict standards often fail,\" James Bartram, a WHO water-health expert, said. \"We need to accept that fact across much of the planet, so waste with little or no treatment will be used in agriculture for good reason.\"","id":"1810.txt","label":0} +{"option":["They have been somewhat exaggerated.","They can be dealt with through education.","They will be minimized with new technology.","They can be addressed by improved sanitation."],"question":"What does Pay Drechsel think of the risks involved in using untreated human waste for farming?","article":"Facing water shortages and escalating fertilizer costs, fanners in developing countries are using raw sewage (\uff09to irrigate and fertilize nearly 49 million acres of cropland, according to a new report-and it may not be a bad thing.\nWhile the practice carries serious health risks for many, those dangers are outweighed by the social and economic gains for poor urban farmers and consumers who need affordable food.\n\"There is a large potential for wastewater agriculture to both help and hurt great numbers of urban consumers,\" said Liqa Raschid-Sally, who led the study.\nThe report focused on poor urban areas, where farms in or near cities supply relatively inexpensive food. Most of these operations draw irrigation water from local rivers or lakes. Unlike developed cities, however, these areas lack advanced water-treatment facilities, and rivers effectively become sewers .\nWhen this water is used for agricultural irrigation, farmers risk absorbing disease-causing bacteria, as do consumers who eat the produce raw and unwashed. Nearly 2.2 million people die each year because of diarrhea-related diseases, according to WHO statistics. More than 80% of those cases can be attributed to contact with contaminated water and a lack of proper sanitation. But Pay Drechsel, an environmental scientist, argues that the social and economic benefits of using untreated human waste to grow food outweigh the health risks.\nThose dangers can be addressed with farmer and consumer education, he said, while the free water and nutrients from human waste can help urban farmers in developing countries to escape poverty.\nAgriculture is a water-intensive business, accounting for nearly 70% of global fresh water consumption.\nIn poor, dry regions, untreated wastewater is the only viable irrigation source to keep fanners in business. In some cases, water is so scarce that farmers break open sewage pipes transporting waste to local rivers.\nIrrigation is the primary agricultural use of human waste in the developing world. But frequently untreated human waste harvested from lavatories is delivered to farms and spread as fertilizer.\nIn most cases, the human waste is used on grain crops, which are eventually cooked, minimizing the risk of transmitting water-borne diseases. With fertilizer prices jumping nearly 50% per metric ton over the last year in some places, human waste is an attractive, and often necessary, alternative.\nIn cases where sewage mud is used, expensive chemical fertilizer use can be avoided. The mud contains the same critical nutrients.\n\"Overly strict standards often fail,\" James Bartram, a WHO water-health expert, said. \"We need to accept that fact across much of the planet, so waste with little or no treatment will be used in agriculture for good reason.\"","id":"1810.txt","label":1} +{"option":["He echoes Pay Drechsel's opinion on the issue.","He challenges Liqa Raschid-Sally's conclusion.","He thinks it the only way out of the current food crisis.","He deems it indispensable for combating global poverty."],"question":"What do we learn about James Bartram's position on the use of human waste for farming?","article":"Facing water shortages and escalating fertilizer costs, fanners in developing countries are using raw sewage (\uff09to irrigate and fertilize nearly 49 million acres of cropland, according to a new report-and it may not be a bad thing.\nWhile the practice carries serious health risks for many, those dangers are outweighed by the social and economic gains for poor urban farmers and consumers who need affordable food.\n\"There is a large potential for wastewater agriculture to both help and hurt great numbers of urban consumers,\" said Liqa Raschid-Sally, who led the study.\nThe report focused on poor urban areas, where farms in or near cities supply relatively inexpensive food. Most of these operations draw irrigation water from local rivers or lakes. Unlike developed cities, however, these areas lack advanced water-treatment facilities, and rivers effectively become sewers .\nWhen this water is used for agricultural irrigation, farmers risk absorbing disease-causing bacteria, as do consumers who eat the produce raw and unwashed. Nearly 2.2 million people die each year because of diarrhea-related diseases, according to WHO statistics. More than 80% of those cases can be attributed to contact with contaminated water and a lack of proper sanitation. But Pay Drechsel, an environmental scientist, argues that the social and economic benefits of using untreated human waste to grow food outweigh the health risks.\nThose dangers can be addressed with farmer and consumer education, he said, while the free water and nutrients from human waste can help urban farmers in developing countries to escape poverty.\nAgriculture is a water-intensive business, accounting for nearly 70% of global fresh water consumption.\nIn poor, dry regions, untreated wastewater is the only viable irrigation source to keep fanners in business. In some cases, water is so scarce that farmers break open sewage pipes transporting waste to local rivers.\nIrrigation is the primary agricultural use of human waste in the developing world. But frequently untreated human waste harvested from lavatories is delivered to farms and spread as fertilizer.\nIn most cases, the human waste is used on grain crops, which are eventually cooked, minimizing the risk of transmitting water-borne diseases. With fertilizer prices jumping nearly 50% per metric ton over the last year in some places, human waste is an attractive, and often necessary, alternative.\nIn cases where sewage mud is used, expensive chemical fertilizer use can be avoided. The mud contains the same critical nutrients.\n\"Overly strict standards often fail,\" James Bartram, a WHO water-health expert, said. \"We need to accept that fact across much of the planet, so waste with little or no treatment will be used in agriculture for good reason.\"","id":"1810.txt","label":0} +{"option":["To some extent, intelligence is given at birth.","Intelligence is developed by the environment.","Some people are born clever and others born stupid.","Intelligence is fixed at birth, but is developed by the environment."],"question":"Which of these sentences best describes the writer's point in Paragraph 1?","article":"Are some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experiences? Strangely enough, the answer to both these questions is yes. To some extent our intelligence is given us at birth, and no amount of special education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus the limits of a person's intelligence are fixed at birth, but whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, now held by most experts, can be supported in a number of ways.\nIt is easy to show that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people, the closer they are likely to be in intelligence. Thus if we take two unrelated people at random from the population,\nit is likely that their degrees of intelligence will be completely different. If on the other hand we take two identical twins they will very likely be as intelligent as each other. Relations like brothers and sisters, parents and children, usually have similar intelligence, and this clearly suggests that intelligence depends on birth.\nImagine now that we take two identical twins and put them in different environments. We might send one, for example, to a university and the other to a factory where the work is boring. We would soon find differences in intelligence developing, and this indicates that environment as well as birth plays\na part. This conclusion is also suggested by the fact that people who live in close contact with each other, but who are not related at all, are likely to have similar degrees of intelligence.","id":"1772.txt","label":3} +{"option":["unrelated people are not likely to have different intelligence","close relations usually have similar intelligence","the closer the blood relationship between people, the more different they are likely to be in intelligence","people who live in close contact with each other are not likely to have similar degrees of intelligence"],"question":"It is suggested in this passage that_ .","article":"Are some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experiences? Strangely enough, the answer to both these questions is yes. To some extent our intelligence is given us at birth, and no amount of special education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus the limits of a person's intelligence are fixed at birth, but whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, now held by most experts, can be supported in a number of ways.\nIt is easy to show that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people, the closer they are likely to be in intelligence. Thus if we take two unrelated people at random from the population,\nit is likely that their degrees of intelligence will be completely different. If on the other hand we take two identical twins they will very likely be as intelligent as each other. Relations like brothers and sisters, parents and children, usually have similar intelligence, and this clearly suggests that intelligence depends on birth.\nImagine now that we take two identical twins and put them in different environments. We might send one, for example, to a university and the other to a factory where the work is boring. We would soon find differences in intelligence developing, and this indicates that environment as well as birth plays\na part. This conclusion is also suggested by the fact that people who live in close contact with each other, but who are not related at all, are likely to have similar degrees of intelligence.","id":"1772.txt","label":1} +{"option":["have similar intelligence","have different intelligence","go to the same university","go to the same factory"],"question":"Brothers and sisters are likely to_ .","article":"Are some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experiences? Strangely enough, the answer to both these questions is yes. To some extent our intelligence is given us at birth, and no amount of special education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus the limits of a person's intelligence are fixed at birth, but whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, now held by most experts, can be supported in a number of ways.\nIt is easy to show that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people, the closer they are likely to be in intelligence. Thus if we take two unrelated people at random from the population,\nit is likely that their degrees of intelligence will be completely different. If on the other hand we take two identical twins they will very likely be as intelligent as each other. Relations like brothers and sisters, parents and children, usually have similar intelligence, and this clearly suggests that intelligence depends on birth.\nImagine now that we take two identical twins and put them in different environments. We might send one, for example, to a university and the other to a factory where the work is boring. We would soon find differences in intelligence developing, and this indicates that environment as well as birth plays\na part. This conclusion is also suggested by the fact that people who live in close contact with each other, but who are not related at all, are likely to have similar degrees of intelligence.","id":"1772.txt","label":0} +{"option":["intelligence","life","environments","housing"],"question":"In Paragraph 1, the word \"surroundings\" means_ .","article":"Are some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experiences? Strangely enough, the answer to both these questions is yes. To some extent our intelligence is given us at birth, and no amount of special education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus the limits of a person's intelligence are fixed at birth, but whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, now held by most experts, can be supported in a number of ways.\nIt is easy to show that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people, the closer they are likely to be in intelligence. Thus if we take two unrelated people at random from the population,\nit is likely that their degrees of intelligence will be completely different. If on the other hand we take two identical twins they will very likely be as intelligent as each other. Relations like brothers and sisters, parents and children, usually have similar intelligence, and this clearly suggests that intelligence depends on birth.\nImagine now that we take two identical twins and put them in different environments. We might send one, for example, to a university and the other to a factory where the work is boring. We would soon find differences in intelligence developing, and this indicates that environment as well as birth plays\na part. This conclusion is also suggested by the fact that people who live in close contact with each other, but who are not related at all, are likely to have similar degrees of intelligence.","id":"1772.txt","label":2} +{"option":["On Intelligence","What Intelligence Means http:\/\/www.hxen.com","We Are Born with Intelligence","Environment Plays a Part in Developing Intelligence"],"question":"The best title for this article would be_ .","article":"Are some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experiences? Strangely enough, the answer to both these questions is yes. To some extent our intelligence is given us at birth, and no amount of special education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus the limits of a person's intelligence are fixed at birth, but whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, now held by most experts, can be supported in a number of ways.\nIt is easy to show that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people, the closer they are likely to be in intelligence. Thus if we take two unrelated people at random from the population,\nit is likely that their degrees of intelligence will be completely different. If on the other hand we take two identical twins they will very likely be as intelligent as each other. Relations like brothers and sisters, parents and children, usually have similar intelligence, and this clearly suggests that intelligence depends on birth.\nImagine now that we take two identical twins and put them in different environments. We might send one, for example, to a university and the other to a factory where the work is boring. We would soon find differences in intelligence developing, and this indicates that environment as well as birth plays\na part. This conclusion is also suggested by the fact that people who live in close contact with each other, but who are not related at all, are likely to have similar degrees of intelligence.","id":"1772.txt","label":0} +{"option":["a position on the foundations of human behavior and on what those foundations imply","a theory outlining the parallel development of human morphology and of human behavior","a diagnostic test for separating biologically determined behavior patterns from culture-specific detail","a practical method for resisting the pressures of biologically determined drives"],"question":"The primary purpose of the passage is to present","article":"Some modern anthropologists hold that biological evolution has shaped not only human morphology but also human behavior. The role those anthropologists ascribe to evolution is not of dictating the details of human behavior but one of imposing constraints-ways of feeling, thinking, and acting that \"come naturally\" in archetypal situations in any culture. Our \"frailties\" -emotions and motives such as rage, fear, greed,gluttony, joy, lust, love-may be a very mixed assortment, but they share at least one immediate quality: we are, as we say, \"in the grip\" of them. And thus they give us our sense of constraints. Unhappily, some of those frailties-our need for ever-increasing security among them-are presently maladaptive. Yet beneath the overlay of cultural detail, they, too, are said to be biological in direction, and therefore as natural to us as are our appendixes. We would need to comprehend thoroughly their adaptive origins in order to understand how badly they guide us now. And we might then begin to resist their pressure.","id":"2030.txt","label":0} +{"option":["that those frailties are recognized as currently beneficial and adaptive","that there is little or no overlay of cultural detail that masks their true nature","that there are cultures in which those frailties do not \"come naturally\" and from which such control can be learned","a full understanding of why those frailties evolved and of how they function now"],"question":"The author implies that control to any extent over the \"frailties\" that constrain our behavior is thought to presuppose","article":"Some modern anthropologists hold that biological evolution has shaped not only human morphology but also human behavior. The role those anthropologists ascribe to evolution is not of dictating the details of human behavior but one of imposing constraints-ways of feeling, thinking, and acting that \"come naturally\" in archetypal situations in any culture. Our \"frailties\" -emotions and motives such as rage, fear, greed,gluttony, joy, lust, love-may be a very mixed assortment, but they share at least one immediate quality: we are, as we say, \"in the grip\" of them. And thus they give us our sense of constraints. Unhappily, some of those frailties-our need for ever-increasing security among them-are presently maladaptive. Yet beneath the overlay of cultural detail, they, too, are said to be biological in direction, and therefore as natural to us as are our appendixes. We would need to comprehend thoroughly their adaptive origins in order to understand how badly they guide us now. And we might then begin to resist their pressure.","id":"2030.txt","label":3} +{"option":["The ability of most people to see all the colors of the visible spectrum as against most people's inability to name any but the primary colors","The ability of even the least fortunate people to show compassion as against people's inability to mask their feelings completely","The ability of some people to dive to great depths as against most people's inability to swim long distances","The greater lung capacity of mountain peoples that helps them live in oxygen-poor air as against people's inability to fly without special apparatus"],"question":"Which of the following most probably provides an appropriate analogy from human morphology for the \"details\" versus \"constraints\" distinction made in the passage in relation to human behavior?","article":"Some modern anthropologists hold that biological evolution has shaped not only human morphology but also human behavior. The role those anthropologists ascribe to evolution is not of dictating the details of human behavior but one of imposing constraints-ways of feeling, thinking, and acting that \"come naturally\" in archetypal situations in any culture. Our \"frailties\" -emotions and motives such as rage, fear, greed,gluttony, joy, lust, love-may be a very mixed assortment, but they share at least one immediate quality: we are, as we say, \"in the grip\" of them. And thus they give us our sense of constraints. Unhappily, some of those frailties-our need for ever-increasing security among them-are presently maladaptive. Yet beneath the overlay of cultural detail, they, too, are said to be biological in direction, and therefore as natural to us as are our appendixes. We would need to comprehend thoroughly their adaptive origins in order to understand how badly they guide us now. And we might then begin to resist their pressure.","id":"2030.txt","label":3} +{"option":["changes in the total human environment can outpace evolutionary change","any structure or behavior not positively adaptive is regarded as transitory in evolutionary theory","maladaptive characteristics, once fixed, make the emergence of other maladaptive characteristics more likely","the designation of a characteristic as being maladaptive must always remain highly tentative"],"question":"It can be inferred that in his discussion of maladaptive frailties the author assumes that","article":"Some modern anthropologists hold that biological evolution has shaped not only human morphology but also human behavior. The role those anthropologists ascribe to evolution is not of dictating the details of human behavior but one of imposing constraints-ways of feeling, thinking, and acting that \"come naturally\" in archetypal situations in any culture. Our \"frailties\" -emotions and motives such as rage, fear, greed,gluttony, joy, lust, love-may be a very mixed assortment, but they share at least one immediate quality: we are, as we say, \"in the grip\" of them. And thus they give us our sense of constraints. Unhappily, some of those frailties-our need for ever-increasing security among them-are presently maladaptive. Yet beneath the overlay of cultural detail, they, too, are said to be biological in direction, and therefore as natural to us as are our appendixes. We would need to comprehend thoroughly their adaptive origins in order to understand how badly they guide us now. And we might then begin to resist their pressure.","id":"2030.txt","label":0} +{"option":["bullying is rare","victims suffered a lot","schools are to blame","personalities are related"],"question":"From the case of Tina, we can know that _ .","article":"An old problem is getting new attention in the United States-bullying. Recent cases included the tragic case of a 15??year??old girl whose family moved from Ireland. She hanged herself in Massachusetts following months of bullying. Her parents criticized her school for failing to protect her. Officials have brought criminal charges against several teenagers.\nJudy Kuczynski is president of an anti??bullying group called Bully Police USA. Her daughter Tina was also the victim of severe bullying starting in middle school in the state of Minnesota. She said\uff0c\"Our daughter was a very outgoing child. She was involved in all kinds of things and had lots of friends. And over a period of time her grades fell completely. She started having health issues. She couldn't sleep. She wasn't eating. She had terrible stomach pains. Didn't want to go to school.\"\nBullying is defined as negative behavior repeated over time against the same person. It can involve physical violence, or it can be verbal-for example, insults or threats. Spreading lies about someone or excluding a person from a group is known as social or relational bullying.\nAnd now there is cyberbullying, which uses the Internet, e??mail or text messages. It has easy appeal for the bully because it does not involve face??to??face contact and it can be done at any time.\nThe first serious research studies into bullying were done in Norway in the late 1970s. The latest government study in the United States was released last year. It found that about one??third of students age twelve to eighteen were bullied at school.\nSusan Swearer is a psychologist at the University of Nebraska??Lincoln and co??director of the Bullying Research Network. She says schools should treat bullying as a mental health problem to get bullies and victims the help they need. She says bullying is connected to depression, anxiety and anti??social behavior and bullies are often victims themselves.","id":"3022.txt","label":1} +{"option":["To beat someone repeatedly.","To call someone names.","To isolate someone from friends.","To refuse to help someone in need."],"question":"Which of the following is NOT bullying?","article":"An old problem is getting new attention in the United States-bullying. Recent cases included the tragic case of a 15??year??old girl whose family moved from Ireland. She hanged herself in Massachusetts following months of bullying. Her parents criticized her school for failing to protect her. Officials have brought criminal charges against several teenagers.\nJudy Kuczynski is president of an anti??bullying group called Bully Police USA. Her daughter Tina was also the victim of severe bullying starting in middle school in the state of Minnesota. She said\uff0c\"Our daughter was a very outgoing child. She was involved in all kinds of things and had lots of friends. And over a period of time her grades fell completely. She started having health issues. She couldn't sleep. She wasn't eating. She had terrible stomach pains. Didn't want to go to school.\"\nBullying is defined as negative behavior repeated over time against the same person. It can involve physical violence, or it can be verbal-for example, insults or threats. Spreading lies about someone or excluding a person from a group is known as social or relational bullying.\nAnd now there is cyberbullying, which uses the Internet, e??mail or text messages. It has easy appeal for the bully because it does not involve face??to??face contact and it can be done at any time.\nThe first serious research studies into bullying were done in Norway in the late 1970s. The latest government study in the United States was released last year. It found that about one??third of students age twelve to eighteen were bullied at school.\nSusan Swearer is a psychologist at the University of Nebraska??Lincoln and co??director of the Bullying Research Network. She says schools should treat bullying as a mental health problem to get bullies and victims the help they need. She says bullying is connected to depression, anxiety and anti??social behavior and bullies are often victims themselves.","id":"3022.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Because it can involve more people.","Because it can create worse effects.","Because it is more convenient.","Because it can avoid cheating."],"question":"Why is cyberbullying appealing to the bully?","article":"An old problem is getting new attention in the United States-bullying. Recent cases included the tragic case of a 15??year??old girl whose family moved from Ireland. She hanged herself in Massachusetts following months of bullying. Her parents criticized her school for failing to protect her. Officials have brought criminal charges against several teenagers.\nJudy Kuczynski is president of an anti??bullying group called Bully Police USA. Her daughter Tina was also the victim of severe bullying starting in middle school in the state of Minnesota. She said\uff0c\"Our daughter was a very outgoing child. She was involved in all kinds of things and had lots of friends. And over a period of time her grades fell completely. She started having health issues. She couldn't sleep. She wasn't eating. She had terrible stomach pains. Didn't want to go to school.\"\nBullying is defined as negative behavior repeated over time against the same person. It can involve physical violence, or it can be verbal-for example, insults or threats. Spreading lies about someone or excluding a person from a group is known as social or relational bullying.\nAnd now there is cyberbullying, which uses the Internet, e??mail or text messages. It has easy appeal for the bully because it does not involve face??to??face contact and it can be done at any time.\nThe first serious research studies into bullying were done in Norway in the late 1970s. The latest government study in the United States was released last year. It found that about one??third of students age twelve to eighteen were bullied at school.\nSusan Swearer is a psychologist at the University of Nebraska??Lincoln and co??director of the Bullying Research Network. She says schools should treat bullying as a mental health problem to get bullies and victims the help they need. She says bullying is connected to depression, anxiety and anti??social behavior and bullies are often victims themselves.","id":"3022.txt","label":2} +{"option":["bullies are antisocial","bullies should give victims help","students are not equally treated","bullies themselves also need help"],"question":"According to Susan Swearer, _ .","article":"An old problem is getting new attention in the United States-bullying. Recent cases included the tragic case of a 15??year??old girl whose family moved from Ireland. She hanged herself in Massachusetts following months of bullying. Her parents criticized her school for failing to protect her. Officials have brought criminal charges against several teenagers.\nJudy Kuczynski is president of an anti??bullying group called Bully Police USA. Her daughter Tina was also the victim of severe bullying starting in middle school in the state of Minnesota. She said\uff0c\"Our daughter was a very outgoing child. She was involved in all kinds of things and had lots of friends. And over a period of time her grades fell completely. She started having health issues. She couldn't sleep. She wasn't eating. She had terrible stomach pains. Didn't want to go to school.\"\nBullying is defined as negative behavior repeated over time against the same person. It can involve physical violence, or it can be verbal-for example, insults or threats. Spreading lies about someone or excluding a person from a group is known as social or relational bullying.\nAnd now there is cyberbullying, which uses the Internet, e??mail or text messages. It has easy appeal for the bully because it does not involve face??to??face contact and it can be done at any time.\nThe first serious research studies into bullying were done in Norway in the late 1970s. The latest government study in the United States was released last year. It found that about one??third of students age twelve to eighteen were bullied at school.\nSusan Swearer is a psychologist at the University of Nebraska??Lincoln and co??director of the Bullying Research Network. She says schools should treat bullying as a mental health problem to get bullies and victims the help they need. She says bullying is connected to depression, anxiety and anti??social behavior and bullies are often victims themselves.","id":"3022.txt","label":3} +{"option":["The president of the first-class university was really very important.","University presidents gave them some good advice.","The presidents of universities could easily go to the white house.","University presidents had more power and authority than Avon ladies."],"question":"What does the author intend to illustrate with the example of Woodrow Wilson and Dwight Eisenhower?","article":"There was a time when big-league university presidents really mattered. The New York Times covered their every move. Presidents, the real ones, sought their counsel. For Woodrow Wilson and Dwight Eisenhower, being head of Princeton and Columbia, respectively, was a stepping-stone to the White House. Today, though, the job of college president is less and less removed from that of the Avon lady\uff08except the house calls are made to the doorsteps of wealthy alumni\uff09.\nRuth Simmons, the newly installed president of Brown University and the first African American to lead an Ivy League school, is a throwback to the crusading campus leaders of old. She doesn't merely marshal funds; she invests them in the great educational causes of our day. With the more than $300 million she raised as president of Smith College from 1995 to 2001, Simmons established an engineering program \uff08the first at any women's school\uff09and added seminars focused on public speaking to purge the ubiquitous\" likes\" and\" ums\" from the campus idiom. At a meeting to discuss the future of Smith's math department, one professor timidly requested two more discussion sections for his course. Her response:\" Dream bigger.\"\nHer own dream was born in a sharecropper's shack in East Texas where there was no money for books or toys-she and her 11 siblings each got an apple, an orange and 10 nuts for Christmas. Though she was called nigger on her walk to school, entering the classroom, she says, \" was like waking up.\" When Simmons won a scholarship to Dillard University, her high school teachers took up a collection so she'd have a coat. She went on to Harvard to earn a Ph. D. in Romance languages.\nSimmons has made diversity her No. 1 campus crusade. She nearly doubled the enrollment of black freshmen at Smith, largely by traveling to high schools in the nation's poorest ZIP codes to recruit. Concerned with the lives of minority students once they arrive at school, she has fought to ease the racial standoffs that plague so many campuses. At Smith she turned down a request by students to have race-specific dorms. In 1993, while vice provost at Princeton, she wrote a now famous report recommending that the university establish an office of conflict resolution to defuse racial misunderstandings before they boiled over.\nHer first task at Brown will be to heal one such rupture last spring after the student paper published an incendiary ad by conservative polemicist David Horowitz arguing that blacks economically benefited from slavery.\" There's no safe ground for anybody in race relations, but campuses, unlike any other institution in our society, provide the opportunity to cross racial lines,\" says Simmons. \" And even if you're hurt, you can't walk away. You have to walk over that line.\"","id":"561.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Simmons was an old crusading campus leader.","Simmons wanted to expand her university.","Simmons knew well about how to invest money.","Simmons was a competent and ambitious president."],"question":"What can we infer from the second paragraph?","article":"There was a time when big-league university presidents really mattered. The New York Times covered their every move. Presidents, the real ones, sought their counsel. For Woodrow Wilson and Dwight Eisenhower, being head of Princeton and Columbia, respectively, was a stepping-stone to the White House. Today, though, the job of college president is less and less removed from that of the Avon lady\uff08except the house calls are made to the doorsteps of wealthy alumni\uff09.\nRuth Simmons, the newly installed president of Brown University and the first African American to lead an Ivy League school, is a throwback to the crusading campus leaders of old. She doesn't merely marshal funds; she invests them in the great educational causes of our day. With the more than $300 million she raised as president of Smith College from 1995 to 2001, Simmons established an engineering program \uff08the first at any women's school\uff09and added seminars focused on public speaking to purge the ubiquitous\" likes\" and\" ums\" from the campus idiom. At a meeting to discuss the future of Smith's math department, one professor timidly requested two more discussion sections for his course. Her response:\" Dream bigger.\"\nHer own dream was born in a sharecropper's shack in East Texas where there was no money for books or toys-she and her 11 siblings each got an apple, an orange and 10 nuts for Christmas. Though she was called nigger on her walk to school, entering the classroom, she says, \" was like waking up.\" When Simmons won a scholarship to Dillard University, her high school teachers took up a collection so she'd have a coat. She went on to Harvard to earn a Ph. D. in Romance languages.\nSimmons has made diversity her No. 1 campus crusade. She nearly doubled the enrollment of black freshmen at Smith, largely by traveling to high schools in the nation's poorest ZIP codes to recruit. Concerned with the lives of minority students once they arrive at school, she has fought to ease the racial standoffs that plague so many campuses. At Smith she turned down a request by students to have race-specific dorms. In 1993, while vice provost at Princeton, she wrote a now famous report recommending that the university establish an office of conflict resolution to defuse racial misunderstandings before they boiled over.\nHer first task at Brown will be to heal one such rupture last spring after the student paper published an incendiary ad by conservative polemicist David Horowitz arguing that blacks economically benefited from slavery.\" There's no safe ground for anybody in race relations, but campuses, unlike any other institution in our society, provide the opportunity to cross racial lines,\" says Simmons. \" And even if you're hurt, you can't walk away. You have to walk over that line.\"","id":"561.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Simmons greatly sympathized the black people","Simmons wanted to diversify her university","Simmons made a great effort to solve the racial problems","Simmons never neglected the racial problems"],"question":"We can learn from the fourth paragraph that _ .","article":"There was a time when big-league university presidents really mattered. The New York Times covered their every move. Presidents, the real ones, sought their counsel. For Woodrow Wilson and Dwight Eisenhower, being head of Princeton and Columbia, respectively, was a stepping-stone to the White House. Today, though, the job of college president is less and less removed from that of the Avon lady\uff08except the house calls are made to the doorsteps of wealthy alumni\uff09.\nRuth Simmons, the newly installed president of Brown University and the first African American to lead an Ivy League school, is a throwback to the crusading campus leaders of old. She doesn't merely marshal funds; she invests them in the great educational causes of our day. With the more than $300 million she raised as president of Smith College from 1995 to 2001, Simmons established an engineering program \uff08the first at any women's school\uff09and added seminars focused on public speaking to purge the ubiquitous\" likes\" and\" ums\" from the campus idiom. At a meeting to discuss the future of Smith's math department, one professor timidly requested two more discussion sections for his course. Her response:\" Dream bigger.\"\nHer own dream was born in a sharecropper's shack in East Texas where there was no money for books or toys-she and her 11 siblings each got an apple, an orange and 10 nuts for Christmas. Though she was called nigger on her walk to school, entering the classroom, she says, \" was like waking up.\" When Simmons won a scholarship to Dillard University, her high school teachers took up a collection so she'd have a coat. She went on to Harvard to earn a Ph. D. in Romance languages.\nSimmons has made diversity her No. 1 campus crusade. She nearly doubled the enrollment of black freshmen at Smith, largely by traveling to high schools in the nation's poorest ZIP codes to recruit. Concerned with the lives of minority students once they arrive at school, she has fought to ease the racial standoffs that plague so many campuses. At Smith she turned down a request by students to have race-specific dorms. In 1993, while vice provost at Princeton, she wrote a now famous report recommending that the university establish an office of conflict resolution to defuse racial misunderstandings before they boiled over.\nHer first task at Brown will be to heal one such rupture last spring after the student paper published an incendiary ad by conservative polemicist David Horowitz arguing that blacks economically benefited from slavery.\" There's no safe ground for anybody in race relations, but campuses, unlike any other institution in our society, provide the opportunity to cross racial lines,\" says Simmons. \" And even if you're hurt, you can't walk away. You have to walk over that line.\"","id":"561.txt","label":2} +{"option":["College presidents can get their position with the help of Avon ladies.","The job of college president and that of the Avon lady are quite similar.","College presidents got inspiration from the job of the Avon lady.","The jobs of college presidents and the Avon lady should be separated."],"question":"What does the author mean by saying\" the job of college president is less and less removed from that of the Avon lady\" \uff08Lines 4\uff5e5, Paragraph 1\uff09?","article":"There was a time when big-league university presidents really mattered. The New York Times covered their every move. Presidents, the real ones, sought their counsel. For Woodrow Wilson and Dwight Eisenhower, being head of Princeton and Columbia, respectively, was a stepping-stone to the White House. Today, though, the job of college president is less and less removed from that of the Avon lady\uff08except the house calls are made to the doorsteps of wealthy alumni\uff09.\nRuth Simmons, the newly installed president of Brown University and the first African American to lead an Ivy League school, is a throwback to the crusading campus leaders of old. She doesn't merely marshal funds; she invests them in the great educational causes of our day. With the more than $300 million she raised as president of Smith College from 1995 to 2001, Simmons established an engineering program \uff08the first at any women's school\uff09and added seminars focused on public speaking to purge the ubiquitous\" likes\" and\" ums\" from the campus idiom. At a meeting to discuss the future of Smith's math department, one professor timidly requested two more discussion sections for his course. Her response:\" Dream bigger.\"\nHer own dream was born in a sharecropper's shack in East Texas where there was no money for books or toys-she and her 11 siblings each got an apple, an orange and 10 nuts for Christmas. Though she was called nigger on her walk to school, entering the classroom, she says, \" was like waking up.\" When Simmons won a scholarship to Dillard University, her high school teachers took up a collection so she'd have a coat. She went on to Harvard to earn a Ph. D. in Romance languages.\nSimmons has made diversity her No. 1 campus crusade. She nearly doubled the enrollment of black freshmen at Smith, largely by traveling to high schools in the nation's poorest ZIP codes to recruit. Concerned with the lives of minority students once they arrive at school, she has fought to ease the racial standoffs that plague so many campuses. At Smith she turned down a request by students to have race-specific dorms. In 1993, while vice provost at Princeton, she wrote a now famous report recommending that the university establish an office of conflict resolution to defuse racial misunderstandings before they boiled over.\nHer first task at Brown will be to heal one such rupture last spring after the student paper published an incendiary ad by conservative polemicist David Horowitz arguing that blacks economically benefited from slavery.\" There's no safe ground for anybody in race relations, but campuses, unlike any other institution in our society, provide the opportunity to cross racial lines,\" says Simmons. \" And even if you're hurt, you can't walk away. You have to walk over that line.\"","id":"561.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Simmons had successfully solved the racial problems.","Simmons owed her success to her high school teachers.","Simmons didn't like\" likes\" and\" ums\" in campus idioms.","Simmons asked her professor to be more ambitious and aggressive."],"question":"Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?","article":"There was a time when big-league university presidents really mattered. The New York Times covered their every move. Presidents, the real ones, sought their counsel. For Woodrow Wilson and Dwight Eisenhower, being head of Princeton and Columbia, respectively, was a stepping-stone to the White House. Today, though, the job of college president is less and less removed from that of the Avon lady\uff08except the house calls are made to the doorsteps of wealthy alumni\uff09.\nRuth Simmons, the newly installed president of Brown University and the first African American to lead an Ivy League school, is a throwback to the crusading campus leaders of old. She doesn't merely marshal funds; she invests them in the great educational causes of our day. With the more than $300 million she raised as president of Smith College from 1995 to 2001, Simmons established an engineering program \uff08the first at any women's school\uff09and added seminars focused on public speaking to purge the ubiquitous\" likes\" and\" ums\" from the campus idiom. At a meeting to discuss the future of Smith's math department, one professor timidly requested two more discussion sections for his course. Her response:\" Dream bigger.\"\nHer own dream was born in a sharecropper's shack in East Texas where there was no money for books or toys-she and her 11 siblings each got an apple, an orange and 10 nuts for Christmas. Though she was called nigger on her walk to school, entering the classroom, she says, \" was like waking up.\" When Simmons won a scholarship to Dillard University, her high school teachers took up a collection so she'd have a coat. She went on to Harvard to earn a Ph. D. in Romance languages.\nSimmons has made diversity her No. 1 campus crusade. She nearly doubled the enrollment of black freshmen at Smith, largely by traveling to high schools in the nation's poorest ZIP codes to recruit. Concerned with the lives of minority students once they arrive at school, she has fought to ease the racial standoffs that plague so many campuses. At Smith she turned down a request by students to have race-specific dorms. In 1993, while vice provost at Princeton, she wrote a now famous report recommending that the university establish an office of conflict resolution to defuse racial misunderstandings before they boiled over.\nHer first task at Brown will be to heal one such rupture last spring after the student paper published an incendiary ad by conservative polemicist David Horowitz arguing that blacks economically benefited from slavery.\" There's no safe ground for anybody in race relations, but campuses, unlike any other institution in our society, provide the opportunity to cross racial lines,\" says Simmons. \" And even if you're hurt, you can't walk away. You have to walk over that line.\"","id":"561.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Because he is a professional.","Because he didn't want to draw others' attention to him.","Because he works hard.","Because he is a thief."],"question":"Why did Richard wear a business suit?","article":"Richard Williams works hard. He's clever, careful, and fast.His work is dangerous. Richard thinks of himself as a professional-a professional thief.\nYesterday was a typical day. Richard dressed in a business suit, took his briefcase , and drove to a town about ten miles from his home. He parked his car in a busy area, then began to walk along the street. No one looked at him. He was another businessman walking to work.\nAt 8\uff1a05, Richard saw what he wanted. A man was leaving his house. Richard walked around the block again. At 8\uff1a10 , he watched a woman leave the same house. After she left, Richard worked quickly. He walked to the side of the house and stood behind a tree. He took a screwdriver out of his briefcase and quickly opened the window and climbed in. First, he looked through the desk in the living room. He found $200 in cash . In the dining room, he put the silverware into his briefcase. The next stop was the bedroom. Richard stole a diamond ring and an emerald necklace. Richard passed a color TV, a stereo , and a camera, but he didn't touch them. Everything had to fit into his briefcase. In less than five minutes, Richand climbed back out the window. He looked around carefully, then began his walk down the street again. No one looked at him. He was just another businessman, walking to work.","id":"870.txt","label":1} +{"option":["stood behind a tree","entered the house","walked around the block again","opened the window with a screwdriver"],"question":"Richard _ , after the man left his house.","article":"Richard Williams works hard. He's clever, careful, and fast.His work is dangerous. Richard thinks of himself as a professional-a professional thief.\nYesterday was a typical day. Richard dressed in a business suit, took his briefcase , and drove to a town about ten miles from his home. He parked his car in a busy area, then began to walk along the street. No one looked at him. He was another businessman walking to work.\nAt 8\uff1a05, Richard saw what he wanted. A man was leaving his house. Richard walked around the block again. At 8\uff1a10 , he watched a woman leave the same house. After she left, Richard worked quickly. He walked to the side of the house and stood behind a tree. He took a screwdriver out of his briefcase and quickly opened the window and climbed in. First, he looked through the desk in the living room. He found $200 in cash . In the dining room, he put the silverware into his briefcase. The next stop was the bedroom. Richard stole a diamond ring and an emerald necklace. Richard passed a color TV, a stereo , and a camera, but he didn't touch them. Everything had to fit into his briefcase. In less than five minutes, Richand climbed back out the window. He looked around carefully, then began his walk down the street again. No one looked at him. He was just another businessman, walking to work.","id":"870.txt","label":2} +{"option":["it was night time","he ran very fast","he stood behind a tree","he was very clever"],"question":"No one saw Richard get into the house because _ .","article":"Richard Williams works hard. He's clever, careful, and fast.His work is dangerous. Richard thinks of himself as a professional-a professional thief.\nYesterday was a typical day. Richard dressed in a business suit, took his briefcase , and drove to a town about ten miles from his home. He parked his car in a busy area, then began to walk along the street. No one looked at him. He was another businessman walking to work.\nAt 8\uff1a05, Richard saw what he wanted. A man was leaving his house. Richard walked around the block again. At 8\uff1a10 , he watched a woman leave the same house. After she left, Richard worked quickly. He walked to the side of the house and stood behind a tree. He took a screwdriver out of his briefcase and quickly opened the window and climbed in. First, he looked through the desk in the living room. He found $200 in cash . In the dining room, he put the silverware into his briefcase. The next stop was the bedroom. Richard stole a diamond ring and an emerald necklace. Richard passed a color TV, a stereo , and a camera, but he didn't touch them. Everything had to fit into his briefcase. In less than five minutes, Richand climbed back out the window. He looked around carefully, then began his walk down the street again. No one looked at him. He was just another businessman, walking to work.","id":"870.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Five minutes.","One hour.","Nearly five minutes.","Fifteen minutes."],"question":"How long did Richard stay in the house?","article":"Richard Williams works hard. He's clever, careful, and fast.His work is dangerous. Richard thinks of himself as a professional-a professional thief.\nYesterday was a typical day. Richard dressed in a business suit, took his briefcase , and drove to a town about ten miles from his home. He parked his car in a busy area, then began to walk along the street. No one looked at him. He was another businessman walking to work.\nAt 8\uff1a05, Richard saw what he wanted. A man was leaving his house. Richard walked around the block again. At 8\uff1a10 , he watched a woman leave the same house. After she left, Richard worked quickly. He walked to the side of the house and stood behind a tree. He took a screwdriver out of his briefcase and quickly opened the window and climbed in. First, he looked through the desk in the living room. He found $200 in cash . In the dining room, he put the silverware into his briefcase. The next stop was the bedroom. Richard stole a diamond ring and an emerald necklace. Richard passed a color TV, a stereo , and a camera, but he didn't touch them. Everything had to fit into his briefcase. In less than five minutes, Richand climbed back out the window. He looked around carefully, then began his walk down the street again. No one looked at him. He was just another businessman, walking to work.","id":"870.txt","label":2} +{"option":["it is too big to carry","it is too heavy to carry","it is worth nothing","it is difficult for him to carry such a thing without being noticed"],"question":"The reason why Richard didn't take the TV set is that _ .","article":"Richard Williams works hard. He's clever, careful, and fast.His work is dangerous. Richard thinks of himself as a professional-a professional thief.\nYesterday was a typical day. Richard dressed in a business suit, took his briefcase , and drove to a town about ten miles from his home. He parked his car in a busy area, then began to walk along the street. No one looked at him. He was another businessman walking to work.\nAt 8\uff1a05, Richard saw what he wanted. A man was leaving his house. Richard walked around the block again. At 8\uff1a10 , he watched a woman leave the same house. After she left, Richard worked quickly. He walked to the side of the house and stood behind a tree. He took a screwdriver out of his briefcase and quickly opened the window and climbed in. First, he looked through the desk in the living room. He found $200 in cash . In the dining room, he put the silverware into his briefcase. The next stop was the bedroom. Richard stole a diamond ring and an emerald necklace. Richard passed a color TV, a stereo , and a camera, but he didn't touch them. Everything had to fit into his briefcase. In less than five minutes, Richand climbed back out the window. He looked around carefully, then began his walk down the street again. No one looked at him. He was just another businessman, walking to work.","id":"870.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Japan.","the U.S.","Britain.","Kiribati."],"question":"Tarawa belongs to _ .","article":"Tarawa is one of the two largest of the Gilbert Islands in the western Pacific Ocean, but it is a very tiny island, with an area of about eight square miles, and a population of about 17,000. Small as it is, three nations fought to control and use it as an air base during World War II. The Japanese took it from the British in 1941, only to lose it to the Americans tow years later after one of the bloodiest battles of the war. Today, the Gilbert Islands having become part of the Kiribati Pepublic, Tarawa is now its capital and major seaport .","id":"769.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Japan than to the U.S.","the U.S. than to Japan.","Britain than to the U.S.","Britain than to Japan."],"question":"Tarawa lies nearer to _ .","article":"Tarawa is one of the two largest of the Gilbert Islands in the western Pacific Ocean, but it is a very tiny island, with an area of about eight square miles, and a population of about 17,000. Small as it is, three nations fought to control and use it as an air base during World War II. The Japanese took it from the British in 1941, only to lose it to the Americans tow years later after one of the bloodiest battles of the war. Today, the Gilbert Islands having become part of the Kiribati Pepublic, Tarawa is now its capital and major seaport .","id":"769.txt","label":0} +{"option":["size.","population.","position.","history."],"question":"Tarawa was important during World War II because of its _ .","article":"Tarawa is one of the two largest of the Gilbert Islands in the western Pacific Ocean, but it is a very tiny island, with an area of about eight square miles, and a population of about 17,000. Small as it is, three nations fought to control and use it as an air base during World War II. The Japanese took it from the British in 1941, only to lose it to the Americans tow years later after one of the bloodiest battles of the war. Today, the Gilbert Islands having become part of the Kiribati Pepublic, Tarawa is now its capital and major seaport .","id":"769.txt","label":2} +{"option":["had been ruled by three nations one after another.","has been fought over in a tough battle by three nations.","has been divided and ruled by three different nations.","has always stayed out of the way of wars and battles."],"question":"In recent history, Tarawa _ .","article":"Tarawa is one of the two largest of the Gilbert Islands in the western Pacific Ocean, but it is a very tiny island, with an area of about eight square miles, and a population of about 17,000. Small as it is, three nations fought to control and use it as an air base during World War II. The Japanese took it from the British in 1941, only to lose it to the Americans tow years later after one of the bloodiest battles of the war. Today, the Gilbert Islands having become part of the Kiribati Pepublic, Tarawa is now its capital and major seaport .","id":"769.txt","label":0} +{"option":["studied the federal money spent on low-income students","aimed at promoting the establishment of more public schools","showed that about half the schools would receive less money","was conducted by the Department of Education's Title I program"],"question":"As it is indicated in the passage, the new analysis _ .","article":"A new analysis of federal money that public schools receive for low-income students shows that a record number of the nation's school districts will receive less in the coming academic year than they did for the one just ended.\nFor the 2005-2006 school year, spending under the Department of Education's Title I program, which helps low-achieving children in high-poverty areas, is increasing by 3.2 percent, to $12.6 billion. But because of population shifts, growing numbers of poor children, newer census data and complex formulas that determine how the money is divided, more than two-thirds of the districts, or 8,843, will not receive as much financing as before.\nThe analysis, based on data from the department, was made by the Center on Education Policy, a group advocating for public schools. A similar study by the group last year showed that 55 percent of the schools would receive less money than they did in the previous year.\n\"It's an alarming number,\" said Tom Fagan, a former department official who conducted the analysis. \"It's clear that the amount of overall increase is not keeping pace with the number of poor kids.\"\nSusan Aspey, a department spokeswoman, defended the spending levels for Title I\uff0csaying, \"President Bush and Congress have invested record amounts of funding to help the nation's neediest students.\"\nBut Mr. Fagan said the increasing number of districts that are losing money is making it harder for the schools to meet the goals of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, the Bush administration's signature education program, which measures progress through annual tests in math, reading and science. That is giving critics of the program more grounds to accuse the administration of not sufficiently financing the program while demanding greater results.\nTitle I provides the largest component of financing for No Child Left Behind.\n\"The federal government is concentrating more money in fewer districts,\" said John F. Jennings, the president and chief executive of the Center on Education Policy. \"It means there is lots of anger and lots of tension. They're asking us to do more and more with less and less.\"","id":"2300.txt","label":0} +{"option":["People often move from one place to another.","There are more children from poor families.","The way of distributing money has changed.","Spending under the Title I program decreased."],"question":"Which of the following factors does NOT lead to the result that more than two-thirds of the districts will get more poorly financed?","article":"A new analysis of federal money that public schools receive for low-income students shows that a record number of the nation's school districts will receive less in the coming academic year than they did for the one just ended.\nFor the 2005-2006 school year, spending under the Department of Education's Title I program, which helps low-achieving children in high-poverty areas, is increasing by 3.2 percent, to $12.6 billion. But because of population shifts, growing numbers of poor children, newer census data and complex formulas that determine how the money is divided, more than two-thirds of the districts, or 8,843, will not receive as much financing as before.\nThe analysis, based on data from the department, was made by the Center on Education Policy, a group advocating for public schools. A similar study by the group last year showed that 55 percent of the schools would receive less money than they did in the previous year.\n\"It's an alarming number,\" said Tom Fagan, a former department official who conducted the analysis. \"It's clear that the amount of overall increase is not keeping pace with the number of poor kids.\"\nSusan Aspey, a department spokeswoman, defended the spending levels for Title I\uff0csaying, \"President Bush and Congress have invested record amounts of funding to help the nation's neediest students.\"\nBut Mr. Fagan said the increasing number of districts that are losing money is making it harder for the schools to meet the goals of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, the Bush administration's signature education program, which measures progress through annual tests in math, reading and science. That is giving critics of the program more grounds to accuse the administration of not sufficiently financing the program while demanding greater results.\nTitle I provides the largest component of financing for No Child Left Behind.\n\"The federal government is concentrating more money in fewer districts,\" said John F. Jennings, the president and chief executive of the Center on Education Policy. \"It means there is lots of anger and lots of tension. They're asking us to do more and more with less and less.\"","id":"2300.txt","label":3} +{"option":["criticism","consent","Indifference","expectation"],"question":"Susan Aspey looks at the funding by the government with _ .","article":"A new analysis of federal money that public schools receive for low-income students shows that a record number of the nation's school districts will receive less in the coming academic year than they did for the one just ended.\nFor the 2005-2006 school year, spending under the Department of Education's Title I program, which helps low-achieving children in high-poverty areas, is increasing by 3.2 percent, to $12.6 billion. But because of population shifts, growing numbers of poor children, newer census data and complex formulas that determine how the money is divided, more than two-thirds of the districts, or 8,843, will not receive as much financing as before.\nThe analysis, based on data from the department, was made by the Center on Education Policy, a group advocating for public schools. A similar study by the group last year showed that 55 percent of the schools would receive less money than they did in the previous year.\n\"It's an alarming number,\" said Tom Fagan, a former department official who conducted the analysis. \"It's clear that the amount of overall increase is not keeping pace with the number of poor kids.\"\nSusan Aspey, a department spokeswoman, defended the spending levels for Title I\uff0csaying, \"President Bush and Congress have invested record amounts of funding to help the nation's neediest students.\"\nBut Mr. Fagan said the increasing number of districts that are losing money is making it harder for the schools to meet the goals of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, the Bush administration's signature education program, which measures progress through annual tests in math, reading and science. That is giving critics of the program more grounds to accuse the administration of not sufficiently financing the program while demanding greater results.\nTitle I provides the largest component of financing for No Child Left Behind.\n\"The federal government is concentrating more money in fewer districts,\" said John F. Jennings, the president and chief executive of the Center on Education Policy. \"It means there is lots of anger and lots of tension. They're asking us to do more and more with less and less.\"","id":"2300.txt","label":1} +{"option":["the government has done its best to finance the poor children","the goals of No Child Left Behind Act are difficult to realize","the way of measuring progress by annual tests should be changed","the Bush government shouldn't have approved the Title I program"],"question":"According to Tom Fagan, _ .","article":"A new analysis of federal money that public schools receive for low-income students shows that a record number of the nation's school districts will receive less in the coming academic year than they did for the one just ended.\nFor the 2005-2006 school year, spending under the Department of Education's Title I program, which helps low-achieving children in high-poverty areas, is increasing by 3.2 percent, to $12.6 billion. But because of population shifts, growing numbers of poor children, newer census data and complex formulas that determine how the money is divided, more than two-thirds of the districts, or 8,843, will not receive as much financing as before.\nThe analysis, based on data from the department, was made by the Center on Education Policy, a group advocating for public schools. A similar study by the group last year showed that 55 percent of the schools would receive less money than they did in the previous year.\n\"It's an alarming number,\" said Tom Fagan, a former department official who conducted the analysis. \"It's clear that the amount of overall increase is not keeping pace with the number of poor kids.\"\nSusan Aspey, a department spokeswoman, defended the spending levels for Title I\uff0csaying, \"President Bush and Congress have invested record amounts of funding to help the nation's neediest students.\"\nBut Mr. Fagan said the increasing number of districts that are losing money is making it harder for the schools to meet the goals of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, the Bush administration's signature education program, which measures progress through annual tests in math, reading and science. That is giving critics of the program more grounds to accuse the administration of not sufficiently financing the program while demanding greater results.\nTitle I provides the largest component of financing for No Child Left Behind.\n\"The federal government is concentrating more money in fewer districts,\" said John F. Jennings, the president and chief executive of the Center on Education Policy. \"It means there is lots of anger and lots of tension. They're asking us to do more and more with less and less.\"","id":"2300.txt","label":1} +{"option":["more poor children will get benefited","more public schools will have to be closed","it will arouse more people's dissatisfaction","No Child Left Behind Act will be realized sooner"],"question":"When the government concentrates more money in fewer districts, _ .","article":"A new analysis of federal money that public schools receive for low-income students shows that a record number of the nation's school districts will receive less in the coming academic year than they did for the one just ended.\nFor the 2005-2006 school year, spending under the Department of Education's Title I program, which helps low-achieving children in high-poverty areas, is increasing by 3.2 percent, to $12.6 billion. But because of population shifts, growing numbers of poor children, newer census data and complex formulas that determine how the money is divided, more than two-thirds of the districts, or 8,843, will not receive as much financing as before.\nThe analysis, based on data from the department, was made by the Center on Education Policy, a group advocating for public schools. A similar study by the group last year showed that 55 percent of the schools would receive less money than they did in the previous year.\n\"It's an alarming number,\" said Tom Fagan, a former department official who conducted the analysis. \"It's clear that the amount of overall increase is not keeping pace with the number of poor kids.\"\nSusan Aspey, a department spokeswoman, defended the spending levels for Title I\uff0csaying, \"President Bush and Congress have invested record amounts of funding to help the nation's neediest students.\"\nBut Mr. Fagan said the increasing number of districts that are losing money is making it harder for the schools to meet the goals of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, the Bush administration's signature education program, which measures progress through annual tests in math, reading and science. That is giving critics of the program more grounds to accuse the administration of not sufficiently financing the program while demanding greater results.\nTitle I provides the largest component of financing for No Child Left Behind.\n\"The federal government is concentrating more money in fewer districts,\" said John F. Jennings, the president and chief executive of the Center on Education Policy. \"It means there is lots of anger and lots of tension. They're asking us to do more and more with less and less.\"","id":"2300.txt","label":2} +{"option":["his father grduated from the university","his mother did not thinks it a great university","his parents needed him to help support the family","his parents did not have enough money for him"],"question":"The author was not allowed to go to Cornell University mainly because _ .","article":"In early autumn I applied for applied for admission to college. I wanted to go nowhere but to Cornell University,but my mother fought strongly againsnst it. When she saw me studying a photograph of my father on the sports ground of Cornell,she tore it up.\n\"You can't say it's not a great university,just because Papa went there.\"\n\"That's not it at all.And it is a top university.\"She was still holding the pieces in her hand. \"But we can't afford to send you to college.\"\n\"I wouldn't dream of asking you for money.Do you want me to get a job to help suppont you and Papa?Things aren't that bad,are they?\"\n\"No,\"she said. \"I don't expect you to help support us.\"\nFather borrowed money form his rich cousins to start a small jewellery shop,His chief customers were his old college friends.To get new customers,my mother had to help.She picked up a long-forgotten membership in the local league of women,so that she cound get to know more people. Whether those people would turn into customers was another question. I knew that my Parents had to wait for quite a long time before their small investment could show returns.What's more ,they had not wanted enough to be roch and successful ;otherwise they cound not possibly have managed their lives so badly.\nI was torn between the desave to help them and change,their lives,and the determinstion not to repeat their mistakes.I had a strong belief in my power to go what I wanted.After months of hard study I won a full college scholarship.My father could hardly contain his pride in me,and my mother eventually gave in before my success.","id":"2641.txt","label":3} +{"option":["a local league","his university","his relatives","his college friends"],"question":"The father srarted his small shop with the money from.","article":"In early autumn I applied for applied for admission to college. I wanted to go nowhere but to Cornell University,but my mother fought strongly againsnst it. When she saw me studying a photograph of my father on the sports ground of Cornell,she tore it up.\n\"You can't say it's not a great university,just because Papa went there.\"\n\"That's not it at all.And it is a top university.\"She was still holding the pieces in her hand. \"But we can't afford to send you to college.\"\n\"I wouldn't dream of asking you for money.Do you want me to get a job to help suppont you and Papa?Things aren't that bad,are they?\"\n\"No,\"she said. \"I don't expect you to help support us.\"\nFather borrowed money form his rich cousins to start a small jewellery shop,His chief customers were his old college friends.To get new customers,my mother had to help.She picked up a long-forgotten membership in the local league of women,so that she cound get to know more people. Whether those people would turn into customers was another question. I knew that my Parents had to wait for quite a long time before their small investment could show returns.What's more ,they had not wanted enough to be roch and successful ;otherwise they cound not possibly have managed their lives so badly.\nI was torn between the desave to help them and change,their lives,and the determinstion not to repeat their mistakes.I had a strong belief in my power to go what I wanted.After months of hard study I won a full college scholarship.My father could hardly contain his pride in me,and my mother eventually gave in before my success.","id":"2641.txt","label":2} +{"option":["To help with her husband's business","To raise money for her son","To meet her long-forgotten friends","To better manage her life"],"question":"Why did the mother renew her membership in the league?","article":"In early autumn I applied for applied for admission to college. I wanted to go nowhere but to Cornell University,but my mother fought strongly againsnst it. When she saw me studying a photograph of my father on the sports ground of Cornell,she tore it up.\n\"You can't say it's not a great university,just because Papa went there.\"\n\"That's not it at all.And it is a top university.\"She was still holding the pieces in her hand. \"But we can't afford to send you to college.\"\n\"I wouldn't dream of asking you for money.Do you want me to get a job to help suppont you and Papa?Things aren't that bad,are they?\"\n\"No,\"she said. \"I don't expect you to help support us.\"\nFather borrowed money form his rich cousins to start a small jewellery shop,His chief customers were his old college friends.To get new customers,my mother had to help.She picked up a long-forgotten membership in the local league of women,so that she cound get to know more people. Whether those people would turn into customers was another question. I knew that my Parents had to wait for quite a long time before their small investment could show returns.What's more ,they had not wanted enough to be roch and successful ;otherwise they cound not possibly have managed their lives so badly.\nI was torn between the desave to help them and change,their lives,and the determinstion not to repeat their mistakes.I had a strong belief in my power to go what I wanted.After months of hard study I won a full college scholarship.My father could hardly contain his pride in me,and my mother eventually gave in before my success.","id":"2641.txt","label":0} +{"option":["To get a well-paid job for himself","To improve relations with his mother","To go to his dream university","To carry on with his father's business"],"question":"According to the text,what was the author determined to do in that autumn?","article":"In early autumn I applied for applied for admission to college. I wanted to go nowhere but to Cornell University,but my mother fought strongly againsnst it. When she saw me studying a photograph of my father on the sports ground of Cornell,she tore it up.\n\"You can't say it's not a great university,just because Papa went there.\"\n\"That's not it at all.And it is a top university.\"She was still holding the pieces in her hand. \"But we can't afford to send you to college.\"\n\"I wouldn't dream of asking you for money.Do you want me to get a job to help suppont you and Papa?Things aren't that bad,are they?\"\n\"No,\"she said. \"I don't expect you to help support us.\"\nFather borrowed money form his rich cousins to start a small jewellery shop,His chief customers were his old college friends.To get new customers,my mother had to help.She picked up a long-forgotten membership in the local league of women,so that she cound get to know more people. Whether those people would turn into customers was another question. I knew that my Parents had to wait for quite a long time before their small investment could show returns.What's more ,they had not wanted enough to be roch and successful ;otherwise they cound not possibly have managed their lives so badly.\nI was torn between the desave to help them and change,their lives,and the determinstion not to repeat their mistakes.I had a strong belief in my power to go what I wanted.After months of hard study I won a full college scholarship.My father could hardly contain his pride in me,and my mother eventually gave in before my success.","id":"2641.txt","label":2} +{"option":["DuPont Pioneer, Dow Agrosciences and Syngenta.","European Union environmental officials.","European Commision.","Starvros Dimas."],"question":"The preliminary decisions are made by _","article":"European Union environmental officials have determined that two kinds of genetically modified corn could harm butterflies, affect food chains and disturb life in rivers and streams, and they have proposed a ban on the sale of the seeds, which are made by DuPont Pioneer, Dow Agrosciences and Syngenta. The preliminary decisions are circulating within the European Commission, which has the final say. Some officials there are skeptical of a ban that would upset the powerful biotechnology industry and could exacerbate tensions with important trading partners like the United States. The seeds are not available on the European market for cultivation.\nIn the decisions, the environment commissioner, Stavros Dimas, contends that the genetically modified corn, or maize could affect certain butterfly species, specifically the monarch, and other beneficial insects. For instance, research this year indicates that larvae of the monarch butterfly exposed to the genetically modified corn \"behave differently than other larvae.\" In the decision concerning the corn seeds produced by Dow and Pioneer, Mr. Dimas calls \"potential damage on the environment irreversible.\" In the decision on Syngenta's corn, he says that \"the level of risk generated by the cultivation of this product for the environment is unacceptable.\"\nA decision by the European Union to bar cultivation of the genetically modified crops would be the first of its kind in the trade bloc, and would intensify the continuing battle over genetically modified corn. Banning the applications for corn crops also would mark a bold new step for European environmental authorities, who are already aggressively pursuing regulations on emissions from cars and aircraft, setting it at odds with the United States and angering industries.\n\"These products have been grown in the U.S. and other countries for years,\" said Stephen Norton, a spokesman for the United States trade representative. \"We are not aware of any other case when a product has been rejected after having been reviewed and determined safe\" by European food safety authorities, he said.\nBarbara Helfferich, a spokeswoman for Mr. Dimas, declined to comment on the specifics of the procedure because commissioners had not yet made a final decision. But she said that the European Union was within its rights to make decisions based on the \"precautionary principle\" even when scientists had found no definitive evidence proving products can cause harm. She said that the decisions by Mr. Dimas could go before the commission within a few weeks, but she said that no date had been set. In the decisions, Mr. Dimas cited recent research showing that consumption of genetically modified \"corn byproducts reduced growth and increased mortality of nontarget stream insects\" and that these insects \"are important prey for aquatic and riparian predators\" and that this could have \"unexpected ecosystem-scale consequences.\"\nAlthough still preliminary, his decisions could drastically tilt the policy against future approvals of genetically modified crops, said Nathalie Moll, a spokeswoman for Europabio, an industry group with 80 members including Syngenta, Pioneer and Dow. Europabio says that the crops grown using the genetically modified corn are already imported into several European countries, including France and Germany, where they are used to feed animals like cows and chickens.\nRob Gianfranceschi, spokesman at the United States mission to the European Union in Brussels, said it was too early to comment on a decision that had not yet been formalized. But he made clear that the United States remained frustrated with European policies on genetically modified crops.","id":"3523.txt","label":3} +{"option":["skeptical.","controversial.","contradictory.","divergent."],"question":"To the decisions, the European Commission officials' attitudes are _","article":"European Union environmental officials have determined that two kinds of genetically modified corn could harm butterflies, affect food chains and disturb life in rivers and streams, and they have proposed a ban on the sale of the seeds, which are made by DuPont Pioneer, Dow Agrosciences and Syngenta. The preliminary decisions are circulating within the European Commission, which has the final say. Some officials there are skeptical of a ban that would upset the powerful biotechnology industry and could exacerbate tensions with important trading partners like the United States. The seeds are not available on the European market for cultivation.\nIn the decisions, the environment commissioner, Stavros Dimas, contends that the genetically modified corn, or maize could affect certain butterfly species, specifically the monarch, and other beneficial insects. For instance, research this year indicates that larvae of the monarch butterfly exposed to the genetically modified corn \"behave differently than other larvae.\" In the decision concerning the corn seeds produced by Dow and Pioneer, Mr. Dimas calls \"potential damage on the environment irreversible.\" In the decision on Syngenta's corn, he says that \"the level of risk generated by the cultivation of this product for the environment is unacceptable.\"\nA decision by the European Union to bar cultivation of the genetically modified crops would be the first of its kind in the trade bloc, and would intensify the continuing battle over genetically modified corn. Banning the applications for corn crops also would mark a bold new step for European environmental authorities, who are already aggressively pursuing regulations on emissions from cars and aircraft, setting it at odds with the United States and angering industries.\n\"These products have been grown in the U.S. and other countries for years,\" said Stephen Norton, a spokesman for the United States trade representative. \"We are not aware of any other case when a product has been rejected after having been reviewed and determined safe\" by European food safety authorities, he said.\nBarbara Helfferich, a spokeswoman for Mr. Dimas, declined to comment on the specifics of the procedure because commissioners had not yet made a final decision. But she said that the European Union was within its rights to make decisions based on the \"precautionary principle\" even when scientists had found no definitive evidence proving products can cause harm. She said that the decisions by Mr. Dimas could go before the commission within a few weeks, but she said that no date had been set. In the decisions, Mr. Dimas cited recent research showing that consumption of genetically modified \"corn byproducts reduced growth and increased mortality of nontarget stream insects\" and that these insects \"are important prey for aquatic and riparian predators\" and that this could have \"unexpected ecosystem-scale consequences.\"\nAlthough still preliminary, his decisions could drastically tilt the policy against future approvals of genetically modified crops, said Nathalie Moll, a spokeswoman for Europabio, an industry group with 80 members including Syngenta, Pioneer and Dow. Europabio says that the crops grown using the genetically modified corn are already imported into several European countries, including France and Germany, where they are used to feed animals like cows and chickens.\nRob Gianfranceschi, spokesman at the United States mission to the European Union in Brussels, said it was too early to comment on a decision that had not yet been formalized. But he made clear that the United States remained frustrated with European policies on genetically modified crops.","id":"3523.txt","label":3} +{"option":["The decisions aims to put a ban the sale of the seeds of genetically modified corn due to political and biological concerns.","The decisions are warmly embraced by all EU members but bitterly rejected by their trade partners.","The decisions could probably be made even if no definitive evidence proving the products harmful is found.","there is high possibility that the decisions would be approved by the European Commission."],"question":"About the decisions, which one of the following statements is TRUE?","article":"European Union environmental officials have determined that two kinds of genetically modified corn could harm butterflies, affect food chains and disturb life in rivers and streams, and they have proposed a ban on the sale of the seeds, which are made by DuPont Pioneer, Dow Agrosciences and Syngenta. The preliminary decisions are circulating within the European Commission, which has the final say. Some officials there are skeptical of a ban that would upset the powerful biotechnology industry and could exacerbate tensions with important trading partners like the United States. The seeds are not available on the European market for cultivation.\nIn the decisions, the environment commissioner, Stavros Dimas, contends that the genetically modified corn, or maize could affect certain butterfly species, specifically the monarch, and other beneficial insects. For instance, research this year indicates that larvae of the monarch butterfly exposed to the genetically modified corn \"behave differently than other larvae.\" In the decision concerning the corn seeds produced by Dow and Pioneer, Mr. Dimas calls \"potential damage on the environment irreversible.\" In the decision on Syngenta's corn, he says that \"the level of risk generated by the cultivation of this product for the environment is unacceptable.\"\nA decision by the European Union to bar cultivation of the genetically modified crops would be the first of its kind in the trade bloc, and would intensify the continuing battle over genetically modified corn. Banning the applications for corn crops also would mark a bold new step for European environmental authorities, who are already aggressively pursuing regulations on emissions from cars and aircraft, setting it at odds with the United States and angering industries.\n\"These products have been grown in the U.S. and other countries for years,\" said Stephen Norton, a spokesman for the United States trade representative. \"We are not aware of any other case when a product has been rejected after having been reviewed and determined safe\" by European food safety authorities, he said.\nBarbara Helfferich, a spokeswoman for Mr. Dimas, declined to comment on the specifics of the procedure because commissioners had not yet made a final decision. But she said that the European Union was within its rights to make decisions based on the \"precautionary principle\" even when scientists had found no definitive evidence proving products can cause harm. She said that the decisions by Mr. Dimas could go before the commission within a few weeks, but she said that no date had been set. In the decisions, Mr. Dimas cited recent research showing that consumption of genetically modified \"corn byproducts reduced growth and increased mortality of nontarget stream insects\" and that these insects \"are important prey for aquatic and riparian predators\" and that this could have \"unexpected ecosystem-scale consequences.\"\nAlthough still preliminary, his decisions could drastically tilt the policy against future approvals of genetically modified crops, said Nathalie Moll, a spokeswoman for Europabio, an industry group with 80 members including Syngenta, Pioneer and Dow. Europabio says that the crops grown using the genetically modified corn are already imported into several European countries, including France and Germany, where they are used to feed animals like cows and chickens.\nRob Gianfranceschi, spokesman at the United States mission to the European Union in Brussels, said it was too early to comment on a decision that had not yet been formalized. But he made clear that the United States remained frustrated with European policies on genetically modified crops.","id":"3523.txt","label":2} +{"option":["dispel some officials' doubt on his decisions.","enhance the strength of his decision-making.","demonstrate the latest achievement of his decision.","assure that they can be presented before the commission with solid evidence."],"question":"Mr. Dimas cited many researches on the genetically modified corn in his decision in order to _","article":"European Union environmental officials have determined that two kinds of genetically modified corn could harm butterflies, affect food chains and disturb life in rivers and streams, and they have proposed a ban on the sale of the seeds, which are made by DuPont Pioneer, Dow Agrosciences and Syngenta. The preliminary decisions are circulating within the European Commission, which has the final say. Some officials there are skeptical of a ban that would upset the powerful biotechnology industry and could exacerbate tensions with important trading partners like the United States. The seeds are not available on the European market for cultivation.\nIn the decisions, the environment commissioner, Stavros Dimas, contends that the genetically modified corn, or maize could affect certain butterfly species, specifically the monarch, and other beneficial insects. For instance, research this year indicates that larvae of the monarch butterfly exposed to the genetically modified corn \"behave differently than other larvae.\" In the decision concerning the corn seeds produced by Dow and Pioneer, Mr. Dimas calls \"potential damage on the environment irreversible.\" In the decision on Syngenta's corn, he says that \"the level of risk generated by the cultivation of this product for the environment is unacceptable.\"\nA decision by the European Union to bar cultivation of the genetically modified crops would be the first of its kind in the trade bloc, and would intensify the continuing battle over genetically modified corn. Banning the applications for corn crops also would mark a bold new step for European environmental authorities, who are already aggressively pursuing regulations on emissions from cars and aircraft, setting it at odds with the United States and angering industries.\n\"These products have been grown in the U.S. and other countries for years,\" said Stephen Norton, a spokesman for the United States trade representative. \"We are not aware of any other case when a product has been rejected after having been reviewed and determined safe\" by European food safety authorities, he said.\nBarbara Helfferich, a spokeswoman for Mr. Dimas, declined to comment on the specifics of the procedure because commissioners had not yet made a final decision. But she said that the European Union was within its rights to make decisions based on the \"precautionary principle\" even when scientists had found no definitive evidence proving products can cause harm. She said that the decisions by Mr. Dimas could go before the commission within a few weeks, but she said that no date had been set. In the decisions, Mr. Dimas cited recent research showing that consumption of genetically modified \"corn byproducts reduced growth and increased mortality of nontarget stream insects\" and that these insects \"are important prey for aquatic and riparian predators\" and that this could have \"unexpected ecosystem-scale consequences.\"\nAlthough still preliminary, his decisions could drastically tilt the policy against future approvals of genetically modified crops, said Nathalie Moll, a spokeswoman for Europabio, an industry group with 80 members including Syngenta, Pioneer and Dow. Europabio says that the crops grown using the genetically modified corn are already imported into several European countries, including France and Germany, where they are used to feed animals like cows and chickens.\nRob Gianfranceschi, spokesman at the United States mission to the European Union in Brussels, said it was too early to comment on a decision that had not yet been formalized. But he made clear that the United States remained frustrated with European policies on genetically modified crops.","id":"3523.txt","label":1} +{"option":["incline.","affect.","induce.","evoke."],"question":"The word \"tilt\" (Line 1, Paragraph 6) most probably means _","article":"European Union environmental officials have determined that two kinds of genetically modified corn could harm butterflies, affect food chains and disturb life in rivers and streams, and they have proposed a ban on the sale of the seeds, which are made by DuPont Pioneer, Dow Agrosciences and Syngenta. The preliminary decisions are circulating within the European Commission, which has the final say. Some officials there are skeptical of a ban that would upset the powerful biotechnology industry and could exacerbate tensions with important trading partners like the United States. The seeds are not available on the European market for cultivation.\nIn the decisions, the environment commissioner, Stavros Dimas, contends that the genetically modified corn, or maize could affect certain butterfly species, specifically the monarch, and other beneficial insects. For instance, research this year indicates that larvae of the monarch butterfly exposed to the genetically modified corn \"behave differently than other larvae.\" In the decision concerning the corn seeds produced by Dow and Pioneer, Mr. Dimas calls \"potential damage on the environment irreversible.\" In the decision on Syngenta's corn, he says that \"the level of risk generated by the cultivation of this product for the environment is unacceptable.\"\nA decision by the European Union to bar cultivation of the genetically modified crops would be the first of its kind in the trade bloc, and would intensify the continuing battle over genetically modified corn. Banning the applications for corn crops also would mark a bold new step for European environmental authorities, who are already aggressively pursuing regulations on emissions from cars and aircraft, setting it at odds with the United States and angering industries.\n\"These products have been grown in the U.S. and other countries for years,\" said Stephen Norton, a spokesman for the United States trade representative. \"We are not aware of any other case when a product has been rejected after having been reviewed and determined safe\" by European food safety authorities, he said.\nBarbara Helfferich, a spokeswoman for Mr. Dimas, declined to comment on the specifics of the procedure because commissioners had not yet made a final decision. But she said that the European Union was within its rights to make decisions based on the \"precautionary principle\" even when scientists had found no definitive evidence proving products can cause harm. She said that the decisions by Mr. Dimas could go before the commission within a few weeks, but she said that no date had been set. In the decisions, Mr. Dimas cited recent research showing that consumption of genetically modified \"corn byproducts reduced growth and increased mortality of nontarget stream insects\" and that these insects \"are important prey for aquatic and riparian predators\" and that this could have \"unexpected ecosystem-scale consequences.\"\nAlthough still preliminary, his decisions could drastically tilt the policy against future approvals of genetically modified crops, said Nathalie Moll, a spokeswoman for Europabio, an industry group with 80 members including Syngenta, Pioneer and Dow. Europabio says that the crops grown using the genetically modified corn are already imported into several European countries, including France and Germany, where they are used to feed animals like cows and chickens.\nRob Gianfranceschi, spokesman at the United States mission to the European Union in Brussels, said it was too early to comment on a decision that had not yet been formalized. But he made clear that the United States remained frustrated with European policies on genetically modified crops.","id":"3523.txt","label":0} +{"option":["How non-cyclists will respond to it.","Whether local bike shops will suffer.","Whether local bike businesses will oppose it.","How the safety of bike riders can be ensured."],"question":"What is the author's chief concern about the increasing use of Citi Bikes in New York?","article":"New Yorkers are gradually getting used to more pedaling passengers on those blazing blue Citi Bikes. But what about local bike shops? Is Citi Bike rolling up riders at their expense? At Gotham Bikes in Tribeca, manager W. Ben said the shop has seen an increase in its overall sales due to the bike-share program. \"It's getting more people on the road,\" he said. James Ryan, an employee at Danny's Cycles in Gramercy said Citi Bike is a good option for people to ease into biking in a city famed for its traffic jams and aggressive drivers. \"They can try out a bike without committing to buying one,\" he said.\nRentals are not a big part of the business at either Gotham Bikes or Danny's Cycles. But for Frank's Bike Shop, a small business on Grand St., the bike-share program has been bad news. Owner Frank Arroyo said his rental business has decreased by 90% since Citi Bike was rolled out last month. Arroyo's main rental customers are European tourists, who have since been drawn away by Citi Bikes.\nHowever, Ben said the bike-share is good for bike sales at his shop. \"People have used the bike-share and realized how great it is to bike in the city, then decide that they want something nicer for themselves,\" he noted.\nChristian Farrell of Waterfront Bicycle Shop, on West St. just north of Christopher St., said initially he was concerned about bike-share, though, he admitted, \"I was happy to see people on bikes.\"\nFarrell's early concerns were echoed by Andrew Crooks, owner of NYC Velo, at 64 Second Ave. \"It seemed like a great idea, but one that would be difficult to implement,\" Crooks said of Citi Bike. He said he worried about inexperienced riders' lack of awareness of biking rules and strong negative reaction from non- cyclists. However, he said, it's still too early to tell if his business has been impacted.\nWhile it's possible bike-share will cause a drop in business, Crooks allowed that the idea is a positive step forward for New York City.","id":"2508.txt","label":1} +{"option":["It found its bike sales unaffected.","It shifted its business to rentals.","It saw its bike sales on the rise.","It rented more bikes to tourists."],"question":"What happened to Gotham Bikes as a result of the bike-share program?","article":"New Yorkers are gradually getting used to more pedaling passengers on those blazing blue Citi Bikes. But what about local bike shops? Is Citi Bike rolling up riders at their expense? At Gotham Bikes in Tribeca, manager W. Ben said the shop has seen an increase in its overall sales due to the bike-share program. \"It's getting more people on the road,\" he said. James Ryan, an employee at Danny's Cycles in Gramercy said Citi Bike is a good option for people to ease into biking in a city famed for its traffic jams and aggressive drivers. \"They can try out a bike without committing to buying one,\" he said.\nRentals are not a big part of the business at either Gotham Bikes or Danny's Cycles. But for Frank's Bike Shop, a small business on Grand St., the bike-share program has been bad news. Owner Frank Arroyo said his rental business has decreased by 90% since Citi Bike was rolled out last month. Arroyo's main rental customers are European tourists, who have since been drawn away by Citi Bikes.\nHowever, Ben said the bike-share is good for bike sales at his shop. \"People have used the bike-share and realized how great it is to bike in the city, then decide that they want something nicer for themselves,\" he noted.\nChristian Farrell of Waterfront Bicycle Shop, on West St. just north of Christopher St., said initially he was concerned about bike-share, though, he admitted, \"I was happy to see people on bikes.\"\nFarrell's early concerns were echoed by Andrew Crooks, owner of NYC Velo, at 64 Second Ave. \"It seemed like a great idea, but one that would be difficult to implement,\" Crooks said of Citi Bike. He said he worried about inexperienced riders' lack of awareness of biking rules and strong negative reaction from non- cyclists. However, he said, it's still too early to tell if his business has been impacted.\nWhile it's possible bike-share will cause a drop in business, Crooks allowed that the idea is a positive step forward for New York City.","id":"2508.txt","label":2} +{"option":["It cannot meet the demand of the bike-share program.","Its customers have been drawn away by Citi Bikes.","Its bike prices have to be lowered again and again.","It has to compete with the city's bike rental shops."],"question":"Why is the bike-share program bad news for Frank's Bike Shop?","article":"New Yorkers are gradually getting used to more pedaling passengers on those blazing blue Citi Bikes. But what about local bike shops? Is Citi Bike rolling up riders at their expense? At Gotham Bikes in Tribeca, manager W. Ben said the shop has seen an increase in its overall sales due to the bike-share program. \"It's getting more people on the road,\" he said. James Ryan, an employee at Danny's Cycles in Gramercy said Citi Bike is a good option for people to ease into biking in a city famed for its traffic jams and aggressive drivers. \"They can try out a bike without committing to buying one,\" he said.\nRentals are not a big part of the business at either Gotham Bikes or Danny's Cycles. But for Frank's Bike Shop, a small business on Grand St., the bike-share program has been bad news. Owner Frank Arroyo said his rental business has decreased by 90% since Citi Bike was rolled out last month. Arroyo's main rental customers are European tourists, who have since been drawn away by Citi Bikes.\nHowever, Ben said the bike-share is good for bike sales at his shop. \"People have used the bike-share and realized how great it is to bike in the city, then decide that they want something nicer for themselves,\" he noted.\nChristian Farrell of Waterfront Bicycle Shop, on West St. just north of Christopher St., said initially he was concerned about bike-share, though, he admitted, \"I was happy to see people on bikes.\"\nFarrell's early concerns were echoed by Andrew Crooks, owner of NYC Velo, at 64 Second Ave. \"It seemed like a great idea, but one that would be difficult to implement,\" Crooks said of Citi Bike. He said he worried about inexperienced riders' lack of awareness of biking rules and strong negative reaction from non- cyclists. However, he said, it's still too early to tell if his business has been impacted.\nWhile it's possible bike-share will cause a drop in business, Crooks allowed that the idea is a positive step forward for New York City.","id":"2508.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Inexperienced riders might break biking rules.","Conflicts might arise among bike rental shops.","Traffic conditions might worsen in the downtown area.","There are not enough lanes to accommodate the bikes."],"question":"Why did Andrew Crooks think that the bike-share program would be difficult to execute?","article":"New Yorkers are gradually getting used to more pedaling passengers on those blazing blue Citi Bikes. But what about local bike shops? Is Citi Bike rolling up riders at their expense? At Gotham Bikes in Tribeca, manager W. Ben said the shop has seen an increase in its overall sales due to the bike-share program. \"It's getting more people on the road,\" he said. James Ryan, an employee at Danny's Cycles in Gramercy said Citi Bike is a good option for people to ease into biking in a city famed for its traffic jams and aggressive drivers. \"They can try out a bike without committing to buying one,\" he said.\nRentals are not a big part of the business at either Gotham Bikes or Danny's Cycles. But for Frank's Bike Shop, a small business on Grand St., the bike-share program has been bad news. Owner Frank Arroyo said his rental business has decreased by 90% since Citi Bike was rolled out last month. Arroyo's main rental customers are European tourists, who have since been drawn away by Citi Bikes.\nHowever, Ben said the bike-share is good for bike sales at his shop. \"People have used the bike-share and realized how great it is to bike in the city, then decide that they want something nicer for themselves,\" he noted.\nChristian Farrell of Waterfront Bicycle Shop, on West St. just north of Christopher St., said initially he was concerned about bike-share, though, he admitted, \"I was happy to see people on bikes.\"\nFarrell's early concerns were echoed by Andrew Crooks, owner of NYC Velo, at 64 Second Ave. \"It seemed like a great idea, but one that would be difficult to implement,\" Crooks said of Citi Bike. He said he worried about inexperienced riders' lack of awareness of biking rules and strong negative reaction from non- cyclists. However, he said, it's still too early to tell if his business has been impacted.\nWhile it's possible bike-share will cause a drop in business, Crooks allowed that the idea is a positive step forward for New York City.","id":"2508.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Wait and see.","Negative.","Indifferent.","Approving."],"question":"What is the general attitude of the local bike shops towards Citi Bike?","article":"New Yorkers are gradually getting used to more pedaling passengers on those blazing blue Citi Bikes. But what about local bike shops? Is Citi Bike rolling up riders at their expense? At Gotham Bikes in Tribeca, manager W. Ben said the shop has seen an increase in its overall sales due to the bike-share program. \"It's getting more people on the road,\" he said. James Ryan, an employee at Danny's Cycles in Gramercy said Citi Bike is a good option for people to ease into biking in a city famed for its traffic jams and aggressive drivers. \"They can try out a bike without committing to buying one,\" he said.\nRentals are not a big part of the business at either Gotham Bikes or Danny's Cycles. But for Frank's Bike Shop, a small business on Grand St., the bike-share program has been bad news. Owner Frank Arroyo said his rental business has decreased by 90% since Citi Bike was rolled out last month. Arroyo's main rental customers are European tourists, who have since been drawn away by Citi Bikes.\nHowever, Ben said the bike-share is good for bike sales at his shop. \"People have used the bike-share and realized how great it is to bike in the city, then decide that they want something nicer for themselves,\" he noted.\nChristian Farrell of Waterfront Bicycle Shop, on West St. just north of Christopher St., said initially he was concerned about bike-share, though, he admitted, \"I was happy to see people on bikes.\"\nFarrell's early concerns were echoed by Andrew Crooks, owner of NYC Velo, at 64 Second Ave. \"It seemed like a great idea, but one that would be difficult to implement,\" Crooks said of Citi Bike. He said he worried about inexperienced riders' lack of awareness of biking rules and strong negative reaction from non- cyclists. However, he said, it's still too early to tell if his business has been impacted.\nWhile it's possible bike-share will cause a drop in business, Crooks allowed that the idea is a positive step forward for New York City.","id":"2508.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Whether carbon dioxide v\/as present in their original atmospheres","How thin their original atmospheres were","What their present-day atmospheres mainly consist of","How long ago they first developed an atmosphere"],"question":"According to paragraph 1, in what major respect are Venus and Earth different from each other?","article":"Earth has abundant water in its oceans but very little carbon dioxide in its relatively thin atmosphere. By contrast, Venus is very dry and its thick atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide. The original atmospheres of both Venus and Earth were derived at least in part from gases spewed forth, or outgassed, by volcanoes. The gases that emanate from present-day volcanoes on Earth, such as Mount Saint Helens, are predominantly water vapor, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. These gases should therefore have been important parts of the original atmospheres of both Venus and Earth. Much of the water on both planets is also thought to have come from impacts from comets, icy bodies formed in the outer solar system.\nIn fact, water probably once dominated the Venusian atmosphere. Venus and Earth are similar in size and mass, so Venusian volcanoes may well have outgassed as much water vapor as on Earth, and both planets would have had about the same number of comets strike their surfaces. Studies of how stars evolve suggest that the early Sun was only about 70 percent as luminous as it is now, so the temperature in Venus' early atmosphere must have been quite a bit lower. Thus water vapor would have been able to liquefy and form oceans on Venus. But if water vapor and carbon dioxide were once so common in the atmospheres of both Earth and Venus, what became of Earth's carbon dioxide? And what happened to the water on Venus?\nThe answer to the first question is that carbon dioxide is still found in abundance on Earth, but now, instead of being in the form of atmospheric carbon dioxide, it is either dissolved in the oceans or chemically bound into carbonate rocks, such as the limestone and marble that formed in the oceans. If Earth became as hot as Venus, much of its carbon dioxide would be boiled out of the oceans and baked out of the crust. Our planet would soon develop a thick, oppressive carbon dioxide atmosphere much like that of Venus.\nTo answer the question about Venus' lack of water, we must return to the early history of the planet. Just as on present-day Earth, the oceans of Venus limited the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide by dissolving it in the oceans and binding it up in carbonate rocks. But being closer to the Sun than Earth is, enough of the liquid water on Venus would have vaporized to create a thick cover of water vapor clouds. Since water vapor is a greenhouse gas, this humid atmosphere-perhaps denser than Earth's present-day atmosphere, but far less dense than the atmosphere that envelops Venus today-would have efficiently trapped heat from the Sun. At first, this would have had little effect on the oceans of Venus. Although the temperature would have climbed above 100\u00b0 C, the boiling point of water at sea level on Earth, the added atmospheric pressure from water vapor would have kept the water in Venus' oceans in the liquid state.\nThis hot and humid state of affairs may have persisted for several hundred million years. But as the Sun's energy output slowly increased over time, the temperature at the surface would eventually have risen above 374\u00b0C. Above this temperature, no matter what the atmospheric pressure, Venus' oceans would have begun to evaporate, and the added water vapor in the atmosphere would have increased the greenhouse effect. This would have made the temperature even higher and caused the oceans to evaporate faster, producing more water vapor. That, in turn, would have further intensified the greenhouse effect and made the temperature climb higher still.\nOnce Venus' oceans disappeared, so did the mechanism for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. With no oceans to dissolve it, outgassed carbon dioxide began to accumulate in the atmosphere, intensifying the greenhouse effect even more. Temperatures eventually became high enough to \"bake out\" any carbon dioxide that was trapped in carbonate rocks. This liberated carbon dioxide formed the thick atmosphere of present-day Venus. Over time, the rising temperatures would have leveled off, solar ultraviolet radiation having broken down atmospheric water vapor molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. With all the water vapor gone, the greenhouse effect would no longer have accelerated.","id":"2945.txt","label":2} +{"option":["To provide an example of an important difference between present-day Venus and present-day Earth","To help explain why Earth's atmosphere still contains traces of sulfur dioxide but Venus' does not","To indicate one source of information about the likely composition of the original atmospheres of Venus and Earth","To account for the fact that Earth's water supply no longer comes primarily from impacting comets"],"question":"Why does the author mention \"present-day volcanoes on Earth\"?","article":"Earth has abundant water in its oceans but very little carbon dioxide in its relatively thin atmosphere. By contrast, Venus is very dry and its thick atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide. The original atmospheres of both Venus and Earth were derived at least in part from gases spewed forth, or outgassed, by volcanoes. The gases that emanate from present-day volcanoes on Earth, such as Mount Saint Helens, are predominantly water vapor, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. These gases should therefore have been important parts of the original atmospheres of both Venus and Earth. Much of the water on both planets is also thought to have come from impacts from comets, icy bodies formed in the outer solar system.\nIn fact, water probably once dominated the Venusian atmosphere. Venus and Earth are similar in size and mass, so Venusian volcanoes may well have outgassed as much water vapor as on Earth, and both planets would have had about the same number of comets strike their surfaces. Studies of how stars evolve suggest that the early Sun was only about 70 percent as luminous as it is now, so the temperature in Venus' early atmosphere must have been quite a bit lower. Thus water vapor would have been able to liquefy and form oceans on Venus. But if water vapor and carbon dioxide were once so common in the atmospheres of both Earth and Venus, what became of Earth's carbon dioxide? And what happened to the water on Venus?\nThe answer to the first question is that carbon dioxide is still found in abundance on Earth, but now, instead of being in the form of atmospheric carbon dioxide, it is either dissolved in the oceans or chemically bound into carbonate rocks, such as the limestone and marble that formed in the oceans. If Earth became as hot as Venus, much of its carbon dioxide would be boiled out of the oceans and baked out of the crust. Our planet would soon develop a thick, oppressive carbon dioxide atmosphere much like that of Venus.\nTo answer the question about Venus' lack of water, we must return to the early history of the planet. Just as on present-day Earth, the oceans of Venus limited the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide by dissolving it in the oceans and binding it up in carbonate rocks. But being closer to the Sun than Earth is, enough of the liquid water on Venus would have vaporized to create a thick cover of water vapor clouds. Since water vapor is a greenhouse gas, this humid atmosphere-perhaps denser than Earth's present-day atmosphere, but far less dense than the atmosphere that envelops Venus today-would have efficiently trapped heat from the Sun. At first, this would have had little effect on the oceans of Venus. Although the temperature would have climbed above 100\u00b0 C, the boiling point of water at sea level on Earth, the added atmospheric pressure from water vapor would have kept the water in Venus' oceans in the liquid state.\nThis hot and humid state of affairs may have persisted for several hundred million years. But as the Sun's energy output slowly increased over time, the temperature at the surface would eventually have risen above 374\u00b0C. Above this temperature, no matter what the atmospheric pressure, Venus' oceans would have begun to evaporate, and the added water vapor in the atmosphere would have increased the greenhouse effect. This would have made the temperature even higher and caused the oceans to evaporate faster, producing more water vapor. That, in turn, would have further intensified the greenhouse effect and made the temperature climb higher still.\nOnce Venus' oceans disappeared, so did the mechanism for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. With no oceans to dissolve it, outgassed carbon dioxide began to accumulate in the atmosphere, intensifying the greenhouse effect even more. Temperatures eventually became high enough to \"bake out\" any carbon dioxide that was trapped in carbonate rocks. This liberated carbon dioxide formed the thick atmosphere of present-day Venus. Over time, the rising temperatures would have leveled off, solar ultraviolet radiation having broken down atmospheric water vapor molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. With all the water vapor gone, the greenhouse effect would no longer have accelerated.","id":"2945.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Because of Venus' size and mass, its volcanoes probably produced much more water vapor than volcanoes on Earth did.","The low temperature of Venus' early atmosphere can be explained only by the presence of water.","The presence of carbon dioxide in a planet's atmosphere is an indicator of water on that planet.","Venus probably was struck by roughly as many comets as Earth was."],"question":"According to paragraph 2, what is one reason for thinking that at one time, there were significant amounts of water on Venus?","article":"Earth has abundant water in its oceans but very little carbon dioxide in its relatively thin atmosphere. By contrast, Venus is very dry and its thick atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide. The original atmospheres of both Venus and Earth were derived at least in part from gases spewed forth, or outgassed, by volcanoes. The gases that emanate from present-day volcanoes on Earth, such as Mount Saint Helens, are predominantly water vapor, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. These gases should therefore have been important parts of the original atmospheres of both Venus and Earth. Much of the water on both planets is also thought to have come from impacts from comets, icy bodies formed in the outer solar system.\nIn fact, water probably once dominated the Venusian atmosphere. Venus and Earth are similar in size and mass, so Venusian volcanoes may well have outgassed as much water vapor as on Earth, and both planets would have had about the same number of comets strike their surfaces. Studies of how stars evolve suggest that the early Sun was only about 70 percent as luminous as it is now, so the temperature in Venus' early atmosphere must have been quite a bit lower. Thus water vapor would have been able to liquefy and form oceans on Venus. But if water vapor and carbon dioxide were once so common in the atmospheres of both Earth and Venus, what became of Earth's carbon dioxide? And what happened to the water on Venus?\nThe answer to the first question is that carbon dioxide is still found in abundance on Earth, but now, instead of being in the form of atmospheric carbon dioxide, it is either dissolved in the oceans or chemically bound into carbonate rocks, such as the limestone and marble that formed in the oceans. If Earth became as hot as Venus, much of its carbon dioxide would be boiled out of the oceans and baked out of the crust. Our planet would soon develop a thick, oppressive carbon dioxide atmosphere much like that of Venus.\nTo answer the question about Venus' lack of water, we must return to the early history of the planet. Just as on present-day Earth, the oceans of Venus limited the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide by dissolving it in the oceans and binding it up in carbonate rocks. But being closer to the Sun than Earth is, enough of the liquid water on Venus would have vaporized to create a thick cover of water vapor clouds. Since water vapor is a greenhouse gas, this humid atmosphere-perhaps denser than Earth's present-day atmosphere, but far less dense than the atmosphere that envelops Venus today-would have efficiently trapped heat from the Sun. At first, this would have had little effect on the oceans of Venus. Although the temperature would have climbed above 100\u00b0 C, the boiling point of water at sea level on Earth, the added atmospheric pressure from water vapor would have kept the water in Venus' oceans in the liquid state.\nThis hot and humid state of affairs may have persisted for several hundred million years. But as the Sun's energy output slowly increased over time, the temperature at the surface would eventually have risen above 374\u00b0C. Above this temperature, no matter what the atmospheric pressure, Venus' oceans would have begun to evaporate, and the added water vapor in the atmosphere would have increased the greenhouse effect. This would have made the temperature even higher and caused the oceans to evaporate faster, producing more water vapor. That, in turn, would have further intensified the greenhouse effect and made the temperature climb higher still.\nOnce Venus' oceans disappeared, so did the mechanism for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. With no oceans to dissolve it, outgassed carbon dioxide began to accumulate in the atmosphere, intensifying the greenhouse effect even more. Temperatures eventually became high enough to \"bake out\" any carbon dioxide that was trapped in carbonate rocks. This liberated carbon dioxide formed the thick atmosphere of present-day Venus. Over time, the rising temperatures would have leveled off, solar ultraviolet radiation having broken down atmospheric water vapor molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. With all the water vapor gone, the greenhouse effect would no longer have accelerated.","id":"2945.txt","label":3} +{"option":["dense","bright","large","active"],"question":"The word \"luminous\" in the passage is closest in meaning to","article":"Earth has abundant water in its oceans but very little carbon dioxide in its relatively thin atmosphere. By contrast, Venus is very dry and its thick atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide. The original atmospheres of both Venus and Earth were derived at least in part from gases spewed forth, or outgassed, by volcanoes. The gases that emanate from present-day volcanoes on Earth, such as Mount Saint Helens, are predominantly water vapor, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. These gases should therefore have been important parts of the original atmospheres of both Venus and Earth. Much of the water on both planets is also thought to have come from impacts from comets, icy bodies formed in the outer solar system.\nIn fact, water probably once dominated the Venusian atmosphere. Venus and Earth are similar in size and mass, so Venusian volcanoes may well have outgassed as much water vapor as on Earth, and both planets would have had about the same number of comets strike their surfaces. Studies of how stars evolve suggest that the early Sun was only about 70 percent as luminous as it is now, so the temperature in Venus' early atmosphere must have been quite a bit lower. Thus water vapor would have been able to liquefy and form oceans on Venus. But if water vapor and carbon dioxide were once so common in the atmospheres of both Earth and Venus, what became of Earth's carbon dioxide? And what happened to the water on Venus?\nThe answer to the first question is that carbon dioxide is still found in abundance on Earth, but now, instead of being in the form of atmospheric carbon dioxide, it is either dissolved in the oceans or chemically bound into carbonate rocks, such as the limestone and marble that formed in the oceans. If Earth became as hot as Venus, much of its carbon dioxide would be boiled out of the oceans and baked out of the crust. Our planet would soon develop a thick, oppressive carbon dioxide atmosphere much like that of Venus.\nTo answer the question about Venus' lack of water, we must return to the early history of the planet. Just as on present-day Earth, the oceans of Venus limited the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide by dissolving it in the oceans and binding it up in carbonate rocks. But being closer to the Sun than Earth is, enough of the liquid water on Venus would have vaporized to create a thick cover of water vapor clouds. Since water vapor is a greenhouse gas, this humid atmosphere-perhaps denser than Earth's present-day atmosphere, but far less dense than the atmosphere that envelops Venus today-would have efficiently trapped heat from the Sun. At first, this would have had little effect on the oceans of Venus. Although the temperature would have climbed above 100\u00b0 C, the boiling point of water at sea level on Earth, the added atmospheric pressure from water vapor would have kept the water in Venus' oceans in the liquid state.\nThis hot and humid state of affairs may have persisted for several hundred million years. But as the Sun's energy output slowly increased over time, the temperature at the surface would eventually have risen above 374\u00b0C. Above this temperature, no matter what the atmospheric pressure, Venus' oceans would have begun to evaporate, and the added water vapor in the atmosphere would have increased the greenhouse effect. This would have made the temperature even higher and caused the oceans to evaporate faster, producing more water vapor. That, in turn, would have further intensified the greenhouse effect and made the temperature climb higher still.\nOnce Venus' oceans disappeared, so did the mechanism for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. With no oceans to dissolve it, outgassed carbon dioxide began to accumulate in the atmosphere, intensifying the greenhouse effect even more. Temperatures eventually became high enough to \"bake out\" any carbon dioxide that was trapped in carbonate rocks. This liberated carbon dioxide formed the thick atmosphere of present-day Venus. Over time, the rising temperatures would have leveled off, solar ultraviolet radiation having broken down atmospheric water vapor molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. With all the water vapor gone, the greenhouse effect would no longer have accelerated.","id":"2945.txt","label":1} +{"option":["The presence of water vapor clouds","The presence of oceans","Rapidly increasing temperatures at ground level","Low atmospheric pressures"],"question":"According to paragraph 4, what is one factor that kept the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of early Venus relatively low?","article":"Earth has abundant water in its oceans but very little carbon dioxide in its relatively thin atmosphere. By contrast, Venus is very dry and its thick atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide. The original atmospheres of both Venus and Earth were derived at least in part from gases spewed forth, or outgassed, by volcanoes. The gases that emanate from present-day volcanoes on Earth, such as Mount Saint Helens, are predominantly water vapor, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. These gases should therefore have been important parts of the original atmospheres of both Venus and Earth. Much of the water on both planets is also thought to have come from impacts from comets, icy bodies formed in the outer solar system.\nIn fact, water probably once dominated the Venusian atmosphere. Venus and Earth are similar in size and mass, so Venusian volcanoes may well have outgassed as much water vapor as on Earth, and both planets would have had about the same number of comets strike their surfaces. Studies of how stars evolve suggest that the early Sun was only about 70 percent as luminous as it is now, so the temperature in Venus' early atmosphere must have been quite a bit lower. Thus water vapor would have been able to liquefy and form oceans on Venus. But if water vapor and carbon dioxide were once so common in the atmospheres of both Earth and Venus, what became of Earth's carbon dioxide? And what happened to the water on Venus?\nThe answer to the first question is that carbon dioxide is still found in abundance on Earth, but now, instead of being in the form of atmospheric carbon dioxide, it is either dissolved in the oceans or chemically bound into carbonate rocks, such as the limestone and marble that formed in the oceans. If Earth became as hot as Venus, much of its carbon dioxide would be boiled out of the oceans and baked out of the crust. Our planet would soon develop a thick, oppressive carbon dioxide atmosphere much like that of Venus.\nTo answer the question about Venus' lack of water, we must return to the early history of the planet. Just as on present-day Earth, the oceans of Venus limited the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide by dissolving it in the oceans and binding it up in carbonate rocks. But being closer to the Sun than Earth is, enough of the liquid water on Venus would have vaporized to create a thick cover of water vapor clouds. Since water vapor is a greenhouse gas, this humid atmosphere-perhaps denser than Earth's present-day atmosphere, but far less dense than the atmosphere that envelops Venus today-would have efficiently trapped heat from the Sun. At first, this would have had little effect on the oceans of Venus. Although the temperature would have climbed above 100\u00b0 C, the boiling point of water at sea level on Earth, the added atmospheric pressure from water vapor would have kept the water in Venus' oceans in the liquid state.\nThis hot and humid state of affairs may have persisted for several hundred million years. But as the Sun's energy output slowly increased over time, the temperature at the surface would eventually have risen above 374\u00b0C. Above this temperature, no matter what the atmospheric pressure, Venus' oceans would have begun to evaporate, and the added water vapor in the atmosphere would have increased the greenhouse effect. This would have made the temperature even higher and caused the oceans to evaporate faster, producing more water vapor. That, in turn, would have further intensified the greenhouse effect and made the temperature climb higher still.\nOnce Venus' oceans disappeared, so did the mechanism for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. With no oceans to dissolve it, outgassed carbon dioxide began to accumulate in the atmosphere, intensifying the greenhouse effect even more. Temperatures eventually became high enough to \"bake out\" any carbon dioxide that was trapped in carbonate rocks. This liberated carbon dioxide formed the thick atmosphere of present-day Venus. Over time, the rising temperatures would have leveled off, solar ultraviolet radiation having broken down atmospheric water vapor molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. With all the water vapor gone, the greenhouse effect would no longer have accelerated.","id":"2945.txt","label":1} +{"option":["means of","importance of","need for","benefits of"],"question":"The phrase \"mechanism for\" in the passage is closest in meaning to","article":"Earth has abundant water in its oceans but very little carbon dioxide in its relatively thin atmosphere. By contrast, Venus is very dry and its thick atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide. The original atmospheres of both Venus and Earth were derived at least in part from gases spewed forth, or outgassed, by volcanoes. The gases that emanate from present-day volcanoes on Earth, such as Mount Saint Helens, are predominantly water vapor, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. These gases should therefore have been important parts of the original atmospheres of both Venus and Earth. Much of the water on both planets is also thought to have come from impacts from comets, icy bodies formed in the outer solar system.\nIn fact, water probably once dominated the Venusian atmosphere. Venus and Earth are similar in size and mass, so Venusian volcanoes may well have outgassed as much water vapor as on Earth, and both planets would have had about the same number of comets strike their surfaces. Studies of how stars evolve suggest that the early Sun was only about 70 percent as luminous as it is now, so the temperature in Venus' early atmosphere must have been quite a bit lower. Thus water vapor would have been able to liquefy and form oceans on Venus. But if water vapor and carbon dioxide were once so common in the atmospheres of both Earth and Venus, what became of Earth's carbon dioxide? And what happened to the water on Venus?\nThe answer to the first question is that carbon dioxide is still found in abundance on Earth, but now, instead of being in the form of atmospheric carbon dioxide, it is either dissolved in the oceans or chemically bound into carbonate rocks, such as the limestone and marble that formed in the oceans. If Earth became as hot as Venus, much of its carbon dioxide would be boiled out of the oceans and baked out of the crust. Our planet would soon develop a thick, oppressive carbon dioxide atmosphere much like that of Venus.\nTo answer the question about Venus' lack of water, we must return to the early history of the planet. Just as on present-day Earth, the oceans of Venus limited the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide by dissolving it in the oceans and binding it up in carbonate rocks. But being closer to the Sun than Earth is, enough of the liquid water on Venus would have vaporized to create a thick cover of water vapor clouds. Since water vapor is a greenhouse gas, this humid atmosphere-perhaps denser than Earth's present-day atmosphere, but far less dense than the atmosphere that envelops Venus today-would have efficiently trapped heat from the Sun. At first, this would have had little effect on the oceans of Venus. Although the temperature would have climbed above 100\u00b0 C, the boiling point of water at sea level on Earth, the added atmospheric pressure from water vapor would have kept the water in Venus' oceans in the liquid state.\nThis hot and humid state of affairs may have persisted for several hundred million years. But as the Sun's energy output slowly increased over time, the temperature at the surface would eventually have risen above 374\u00b0C. Above this temperature, no matter what the atmospheric pressure, Venus' oceans would have begun to evaporate, and the added water vapor in the atmosphere would have increased the greenhouse effect. This would have made the temperature even higher and caused the oceans to evaporate faster, producing more water vapor. That, in turn, would have further intensified the greenhouse effect and made the temperature climb higher still.\nOnce Venus' oceans disappeared, so did the mechanism for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. With no oceans to dissolve it, outgassed carbon dioxide began to accumulate in the atmosphere, intensifying the greenhouse effect even more. Temperatures eventually became high enough to \"bake out\" any carbon dioxide that was trapped in carbonate rocks. This liberated carbon dioxide formed the thick atmosphere of present-day Venus. Over time, the rising temperatures would have leveled off, solar ultraviolet radiation having broken down atmospheric water vapor molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. With all the water vapor gone, the greenhouse effect would no longer have accelerated.","id":"2945.txt","label":0} +{"option":["improved","continued","weakened","evolved"],"question":"The word \"persisted\" in the passage is closest in meaning to","article":"Earth has abundant water in its oceans but very little carbon dioxide in its relatively thin atmosphere. By contrast, Venus is very dry and its thick atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide. The original atmospheres of both Venus and Earth were derived at least in part from gases spewed forth, or outgassed, by volcanoes. The gases that emanate from present-day volcanoes on Earth, such as Mount Saint Helens, are predominantly water vapor, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. These gases should therefore have been important parts of the original atmospheres of both Venus and Earth. Much of the water on both planets is also thought to have come from impacts from comets, icy bodies formed in the outer solar system.\nIn fact, water probably once dominated the Venusian atmosphere. Venus and Earth are similar in size and mass, so Venusian volcanoes may well have outgassed as much water vapor as on Earth, and both planets would have had about the same number of comets strike their surfaces. Studies of how stars evolve suggest that the early Sun was only about 70 percent as luminous as it is now, so the temperature in Venus' early atmosphere must have been quite a bit lower. Thus water vapor would have been able to liquefy and form oceans on Venus. But if water vapor and carbon dioxide were once so common in the atmospheres of both Earth and Venus, what became of Earth's carbon dioxide? And what happened to the water on Venus?\nThe answer to the first question is that carbon dioxide is still found in abundance on Earth, but now, instead of being in the form of atmospheric carbon dioxide, it is either dissolved in the oceans or chemically bound into carbonate rocks, such as the limestone and marble that formed in the oceans. If Earth became as hot as Venus, much of its carbon dioxide would be boiled out of the oceans and baked out of the crust. Our planet would soon develop a thick, oppressive carbon dioxide atmosphere much like that of Venus.\nTo answer the question about Venus' lack of water, we must return to the early history of the planet. Just as on present-day Earth, the oceans of Venus limited the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide by dissolving it in the oceans and binding it up in carbonate rocks. But being closer to the Sun than Earth is, enough of the liquid water on Venus would have vaporized to create a thick cover of water vapor clouds. Since water vapor is a greenhouse gas, this humid atmosphere-perhaps denser than Earth's present-day atmosphere, but far less dense than the atmosphere that envelops Venus today-would have efficiently trapped heat from the Sun. At first, this would have had little effect on the oceans of Venus. Although the temperature would have climbed above 100\u00b0 C, the boiling point of water at sea level on Earth, the added atmospheric pressure from water vapor would have kept the water in Venus' oceans in the liquid state.\nThis hot and humid state of affairs may have persisted for several hundred million years. But as the Sun's energy output slowly increased over time, the temperature at the surface would eventually have risen above 374\u00b0C. Above this temperature, no matter what the atmospheric pressure, Venus' oceans would have begun to evaporate, and the added water vapor in the atmosphere would have increased the greenhouse effect. This would have made the temperature even higher and caused the oceans to evaporate faster, producing more water vapor. That, in turn, would have further intensified the greenhouse effect and made the temperature climb higher still.\nOnce Venus' oceans disappeared, so did the mechanism for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. With no oceans to dissolve it, outgassed carbon dioxide began to accumulate in the atmosphere, intensifying the greenhouse effect even more. Temperatures eventually became high enough to \"bake out\" any carbon dioxide that was trapped in carbonate rocks. This liberated carbon dioxide formed the thick atmosphere of present-day Venus. Over time, the rising temperatures would have leveled off, solar ultraviolet radiation having broken down atmospheric water vapor molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. With all the water vapor gone, the greenhouse effect would no longer have accelerated.","id":"2945.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Atmospheric pressure begins to decrease.","Water vapor disappears from the atmosphere.","Water evaporates regardless of atmospheric pressure.","More energy is required to evaporate a given volume of water."],"question":"According to paragraph 5, what happens when temperatures rise above 374\u00b0C?","article":"Earth has abundant water in its oceans but very little carbon dioxide in its relatively thin atmosphere. By contrast, Venus is very dry and its thick atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide. The original atmospheres of both Venus and Earth were derived at least in part from gases spewed forth, or outgassed, by volcanoes. The gases that emanate from present-day volcanoes on Earth, such as Mount Saint Helens, are predominantly water vapor, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. These gases should therefore have been important parts of the original atmospheres of both Venus and Earth. Much of the water on both planets is also thought to have come from impacts from comets, icy bodies formed in the outer solar system.\nIn fact, water probably once dominated the Venusian atmosphere. Venus and Earth are similar in size and mass, so Venusian volcanoes may well have outgassed as much water vapor as on Earth, and both planets would have had about the same number of comets strike their surfaces. Studies of how stars evolve suggest that the early Sun was only about 70 percent as luminous as it is now, so the temperature in Venus' early atmosphere must have been quite a bit lower. Thus water vapor would have been able to liquefy and form oceans on Venus. But if water vapor and carbon dioxide were once so common in the atmospheres of both Earth and Venus, what became of Earth's carbon dioxide? And what happened to the water on Venus?\nThe answer to the first question is that carbon dioxide is still found in abundance on Earth, but now, instead of being in the form of atmospheric carbon dioxide, it is either dissolved in the oceans or chemically bound into carbonate rocks, such as the limestone and marble that formed in the oceans. If Earth became as hot as Venus, much of its carbon dioxide would be boiled out of the oceans and baked out of the crust. Our planet would soon develop a thick, oppressive carbon dioxide atmosphere much like that of Venus.\nTo answer the question about Venus' lack of water, we must return to the early history of the planet. Just as on present-day Earth, the oceans of Venus limited the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide by dissolving it in the oceans and binding it up in carbonate rocks. But being closer to the Sun than Earth is, enough of the liquid water on Venus would have vaporized to create a thick cover of water vapor clouds. Since water vapor is a greenhouse gas, this humid atmosphere-perhaps denser than Earth's present-day atmosphere, but far less dense than the atmosphere that envelops Venus today-would have efficiently trapped heat from the Sun. At first, this would have had little effect on the oceans of Venus. Although the temperature would have climbed above 100\u00b0 C, the boiling point of water at sea level on Earth, the added atmospheric pressure from water vapor would have kept the water in Venus' oceans in the liquid state.\nThis hot and humid state of affairs may have persisted for several hundred million years. But as the Sun's energy output slowly increased over time, the temperature at the surface would eventually have risen above 374\u00b0C. Above this temperature, no matter what the atmospheric pressure, Venus' oceans would have begun to evaporate, and the added water vapor in the atmosphere would have increased the greenhouse effect. This would have made the temperature even higher and caused the oceans to evaporate faster, producing more water vapor. That, in turn, would have further intensified the greenhouse effect and made the temperature climb higher still.\nOnce Venus' oceans disappeared, so did the mechanism for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. With no oceans to dissolve it, outgassed carbon dioxide began to accumulate in the atmosphere, intensifying the greenhouse effect even more. Temperatures eventually became high enough to \"bake out\" any carbon dioxide that was trapped in carbonate rocks. This liberated carbon dioxide formed the thick atmosphere of present-day Venus. Over time, the rising temperatures would have leveled off, solar ultraviolet radiation having broken down atmospheric water vapor molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. With all the water vapor gone, the greenhouse effect would no longer have accelerated.","id":"2945.txt","label":2} +{"option":["increasing the rate which carbon dioxide was outgassed","baking out carbon dioxide from carbonate rocks","creating additional water vapor","replacing the previous mechanisms for removing carbon dioxide with less effective ones"],"question":"According to paragraph 6, extremely high temperatures increased the amount of carbon dioxide in Venus' atmosphere by","article":"Earth has abundant water in its oceans but very little carbon dioxide in its relatively thin atmosphere. By contrast, Venus is very dry and its thick atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide. The original atmospheres of both Venus and Earth were derived at least in part from gases spewed forth, or outgassed, by volcanoes. The gases that emanate from present-day volcanoes on Earth, such as Mount Saint Helens, are predominantly water vapor, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. These gases should therefore have been important parts of the original atmospheres of both Venus and Earth. Much of the water on both planets is also thought to have come from impacts from comets, icy bodies formed in the outer solar system.\nIn fact, water probably once dominated the Venusian atmosphere. Venus and Earth are similar in size and mass, so Venusian volcanoes may well have outgassed as much water vapor as on Earth, and both planets would have had about the same number of comets strike their surfaces. Studies of how stars evolve suggest that the early Sun was only about 70 percent as luminous as it is now, so the temperature in Venus' early atmosphere must have been quite a bit lower. Thus water vapor would have been able to liquefy and form oceans on Venus. But if water vapor and carbon dioxide were once so common in the atmospheres of both Earth and Venus, what became of Earth's carbon dioxide? And what happened to the water on Venus?\nThe answer to the first question is that carbon dioxide is still found in abundance on Earth, but now, instead of being in the form of atmospheric carbon dioxide, it is either dissolved in the oceans or chemically bound into carbonate rocks, such as the limestone and marble that formed in the oceans. If Earth became as hot as Venus, much of its carbon dioxide would be boiled out of the oceans and baked out of the crust. Our planet would soon develop a thick, oppressive carbon dioxide atmosphere much like that of Venus.\nTo answer the question about Venus' lack of water, we must return to the early history of the planet. Just as on present-day Earth, the oceans of Venus limited the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide by dissolving it in the oceans and binding it up in carbonate rocks. But being closer to the Sun than Earth is, enough of the liquid water on Venus would have vaporized to create a thick cover of water vapor clouds. Since water vapor is a greenhouse gas, this humid atmosphere-perhaps denser than Earth's present-day atmosphere, but far less dense than the atmosphere that envelops Venus today-would have efficiently trapped heat from the Sun. At first, this would have had little effect on the oceans of Venus. Although the temperature would have climbed above 100\u00b0 C, the boiling point of water at sea level on Earth, the added atmospheric pressure from water vapor would have kept the water in Venus' oceans in the liquid state.\nThis hot and humid state of affairs may have persisted for several hundred million years. But as the Sun's energy output slowly increased over time, the temperature at the surface would eventually have risen above 374\u00b0C. Above this temperature, no matter what the atmospheric pressure, Venus' oceans would have begun to evaporate, and the added water vapor in the atmosphere would have increased the greenhouse effect. This would have made the temperature even higher and caused the oceans to evaporate faster, producing more water vapor. That, in turn, would have further intensified the greenhouse effect and made the temperature climb higher still.\nOnce Venus' oceans disappeared, so did the mechanism for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. With no oceans to dissolve it, outgassed carbon dioxide began to accumulate in the atmosphere, intensifying the greenhouse effect even more. Temperatures eventually became high enough to \"bake out\" any carbon dioxide that was trapped in carbonate rocks. This liberated carbon dioxide formed the thick atmosphere of present-day Venus. Over time, the rising temperatures would have leveled off, solar ultraviolet radiation having broken down atmospheric water vapor molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. With all the water vapor gone, the greenhouse effect would no longer have accelerated.","id":"2945.txt","label":1} +{"option":["early Venus had more frequent volcanic outgassing than early Earth did","early Venus had far less liquid water than early Earth did","volcanic activity stopped relatively early on Venus but continued on Earth","Venus is closer to the Sun than Earth is"],"question":"The passage supports the idea that the basic reason that Venus and Earth are now so different from each other is that","article":"Earth has abundant water in its oceans but very little carbon dioxide in its relatively thin atmosphere. By contrast, Venus is very dry and its thick atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide. The original atmospheres of both Venus and Earth were derived at least in part from gases spewed forth, or outgassed, by volcanoes. The gases that emanate from present-day volcanoes on Earth, such as Mount Saint Helens, are predominantly water vapor, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. These gases should therefore have been important parts of the original atmospheres of both Venus and Earth. Much of the water on both planets is also thought to have come from impacts from comets, icy bodies formed in the outer solar system.\nIn fact, water probably once dominated the Venusian atmosphere. Venus and Earth are similar in size and mass, so Venusian volcanoes may well have outgassed as much water vapor as on Earth, and both planets would have had about the same number of comets strike their surfaces. Studies of how stars evolve suggest that the early Sun was only about 70 percent as luminous as it is now, so the temperature in Venus' early atmosphere must have been quite a bit lower. Thus water vapor would have been able to liquefy and form oceans on Venus. But if water vapor and carbon dioxide were once so common in the atmospheres of both Earth and Venus, what became of Earth's carbon dioxide? And what happened to the water on Venus?\nThe answer to the first question is that carbon dioxide is still found in abundance on Earth, but now, instead of being in the form of atmospheric carbon dioxide, it is either dissolved in the oceans or chemically bound into carbonate rocks, such as the limestone and marble that formed in the oceans. If Earth became as hot as Venus, much of its carbon dioxide would be boiled out of the oceans and baked out of the crust. Our planet would soon develop a thick, oppressive carbon dioxide atmosphere much like that of Venus.\nTo answer the question about Venus' lack of water, we must return to the early history of the planet. Just as on present-day Earth, the oceans of Venus limited the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide by dissolving it in the oceans and binding it up in carbonate rocks. But being closer to the Sun than Earth is, enough of the liquid water on Venus would have vaporized to create a thick cover of water vapor clouds. Since water vapor is a greenhouse gas, this humid atmosphere-perhaps denser than Earth's present-day atmosphere, but far less dense than the atmosphere that envelops Venus today-would have efficiently trapped heat from the Sun. At first, this would have had little effect on the oceans of Venus. Although the temperature would have climbed above 100\u00b0 C, the boiling point of water at sea level on Earth, the added atmospheric pressure from water vapor would have kept the water in Venus' oceans in the liquid state.\nThis hot and humid state of affairs may have persisted for several hundred million years. But as the Sun's energy output slowly increased over time, the temperature at the surface would eventually have risen above 374\u00b0C. Above this temperature, no matter what the atmospheric pressure, Venus' oceans would have begun to evaporate, and the added water vapor in the atmosphere would have increased the greenhouse effect. This would have made the temperature even higher and caused the oceans to evaporate faster, producing more water vapor. That, in turn, would have further intensified the greenhouse effect and made the temperature climb higher still.\nOnce Venus' oceans disappeared, so did the mechanism for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. With no oceans to dissolve it, outgassed carbon dioxide began to accumulate in the atmosphere, intensifying the greenhouse effect even more. Temperatures eventually became high enough to \"bake out\" any carbon dioxide that was trapped in carbonate rocks. This liberated carbon dioxide formed the thick atmosphere of present-day Venus. Over time, the rising temperatures would have leveled off, solar ultraviolet radiation having broken down atmospheric water vapor molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. With all the water vapor gone, the greenhouse effect would no longer have accelerated.","id":"2945.txt","label":3} +{"option":["composed of people having different values","encouraging individual pursuits","sharing common interests","founded on shared ideals"],"question":"According to the author, the United States claims to be a nation _ .","article":"In a country that defines itself by ideals, not by shared blood, who should be allowed to come work and live here? In the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks these questions have never seemed more pressing.\nOn Dec. 11, 2001, as part of the effort to increase homeland security, federal and local authorities in 14 states staged \"Operation Safe Travel\"-raids on airports to arrest employees with false identification . In Salt Lake City there were 69 arrests. But those captured were anything but terrorists, most of them illegal immigrants from Central or South America. Authorities said the undocumented workers' illegal status made them open to blackmail by terrorists.\nMany immigrants in Salt Lake City were angered by the arrests and said they felt as if they were being treated like disposable goods.\nMayor Anderson said those feelings were justified to a certain extent. \"We're saying we want you to work in these places, we're going to look the other way in terms of what our laws are, and then when it's convenient for us, or when we can try to make a point in terms of national security, especially after Sept. 11, then you're disposable. There are whole families being uprooted for all of the wrong reasons,\" Anderson said.\nIf Sept. 11 had never happened, the airport workers would not have been arrested and could have gone on quietly living in America, probably indefinitely. Ana Castro, a manager at a Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop at the airport had been working 10 years with the same false Social Security card when she was arrested in the December airport raid. Now she and her family are living under the threat of deportation . Castro's case is currently waiting to be settled. While she awaits the outcome, the government has granted her permission to work here and she has returned to her job at Ben & Jerry's.","id":"1529.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Guilty.","Offended.","Disappointed.","Discouraged."],"question":"How did the immigrants in Salt Lake City feel about \"Operation Safe Travel\"?","article":"In a country that defines itself by ideals, not by shared blood, who should be allowed to come work and live here? In the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks these questions have never seemed more pressing.\nOn Dec. 11, 2001, as part of the effort to increase homeland security, federal and local authorities in 14 states staged \"Operation Safe Travel\"-raids on airports to arrest employees with false identification . In Salt Lake City there were 69 arrests. But those captured were anything but terrorists, most of them illegal immigrants from Central or South America. Authorities said the undocumented workers' illegal status made them open to blackmail by terrorists.\nMany immigrants in Salt Lake City were angered by the arrests and said they felt as if they were being treated like disposable goods.\nMayor Anderson said those feelings were justified to a certain extent. \"We're saying we want you to work in these places, we're going to look the other way in terms of what our laws are, and then when it's convenient for us, or when we can try to make a point in terms of national security, especially after Sept. 11, then you're disposable. There are whole families being uprooted for all of the wrong reasons,\" Anderson said.\nIf Sept. 11 had never happened, the airport workers would not have been arrested and could have gone on quietly living in America, probably indefinitely. Ana Castro, a manager at a Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop at the airport had been working 10 years with the same false Social Security card when she was arrested in the December airport raid. Now she and her family are living under the threat of deportation . Castro's case is currently waiting to be settled. While she awaits the outcome, the government has granted her permission to work here and she has returned to her job at Ben & Jerry's.","id":"1529.txt","label":1} +{"option":["evidence was found that they were potential terrorists","most of them worked at airports under threat of terrorists","terrorists might take advantage of their illegal status","they were reportedly helping hide terrorists around the airport"],"question":"Undocumented workers became the target of \"Operation Safe Travel\" because _ .","article":"In a country that defines itself by ideals, not by shared blood, who should be allowed to come work and live here? In the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks these questions have never seemed more pressing.\nOn Dec. 11, 2001, as part of the effort to increase homeland security, federal and local authorities in 14 states staged \"Operation Safe Travel\"-raids on airports to arrest employees with false identification . In Salt Lake City there were 69 arrests. But those captured were anything but terrorists, most of them illegal immigrants from Central or South America. Authorities said the undocumented workers' illegal status made them open to blackmail by terrorists.\nMany immigrants in Salt Lake City were angered by the arrests and said they felt as if they were being treated like disposable goods.\nMayor Anderson said those feelings were justified to a certain extent. \"We're saying we want you to work in these places, we're going to look the other way in terms of what our laws are, and then when it's convenient for us, or when we can try to make a point in terms of national security, especially after Sept. 11, then you're disposable. There are whole families being uprooted for all of the wrong reasons,\" Anderson said.\nIf Sept. 11 had never happened, the airport workers would not have been arrested and could have gone on quietly living in America, probably indefinitely. Ana Castro, a manager at a Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop at the airport had been working 10 years with the same false Social Security card when she was arrested in the December airport raid. Now she and her family are living under the threat of deportation . Castro's case is currently waiting to be settled. While she awaits the outcome, the government has granted her permission to work here and she has returned to her job at Ben & Jerry's.","id":"1529.txt","label":3} +{"option":["we will turn a blind eye to your illegal status","we will examine the laws in a different way","there are other ways of enforcing the law","the existing laws must not be ignored"],"question":"By saying \"...we're going to look the other way in terms of what our laws are\" (Line 2, Para. 4), Mayor Anderson means \"_ \".","article":"In a country that defines itself by ideals, not by shared blood, who should be allowed to come work and live here? In the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks these questions have never seemed more pressing.\nOn Dec. 11, 2001, as part of the effort to increase homeland security, federal and local authorities in 14 states staged \"Operation Safe Travel\"-raids on airports to arrest employees with false identification . In Salt Lake City there were 69 arrests. But those captured were anything but terrorists, most of them illegal immigrants from Central or South America. Authorities said the undocumented workers' illegal status made them open to blackmail by terrorists.\nMany immigrants in Salt Lake City were angered by the arrests and said they felt as if they were being treated like disposable goods.\nMayor Anderson said those feelings were justified to a certain extent. \"We're saying we want you to work in these places, we're going to look the other way in terms of what our laws are, and then when it's convenient for us, or when we can try to make a point in terms of national security, especially after Sept. 11, then you're disposable. There are whole families being uprooted for all of the wrong reasons,\" Anderson said.\nIf Sept. 11 had never happened, the airport workers would not have been arrested and could have gone on quietly living in America, probably indefinitely. Ana Castro, a manager at a Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop at the airport had been working 10 years with the same false Social Security card when she was arrested in the December airport raid. Now she and her family are living under the threat of deportation . Castro's case is currently waiting to be settled. While she awaits the outcome, the government has granted her permission to work here and she has returned to her job at Ben & Jerry's.","id":"1529.txt","label":1} +{"option":["She will be deported sooner or later.","She is allowed to stay permanently.","Her case has been dropped.","Her fate remains uncertain."],"question":"What do we learn about Ana Castro from the last paragraph?","article":"In a country that defines itself by ideals, not by shared blood, who should be allowed to come work and live here? In the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks these questions have never seemed more pressing.\nOn Dec. 11, 2001, as part of the effort to increase homeland security, federal and local authorities in 14 states staged \"Operation Safe Travel\"-raids on airports to arrest employees with false identification . In Salt Lake City there were 69 arrests. But those captured were anything but terrorists, most of them illegal immigrants from Central or South America. Authorities said the undocumented workers' illegal status made them open to blackmail by terrorists.\nMany immigrants in Salt Lake City were angered by the arrests and said they felt as if they were being treated like disposable goods.\nMayor Anderson said those feelings were justified to a certain extent. \"We're saying we want you to work in these places, we're going to look the other way in terms of what our laws are, and then when it's convenient for us, or when we can try to make a point in terms of national security, especially after Sept. 11, then you're disposable. There are whole families being uprooted for all of the wrong reasons,\" Anderson said.\nIf Sept. 11 had never happened, the airport workers would not have been arrested and could have gone on quietly living in America, probably indefinitely. Ana Castro, a manager at a Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop at the airport had been working 10 years with the same false Social Security card when she was arrested in the December airport raid. Now she and her family are living under the threat of deportation . Castro's case is currently waiting to be settled. While she awaits the outcome, the government has granted her permission to work here and she has returned to her job at Ben & Jerry's.","id":"1529.txt","label":2} +{"option":["The ability to perfect his tennis skills.","The time to do his school work.","The flexibility to finish the workload anywhere.","The independence he needs to be a good tennis player."],"question":"What does Jamie Hunt get from the virtual school?","article":"Tennis hopeful Jamie Hunt, 16, felt he could not become a world-class junior player while attending a regular school. The international circuit has players on the road 50% of the time-and it's hard to focus on your backhand when you're worrying about being on time for homeroom. So last year Hunt, who hones his ground strokes at Elite TNT Tennis Academy in April Sound, Texas, enrolled for academics in the $9,750-a-year University of Miami Online High School\uff08UMOHS\uff09, a virtual school that caters to athletes.\" The online school gives me the flexibility I need,\" says Hunt. \" The workload is the same, but I can do it anywhere. It's nicer to ask a question face-to-face with a teacher, but in some ways it prepares me better for college because I have to be more independent.\" A year ago, Hunt's world junior ranking was 886; now it's 108.\nVirtual high schools, which allow students to take classes via PC, have emerged as an increasingly popular education alternative, particularly for on-the-go athletes. UMOHS has more than 400 students enrolled, 65% of whom are athletes. Accredited by the 100-year-old Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, UMOHS offers honors and advanced-placement classes. All course material is online, along with assignments and due dates. For help, says principal Howard Liebman, \" a student may e-mail, instant message or call the teacher.\"\nDallas mom Lori Bannon turned to another online school, Laurel Springs in Ojai, Calif. Bannon, who has a medical degree from Harvard, didn't want to compromise the education of her daughter Lindsay, 13, an \u00e9lite gymnast who spends eight hours a day in the gym. \" Regular school was not an option,\" says Bannon, \" but I wanted to make sure she could go back at grade level if she quit gymnastics.\" Laurel Springs' enrollment has increased 35% a year for the past four years, to 1,800 students. At least 25% are either athletes or child entertainers.\nEducators are split on the merits of such schools. Paul Orehovec, an enrollment officer for the University of Miami, admits, \" I was somewhat of a skeptic. But when I looked into their programs and accreditation, I was excited. UMOHS is the first online school to be granted membership in the National Honor Society.\" Kevin Roy, Elite's director of education, sees pitfalls and potential in virtual schools. \" You will never have that wonderful teacher who inspires you for life,\" says Roy. \" But the virtual school offers endless possibilities. I don't know where education's imagination will take this.\"","id":"476.txt","label":2} +{"option":["make it possible for athletes to receive training without delaying their school work","have gained ground as a major education form","are cheaper than real schools","prepare students better for colleges"],"question":"We can learn from the text that virtual high schools _ .","article":"Tennis hopeful Jamie Hunt, 16, felt he could not become a world-class junior player while attending a regular school. The international circuit has players on the road 50% of the time-and it's hard to focus on your backhand when you're worrying about being on time for homeroom. So last year Hunt, who hones his ground strokes at Elite TNT Tennis Academy in April Sound, Texas, enrolled for academics in the $9,750-a-year University of Miami Online High School\uff08UMOHS\uff09, a virtual school that caters to athletes.\" The online school gives me the flexibility I need,\" says Hunt. \" The workload is the same, but I can do it anywhere. It's nicer to ask a question face-to-face with a teacher, but in some ways it prepares me better for college because I have to be more independent.\" A year ago, Hunt's world junior ranking was 886; now it's 108.\nVirtual high schools, which allow students to take classes via PC, have emerged as an increasingly popular education alternative, particularly for on-the-go athletes. UMOHS has more than 400 students enrolled, 65% of whom are athletes. Accredited by the 100-year-old Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, UMOHS offers honors and advanced-placement classes. All course material is online, along with assignments and due dates. For help, says principal Howard Liebman, \" a student may e-mail, instant message or call the teacher.\"\nDallas mom Lori Bannon turned to another online school, Laurel Springs in Ojai, Calif. Bannon, who has a medical degree from Harvard, didn't want to compromise the education of her daughter Lindsay, 13, an \u00e9lite gymnast who spends eight hours a day in the gym. \" Regular school was not an option,\" says Bannon, \" but I wanted to make sure she could go back at grade level if she quit gymnastics.\" Laurel Springs' enrollment has increased 35% a year for the past four years, to 1,800 students. At least 25% are either athletes or child entertainers.\nEducators are split on the merits of such schools. Paul Orehovec, an enrollment officer for the University of Miami, admits, \" I was somewhat of a skeptic. But when I looked into their programs and accreditation, I was excited. UMOHS is the first online school to be granted membership in the National Honor Society.\" Kevin Roy, Elite's director of education, sees pitfalls and potential in virtual schools. \" You will never have that wonderful teacher who inspires you for life,\" says Roy. \" But the virtual school offers endless possibilities. I don't know where education's imagination will take this.\"","id":"476.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Visiting a homeroom on time.","E-mailing teachers for questions.","Getting course materials online.","Taking classes via a PC."],"question":"Which of the following is NOT a practice in a virtual school?","article":"Tennis hopeful Jamie Hunt, 16, felt he could not become a world-class junior player while attending a regular school. The international circuit has players on the road 50% of the time-and it's hard to focus on your backhand when you're worrying about being on time for homeroom. So last year Hunt, who hones his ground strokes at Elite TNT Tennis Academy in April Sound, Texas, enrolled for academics in the $9,750-a-year University of Miami Online High School\uff08UMOHS\uff09, a virtual school that caters to athletes.\" The online school gives me the flexibility I need,\" says Hunt. \" The workload is the same, but I can do it anywhere. It's nicer to ask a question face-to-face with a teacher, but in some ways it prepares me better for college because I have to be more independent.\" A year ago, Hunt's world junior ranking was 886; now it's 108.\nVirtual high schools, which allow students to take classes via PC, have emerged as an increasingly popular education alternative, particularly for on-the-go athletes. UMOHS has more than 400 students enrolled, 65% of whom are athletes. Accredited by the 100-year-old Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, UMOHS offers honors and advanced-placement classes. All course material is online, along with assignments and due dates. For help, says principal Howard Liebman, \" a student may e-mail, instant message or call the teacher.\"\nDallas mom Lori Bannon turned to another online school, Laurel Springs in Ojai, Calif. Bannon, who has a medical degree from Harvard, didn't want to compromise the education of her daughter Lindsay, 13, an \u00e9lite gymnast who spends eight hours a day in the gym. \" Regular school was not an option,\" says Bannon, \" but I wanted to make sure she could go back at grade level if she quit gymnastics.\" Laurel Springs' enrollment has increased 35% a year for the past four years, to 1,800 students. At least 25% are either athletes or child entertainers.\nEducators are split on the merits of such schools. Paul Orehovec, an enrollment officer for the University of Miami, admits, \" I was somewhat of a skeptic. But when I looked into their programs and accreditation, I was excited. UMOHS is the first online school to be granted membership in the National Honor Society.\" Kevin Roy, Elite's director of education, sees pitfalls and potential in virtual schools. \" You will never have that wonderful teacher who inspires you for life,\" says Roy. \" But the virtual school offers endless possibilities. I don't know where education's imagination will take this.\"","id":"476.txt","label":0} +{"option":["virtual school has more athlete students","virtual school offers better education","her daughter is an elite gymnast","regular school cannot meet her daughter's condition"],"question":"Lori Bannon turned to online school because _ .","article":"Tennis hopeful Jamie Hunt, 16, felt he could not become a world-class junior player while attending a regular school. The international circuit has players on the road 50% of the time-and it's hard to focus on your backhand when you're worrying about being on time for homeroom. So last year Hunt, who hones his ground strokes at Elite TNT Tennis Academy in April Sound, Texas, enrolled for academics in the $9,750-a-year University of Miami Online High School\uff08UMOHS\uff09, a virtual school that caters to athletes.\" The online school gives me the flexibility I need,\" says Hunt. \" The workload is the same, but I can do it anywhere. It's nicer to ask a question face-to-face with a teacher, but in some ways it prepares me better for college because I have to be more independent.\" A year ago, Hunt's world junior ranking was 886; now it's 108.\nVirtual high schools, which allow students to take classes via PC, have emerged as an increasingly popular education alternative, particularly for on-the-go athletes. UMOHS has more than 400 students enrolled, 65% of whom are athletes. Accredited by the 100-year-old Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, UMOHS offers honors and advanced-placement classes. All course material is online, along with assignments and due dates. For help, says principal Howard Liebman, \" a student may e-mail, instant message or call the teacher.\"\nDallas mom Lori Bannon turned to another online school, Laurel Springs in Ojai, Calif. Bannon, who has a medical degree from Harvard, didn't want to compromise the education of her daughter Lindsay, 13, an \u00e9lite gymnast who spends eight hours a day in the gym. \" Regular school was not an option,\" says Bannon, \" but I wanted to make sure she could go back at grade level if she quit gymnastics.\" Laurel Springs' enrollment has increased 35% a year for the past four years, to 1,800 students. At least 25% are either athletes or child entertainers.\nEducators are split on the merits of such schools. Paul Orehovec, an enrollment officer for the University of Miami, admits, \" I was somewhat of a skeptic. But when I looked into their programs and accreditation, I was excited. UMOHS is the first online school to be granted membership in the National Honor Society.\" Kevin Roy, Elite's director of education, sees pitfalls and potential in virtual schools. \" You will never have that wonderful teacher who inspires you for life,\" says Roy. \" But the virtual school offers endless possibilities. I don't know where education's imagination will take this.\"","id":"476.txt","label":3} +{"option":["The education provided by virtual schools is yet to be recognized by authorities.","Educators are divided as to whether students should take virtual schools.","Despite the defects, virtual schools show great potentials.","Regular schools will be replaced by virtual schools sooner or later."],"question":"To which of the following is the author likely to agree?","article":"Tennis hopeful Jamie Hunt, 16, felt he could not become a world-class junior player while attending a regular school. The international circuit has players on the road 50% of the time-and it's hard to focus on your backhand when you're worrying about being on time for homeroom. So last year Hunt, who hones his ground strokes at Elite TNT Tennis Academy in April Sound, Texas, enrolled for academics in the $9,750-a-year University of Miami Online High School\uff08UMOHS\uff09, a virtual school that caters to athletes.\" The online school gives me the flexibility I need,\" says Hunt. \" The workload is the same, but I can do it anywhere. It's nicer to ask a question face-to-face with a teacher, but in some ways it prepares me better for college because I have to be more independent.\" A year ago, Hunt's world junior ranking was 886; now it's 108.\nVirtual high schools, which allow students to take classes via PC, have emerged as an increasingly popular education alternative, particularly for on-the-go athletes. UMOHS has more than 400 students enrolled, 65% of whom are athletes. Accredited by the 100-year-old Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, UMOHS offers honors and advanced-placement classes. All course material is online, along with assignments and due dates. For help, says principal Howard Liebman, \" a student may e-mail, instant message or call the teacher.\"\nDallas mom Lori Bannon turned to another online school, Laurel Springs in Ojai, Calif. Bannon, who has a medical degree from Harvard, didn't want to compromise the education of her daughter Lindsay, 13, an \u00e9lite gymnast who spends eight hours a day in the gym. \" Regular school was not an option,\" says Bannon, \" but I wanted to make sure she could go back at grade level if she quit gymnastics.\" Laurel Springs' enrollment has increased 35% a year for the past four years, to 1,800 students. At least 25% are either athletes or child entertainers.\nEducators are split on the merits of such schools. Paul Orehovec, an enrollment officer for the University of Miami, admits, \" I was somewhat of a skeptic. But when I looked into their programs and accreditation, I was excited. UMOHS is the first online school to be granted membership in the National Honor Society.\" Kevin Roy, Elite's director of education, sees pitfalls and potential in virtual schools. \" You will never have that wonderful teacher who inspires you for life,\" says Roy. \" But the virtual school offers endless possibilities. I don't know where education's imagination will take this.\"","id":"476.txt","label":2} +{"option":["will enable surgeons to be physically present on every battlefield","can raise the spirits of soldiers wounded on the battlefield","will greatly improve medical conditions on the battlefield","can shorten the time for operations on soldiers wounded on the battlefield"],"question":"According to Richard Satava, the application of virtual reality to medicine ________.","article":"Richard Satava, program manager for advanced medical technologies, has been a driving force in bringing virtual reality to medicine, where computers create a \"virtual\" or simulated environment for surgeons and other medical practitioners .\n\"With virtual reality we'll be able to put a surgeon in every trench,\" said Satava. He envisaged a time when soldiers who are wounded fighting overseas are put in mobile surgical units equipped with computers.\nThe computers would transmit images of the soldiers to surgeons back in the U.S. The surgeons would look at the soldier through virtual reality helmets that contain a small screen displaying the image of the wound. The doctors would guide robotic instruments in the battlefield mobile surgical unit that operate on the soldier.\nAlthough Satava's vision may be years away from standard operating procedure, scientists are progressing toward virtual reality surgery. Engineers at an international organization in California are developing a tele-operating device. As surgeons watch a three-dimensional image of the surgery, they move instruments that are connected to a computer, which passes their movements to robotic instruments that perform the surgery. The computer provides feedback to the surgeon on force, textures, and sound.\nThese technological wonders may not yet be part of the community hospital setting but increasingly some of the machinery is finding its way into civilian medicine. At Wayne State University Medical School, surgeon Lucia Zamorano takes images of the brain from computerized scans and uses a computer program to produce a 3-D image. She can then maneuver the 3-D image on the computer screen to map the shortest, least invasive surgical path to the tumor . Zamorano is also using technology that attaches a probe to surgical instruments so that she can track their positions. While cutting away a tumor deep in the brain, she watches the movement of her surgical tools in a computer graphics image of the patient's brain taken before surgery.\nDuring these procedures-operations that are done through small cuts in the body in which a miniature camera and surgical tools are maneuvered-surgeons are wearing 3-D glasses for a better view. And they are commanding robot surgeons to cut away tissue more accurately than human surgeons can.\nSatava says, \"We are in the midst of a fundamental change in the field of medicine.\"","id":"381.txt","label":3} +{"option":["using a remote-control technique to treat wounded soldiers fighting overseas","wounded soldiers being saved by doctors wearing virtual reality helmets on the battlefield","wounded soldiers being operated on by specially trained surgeons","setting up mobile surgical units overseas"],"question":"Richard Satava has visions of ________.","article":"Richard Satava, program manager for advanced medical technologies, has been a driving force in bringing virtual reality to medicine, where computers create a \"virtual\" or simulated environment for surgeons and other medical practitioners .\n\"With virtual reality we'll be able to put a surgeon in every trench,\" said Satava. He envisaged a time when soldiers who are wounded fighting overseas are put in mobile surgical units equipped with computers.\nThe computers would transmit images of the soldiers to surgeons back in the U.S. The surgeons would look at the soldier through virtual reality helmets that contain a small screen displaying the image of the wound. The doctors would guide robotic instruments in the battlefield mobile surgical unit that operate on the soldier.\nAlthough Satava's vision may be years away from standard operating procedure, scientists are progressing toward virtual reality surgery. Engineers at an international organization in California are developing a tele-operating device. As surgeons watch a three-dimensional image of the surgery, they move instruments that are connected to a computer, which passes their movements to robotic instruments that perform the surgery. The computer provides feedback to the surgeon on force, textures, and sound.\nThese technological wonders may not yet be part of the community hospital setting but increasingly some of the machinery is finding its way into civilian medicine. At Wayne State University Medical School, surgeon Lucia Zamorano takes images of the brain from computerized scans and uses a computer program to produce a 3-D image. She can then maneuver the 3-D image on the computer screen to map the shortest, least invasive surgical path to the tumor . Zamorano is also using technology that attaches a probe to surgical instruments so that she can track their positions. While cutting away a tumor deep in the brain, she watches the movement of her surgical tools in a computer graphics image of the patient's brain taken before surgery.\nDuring these procedures-operations that are done through small cuts in the body in which a miniature camera and surgical tools are maneuvered-surgeons are wearing 3-D glasses for a better view. And they are commanding robot surgeons to cut away tissue more accurately than human surgeons can.\nSatava says, \"We are in the midst of a fundamental change in the field of medicine.\"","id":"381.txt","label":0} +{"option":["It is performed by a computer-designed high precision device.","Surgeons wear virtual reality helmets to receive feedback provided by a computer.","Surgeons move robotic instruments by means of a computer linked to them.","A 3-D image records the movements of the surgeons during the operation."],"question":"How is virtual reality surgery performed?","article":"Richard Satava, program manager for advanced medical technologies, has been a driving force in bringing virtual reality to medicine, where computers create a \"virtual\" or simulated environment for surgeons and other medical practitioners .\n\"With virtual reality we'll be able to put a surgeon in every trench,\" said Satava. He envisaged a time when soldiers who are wounded fighting overseas are put in mobile surgical units equipped with computers.\nThe computers would transmit images of the soldiers to surgeons back in the U.S. The surgeons would look at the soldier through virtual reality helmets that contain a small screen displaying the image of the wound. The doctors would guide robotic instruments in the battlefield mobile surgical unit that operate on the soldier.\nAlthough Satava's vision may be years away from standard operating procedure, scientists are progressing toward virtual reality surgery. Engineers at an international organization in California are developing a tele-operating device. As surgeons watch a three-dimensional image of the surgery, they move instruments that are connected to a computer, which passes their movements to robotic instruments that perform the surgery. The computer provides feedback to the surgeon on force, textures, and sound.\nThese technological wonders may not yet be part of the community hospital setting but increasingly some of the machinery is finding its way into civilian medicine. At Wayne State University Medical School, surgeon Lucia Zamorano takes images of the brain from computerized scans and uses a computer program to produce a 3-D image. She can then maneuver the 3-D image on the computer screen to map the shortest, least invasive surgical path to the tumor . Zamorano is also using technology that attaches a probe to surgical instruments so that she can track their positions. While cutting away a tumor deep in the brain, she watches the movement of her surgical tools in a computer graphics image of the patient's brain taken before surgery.\nDuring these procedures-operations that are done through small cuts in the body in which a miniature camera and surgical tools are maneuvered-surgeons are wearing 3-D glasses for a better view. And they are commanding robot surgeons to cut away tissue more accurately than human surgeons can.\nSatava says, \"We are in the midst of a fundamental change in the field of medicine.\"","id":"381.txt","label":2} +{"option":["he is looking at the cuts on a computer screen","the cuts can be examined from different angles","the cuts have been highly magnified","he is wearing 3-D glasses"],"question":"During virtual reality operations, the surgeon can have a better view of the cuts in the body because ________.","article":"Richard Satava, program manager for advanced medical technologies, has been a driving force in bringing virtual reality to medicine, where computers create a \"virtual\" or simulated environment for surgeons and other medical practitioners .\n\"With virtual reality we'll be able to put a surgeon in every trench,\" said Satava. He envisaged a time when soldiers who are wounded fighting overseas are put in mobile surgical units equipped with computers.\nThe computers would transmit images of the soldiers to surgeons back in the U.S. The surgeons would look at the soldier through virtual reality helmets that contain a small screen displaying the image of the wound. The doctors would guide robotic instruments in the battlefield mobile surgical unit that operate on the soldier.\nAlthough Satava's vision may be years away from standard operating procedure, scientists are progressing toward virtual reality surgery. Engineers at an international organization in California are developing a tele-operating device. As surgeons watch a three-dimensional image of the surgery, they move instruments that are connected to a computer, which passes their movements to robotic instruments that perform the surgery. The computer provides feedback to the surgeon on force, textures, and sound.\nThese technological wonders may not yet be part of the community hospital setting but increasingly some of the machinery is finding its way into civilian medicine. At Wayne State University Medical School, surgeon Lucia Zamorano takes images of the brain from computerized scans and uses a computer program to produce a 3-D image. She can then maneuver the 3-D image on the computer screen to map the shortest, least invasive surgical path to the tumor . Zamorano is also using technology that attaches a probe to surgical instruments so that she can track their positions. While cutting away a tumor deep in the brain, she watches the movement of her surgical tools in a computer graphics image of the patient's brain taken before surgery.\nDuring these procedures-operations that are done through small cuts in the body in which a miniature camera and surgical tools are maneuvered-surgeons are wearing 3-D glasses for a better view. And they are commanding robot surgeons to cut away tissue more accurately than human surgeons can.\nSatava says, \"We are in the midst of a fundamental change in the field of medicine.\"","id":"381.txt","label":1} +{"option":["cause less pain to the wounded","allow the patient to recover more quickly","will make human surgeons' work less tedious","are done by robot surgeons with greater precision"],"question":"Virtual reality operations are an improvement on conventional surgery in that they ________.","article":"Richard Satava, program manager for advanced medical technologies, has been a driving force in bringing virtual reality to medicine, where computers create a \"virtual\" or simulated environment for surgeons and other medical practitioners .\n\"With virtual reality we'll be able to put a surgeon in every trench,\" said Satava. He envisaged a time when soldiers who are wounded fighting overseas are put in mobile surgical units equipped with computers.\nThe computers would transmit images of the soldiers to surgeons back in the U.S. The surgeons would look at the soldier through virtual reality helmets that contain a small screen displaying the image of the wound. The doctors would guide robotic instruments in the battlefield mobile surgical unit that operate on the soldier.\nAlthough Satava's vision may be years away from standard operating procedure, scientists are progressing toward virtual reality surgery. Engineers at an international organization in California are developing a tele-operating device. As surgeons watch a three-dimensional image of the surgery, they move instruments that are connected to a computer, which passes their movements to robotic instruments that perform the surgery. The computer provides feedback to the surgeon on force, textures, and sound.\nThese technological wonders may not yet be part of the community hospital setting but increasingly some of the machinery is finding its way into civilian medicine. At Wayne State University Medical School, surgeon Lucia Zamorano takes images of the brain from computerized scans and uses a computer program to produce a 3-D image. She can then maneuver the 3-D image on the computer screen to map the shortest, least invasive surgical path to the tumor . Zamorano is also using technology that attaches a probe to surgical instruments so that she can track their positions. While cutting away a tumor deep in the brain, she watches the movement of her surgical tools in a computer graphics image of the patient's brain taken before surgery.\nDuring these procedures-operations that are done through small cuts in the body in which a miniature camera and surgical tools are maneuvered-surgeons are wearing 3-D glasses for a better view. And they are commanding robot surgeons to cut away tissue more accurately than human surgeons can.\nSatava says, \"We are in the midst of a fundamental change in the field of medicine.\"","id":"381.txt","label":3} +{"option":["the night before December 24","the night after December 25","the night of December 25","the night of December 24"],"question":"Christmas Eve is _ .","article":"On Christmas Eve ----- the night before Christmas Day children are very happy. They put their stockings at the end of their beds before they go to bed. They want Father Christmas to give them some presents.\nMr. Green tells his children that Father Christmas is a very kind man. He comes on Christmas Eve. He lands on top of each house and comes down the chimney into the fireplace and brings them a lot of present.\nChristmas Day always begins before breakfast. The children wake up very early. They can't wait to open the presents in their stockings. Then they wake up their parents and call: Merry Christmas!''\nDo you know what Christmas means? Christmas Day is the birthday of Jesus Christ. When Christ was born, many people gave him presents. So today, people still do the same thing to each other.","id":"728.txt","label":3} +{"option":["into children's hats","into children's stockings","under children's beds","into children's shoes"],"question":"Father Christmas often puts the presents _ .","article":"On Christmas Eve ----- the night before Christmas Day children are very happy. They put their stockings at the end of their beds before they go to bed. They want Father Christmas to give them some presents.\nMr. Green tells his children that Father Christmas is a very kind man. He comes on Christmas Eve. He lands on top of each house and comes down the chimney into the fireplace and brings them a lot of present.\nChristmas Day always begins before breakfast. The children wake up very early. They can't wait to open the presents in their stockings. Then they wake up their parents and call: Merry Christmas!''\nDo you know what Christmas means? Christmas Day is the birthday of Jesus Christ. When Christ was born, many people gave him presents. So today, people still do the same thing to each other.","id":"728.txt","label":1} +{"option":["window","front door","chimney","back door"],"question":"Father Christmas comes into the house through the _ .","article":"On Christmas Eve ----- the night before Christmas Day children are very happy. They put their stockings at the end of their beds before they go to bed. They want Father Christmas to give them some presents.\nMr. Green tells his children that Father Christmas is a very kind man. He comes on Christmas Eve. He lands on top of each house and comes down the chimney into the fireplace and brings them a lot of present.\nChristmas Day always begins before breakfast. The children wake up very early. They can't wait to open the presents in their stockings. Then they wake up their parents and call: Merry Christmas!''\nDo you know what Christmas means? Christmas Day is the birthday of Jesus Christ. When Christ was born, many people gave him presents. So today, people still do the same thing to each other.","id":"728.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Good morning!","Happy New Year!","Best wishes for you!","Merry Christmas!"],"question":"On the morning of Christmas Day, children wake up their parents very early and say _ .","article":"On Christmas Eve ----- the night before Christmas Day children are very happy. They put their stockings at the end of their beds before they go to bed. They want Father Christmas to give them some presents.\nMr. Green tells his children that Father Christmas is a very kind man. He comes on Christmas Eve. He lands on top of each house and comes down the chimney into the fireplace and brings them a lot of present.\nChristmas Day always begins before breakfast. The children wake up very early. They can't wait to open the presents in their stockings. Then they wake up their parents and call: Merry Christmas!''\nDo you know what Christmas means? Christmas Day is the birthday of Jesus Christ. When Christ was born, many people gave him presents. So today, people still do the same thing to each other.","id":"728.txt","label":3} +{"option":["give presents","ask for money","ask for presents","give money"],"question":"On Christmas Day, people often _ to children","article":"On Christmas Eve ----- the night before Christmas Day children are very happy. They put their stockings at the end of their beds before they go to bed. They want Father Christmas to give them some presents.\nMr. Green tells his children that Father Christmas is a very kind man. He comes on Christmas Eve. He lands on top of each house and comes down the chimney into the fireplace and brings them a lot of present.\nChristmas Day always begins before breakfast. The children wake up very early. They can't wait to open the presents in their stockings. Then they wake up their parents and call: Merry Christmas!''\nDo you know what Christmas means? Christmas Day is the birthday of Jesus Christ. When Christ was born, many people gave him presents. So today, people still do the same thing to each other.","id":"728.txt","label":0} +{"option":["The proposal is initially proposed by Bloomberg administration.","The proposal is merely proposed for the sake of mayoral race.","Investors should sponsor the program according to the proposal.","The proposal aims at paying for early education."],"question":"What can we learn from Para.1 about Scott M. Stringer's proposal?","article":"Piggybacking on a recent Bloomberg administration initiative, Scott M. Stringer, the Manhattan borough president, plans to propose on Tuesday that New York City experiment with an innovative method to help pay for early education. Mr. Stringer, a Democrat who is a likely contender for mayor in 2013, is advocating that the city explore the use of social-impact bonds, also called pay-for-success bonds, to expand access to Early Head Start, which helps pregnant mothers and families with children up to age 3. Such bonds-actually loans made by investors to pay for a program-typically require a government to pay the investors a return on their principal only if a program meets certain goals and helps that entity save money.\nMr. Stringer said that his proposal would not cost taxpayers anything and stood in marked contrast to what other likely mayoral contenders have recently suggested in education, which has emerged as a key early issue in the mayor's race.\nEarlier this month, Bill de Blasio, the public advocate, proposed raising taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers to pay for more prekindergarten classes and after-school activities for students in Grades 6 to 8. In June, state lawmakers approved a proposal from Christine C. Quinn, the City Council speaker, to make kindergarten mandatory for all 5-year-olds in New York City, potentially covering 3,000 students who enter first grade without having first gone to kindergarten.\n\" We are fooling ourselves if we think the same old approach to funding education will get us to where we want to be,\" said Mr. Stringer, who plans to discuss his proposal-and several others designed to allow working- and middle-class New Yorkers more access to legal services-during a speech to the New York City Bar Association.\nTo make the investment worthwhile for both investor and government, people who are experienced in the field say that an early-education program would likely require an investment of anywhere from $5 million to $25 million. But some critics fret that monetary incentives could distort the programs, or the way they are evaluated, and that the public sector could cater too much to potential investors.\nIn theory, Mr. Stringer's proposal was welcomed by both the Bloomberg administration and Goldman Sachs. Alicia Glen, head of Goldman Sachs's Urban Investment Group, which is investing in the Rikers Island project, noted that early education has attracted enormous interest, and that three or four other municipalities across the country were already trying to come up with early-education social-impact bonds.","id":"446.txt","label":3} +{"option":["objective","biased","supportive","oppositive"],"question":"The writer's attitude to Scott M. Stringer's proposal can be said as _ .","article":"Piggybacking on a recent Bloomberg administration initiative, Scott M. Stringer, the Manhattan borough president, plans to propose on Tuesday that New York City experiment with an innovative method to help pay for early education. Mr. Stringer, a Democrat who is a likely contender for mayor in 2013, is advocating that the city explore the use of social-impact bonds, also called pay-for-success bonds, to expand access to Early Head Start, which helps pregnant mothers and families with children up to age 3. Such bonds-actually loans made by investors to pay for a program-typically require a government to pay the investors a return on their principal only if a program meets certain goals and helps that entity save money.\nMr. Stringer said that his proposal would not cost taxpayers anything and stood in marked contrast to what other likely mayoral contenders have recently suggested in education, which has emerged as a key early issue in the mayor's race.\nEarlier this month, Bill de Blasio, the public advocate, proposed raising taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers to pay for more prekindergarten classes and after-school activities for students in Grades 6 to 8. In June, state lawmakers approved a proposal from Christine C. Quinn, the City Council speaker, to make kindergarten mandatory for all 5-year-olds in New York City, potentially covering 3,000 students who enter first grade without having first gone to kindergarten.\n\" We are fooling ourselves if we think the same old approach to funding education will get us to where we want to be,\" said Mr. Stringer, who plans to discuss his proposal-and several others designed to allow working- and middle-class New Yorkers more access to legal services-during a speech to the New York City Bar Association.\nTo make the investment worthwhile for both investor and government, people who are experienced in the field say that an early-education program would likely require an investment of anywhere from $5 million to $25 million. But some critics fret that monetary incentives could distort the programs, or the way they are evaluated, and that the public sector could cater too much to potential investors.\nIn theory, Mr. Stringer's proposal was welcomed by both the Bloomberg administration and Goldman Sachs. Alicia Glen, head of Goldman Sachs's Urban Investment Group, which is investing in the Rikers Island project, noted that early education has attracted enormous interest, and that three or four other municipalities across the country were already trying to come up with early-education social-impact bonds.","id":"446.txt","label":0} +{"option":["investors and the government would not afford the expenditure","the investment could not stimulate the program","monetary incentives might bring negative effects on the program","the public sector might commit corruption"],"question":"Regarding the expenditure in early-education program, many feared that _ .","article":"Piggybacking on a recent Bloomberg administration initiative, Scott M. Stringer, the Manhattan borough president, plans to propose on Tuesday that New York City experiment with an innovative method to help pay for early education. Mr. Stringer, a Democrat who is a likely contender for mayor in 2013, is advocating that the city explore the use of social-impact bonds, also called pay-for-success bonds, to expand access to Early Head Start, which helps pregnant mothers and families with children up to age 3. Such bonds-actually loans made by investors to pay for a program-typically require a government to pay the investors a return on their principal only if a program meets certain goals and helps that entity save money.\nMr. Stringer said that his proposal would not cost taxpayers anything and stood in marked contrast to what other likely mayoral contenders have recently suggested in education, which has emerged as a key early issue in the mayor's race.\nEarlier this month, Bill de Blasio, the public advocate, proposed raising taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers to pay for more prekindergarten classes and after-school activities for students in Grades 6 to 8. In June, state lawmakers approved a proposal from Christine C. Quinn, the City Council speaker, to make kindergarten mandatory for all 5-year-olds in New York City, potentially covering 3,000 students who enter first grade without having first gone to kindergarten.\n\" We are fooling ourselves if we think the same old approach to funding education will get us to where we want to be,\" said Mr. Stringer, who plans to discuss his proposal-and several others designed to allow working- and middle-class New Yorkers more access to legal services-during a speech to the New York City Bar Association.\nTo make the investment worthwhile for both investor and government, people who are experienced in the field say that an early-education program would likely require an investment of anywhere from $5 million to $25 million. But some critics fret that monetary incentives could distort the programs, or the way they are evaluated, and that the public sector could cater too much to potential investors.\nIn theory, Mr. Stringer's proposal was welcomed by both the Bloomberg administration and Goldman Sachs. Alicia Glen, head of Goldman Sachs's Urban Investment Group, which is investing in the Rikers Island project, noted that early education has attracted enormous interest, and that three or four other municipalities across the country were already trying to come up with early-education social-impact bonds.","id":"446.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Goldman Sachs will invest in early-education","early-education will have a good development prospect","Alicia Glen put forward early-education social-impact bonds first","early-education needs to attract enormous interest"],"question":"It can be inferred from the last paragraph that _ .","article":"Piggybacking on a recent Bloomberg administration initiative, Scott M. Stringer, the Manhattan borough president, plans to propose on Tuesday that New York City experiment with an innovative method to help pay for early education. Mr. Stringer, a Democrat who is a likely contender for mayor in 2013, is advocating that the city explore the use of social-impact bonds, also called pay-for-success bonds, to expand access to Early Head Start, which helps pregnant mothers and families with children up to age 3. Such bonds-actually loans made by investors to pay for a program-typically require a government to pay the investors a return on their principal only if a program meets certain goals and helps that entity save money.\nMr. Stringer said that his proposal would not cost taxpayers anything and stood in marked contrast to what other likely mayoral contenders have recently suggested in education, which has emerged as a key early issue in the mayor's race.\nEarlier this month, Bill de Blasio, the public advocate, proposed raising taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers to pay for more prekindergarten classes and after-school activities for students in Grades 6 to 8. In June, state lawmakers approved a proposal from Christine C. Quinn, the City Council speaker, to make kindergarten mandatory for all 5-year-olds in New York City, potentially covering 3,000 students who enter first grade without having first gone to kindergarten.\n\" We are fooling ourselves if we think the same old approach to funding education will get us to where we want to be,\" said Mr. Stringer, who plans to discuss his proposal-and several others designed to allow working- and middle-class New Yorkers more access to legal services-during a speech to the New York City Bar Association.\nTo make the investment worthwhile for both investor and government, people who are experienced in the field say that an early-education program would likely require an investment of anywhere from $5 million to $25 million. But some critics fret that monetary incentives could distort the programs, or the way they are evaluated, and that the public sector could cater too much to potential investors.\nIn theory, Mr. Stringer's proposal was welcomed by both the Bloomberg administration and Goldman Sachs. Alicia Glen, head of Goldman Sachs's Urban Investment Group, which is investing in the Rikers Island project, noted that early education has attracted enormous interest, and that three or four other municipalities across the country were already trying to come up with early-education social-impact bonds.","id":"446.txt","label":1} +{"option":["What Is Going on in the Mayoral Race","Proposals on Early Education","How to Collect Money for Early Education","Who Will Be the Winner in the Mayoral Race"],"question":"The most appropriate title for this text would be _ .","article":"Piggybacking on a recent Bloomberg administration initiative, Scott M. Stringer, the Manhattan borough president, plans to propose on Tuesday that New York City experiment with an innovative method to help pay for early education. Mr. Stringer, a Democrat who is a likely contender for mayor in 2013, is advocating that the city explore the use of social-impact bonds, also called pay-for-success bonds, to expand access to Early Head Start, which helps pregnant mothers and families with children up to age 3. Such bonds-actually loans made by investors to pay for a program-typically require a government to pay the investors a return on their principal only if a program meets certain goals and helps that entity save money.\nMr. Stringer said that his proposal would not cost taxpayers anything and stood in marked contrast to what other likely mayoral contenders have recently suggested in education, which has emerged as a key early issue in the mayor's race.\nEarlier this month, Bill de Blasio, the public advocate, proposed raising taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers to pay for more prekindergarten classes and after-school activities for students in Grades 6 to 8. In June, state lawmakers approved a proposal from Christine C. Quinn, the City Council speaker, to make kindergarten mandatory for all 5-year-olds in New York City, potentially covering 3,000 students who enter first grade without having first gone to kindergarten.\n\" We are fooling ourselves if we think the same old approach to funding education will get us to where we want to be,\" said Mr. Stringer, who plans to discuss his proposal-and several others designed to allow working- and middle-class New Yorkers more access to legal services-during a speech to the New York City Bar Association.\nTo make the investment worthwhile for both investor and government, people who are experienced in the field say that an early-education program would likely require an investment of anywhere from $5 million to $25 million. But some critics fret that monetary incentives could distort the programs, or the way they are evaluated, and that the public sector could cater too much to potential investors.\nIn theory, Mr. Stringer's proposal was welcomed by both the Bloomberg administration and Goldman Sachs. Alicia Glen, head of Goldman Sachs's Urban Investment Group, which is investing in the Rikers Island project, noted that early education has attracted enormous interest, and that three or four other municipalities across the country were already trying to come up with early-education social-impact bonds.","id":"446.txt","label":1} +{"option":["all the products surveyed claim to meet ISO standards","the claims made by products are often unclear or deceiving","consumers would believe many of the manufactures' claim","few products actually prove to be environment friendly"],"question":"According to the passage, the NCC found it outrageous that _ .","article":"Consumers are being confused and misled by the hodge-podge of environmental claims made by household products, according to a \"green labeling\" study published by Consumers International Friday.\nAmong the report's more outrageous findings-a German fertilizer described itself as \"earthworm friendly\" a brand of flour said it was \"non-polluting\" and a British toilet paper claimed to be \"environmentally friendlier\"\nThe study was written and researched by 's National Consumer Council (NCC) for lobby group Consumer International. It was funded by the German and Dutch governments and the European Commission.\n\" While many good and useful claims are being made, it is clear there is a long way to go in ensuring shoppers are adequately informed about the environmental impact of products they buy,\" said Consumers International director Anna Fielder.\nThe 10-country study surveyed product packaging in , Western Europe, Scandinavia and the . It found that products sold in and the made the most environmental claims on average.\nThe report focused on claims made by specific products, such as detergent insect sprays and by some garden products. It did not test the claims, but compared them to labeling guidelines set by the International Standards Organization (ISO) in September, 1999.\nResearchers documented claims of environmental friendliness made by about 2,000 products and found many too vague or too misleading to meet ISO standards.\n\"Many products had specially-designed labels to make them seem environmentally friendly, but in fact many of these symbols mean nothing,\" said report researcher Philip Page.\n\"Laundry detergents made the most number of claims with 158. Household cleaners were second with 145 separate claims, while paints were third on our list with 73. The high numbers show how very confusing it must be for consumers to sort the true from the misleading.\" he said.\nThe ISO labeling standards ban vague or misleading claims on product packaging, because terms such as \"environmentally friendly\" and \"non-polluting\" cannot be verified. \"What we are now pushing for is to have multinational corporations meet the standards set by the ISO.\" said Page.","id":"766.txt","label":1} +{"option":["are becoming more cautious about the products they are going to buy","are still not willing to pay more for products with green labeling","are becoming more aware of the effects different products have on the environment","still do not know the exact impact of different products on the environment"],"question":"As indicated in this passage, with so many good claims, the consumers _ .","article":"Consumers are being confused and misled by the hodge-podge of environmental claims made by household products, according to a \"green labeling\" study published by Consumers International Friday.\nAmong the report's more outrageous findings-a German fertilizer described itself as \"earthworm friendly\" a brand of flour said it was \"non-polluting\" and a British toilet paper claimed to be \"environmentally friendlier\"\nThe study was written and researched by 's National Consumer Council (NCC) for lobby group Consumer International. It was funded by the German and Dutch governments and the European Commission.\n\" While many good and useful claims are being made, it is clear there is a long way to go in ensuring shoppers are adequately informed about the environmental impact of products they buy,\" said Consumers International director Anna Fielder.\nThe 10-country study surveyed product packaging in , Western Europe, Scandinavia and the . It found that products sold in and the made the most environmental claims on average.\nThe report focused on claims made by specific products, such as detergent insect sprays and by some garden products. It did not test the claims, but compared them to labeling guidelines set by the International Standards Organization (ISO) in September, 1999.\nResearchers documented claims of environmental friendliness made by about 2,000 products and found many too vague or too misleading to meet ISO standards.\n\"Many products had specially-designed labels to make them seem environmentally friendly, but in fact many of these symbols mean nothing,\" said report researcher Philip Page.\n\"Laundry detergents made the most number of claims with 158. Household cleaners were second with 145 separate claims, while paints were third on our list with 73. The high numbers show how very confusing it must be for consumers to sort the true from the misleading.\" he said.\nThe ISO labeling standards ban vague or misleading claims on product packaging, because terms such as \"environmentally friendly\" and \"non-polluting\" cannot be verified. \"What we are now pushing for is to have multinational corporations meet the standards set by the ISO.\" said Page.","id":"766.txt","label":3} +{"option":["find out how many claims made by products fail to meet environmental standards","inform the consumers of the environmental impact of the products they buy","examine claims made by products against ISO standards","revise the guidelines set by the International Standards Organization"],"question":"A study was carried out by 's NCC to _ .","article":"Consumers are being confused and misled by the hodge-podge of environmental claims made by household products, according to a \"green labeling\" study published by Consumers International Friday.\nAmong the report's more outrageous findings-a German fertilizer described itself as \"earthworm friendly\" a brand of flour said it was \"non-polluting\" and a British toilet paper claimed to be \"environmentally friendlier\"\nThe study was written and researched by 's National Consumer Council (NCC) for lobby group Consumer International. It was funded by the German and Dutch governments and the European Commission.\n\" While many good and useful claims are being made, it is clear there is a long way to go in ensuring shoppers are adequately informed about the environmental impact of products they buy,\" said Consumers International director Anna Fielder.\nThe 10-country study surveyed product packaging in , Western Europe, Scandinavia and the . It found that products sold in and the made the most environmental claims on average.\nThe report focused on claims made by specific products, such as detergent insect sprays and by some garden products. It did not test the claims, but compared them to labeling guidelines set by the International Standards Organization (ISO) in September, 1999.\nResearchers documented claims of environmental friendliness made by about 2,000 products and found many too vague or too misleading to meet ISO standards.\n\"Many products had specially-designed labels to make them seem environmentally friendly, but in fact many of these symbols mean nothing,\" said report researcher Philip Page.\n\"Laundry detergents made the most number of claims with 158. Household cleaners were second with 145 separate claims, while paints were third on our list with 73. The high numbers show how very confusing it must be for consumers to sort the true from the misleading.\" he said.\nThe ISO labeling standards ban vague or misleading claims on product packaging, because terms such as \"environmentally friendly\" and \"non-polluting\" cannot be verified. \"What we are now pushing for is to have multinational corporations meet the standards set by the ISO.\" said Page.","id":"766.txt","label":2} +{"option":["They are likely to lead to serious environmental problems.","Consumers find it difficult to tell the true from the false.","They could arouse widespread anger among consumer.","Consumers will be tempted to buy products they don't need."],"question":"What is one of the consequences caused by the many claims of household products?","article":"Consumers are being confused and misled by the hodge-podge of environmental claims made by household products, according to a \"green labeling\" study published by Consumers International Friday.\nAmong the report's more outrageous findings-a German fertilizer described itself as \"earthworm friendly\" a brand of flour said it was \"non-polluting\" and a British toilet paper claimed to be \"environmentally friendlier\"\nThe study was written and researched by 's National Consumer Council (NCC) for lobby group Consumer International. It was funded by the German and Dutch governments and the European Commission.\n\" While many good and useful claims are being made, it is clear there is a long way to go in ensuring shoppers are adequately informed about the environmental impact of products they buy,\" said Consumers International director Anna Fielder.\nThe 10-country study surveyed product packaging in , Western Europe, Scandinavia and the . It found that products sold in and the made the most environmental claims on average.\nThe report focused on claims made by specific products, such as detergent insect sprays and by some garden products. It did not test the claims, but compared them to labeling guidelines set by the International Standards Organization (ISO) in September, 1999.\nResearchers documented claims of environmental friendliness made by about 2,000 products and found many too vague or too misleading to meet ISO standards.\n\"Many products had specially-designed labels to make them seem environmentally friendly, but in fact many of these symbols mean nothing,\" said report researcher Philip Page.\n\"Laundry detergents made the most number of claims with 158. Household cleaners were second with 145 separate claims, while paints were third on our list with 73. The high numbers show how very confusing it must be for consumers to sort the true from the misleading.\" he said.\nThe ISO labeling standards ban vague or misleading claims on product packaging, because terms such as \"environmentally friendly\" and \"non-polluting\" cannot be verified. \"What we are now pushing for is to have multinational corporations meet the standards set by the ISO.\" said Page.","id":"766.txt","label":1} +{"option":["make product labeling satisfy ISO requirements","see all household products meet environmental standards","warn consumers of the danger of so-called green products","verify the efforts of non-polluting products"],"question":"It can be inferred from the passage that the lobby group Consumer International wants to _ .","article":"Consumers are being confused and misled by the hodge-podge of environmental claims made by household products, according to a \"green labeling\" study published by Consumers International Friday.\nAmong the report's more outrageous findings-a German fertilizer described itself as \"earthworm friendly\" a brand of flour said it was \"non-polluting\" and a British toilet paper claimed to be \"environmentally friendlier\"\nThe study was written and researched by 's National Consumer Council (NCC) for lobby group Consumer International. It was funded by the German and Dutch governments and the European Commission.\n\" While many good and useful claims are being made, it is clear there is a long way to go in ensuring shoppers are adequately informed about the environmental impact of products they buy,\" said Consumers International director Anna Fielder.\nThe 10-country study surveyed product packaging in , Western Europe, Scandinavia and the . It found that products sold in and the made the most environmental claims on average.\nThe report focused on claims made by specific products, such as detergent insect sprays and by some garden products. It did not test the claims, but compared them to labeling guidelines set by the International Standards Organization (ISO) in September, 1999.\nResearchers documented claims of environmental friendliness made by about 2,000 products and found many too vague or too misleading to meet ISO standards.\n\"Many products had specially-designed labels to make them seem environmentally friendly, but in fact many of these symbols mean nothing,\" said report researcher Philip Page.\n\"Laundry detergents made the most number of claims with 158. Household cleaners were second with 145 separate claims, while paints were third on our list with 73. The high numbers show how very confusing it must be for consumers to sort the true from the misleading.\" he said.\nThe ISO labeling standards ban vague or misleading claims on product packaging, because terms such as \"environmentally friendly\" and \"non-polluting\" cannot be verified. \"What we are now pushing for is to have multinational corporations meet the standards set by the ISO.\" said Page.","id":"766.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Christianity","religious advocation","mysterious thoughts","crazy belief"],"question":"By the word\" religion\" \uff08Line 4, Paragraph 1\uff09, the author means _ .","article":"As he lays out his vision for the future of open-source software, Mark Shuttleworth is enthusiastic, but he looks tired. He has been up late negotiating yet another deal as part of his mission to bring open source to a wider audience. A successful South African entrepreneur during the dotcom era, he wants open-source advocates to lose their religion and concentrate on ease-of-use instead. And he is putting his money where his mouth is. Since 2004, he has been using his fortune to fund the Ubuntu project, which makes a user-friendly version of Linux, the open-source operating system. Ubuntu is a Zulu and Xhosa term that roughly means\" universal bond of sharing between humans\" . Ubuntu's slogan is\" Linux for human beings\" , and it is aimed at mainstream computer users. For although Linux is popular on servers, it is not, so far, used on many desktops.\nIn part that is because open-source software tends to polarise opinion. It has many critics who suspect that software written by idealistic guys, and made available free to anyone who wants to download it, must be some kind of communist plot. Zealous believers, meanwhile, long for open source to triumph over the evil empires of commercial software. This clash is often depicted as an epic struggle between Linux and Microsoft's proprietary Windows operating system. But the truth is that most computer users do not know or care about the politics of open-source software. Mr Shuttleworth says most people simply want to read their e-mail, browse the web and so on.\n\" It's very easy to declare victory,\" says Mr Shuttleworth, describing the conceited attitude of some open-source supporters. \" There are big chunks of the software world that depend on free software.\" But Ubuntu's aim is not to conquer the software establishment and replace its products. Rather than seeing open-source software as one of two competing ideologies and focusing on the struggle, Ubuntu thinks about the user. Ubuntu is a complete bundle of software, from operating system to applications and programming tools, that is updated every six months and, says Mr Shuttleworth, will always be free. Taking the debate out of open source is intended to move adoption beyond politically motivated enthusiasts and encourage mass adoption of the software on its merits.\nIt is a bold scheme, but Mr Shuttleworth is not a man to think small. He was raised in a suburb of Cape Town, an unlikely place from which to join the internet revolution. Yet that was his goal from the day he first used a web browser. When he saw that the internet was switching from a text-based to a graphical medium, \" I sensed that everything was going to change,\" he says. He spent a couple of years looking for the right way to get involved, given his situation. \" I had to find something to do that was cutting-edge, without requiring much bandwidth or venture capital,\" he says. He succeeded handsomely by setting up a company, Thawte, that made digital certificates and security software to support internet commerce. He sold the firm for over $500m to VeriSign in 1999, near the peak of the dotcom boom.","id":"491.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Objective.","Optimistic.","Discouraged.","Confused."],"question":"How does the author feel about the Ubuntu project?","article":"As he lays out his vision for the future of open-source software, Mark Shuttleworth is enthusiastic, but he looks tired. He has been up late negotiating yet another deal as part of his mission to bring open source to a wider audience. A successful South African entrepreneur during the dotcom era, he wants open-source advocates to lose their religion and concentrate on ease-of-use instead. And he is putting his money where his mouth is. Since 2004, he has been using his fortune to fund the Ubuntu project, which makes a user-friendly version of Linux, the open-source operating system. Ubuntu is a Zulu and Xhosa term that roughly means\" universal bond of sharing between humans\" . Ubuntu's slogan is\" Linux for human beings\" , and it is aimed at mainstream computer users. For although Linux is popular on servers, it is not, so far, used on many desktops.\nIn part that is because open-source software tends to polarise opinion. It has many critics who suspect that software written by idealistic guys, and made available free to anyone who wants to download it, must be some kind of communist plot. Zealous believers, meanwhile, long for open source to triumph over the evil empires of commercial software. This clash is often depicted as an epic struggle between Linux and Microsoft's proprietary Windows operating system. But the truth is that most computer users do not know or care about the politics of open-source software. Mr Shuttleworth says most people simply want to read their e-mail, browse the web and so on.\n\" It's very easy to declare victory,\" says Mr Shuttleworth, describing the conceited attitude of some open-source supporters. \" There are big chunks of the software world that depend on free software.\" But Ubuntu's aim is not to conquer the software establishment and replace its products. Rather than seeing open-source software as one of two competing ideologies and focusing on the struggle, Ubuntu thinks about the user. Ubuntu is a complete bundle of software, from operating system to applications and programming tools, that is updated every six months and, says Mr Shuttleworth, will always be free. Taking the debate out of open source is intended to move adoption beyond politically motivated enthusiasts and encourage mass adoption of the software on its merits.\nIt is a bold scheme, but Mr Shuttleworth is not a man to think small. He was raised in a suburb of Cape Town, an unlikely place from which to join the internet revolution. Yet that was his goal from the day he first used a web browser. When he saw that the internet was switching from a text-based to a graphical medium, \" I sensed that everything was going to change,\" he says. He spent a couple of years looking for the right way to get involved, given his situation. \" I had to find something to do that was cutting-edge, without requiring much bandwidth or venture capital,\" he says. He succeeded handsomely by setting up a company, Thawte, that made digital certificates and security software to support internet commerce. He sold the firm for over $500m to VeriSign in 1999, near the peak of the dotcom boom.","id":"491.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Mr Shuttleworth does not look small","Mr Shuttleworth is very ambitious","Mr Shuttleworth does not like to think about small projects","Mr Shuttleworth only cares about important and great things"],"question":"When mentioning\" Mr Shuttleworth is not a man to think small\" \uff08Line 1, Paragraph 4\uff09the author means _ .","article":"As he lays out his vision for the future of open-source software, Mark Shuttleworth is enthusiastic, but he looks tired. He has been up late negotiating yet another deal as part of his mission to bring open source to a wider audience. A successful South African entrepreneur during the dotcom era, he wants open-source advocates to lose their religion and concentrate on ease-of-use instead. And he is putting his money where his mouth is. Since 2004, he has been using his fortune to fund the Ubuntu project, which makes a user-friendly version of Linux, the open-source operating system. Ubuntu is a Zulu and Xhosa term that roughly means\" universal bond of sharing between humans\" . Ubuntu's slogan is\" Linux for human beings\" , and it is aimed at mainstream computer users. For although Linux is popular on servers, it is not, so far, used on many desktops.\nIn part that is because open-source software tends to polarise opinion. It has many critics who suspect that software written by idealistic guys, and made available free to anyone who wants to download it, must be some kind of communist plot. Zealous believers, meanwhile, long for open source to triumph over the evil empires of commercial software. This clash is often depicted as an epic struggle between Linux and Microsoft's proprietary Windows operating system. But the truth is that most computer users do not know or care about the politics of open-source software. Mr Shuttleworth says most people simply want to read their e-mail, browse the web and so on.\n\" It's very easy to declare victory,\" says Mr Shuttleworth, describing the conceited attitude of some open-source supporters. \" There are big chunks of the software world that depend on free software.\" But Ubuntu's aim is not to conquer the software establishment and replace its products. Rather than seeing open-source software as one of two competing ideologies and focusing on the struggle, Ubuntu thinks about the user. Ubuntu is a complete bundle of software, from operating system to applications and programming tools, that is updated every six months and, says Mr Shuttleworth, will always be free. Taking the debate out of open source is intended to move adoption beyond politically motivated enthusiasts and encourage mass adoption of the software on its merits.\nIt is a bold scheme, but Mr Shuttleworth is not a man to think small. He was raised in a suburb of Cape Town, an unlikely place from which to join the internet revolution. Yet that was his goal from the day he first used a web browser. When he saw that the internet was switching from a text-based to a graphical medium, \" I sensed that everything was going to change,\" he says. He spent a couple of years looking for the right way to get involved, given his situation. \" I had to find something to do that was cutting-edge, without requiring much bandwidth or venture capital,\" he says. He succeeded handsomely by setting up a company, Thawte, that made digital certificates and security software to support internet commerce. He sold the firm for over $500m to VeriSign in 1999, near the peak of the dotcom boom.","id":"491.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Mr Shuttleworth focuses on the popularity and mass applicability of the open-source software.","Mr Shuttleworth intends to arouse the public awareness of the political controversy on open-source.","Zealous advocates only care about the political fight against Microsoft's commercial operating systems.","Zealous advocates are not aware of the open-source merits in terms of everyday use."],"question":"What is the difference between Mr Shuttleworth and some zealous open-source advocates?","article":"As he lays out his vision for the future of open-source software, Mark Shuttleworth is enthusiastic, but he looks tired. He has been up late negotiating yet another deal as part of his mission to bring open source to a wider audience. A successful South African entrepreneur during the dotcom era, he wants open-source advocates to lose their religion and concentrate on ease-of-use instead. And he is putting his money where his mouth is. Since 2004, he has been using his fortune to fund the Ubuntu project, which makes a user-friendly version of Linux, the open-source operating system. Ubuntu is a Zulu and Xhosa term that roughly means\" universal bond of sharing between humans\" . Ubuntu's slogan is\" Linux for human beings\" , and it is aimed at mainstream computer users. For although Linux is popular on servers, it is not, so far, used on many desktops.\nIn part that is because open-source software tends to polarise opinion. It has many critics who suspect that software written by idealistic guys, and made available free to anyone who wants to download it, must be some kind of communist plot. Zealous believers, meanwhile, long for open source to triumph over the evil empires of commercial software. This clash is often depicted as an epic struggle between Linux and Microsoft's proprietary Windows operating system. But the truth is that most computer users do not know or care about the politics of open-source software. Mr Shuttleworth says most people simply want to read their e-mail, browse the web and so on.\n\" It's very easy to declare victory,\" says Mr Shuttleworth, describing the conceited attitude of some open-source supporters. \" There are big chunks of the software world that depend on free software.\" But Ubuntu's aim is not to conquer the software establishment and replace its products. Rather than seeing open-source software as one of two competing ideologies and focusing on the struggle, Ubuntu thinks about the user. Ubuntu is a complete bundle of software, from operating system to applications and programming tools, that is updated every six months and, says Mr Shuttleworth, will always be free. Taking the debate out of open source is intended to move adoption beyond politically motivated enthusiasts and encourage mass adoption of the software on its merits.\nIt is a bold scheme, but Mr Shuttleworth is not a man to think small. He was raised in a suburb of Cape Town, an unlikely place from which to join the internet revolution. Yet that was his goal from the day he first used a web browser. When he saw that the internet was switching from a text-based to a graphical medium, \" I sensed that everything was going to change,\" he says. He spent a couple of years looking for the right way to get involved, given his situation. \" I had to find something to do that was cutting-edge, without requiring much bandwidth or venture capital,\" he says. He succeeded handsomely by setting up a company, Thawte, that made digital certificates and security software to support internet commerce. He sold the firm for over $500m to VeriSign in 1999, near the peak of the dotcom boom.","id":"491.txt","label":0} +{"option":["It is free to download from Internet and is updated regularly.","It is user-oriented and can therefore be used with ease.","It tends to replace the current commericial software.","It can be used by anyone who has access to Internet."],"question":"Which of the following is NOT the characteristic of the Ubuntu software?","article":"As he lays out his vision for the future of open-source software, Mark Shuttleworth is enthusiastic, but he looks tired. He has been up late negotiating yet another deal as part of his mission to bring open source to a wider audience. A successful South African entrepreneur during the dotcom era, he wants open-source advocates to lose their religion and concentrate on ease-of-use instead. And he is putting his money where his mouth is. Since 2004, he has been using his fortune to fund the Ubuntu project, which makes a user-friendly version of Linux, the open-source operating system. Ubuntu is a Zulu and Xhosa term that roughly means\" universal bond of sharing between humans\" . Ubuntu's slogan is\" Linux for human beings\" , and it is aimed at mainstream computer users. For although Linux is popular on servers, it is not, so far, used on many desktops.\nIn part that is because open-source software tends to polarise opinion. It has many critics who suspect that software written by idealistic guys, and made available free to anyone who wants to download it, must be some kind of communist plot. Zealous believers, meanwhile, long for open source to triumph over the evil empires of commercial software. This clash is often depicted as an epic struggle between Linux and Microsoft's proprietary Windows operating system. But the truth is that most computer users do not know or care about the politics of open-source software. Mr Shuttleworth says most people simply want to read their e-mail, browse the web and so on.\n\" It's very easy to declare victory,\" says Mr Shuttleworth, describing the conceited attitude of some open-source supporters. \" There are big chunks of the software world that depend on free software.\" But Ubuntu's aim is not to conquer the software establishment and replace its products. Rather than seeing open-source software as one of two competing ideologies and focusing on the struggle, Ubuntu thinks about the user. Ubuntu is a complete bundle of software, from operating system to applications and programming tools, that is updated every six months and, says Mr Shuttleworth, will always be free. Taking the debate out of open source is intended to move adoption beyond politically motivated enthusiasts and encourage mass adoption of the software on its merits.\nIt is a bold scheme, but Mr Shuttleworth is not a man to think small. He was raised in a suburb of Cape Town, an unlikely place from which to join the internet revolution. Yet that was his goal from the day he first used a web browser. When he saw that the internet was switching from a text-based to a graphical medium, \" I sensed that everything was going to change,\" he says. He spent a couple of years looking for the right way to get involved, given his situation. \" I had to find something to do that was cutting-edge, without requiring much bandwidth or venture capital,\" he says. He succeeded handsomely by setting up a company, Thawte, that made digital certificates and security software to support internet commerce. He sold the firm for over $500m to VeriSign in 1999, near the peak of the dotcom boom.","id":"491.txt","label":2} +{"option":["promised to obey the store rules","forgot to take any money with him","hoped to have the food first and pay later","could not afford anything more expensive"],"question":"The aged gentleman who wanted to buy the biscuits _ .","article":"Compassion is a desire within us to help others.With effort, we can translate compassion into action.An experience last weekend showed me this is true.I work part-time in a supermarket across from a building for the elderly.These old people are our main customers, and its not hard to lose patience over their slowness.But last Sunday, one aged gentleman appeared to teach me a valuable lesson.This untidy man walked up to my register with a box of biscuits.He said he was out of cash, had just moved into his room, and had nothing in his cupboards.He asked if we could let him have the food on trust.He promised to repay me the next day.\nI couldnt help staring at him.I wondered what kind of person he had been ten or twenty years before, and what he would be like if luck had gone his way.I had a hurt in my heart for this kind of human soul, all alone in the world.I told him that I was sorry, but store rules didnt allow me to do so.I felt stupid and unkind saying this, but I valued my job.\nJust then, another man, standing behind the first, spoke up.If anything, he looked more pitiable.Charge it to me, was all he said.\nWhat I had been feeling was pity.Pity is soft and safe and easy.Compassion, on the other hand, is caring in action.I thanked the second man but told him that was not allowed either.Then I reached into my pocket and paid for the biscuits myself.I reached into my pocket because these two men had reached into my heart and taught me compassion.","id":"2635.txt","label":2} +{"option":["kind and lucky","poor and lonely","friendly and helpful","hurt and disappointed"],"question":"Which of the following best describes the old gentleman?","article":"Compassion is a desire within us to help others.With effort, we can translate compassion into action.An experience last weekend showed me this is true.I work part-time in a supermarket across from a building for the elderly.These old people are our main customers, and its not hard to lose patience over their slowness.But last Sunday, one aged gentleman appeared to teach me a valuable lesson.This untidy man walked up to my register with a box of biscuits.He said he was out of cash, had just moved into his room, and had nothing in his cupboards.He asked if we could let him have the food on trust.He promised to repay me the next day.\nI couldnt help staring at him.I wondered what kind of person he had been ten or twenty years before, and what he would be like if luck had gone his way.I had a hurt in my heart for this kind of human soul, all alone in the world.I told him that I was sorry, but store rules didnt allow me to do so.I felt stupid and unkind saying this, but I valued my job.\nJust then, another man, standing behind the first, spoke up.If anything, he looked more pitiable.Charge it to me, was all he said.\nWhat I had been feeling was pity.Pity is soft and safe and easy.Compassion, on the other hand, is caring in action.I thanked the second man but told him that was not allowed either.Then I reached into my pocket and paid for the biscuits myself.I reached into my pocket because these two men had reached into my heart and taught me compassion.","id":"2635.txt","label":1} +{"option":["he wanted to keep his present job","he felt no pity for the old gentleman","he considered the old man dishonest","he expected someone else to pay for the old man"],"question":"The writer acted upon the store rules because _ .","article":"Compassion is a desire within us to help others.With effort, we can translate compassion into action.An experience last weekend showed me this is true.I work part-time in a supermarket across from a building for the elderly.These old people are our main customers, and its not hard to lose patience over their slowness.But last Sunday, one aged gentleman appeared to teach me a valuable lesson.This untidy man walked up to my register with a box of biscuits.He said he was out of cash, had just moved into his room, and had nothing in his cupboards.He asked if we could let him have the food on trust.He promised to repay me the next day.\nI couldnt help staring at him.I wondered what kind of person he had been ten or twenty years before, and what he would be like if luck had gone his way.I had a hurt in my heart for this kind of human soul, all alone in the world.I told him that I was sorry, but store rules didnt allow me to do so.I felt stupid and unkind saying this, but I valued my job.\nJust then, another man, standing behind the first, spoke up.If anything, he looked more pitiable.Charge it to me, was all he said.\nWhat I had been feeling was pity.Pity is soft and safe and easy.Compassion, on the other hand, is caring in action.I thanked the second man but told him that was not allowed either.Then I reached into my pocket and paid for the biscuits myself.I reached into my pocket because these two men had reached into my heart and taught me compassion.","id":"2635.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Wealth is more important than anything else.","Helping others is easier said than done.","Experience is better gained through practice.","Obeying the rules means more than compassion."],"question":"What does the writer learn from his experience?","article":"Compassion is a desire within us to help others.With effort, we can translate compassion into action.An experience last weekend showed me this is true.I work part-time in a supermarket across from a building for the elderly.These old people are our main customers, and its not hard to lose patience over their slowness.But last Sunday, one aged gentleman appeared to teach me a valuable lesson.This untidy man walked up to my register with a box of biscuits.He said he was out of cash, had just moved into his room, and had nothing in his cupboards.He asked if we could let him have the food on trust.He promised to repay me the next day.\nI couldnt help staring at him.I wondered what kind of person he had been ten or twenty years before, and what he would be like if luck had gone his way.I had a hurt in my heart for this kind of human soul, all alone in the world.I told him that I was sorry, but store rules didnt allow me to do so.I felt stupid and unkind saying this, but I valued my job.\nJust then, another man, standing behind the first, spoke up.If anything, he looked more pitiable.Charge it to me, was all he said.\nWhat I had been feeling was pity.Pity is soft and safe and easy.Compassion, on the other hand, is caring in action.I thanked the second man but told him that was not allowed either.Then I reached into my pocket and paid for the biscuits myself.I reached into my pocket because these two men had reached into my heart and taught me compassion.","id":"2635.txt","label":1} +{"option":["develop closer relations","share the same culture","get to know each other","keep each other company"],"question":"In some countries, eating together at restaurants may make it easier for people to _ .","article":"Meeting people from another culture can be difficult. From the beginning, people may send the wrong signal (\uff09. Or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a relationship.\nDifferent cultures emphasize (\uff09the importance of relationship building to a greater or lesser degree. For example, business in some countries is not possible until there is a relationship of trust. Even with people at work, it is necessary to spend a lot of time in \"small talk\", usually over a glass of tea, before they do any job. In many European countries-like the UK or France- people find it easier to build up a lasting working relationship at restaurants or cafes rather than at the office.\nTalk and silence may also be different in some cultures. I once made a speech in Thailand. I had expected my speech to be a success and start a lively discussion instead there was an uncomfortable silence. The people present just stared at me and smiled. After getting to know their ways better, I realized that they thought I was talking too much. In my own culture, we express meaning mainly through words, but people them sometimes feel too many words are unnecessary.\nEven within Northern Europe, cultural differences can cause serious problems. Certainly, English and German cultures share similar values; however, Germans prefer to get down to business more quickly. We think that they are rude. In fact, this is just because one culture starts discussions and makes decisions mom quickly.\nPeople from different parts of the world have different values, and sometimes these values are quite against each other. However, it we can understand them better, a multicultural environment (\uff09 will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other.","id":"3729.txt","label":0} +{"option":["the English prefer to make long speeches","too many words are of no use","people from Thailand are quiet and shy by nature","even talk and silence can he culturally different"],"question":"The author mentions his experience in Thailand to show that _ .","article":"Meeting people from another culture can be difficult. From the beginning, people may send the wrong signal (\uff09. Or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a relationship.\nDifferent cultures emphasize (\uff09the importance of relationship building to a greater or lesser degree. For example, business in some countries is not possible until there is a relationship of trust. Even with people at work, it is necessary to spend a lot of time in \"small talk\", usually over a glass of tea, before they do any job. In many European countries-like the UK or France- people find it easier to build up a lasting working relationship at restaurants or cafes rather than at the office.\nTalk and silence may also be different in some cultures. I once made a speech in Thailand. I had expected my speech to be a success and start a lively discussion instead there was an uncomfortable silence. The people present just stared at me and smiled. After getting to know their ways better, I realized that they thought I was talking too much. In my own culture, we express meaning mainly through words, but people them sometimes feel too many words are unnecessary.\nEven within Northern Europe, cultural differences can cause serious problems. Certainly, English and German cultures share similar values; however, Germans prefer to get down to business more quickly. We think that they are rude. In fact, this is just because one culture starts discussions and makes decisions mom quickly.\nPeople from different parts of the world have different values, and sometimes these values are quite against each other. However, it we can understand them better, a multicultural environment (\uff09 will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other.","id":"3729.txt","label":3} +{"option":["By sharing different ways of life.","By accepting different habits.","By recognizing different values.","By speaking each other's languages."],"question":"According to the text, how can people from different cultures understand each other better?","article":"Meeting people from another culture can be difficult. From the beginning, people may send the wrong signal (\uff09. Or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a relationship.\nDifferent cultures emphasize (\uff09the importance of relationship building to a greater or lesser degree. For example, business in some countries is not possible until there is a relationship of trust. Even with people at work, it is necessary to spend a lot of time in \"small talk\", usually over a glass of tea, before they do any job. In many European countries-like the UK or France- people find it easier to build up a lasting working relationship at restaurants or cafes rather than at the office.\nTalk and silence may also be different in some cultures. I once made a speech in Thailand. I had expected my speech to be a success and start a lively discussion instead there was an uncomfortable silence. The people present just stared at me and smiled. After getting to know their ways better, I realized that they thought I was talking too much. In my own culture, we express meaning mainly through words, but people them sometimes feel too many words are unnecessary.\nEven within Northern Europe, cultural differences can cause serious problems. Certainly, English and German cultures share similar values; however, Germans prefer to get down to business more quickly. We think that they are rude. In fact, this is just because one culture starts discussions and makes decisions mom quickly.\nPeople from different parts of the world have different values, and sometimes these values are quite against each other. However, it we can understand them better, a multicultural environment (\uff09 will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other.","id":"3729.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Multicultural Environment.","Cross-Cultural Differences.","How to Understand Each Other.","How to Build Up a Relationship."],"question":"What would be the best title for the text?","article":"Meeting people from another culture can be difficult. From the beginning, people may send the wrong signal (\uff09. Or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a relationship.\nDifferent cultures emphasize (\uff09the importance of relationship building to a greater or lesser degree. For example, business in some countries is not possible until there is a relationship of trust. Even with people at work, it is necessary to spend a lot of time in \"small talk\", usually over a glass of tea, before they do any job. In many European countries-like the UK or France- people find it easier to build up a lasting working relationship at restaurants or cafes rather than at the office.\nTalk and silence may also be different in some cultures. I once made a speech in Thailand. I had expected my speech to be a success and start a lively discussion instead there was an uncomfortable silence. The people present just stared at me and smiled. After getting to know their ways better, I realized that they thought I was talking too much. In my own culture, we express meaning mainly through words, but people them sometimes feel too many words are unnecessary.\nEven within Northern Europe, cultural differences can cause serious problems. Certainly, English and German cultures share similar values; however, Germans prefer to get down to business more quickly. We think that they are rude. In fact, this is just because one culture starts discussions and makes decisions mom quickly.\nPeople from different parts of the world have different values, and sometimes these values are quite against each other. However, it we can understand them better, a multicultural environment (\uff09 will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other.","id":"3729.txt","label":1} +{"option":["become serious about her study","go to her friend's house regularly","learn from her classmates at school","share poems and stories with her friend"],"question":"In the eighth grade, what the author did before developing proper social behavior was to _ .","article":"When it comes to friends, I desire those who will share my happiness, who possess wings of their own and who will fly with me. I seek friends whose qualities illuminateme and train me up for love. It is for these people that I reserve the glowing hours, too good not to share.\nWhen I was in the eighth grade, I had a friend. We were shy and \"too serious\" about our studies when it was becoming fashionable with our classmates to learn acceptable social behaviors. We said little at school, but she would come to my house and we would sit down with pencils and paper, and one of us would say: \"Let's start with a train whistle today.\" We would sit quietly together and write separate poems or stories that grew out of a train whistle. Then we would read them aloud. At the end of that school year, we, too, were changed into social creatures and the stories and poems stopped.\nWhen I lived for a time in London, I had a friend.He was in despairand I was in despair. But our friendship was based on the idea in each of us that we would be sorry later if we did not explore this great city because we had felt bad at the time. We met every Sunday for five weeks and found many excellent things. We walked until our despairs disappeared and then we parted. We gave London to each other.\nFor almost four years I have had a remarkable friend whose imagination illuminates mine. We write long letters in which we often discover our strangest selves. Each of us appears, sometimes in a funny way, in the other's dreams. She and I agree that, at certain times, we seem to be parts of the same mind. In my most interesting moments, I often think: \" Yes, I must tell\u2026.\"We have never met.\nIt is such comforting companions I wish to keep. One bright hour with their kind is worth more to me than the lifetime services of a psychologist\uff0cwho will only fill up the healingsilence necessary to those darkest moments in which I would rather be my own best friend.","id":"3458.txt","label":3} +{"option":["our exploration of London was a memorable gift to both of us","we were unwilling to tear ourselves away from London","our unpleasant feelings about London disappeared","we parted with each other in London"],"question":"In Paragraph 3, \"We gave London to each other\" probably means _ .","article":"When it comes to friends, I desire those who will share my happiness, who possess wings of their own and who will fly with me. I seek friends whose qualities illuminateme and train me up for love. It is for these people that I reserve the glowing hours, too good not to share.\nWhen I was in the eighth grade, I had a friend. We were shy and \"too serious\" about our studies when it was becoming fashionable with our classmates to learn acceptable social behaviors. We said little at school, but she would come to my house and we would sit down with pencils and paper, and one of us would say: \"Let's start with a train whistle today.\" We would sit quietly together and write separate poems or stories that grew out of a train whistle. Then we would read them aloud. At the end of that school year, we, too, were changed into social creatures and the stories and poems stopped.\nWhen I lived for a time in London, I had a friend.He was in despairand I was in despair. But our friendship was based on the idea in each of us that we would be sorry later if we did not explore this great city because we had felt bad at the time. We met every Sunday for five weeks and found many excellent things. We walked until our despairs disappeared and then we parted. We gave London to each other.\nFor almost four years I have had a remarkable friend whose imagination illuminates mine. We write long letters in which we often discover our strangest selves. Each of us appears, sometimes in a funny way, in the other's dreams. She and I agree that, at certain times, we seem to be parts of the same mind. In my most interesting moments, I often think: \" Yes, I must tell\u2026.\"We have never met.\nIt is such comforting companions I wish to keep. One bright hour with their kind is worth more to me than the lifetime services of a psychologist\uff0cwho will only fill up the healingsilence necessary to those darkest moments in which I would rather be my own best friend.","id":"3458.txt","label":0} +{"option":["call each other regularly","have similar personalities","enjoy writing to each other","dream of meeting each other"],"question":"According to Paragraph 4, the author and her friend _ .","article":"When it comes to friends, I desire those who will share my happiness, who possess wings of their own and who will fly with me. I seek friends whose qualities illuminateme and train me up for love. It is for these people that I reserve the glowing hours, too good not to share.\nWhen I was in the eighth grade, I had a friend. We were shy and \"too serious\" about our studies when it was becoming fashionable with our classmates to learn acceptable social behaviors. We said little at school, but she would come to my house and we would sit down with pencils and paper, and one of us would say: \"Let's start with a train whistle today.\" We would sit quietly together and write separate poems or stories that grew out of a train whistle. Then we would read them aloud. At the end of that school year, we, too, were changed into social creatures and the stories and poems stopped.\nWhen I lived for a time in London, I had a friend.He was in despairand I was in despair. But our friendship was based on the idea in each of us that we would be sorry later if we did not explore this great city because we had felt bad at the time. We met every Sunday for five weeks and found many excellent things. We walked until our despairs disappeared and then we parted. We gave London to each other.\nFor almost four years I have had a remarkable friend whose imagination illuminates mine. We write long letters in which we often discover our strangest selves. Each of us appears, sometimes in a funny way, in the other's dreams. She and I agree that, at certain times, we seem to be parts of the same mind. In my most interesting moments, I often think: \" Yes, I must tell\u2026.\"We have never met.\nIt is such comforting companions I wish to keep. One bright hour with their kind is worth more to me than the lifetime services of a psychologist\uff0cwho will only fill up the healingsilence necessary to those darkest moments in which I would rather be my own best friend.","id":"3458.txt","label":2} +{"option":["seek professional help","be left alone","stay with her best friend","break the silence"],"question":"In the darkest moments, the author would prefer to _ .","article":"When it comes to friends, I desire those who will share my happiness, who possess wings of their own and who will fly with me. I seek friends whose qualities illuminateme and train me up for love. It is for these people that I reserve the glowing hours, too good not to share.\nWhen I was in the eighth grade, I had a friend. We were shy and \"too serious\" about our studies when it was becoming fashionable with our classmates to learn acceptable social behaviors. We said little at school, but she would come to my house and we would sit down with pencils and paper, and one of us would say: \"Let's start with a train whistle today.\" We would sit quietly together and write separate poems or stories that grew out of a train whistle. Then we would read them aloud. At the end of that school year, we, too, were changed into social creatures and the stories and poems stopped.\nWhen I lived for a time in London, I had a friend.He was in despairand I was in despair. But our friendship was based on the idea in each of us that we would be sorry later if we did not explore this great city because we had felt bad at the time. We met every Sunday for five weeks and found many excellent things. We walked until our despairs disappeared and then we parted. We gave London to each other.\nFor almost four years I have had a remarkable friend whose imagination illuminates mine. We write long letters in which we often discover our strangest selves. Each of us appears, sometimes in a funny way, in the other's dreams. She and I agree that, at certain times, we seem to be parts of the same mind. In my most interesting moments, I often think: \" Yes, I must tell\u2026.\"We have never met.\nIt is such comforting companions I wish to keep. One bright hour with their kind is worth more to me than the lifetime services of a psychologist\uff0cwho will only fill up the healingsilence necessary to those darkest moments in which I would rather be my own best friend.","id":"3458.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Unforgettable Experiences","Remarkable Imagination","Lifelong Friendship","Noble Companions"],"question":"What is the best title for the passage?","article":"When it comes to friends, I desire those who will share my happiness, who possess wings of their own and who will fly with me. I seek friends whose qualities illuminateme and train me up for love. It is for these people that I reserve the glowing hours, too good not to share.\nWhen I was in the eighth grade, I had a friend. We were shy and \"too serious\" about our studies when it was becoming fashionable with our classmates to learn acceptable social behaviors. We said little at school, but she would come to my house and we would sit down with pencils and paper, and one of us would say: \"Let's start with a train whistle today.\" We would sit quietly together and write separate poems or stories that grew out of a train whistle. Then we would read them aloud. At the end of that school year, we, too, were changed into social creatures and the stories and poems stopped.\nWhen I lived for a time in London, I had a friend.He was in despairand I was in despair. But our friendship was based on the idea in each of us that we would be sorry later if we did not explore this great city because we had felt bad at the time. We met every Sunday for five weeks and found many excellent things. We walked until our despairs disappeared and then we parted. We gave London to each other.\nFor almost four years I have had a remarkable friend whose imagination illuminates mine. We write long letters in which we often discover our strangest selves. Each of us appears, sometimes in a funny way, in the other's dreams. She and I agree that, at certain times, we seem to be parts of the same mind. In my most interesting moments, I often think: \" Yes, I must tell\u2026.\"We have never met.\nIt is such comforting companions I wish to keep. One bright hour with their kind is worth more to me than the lifetime services of a psychologist\uff0cwho will only fill up the healingsilence necessary to those darkest moments in which I would rather be my own best friend.","id":"3458.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Because they don't like cooking themselves,","Because there are more choices in the restaurants.","Because they have many things to do.","Because they can do nothing at leisure."],"question":"Why Americans cannot eat elaborately prepared meals at leisure?","article":"When they do have the chance to eat at home often the working housewife prefers to prepare meals which can be quickly heated and consumed. It is no wonder, therefore, that America has become a sanctuary for fast food consumption.\nThis great transformation occurred after World War II when many women began to work full-time jobs and were spending less time at home with their families. Women, however, wanted to function well in the capacity of home-maker, as well as that of career woman but time became a precious commodity which had to be carefully used.\nTherefore, it was necessary to make her life easier at home in the preparation of the family dinner. Simultaneously with women entering the job market there was also a shifting of the focus of home entertainment from the radio to the television.\nTelevision became the latest fad in the fifties and no one wanted to miss his or her favorite televised program. The place for the evening's supper shifted from the dining room to the living room.\nAs the customs changed, so did the culture. The immediate solution for this was the invention of the TV dinner. These were frozen meals which were sectioned off into portions of meat and vegetables. They could easily be popped into an oven and prepared within minutes. The tin trays in which they were served were conveniently carried into the living room and dinner was consamed in front of a TV set. Cleaning up afterwards was no problem. The tin trays were easily tossed into the garbage.\nFrom fast dinners at home the next step was quick eating while on the road. At this time also the love for TV was combined with the fascination for the automobile. It is not odd that with the development of the superhighways America saw the beginning of fast food chains. McDonald's paved the way with its variety of burgers and shakes soon to be followed by all kinds of other foods. Today dozens of fast-food chain franchises can be found along highways, in modem shopping malls and scattered throughout neighborhoods in America. Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Roy Roger's, Burger King and Wendy's are just a few of the fast-food chains which are now part of American culture. They offer chicken, donuts, tacos and pizza, all quickly produced in great quantities for the masses. These establishments have given shape to the modern lifestyles and diet of the American people.","id":"991.txt","label":2} +{"option":["many women began to work full-time jobs","the invention of fast food","few women would like to be homemakers any more","the great reform after World War II"],"question":"Americans have been the consumers of fast food since","article":"When they do have the chance to eat at home often the working housewife prefers to prepare meals which can be quickly heated and consumed. It is no wonder, therefore, that America has become a sanctuary for fast food consumption.\nThis great transformation occurred after World War II when many women began to work full-time jobs and were spending less time at home with their families. Women, however, wanted to function well in the capacity of home-maker, as well as that of career woman but time became a precious commodity which had to be carefully used.\nTherefore, it was necessary to make her life easier at home in the preparation of the family dinner. Simultaneously with women entering the job market there was also a shifting of the focus of home entertainment from the radio to the television.\nTelevision became the latest fad in the fifties and no one wanted to miss his or her favorite televised program. The place for the evening's supper shifted from the dining room to the living room.\nAs the customs changed, so did the culture. The immediate solution for this was the invention of the TV dinner. These were frozen meals which were sectioned off into portions of meat and vegetables. They could easily be popped into an oven and prepared within minutes. The tin trays in which they were served were conveniently carried into the living room and dinner was consamed in front of a TV set. Cleaning up afterwards was no problem. The tin trays were easily tossed into the garbage.\nFrom fast dinners at home the next step was quick eating while on the road. At this time also the love for TV was combined with the fascination for the automobile. It is not odd that with the development of the superhighways America saw the beginning of fast food chains. McDonald's paved the way with its variety of burgers and shakes soon to be followed by all kinds of other foods. Today dozens of fast-food chain franchises can be found along highways, in modem shopping malls and scattered throughout neighborhoods in America. Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Roy Roger's, Burger King and Wendy's are just a few of the fast-food chains which are now part of American culture. They offer chicken, donuts, tacos and pizza, all quickly produced in great quantities for the masses. These establishments have given shape to the modern lifestyles and diet of the American people.","id":"991.txt","label":0} +{"option":["the attraction of the radio","their preference in fast food","the shift of home focus","the attraction of the television"],"question":"Americans began to have supper in the living rooms because of","article":"When they do have the chance to eat at home often the working housewife prefers to prepare meals which can be quickly heated and consumed. It is no wonder, therefore, that America has become a sanctuary for fast food consumption.\nThis great transformation occurred after World War II when many women began to work full-time jobs and were spending less time at home with their families. Women, however, wanted to function well in the capacity of home-maker, as well as that of career woman but time became a precious commodity which had to be carefully used.\nTherefore, it was necessary to make her life easier at home in the preparation of the family dinner. Simultaneously with women entering the job market there was also a shifting of the focus of home entertainment from the radio to the television.\nTelevision became the latest fad in the fifties and no one wanted to miss his or her favorite televised program. The place for the evening's supper shifted from the dining room to the living room.\nAs the customs changed, so did the culture. The immediate solution for this was the invention of the TV dinner. These were frozen meals which were sectioned off into portions of meat and vegetables. They could easily be popped into an oven and prepared within minutes. The tin trays in which they were served were conveniently carried into the living room and dinner was consamed in front of a TV set. Cleaning up afterwards was no problem. The tin trays were easily tossed into the garbage.\nFrom fast dinners at home the next step was quick eating while on the road. At this time also the love for TV was combined with the fascination for the automobile. It is not odd that with the development of the superhighways America saw the beginning of fast food chains. McDonald's paved the way with its variety of burgers and shakes soon to be followed by all kinds of other foods. Today dozens of fast-food chain franchises can be found along highways, in modem shopping malls and scattered throughout neighborhoods in America. Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Roy Roger's, Burger King and Wendy's are just a few of the fast-food chains which are now part of American culture. They offer chicken, donuts, tacos and pizza, all quickly produced in great quantities for the masses. These establishments have given shape to the modern lifestyles and diet of the American people.","id":"991.txt","label":3} +{"option":["the development of the shopping malls","the development of the superhighways","the beginning of fast food chain franchises","the change of Americans' lifestyles"],"question":"The fast food chains began to flourish with _","article":"When they do have the chance to eat at home often the working housewife prefers to prepare meals which can be quickly heated and consumed. It is no wonder, therefore, that America has become a sanctuary for fast food consumption.\nThis great transformation occurred after World War II when many women began to work full-time jobs and were spending less time at home with their families. Women, however, wanted to function well in the capacity of home-maker, as well as that of career woman but time became a precious commodity which had to be carefully used.\nTherefore, it was necessary to make her life easier at home in the preparation of the family dinner. Simultaneously with women entering the job market there was also a shifting of the focus of home entertainment from the radio to the television.\nTelevision became the latest fad in the fifties and no one wanted to miss his or her favorite televised program. The place for the evening's supper shifted from the dining room to the living room.\nAs the customs changed, so did the culture. The immediate solution for this was the invention of the TV dinner. These were frozen meals which were sectioned off into portions of meat and vegetables. They could easily be popped into an oven and prepared within minutes. The tin trays in which they were served were conveniently carried into the living room and dinner was consamed in front of a TV set. Cleaning up afterwards was no problem. The tin trays were easily tossed into the garbage.\nFrom fast dinners at home the next step was quick eating while on the road. At this time also the love for TV was combined with the fascination for the automobile. It is not odd that with the development of the superhighways America saw the beginning of fast food chains. McDonald's paved the way with its variety of burgers and shakes soon to be followed by all kinds of other foods. Today dozens of fast-food chain franchises can be found along highways, in modem shopping malls and scattered throughout neighborhoods in America. Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Roy Roger's, Burger King and Wendy's are just a few of the fast-food chains which are now part of American culture. They offer chicken, donuts, tacos and pizza, all quickly produced in great quantities for the masses. These establishments have given shape to the modern lifestyles and diet of the American people.","id":"991.txt","label":1} +{"option":["the beginning of fast food chains","the changes of Americans' eating customs","the transformation of lifestyles","the dieting of the American people"],"question":"The main topic of the passage is _","article":"When they do have the chance to eat at home often the working housewife prefers to prepare meals which can be quickly heated and consumed. It is no wonder, therefore, that America has become a sanctuary for fast food consumption.\nThis great transformation occurred after World War II when many women began to work full-time jobs and were spending less time at home with their families. Women, however, wanted to function well in the capacity of home-maker, as well as that of career woman but time became a precious commodity which had to be carefully used.\nTherefore, it was necessary to make her life easier at home in the preparation of the family dinner. Simultaneously with women entering the job market there was also a shifting of the focus of home entertainment from the radio to the television.\nTelevision became the latest fad in the fifties and no one wanted to miss his or her favorite televised program. The place for the evening's supper shifted from the dining room to the living room.\nAs the customs changed, so did the culture. The immediate solution for this was the invention of the TV dinner. These were frozen meals which were sectioned off into portions of meat and vegetables. They could easily be popped into an oven and prepared within minutes. The tin trays in which they were served were conveniently carried into the living room and dinner was consamed in front of a TV set. Cleaning up afterwards was no problem. The tin trays were easily tossed into the garbage.\nFrom fast dinners at home the next step was quick eating while on the road. At this time also the love for TV was combined with the fascination for the automobile. It is not odd that with the development of the superhighways America saw the beginning of fast food chains. McDonald's paved the way with its variety of burgers and shakes soon to be followed by all kinds of other foods. Today dozens of fast-food chain franchises can be found along highways, in modem shopping malls and scattered throughout neighborhoods in America. Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Roy Roger's, Burger King and Wendy's are just a few of the fast-food chains which are now part of American culture. They offer chicken, donuts, tacos and pizza, all quickly produced in great quantities for the masses. These establishments have given shape to the modern lifestyles and diet of the American people.","id":"991.txt","label":1} +{"option":["some babies are born with a sense of direction.","people learn a sense of direction as they grow older","people never lose their sense of direction","everybody possesses a sense of direction from birth"],"question":"Scientists believe that _ .","article":"You either have it, or you don't-a sense of direction, that is. But why is it that some people could find their way across the Sahara without a map, while others can lose themselves in the next street?\nScientists say we're all born with a sense of direction, but it is not properly understood how it works. One theory is that people with a good sense of direction have simply worked harder at developing it. Research being carried out at Liverpool University supports this idea and suggests that if we don't use is, we lose it.\n\"Children as young as seven have the ability to find their way around,\" says Jim Martland, Research Director of the project. \"However, if they are not allowed out alone or are taken everywhere by car, they never develop the skills.\"\nJim Martland also emphasizes that young people should be taught certain skills to improve their sense of direction. He makes the following suggestions:\n\u25cfIf you are using a map, turn it so it relates to the way you are facing.\n\u25cfIf you leave your bike in a strange place, put it near something like a big stone or a tree. Note landmarks on the route as you go away from your bike. When you return, go back along the same route.\n\u25cfSimplify the way of finding your direction by using lines such as streets in a town, streams, or walls in the countryside to guide you. Count your steps so that you know how far you have gone and note any landmarks such as tower blocks or hills which can help to find out where you are.\nNow you need never get lost again!","id":"3254.txt","label":3} +{"option":["They never have a sense of direction without maps","They should never be allowed out alone if they lack a sense of direction","They have a sense of direction and can find their way around","They can develop a good sense of direction if they are driven around in a car."],"question":"What is true of seven-year-old children according to the passage?","article":"You either have it, or you don't-a sense of direction, that is. But why is it that some people could find their way across the Sahara without a map, while others can lose themselves in the next street?\nScientists say we're all born with a sense of direction, but it is not properly understood how it works. One theory is that people with a good sense of direction have simply worked harder at developing it. Research being carried out at Liverpool University supports this idea and suggests that if we don't use is, we lose it.\n\"Children as young as seven have the ability to find their way around,\" says Jim Martland, Research Director of the project. \"However, if they are not allowed out alone or are taken everywhere by car, they never develop the skills.\"\nJim Martland also emphasizes that young people should be taught certain skills to improve their sense of direction. He makes the following suggestions:\n\u25cfIf you are using a map, turn it so it relates to the way you are facing.\n\u25cfIf you leave your bike in a strange place, put it near something like a big stone or a tree. Note landmarks on the route as you go away from your bike. When you return, go back along the same route.\n\u25cfSimplify the way of finding your direction by using lines such as streets in a town, streams, or walls in the countryside to guide you. Count your steps so that you know how far you have gone and note any landmarks such as tower blocks or hills which can help to find out where you are.\nNow you need never get lost again!","id":"3254.txt","label":2} +{"option":["tie it to a tree so as to prevent it from being stolen","draw a map of the route to help remember where it is","avoid taking the same route when you come back to it","remember something easily recognizable on the route"],"question":"If you leave your bike in a strange place, you should _ .","article":"You either have it, or you don't-a sense of direction, that is. But why is it that some people could find their way across the Sahara without a map, while others can lose themselves in the next street?\nScientists say we're all born with a sense of direction, but it is not properly understood how it works. One theory is that people with a good sense of direction have simply worked harder at developing it. Research being carried out at Liverpool University supports this idea and suggests that if we don't use is, we lose it.\n\"Children as young as seven have the ability to find their way around,\" says Jim Martland, Research Director of the project. \"However, if they are not allowed out alone or are taken everywhere by car, they never develop the skills.\"\nJim Martland also emphasizes that young people should be taught certain skills to improve their sense of direction. He makes the following suggestions:\n\u25cfIf you are using a map, turn it so it relates to the way you are facing.\n\u25cfIf you leave your bike in a strange place, put it near something like a big stone or a tree. Note landmarks on the route as you go away from your bike. When you return, go back along the same route.\n\u25cfSimplify the way of finding your direction by using lines such as streets in a town, streams, or walls in the countryside to guide you. Count your steps so that you know how far you have gone and note any landmarks such as tower blocks or hills which can help to find out where you are.\nNow you need never get lost again!","id":"3254.txt","label":3} +{"option":["ask policemen for directions.","use walls, streams, and streets to guide yourself","remember your route by looking out for steps and stairs","count the number of landmarks that you see"],"question":"According to the passage, the best way to find your way around is to _ .","article":"You either have it, or you don't-a sense of direction, that is. But why is it that some people could find their way across the Sahara without a map, while others can lose themselves in the next street?\nScientists say we're all born with a sense of direction, but it is not properly understood how it works. One theory is that people with a good sense of direction have simply worked harder at developing it. Research being carried out at Liverpool University supports this idea and suggests that if we don't use is, we lose it.\n\"Children as young as seven have the ability to find their way around,\" says Jim Martland, Research Director of the project. \"However, if they are not allowed out alone or are taken everywhere by car, they never develop the skills.\"\nJim Martland also emphasizes that young people should be taught certain skills to improve their sense of direction. He makes the following suggestions:\n\u25cfIf you are using a map, turn it so it relates to the way you are facing.\n\u25cfIf you leave your bike in a strange place, put it near something like a big stone or a tree. Note landmarks on the route as you go away from your bike. When you return, go back along the same route.\n\u25cfSimplify the way of finding your direction by using lines such as streets in a town, streams, or walls in the countryside to guide you. Count your steps so that you know how far you have gone and note any landmarks such as tower blocks or hills which can help to find out where you are.\nNow you need never get lost again!","id":"3254.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Sportsman.","Audience.","Both of them.","None of them."],"question":"Which of the following can reflect the ever-changing ethnicstructure of America?","article":"It was a cold, rainy and wholly miserable afternoon in Washington,and a hot muggy night in Miami. It was Sunday, and three games were played inthe two cities. The people playing them and the people watching them tell usmuch about the ever-changing ethnic structure of the United States.\nProfessional football in the United States is almost wholly playedby native-born American citizens, mostly very large and very strong, many ofthem black. It is a game of physical strength. Linemen routinely weigh morethan 300 pounds. Players are valued for their weigh and muscles, for how fastthey can run, and how hard they can hit each other. Football draws the biggestcrowds, but the teams play only once a week, because they get so battered.\nThe 67,204 fans were in Miami for the final game of the baseballWorld Series. Baseball was once America's favorite game, but has lost thatclaim to basketball.\nBaseball is a game that requires strength, but not hugeness.Agility, quickness, perfect vision and quick reaction are more important thanpure strength. Baseball was once a purely American game, but has spread aroundmuch of the New World. In that Sunday's final, the final hit of the extrainning game was delivered by a native of Columbia. The Most Valuable Player inthe game was a native of Columbia. The rosters of both teams were awash withHispanic names, as is Miami, which now claims the World Championship is a gamethat may be losing popularity in America, but has gained it in much of the restof the world. Baseball in America has taken on a strong Hispanic flavor, with adash of Japanese added for seasoning.\nSoccer, which many countries just call football, is the most widelyenjoyed sport in the world. In soccer, which many countries just call football,the ethnic tide has been the reverse of baseball. Until recently, professionalsoccer in the United States has largely been an import, played by SouthAmericans and Europeans. Now, American citizens in large numbers are finallytaking up the most popular game in the world.\nBasketball, an American invention increasingly played around theworld, these days draws large crowds back home. Likewise, hockey, a gamelargely imported to the United States from neighboring Canada. Lacrosse, aversion of which was played by Native Americans before the Europeans arrived,is also gaining a keen national following.\nSports of all kinds are winning support from American armchairenthusiasts from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.","id":"1083.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Native-born American citizens.","Europeans.","South Americans.","Both B and C."],"question":"Who play professional football in the United States?.","article":"It was a cold, rainy and wholly miserable afternoon in Washington,and a hot muggy night in Miami. It was Sunday, and three games were played inthe two cities. The people playing them and the people watching them tell usmuch about the ever-changing ethnic structure of the United States.\nProfessional football in the United States is almost wholly playedby native-born American citizens, mostly very large and very strong, many ofthem black. It is a game of physical strength. Linemen routinely weigh morethan 300 pounds. Players are valued for their weigh and muscles, for how fastthey can run, and how hard they can hit each other. Football draws the biggestcrowds, but the teams play only once a week, because they get so battered.\nThe 67,204 fans were in Miami for the final game of the baseballWorld Series. Baseball was once America's favorite game, but has lost thatclaim to basketball.\nBaseball is a game that requires strength, but not hugeness.Agility, quickness, perfect vision and quick reaction are more important thanpure strength. Baseball was once a purely American game, but has spread aroundmuch of the New World. In that Sunday's final, the final hit of the extrainning game was delivered by a native of Columbia. The Most Valuable Player inthe game was a native of Columbia. The rosters of both teams were awash withHispanic names, as is Miami, which now claims the World Championship is a gamethat may be losing popularity in America, but has gained it in much of the restof the world. Baseball in America has taken on a strong Hispanic flavor, with adash of Japanese added for seasoning.\nSoccer, which many countries just call football, is the most widelyenjoyed sport in the world. In soccer, which many countries just call football,the ethnic tide has been the reverse of baseball. Until recently, professionalsoccer in the United States has largely been an import, played by SouthAmericans and Europeans. Now, American citizens in large numbers are finallytaking up the most popular game in the world.\nBasketball, an American invention increasingly played around theworld, these days draws large crowds back home. Likewise, hockey, a gamelargely imported to the United States from neighboring Canada. Lacrosse, aversion of which was played by Native Americans before the Europeans arrived,is also gaining a keen national following.\nSports of all kinds are winning support from American armchairenthusiasts from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.","id":"1083.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Baseball.","Basketball.","Professional football.","Soccer."],"question":"What is America's favorite game?","article":"It was a cold, rainy and wholly miserable afternoon in Washington,and a hot muggy night in Miami. It was Sunday, and three games were played inthe two cities. The people playing them and the people watching them tell usmuch about the ever-changing ethnic structure of the United States.\nProfessional football in the United States is almost wholly playedby native-born American citizens, mostly very large and very strong, many ofthem black. It is a game of physical strength. Linemen routinely weigh morethan 300 pounds. Players are valued for their weigh and muscles, for how fastthey can run, and how hard they can hit each other. Football draws the biggestcrowds, but the teams play only once a week, because they get so battered.\nThe 67,204 fans were in Miami for the final game of the baseballWorld Series. Baseball was once America's favorite game, but has lost thatclaim to basketball.\nBaseball is a game that requires strength, but not hugeness.Agility, quickness, perfect vision and quick reaction are more important thanpure strength. Baseball was once a purely American game, but has spread aroundmuch of the New World. In that Sunday's final, the final hit of the extrainning game was delivered by a native of Columbia. The Most Valuable Player inthe game was a native of Columbia. The rosters of both teams were awash withHispanic names, as is Miami, which now claims the World Championship is a gamethat may be losing popularity in America, but has gained it in much of the restof the world. Baseball in America has taken on a strong Hispanic flavor, with adash of Japanese added for seasoning.\nSoccer, which many countries just call football, is the most widelyenjoyed sport in the world. In soccer, which many countries just call football,the ethnic tide has been the reverse of baseball. Until recently, professionalsoccer in the United States has largely been an import, played by SouthAmericans and Europeans. Now, American citizens in large numbers are finallytaking up the most popular game in the world.\nBasketball, an American invention increasingly played around theworld, these days draws large crowds back home. Likewise, hockey, a gamelargely imported to the United States from neighboring Canada. Lacrosse, aversion of which was played by Native Americans before the Europeans arrived,is also gaining a keen national following.\nSports of all kinds are winning support from American armchairenthusiasts from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.","id":"1083.txt","label":3} +{"option":["In soccer and basketball, the ethnic tide is different.","Until recently, soccer becomes an important game, so many nativeAmericans play it.","It is the most popular game in the world, so many Americancitizens take up it.","Although soccer is the most popular game in the world, Americancitizens in large numbers do not like first."],"question":"Which of the following statements about soccer is true?","article":"It was a cold, rainy and wholly miserable afternoon in Washington,and a hot muggy night in Miami. It was Sunday, and three games were played inthe two cities. The people playing them and the people watching them tell usmuch about the ever-changing ethnic structure of the United States.\nProfessional football in the United States is almost wholly playedby native-born American citizens, mostly very large and very strong, many ofthem black. It is a game of physical strength. Linemen routinely weigh morethan 300 pounds. Players are valued for their weigh and muscles, for how fastthey can run, and how hard they can hit each other. Football draws the biggestcrowds, but the teams play only once a week, because they get so battered.\nThe 67,204 fans were in Miami for the final game of the baseballWorld Series. Baseball was once America's favorite game, but has lost thatclaim to basketball.\nBaseball is a game that requires strength, but not hugeness.Agility, quickness, perfect vision and quick reaction are more important thanpure strength. Baseball was once a purely American game, but has spread aroundmuch of the New World. In that Sunday's final, the final hit of the extrainning game was delivered by a native of Columbia. The Most Valuable Player inthe game was a native of Columbia. The rosters of both teams were awash withHispanic names, as is Miami, which now claims the World Championship is a gamethat may be losing popularity in America, but has gained it in much of the restof the world. Baseball in America has taken on a strong Hispanic flavor, with adash of Japanese added for seasoning.\nSoccer, which many countries just call football, is the most widelyenjoyed sport in the world. In soccer, which many countries just call football,the ethnic tide has been the reverse of baseball. Until recently, professionalsoccer in the United States has largely been an import, played by SouthAmericans and Europeans. Now, American citizens in large numbers are finallytaking up the most popular game in the world.\nBasketball, an American invention increasingly played around theworld, these days draws large crowds back home. Likewise, hockey, a gamelargely imported to the United States from neighboring Canada. Lacrosse, aversion of which was played by Native Americans before the Europeans arrived,is also gaining a keen national following.\nSports of all kinds are winning support from American armchairenthusiasts from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.","id":"1083.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Americans like sports and sports reveal much about the changingethnic structure of the United States","In Washington, several games are played in one day","Americans like all kinds of games","The American games are watched by native-Americans and played bypeople from different countries"],"question":"The author of the passage wants to tell us that _ .","article":"It was a cold, rainy and wholly miserable afternoon in Washington,and a hot muggy night in Miami. It was Sunday, and three games were played inthe two cities. The people playing them and the people watching them tell usmuch about the ever-changing ethnic structure of the United States.\nProfessional football in the United States is almost wholly playedby native-born American citizens, mostly very large and very strong, many ofthem black. It is a game of physical strength. Linemen routinely weigh morethan 300 pounds. Players are valued for their weigh and muscles, for how fastthey can run, and how hard they can hit each other. Football draws the biggestcrowds, but the teams play only once a week, because they get so battered.\nThe 67,204 fans were in Miami for the final game of the baseballWorld Series. Baseball was once America's favorite game, but has lost thatclaim to basketball.\nBaseball is a game that requires strength, but not hugeness.Agility, quickness, perfect vision and quick reaction are more important thanpure strength. Baseball was once a purely American game, but has spread aroundmuch of the New World. In that Sunday's final, the final hit of the extrainning game was delivered by a native of Columbia. The Most Valuable Player inthe game was a native of Columbia. The rosters of both teams were awash withHispanic names, as is Miami, which now claims the World Championship is a gamethat may be losing popularity in America, but has gained it in much of the restof the world. Baseball in America has taken on a strong Hispanic flavor, with adash of Japanese added for seasoning.\nSoccer, which many countries just call football, is the most widelyenjoyed sport in the world. In soccer, which many countries just call football,the ethnic tide has been the reverse of baseball. Until recently, professionalsoccer in the United States has largely been an import, played by SouthAmericans and Europeans. Now, American citizens in large numbers are finallytaking up the most popular game in the world.\nBasketball, an American invention increasingly played around theworld, these days draws large crowds back home. Likewise, hockey, a gamelargely imported to the United States from neighboring Canada. Lacrosse, aversion of which was played by Native Americans before the Europeans arrived,is also gaining a keen national following.\nSports of all kinds are winning support from American armchairenthusiasts from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.","id":"1083.txt","label":0} +{"option":["what the progress of Baldessari's art creating is","how Baldessari defines art","why Baldessari investigate the roles for art","how Baldessari became famous"],"question":"The main idea of this passage is _ .","article":"He has influenced generations of artists but John Baldessari's own celebrity came relatively late. A physically imposing 79-year-old, he seemed slightly uncomfortable at a press conference at the Metropolitan Museum, where a travelling retrospective of his work has just opened for its final stop. Asked to distil his art for the many who have not heard of him, he responded cheerfully that it was not the job of an artist to \"spoon-feed\" viewers but to make them feel intelligent.\nFor decades Mr Baldessari has made art that challenges convention. Though his work is heavily conceptual, it is not designed to alienateand is often very funny. In the wake of abstract expressionism, when painting was all, Mr Baldessari was investigating what it meant to make a painting, what the rules were, and how far he could stretch them. In the 1960s he created a series of works that featured mostly text on canvas, painted by sign professionals.\nOne, in black letters on canvas, reads \"PURE BEAUTY\". The words sit there like a taunt, a question, a declaration.\n\"I do not believe in screwing the bourgeoisie,\" Mr Baldessari explained in an interview. The irony in his work is not designed to reveal what is vacant in art, or what is silly about those who buy it. He just wants people to question what they are looking at. He pokes fun at the art establishment, but he lets viewers in on the joke. Art, he says, supplies\"spiritual nourishment\". Asked if a show at the Met sat uncomfortably with his subversive streak, Mr Baldessari did not miss a beat: \"I would be happy to hang in a broom closet at the Met. It's a huge honour.\"\nMr Baldessari attributes some of his experimentation to having grown up in National City, California, a suburb just north of the Mexican border and well beyond the reach of any art scene. He was culturally isolated, but also free from the pressures of rejection. \"I was trying to find out what was irreducibly art.\" His boldest early work was his \"Cremation Project\" in 1970, when he ceremonially burned nearly all the paintings he had made between 1953 and 1966. \"I really think it's my best piece to date,\" he wrote of it at the time.\nHe supported himself by teaching, mainly at the progressive California Institute of the Arts in Valencia. He earned a reputation for being a revolutionary and generous teacher who inspired students to renounce painting and view art as something that happens in the brain. \"Artists are indebted to him,\" said Marla Prather, who organised the show at the Met. He taught countless people how to make art from the ordinary stuff of life. Now the man himself is finally getting his due.","id":"2627.txt","label":1} +{"option":["showing the ideas to people by means of holding a spoon","forcing people to accept the ideas","providing people with materials to create art","cheering up the people seeing the pictures"],"question":"The word \"spoon-feed\" (Line 4, Para. 1 ) means _ .","article":"He has influenced generations of artists but John Baldessari's own celebrity came relatively late. A physically imposing 79-year-old, he seemed slightly uncomfortable at a press conference at the Metropolitan Museum, where a travelling retrospective of his work has just opened for its final stop. Asked to distil his art for the many who have not heard of him, he responded cheerfully that it was not the job of an artist to \"spoon-feed\" viewers but to make them feel intelligent.\nFor decades Mr Baldessari has made art that challenges convention. Though his work is heavily conceptual, it is not designed to alienateand is often very funny. In the wake of abstract expressionism, when painting was all, Mr Baldessari was investigating what it meant to make a painting, what the rules were, and how far he could stretch them. In the 1960s he created a series of works that featured mostly text on canvas, painted by sign professionals.\nOne, in black letters on canvas, reads \"PURE BEAUTY\". The words sit there like a taunt, a question, a declaration.\n\"I do not believe in screwing the bourgeoisie,\" Mr Baldessari explained in an interview. The irony in his work is not designed to reveal what is vacant in art, or what is silly about those who buy it. He just wants people to question what they are looking at. He pokes fun at the art establishment, but he lets viewers in on the joke. Art, he says, supplies\"spiritual nourishment\". Asked if a show at the Met sat uncomfortably with his subversive streak, Mr Baldessari did not miss a beat: \"I would be happy to hang in a broom closet at the Met. It's a huge honour.\"\nMr Baldessari attributes some of his experimentation to having grown up in National City, California, a suburb just north of the Mexican border and well beyond the reach of any art scene. He was culturally isolated, but also free from the pressures of rejection. \"I was trying to find out what was irreducibly art.\" His boldest early work was his \"Cremation Project\" in 1970, when he ceremonially burned nearly all the paintings he had made between 1953 and 1966. \"I really think it's my best piece to date,\" he wrote of it at the time.\nHe supported himself by teaching, mainly at the progressive California Institute of the Arts in Valencia. He earned a reputation for being a revolutionary and generous teacher who inspired students to renounce painting and view art as something that happens in the brain. \"Artists are indebted to him,\" said Marla Prather, who organised the show at the Met. He taught countless people how to make art from the ordinary stuff of life. Now the man himself is finally getting his due.","id":"2627.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Conceptual.","Ironic.","Isolated.","Funny."],"question":"Which of the following is not the principal feature of Baldessari's work?","article":"He has influenced generations of artists but John Baldessari's own celebrity came relatively late. A physically imposing 79-year-old, he seemed slightly uncomfortable at a press conference at the Metropolitan Museum, where a travelling retrospective of his work has just opened for its final stop. Asked to distil his art for the many who have not heard of him, he responded cheerfully that it was not the job of an artist to \"spoon-feed\" viewers but to make them feel intelligent.\nFor decades Mr Baldessari has made art that challenges convention. Though his work is heavily conceptual, it is not designed to alienateand is often very funny. In the wake of abstract expressionism, when painting was all, Mr Baldessari was investigating what it meant to make a painting, what the rules were, and how far he could stretch them. In the 1960s he created a series of works that featured mostly text on canvas, painted by sign professionals.\nOne, in black letters on canvas, reads \"PURE BEAUTY\". The words sit there like a taunt, a question, a declaration.\n\"I do not believe in screwing the bourgeoisie,\" Mr Baldessari explained in an interview. The irony in his work is not designed to reveal what is vacant in art, or what is silly about those who buy it. He just wants people to question what they are looking at. He pokes fun at the art establishment, but he lets viewers in on the joke. Art, he says, supplies\"spiritual nourishment\". Asked if a show at the Met sat uncomfortably with his subversive streak, Mr Baldessari did not miss a beat: \"I would be happy to hang in a broom closet at the Met. It's a huge honour.\"\nMr Baldessari attributes some of his experimentation to having grown up in National City, California, a suburb just north of the Mexican border and well beyond the reach of any art scene. He was culturally isolated, but also free from the pressures of rejection. \"I was trying to find out what was irreducibly art.\" His boldest early work was his \"Cremation Project\" in 1970, when he ceremonially burned nearly all the paintings he had made between 1953 and 1966. \"I really think it's my best piece to date,\" he wrote of it at the time.\nHe supported himself by teaching, mainly at the progressive California Institute of the Arts in Valencia. He earned a reputation for being a revolutionary and generous teacher who inspired students to renounce painting and view art as something that happens in the brain. \"Artists are indebted to him,\" said Marla Prather, who organised the show at the Met. He taught countless people how to make art from the ordinary stuff of life. Now the man himself is finally getting his due.","id":"2627.txt","label":2} +{"option":["He hopes people can challenged what they see.","He uses irony to attract people to buy them.","He wants to make his work really funny.","He uses it to reveal what really matters in art."],"question":"What's the purpose of John Baldessari's using irony in his works?","article":"He has influenced generations of artists but John Baldessari's own celebrity came relatively late. A physically imposing 79-year-old, he seemed slightly uncomfortable at a press conference at the Metropolitan Museum, where a travelling retrospective of his work has just opened for its final stop. Asked to distil his art for the many who have not heard of him, he responded cheerfully that it was not the job of an artist to \"spoon-feed\" viewers but to make them feel intelligent.\nFor decades Mr Baldessari has made art that challenges convention. Though his work is heavily conceptual, it is not designed to alienateand is often very funny. In the wake of abstract expressionism, when painting was all, Mr Baldessari was investigating what it meant to make a painting, what the rules were, and how far he could stretch them. In the 1960s he created a series of works that featured mostly text on canvas, painted by sign professionals.\nOne, in black letters on canvas, reads \"PURE BEAUTY\". The words sit there like a taunt, a question, a declaration.\n\"I do not believe in screwing the bourgeoisie,\" Mr Baldessari explained in an interview. The irony in his work is not designed to reveal what is vacant in art, or what is silly about those who buy it. He just wants people to question what they are looking at. He pokes fun at the art establishment, but he lets viewers in on the joke. Art, he says, supplies\"spiritual nourishment\". Asked if a show at the Met sat uncomfortably with his subversive streak, Mr Baldessari did not miss a beat: \"I would be happy to hang in a broom closet at the Met. It's a huge honour.\"\nMr Baldessari attributes some of his experimentation to having grown up in National City, California, a suburb just north of the Mexican border and well beyond the reach of any art scene. He was culturally isolated, but also free from the pressures of rejection. \"I was trying to find out what was irreducibly art.\" His boldest early work was his \"Cremation Project\" in 1970, when he ceremonially burned nearly all the paintings he had made between 1953 and 1966. \"I really think it's my best piece to date,\" he wrote of it at the time.\nHe supported himself by teaching, mainly at the progressive California Institute of the Arts in Valencia. He earned a reputation for being a revolutionary and generous teacher who inspired students to renounce painting and view art as something that happens in the brain. \"Artists are indebted to him,\" said Marla Prather, who organised the show at the Met. He taught countless people how to make art from the ordinary stuff of life. Now the man himself is finally getting his due.","id":"2627.txt","label":0} +{"option":["he needs much more money to run his travelling shows","he wants students to readjust their perspective on art","he thinks school is the best place to create art","he wants to talk students into giving up painting"],"question":"The highlight of John Baldessari's job as a teacher is that _","article":"He has influenced generations of artists but John Baldessari's own celebrity came relatively late. A physically imposing 79-year-old, he seemed slightly uncomfortable at a press conference at the Metropolitan Museum, where a travelling retrospective of his work has just opened for its final stop. Asked to distil his art for the many who have not heard of him, he responded cheerfully that it was not the job of an artist to \"spoon-feed\" viewers but to make them feel intelligent.\nFor decades Mr Baldessari has made art that challenges convention. Though his work is heavily conceptual, it is not designed to alienateand is often very funny. In the wake of abstract expressionism, when painting was all, Mr Baldessari was investigating what it meant to make a painting, what the rules were, and how far he could stretch them. In the 1960s he created a series of works that featured mostly text on canvas, painted by sign professionals.\nOne, in black letters on canvas, reads \"PURE BEAUTY\". The words sit there like a taunt, a question, a declaration.\n\"I do not believe in screwing the bourgeoisie,\" Mr Baldessari explained in an interview. The irony in his work is not designed to reveal what is vacant in art, or what is silly about those who buy it. He just wants people to question what they are looking at. He pokes fun at the art establishment, but he lets viewers in on the joke. Art, he says, supplies\"spiritual nourishment\". Asked if a show at the Met sat uncomfortably with his subversive streak, Mr Baldessari did not miss a beat: \"I would be happy to hang in a broom closet at the Met. It's a huge honour.\"\nMr Baldessari attributes some of his experimentation to having grown up in National City, California, a suburb just north of the Mexican border and well beyond the reach of any art scene. He was culturally isolated, but also free from the pressures of rejection. \"I was trying to find out what was irreducibly art.\" His boldest early work was his \"Cremation Project\" in 1970, when he ceremonially burned nearly all the paintings he had made between 1953 and 1966. \"I really think it's my best piece to date,\" he wrote of it at the time.\nHe supported himself by teaching, mainly at the progressive California Institute of the Arts in Valencia. He earned a reputation for being a revolutionary and generous teacher who inspired students to renounce painting and view art as something that happens in the brain. \"Artists are indebted to him,\" said Marla Prather, who organised the show at the Met. He taught countless people how to make art from the ordinary stuff of life. Now the man himself is finally getting his due.","id":"2627.txt","label":1} +{"option":["How Hard Life is for Box Boys","Getting along with Customers","Why I Gave up My Job","The Art of Taking Tips"],"question":"What can be the best title for this text?","article":"I'm seventeen. I had worked as a box boy at asupermarket in Los Angeles. People came to thecounter and you put things in their bags for them.And carried things to their cars. It was hard work.\nWhile working, you wear a plate with your name onit. I once met someone I knew years ago. Iremembered his name and said, \"Mr Castle, how areyou?\" We talked about this and that. As he left, he said, \"It was nice talking to you, Brett.\" Ifelt great, he remembered me. Then I looked down at my name plate. Oh no. He didn'tremember me at all, he just read the name plate. I wish I had put \"Irving\" down on my nameplate. If he have said, \"Oh yes, Irving, how could I forget you?\" I have been ready for him.There's nothing personal here.\nThe manager and everyone else who were a step above the box boys often shouted orders. Oneof these was: You couldn't accept tips. Okay, I'm outside and I put the bags in the car.For a lot of people, the natural reaction is to take a quarter and give it to me. \"I'm sorry,I can't.\" They'd get angry. When you give someone a tip, you're sort of being polite. You take aquarter and you put it in their hands and you expect them to say, \"Oh, thanks a lot.\" When yousay, \"I'm sorry, I can't,\" they feel a little put down. They say, \"No one will know.\" And they putit in your pocket. You say, \"I really can't.\" It gets to a point where you almost have to hurt aperson physically to prevent him from tipping you. It was not in agreement with thestore's belief in being friendly. Accepting tips was a friendly thing and made the customer feelgood. I just couldn't understand the strangeness of some people's ideas. One lady actually putit in my pocket, got in the car, and drove away. I would have had to throw the quarter at her oreaten it or something.\nI had decided that one year was enough. Some people needed the job to stay alive and fed. Iguess I had the means and could afford to hate it and give it up.","id":"2361.txt","label":2} +{"option":["the writer didn't like the impersonal part of his job","with a name plate, people can easily start talking","Mr Castle mistook Irving for Brett","Irving was the writer's real name"],"question":"From the second paragraph, we can infer that _ .","article":"I'm seventeen. I had worked as a box boy at asupermarket in Los Angeles. People came to thecounter and you put things in their bags for them.And carried things to their cars. It was hard work.\nWhile working, you wear a plate with your name onit. I once met someone I knew years ago. Iremembered his name and said, \"Mr Castle, how areyou?\" We talked about this and that. As he left, he said, \"It was nice talking to you, Brett.\" Ifelt great, he remembered me. Then I looked down at my name plate. Oh no. He didn'tremember me at all, he just read the name plate. I wish I had put \"Irving\" down on my nameplate. If he have said, \"Oh yes, Irving, how could I forget you?\" I have been ready for him.There's nothing personal here.\nThe manager and everyone else who were a step above the box boys often shouted orders. Oneof these was: You couldn't accept tips. Okay, I'm outside and I put the bags in the car.For a lot of people, the natural reaction is to take a quarter and give it to me. \"I'm sorry,I can't.\" They'd get angry. When you give someone a tip, you're sort of being polite. You take aquarter and you put it in their hands and you expect them to say, \"Oh, thanks a lot.\" When yousay, \"I'm sorry, I can't,\" they feel a little put down. They say, \"No one will know.\" And they putit in your pocket. You say, \"I really can't.\" It gets to a point where you almost have to hurt aperson physically to prevent him from tipping you. It was not in agreement with thestore's belief in being friendly. Accepting tips was a friendly thing and made the customer feelgood. I just couldn't understand the strangeness of some people's ideas. One lady actually putit in my pocket, got in the car, and drove away. I would have had to throw the quarter at her oreaten it or something.\nI had decided that one year was enough. Some people needed the job to stay alive and fed. Iguess I had the means and could afford to hate it and give it up.","id":"2361.txt","label":0} +{"option":["customers only gave small tips","some customers had strange ideas about tipping","the store forbade the box boys to take tips","he didn't want to fight with the customers"],"question":"The box boy refused to accept tips because _ .","article":"I'm seventeen. I had worked as a box boy at asupermarket in Los Angeles. People came to thecounter and you put things in their bags for them.And carried things to their cars. It was hard work.\nWhile working, you wear a plate with your name onit. I once met someone I knew years ago. Iremembered his name and said, \"Mr Castle, how areyou?\" We talked about this and that. As he left, he said, \"It was nice talking to you, Brett.\" Ifelt great, he remembered me. Then I looked down at my name plate. Oh no. He didn'tremember me at all, he just read the name plate. I wish I had put \"Irving\" down on my nameplate. If he have said, \"Oh yes, Irving, how could I forget you?\" I have been ready for him.There's nothing personal here.\nThe manager and everyone else who were a step above the box boys often shouted orders. Oneof these was: You couldn't accept tips. Okay, I'm outside and I put the bags in the car.For a lot of people, the natural reaction is to take a quarter and give it to me. \"I'm sorry,I can't.\" They'd get angry. When you give someone a tip, you're sort of being polite. You take aquarter and you put it in their hands and you expect them to say, \"Oh, thanks a lot.\" When yousay, \"I'm sorry, I can't,\" they feel a little put down. They say, \"No one will know.\" And they putit in your pocket. You say, \"I really can't.\" It gets to a point where you almost have to hurt aperson physically to prevent him from tipping you. It was not in agreement with thestore's belief in being friendly. Accepting tips was a friendly thing and made the customer feelgood. I just couldn't understand the strangeness of some people's ideas. One lady actually putit in my pocket, got in the car, and drove away. I would have had to throw the quarter at her oreaten it or something.\nI had decided that one year was enough. Some people needed the job to stay alive and fed. Iguess I had the means and could afford to hate it and give it up.","id":"2361.txt","label":2} +{"option":["The transition from an agricultural to an industrial economy","The inventions that transformed life in the nineteenth century","The problems associated with the earliest factories","The difficulty of farm life in the nineteenth century"],"question":"What aspect of life in the United States does the passage mainly discuss?","article":"In the early 1800's, over 80 percent of the United States labor force was engaged in agriculture. Sophisticated technology and machinery were virtually nonexistent. People who lived in the cities and were not directly involved in trade often participated in small cottage industries making handcrafted goods. Others cured meats, ran bakeries, or otherwise produced needed goods and commodities. Blacksmiths, silversmiths, candle makers, and other artisans worked in their homes or barns, relying on help of family members or apprentices.\nPerhaps no single phenomenon brought more widespread and lasting change to the United States society than the rise of industrialization. Industrial growth hinged on several economic factors. First, industry requires an abundance of natural resources, especially coal, iron ore, water, petroleum, and timber - all readily available on the North American continent. Second, factories demand a large labor supply. Between the 1870's and the First World War (1914-1918), approximately 23 million immigrants streamed to the United States, settled in cities, and went to work in factories and mines. They also helped build the vast network of canals and railroads that crisscrossed the continent and linked important trade centers essential to industrial growth.\nFactories also offered a reprieve from the backbreaking work and financial unpredictability associated with farming. Many adults, poor and disillusioned with farm life, were lured to the cities by promises of steady employment, regular paychecks, increased access to goods and services, and expanded social opportunities. Others were pushed there when new technologies made their labor cheap or expendable; inventions such as steel plows and mechanized harvesters allowed one farmhand to perform work that previously had required several, thus making farming capital-intensive rather than labor-intensive.\nThe United States economy underwent a massive transition and the nature of work was permanently altered. Whereas cottage industries relied on a few highly skilled craft workers who slowly and carefully converted raw materials into finished products from start to finish, factories relied on specialization. While factory work was less creative and more monotonous, it was also more efficient and allowed mass production of goods at less expense.","id":"4269.txt","label":0} +{"option":["maintained their businesses at home","were eventually able to use sophisticated technology","produced unusual goods and commodities","would employ only family members"],"question":"Blacksmiths, silversmiths, and candle makers are mentioned in lines 5-6 as examples of artisans who","article":"In the early 1800's, over 80 percent of the United States labor force was engaged in agriculture. Sophisticated technology and machinery were virtually nonexistent. People who lived in the cities and were not directly involved in trade often participated in small cottage industries making handcrafted goods. Others cured meats, ran bakeries, or otherwise produced needed goods and commodities. Blacksmiths, silversmiths, candle makers, and other artisans worked in their homes or barns, relying on help of family members or apprentices.\nPerhaps no single phenomenon brought more widespread and lasting change to the United States society than the rise of industrialization. Industrial growth hinged on several economic factors. First, industry requires an abundance of natural resources, especially coal, iron ore, water, petroleum, and timber - all readily available on the North American continent. Second, factories demand a large labor supply. Between the 1870's and the First World War (1914-1918), approximately 23 million immigrants streamed to the United States, settled in cities, and went to work in factories and mines. They also helped build the vast network of canals and railroads that crisscrossed the continent and linked important trade centers essential to industrial growth.\nFactories also offered a reprieve from the backbreaking work and financial unpredictability associated with farming. Many adults, poor and disillusioned with farm life, were lured to the cities by promises of steady employment, regular paychecks, increased access to goods and services, and expanded social opportunities. Others were pushed there when new technologies made their labor cheap or expendable; inventions such as steel plows and mechanized harvesters allowed one farmhand to perform work that previously had required several, thus making farming capital-intensive rather than labor-intensive.\nThe United States economy underwent a massive transition and the nature of work was permanently altered. Whereas cottage industries relied on a few highly skilled craft workers who slowly and carefully converted raw materials into finished products from start to finish, factories relied on specialization. While factory work was less creative and more monotonous, it was also more efficient and allowed mass production of goods at less expense.","id":"4269.txt","label":0} +{"option":["recovered from","depended on","started on","contributed to"],"question":"The phrase \"hinged on\" in line 9 is closest in meaning to","article":"In the early 1800's, over 80 percent of the United States labor force was engaged in agriculture. Sophisticated technology and machinery were virtually nonexistent. People who lived in the cities and were not directly involved in trade often participated in small cottage industries making handcrafted goods. Others cured meats, ran bakeries, or otherwise produced needed goods and commodities. Blacksmiths, silversmiths, candle makers, and other artisans worked in their homes or barns, relying on help of family members or apprentices.\nPerhaps no single phenomenon brought more widespread and lasting change to the United States society than the rise of industrialization. Industrial growth hinged on several economic factors. First, industry requires an abundance of natural resources, especially coal, iron ore, water, petroleum, and timber - all readily available on the North American continent. Second, factories demand a large labor supply. Between the 1870's and the First World War (1914-1918), approximately 23 million immigrants streamed to the United States, settled in cities, and went to work in factories and mines. They also helped build the vast network of canals and railroads that crisscrossed the continent and linked important trade centers essential to industrial growth.\nFactories also offered a reprieve from the backbreaking work and financial unpredictability associated with farming. Many adults, poor and disillusioned with farm life, were lured to the cities by promises of steady employment, regular paychecks, increased access to goods and services, and expanded social opportunities. Others were pushed there when new technologies made their labor cheap or expendable; inventions such as steel plows and mechanized harvesters allowed one farmhand to perform work that previously had required several, thus making farming capital-intensive rather than labor-intensive.\nThe United States economy underwent a massive transition and the nature of work was permanently altered. Whereas cottage industries relied on a few highly skilled craft workers who slowly and carefully converted raw materials into finished products from start to finish, factories relied on specialization. While factory work was less creative and more monotonous, it was also more efficient and allowed mass production of goods at less expense.","id":"4269.txt","label":1} +{"option":["The availability of natural resources found only in the United States","The decrease in number of farms resulting from technological advances","The replacement of canals and railroads by other forms of transportation","The availability of a large immigrant work force"],"question":"Which of the following is mentioned in the passage as a reason for the industrial growth that occurred in the United States before 1914?","article":"In the early 1800's, over 80 percent of the United States labor force was engaged in agriculture. Sophisticated technology and machinery were virtually nonexistent. People who lived in the cities and were not directly involved in trade often participated in small cottage industries making handcrafted goods. Others cured meats, ran bakeries, or otherwise produced needed goods and commodities. Blacksmiths, silversmiths, candle makers, and other artisans worked in their homes or barns, relying on help of family members or apprentices.\nPerhaps no single phenomenon brought more widespread and lasting change to the United States society than the rise of industrialization. Industrial growth hinged on several economic factors. First, industry requires an abundance of natural resources, especially coal, iron ore, water, petroleum, and timber - all readily available on the North American continent. Second, factories demand a large labor supply. Between the 1870's and the First World War (1914-1918), approximately 23 million immigrants streamed to the United States, settled in cities, and went to work in factories and mines. They also helped build the vast network of canals and railroads that crisscrossed the continent and linked important trade centers essential to industrial growth.\nFactories also offered a reprieve from the backbreaking work and financial unpredictability associated with farming. Many adults, poor and disillusioned with farm life, were lured to the cities by promises of steady employment, regular paychecks, increased access to goods and services, and expanded social opportunities. Others were pushed there when new technologies made their labor cheap or expendable; inventions such as steel plows and mechanized harvesters allowed one farmhand to perform work that previously had required several, thus making farming capital-intensive rather than labor-intensive.\nThe United States economy underwent a massive transition and the nature of work was permanently altered. Whereas cottage industries relied on a few highly skilled craft workers who slowly and carefully converted raw materials into finished products from start to finish, factories relied on specialization. While factory work was less creative and more monotonous, it was also more efficient and allowed mass production of goods at less expense.","id":"4269.txt","label":3} +{"option":["attracted","assigned","restricted","attached"],"question":"The word \"lured\" in line 19 is closest in meaning to","article":"In the early 1800's, over 80 percent of the United States labor force was engaged in agriculture. Sophisticated technology and machinery were virtually nonexistent. People who lived in the cities and were not directly involved in trade often participated in small cottage industries making handcrafted goods. Others cured meats, ran bakeries, or otherwise produced needed goods and commodities. Blacksmiths, silversmiths, candle makers, and other artisans worked in their homes or barns, relying on help of family members or apprentices.\nPerhaps no single phenomenon brought more widespread and lasting change to the United States society than the rise of industrialization. Industrial growth hinged on several economic factors. First, industry requires an abundance of natural resources, especially coal, iron ore, water, petroleum, and timber - all readily available on the North American continent. Second, factories demand a large labor supply. Between the 1870's and the First World War (1914-1918), approximately 23 million immigrants streamed to the United States, settled in cities, and went to work in factories and mines. They also helped build the vast network of canals and railroads that crisscrossed the continent and linked important trade centers essential to industrial growth.\nFactories also offered a reprieve from the backbreaking work and financial unpredictability associated with farming. Many adults, poor and disillusioned with farm life, were lured to the cities by promises of steady employment, regular paychecks, increased access to goods and services, and expanded social opportunities. Others were pushed there when new technologies made their labor cheap or expendable; inventions such as steel plows and mechanized harvesters allowed one farmhand to perform work that previously had required several, thus making farming capital-intensive rather than labor-intensive.\nThe United States economy underwent a massive transition and the nature of work was permanently altered. Whereas cottage industries relied on a few highly skilled craft workers who slowly and carefully converted raw materials into finished products from start to finish, factories relied on specialization. While factory work was less creative and more monotonous, it was also more efficient and allowed mass production of goods at less expense.","id":"4269.txt","label":0} +{"option":["adults","promises","goods and services","social opportunities"],"question":"The word \"Others\" in line 20 refers to other","article":"In the early 1800's, over 80 percent of the United States labor force was engaged in agriculture. Sophisticated technology and machinery were virtually nonexistent. People who lived in the cities and were not directly involved in trade often participated in small cottage industries making handcrafted goods. Others cured meats, ran bakeries, or otherwise produced needed goods and commodities. Blacksmiths, silversmiths, candle makers, and other artisans worked in their homes or barns, relying on help of family members or apprentices.\nPerhaps no single phenomenon brought more widespread and lasting change to the United States society than the rise of industrialization. Industrial growth hinged on several economic factors. First, industry requires an abundance of natural resources, especially coal, iron ore, water, petroleum, and timber - all readily available on the North American continent. Second, factories demand a large labor supply. Between the 1870's and the First World War (1914-1918), approximately 23 million immigrants streamed to the United States, settled in cities, and went to work in factories and mines. They also helped build the vast network of canals and railroads that crisscrossed the continent and linked important trade centers essential to industrial growth.\nFactories also offered a reprieve from the backbreaking work and financial unpredictability associated with farming. Many adults, poor and disillusioned with farm life, were lured to the cities by promises of steady employment, regular paychecks, increased access to goods and services, and expanded social opportunities. Others were pushed there when new technologies made their labor cheap or expendable; inventions such as steel plows and mechanized harvesters allowed one farmhand to perform work that previously had required several, thus making farming capital-intensive rather than labor-intensive.\nThe United States economy underwent a massive transition and the nature of work was permanently altered. Whereas cottage industries relied on a few highly skilled craft workers who slowly and carefully converted raw materials into finished products from start to finish, factories relied on specialization. While factory work was less creative and more monotonous, it was also more efficient and allowed mass production of goods at less expense.","id":"4269.txt","label":0} +{"option":["nonproductive","unacceptable","nonessential","unprofitable"],"question":"The word \"expendable\" in line 21 is closest in meaning to","article":"In the early 1800's, over 80 percent of the United States labor force was engaged in agriculture. Sophisticated technology and machinery were virtually nonexistent. People who lived in the cities and were not directly involved in trade often participated in small cottage industries making handcrafted goods. Others cured meats, ran bakeries, or otherwise produced needed goods and commodities. Blacksmiths, silversmiths, candle makers, and other artisans worked in their homes or barns, relying on help of family members or apprentices.\nPerhaps no single phenomenon brought more widespread and lasting change to the United States society than the rise of industrialization. Industrial growth hinged on several economic factors. First, industry requires an abundance of natural resources, especially coal, iron ore, water, petroleum, and timber - all readily available on the North American continent. Second, factories demand a large labor supply. Between the 1870's and the First World War (1914-1918), approximately 23 million immigrants streamed to the United States, settled in cities, and went to work in factories and mines. They also helped build the vast network of canals and railroads that crisscrossed the continent and linked important trade centers essential to industrial growth.\nFactories also offered a reprieve from the backbreaking work and financial unpredictability associated with farming. Many adults, poor and disillusioned with farm life, were lured to the cities by promises of steady employment, regular paychecks, increased access to goods and services, and expanded social opportunities. Others were pushed there when new technologies made their labor cheap or expendable; inventions such as steel plows and mechanized harvesters allowed one farmhand to perform work that previously had required several, thus making farming capital-intensive rather than labor-intensive.\nThe United States economy underwent a massive transition and the nature of work was permanently altered. Whereas cottage industries relied on a few highly skilled craft workers who slowly and carefully converted raw materials into finished products from start to finish, factories relied on specialization. While factory work was less creative and more monotonous, it was also more efficient and allowed mass production of goods at less expense.","id":"4269.txt","label":3} +{"option":["increased the price of farm products","limited the need for new farm machinery","created new and interesting jobs on farms","reduced the number of people willing to do farm work"],"question":"It can be inferred from the passage that industrialization affected farming in that industrialization","article":"In the early 1800's, over 80 percent of the United States labor force was engaged in agriculture. Sophisticated technology and machinery were virtually nonexistent. People who lived in the cities and were not directly involved in trade often participated in small cottage industries making handcrafted goods. Others cured meats, ran bakeries, or otherwise produced needed goods and commodities. Blacksmiths, silversmiths, candle makers, and other artisans worked in their homes or barns, relying on help of family members or apprentices.\nPerhaps no single phenomenon brought more widespread and lasting change to the United States society than the rise of industrialization. Industrial growth hinged on several economic factors. First, industry requires an abundance of natural resources, especially coal, iron ore, water, petroleum, and timber - all readily available on the North American continent. Second, factories demand a large labor supply. Between the 1870's and the First World War (1914-1918), approximately 23 million immigrants streamed to the United States, settled in cities, and went to work in factories and mines. They also helped build the vast network of canals and railroads that crisscrossed the continent and linked important trade centers essential to industrial growth.\nFactories also offered a reprieve from the backbreaking work and financial unpredictability associated with farming. Many adults, poor and disillusioned with farm life, were lured to the cities by promises of steady employment, regular paychecks, increased access to goods and services, and expanded social opportunities. Others were pushed there when new technologies made their labor cheap or expendable; inventions such as steel plows and mechanized harvesters allowed one farmhand to perform work that previously had required several, thus making farming capital-intensive rather than labor-intensive.\nThe United States economy underwent a massive transition and the nature of work was permanently altered. Whereas cottage industries relied on a few highly skilled craft workers who slowly and carefully converted raw materials into finished products from start to finish, factories relied on specialization. While factory work was less creative and more monotonous, it was also more efficient and allowed mass production of goods at less expense.","id":"4269.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Workers had to be trained to operate the new machines.","Mechanized farming required more capital and fewer laborers.","The new inventions were not helpful for all farming activities.","Human labor could still accomplish as much work as the first machines."],"question":"What does the author mean when stating that certain inventions made farming \"capital-intensive rather than labor-intensive\" (lines 23-24)?","article":"In the early 1800's, over 80 percent of the United States labor force was engaged in agriculture. Sophisticated technology and machinery were virtually nonexistent. People who lived in the cities and were not directly involved in trade often participated in small cottage industries making handcrafted goods. Others cured meats, ran bakeries, or otherwise produced needed goods and commodities. Blacksmiths, silversmiths, candle makers, and other artisans worked in their homes or barns, relying on help of family members or apprentices.\nPerhaps no single phenomenon brought more widespread and lasting change to the United States society than the rise of industrialization. Industrial growth hinged on several economic factors. First, industry requires an abundance of natural resources, especially coal, iron ore, water, petroleum, and timber - all readily available on the North American continent. Second, factories demand a large labor supply. Between the 1870's and the First World War (1914-1918), approximately 23 million immigrants streamed to the United States, settled in cities, and went to work in factories and mines. They also helped build the vast network of canals and railroads that crisscrossed the continent and linked important trade centers essential to industrial growth.\nFactories also offered a reprieve from the backbreaking work and financial unpredictability associated with farming. Many adults, poor and disillusioned with farm life, were lured to the cities by promises of steady employment, regular paychecks, increased access to goods and services, and expanded social opportunities. Others were pushed there when new technologies made their labor cheap or expendable; inventions such as steel plows and mechanized harvesters allowed one farmhand to perform work that previously had required several, thus making farming capital-intensive rather than labor-intensive.\nThe United States economy underwent a massive transition and the nature of work was permanently altered. Whereas cottage industries relied on a few highly skilled craft workers who slowly and carefully converted raw materials into finished products from start to finish, factories relied on specialization. While factory work was less creative and more monotonous, it was also more efficient and allowed mass production of goods at less expense.","id":"4269.txt","label":1} +{"option":["were required to be more creative","worked extensively with raw materials","changed jobs frequently","specialized in one aspect of the finished product only"],"question":"According to the passage , factory workers differed from craft workers in that factory workers","article":"In the early 1800's, over 80 percent of the United States labor force was engaged in agriculture. Sophisticated technology and machinery were virtually nonexistent. People who lived in the cities and were not directly involved in trade often participated in small cottage industries making handcrafted goods. Others cured meats, ran bakeries, or otherwise produced needed goods and commodities. Blacksmiths, silversmiths, candle makers, and other artisans worked in their homes or barns, relying on help of family members or apprentices.\nPerhaps no single phenomenon brought more widespread and lasting change to the United States society than the rise of industrialization. Industrial growth hinged on several economic factors. First, industry requires an abundance of natural resources, especially coal, iron ore, water, petroleum, and timber - all readily available on the North American continent. Second, factories demand a large labor supply. Between the 1870's and the First World War (1914-1918), approximately 23 million immigrants streamed to the United States, settled in cities, and went to work in factories and mines. They also helped build the vast network of canals and railroads that crisscrossed the continent and linked important trade centers essential to industrial growth.\nFactories also offered a reprieve from the backbreaking work and financial unpredictability associated with farming. Many adults, poor and disillusioned with farm life, were lured to the cities by promises of steady employment, regular paychecks, increased access to goods and services, and expanded social opportunities. Others were pushed there when new technologies made their labor cheap or expendable; inventions such as steel plows and mechanized harvesters allowed one farmhand to perform work that previously had required several, thus making farming capital-intensive rather than labor-intensive.\nThe United States economy underwent a massive transition and the nature of work was permanently altered. Whereas cottage industries relied on a few highly skilled craft workers who slowly and carefully converted raw materials into finished products from start to finish, factories relied on specialization. While factory work was less creative and more monotonous, it was also more efficient and allowed mass production of goods at less expense.","id":"4269.txt","label":3} +{"option":["typically","naturally","originally","partly"],"question":"The word \"Traditionally\" in the passage is closest in meaning to","article":"Determining what extinct dinosaurs ate is difficult, but we can infer some aspects of their dietary preferences. Traditionally, this information has been derived from direct evidence, such as stomach contents, and indirect evidence, such as establishing a correlation between particular body characteristics and diets of living animals and then inferring habits for dinosaurs.\nAnimals such as house cats and dogs have large, stabbing canine teeth at the front of the mouth and smaller, equally sharp teeth farther back in their jaws. Many of these animals are also armed with sharp claws. The advantage of teeth and claws as predatory tools is obvious. Now consider animals like cows, horses, rabbits, and mice. These animals have flat teeth at the back of the jaw that are analogous to and have the same function as grindstones. Unlike the meat-slicing and stabbing teeth of carnivores, the teeth of these animals grind and shred plant material before digestion.\nMore clues exist in other parts of the skull. The jaw joint of carnivores such as dogs and cats has the mechanical advantage of being at the same level as the tooth row, allowing the jaws to close with tremendous speed and forcing the upper teeth to occlude against the lower teeth with great precision. In herbivorous animals, rapid jaw closure is less important. Because the flat teeth of herbivores work like grindstones, however, the jaws mush move both side to side and front to back. The jaw joints of many advanced herbivores, such as cows, lie at a different level than the tooth row, allowing transverse tearing, shredding, and compression of plant material. If we extend such observations to extinct dinosaurs, we can infer dietary preferences (such as carnivory and herbivory), even though we cannot determine the exact diet. The duck-billed dinosaurs known as hadrosaurs are a good example of a group whose jaw joint is below the level of the tooth row, which probably helped them grind up tough, fibrous vegetation.\nPaleontologists would like to be much more specific about a dinosaur's diet than simply differentiating carnivore from herbivore. This finer level of resolution requires direct fossil evidence of dinosaur meals. Stomach contents are only rarely preserved, but when present, allow us to determine exactly what these animals were eating.\nIn the stomach contents of specimens of Coelophysis (a small, long-necked dinosaur) are bones from juvenile animals of the same species. At one time, these were thought to represent embryonic animals, suggesting that this small dinosaur gave birth to live young rather than laying eggs. Further research indicated that the small dinosaurs were too large and too well developed to be prehatchling young. In addition, the juveniles inside the body cavity were of different sizes. All the evidence points to the conclusion that these are the remains of prey items and that, as an adult, Coelophysis was at least in part a cannibal.\nFossilized stomach contents are not restricted to carnivorous dinosaurs. In a few rare cases, most of them \"mummies\" (unusually well preserved specimens), fossilized plant remains have been found inside the body cavity of hadrosaurs. Some paleontologists have argued that these represent stream accumulations rather than final meals. The best known of these cases is the second Edmontosaurus mummy collected by the Sternbergs. In the chest cavity of this specimen, which is housed in the Senckenberg Museum in Germany, are the fossil remains of conifer needles, twigs, seeds, and fruits. Similar finds in Corythosaurus specimens from Alberta, Canada, have also been reported, indicating that at least two kinds of Late Cretaceous hadrosaurs fed on the sorts of tress that are common in today's boreal woodlands.\nA second form of direct evidence comes from coprolites (fossilized bodily waste). Several dinosaur fossil localities preserve coprolites. Coprolites yield unequivocal evidence about the dietary habits of dinosaurs. Many parts of plants and animals are extremely resistant to the digestive systems of animals and pass completely through the body with little or no alteration. Study of coprolites has indicated that the diets of some herbivorous dinosaurs were relatively diverse, while other dinosaurs appear to have been specialists, feeding on particular types of plants. The problem with inferring diets from coprolites is the difficulty in accurately associating a particular coprolite with a specific dinosaur.","id":"2124.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Carnivores' teeth for grinding and shredding are located in the front of their jaws.","Carnivore teeth are designed to break down food thoroughly before digestion.","Carnivores have teeth at the back of their jaws that are as sharp as their front teeth.","Carnivores have both sharp teeth for slicing meat and flat teeth for grinding meat."],"question":"According to paragraph 2, which of the following is true of the teeth of carnivores?","article":"Determining what extinct dinosaurs ate is difficult, but we can infer some aspects of their dietary preferences. Traditionally, this information has been derived from direct evidence, such as stomach contents, and indirect evidence, such as establishing a correlation between particular body characteristics and diets of living animals and then inferring habits for dinosaurs.\nAnimals such as house cats and dogs have large, stabbing canine teeth at the front of the mouth and smaller, equally sharp teeth farther back in their jaws. Many of these animals are also armed with sharp claws. The advantage of teeth and claws as predatory tools is obvious. Now consider animals like cows, horses, rabbits, and mice. These animals have flat teeth at the back of the jaw that are analogous to and have the same function as grindstones. Unlike the meat-slicing and stabbing teeth of carnivores, the teeth of these animals grind and shred plant material before digestion.\nMore clues exist in other parts of the skull. The jaw joint of carnivores such as dogs and cats has the mechanical advantage of being at the same level as the tooth row, allowing the jaws to close with tremendous speed and forcing the upper teeth to occlude against the lower teeth with great precision. In herbivorous animals, rapid jaw closure is less important. Because the flat teeth of herbivores work like grindstones, however, the jaws mush move both side to side and front to back. The jaw joints of many advanced herbivores, such as cows, lie at a different level than the tooth row, allowing transverse tearing, shredding, and compression of plant material. If we extend such observations to extinct dinosaurs, we can infer dietary preferences (such as carnivory and herbivory), even though we cannot determine the exact diet. The duck-billed dinosaurs known as hadrosaurs are a good example of a group whose jaw joint is below the level of the tooth row, which probably helped them grind up tough, fibrous vegetation.\nPaleontologists would like to be much more specific about a dinosaur's diet than simply differentiating carnivore from herbivore. This finer level of resolution requires direct fossil evidence of dinosaur meals. Stomach contents are only rarely preserved, but when present, allow us to determine exactly what these animals were eating.\nIn the stomach contents of specimens of Coelophysis (a small, long-necked dinosaur) are bones from juvenile animals of the same species. At one time, these were thought to represent embryonic animals, suggesting that this small dinosaur gave birth to live young rather than laying eggs. Further research indicated that the small dinosaurs were too large and too well developed to be prehatchling young. In addition, the juveniles inside the body cavity were of different sizes. All the evidence points to the conclusion that these are the remains of prey items and that, as an adult, Coelophysis was at least in part a cannibal.\nFossilized stomach contents are not restricted to carnivorous dinosaurs. In a few rare cases, most of them \"mummies\" (unusually well preserved specimens), fossilized plant remains have been found inside the body cavity of hadrosaurs. Some paleontologists have argued that these represent stream accumulations rather than final meals. The best known of these cases is the second Edmontosaurus mummy collected by the Sternbergs. In the chest cavity of this specimen, which is housed in the Senckenberg Museum in Germany, are the fossil remains of conifer needles, twigs, seeds, and fruits. Similar finds in Corythosaurus specimens from Alberta, Canada, have also been reported, indicating that at least two kinds of Late Cretaceous hadrosaurs fed on the sorts of tress that are common in today's boreal woodlands.\nA second form of direct evidence comes from coprolites (fossilized bodily waste). Several dinosaur fossil localities preserve coprolites. Coprolites yield unequivocal evidence about the dietary habits of dinosaurs. Many parts of plants and animals are extremely resistant to the digestive systems of animals and pass completely through the body with little or no alteration. Study of coprolites has indicated that the diets of some herbivorous dinosaurs were relatively diverse, while other dinosaurs appear to have been specialists, feeding on particular types of plants. The problem with inferring diets from coprolites is the difficulty in accurately associating a particular coprolite with a specific dinosaur.","id":"2124.txt","label":2} +{"option":["how certain kinds of teeth aid digestion","how the teeth of some familiar mammals differ from those of dinosaurs","why the back teeth of herbivores are larger than those of carnivores","why the back teeth of carnivores are just as sharp as their front teeth"],"question":"In paragraph 2, the author compares the teeth of cows, horses, rabbits, and mice to grindstones in order to explain","article":"Determining what extinct dinosaurs ate is difficult, but we can infer some aspects of their dietary preferences. Traditionally, this information has been derived from direct evidence, such as stomach contents, and indirect evidence, such as establishing a correlation between particular body characteristics and diets of living animals and then inferring habits for dinosaurs.\nAnimals such as house cats and dogs have large, stabbing canine teeth at the front of the mouth and smaller, equally sharp teeth farther back in their jaws. Many of these animals are also armed with sharp claws. The advantage of teeth and claws as predatory tools is obvious. Now consider animals like cows, horses, rabbits, and mice. These animals have flat teeth at the back of the jaw that are analogous to and have the same function as grindstones. Unlike the meat-slicing and stabbing teeth of carnivores, the teeth of these animals grind and shred plant material before digestion.\nMore clues exist in other parts of the skull. The jaw joint of carnivores such as dogs and cats has the mechanical advantage of being at the same level as the tooth row, allowing the jaws to close with tremendous speed and forcing the upper teeth to occlude against the lower teeth with great precision. In herbivorous animals, rapid jaw closure is less important. Because the flat teeth of herbivores work like grindstones, however, the jaws mush move both side to side and front to back. The jaw joints of many advanced herbivores, such as cows, lie at a different level than the tooth row, allowing transverse tearing, shredding, and compression of plant material. If we extend such observations to extinct dinosaurs, we can infer dietary preferences (such as carnivory and herbivory), even though we cannot determine the exact diet. The duck-billed dinosaurs known as hadrosaurs are a good example of a group whose jaw joint is below the level of the tooth row, which probably helped them grind up tough, fibrous vegetation.\nPaleontologists would like to be much more specific about a dinosaur's diet than simply differentiating carnivore from herbivore. This finer level of resolution requires direct fossil evidence of dinosaur meals. Stomach contents are only rarely preserved, but when present, allow us to determine exactly what these animals were eating.\nIn the stomach contents of specimens of Coelophysis (a small, long-necked dinosaur) are bones from juvenile animals of the same species. At one time, these were thought to represent embryonic animals, suggesting that this small dinosaur gave birth to live young rather than laying eggs. Further research indicated that the small dinosaurs were too large and too well developed to be prehatchling young. In addition, the juveniles inside the body cavity were of different sizes. All the evidence points to the conclusion that these are the remains of prey items and that, as an adult, Coelophysis was at least in part a cannibal.\nFossilized stomach contents are not restricted to carnivorous dinosaurs. In a few rare cases, most of them \"mummies\" (unusually well preserved specimens), fossilized plant remains have been found inside the body cavity of hadrosaurs. Some paleontologists have argued that these represent stream accumulations rather than final meals. The best known of these cases is the second Edmontosaurus mummy collected by the Sternbergs. In the chest cavity of this specimen, which is housed in the Senckenberg Museum in Germany, are the fossil remains of conifer needles, twigs, seeds, and fruits. Similar finds in Corythosaurus specimens from Alberta, Canada, have also been reported, indicating that at least two kinds of Late Cretaceous hadrosaurs fed on the sorts of tress that are common in today's boreal woodlands.\nA second form of direct evidence comes from coprolites (fossilized bodily waste). Several dinosaur fossil localities preserve coprolites. Coprolites yield unequivocal evidence about the dietary habits of dinosaurs. Many parts of plants and animals are extremely resistant to the digestive systems of animals and pass completely through the body with little or no alteration. Study of coprolites has indicated that the diets of some herbivorous dinosaurs were relatively diverse, while other dinosaurs appear to have been specialists, feeding on particular types of plants. The problem with inferring diets from coprolites is the difficulty in accurately associating a particular coprolite with a specific dinosaur.","id":"2124.txt","label":0} +{"option":["destruction","crushing","swallowing","removal"],"question":"The word \"compression\" in the passage is closest in meaning to","article":"Determining what extinct dinosaurs ate is difficult, but we can infer some aspects of their dietary preferences. Traditionally, this information has been derived from direct evidence, such as stomach contents, and indirect evidence, such as establishing a correlation between particular body characteristics and diets of living animals and then inferring habits for dinosaurs.\nAnimals such as house cats and dogs have large, stabbing canine teeth at the front of the mouth and smaller, equally sharp teeth farther back in their jaws. Many of these animals are also armed with sharp claws. The advantage of teeth and claws as predatory tools is obvious. Now consider animals like cows, horses, rabbits, and mice. These animals have flat teeth at the back of the jaw that are analogous to and have the same function as grindstones. Unlike the meat-slicing and stabbing teeth of carnivores, the teeth of these animals grind and shred plant material before digestion.\nMore clues exist in other parts of the skull. The jaw joint of carnivores such as dogs and cats has the mechanical advantage of being at the same level as the tooth row, allowing the jaws to close with tremendous speed and forcing the upper teeth to occlude against the lower teeth with great precision. In herbivorous animals, rapid jaw closure is less important. Because the flat teeth of herbivores work like grindstones, however, the jaws mush move both side to side and front to back. The jaw joints of many advanced herbivores, such as cows, lie at a different level than the tooth row, allowing transverse tearing, shredding, and compression of plant material. If we extend such observations to extinct dinosaurs, we can infer dietary preferences (such as carnivory and herbivory), even though we cannot determine the exact diet. The duck-billed dinosaurs known as hadrosaurs are a good example of a group whose jaw joint is below the level of the tooth row, which probably helped them grind up tough, fibrous vegetation.\nPaleontologists would like to be much more specific about a dinosaur's diet than simply differentiating carnivore from herbivore. This finer level of resolution requires direct fossil evidence of dinosaur meals. Stomach contents are only rarely preserved, but when present, allow us to determine exactly what these animals were eating.\nIn the stomach contents of specimens of Coelophysis (a small, long-necked dinosaur) are bones from juvenile animals of the same species. At one time, these were thought to represent embryonic animals, suggesting that this small dinosaur gave birth to live young rather than laying eggs. Further research indicated that the small dinosaurs were too large and too well developed to be prehatchling young. In addition, the juveniles inside the body cavity were of different sizes. All the evidence points to the conclusion that these are the remains of prey items and that, as an adult, Coelophysis was at least in part a cannibal.\nFossilized stomach contents are not restricted to carnivorous dinosaurs. In a few rare cases, most of them \"mummies\" (unusually well preserved specimens), fossilized plant remains have been found inside the body cavity of hadrosaurs. Some paleontologists have argued that these represent stream accumulations rather than final meals. The best known of these cases is the second Edmontosaurus mummy collected by the Sternbergs. In the chest cavity of this specimen, which is housed in the Senckenberg Museum in Germany, are the fossil remains of conifer needles, twigs, seeds, and fruits. Similar finds in Corythosaurus specimens from Alberta, Canada, have also been reported, indicating that at least two kinds of Late Cretaceous hadrosaurs fed on the sorts of tress that are common in today's boreal woodlands.\nA second form of direct evidence comes from coprolites (fossilized bodily waste). Several dinosaur fossil localities preserve coprolites. Coprolites yield unequivocal evidence about the dietary habits of dinosaurs. Many parts of plants and animals are extremely resistant to the digestive systems of animals and pass completely through the body with little or no alteration. Study of coprolites has indicated that the diets of some herbivorous dinosaurs were relatively diverse, while other dinosaurs appear to have been specialists, feeding on particular types of plants. The problem with inferring diets from coprolites is the difficulty in accurately associating a particular coprolite with a specific dinosaur.","id":"2124.txt","label":1} +{"option":["How the overall jaw size of a given dinosaur species relates to the type of food the species members ate","Whether a given dinosaur generally ate plants or generally ate meat","How much food a given dinosaur would have needed to eat to remain healthy","How an inadequate diet may have affected a given dinosaur's skull and jaw"],"question":"According to paragraphs 3 and 4, what can studies of living animals help scientists determine about individual dinosaurs?","article":"Determining what extinct dinosaurs ate is difficult, but we can infer some aspects of their dietary preferences. Traditionally, this information has been derived from direct evidence, such as stomach contents, and indirect evidence, such as establishing a correlation between particular body characteristics and diets of living animals and then inferring habits for dinosaurs.\nAnimals such as house cats and dogs have large, stabbing canine teeth at the front of the mouth and smaller, equally sharp teeth farther back in their jaws. Many of these animals are also armed with sharp claws. The advantage of teeth and claws as predatory tools is obvious. Now consider animals like cows, horses, rabbits, and mice. These animals have flat teeth at the back of the jaw that are analogous to and have the same function as grindstones. Unlike the meat-slicing and stabbing teeth of carnivores, the teeth of these animals grind and shred plant material before digestion.\nMore clues exist in other parts of the skull. The jaw joint of carnivores such as dogs and cats has the mechanical advantage of being at the same level as the tooth row, allowing the jaws to close with tremendous speed and forcing the upper teeth to occlude against the lower teeth with great precision. In herbivorous animals, rapid jaw closure is less important. Because the flat teeth of herbivores work like grindstones, however, the jaws mush move both side to side and front to back. The jaw joints of many advanced herbivores, such as cows, lie at a different level than the tooth row, allowing transverse tearing, shredding, and compression of plant material. If we extend such observations to extinct dinosaurs, we can infer dietary preferences (such as carnivory and herbivory), even though we cannot determine the exact diet. The duck-billed dinosaurs known as hadrosaurs are a good example of a group whose jaw joint is below the level of the tooth row, which probably helped them grind up tough, fibrous vegetation.\nPaleontologists would like to be much more specific about a dinosaur's diet than simply differentiating carnivore from herbivore. This finer level of resolution requires direct fossil evidence of dinosaur meals. Stomach contents are only rarely preserved, but when present, allow us to determine exactly what these animals were eating.\nIn the stomach contents of specimens of Coelophysis (a small, long-necked dinosaur) are bones from juvenile animals of the same species. At one time, these were thought to represent embryonic animals, suggesting that this small dinosaur gave birth to live young rather than laying eggs. Further research indicated that the small dinosaurs were too large and too well developed to be prehatchling young. In addition, the juveniles inside the body cavity were of different sizes. All the evidence points to the conclusion that these are the remains of prey items and that, as an adult, Coelophysis was at least in part a cannibal.\nFossilized stomach contents are not restricted to carnivorous dinosaurs. In a few rare cases, most of them \"mummies\" (unusually well preserved specimens), fossilized plant remains have been found inside the body cavity of hadrosaurs. Some paleontologists have argued that these represent stream accumulations rather than final meals. The best known of these cases is the second Edmontosaurus mummy collected by the Sternbergs. In the chest cavity of this specimen, which is housed in the Senckenberg Museum in Germany, are the fossil remains of conifer needles, twigs, seeds, and fruits. Similar finds in Corythosaurus specimens from Alberta, Canada, have also been reported, indicating that at least two kinds of Late Cretaceous hadrosaurs fed on the sorts of tress that are common in today's boreal woodlands.\nA second form of direct evidence comes from coprolites (fossilized bodily waste). Several dinosaur fossil localities preserve coprolites. Coprolites yield unequivocal evidence about the dietary habits of dinosaurs. Many parts of plants and animals are extremely resistant to the digestive systems of animals and pass completely through the body with little or no alteration. Study of coprolites has indicated that the diets of some herbivorous dinosaurs were relatively diverse, while other dinosaurs appear to have been specialists, feeding on particular types of plants. The problem with inferring diets from coprolites is the difficulty in accurately associating a particular coprolite with a specific dinosaur.","id":"2124.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Juveniles found in the body cavities of adults were too advanced in their development to be embryos.","Juveniles of different sizes were found in the body cavity of the same adult.","Juveniles found in the body cavities of adults were too large to be embryos.","Juveniles found in the body cavities of adults were in unhatched eggs."],"question":"According to paragraph 5, all of the following support the claim that the adult Coelophysis Sometimes ate young Coelophysis EXCEPT:","article":"Determining what extinct dinosaurs ate is difficult, but we can infer some aspects of their dietary preferences. Traditionally, this information has been derived from direct evidence, such as stomach contents, and indirect evidence, such as establishing a correlation between particular body characteristics and diets of living animals and then inferring habits for dinosaurs.\nAnimals such as house cats and dogs have large, stabbing canine teeth at the front of the mouth and smaller, equally sharp teeth farther back in their jaws. Many of these animals are also armed with sharp claws. The advantage of teeth and claws as predatory tools is obvious. Now consider animals like cows, horses, rabbits, and mice. These animals have flat teeth at the back of the jaw that are analogous to and have the same function as grindstones. Unlike the meat-slicing and stabbing teeth of carnivores, the teeth of these animals grind and shred plant material before digestion.\nMore clues exist in other parts of the skull. The jaw joint of carnivores such as dogs and cats has the mechanical advantage of being at the same level as the tooth row, allowing the jaws to close with tremendous speed and forcing the upper teeth to occlude against the lower teeth with great precision. In herbivorous animals, rapid jaw closure is less important. Because the flat teeth of herbivores work like grindstones, however, the jaws mush move both side to side and front to back. The jaw joints of many advanced herbivores, such as cows, lie at a different level than the tooth row, allowing transverse tearing, shredding, and compression of plant material. If we extend such observations to extinct dinosaurs, we can infer dietary preferences (such as carnivory and herbivory), even though we cannot determine the exact diet. The duck-billed dinosaurs known as hadrosaurs are a good example of a group whose jaw joint is below the level of the tooth row, which probably helped them grind up tough, fibrous vegetation.\nPaleontologists would like to be much more specific about a dinosaur's diet than simply differentiating carnivore from herbivore. This finer level of resolution requires direct fossil evidence of dinosaur meals. Stomach contents are only rarely preserved, but when present, allow us to determine exactly what these animals were eating.\nIn the stomach contents of specimens of Coelophysis (a small, long-necked dinosaur) are bones from juvenile animals of the same species. At one time, these were thought to represent embryonic animals, suggesting that this small dinosaur gave birth to live young rather than laying eggs. Further research indicated that the small dinosaurs were too large and too well developed to be prehatchling young. In addition, the juveniles inside the body cavity were of different sizes. All the evidence points to the conclusion that these are the remains of prey items and that, as an adult, Coelophysis was at least in part a cannibal.\nFossilized stomach contents are not restricted to carnivorous dinosaurs. In a few rare cases, most of them \"mummies\" (unusually well preserved specimens), fossilized plant remains have been found inside the body cavity of hadrosaurs. Some paleontologists have argued that these represent stream accumulations rather than final meals. The best known of these cases is the second Edmontosaurus mummy collected by the Sternbergs. In the chest cavity of this specimen, which is housed in the Senckenberg Museum in Germany, are the fossil remains of conifer needles, twigs, seeds, and fruits. Similar finds in Corythosaurus specimens from Alberta, Canada, have also been reported, indicating that at least two kinds of Late Cretaceous hadrosaurs fed on the sorts of tress that are common in today's boreal woodlands.\nA second form of direct evidence comes from coprolites (fossilized bodily waste). Several dinosaur fossil localities preserve coprolites. Coprolites yield unequivocal evidence about the dietary habits of dinosaurs. Many parts of plants and animals are extremely resistant to the digestive systems of animals and pass completely through the body with little or no alteration. Study of coprolites has indicated that the diets of some herbivorous dinosaurs were relatively diverse, while other dinosaurs appear to have been specialists, feeding on particular types of plants. The problem with inferring diets from coprolites is the difficulty in accurately associating a particular coprolite with a specific dinosaur.","id":"2124.txt","label":3} +{"option":["related","critical","common","limited"],"question":"The word \"restricted\" in the passage is closest in meaning to","article":"Determining what extinct dinosaurs ate is difficult, but we can infer some aspects of their dietary preferences. Traditionally, this information has been derived from direct evidence, such as stomach contents, and indirect evidence, such as establishing a correlation between particular body characteristics and diets of living animals and then inferring habits for dinosaurs.\nAnimals such as house cats and dogs have large, stabbing canine teeth at the front of the mouth and smaller, equally sharp teeth farther back in their jaws. Many of these animals are also armed with sharp claws. The advantage of teeth and claws as predatory tools is obvious. Now consider animals like cows, horses, rabbits, and mice. These animals have flat teeth at the back of the jaw that are analogous to and have the same function as grindstones. Unlike the meat-slicing and stabbing teeth of carnivores, the teeth of these animals grind and shred plant material before digestion.\nMore clues exist in other parts of the skull. The jaw joint of carnivores such as dogs and cats has the mechanical advantage of being at the same level as the tooth row, allowing the jaws to close with tremendous speed and forcing the upper teeth to occlude against the lower teeth with great precision. In herbivorous animals, rapid jaw closure is less important. Because the flat teeth of herbivores work like grindstones, however, the jaws mush move both side to side and front to back. The jaw joints of many advanced herbivores, such as cows, lie at a different level than the tooth row, allowing transverse tearing, shredding, and compression of plant material. If we extend such observations to extinct dinosaurs, we can infer dietary preferences (such as carnivory and herbivory), even though we cannot determine the exact diet. The duck-billed dinosaurs known as hadrosaurs are a good example of a group whose jaw joint is below the level of the tooth row, which probably helped them grind up tough, fibrous vegetation.\nPaleontologists would like to be much more specific about a dinosaur's diet than simply differentiating carnivore from herbivore. This finer level of resolution requires direct fossil evidence of dinosaur meals. Stomach contents are only rarely preserved, but when present, allow us to determine exactly what these animals were eating.\nIn the stomach contents of specimens of Coelophysis (a small, long-necked dinosaur) are bones from juvenile animals of the same species. At one time, these were thought to represent embryonic animals, suggesting that this small dinosaur gave birth to live young rather than laying eggs. Further research indicated that the small dinosaurs were too large and too well developed to be prehatchling young. In addition, the juveniles inside the body cavity were of different sizes. All the evidence points to the conclusion that these are the remains of prey items and that, as an adult, Coelophysis was at least in part a cannibal.\nFossilized stomach contents are not restricted to carnivorous dinosaurs. In a few rare cases, most of them \"mummies\" (unusually well preserved specimens), fossilized plant remains have been found inside the body cavity of hadrosaurs. Some paleontologists have argued that these represent stream accumulations rather than final meals. The best known of these cases is the second Edmontosaurus mummy collected by the Sternbergs. In the chest cavity of this specimen, which is housed in the Senckenberg Museum in Germany, are the fossil remains of conifer needles, twigs, seeds, and fruits. Similar finds in Corythosaurus specimens from Alberta, Canada, have also been reported, indicating that at least two kinds of Late Cretaceous hadrosaurs fed on the sorts of tress that are common in today's boreal woodlands.\nA second form of direct evidence comes from coprolites (fossilized bodily waste). Several dinosaur fossil localities preserve coprolites. Coprolites yield unequivocal evidence about the dietary habits of dinosaurs. Many parts of plants and animals are extremely resistant to the digestive systems of animals and pass completely through the body with little or no alteration. Study of coprolites has indicated that the diets of some herbivorous dinosaurs were relatively diverse, while other dinosaurs appear to have been specialists, feeding on particular types of plants. The problem with inferring diets from coprolites is the difficulty in accurately associating a particular coprolite with a specific dinosaur.","id":"2124.txt","label":3} +{"option":["They are likely to be preserved because of their resistance to decay.","They contain some parts of plants and animals that are unchanged by the digestive process.","They are usually found in close proximity to other dinosaur fossils.","They are produced by both carnivores and herbivores."],"question":"What explanation is given in paragraph 7 to support the idea that coprolites are a good source of information about what dinosaurs ate?","article":"Determining what extinct dinosaurs ate is difficult, but we can infer some aspects of their dietary preferences. Traditionally, this information has been derived from direct evidence, such as stomach contents, and indirect evidence, such as establishing a correlation between particular body characteristics and diets of living animals and then inferring habits for dinosaurs.\nAnimals such as house cats and dogs have large, stabbing canine teeth at the front of the mouth and smaller, equally sharp teeth farther back in their jaws. Many of these animals are also armed with sharp claws. The advantage of teeth and claws as predatory tools is obvious. Now consider animals like cows, horses, rabbits, and mice. These animals have flat teeth at the back of the jaw that are analogous to and have the same function as grindstones. Unlike the meat-slicing and stabbing teeth of carnivores, the teeth of these animals grind and shred plant material before digestion.\nMore clues exist in other parts of the skull. The jaw joint of carnivores such as dogs and cats has the mechanical advantage of being at the same level as the tooth row, allowing the jaws to close with tremendous speed and forcing the upper teeth to occlude against the lower teeth with great precision. In herbivorous animals, rapid jaw closure is less important. Because the flat teeth of herbivores work like grindstones, however, the jaws mush move both side to side and front to back. The jaw joints of many advanced herbivores, such as cows, lie at a different level than the tooth row, allowing transverse tearing, shredding, and compression of plant material. If we extend such observations to extinct dinosaurs, we can infer dietary preferences (such as carnivory and herbivory), even though we cannot determine the exact diet. The duck-billed dinosaurs known as hadrosaurs are a good example of a group whose jaw joint is below the level of the tooth row, which probably helped them grind up tough, fibrous vegetation.\nPaleontologists would like to be much more specific about a dinosaur's diet than simply differentiating carnivore from herbivore. This finer level of resolution requires direct fossil evidence of dinosaur meals. Stomach contents are only rarely preserved, but when present, allow us to determine exactly what these animals were eating.\nIn the stomach contents of specimens of Coelophysis (a small, long-necked dinosaur) are bones from juvenile animals of the same species. At one time, these were thought to represent embryonic animals, suggesting that this small dinosaur gave birth to live young rather than laying eggs. Further research indicated that the small dinosaurs were too large and too well developed to be prehatchling young. In addition, the juveniles inside the body cavity were of different sizes. All the evidence points to the conclusion that these are the remains of prey items and that, as an adult, Coelophysis was at least in part a cannibal.\nFossilized stomach contents are not restricted to carnivorous dinosaurs. In a few rare cases, most of them \"mummies\" (unusually well preserved specimens), fossilized plant remains have been found inside the body cavity of hadrosaurs. Some paleontologists have argued that these represent stream accumulations rather than final meals. The best known of these cases is the second Edmontosaurus mummy collected by the Sternbergs. In the chest cavity of this specimen, which is housed in the Senckenberg Museum in Germany, are the fossil remains of conifer needles, twigs, seeds, and fruits. Similar finds in Corythosaurus specimens from Alberta, Canada, have also been reported, indicating that at least two kinds of Late Cretaceous hadrosaurs fed on the sorts of tress that are common in today's boreal woodlands.\nA second form of direct evidence comes from coprolites (fossilized bodily waste). Several dinosaur fossil localities preserve coprolites. Coprolites yield unequivocal evidence about the dietary habits of dinosaurs. Many parts of plants and animals are extremely resistant to the digestive systems of animals and pass completely through the body with little or no alteration. Study of coprolites has indicated that the diets of some herbivorous dinosaurs were relatively diverse, while other dinosaurs appear to have been specialists, feeding on particular types of plants. The problem with inferring diets from coprolites is the difficulty in accurately associating a particular coprolite with a specific dinosaur.","id":"2124.txt","label":1} +{"option":["healthy","varied","pure","stable"],"question":"The word \"diverse\" in the passage is closest in meaning to","article":"Determining what extinct dinosaurs ate is difficult, but we can infer some aspects of their dietary preferences. Traditionally, this information has been derived from direct evidence, such as stomach contents, and indirect evidence, such as establishing a correlation between particular body characteristics and diets of living animals and then inferring habits for dinosaurs.\nAnimals such as house cats and dogs have large, stabbing canine teeth at the front of the mouth and smaller, equally sharp teeth farther back in their jaws. Many of these animals are also armed with sharp claws. The advantage of teeth and claws as predatory tools is obvious. Now consider animals like cows, horses, rabbits, and mice. These animals have flat teeth at the back of the jaw that are analogous to and have the same function as grindstones. Unlike the meat-slicing and stabbing teeth of carnivores, the teeth of these animals grind and shred plant material before digestion.\nMore clues exist in other parts of the skull. The jaw joint of carnivores such as dogs and cats has the mechanical advantage of being at the same level as the tooth row, allowing the jaws to close with tremendous speed and forcing the upper teeth to occlude against the lower teeth with great precision. In herbivorous animals, rapid jaw closure is less important. Because the flat teeth of herbivores work like grindstones, however, the jaws mush move both side to side and front to back. The jaw joints of many advanced herbivores, such as cows, lie at a different level than the tooth row, allowing transverse tearing, shredding, and compression of plant material. If we extend such observations to extinct dinosaurs, we can infer dietary preferences (such as carnivory and herbivory), even though we cannot determine the exact diet. The duck-billed dinosaurs known as hadrosaurs are a good example of a group whose jaw joint is below the level of the tooth row, which probably helped them grind up tough, fibrous vegetation.\nPaleontologists would like to be much more specific about a dinosaur's diet than simply differentiating carnivore from herbivore. This finer level of resolution requires direct fossil evidence of dinosaur meals. Stomach contents are only rarely preserved, but when present, allow us to determine exactly what these animals were eating.\nIn the stomach contents of specimens of Coelophysis (a small, long-necked dinosaur) are bones from juvenile animals of the same species. At one time, these were thought to represent embryonic animals, suggesting that this small dinosaur gave birth to live young rather than laying eggs. Further research indicated that the small dinosaurs were too large and too well developed to be prehatchling young. In addition, the juveniles inside the body cavity were of different sizes. All the evidence points to the conclusion that these are the remains of prey items and that, as an adult, Coelophysis was at least in part a cannibal.\nFossilized stomach contents are not restricted to carnivorous dinosaurs. In a few rare cases, most of them \"mummies\" (unusually well preserved specimens), fossilized plant remains have been found inside the body cavity of hadrosaurs. Some paleontologists have argued that these represent stream accumulations rather than final meals. The best known of these cases is the second Edmontosaurus mummy collected by the Sternbergs. In the chest cavity of this specimen, which is housed in the Senckenberg Museum in Germany, are the fossil remains of conifer needles, twigs, seeds, and fruits. Similar finds in Corythosaurus specimens from Alberta, Canada, have also been reported, indicating that at least two kinds of Late Cretaceous hadrosaurs fed on the sorts of tress that are common in today's boreal woodlands.\nA second form of direct evidence comes from coprolites (fossilized bodily waste). Several dinosaur fossil localities preserve coprolites. Coprolites yield unequivocal evidence about the dietary habits of dinosaurs. Many parts of plants and animals are extremely resistant to the digestive systems of animals and pass completely through the body with little or no alteration. Study of coprolites has indicated that the diets of some herbivorous dinosaurs were relatively diverse, while other dinosaurs appear to have been specialists, feeding on particular types of plants. The problem with inferring diets from coprolites is the difficulty in accurately associating a particular coprolite with a specific dinosaur.","id":"2124.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Herbivores consumed much larger quantities of food than other dinosaurs did.","The diets of some dinosaurs were limited to relatively few kinds of foods.","Some herbivores experienced digestion problems as a result of eating certain plants.","The diets of some dinosaurs changed as different plants became available to eat."],"question":"According to paragraph 7, what has the study of coprolites revealed about dinosaur eating habits?","article":"Determining what extinct dinosaurs ate is difficult, but we can infer some aspects of their dietary preferences. Traditionally, this information has been derived from direct evidence, such as stomach contents, and indirect evidence, such as establishing a correlation between particular body characteristics and diets of living animals and then inferring habits for dinosaurs.\nAnimals such as house cats and dogs have large, stabbing canine teeth at the front of the mouth and smaller, equally sharp teeth farther back in their jaws. Many of these animals are also armed with sharp claws. The advantage of teeth and claws as predatory tools is obvious. Now consider animals like cows, horses, rabbits, and mice. These animals have flat teeth at the back of the jaw that are analogous to and have the same function as grindstones. Unlike the meat-slicing and stabbing teeth of carnivores, the teeth of these animals grind and shred plant material before digestion.\nMore clues exist in other parts of the skull. The jaw joint of carnivores such as dogs and cats has the mechanical advantage of being at the same level as the tooth row, allowing the jaws to close with tremendous speed and forcing the upper teeth to occlude against the lower teeth with great precision. In herbivorous animals, rapid jaw closure is less important. Because the flat teeth of herbivores work like grindstones, however, the jaws mush move both side to side and front to back. The jaw joints of many advanced herbivores, such as cows, lie at a different level than the tooth row, allowing transverse tearing, shredding, and compression of plant material. If we extend such observations to extinct dinosaurs, we can infer dietary preferences (such as carnivory and herbivory), even though we cannot determine the exact diet. The duck-billed dinosaurs known as hadrosaurs are a good example of a group whose jaw joint is below the level of the tooth row, which probably helped them grind up tough, fibrous vegetation.\nPaleontologists would like to be much more specific about a dinosaur's diet than simply differentiating carnivore from herbivore. This finer level of resolution requires direct fossil evidence of dinosaur meals. Stomach contents are only rarely preserved, but when present, allow us to determine exactly what these animals were eating.\nIn the stomach contents of specimens of Coelophysis (a small, long-necked dinosaur) are bones from juvenile animals of the same species. At one time, these were thought to represent embryonic animals, suggesting that this small dinosaur gave birth to live young rather than laying eggs. Further research indicated that the small dinosaurs were too large and too well developed to be prehatchling young. In addition, the juveniles inside the body cavity were of different sizes. All the evidence points to the conclusion that these are the remains of prey items and that, as an adult, Coelophysis was at least in part a cannibal.\nFossilized stomach contents are not restricted to carnivorous dinosaurs. In a few rare cases, most of them \"mummies\" (unusually well preserved specimens), fossilized plant remains have been found inside the body cavity of hadrosaurs. Some paleontologists have argued that these represent stream accumulations rather than final meals. The best known of these cases is the second Edmontosaurus mummy collected by the Sternbergs. In the chest cavity of this specimen, which is housed in the Senckenberg Museum in Germany, are the fossil remains of conifer needles, twigs, seeds, and fruits. Similar finds in Corythosaurus specimens from Alberta, Canada, have also been reported, indicating that at least two kinds of Late Cretaceous hadrosaurs fed on the sorts of tress that are common in today's boreal woodlands.\nA second form of direct evidence comes from coprolites (fossilized bodily waste). Several dinosaur fossil localities preserve coprolites. Coprolites yield unequivocal evidence about the dietary habits of dinosaurs. Many parts of plants and animals are extremely resistant to the digestive systems of animals and pass completely through the body with little or no alteration. Study of coprolites has indicated that the diets of some herbivorous dinosaurs were relatively diverse, while other dinosaurs appear to have been specialists, feeding on particular types of plants. The problem with inferring diets from coprolites is the difficulty in accurately associating a particular coprolite with a specific dinosaur.","id":"2124.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Why did paleontologists once believe that Coelophysis gave birth to live young","Why is it unusual for the stomach contents of dinosaurs to be preserved","What are some dinosaurs in which the fossilized remains of plants have been found","What difficulty do scientists face in using coprolites to draw conclusions about dinosaur diet"],"question":"Which of the following questions is NOT answered in the passage?","article":"Determining what extinct dinosaurs ate is difficult, but we can infer some aspects of their dietary preferences. Traditionally, this information has been derived from direct evidence, such as stomach contents, and indirect evidence, such as establishing a correlation between particular body characteristics and diets of living animals and then inferring habits for dinosaurs.\nAnimals such as house cats and dogs have large, stabbing canine teeth at the front of the mouth and smaller, equally sharp teeth farther back in their jaws. Many of these animals are also armed with sharp claws. The advantage of teeth and claws as predatory tools is obvious. Now consider animals like cows, horses, rabbits, and mice. These animals have flat teeth at the back of the jaw that are analogous to and have the same function as grindstones. Unlike the meat-slicing and stabbing teeth of carnivores, the teeth of these animals grind and shred plant material before digestion.\nMore clues exist in other parts of the skull. The jaw joint of carnivores such as dogs and cats has the mechanical advantage of being at the same level as the tooth row, allowing the jaws to close with tremendous speed and forcing the upper teeth to occlude against the lower teeth with great precision. In herbivorous animals, rapid jaw closure is less important. Because the flat teeth of herbivores work like grindstones, however, the jaws mush move both side to side and front to back. The jaw joints of many advanced herbivores, such as cows, lie at a different level than the tooth row, allowing transverse tearing, shredding, and compression of plant material. If we extend such observations to extinct dinosaurs, we can infer dietary preferences (such as carnivory and herbivory), even though we cannot determine the exact diet. The duck-billed dinosaurs known as hadrosaurs are a good example of a group whose jaw joint is below the level of the tooth row, which probably helped them grind up tough, fibrous vegetation.\nPaleontologists would like to be much more specific about a dinosaur's diet than simply differentiating carnivore from herbivore. This finer level of resolution requires direct fossil evidence of dinosaur meals. Stomach contents are only rarely preserved, but when present, allow us to determine exactly what these animals were eating.\nIn the stomach contents of specimens of Coelophysis (a small, long-necked dinosaur) are bones from juvenile animals of the same species. At one time, these were thought to represent embryonic animals, suggesting that this small dinosaur gave birth to live young rather than laying eggs. Further research indicated that the small dinosaurs were too large and too well developed to be prehatchling young. In addition, the juveniles inside the body cavity were of different sizes. All the evidence points to the conclusion that these are the remains of prey items and that, as an adult, Coelophysis was at least in part a cannibal.\nFossilized stomach contents are not restricted to carnivorous dinosaurs. In a few rare cases, most of them \"mummies\" (unusually well preserved specimens), fossilized plant remains have been found inside the body cavity of hadrosaurs. Some paleontologists have argued that these represent stream accumulations rather than final meals. The best known of these cases is the second Edmontosaurus mummy collected by the Sternbergs. In the chest cavity of this specimen, which is housed in the Senckenberg Museum in Germany, are the fossil remains of conifer needles, twigs, seeds, and fruits. Similar finds in Corythosaurus specimens from Alberta, Canada, have also been reported, indicating that at least two kinds of Late Cretaceous hadrosaurs fed on the sorts of tress that are common in today's boreal woodlands.\nA second form of direct evidence comes from coprolites (fossilized bodily waste). Several dinosaur fossil localities preserve coprolites. Coprolites yield unequivocal evidence about the dietary habits of dinosaurs. Many parts of plants and animals are extremely resistant to the digestive systems of animals and pass completely through the body with little or no alteration. Study of coprolites has indicated that the diets of some herbivorous dinosaurs were relatively diverse, while other dinosaurs appear to have been specialists, feeding on particular types of plants. The problem with inferring diets from coprolites is the difficulty in accurately associating a particular coprolite with a specific dinosaur.","id":"2124.txt","label":1} +{"option":["puzzled","disparaging","defensive","defensive"],"question":"The author's attitude toward contemporary ethologists can best be described as","article":"Chimps and children, gulls and Greeks-the ethnologists to their merry way, comparing bits of human cultural behavior with bits of genetically programmed animal behavior. True, humans are animals; they share certain anatomical features with other animals, and some items of human behavior may seem analogous to the behavior of other animal But such analogies can seriously mislead if we fail to look at the context of a particular item of behavior. Thus one ethnologist compares the presentation of a twig by a cormorant with gift-giving in humans. Yet the cormorant's twig-presentation simply inhibits attack and is comparable to other appeasement rituals found in many species. Human gift-giving differs in form and purpose not only from culture to culture. but within the same culture in various social contexts Everything significant about it derives from its social context. Thus, ethnologists can accomplish little-beyond reminding us that we are animals-until they study humans as cultural beings.","id":"1999.txt","label":1} +{"option":["In every culture studied, it was found that some forms of gift-giving are acts of aggression that place the receiver under obligation to the giver.","Most governmental taxation systems differentiate between gifts of property given to children during a parent's lifetime, and a child's inheritance of the same property from a parent dying without a will.","Some gift-giving customs have analogous forms in nearly every culture, as in the almost universal custom of welcoming strangers with gifts of food.","In North America, generally speaking, money is an acceptable holiday gift to one's letter carrier or garbage collector, but is often considered an insult if given to one's employer, friends, or relatives."],"question":"Which of the following statements from a report on a cross-cultural study of gift-giving would, if true, most strongly support the author's assertions concerning human gift-giving?","article":"Chimps and children, gulls and Greeks-the ethnologists to their merry way, comparing bits of human cultural behavior with bits of genetically programmed animal behavior. True, humans are animals; they share certain anatomical features with other animals, and some items of human behavior may seem analogous to the behavior of other animal But such analogies can seriously mislead if we fail to look at the context of a particular item of behavior. Thus one ethnologist compares the presentation of a twig by a cormorant with gift-giving in humans. Yet the cormorant's twig-presentation simply inhibits attack and is comparable to other appeasement rituals found in many species. Human gift-giving differs in form and purpose not only from culture to culture. but within the same culture in various social contexts Everything significant about it derives from its social context. Thus, ethnologists can accomplish little-beyond reminding us that we are animals-until they study humans as cultural beings.","id":"1999.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Global temperatures affect the rate of economic development.","Rates of death from illnesses have risen due to global warming.","Malnutrition has caused serious health problems in poor countries.","Economic trends have to do with population and natural disasters."],"question":"What is the finding of the Global Humanitarian Forum?","article":"Global warming is causing more than 300,000 deaths and about $125 billion in economiclosses each year, according to a report by the Global Humanitarian Forum, an organization led byAnnan, the former United Nations secretary general.\nThe report, to be released Friday, analyzed data and existing studies of health, disaster,population and economic trends. It found that human-influenced climate change was raising theglobal death rates from illnesses including malnutrition and heal-related healthproblems.\nBut even before its release, the report drew criticism from some experts on climate and risk,who questioned its methods and conclusions.Along with the deaths, the report said that the lives of 325 million people, primarily in poorcountries, were being seriously affected by climate change. It projected that the number woulddouble by 2030.\nRoger PielkeJr.a political scientist at the University of Colorado, Boulder, who studiesdisaster trends,\nsaid the Fo rum's report was \"a methodological embarrassment\" because there wasno way to distinguish deaths or economic losses related to human-driven global warming amid themuch larger losses resulting from the growth in populations and economic development invulnerable regions. Dr. Pielke said that \"climate change is an important problemrequiring our utmost attention. \"But the report, he said, ''will harm the cause for action on bothclimate change and disasters because it is so deeply flawed .\"However, Soren Andreasen, a social scientist at Dalberg Global Development Partners whosupervised the writing of the report, defended it, saying that it was clear that the numbers wererough estimates. He said the report was aimed at world leaders, who will meet in Copenhagen inDecember to negotiate a new international climate treaty.\nIn a press release describing the report, Mr. Annan stressed the need for the negotiations tofocus on increasing the flow of money from rich to poor regions to help reduce their vulnerabilityto climate hazards while still curbing the emissions of the heat-trapping gases. More than 90% ofthe human and economic losses from climate change arc occurring in poor countries, according tothe report.","id":"2533.txt","label":1} +{"option":["It was challenged by some climate and risk experts.","It aroused a lot of interest in the scientific circles.","It was warmly received by environmentalists.","It caused a big stir in developing countries."],"question":"What do we learn about the Forum's report from the passage?","article":"Global warming is causing more than 300,000 deaths and about $125 billion in economiclosses each year, according to a report by the Global Humanitarian Forum, an organization led byAnnan, the former United Nations secretary general.\nThe report, to be released Friday, analyzed data and existing studies of health, disaster,population and economic trends. It found that human-influenced climate change was raising theglobal death rates from illnesses including malnutrition and heal-related healthproblems.\nBut even before its release, the report drew criticism from some experts on climate and risk,who questioned its methods and conclusions.Along with the deaths, the report said that the lives of 325 million people, primarily in poorcountries, were being seriously affected by climate change. It projected that the number woulddouble by 2030.\nRoger PielkeJr.a political scientist at the University of Colorado, Boulder, who studiesdisaster trends,\nsaid the Fo rum's report was \"a methodological embarrassment\" because there wasno way to distinguish deaths or economic losses related to human-driven global warming amid themuch larger losses resulting from the growth in populations and economic development invulnerable regions. Dr. Pielke said that \"climate change is an important problemrequiring our utmost attention. \"But the report, he said, ''will harm the cause for action on bothclimate change and disasters because it is so deeply flawed .\"However, Soren Andreasen, a social scientist at Dalberg Global Development Partners whosupervised the writing of the report, defended it, saying that it was clear that the numbers wererough estimates. He said the report was aimed at world leaders, who will meet in Copenhagen inDecember to negotiate a new international climate treaty.\nIn a press release describing the report, Mr. Annan stressed the need for the negotiations tofocus on increasing the flow of money from rich to poor regions to help reduce their vulnerabilityto climate hazards while still curbing the emissions of the heat-trapping gases. More than 90% ofthe human and economic losses from climate change arc occurring in poor countries, according tothe report.","id":"2533.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Its statistics look embarrassing.","It is invalid in terms of methodology.","It deserves our closest attention.","Its conclusion is purposely exaggerated."],"question":"What does Dr. Pielke say about the Forum's report?","article":"Global warming is causing more than 300,000 deaths and about $125 billion in economiclosses each year, according to a report by the Global Humanitarian Forum, an organization led byAnnan, the former United Nations secretary general.\nThe report, to be released Friday, analyzed data and existing studies of health, disaster,population and economic trends. It found that human-influenced climate change was raising theglobal death rates from illnesses including malnutrition and heal-related healthproblems.\nBut even before its release, the report drew criticism from some experts on climate and risk,who questioned its methods and conclusions.Along with the deaths, the report said that the lives of 325 million people, primarily in poorcountries, were being seriously affected by climate change. It projected that the number woulddouble by 2030.\nRoger PielkeJr.a political scientist at the University of Colorado, Boulder, who studiesdisaster trends,\nsaid the Fo rum's report was \"a methodological embarrassment\" because there wasno way to distinguish deaths or economic losses related to human-driven global warming amid themuch larger losses resulting from the growth in populations and economic development invulnerable regions. Dr. Pielke said that \"climate change is an important problemrequiring our utmost attention. \"But the report, he said, ''will harm the cause for action on bothclimate change and disasters because it is so deeply flawed .\"However, Soren Andreasen, a social scientist at Dalberg Global Development Partners whosupervised the writing of the report, defended it, saying that it was clear that the numbers wererough estimates. He said the report was aimed at world leaders, who will meet in Copenhagen inDecember to negotiate a new international climate treaty.\nIn a press release describing the report, Mr. Annan stressed the need for the negotiations tofocus on increasing the flow of money from rich to poor regions to help reduce their vulnerabilityto climate hazards while still curbing the emissions of the heat-trapping gases. More than 90% ofthe human and economic losses from climate change arc occurring in poor countries, according tothe report.","id":"2533.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Its conclusions are based on carefully collected data.","It is vulnerable to criticism if the statistics are closely examined.","It will give rise to heated discussions at the Copenhagen conference.","Its rough estimates arc meant to draw the attention of world leaders."],"question":"What is Soren Andreasen\u201fs view of the report?","article":"Global warming is causing more than 300,000 deaths and about $125 billion in economiclosses each year, according to a report by the Global Humanitarian Forum, an organization led byAnnan, the former United Nations secretary general.\nThe report, to be released Friday, analyzed data and existing studies of health, disaster,population and economic trends. It found that human-influenced climate change was raising theglobal death rates from illnesses including malnutrition and heal-related healthproblems.\nBut even before its release, the report drew criticism from some experts on climate and risk,who questioned its methods and conclusions.Along with the deaths, the report said that the lives of 325 million people, primarily in poorcountries, were being seriously affected by climate change. It projected that the number woulddouble by 2030.\nRoger PielkeJr.a political scientist at the University of Colorado, Boulder, who studiesdisaster trends,\nsaid the Fo rum's report was \"a methodological embarrassment\" because there wasno way to distinguish deaths or economic losses related to human-driven global warming amid themuch larger losses resulting from the growth in populations and economic development invulnerable regions. Dr. Pielke said that \"climate change is an important problemrequiring our utmost attention. \"But the report, he said, ''will harm the cause for action on bothclimate change and disasters because it is so deeply flawed .\"However, Soren Andreasen, a social scientist at Dalberg Global Development Partners whosupervised the writing of the report, defended it, saying that it was clear that the numbers wererough estimates. He said the report was aimed at world leaders, who will meet in Copenhagen inDecember to negotiate a new international climate treaty.\nIn a press release describing the report, Mr. Annan stressed the need for the negotiations tofocus on increasing the flow of money from rich to poor regions to help reduce their vulnerabilityto climate hazards while still curbing the emissions of the heat-trapping gases. More than 90% ofthe human and economic losses from climate change arc occurring in poor countries, according tothe report.","id":"2533.txt","label":3} +{"option":["How rich and poor regions can share responsibility in curbing global warming.","How human and economic losses from climate change can be reduced.","How emissions of heat-trapping gases can be reduced on a global scale.","How rich countries can better help poor regions reduce climate hazards."],"question":"What does Kofi Annan say should be the focus of the Copenhagen conference?","article":"Global warming is causing more than 300,000 deaths and about $125 billion in economiclosses each year, according to a report by the Global Humanitarian Forum, an organization led byAnnan, the former United Nations secretary general.\nThe report, to be released Friday, analyzed data and existing studies of health, disaster,population and economic trends. It found that human-influenced climate change was raising theglobal death rates from illnesses including malnutrition and heal-related healthproblems.\nBut even before its release, the report drew criticism from some experts on climate and risk,who questioned its methods and conclusions.Along with the deaths, the report said that the lives of 325 million people, primarily in poorcountries, were being seriously affected by climate change. It projected that the number woulddouble by 2030.\nRoger PielkeJr.a political scientist at the University of Colorado, Boulder, who studiesdisaster trends,\nsaid the Fo rum's report was \"a methodological embarrassment\" because there wasno way to distinguish deaths or economic losses related to human-driven global warming amid themuch larger losses resulting from the growth in populations and economic development invulnerable regions. Dr. Pielke said that \"climate change is an important problemrequiring our utmost attention. \"But the report, he said, ''will harm the cause for action on bothclimate change and disasters because it is so deeply flawed .\"However, Soren Andreasen, a social scientist at Dalberg Global Development Partners whosupervised the writing of the report, defended it, saying that it was clear that the numbers wererough estimates. He said the report was aimed at world leaders, who will meet in Copenhagen inDecember to negotiate a new international climate treaty.\nIn a press release describing the report, Mr. Annan stressed the need for the negotiations tofocus on increasing the flow of money from rich to poor regions to help reduce their vulnerabilityto climate hazards while still curbing the emissions of the heat-trapping gases. More than 90% ofthe human and economic losses from climate change arc occurring in poor countries, according tothe report.","id":"2533.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Animals developed different strategies to survive.","Large animals can take strategies to reduce the effect of extreme heat.","Animals can tolerate the loss of body water.","A very dehydrated person can drink enough water to rehydrate."],"question":"What is the passage mainly about?","article":"Large animals that inhabit the desert have evolved a number of adaptations for reducing the effects of extreme heat. One adaptation is to be light in color, and to reflect rather than absorb the sun's rays. Desert mammals also depart from the normal mammalian practice of maintaining a constant body temperature. Instead of trying to keep down the body temperature deep inside the body, which would involve the expenditure of water and energy, desert mammals allow their temperatures to rise to what would normally be fever height, and temperatures as high as 46 degrees Celsius have been measured in Grant's gazelles. The overheated body then cools down during the cold desert night, and indeed the temperature may fall unusually low by dawn, as low as 34 degrees Celsius in the camel. This is an advantage since the heat of the first few hours of daylight is absorbed in warming up the body, and an excessive buildup of heat does not begin until well into the day.\nAnother strategy of large desert animals is to tolerate the loss of body water to a point that would be fatal for non-adapted animals. The camel can lose up to 30 percent of its body weight as water without harm to itself, whereas human beings die after losing only 12 to 13 percent of their body weight. An equally important adaptation is the ability to replenish this water loss at one drink. Desert animals can drink huge volumes in a short time, and camels have been known to imbibe over 100 liters in a few minutes. A very dehydrated person, on the other hand, cannot drink enough water to rehydrate at one session, because the human stomach is not sufficiently big and because a too rapid dilution of the body fluids causes death from water intoxication. The tolerance of water loss is of obvious advantage in the desert, as animals do not have to remain near a water hole but can obtain food from grazing sparse pastures. Desert-adapted mammals have the further ability to feed normally when extremely dehydrated. It is a common experience in people that appetite is lost even under conditions of moderate thirst.","id":"2665.txt","label":0} +{"option":["It helped them maintain a constant normal body temperature.","It reflects rather than absorbs the sun-light.","It helps them see their peers at night.","It helps them keep cool during the night."],"question":"Why light in color is important to large animals in deserts?","article":"Large animals that inhabit the desert have evolved a number of adaptations for reducing the effects of extreme heat. One adaptation is to be light in color, and to reflect rather than absorb the sun's rays. Desert mammals also depart from the normal mammalian practice of maintaining a constant body temperature. Instead of trying to keep down the body temperature deep inside the body, which would involve the expenditure of water and energy, desert mammals allow their temperatures to rise to what would normally be fever height, and temperatures as high as 46 degrees Celsius have been measured in Grant's gazelles. The overheated body then cools down during the cold desert night, and indeed the temperature may fall unusually low by dawn, as low as 34 degrees Celsius in the camel. This is an advantage since the heat of the first few hours of daylight is absorbed in warming up the body, and an excessive buildup of heat does not begin until well into the day.\nAnother strategy of large desert animals is to tolerate the loss of body water to a point that would be fatal for non-adapted animals. The camel can lose up to 30 percent of its body weight as water without harm to itself, whereas human beings die after losing only 12 to 13 percent of their body weight. An equally important adaptation is the ability to replenish this water loss at one drink. Desert animals can drink huge volumes in a short time, and camels have been known to imbibe over 100 liters in a few minutes. A very dehydrated person, on the other hand, cannot drink enough water to rehydrate at one session, because the human stomach is not sufficiently big and because a too rapid dilution of the body fluids causes death from water intoxication. The tolerance of water loss is of obvious advantage in the desert, as animals do not have to remain near a water hole but can obtain food from grazing sparse pastures. Desert-adapted mammals have the further ability to feed normally when extremely dehydrated. It is a common experience in people that appetite is lost even under conditions of moderate thirst.","id":"2665.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Keeping a normal body temperature.","Drinking polluted water.","Drinking huge volumes of water in a short time.","Feeding when dehydrated."],"question":"What will be fatal to non-adapted animals?","article":"Large animals that inhabit the desert have evolved a number of adaptations for reducing the effects of extreme heat. One adaptation is to be light in color, and to reflect rather than absorb the sun's rays. Desert mammals also depart from the normal mammalian practice of maintaining a constant body temperature. Instead of trying to keep down the body temperature deep inside the body, which would involve the expenditure of water and energy, desert mammals allow their temperatures to rise to what would normally be fever height, and temperatures as high as 46 degrees Celsius have been measured in Grant's gazelles. The overheated body then cools down during the cold desert night, and indeed the temperature may fall unusually low by dawn, as low as 34 degrees Celsius in the camel. This is an advantage since the heat of the first few hours of daylight is absorbed in warming up the body, and an excessive buildup of heat does not begin until well into the day.\nAnother strategy of large desert animals is to tolerate the loss of body water to a point that would be fatal for non-adapted animals. The camel can lose up to 30 percent of its body weight as water without harm to itself, whereas human beings die after losing only 12 to 13 percent of their body weight. An equally important adaptation is the ability to replenish this water loss at one drink. Desert animals can drink huge volumes in a short time, and camels have been known to imbibe over 100 liters in a few minutes. A very dehydrated person, on the other hand, cannot drink enough water to rehydrate at one session, because the human stomach is not sufficiently big and because a too rapid dilution of the body fluids causes death from water intoxication. The tolerance of water loss is of obvious advantage in the desert, as animals do not have to remain near a water hole but can obtain food from grazing sparse pastures. Desert-adapted mammals have the further ability to feed normally when extremely dehydrated. It is a common experience in people that appetite is lost even under conditions of moderate thirst.","id":"2665.txt","label":2} +{"option":["They do not need to eat much food.","They can eat large quantities quickly.","They easily lose their appetites.","They can travel long distances looking for food."],"question":"What does the author imply about desert-adapted mammals?","article":"Large animals that inhabit the desert have evolved a number of adaptations for reducing the effects of extreme heat. One adaptation is to be light in color, and to reflect rather than absorb the sun's rays. Desert mammals also depart from the normal mammalian practice of maintaining a constant body temperature. Instead of trying to keep down the body temperature deep inside the body, which would involve the expenditure of water and energy, desert mammals allow their temperatures to rise to what would normally be fever height, and temperatures as high as 46 degrees Celsius have been measured in Grant's gazelles. The overheated body then cools down during the cold desert night, and indeed the temperature may fall unusually low by dawn, as low as 34 degrees Celsius in the camel. This is an advantage since the heat of the first few hours of daylight is absorbed in warming up the body, and an excessive buildup of heat does not begin until well into the day.\nAnother strategy of large desert animals is to tolerate the loss of body water to a point that would be fatal for non-adapted animals. The camel can lose up to 30 percent of its body weight as water without harm to itself, whereas human beings die after losing only 12 to 13 percent of their body weight. An equally important adaptation is the ability to replenish this water loss at one drink. Desert animals can drink huge volumes in a short time, and camels have been known to imbibe over 100 liters in a few minutes. A very dehydrated person, on the other hand, cannot drink enough water to rehydrate at one session, because the human stomach is not sufficiently big and because a too rapid dilution of the body fluids causes death from water intoxication. The tolerance of water loss is of obvious advantage in the desert, as animals do not have to remain near a water hole but can obtain food from grazing sparse pastures. Desert-adapted mammals have the further ability to feed normally when extremely dehydrated. It is a common experience in people that appetite is lost even under conditions of moderate thirst.","id":"2665.txt","label":3} +{"option":["The body temperature can be extremely high and cold.","Tolerate the loss of body water and replenish it immediately.","Lost appetite under the condition of moderate thirsty.","To be light in color."],"question":"What is the following strategy not mentioned by the author?","article":"Large animals that inhabit the desert have evolved a number of adaptations for reducing the effects of extreme heat. One adaptation is to be light in color, and to reflect rather than absorb the sun's rays. Desert mammals also depart from the normal mammalian practice of maintaining a constant body temperature. Instead of trying to keep down the body temperature deep inside the body, which would involve the expenditure of water and energy, desert mammals allow their temperatures to rise to what would normally be fever height, and temperatures as high as 46 degrees Celsius have been measured in Grant's gazelles. The overheated body then cools down during the cold desert night, and indeed the temperature may fall unusually low by dawn, as low as 34 degrees Celsius in the camel. This is an advantage since the heat of the first few hours of daylight is absorbed in warming up the body, and an excessive buildup of heat does not begin until well into the day.\nAnother strategy of large desert animals is to tolerate the loss of body water to a point that would be fatal for non-adapted animals. The camel can lose up to 30 percent of its body weight as water without harm to itself, whereas human beings die after losing only 12 to 13 percent of their body weight. An equally important adaptation is the ability to replenish this water loss at one drink. Desert animals can drink huge volumes in a short time, and camels have been known to imbibe over 100 liters in a few minutes. A very dehydrated person, on the other hand, cannot drink enough water to rehydrate at one session, because the human stomach is not sufficiently big and because a too rapid dilution of the body fluids causes death from water intoxication. The tolerance of water loss is of obvious advantage in the desert, as animals do not have to remain near a water hole but can obtain food from grazing sparse pastures. Desert-adapted mammals have the further ability to feed normally when extremely dehydrated. It is a common experience in people that appetite is lost even under conditions of moderate thirst.","id":"2665.txt","label":2} +{"option":["chickens","tomatoes","gardens","people"],"question":"What does the word \"residents\" in Paragraph 1 probably refer to?","article":"Cassandra Feeley finds it hard to manage on her husband's income. So this year she did something more than a hobby: She planted vegetables in her yard. For her first garden, Ms. Feeley has put in 15 tomato plants, and five rows of a variety of vegetables. The family's old farm house has become a chicken house, its residents arriving next month. Last year, Ms. Rita Gartin kept a small garden. This year she has made it much larger because, she said, \"The cost of everything is going up and I was looking to lose a few pounds, too; so it's a win??win situation all around.\"\nThey are among the growing number of Americans who, driven by higher living costs and a falling economy , have taken up vegetable gardening for the first time. Others have increased the size of their existing gardens. Seed companies and garden shops say that not since the 1970s has there been such an increase in interest in growing food at home. Now many gardens across the country have been sold out for several months. In Austin, Tex., some of the gardens have a three??year waiting list.\nGeorge\nC. Ball Jr., owner of a company, said sales of vegetable seeds and plants are up by 40% over last year, double the average growth of the last five years. Mr. Ball argues that some of the reasons have been building for the last few years. The big one is the striking rise in the cost of food like bread and milk, together with the increases in the price of fruits and vegetables. Food prices have increased because of higher oil prices. People are now driving less, taking fewer vacations, so there is more time to garden.","id":"3046.txt","label":0} +{"option":["More Americans are doing it for fun.","The price of oil is lower than before.","There's a growing need for fruits.","The cost of living is on the rise."],"question":"Why is vegetable gardening becoming increasingly popular?","article":"Cassandra Feeley finds it hard to manage on her husband's income. So this year she did something more than a hobby: She planted vegetables in her yard. For her first garden, Ms. Feeley has put in 15 tomato plants, and five rows of a variety of vegetables. The family's old farm house has become a chicken house, its residents arriving next month. Last year, Ms. Rita Gartin kept a small garden. This year she has made it much larger because, she said, \"The cost of everything is going up and I was looking to lose a few pounds, too; so it's a win??win situation all around.\"\nThey are among the growing number of Americans who, driven by higher living costs and a falling economy , have taken up vegetable gardening for the first time. Others have increased the size of their existing gardens. Seed companies and garden shops say that not since the 1970s has there been such an increase in interest in growing food at home. Now many gardens across the country have been sold out for several months. In Austin, Tex., some of the gardens have a three??year waiting list.\nGeorge\nC. Ball Jr., owner of a company, said sales of vegetable seeds and plants are up by 40% over last year, double the average growth of the last five years. Mr. Ball argues that some of the reasons have been building for the last few years. The big one is the striking rise in the cost of food like bread and milk, together with the increases in the price of fruits and vegetables. Food prices have increased because of higher oil prices. People are now driving less, taking fewer vacations, so there is more time to garden.","id":"3046.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Family Food Planning","Banking on Gardening","A Belt??tightening Move","Gardening as a Hobby"],"question":"Which of the following might be the best title for the text?","article":"Cassandra Feeley finds it hard to manage on her husband's income. So this year she did something more than a hobby: She planted vegetables in her yard. For her first garden, Ms. Feeley has put in 15 tomato plants, and five rows of a variety of vegetables. The family's old farm house has become a chicken house, its residents arriving next month. Last year, Ms. Rita Gartin kept a small garden. This year she has made it much larger because, she said, \"The cost of everything is going up and I was looking to lose a few pounds, too; so it's a win??win situation all around.\"\nThey are among the growing number of Americans who, driven by higher living costs and a falling economy , have taken up vegetable gardening for the first time. Others have increased the size of their existing gardens. Seed companies and garden shops say that not since the 1970s has there been such an increase in interest in growing food at home. Now many gardens across the country have been sold out for several months. In Austin, Tex., some of the gardens have a three??year waiting list.\nGeorge\nC. Ball Jr., owner of a company, said sales of vegetable seeds and plants are up by 40% over last year, double the average growth of the last five years. Mr. Ball argues that some of the reasons have been building for the last few years. The big one is the striking rise in the cost of food like bread and milk, together with the increases in the price of fruits and vegetables. Food prices have increased because of higher oil prices. People are now driving less, taking fewer vacations, so there is more time to garden.","id":"3046.txt","label":1} +{"option":["make the tree grow taller","improve the shape of the tree","get rid of the small branches","make the small branches thicker"],"question":"Pruning should be done to _ .","article":"Trees should only be pruned when there is a good and clear reason for doing so and , fortunately,the number of such reasons is small. Pruning involves the cutting away of obergrown and unwanted branches, and the inexperienced gardener can be encouraged by the thought that more damage results from doing it unnecessarily than from leaving the tree to grow in its own way.\nFirst, pruning may be done to make sure that trees have a desired shape or size. The object may be to get a tree of the right height, and at the same time to help the growth of small side branches which will thicken its appearance or give it a special shape. Secondly, pruning may be done to make the tree healthier. You may cut diseaed or dead wood, or branches that are rubbing against each other and thus cause wounds. The health of a tree may be encouraged by removing branches that are blocking up the centre and so preventing the free movement of air.\nOne result of pruning is that an open wound is left on the tree and this provides an easy entry for disease, but itis a wound that will heal. Often there is a race between the healing and the desease as to whether the tree will live or die, so that there is a period when the tree is at risk. It should be the aim of every gardener to reduce which has been pruned smooth and clean, for healing will be slowed down by roughness. You should allow the cut surface to dry for a few hurs and then paint it with one of the substances available from garden shops produced especially for this purpose. Pruning is usually without interference from the leaves and also it is very unlikely that the cuts yu make will bleed. If this does happen,it is, of course,impossible to paint them properly.","id":"1642.txt","label":1} +{"option":["allows too many branches to grow in the middle","does not protect them from wind","forces them to grow too quickly","damages some of the small side branches"],"question":"Trees become unhealthy if the gardener _ .","article":"Trees should only be pruned when there is a good and clear reason for doing so and , fortunately,the number of such reasons is small. Pruning involves the cutting away of obergrown and unwanted branches, and the inexperienced gardener can be encouraged by the thought that more damage results from doing it unnecessarily than from leaving the tree to grow in its own way.\nFirst, pruning may be done to make sure that trees have a desired shape or size. The object may be to get a tree of the right height, and at the same time to help the growth of small side branches which will thicken its appearance or give it a special shape. Secondly, pruning may be done to make the tree healthier. You may cut diseaed or dead wood, or branches that are rubbing against each other and thus cause wounds. The health of a tree may be encouraged by removing branches that are blocking up the centre and so preventing the free movement of air.\nOne result of pruning is that an open wound is left on the tree and this provides an easy entry for disease, but itis a wound that will heal. Often there is a race between the healing and the desease as to whether the tree will live or die, so that there is a period when the tree is at risk. It should be the aim of every gardener to reduce which has been pruned smooth and clean, for healing will be slowed down by roughness. You should allow the cut surface to dry for a few hurs and then paint it with one of the substances available from garden shops produced especially for this purpose. Pruning is usually without interference from the leaves and also it is very unlikely that the cuts yu make will bleed. If this does happen,it is, of course,impossible to paint them properly.","id":"1642.txt","label":0} +{"option":["To make a wound smooth","To prevent disease entering a wound","To cover a rough surface","To help a wound to dry"],"question":"Why is a special substance painted on the tree?","article":"Trees should only be pruned when there is a good and clear reason for doing so and , fortunately,the number of such reasons is small. Pruning involves the cutting away of obergrown and unwanted branches, and the inexperienced gardener can be encouraged by the thought that more damage results from doing it unnecessarily than from leaving the tree to grow in its own way.\nFirst, pruning may be done to make sure that trees have a desired shape or size. The object may be to get a tree of the right height, and at the same time to help the growth of small side branches which will thicken its appearance or give it a special shape. Secondly, pruning may be done to make the tree healthier. You may cut diseaed or dead wood, or branches that are rubbing against each other and thus cause wounds. The health of a tree may be encouraged by removing branches that are blocking up the centre and so preventing the free movement of air.\nOne result of pruning is that an open wound is left on the tree and this provides an easy entry for disease, but itis a wound that will heal. Often there is a race between the healing and the desease as to whether the tree will live or die, so that there is a period when the tree is at risk. It should be the aim of every gardener to reduce which has been pruned smooth and clean, for healing will be slowed down by roughness. You should allow the cut surface to dry for a few hurs and then paint it with one of the substances available from garden shops produced especially for this purpose. Pruning is usually without interference from the leaves and also it is very unlikely that the cuts yu make will bleed. If this does happen,it is, of course,impossible to paint them properly.","id":"1642.txt","label":1} +{"option":["at intervals throughout the year","as quickly as possible","occasionally when necessary","regular every winter"],"question":"A good gardener prunes a tree_ .","article":"Trees should only be pruned when there is a good and clear reason for doing so and , fortunately,the number of such reasons is small. Pruning involves the cutting away of obergrown and unwanted branches, and the inexperienced gardener can be encouraged by the thought that more damage results from doing it unnecessarily than from leaving the tree to grow in its own way.\nFirst, pruning may be done to make sure that trees have a desired shape or size. The object may be to get a tree of the right height, and at the same time to help the growth of small side branches which will thicken its appearance or give it a special shape. Secondly, pruning may be done to make the tree healthier. You may cut diseaed or dead wood, or branches that are rubbing against each other and thus cause wounds. The health of a tree may be encouraged by removing branches that are blocking up the centre and so preventing the free movement of air.\nOne result of pruning is that an open wound is left on the tree and this provides an easy entry for disease, but itis a wound that will heal. Often there is a race between the healing and the desease as to whether the tree will live or die, so that there is a period when the tree is at risk. It should be the aim of every gardener to reduce which has been pruned smooth and clean, for healing will be slowed down by roughness. You should allow the cut surface to dry for a few hurs and then paint it with one of the substances available from garden shops produced especially for this purpose. Pruning is usually without interference from the leaves and also it is very unlikely that the cuts yu make will bleed. If this does happen,it is, of course,impossible to paint them properly.","id":"1642.txt","label":2} +{"option":["To give pratical instruction for pruning a tree.","To give a general description of pruning","To explain how trees develop diseases","To discuss different methods of pruning."],"question":"What was the author's purpose when writing this passage?","article":"Trees should only be pruned when there is a good and clear reason for doing so and , fortunately,the number of such reasons is small. Pruning involves the cutting away of obergrown and unwanted branches, and the inexperienced gardener can be encouraged by the thought that more damage results from doing it unnecessarily than from leaving the tree to grow in its own way.\nFirst, pruning may be done to make sure that trees have a desired shape or size. The object may be to get a tree of the right height, and at the same time to help the growth of small side branches which will thicken its appearance or give it a special shape. Secondly, pruning may be done to make the tree healthier. You may cut diseaed or dead wood, or branches that are rubbing against each other and thus cause wounds. The health of a tree may be encouraged by removing branches that are blocking up the centre and so preventing the free movement of air.\nOne result of pruning is that an open wound is left on the tree and this provides an easy entry for disease, but itis a wound that will heal. Often there is a race between the healing and the desease as to whether the tree will live or die, so that there is a period when the tree is at risk. It should be the aim of every gardener to reduce which has been pruned smooth and clean, for healing will be slowed down by roughness. You should allow the cut surface to dry for a few hurs and then paint it with one of the substances available from garden shops produced especially for this purpose. Pruning is usually without interference from the leaves and also it is very unlikely that the cuts yu make will bleed. If this does happen,it is, of course,impossible to paint them properly.","id":"1642.txt","label":0} +{"option":["supporter","counsel","assistant","adviser"],"question":"The word\" quarterback\" \uff08Line 2, Paragraph 1\uff09most probably means _ .","article":"Few lawyers did more to help George W. Bush become president than Barry Richard. As Bush's quarterback in the Florida courts during last fall's bruising recount, the white-maned Tallahassee, Fla., litigator became a familiar figure to TV audiences. He got the GOP equivalent of rock-star treatment when he came to Washington last January for Bush's Inauguration. At one ball, recalls law partner Fred Baggett, a heavyset Texas woman lifted Richard off the floor and planted a big kiss on his cheek, exclaiming, \" I love you for giving us our president!\"\nBut Richard has discovered that the Bushes' gratitude has its limits. More than four months after the U.S. Supreme Court ended the 2000 election, he and his firm, Greenberg Traurig, are still owed more than $800,000 in legal fees. The firm, which sent 39 lawyers and 13 paralegals into court battles all over the state, is one of a dozen that have so far been stiffed. The estimated total tab: more than $2 million. The situation, Newsweek has learned, has gotten increasingly sticky. While lawyers complain privately about foot dragging\uff08Richard says he's not among them\uff09, Bush advisers are griping about\" astronomical\" bills-including one from a litigator who charged for more than 24 hours of work in a single day. \" What you've got here is a bunch of rich lawyers bellyaching,\" says one former Bush campaign official. \" Yet these guys got huge in-kind contributions to their reputations out of this.\"\nThe lawyers were supposed to get their money from the Bush Recount Committee, a fund-raising vehicle set up when the Florida fight began. A nebulous entity not legally required to disclose how it spent its money, the committee and its chief fund-raiser, Texas oilman \uff08and now Commerce secretary\uff09 Don Evans, swiftly collected $8.3 million-more than twice the $3.9 million Al Gore's recount committee raised to pay its lawyers. To avoid charges that the recount was being bankrolled by special interests, the Bushes imposed a $5,000 cap on individual donations, a PR gesture they now regret. After paying off caterers, air charters and the army of GOP Hill types who came to Florida as\" observers,\" the\" kitty ran dry,\" says one source.\nThe Bush camp says it intends to pay up. But Ben Ginsberg, the former chief campaign counsel who has inherited the mess, hasn't yet figured out how. As for the law firms, they are taking pains not to alienate their deadbeat clients, for fear of damaging their burgeoning Washington lobbying practices. Greenberg Traurig now represents electric power companies, drug manufacturers and Internet gambling interests willing to pay big money for access to policymakers. Whether Richard and company collect or not, that $800,000 could end up being a smart investment.","id":"546.txt","label":1} +{"option":["the ingratitude of the Bushes","the complaints of his law partners","the unpaid bills","Bush advisers' criticism"],"question":"The main problem Richard is facing now is _ .","article":"Few lawyers did more to help George W. Bush become president than Barry Richard. As Bush's quarterback in the Florida courts during last fall's bruising recount, the white-maned Tallahassee, Fla., litigator became a familiar figure to TV audiences. He got the GOP equivalent of rock-star treatment when he came to Washington last January for Bush's Inauguration. At one ball, recalls law partner Fred Baggett, a heavyset Texas woman lifted Richard off the floor and planted a big kiss on his cheek, exclaiming, \" I love you for giving us our president!\"\nBut Richard has discovered that the Bushes' gratitude has its limits. More than four months after the U.S. Supreme Court ended the 2000 election, he and his firm, Greenberg Traurig, are still owed more than $800,000 in legal fees. The firm, which sent 39 lawyers and 13 paralegals into court battles all over the state, is one of a dozen that have so far been stiffed. The estimated total tab: more than $2 million. The situation, Newsweek has learned, has gotten increasingly sticky. While lawyers complain privately about foot dragging\uff08Richard says he's not among them\uff09, Bush advisers are griping about\" astronomical\" bills-including one from a litigator who charged for more than 24 hours of work in a single day. \" What you've got here is a bunch of rich lawyers bellyaching,\" says one former Bush campaign official. \" Yet these guys got huge in-kind contributions to their reputations out of this.\"\nThe lawyers were supposed to get their money from the Bush Recount Committee, a fund-raising vehicle set up when the Florida fight began. A nebulous entity not legally required to disclose how it spent its money, the committee and its chief fund-raiser, Texas oilman \uff08and now Commerce secretary\uff09 Don Evans, swiftly collected $8.3 million-more than twice the $3.9 million Al Gore's recount committee raised to pay its lawyers. To avoid charges that the recount was being bankrolled by special interests, the Bushes imposed a $5,000 cap on individual donations, a PR gesture they now regret. After paying off caterers, air charters and the army of GOP Hill types who came to Florida as\" observers,\" the\" kitty ran dry,\" says one source.\nThe Bush camp says it intends to pay up. But Ben Ginsberg, the former chief campaign counsel who has inherited the mess, hasn't yet figured out how. As for the law firms, they are taking pains not to alienate their deadbeat clients, for fear of damaging their burgeoning Washington lobbying practices. Greenberg Traurig now represents electric power companies, drug manufacturers and Internet gambling interests willing to pay big money for access to policymakers. Whether Richard and company collect or not, that $800,000 could end up being a smart investment.","id":"546.txt","label":2} +{"option":["lawyers also benefited a lot from working for the Bush Camp","Al Gore lost the recount case because his Recount Committee raised far fewer funds than that of Bush's","Texan women are all very proud of having Bush as their president","the Bushes intend to become deadbeat clients because it does no harm to their relationship with law firms"],"question":"From the passage we can infer that _ .","article":"Few lawyers did more to help George W. Bush become president than Barry Richard. As Bush's quarterback in the Florida courts during last fall's bruising recount, the white-maned Tallahassee, Fla., litigator became a familiar figure to TV audiences. He got the GOP equivalent of rock-star treatment when he came to Washington last January for Bush's Inauguration. At one ball, recalls law partner Fred Baggett, a heavyset Texas woman lifted Richard off the floor and planted a big kiss on his cheek, exclaiming, \" I love you for giving us our president!\"\nBut Richard has discovered that the Bushes' gratitude has its limits. More than four months after the U.S. Supreme Court ended the 2000 election, he and his firm, Greenberg Traurig, are still owed more than $800,000 in legal fees. The firm, which sent 39 lawyers and 13 paralegals into court battles all over the state, is one of a dozen that have so far been stiffed. The estimated total tab: more than $2 million. The situation, Newsweek has learned, has gotten increasingly sticky. While lawyers complain privately about foot dragging\uff08Richard says he's not among them\uff09, Bush advisers are griping about\" astronomical\" bills-including one from a litigator who charged for more than 24 hours of work in a single day. \" What you've got here is a bunch of rich lawyers bellyaching,\" says one former Bush campaign official. \" Yet these guys got huge in-kind contributions to their reputations out of this.\"\nThe lawyers were supposed to get their money from the Bush Recount Committee, a fund-raising vehicle set up when the Florida fight began. A nebulous entity not legally required to disclose how it spent its money, the committee and its chief fund-raiser, Texas oilman \uff08and now Commerce secretary\uff09 Don Evans, swiftly collected $8.3 million-more than twice the $3.9 million Al Gore's recount committee raised to pay its lawyers. To avoid charges that the recount was being bankrolled by special interests, the Bushes imposed a $5,000 cap on individual donations, a PR gesture they now regret. After paying off caterers, air charters and the army of GOP Hill types who came to Florida as\" observers,\" the\" kitty ran dry,\" says one source.\nThe Bush camp says it intends to pay up. But Ben Ginsberg, the former chief campaign counsel who has inherited the mess, hasn't yet figured out how. As for the law firms, they are taking pains not to alienate their deadbeat clients, for fear of damaging their burgeoning Washington lobbying practices. Greenberg Traurig now represents electric power companies, drug manufacturers and Internet gambling interests willing to pay big money for access to policymakers. Whether Richard and company collect or not, that $800,000 could end up being a smart investment.","id":"546.txt","label":0} +{"option":["spent all the raised money to pay its lawyers","had got most of its funds from individuals","could have raised more money if they hadn't imposed a cap on individual donations","had to pay the bills of the army for their help in Bush's election"],"question":"According to the passage, the Bush Recount Committee _ .","article":"Few lawyers did more to help George W. Bush become president than Barry Richard. As Bush's quarterback in the Florida courts during last fall's bruising recount, the white-maned Tallahassee, Fla., litigator became a familiar figure to TV audiences. He got the GOP equivalent of rock-star treatment when he came to Washington last January for Bush's Inauguration. At one ball, recalls law partner Fred Baggett, a heavyset Texas woman lifted Richard off the floor and planted a big kiss on his cheek, exclaiming, \" I love you for giving us our president!\"\nBut Richard has discovered that the Bushes' gratitude has its limits. More than four months after the U.S. Supreme Court ended the 2000 election, he and his firm, Greenberg Traurig, are still owed more than $800,000 in legal fees. The firm, which sent 39 lawyers and 13 paralegals into court battles all over the state, is one of a dozen that have so far been stiffed. The estimated total tab: more than $2 million. The situation, Newsweek has learned, has gotten increasingly sticky. While lawyers complain privately about foot dragging\uff08Richard says he's not among them\uff09, Bush advisers are griping about\" astronomical\" bills-including one from a litigator who charged for more than 24 hours of work in a single day. \" What you've got here is a bunch of rich lawyers bellyaching,\" says one former Bush campaign official. \" Yet these guys got huge in-kind contributions to their reputations out of this.\"\nThe lawyers were supposed to get their money from the Bush Recount Committee, a fund-raising vehicle set up when the Florida fight began. A nebulous entity not legally required to disclose how it spent its money, the committee and its chief fund-raiser, Texas oilman \uff08and now Commerce secretary\uff09 Don Evans, swiftly collected $8.3 million-more than twice the $3.9 million Al Gore's recount committee raised to pay its lawyers. To avoid charges that the recount was being bankrolled by special interests, the Bushes imposed a $5,000 cap on individual donations, a PR gesture they now regret. After paying off caterers, air charters and the army of GOP Hill types who came to Florida as\" observers,\" the\" kitty ran dry,\" says one source.\nThe Bush camp says it intends to pay up. But Ben Ginsberg, the former chief campaign counsel who has inherited the mess, hasn't yet figured out how. As for the law firms, they are taking pains not to alienate their deadbeat clients, for fear of damaging their burgeoning Washington lobbying practices. Greenberg Traurig now represents electric power companies, drug manufacturers and Internet gambling interests willing to pay big money for access to policymakers. Whether Richard and company collect or not, that $800,000 could end up being a smart investment.","id":"546.txt","label":2} +{"option":["the Bush camp also owes electrical power companies and drug manufacturers a lot of money","richard and his company have invested their legal fees to expand their business","greenberg Traurig works for electric power companies, drug manufacturers and Internet gambling interests","law firms don't want to lose influential clients even if they don't pay off their legal fees"],"question":"We can learn from the last paragraph that _ .","article":"Few lawyers did more to help George W. Bush become president than Barry Richard. As Bush's quarterback in the Florida courts during last fall's bruising recount, the white-maned Tallahassee, Fla., litigator became a familiar figure to TV audiences. He got the GOP equivalent of rock-star treatment when he came to Washington last January for Bush's Inauguration. At one ball, recalls law partner Fred Baggett, a heavyset Texas woman lifted Richard off the floor and planted a big kiss on his cheek, exclaiming, \" I love you for giving us our president!\"\nBut Richard has discovered that the Bushes' gratitude has its limits. More than four months after the U.S. Supreme Court ended the 2000 election, he and his firm, Greenberg Traurig, are still owed more than $800,000 in legal fees. The firm, which sent 39 lawyers and 13 paralegals into court battles all over the state, is one of a dozen that have so far been stiffed. The estimated total tab: more than $2 million. The situation, Newsweek has learned, has gotten increasingly sticky. While lawyers complain privately about foot dragging\uff08Richard says he's not among them\uff09, Bush advisers are griping about\" astronomical\" bills-including one from a litigator who charged for more than 24 hours of work in a single day. \" What you've got here is a bunch of rich lawyers bellyaching,\" says one former Bush campaign official. \" Yet these guys got huge in-kind contributions to their reputations out of this.\"\nThe lawyers were supposed to get their money from the Bush Recount Committee, a fund-raising vehicle set up when the Florida fight began. A nebulous entity not legally required to disclose how it spent its money, the committee and its chief fund-raiser, Texas oilman \uff08and now Commerce secretary\uff09 Don Evans, swiftly collected $8.3 million-more than twice the $3.9 million Al Gore's recount committee raised to pay its lawyers. To avoid charges that the recount was being bankrolled by special interests, the Bushes imposed a $5,000 cap on individual donations, a PR gesture they now regret. After paying off caterers, air charters and the army of GOP Hill types who came to Florida as\" observers,\" the\" kitty ran dry,\" says one source.\nThe Bush camp says it intends to pay up. But Ben Ginsberg, the former chief campaign counsel who has inherited the mess, hasn't yet figured out how. As for the law firms, they are taking pains not to alienate their deadbeat clients, for fear of damaging their burgeoning Washington lobbying practices. Greenberg Traurig now represents electric power companies, drug manufacturers and Internet gambling interests willing to pay big money for access to policymakers. Whether Richard and company collect or not, that $800,000 could end up being a smart investment.","id":"546.txt","label":3} +{"option":["the uses of life preservers","the design of life preservers","the materials for life preservers","the buoyancy of life preservers"],"question":"The passage is mainly about_ .","article":"Merchant and passenger ships are generally required to have a life preserver for every person aboard and in many cases, a certain percentage of smaller sizes for children. According to United States requirements, life preservers must design, reversible capable of being quickly adjusted to fit the uninitiated individual, and must be so designed as to support the wearer in the water in an upright or slightly backward position.\nSufficient buoyancy to support the wearer should be retained by the life preserver after 48 hours in the water, and it should be reliable even after long period of storage. Thus it should be made of materials resistant to sunlight, gasoline, and oils, and it should be not easily set on fire.?The position in which the life preserver will support a person who jumps or falls into the water is most important, as is its tendency to turn the wearer in the water from a face-down position to an upright or slightly backward position, with his face clear of the water, even when the wearer is exhausted or unconscious.\nThe method of adjustment to the body should be simple, and self-evident to uninitiated persons even in the dark under the confused conditions, which follow a disaster. Thus, the life be reversible that it is nearly impossible to get it on wrong. Catches, straps, and ties should be kept to a minimum. In addition, the life preserver must be adjustable to the wide variety of shapes and sizes of wearers, since this greatly affects the position of floating and the self-righting qualities. A suitable life also be comfortable to wear at all times, in and out of the water, not so heavy as to encourage to take it off on shipboard while the ship is in danger, nor so burdensome that it hinders a person in the water while trying to swim.","id":"1418.txt","label":1} +{"option":["adjustable","comfortable","self-evident","self-righting"],"question":"According to the passage, a life be first of all _ .","article":"Merchant and passenger ships are generally required to have a life preserver for every person aboard and in many cases, a certain percentage of smaller sizes for children. According to United States requirements, life preservers must design, reversible capable of being quickly adjusted to fit the uninitiated individual, and must be so designed as to support the wearer in the water in an upright or slightly backward position.\nSufficient buoyancy to support the wearer should be retained by the life preserver after 48 hours in the water, and it should be reliable even after long period of storage. Thus it should be made of materials resistant to sunlight, gasoline, and oils, and it should be not easily set on fire.?The position in which the life preserver will support a person who jumps or falls into the water is most important, as is its tendency to turn the wearer in the water from a face-down position to an upright or slightly backward position, with his face clear of the water, even when the wearer is exhausted or unconscious.\nThe method of adjustment to the body should be simple, and self-evident to uninitiated persons even in the dark under the confused conditions, which follow a disaster. Thus, the life be reversible that it is nearly impossible to get it on wrong. Catches, straps, and ties should be kept to a minimum. In addition, the life preserver must be adjustable to the wide variety of shapes and sizes of wearers, since this greatly affects the position of floating and the self-righting qualities. A suitable life also be comfortable to wear at all times, in and out of the water, not so heavy as to encourage to take it off on shipboard while the ship is in danger, nor so burdensome that it hinders a person in the water while trying to swim.","id":"1418.txt","label":3} +{"option":["with as few strings as possible","capable of being worn on both sides","according to each wearer's size","comfortable and light to wear"],"question":"United States Coast Guard does NOT require the life preserver to be made _ .","article":"Merchant and passenger ships are generally required to have a life preserver for every person aboard and in many cases, a certain percentage of smaller sizes for children. According to United States requirements, life preservers must design, reversible capable of being quickly adjusted to fit the uninitiated individual, and must be so designed as to support the wearer in the water in an upright or slightly backward position.\nSufficient buoyancy to support the wearer should be retained by the life preserver after 48 hours in the water, and it should be reliable even after long period of storage. Thus it should be made of materials resistant to sunlight, gasoline, and oils, and it should be not easily set on fire.?The position in which the life preserver will support a person who jumps or falls into the water is most important, as is its tendency to turn the wearer in the water from a face-down position to an upright or slightly backward position, with his face clear of the water, even when the wearer is exhausted or unconscious.\nThe method of adjustment to the body should be simple, and self-evident to uninitiated persons even in the dark under the confused conditions, which follow a disaster. Thus, the life be reversible that it is nearly impossible to get it on wrong. Catches, straps, and ties should be kept to a minimum. In addition, the life preserver must be adjustable to the wide variety of shapes and sizes of wearers, since this greatly affects the position of floating and the self-righting qualities. A suitable life also be comfortable to wear at all times, in and out of the water, not so heavy as to encourage to take it off on shipboard while the ship is in danger, nor so burdensome that it hinders a person in the water while trying to swim.","id":"1418.txt","label":2} +{"option":["who has not been instructed how to use a life preserver","who has a little experience in using a life preserver","who uses a life preserver without permission","who becomes nervous before a disaster"],"question":"By \"the uninitiated individual\" (Para. 1, Line. 4) the author refers to the person _ .","article":"Merchant and passenger ships are generally required to have a life preserver for every person aboard and in many cases, a certain percentage of smaller sizes for children. According to United States requirements, life preservers must design, reversible capable of being quickly adjusted to fit the uninitiated individual, and must be so designed as to support the wearer in the water in an upright or slightly backward position.\nSufficient buoyancy to support the wearer should be retained by the life preserver after 48 hours in the water, and it should be reliable even after long period of storage. Thus it should be made of materials resistant to sunlight, gasoline, and oils, and it should be not easily set on fire.?The position in which the life preserver will support a person who jumps or falls into the water is most important, as is its tendency to turn the wearer in the water from a face-down position to an upright or slightly backward position, with his face clear of the water, even when the wearer is exhausted or unconscious.\nThe method of adjustment to the body should be simple, and self-evident to uninitiated persons even in the dark under the confused conditions, which follow a disaster. Thus, the life be reversible that it is nearly impossible to get it on wrong. Catches, straps, and ties should be kept to a minimum. In addition, the life preserver must be adjustable to the wide variety of shapes and sizes of wearers, since this greatly affects the position of floating and the self-righting qualities. A suitable life also be comfortable to wear at all times, in and out of the water, not so heavy as to encourage to take it off on shipboard while the ship is in danger, nor so burdensome that it hinders a person in the water while trying to swim.","id":"1418.txt","label":0} +{"option":["The waves would move him backwards.","The water would choke him.","He would immediately sink to the bottom.","He would be exhausted or unconscious."],"question":"What would happen if a person were supported by the life preserver in a wrong position?","article":"Merchant and passenger ships are generally required to have a life preserver for every person aboard and in many cases, a certain percentage of smaller sizes for children. According to United States requirements, life preservers must design, reversible capable of being quickly adjusted to fit the uninitiated individual, and must be so designed as to support the wearer in the water in an upright or slightly backward position.\nSufficient buoyancy to support the wearer should be retained by the life preserver after 48 hours in the water, and it should be reliable even after long period of storage. Thus it should be made of materials resistant to sunlight, gasoline, and oils, and it should be not easily set on fire.?The position in which the life preserver will support a person who jumps or falls into the water is most important, as is its tendency to turn the wearer in the water from a face-down position to an upright or slightly backward position, with his face clear of the water, even when the wearer is exhausted or unconscious.\nThe method of adjustment to the body should be simple, and self-evident to uninitiated persons even in the dark under the confused conditions, which follow a disaster. Thus, the life be reversible that it is nearly impossible to get it on wrong. Catches, straps, and ties should be kept to a minimum. In addition, the life preserver must be adjustable to the wide variety of shapes and sizes of wearers, since this greatly affects the position of floating and the self-righting qualities. A suitable life also be comfortable to wear at all times, in and out of the water, not so heavy as to encourage to take it off on shipboard while the ship is in danger, nor so burdensome that it hinders a person in the water while trying to swim.","id":"1418.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Wildlife research in the United States.","Plant diversity in the Yellowstone area.","The conflict between farmers and gray wolves.","The reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone Park."],"question":"What is the text mainly about?","article":"Gray wolves once were seen here and there in the Yellowstone area and much of the continental United States, but they were gradually displaced by human development. By the 1920s, wolves had practically disappeared from the Yellowstone area. They went farther north into the deep forests of Canada, where there were fewer humans around.\nThe disappearance of the wolves had many unexpected results. Deer and elk populations - major food sources for the wolf - grew rapidly. These animals consumed large amounts of vegetation , which reduced plant diversity in the park. In the absence of wolves, coyote populations also grew quickly. The coyotes killed a large percentage of the park' s red foxes, and completely drove away the park' s beavers.\nAs early as 1966,biologists asked the government to consider reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone Park.They hoped that wolves would be able to control the elk and coyote problems.Many farmers opposed the plan because they feared that wolves would kill their farm animals or pets.\nThe government spent nearly 30 years coming up with a plan to reintroduce the wolvers. The U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service carefully monitors and manages the wolf packs in Yellowstone.Today,the debate continues over how well the gray wolf is fitting in at Yellowstone.Elk,deer,and coyote populations are down,while beavers and red fores have made a comeback.The Yellowstone wolf project has been a valuable experiment to help biologists decide whether to reintroduce wolves to other parts of the country as well.","id":"4076.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Damage to local ecology.","A decline in the park's income.","Preservation of vegetation.","An increase in the variety of animals."],"question":"What did the disappearance of gray wolves bring about?","article":"Gray wolves once were seen here and there in the Yellowstone area and much of the continental United States, but they were gradually displaced by human development. By the 1920s, wolves had practically disappeared from the Yellowstone area. They went farther north into the deep forests of Canada, where there were fewer humans around.\nThe disappearance of the wolves had many unexpected results. Deer and elk populations - major food sources for the wolf - grew rapidly. These animals consumed large amounts of vegetation , which reduced plant diversity in the park. In the absence of wolves, coyote populations also grew quickly. The coyotes killed a large percentage of the park' s red foxes, and completely drove away the park' s beavers.\nAs early as 1966,biologists asked the government to consider reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone Park.They hoped that wolves would be able to control the elk and coyote problems.Many farmers opposed the plan because they feared that wolves would kill their farm animals or pets.\nThe government spent nearly 30 years coming up with a plan to reintroduce the wolvers. The U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service carefully monitors and manages the wolf packs in Yellowstone.Today,the debate continues over how well the gray wolf is fitting in at Yellowstone.Elk,deer,and coyote populations are down,while beavers and red fores have made a comeback.The Yellowstone wolf project has been a valuable experiment to help biologists decide whether to reintroduce wolves to other parts of the country as well.","id":"4076.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Doubtful.","Positive.","Disapproving.","Uncaring."],"question":"What is the author's attitude towards the Yellowstone wolf project?","article":"Gray wolves once were seen here and there in the Yellowstone area and much of the continental United States, but they were gradually displaced by human development. By the 1920s, wolves had practically disappeared from the Yellowstone area. They went farther north into the deep forests of Canada, where there were fewer humans around.\nThe disappearance of the wolves had many unexpected results. Deer and elk populations - major food sources for the wolf - grew rapidly. These animals consumed large amounts of vegetation , which reduced plant diversity in the park. In the absence of wolves, coyote populations also grew quickly. The coyotes killed a large percentage of the park' s red foxes, and completely drove away the park' s beavers.\nAs early as 1966,biologists asked the government to consider reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone Park.They hoped that wolves would be able to control the elk and coyote problems.Many farmers opposed the plan because they feared that wolves would kill their farm animals or pets.\nThe government spent nearly 30 years coming up with a plan to reintroduce the wolvers. The U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service carefully monitors and manages the wolf packs in Yellowstone.Today,the debate continues over how well the gray wolf is fitting in at Yellowstone.Elk,deer,and coyote populations are down,while beavers and red fores have made a comeback.The Yellowstone wolf project has been a valuable experiment to help biologists decide whether to reintroduce wolves to other parts of the country as well.","id":"4076.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Shocked.","Sympathetic.","Annoyed.","Upset."],"question":"How did the author feel about Goldie when Goldie came to the house?","article":"Goldie's Secret\nShe turned up at the doorstep of my house in Cornwall. No way could I have sent her away. No way, not me anyway. Maybe someone had kicked her out of their car the night before. \"We're moving house.'; \"No space for her any more with the baby coming.\" \"We never really wanted her, but what could we have done? She was a present.\" People find all sorts of excuses for abandoning an animal. And she was one of the most beautiful dogs I had ever seen.\nI called her Goldie. If I had known what was going to happen I would have given\nher a more creative name. She was so unsettled during those first few days. She hardly ate anything and had such an air of sadness about her. There was nothing I could do to make her happy, it seemed. Heaven knows what had happened to her at her previous owner's. But eventually at the end of the first week she calmed down. Always by my side, whether we were out on one of our long walks or sitting by the fire.\nThat's why it was such a shock when she pulled away from me one day when we were out for a walk. We were a long way from home, when she started barking and getting very restless. Eventually I couldn't hold her any longer and she raced off down the road towards a farmhouse in the distance as fast as she could.\nBy the time I reached the farm I was very tired and upset with Goldie. But when I saw her licking the four puppies I started to feel sympathy towards them. \"We didn't know what had happened to her,\" said the woman at the door. \"I took her for a walk one day, soon after the puppies were born, and she just disappeared.\" \"She must have tried to come back to them and got lost,\" added a boy from behind her. '\nI must admit I do miss Goldie, but I've got Nugget now, and she looks just like her mother. And I've learnt a good lesson: not to judge people.","id":"2293.txt","label":1} +{"option":["I felt worried","was angry","ate a little","sat by the fire"],"question":"In her first few days at the author's house, Goldie.","article":"Goldie's Secret\nShe turned up at the doorstep of my house in Cornwall. No way could I have sent her away. No way, not me anyway. Maybe someone had kicked her out of their car the night before. \"We're moving house.'; \"No space for her any more with the baby coming.\" \"We never really wanted her, but what could we have done? She was a present.\" People find all sorts of excuses for abandoning an animal. And she was one of the most beautiful dogs I had ever seen.\nI called her Goldie. If I had known what was going to happen I would have given\nher a more creative name. She was so unsettled during those first few days. She hardly ate anything and had such an air of sadness about her. There was nothing I could do to make her happy, it seemed. Heaven knows what had happened to her at her previous owner's. But eventually at the end of the first week she calmed down. Always by my side, whether we were out on one of our long walks or sitting by the fire.\nThat's why it was such a shock when she pulled away from me one day when we were out for a walk. We were a long way from home, when she started barking and getting very restless. Eventually I couldn't hold her any longer and she raced off down the road towards a farmhouse in the distance as fast as she could.\nBy the time I reached the farm I was very tired and upset with Goldie. But when I saw her licking the four puppies I started to feel sympathy towards them. \"We didn't know what had happened to her,\" said the woman at the door. \"I took her for a walk one day, soon after the puppies were born, and she just disappeared.\" \"She must have tried to come back to them and got lost,\" added a boy from behind her. '\nI must admit I do miss Goldie, but I've got Nugget now, and she looks just like her mother. And I've learnt a good lesson: not to judge people.","id":"2293.txt","label":0} +{"option":["saw her puppies","heard familiar barkings","wanted to leave the author","found her way to her old home"],"question":"Goldie rushed off to a farmhouse one day because she.","article":"Goldie's Secret\nShe turned up at the doorstep of my house in Cornwall. No way could I have sent her away. No way, not me anyway. Maybe someone had kicked her out of their car the night before. \"We're moving house.'; \"No space for her any more with the baby coming.\" \"We never really wanted her, but what could we have done? She was a present.\" People find all sorts of excuses for abandoning an animal. And she was one of the most beautiful dogs I had ever seen.\nI called her Goldie. If I had known what was going to happen I would have given\nher a more creative name. She was so unsettled during those first few days. She hardly ate anything and had such an air of sadness about her. There was nothing I could do to make her happy, it seemed. Heaven knows what had happened to her at her previous owner's. But eventually at the end of the first week she calmed down. Always by my side, whether we were out on one of our long walks or sitting by the fire.\nThat's why it was such a shock when she pulled away from me one day when we were out for a walk. We were a long way from home, when she started barking and getting very restless. Eventually I couldn't hold her any longer and she raced off down the road towards a farmhouse in the distance as fast as she could.\nBy the time I reached the farm I was very tired and upset with Goldie. But when I saw her licking the four puppies I started to feel sympathy towards them. \"We didn't know what had happened to her,\" said the woman at the door. \"I took her for a walk one day, soon after the puppies were born, and she just disappeared.\" \"She must have tried to come back to them and got lost,\" added a boy from behind her. '\nI must admit I do miss Goldie, but I've got Nugget now, and she looks just like her mother. And I've learnt a good lesson: not to judge people.","id":"2293.txt","label":3} +{"option":["time","effectiveness","importance","complexity"],"question":"The passage is organized in order of _ .","article":"Goldie's Secret\nShe turned up at the doorstep of my house in Cornwall. No way could I have sent her away. No way, not me anyway. Maybe someone had kicked her out of their car the night before. \"We're moving house.'; \"No space for her any more with the baby coming.\" \"We never really wanted her, but what could we have done? She was a present.\" People find all sorts of excuses for abandoning an animal. And she was one of the most beautiful dogs I had ever seen.\nI called her Goldie. If I had known what was going to happen I would have given\nher a more creative name. She was so unsettled during those first few days. She hardly ate anything and had such an air of sadness about her. There was nothing I could do to make her happy, it seemed. Heaven knows what had happened to her at her previous owner's. But eventually at the end of the first week she calmed down. Always by my side, whether we were out on one of our long walks or sitting by the fire.\nThat's why it was such a shock when she pulled away from me one day when we were out for a walk. We were a long way from home, when she started barking and getting very restless. Eventually I couldn't hold her any longer and she raced off down the road towards a farmhouse in the distance as fast as she could.\nBy the time I reached the farm I was very tired and upset with Goldie. But when I saw her licking the four puppies I started to feel sympathy towards them. \"We didn't know what had happened to her,\" said the woman at the door. \"I took her for a walk one day, soon after the puppies were born, and she just disappeared.\" \"She must have tried to come back to them and got lost,\" added a boy from behind her. '\nI must admit I do miss Goldie, but I've got Nugget now, and she looks just like her mother. And I've learnt a good lesson: not to judge people.","id":"2293.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Charles Reznikoff always wrote works about testimony","Charles Reznikoff was always involved in the testimony affairs","Charles Reznikoff liked to write testimony","Charles Reznikoff is a busy lawyer"],"question":"By saying\" it was a word that kept him close company\" \uff08Line 7, Paragraph 1\uff09, the author implies _ .","article":"Charles Reznikoff \uff081894\uff5e1976\uff09worked relentlessly, never leaving New York but for a brief stay in Hollywood, of all places. He was admired by Pound and Kenneth Burke, and often published his own works; in the Depression era, he managed a treadle printing press in his basement. He wrote three sorts of poems: exceptionally short imagistic lyrics; longer pieces crafted and cobbled from other sources, often from the Judaic tradition; and book-length poems wrought from the testimony both of Holocaust trials and from the courtrooms of turn-of-the-century America. Two of these full-length volumes were indeed titled\" Testimony,\" as was an earlier prose work; it was a word that kept him close company. When asked late in life to define his poetry, it was not the word he chose.\n\" Objectivist,\" he wrote, naming his longstanding group, and mimicking poetic style with a single prose sentence:\" images clear but the meaning not stated but suggested by the objective details and the music of the verse; words pithy and plain; without the artifice of regular meters; themes, chiefly Jewish, American, urban.\" If the sentence sounds hard-won, this is perhaps because it was. Four decades earlier, he wrote in a letter to friends, \" There is a learned article about my verse in Poetry this month, from which I learn that I am an objectivist.\" The learned fellow was Louis Zukofsky, brilliant eminence of the Objectivists, \" with whom I disagree as to both form and content of verse, but to whom I am obliged for placing some of my things here and there.\" So read Reznikoff's conclusion in 1931, with its fillip of polite resentment.\nMovements and schools are arbitrary and immaterial things by which poetic history is told. This must have rankled Reznikoff, who spent his writing life tracing the material and the necessary.\nBorn a child of immigrants in Brooklyn in 1894, he was in journalism school at 16, took a law degree at 21. Though he was little interested in legal practice, the ideas would be near the heart of his writing. Ideal poetic language, he wrote, \" is restricted almost to the testimony of a witness in a court of law.\" If this suggests a congenital optimism about the law, it made for astonishingly care-filled poetry. Reznikoff is unsurpassed in conveying the sense that the world is worth getting right. Not the glorious or the damaged world, but the world that is everything that is the case. Reznikoff's faith in the facts of the case takes on an intensity no less social than spiritual, no greater when surveying the Old Testament than New York. This collection gathers all his poems \uff08but for those already book-length\uff09by the technique of compressing onto single pages as many as five or six at a time. This can lessen the force; each is a sort of American haiku, though no more impressionistic than a hand-operated printing press. One such, numbered 69 in the volume\" Jerusalem the Golden,\" runs in its length:\" Among the heaps of brick and plaster lies a girder, still itself among the rubbish.\" This exemplary couplet is sometimes taken to represent Reznikoff's poetry itself, immutable and certain amid the transitory.","id":"594.txt","label":0} +{"option":["approval","indifference","opposition","suspicion"],"question":"Reznikoff's attitude to the fact that he was grouped as objectivist is _ .","article":"Charles Reznikoff \uff081894\uff5e1976\uff09worked relentlessly, never leaving New York but for a brief stay in Hollywood, of all places. He was admired by Pound and Kenneth Burke, and often published his own works; in the Depression era, he managed a treadle printing press in his basement. He wrote three sorts of poems: exceptionally short imagistic lyrics; longer pieces crafted and cobbled from other sources, often from the Judaic tradition; and book-length poems wrought from the testimony both of Holocaust trials and from the courtrooms of turn-of-the-century America. Two of these full-length volumes were indeed titled\" Testimony,\" as was an earlier prose work; it was a word that kept him close company. When asked late in life to define his poetry, it was not the word he chose.\n\" Objectivist,\" he wrote, naming his longstanding group, and mimicking poetic style with a single prose sentence:\" images clear but the meaning not stated but suggested by the objective details and the music of the verse; words pithy and plain; without the artifice of regular meters; themes, chiefly Jewish, American, urban.\" If the sentence sounds hard-won, this is perhaps because it was. Four decades earlier, he wrote in a letter to friends, \" There is a learned article about my verse in Poetry this month, from which I learn that I am an objectivist.\" The learned fellow was Louis Zukofsky, brilliant eminence of the Objectivists, \" with whom I disagree as to both form and content of verse, but to whom I am obliged for placing some of my things here and there.\" So read Reznikoff's conclusion in 1931, with its fillip of polite resentment.\nMovements and schools are arbitrary and immaterial things by which poetic history is told. This must have rankled Reznikoff, who spent his writing life tracing the material and the necessary.\nBorn a child of immigrants in Brooklyn in 1894, he was in journalism school at 16, took a law degree at 21. Though he was little interested in legal practice, the ideas would be near the heart of his writing. Ideal poetic language, he wrote, \" is restricted almost to the testimony of a witness in a court of law.\" If this suggests a congenital optimism about the law, it made for astonishingly care-filled poetry. Reznikoff is unsurpassed in conveying the sense that the world is worth getting right. Not the glorious or the damaged world, but the world that is everything that is the case. Reznikoff's faith in the facts of the case takes on an intensity no less social than spiritual, no greater when surveying the Old Testament than New York. This collection gathers all his poems \uff08but for those already book-length\uff09by the technique of compressing onto single pages as many as five or six at a time. This can lessen the force; each is a sort of American haiku, though no more impressionistic than a hand-operated printing press. One such, numbered 69 in the volume\" Jerusalem the Golden,\" runs in its length:\" Among the heaps of brick and plaster lies a girder, still itself among the rubbish.\" This exemplary couplet is sometimes taken to represent Reznikoff's poetry itself, immutable and certain amid the transitory.","id":"594.txt","label":2} +{"option":["interested","angered","pleased","consoled"],"question":"The word\" rankled\" \uff08Line 2, Paragraph 3\uff09probably means _ .","article":"Charles Reznikoff \uff081894\uff5e1976\uff09worked relentlessly, never leaving New York but for a brief stay in Hollywood, of all places. He was admired by Pound and Kenneth Burke, and often published his own works; in the Depression era, he managed a treadle printing press in his basement. He wrote three sorts of poems: exceptionally short imagistic lyrics; longer pieces crafted and cobbled from other sources, often from the Judaic tradition; and book-length poems wrought from the testimony both of Holocaust trials and from the courtrooms of turn-of-the-century America. Two of these full-length volumes were indeed titled\" Testimony,\" as was an earlier prose work; it was a word that kept him close company. When asked late in life to define his poetry, it was not the word he chose.\n\" Objectivist,\" he wrote, naming his longstanding group, and mimicking poetic style with a single prose sentence:\" images clear but the meaning not stated but suggested by the objective details and the music of the verse; words pithy and plain; without the artifice of regular meters; themes, chiefly Jewish, American, urban.\" If the sentence sounds hard-won, this is perhaps because it was. Four decades earlier, he wrote in a letter to friends, \" There is a learned article about my verse in Poetry this month, from which I learn that I am an objectivist.\" The learned fellow was Louis Zukofsky, brilliant eminence of the Objectivists, \" with whom I disagree as to both form and content of verse, but to whom I am obliged for placing some of my things here and there.\" So read Reznikoff's conclusion in 1931, with its fillip of polite resentment.\nMovements and schools are arbitrary and immaterial things by which poetic history is told. This must have rankled Reznikoff, who spent his writing life tracing the material and the necessary.\nBorn a child of immigrants in Brooklyn in 1894, he was in journalism school at 16, took a law degree at 21. Though he was little interested in legal practice, the ideas would be near the heart of his writing. Ideal poetic language, he wrote, \" is restricted almost to the testimony of a witness in a court of law.\" If this suggests a congenital optimism about the law, it made for astonishingly care-filled poetry. Reznikoff is unsurpassed in conveying the sense that the world is worth getting right. Not the glorious or the damaged world, but the world that is everything that is the case. Reznikoff's faith in the facts of the case takes on an intensity no less social than spiritual, no greater when surveying the Old Testament than New York. This collection gathers all his poems \uff08but for those already book-length\uff09by the technique of compressing onto single pages as many as five or six at a time. This can lessen the force; each is a sort of American haiku, though no more impressionistic than a hand-operated printing press. One such, numbered 69 in the volume\" Jerusalem the Golden,\" runs in its length:\" Among the heaps of brick and plaster lies a girder, still itself among the rubbish.\" This exemplary couplet is sometimes taken to represent Reznikoff's poetry itself, immutable and certain amid the transitory.","id":"594.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Reznikoff liked to learn law","Reznikoff was more interested in spiritual world than in social world","it is astonishing that Reznikoff wrote care-filled poetry","Reznikoff was greatly influenced by his legal experience in his poetry writing"],"question":"We can learn from the fourth paragraph that _ .","article":"Charles Reznikoff \uff081894\uff5e1976\uff09worked relentlessly, never leaving New York but for a brief stay in Hollywood, of all places. He was admired by Pound and Kenneth Burke, and often published his own works; in the Depression era, he managed a treadle printing press in his basement. He wrote three sorts of poems: exceptionally short imagistic lyrics; longer pieces crafted and cobbled from other sources, often from the Judaic tradition; and book-length poems wrought from the testimony both of Holocaust trials and from the courtrooms of turn-of-the-century America. Two of these full-length volumes were indeed titled\" Testimony,\" as was an earlier prose work; it was a word that kept him close company. When asked late in life to define his poetry, it was not the word he chose.\n\" Objectivist,\" he wrote, naming his longstanding group, and mimicking poetic style with a single prose sentence:\" images clear but the meaning not stated but suggested by the objective details and the music of the verse; words pithy and plain; without the artifice of regular meters; themes, chiefly Jewish, American, urban.\" If the sentence sounds hard-won, this is perhaps because it was. Four decades earlier, he wrote in a letter to friends, \" There is a learned article about my verse in Poetry this month, from which I learn that I am an objectivist.\" The learned fellow was Louis Zukofsky, brilliant eminence of the Objectivists, \" with whom I disagree as to both form and content of verse, but to whom I am obliged for placing some of my things here and there.\" So read Reznikoff's conclusion in 1931, with its fillip of polite resentment.\nMovements and schools are arbitrary and immaterial things by which poetic history is told. This must have rankled Reznikoff, who spent his writing life tracing the material and the necessary.\nBorn a child of immigrants in Brooklyn in 1894, he was in journalism school at 16, took a law degree at 21. Though he was little interested in legal practice, the ideas would be near the heart of his writing. Ideal poetic language, he wrote, \" is restricted almost to the testimony of a witness in a court of law.\" If this suggests a congenital optimism about the law, it made for astonishingly care-filled poetry. Reznikoff is unsurpassed in conveying the sense that the world is worth getting right. Not the glorious or the damaged world, but the world that is everything that is the case. Reznikoff's faith in the facts of the case takes on an intensity no less social than spiritual, no greater when surveying the Old Testament than New York. This collection gathers all his poems \uff08but for those already book-length\uff09by the technique of compressing onto single pages as many as five or six at a time. This can lessen the force; each is a sort of American haiku, though no more impressionistic than a hand-operated printing press. One such, numbered 69 in the volume\" Jerusalem the Golden,\" runs in its length:\" Among the heaps of brick and plaster lies a girder, still itself among the rubbish.\" This exemplary couplet is sometimes taken to represent Reznikoff's poetry itself, immutable and certain amid the transitory.","id":"594.txt","label":3} +{"option":["show that the force is lessoned in this way","show that the poem is not impressionistic","show that the poem is immutable","show that the poem is compressed"],"question":"By citing the poem in the last paragraph, the author intends to _ .","article":"Charles Reznikoff \uff081894\uff5e1976\uff09worked relentlessly, never leaving New York but for a brief stay in Hollywood, of all places. He was admired by Pound and Kenneth Burke, and often published his own works; in the Depression era, he managed a treadle printing press in his basement. He wrote three sorts of poems: exceptionally short imagistic lyrics; longer pieces crafted and cobbled from other sources, often from the Judaic tradition; and book-length poems wrought from the testimony both of Holocaust trials and from the courtrooms of turn-of-the-century America. Two of these full-length volumes were indeed titled\" Testimony,\" as was an earlier prose work; it was a word that kept him close company. When asked late in life to define his poetry, it was not the word he chose.\n\" Objectivist,\" he wrote, naming his longstanding group, and mimicking poetic style with a single prose sentence:\" images clear but the meaning not stated but suggested by the objective details and the music of the verse; words pithy and plain; without the artifice of regular meters; themes, chiefly Jewish, American, urban.\" If the sentence sounds hard-won, this is perhaps because it was. Four decades earlier, he wrote in a letter to friends, \" There is a learned article about my verse in Poetry this month, from which I learn that I am an objectivist.\" The learned fellow was Louis Zukofsky, brilliant eminence of the Objectivists, \" with whom I disagree as to both form and content of verse, but to whom I am obliged for placing some of my things here and there.\" So read Reznikoff's conclusion in 1931, with its fillip of polite resentment.\nMovements and schools are arbitrary and immaterial things by which poetic history is told. This must have rankled Reznikoff, who spent his writing life tracing the material and the necessary.\nBorn a child of immigrants in Brooklyn in 1894, he was in journalism school at 16, took a law degree at 21. Though he was little interested in legal practice, the ideas would be near the heart of his writing. Ideal poetic language, he wrote, \" is restricted almost to the testimony of a witness in a court of law.\" If this suggests a congenital optimism about the law, it made for astonishingly care-filled poetry. Reznikoff is unsurpassed in conveying the sense that the world is worth getting right. Not the glorious or the damaged world, but the world that is everything that is the case. Reznikoff's faith in the facts of the case takes on an intensity no less social than spiritual, no greater when surveying the Old Testament than New York. This collection gathers all his poems \uff08but for those already book-length\uff09by the technique of compressing onto single pages as many as five or six at a time. This can lessen the force; each is a sort of American haiku, though no more impressionistic than a hand-operated printing press. One such, numbered 69 in the volume\" Jerusalem the Golden,\" runs in its length:\" Among the heaps of brick and plaster lies a girder, still itself among the rubbish.\" This exemplary couplet is sometimes taken to represent Reznikoff's poetry itself, immutable and certain amid the transitory.","id":"594.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Because people can't agree as to what species to protect.","Because it is difficult to find an effective way to protect such species.","Because it affects the interests of certain groups of people.","Because it is a major problem involving a series of legal procedures."],"question":"Why does the author say that the protection of endangered species is a highly controversial issue?","article":"In the United States, the need to protect plant and animal species has become a highly controversial and sharply political issue since the passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973. The act, designed to protect species' living areas, and policies that preserve land and forests compete with economic interests. In the 1990's, for example, the woodcutters in the Western United States were challenged legally in their attempt to cut trees for timber in the Cascade Mountains. The challenge was mounted to protect the endangered spotted owl , whose remaining population occupies these forests and requires the intact, ancient forest for survival. The problematic situation set the interests of environmentalists against those of corporations and of individuals who stood to lose jobs. After months of debate and legal battles, the fate of the woodcutters-and the owls-was still undecided in mid-1992.\nSimilar tensions exist between the developed and the developing nations. Many people in industrialized nations, for example, believe that developing nations in tropical regions should do more to protect their rain forests and other natural areas. But the developing countries may be impoverished , with populations growing so rapidly that using the land is a means to temporarily avoid worsening poverty and starvation.\nMany of the changes to Earth that concern scientists have the potential to rob the planet of its biological richness. The destruction of Earth's ozone layer , for example, could contribute to the general process of impoverishment by allowing ultra-violet rays to harm plants and animals. And global warming could wipe out species unable to quickly adapt to changing climates. Clearly, protecting will come only through coordinated international efforts to control human population, stabilize the composition of the atmosphere, and preserve intact Earth's complex web life.","id":"3324.txt","label":2} +{"option":["may hamper a developing country in its fight against poverty","benefits developed countries rather than developing countries","should take priority over the control of human population","will help improve the living conditions in developing countries"],"question":"According to the passage, the preservation of rain forests ________.","article":"In the United States, the need to protect plant and animal species has become a highly controversial and sharply political issue since the passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973. The act, designed to protect species' living areas, and policies that preserve land and forests compete with economic interests. In the 1990's, for example, the woodcutters in the Western United States were challenged legally in their attempt to cut trees for timber in the Cascade Mountains. The challenge was mounted to protect the endangered spotted owl , whose remaining population occupies these forests and requires the intact, ancient forest for survival. The problematic situation set the interests of environmentalists against those of corporations and of individuals who stood to lose jobs. After months of debate and legal battles, the fate of the woodcutters-and the owls-was still undecided in mid-1992.\nSimilar tensions exist between the developed and the developing nations. Many people in industrialized nations, for example, believe that developing nations in tropical regions should do more to protect their rain forests and other natural areas. But the developing countries may be impoverished , with populations growing so rapidly that using the land is a means to temporarily avoid worsening poverty and starvation.\nMany of the changes to Earth that concern scientists have the potential to rob the planet of its biological richness. The destruction of Earth's ozone layer , for example, could contribute to the general process of impoverishment by allowing ultra-violet rays to harm plants and animals. And global warming could wipe out species unable to quickly adapt to changing climates. Clearly, protecting will come only through coordinated international efforts to control human population, stabilize the composition of the atmosphere, and preserve intact Earth's complex web life.","id":"3324.txt","label":0} +{"option":["will widen the gap between the developed and the developing countries","is but a short-term relief to the food problem","can hardly alleviate the shortage of food","proves to be an effective way out for impoverished nations"],"question":"According to the passage, cutting tress to grow more food ________.","article":"In the United States, the need to protect plant and animal species has become a highly controversial and sharply political issue since the passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973. The act, designed to protect species' living areas, and policies that preserve land and forests compete with economic interests. In the 1990's, for example, the woodcutters in the Western United States were challenged legally in their attempt to cut trees for timber in the Cascade Mountains. The challenge was mounted to protect the endangered spotted owl , whose remaining population occupies these forests and requires the intact, ancient forest for survival. The problematic situation set the interests of environmentalists against those of corporations and of individuals who stood to lose jobs. After months of debate and legal battles, the fate of the woodcutters-and the owls-was still undecided in mid-1992.\nSimilar tensions exist between the developed and the developing nations. Many people in industrialized nations, for example, believe that developing nations in tropical regions should do more to protect their rain forests and other natural areas. But the developing countries may be impoverished , with populations growing so rapidly that using the land is a means to temporarily avoid worsening poverty and starvation.\nMany of the changes to Earth that concern scientists have the potential to rob the planet of its biological richness. The destruction of Earth's ozone layer , for example, could contribute to the general process of impoverishment by allowing ultra-violet rays to harm plants and animals. And global warming could wipe out species unable to quickly adapt to changing climates. Clearly, protecting will come only through coordinated international efforts to control human population, stabilize the composition of the atmosphere, and preserve intact Earth's complex web life.","id":"3324.txt","label":1} +{"option":["the impoverishment of developing countries","the explosion of the human population","the reduction of biological diversity","the effect of global warming"],"question":"Among \"humanity's current problems\" (Line 6, Para. 3), the chief concern of the scientists is ________.","article":"In the United States, the need to protect plant and animal species has become a highly controversial and sharply political issue since the passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973. The act, designed to protect species' living areas, and policies that preserve land and forests compete with economic interests. In the 1990's, for example, the woodcutters in the Western United States were challenged legally in their attempt to cut trees for timber in the Cascade Mountains. The challenge was mounted to protect the endangered spotted owl , whose remaining population occupies these forests and requires the intact, ancient forest for survival. The problematic situation set the interests of environmentalists against those of corporations and of individuals who stood to lose jobs. After months of debate and legal battles, the fate of the woodcutters-and the owls-was still undecided in mid-1992.\nSimilar tensions exist between the developed and the developing nations. Many people in industrialized nations, for example, believe that developing nations in tropical regions should do more to protect their rain forests and other natural areas. But the developing countries may be impoverished , with populations growing so rapidly that using the land is a means to temporarily avoid worsening poverty and starvation.\nMany of the changes to Earth that concern scientists have the potential to rob the planet of its biological richness. The destruction of Earth's ozone layer , for example, could contribute to the general process of impoverishment by allowing ultra-violet rays to harm plants and animals. And global warming could wipe out species unable to quickly adapt to changing climates. Clearly, protecting will come only through coordinated international efforts to control human population, stabilize the composition of the atmosphere, and preserve intact Earth's complex web life.","id":"3324.txt","label":2} +{"option":["to describe the difficulties in solving humanity's current problems","to present the different views on humanity's current problems","to analyze the contradiction between countries in dealing with humanity's current problems","to point out that humanity's current problems can only be solved through the cooperation of nations"],"question":"The author's purpose in writing this passage is ________.","article":"In the United States, the need to protect plant and animal species has become a highly controversial and sharply political issue since the passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973. The act, designed to protect species' living areas, and policies that preserve land and forests compete with economic interests. In the 1990's, for example, the woodcutters in the Western United States were challenged legally in their attempt to cut trees for timber in the Cascade Mountains. The challenge was mounted to protect the endangered spotted owl , whose remaining population occupies these forests and requires the intact, ancient forest for survival. The problematic situation set the interests of environmentalists against those of corporations and of individuals who stood to lose jobs. After months of debate and legal battles, the fate of the woodcutters-and the owls-was still undecided in mid-1992.\nSimilar tensions exist between the developed and the developing nations. Many people in industrialized nations, for example, believe that developing nations in tropical regions should do more to protect their rain forests and other natural areas. But the developing countries may be impoverished , with populations growing so rapidly that using the land is a means to temporarily avoid worsening poverty and starvation.\nMany of the changes to Earth that concern scientists have the potential to rob the planet of its biological richness. The destruction of Earth's ozone layer , for example, could contribute to the general process of impoverishment by allowing ultra-violet rays to harm plants and animals. And global warming could wipe out species unable to quickly adapt to changing climates. Clearly, protecting will come only through coordinated international efforts to control human population, stabilize the composition of the atmosphere, and preserve intact Earth's complex web life.","id":"3324.txt","label":3} +{"option":["refute a misconception about anaerobic glycolysis.","introduce a new hypothesis about anaerobic glycolysis.","describe the limitations of anaerobic glycolysis.","explain anaerobic glycolysis and its effects on animal survival."],"question":"What is the text mainly about?.","article":"It has long been known that the rate of oxidative metabolism (the process that uses oxygen to convert food into energy) in any animal has a profound effect on its living patterns. The high metabolic rate of small animals\uff0c for example\uff0c gives them sustained power and activity per unit of weight\uff0c but at the cost of requiring constant consumption of food and water. Very large animals\uff0c with their relatively low metabolic rates\uff0c can survive well on a sporadic food supply\uff0c but can gen- erate little metabolic energy per gram of body weight. If only oxidative metabolic rate is considered\uff0c there- fore\uff0c one might assume that smaller\uff0c more active\uff0c animals could prey on larger ones\uff0c at least if they attacked in groups. Perhaps they could if it were not for anaerobic glycolysis\uff0c the great equalizer.\nAnaerobic glcolysis is a process in which energy is produced\uff0c without oxygen\uff0c through the breakdown of muscle glycogen into lactic acid and adenosine tri- phosphate (ATP)\uff0c the energy provider. The amount of energy that can be produced anaerobically is a function of the amount of glycogen present-in all vertebrates about 0.5 percent of their muscles' wet weight. Thus the anaerobic energy reserves of a verte- brate are proportional to the size of the animal. If\uff0c for example\uff0c some predators had attacked a 100-ton dinosaur\uff0c normally torpid\uff0c the dinosaur would have been able to generate almost instantaneously\uff0c via anaerobic glycolysis\uff0c the energy of 3\uff0c000 humans at maximum oxidative metabolic energy production. This explains how many large species have managed to compete with their more active neighbors\uff1a the compensation for a low oxidative metabolic rate is glycolysis.\nThere are limitations\uff0c however\uff0c to this compensa- tion. The glycogen reserves of any animal are good\uff0c at most\uff0c for only about two minutes at maximum effort\uff0c after which only the normal oxidative metabolic source of energy remains. With the conclusion of a burst of activity\uff0c the lactic acid level is high in tthe body fluids\uff0c leaving the large animal vulnerable to attack until the acid is reconverted\uff0c via oxidative metabolism\uff0c by the liver into glucose\uff0c which is then sent (in part) back to the muscles for glycogen resyn- thesis. During this process the enormous energy debt that the animal has run up through anaerobic glycolysis must be repaid\uff0c a debt that is proportionally much greater for the larger vertebrates than for the smaller ones. Whereas the tiny shrew can replace in minutes the glycogen used for maximum effort\uff0c for example\uff0c the gigantic dinosaur would have required more than three weeks. It might seem that this inter- minably long recovery time in a large vertebrate would prove a grave disadvantage for survival. Fortunately\uff0c muscle glycogen is used only when needed and even then only in whatever quantity is necessary. Only in times of panic or during mortal combat would the entire reserves be consumed.","id":"1071.txt","label":3} +{"option":["increases the organism\u2018s need for ATP.","reduces the amount of ATP in the tissues.","is an inhibitor of the oxidative metabolic production of ATP.","is the material form which ATP is derived."],"question":"According to the author\uff0c glycogen is crucial to the process of anaerobic glyrolysis because glycogen","article":"It has long been known that the rate of oxidative metabolism (the process that uses oxygen to convert food into energy) in any animal has a profound effect on its living patterns. The high metabolic rate of small animals\uff0c for example\uff0c gives them sustained power and activity per unit of weight\uff0c but at the cost of requiring constant consumption of food and water. Very large animals\uff0c with their relatively low metabolic rates\uff0c can survive well on a sporadic food supply\uff0c but can gen- erate little metabolic energy per gram of body weight. If only oxidative metabolic rate is considered\uff0c there- fore\uff0c one might assume that smaller\uff0c more active\uff0c animals could prey on larger ones\uff0c at least if they attacked in groups. Perhaps they could if it were not for anaerobic glycolysis\uff0c the great equalizer.\nAnaerobic glcolysis is a process in which energy is produced\uff0c without oxygen\uff0c through the breakdown of muscle glycogen into lactic acid and adenosine tri- phosphate (ATP)\uff0c the energy provider. The amount of energy that can be produced anaerobically is a function of the amount of glycogen present-in all vertebrates about 0.5 percent of their muscles' wet weight. Thus the anaerobic energy reserves of a verte- brate are proportional to the size of the animal. If\uff0c for example\uff0c some predators had attacked a 100-ton dinosaur\uff0c normally torpid\uff0c the dinosaur would have been able to generate almost instantaneously\uff0c via anaerobic glycolysis\uff0c the energy of 3\uff0c000 humans at maximum oxidative metabolic energy production. This explains how many large species have managed to compete with their more active neighbors\uff1a the compensation for a low oxidative metabolic rate is glycolysis.\nThere are limitations\uff0c however\uff0c to this compensa- tion. The glycogen reserves of any animal are good\uff0c at most\uff0c for only about two minutes at maximum effort\uff0c after which only the normal oxidative metabolic source of energy remains. With the conclusion of a burst of activity\uff0c the lactic acid level is high in tthe body fluids\uff0c leaving the large animal vulnerable to attack until the acid is reconverted\uff0c via oxidative metabolism\uff0c by the liver into glucose\uff0c which is then sent (in part) back to the muscles for glycogen resyn- thesis. During this process the enormous energy debt that the animal has run up through anaerobic glycolysis must be repaid\uff0c a debt that is proportionally much greater for the larger vertebrates than for the smaller ones. Whereas the tiny shrew can replace in minutes the glycogen used for maximum effort\uff0c for example\uff0c the gigantic dinosaur would have required more than three weeks. It might seem that this inter- minably long recovery time in a large vertebrate would prove a grave disadvantage for survival. Fortunately\uff0c muscle glycogen is used only when needed and even then only in whatever quantity is necessary. Only in times of panic or during mortal combat would the entire reserves be consumed.","id":"1071.txt","label":3} +{"option":["larger vertebrate conserve more energy than smaller vertebrates.","larger vertebrates use less oxygen per unit weight than smaller vertebrates.","the ability of a vertebrate to consume food is a function of its size.","the amount of muscle tissue in a vertebrate is directly related to its size\uff0c"],"question":"It is implied that the total anaerobic energy reserves of a vertebrate are proportional to its size because","article":"It has long been known that the rate of oxidative metabolism (the process that uses oxygen to convert food into energy) in any animal has a profound effect on its living patterns. The high metabolic rate of small animals\uff0c for example\uff0c gives them sustained power and activity per unit of weight\uff0c but at the cost of requiring constant consumption of food and water. Very large animals\uff0c with their relatively low metabolic rates\uff0c can survive well on a sporadic food supply\uff0c but can gen- erate little metabolic energy per gram of body weight. If only oxidative metabolic rate is considered\uff0c there- fore\uff0c one might assume that smaller\uff0c more active\uff0c animals could prey on larger ones\uff0c at least if they attacked in groups. Perhaps they could if it were not for anaerobic glycolysis\uff0c the great equalizer.\nAnaerobic glcolysis is a process in which energy is produced\uff0c without oxygen\uff0c through the breakdown of muscle glycogen into lactic acid and adenosine tri- phosphate (ATP)\uff0c the energy provider. The amount of energy that can be produced anaerobically is a function of the amount of glycogen present-in all vertebrates about 0.5 percent of their muscles' wet weight. Thus the anaerobic energy reserves of a verte- brate are proportional to the size of the animal. If\uff0c for example\uff0c some predators had attacked a 100-ton dinosaur\uff0c normally torpid\uff0c the dinosaur would have been able to generate almost instantaneously\uff0c via anaerobic glycolysis\uff0c the energy of 3\uff0c000 humans at maximum oxidative metabolic energy production. This explains how many large species have managed to compete with their more active neighbors\uff1a the compensation for a low oxidative metabolic rate is glycolysis.\nThere are limitations\uff0c however\uff0c to this compensa- tion. The glycogen reserves of any animal are good\uff0c at most\uff0c for only about two minutes at maximum effort\uff0c after which only the normal oxidative metabolic source of energy remains. With the conclusion of a burst of activity\uff0c the lactic acid level is high in tthe body fluids\uff0c leaving the large animal vulnerable to attack until the acid is reconverted\uff0c via oxidative metabolism\uff0c by the liver into glucose\uff0c which is then sent (in part) back to the muscles for glycogen resyn- thesis. During this process the enormous energy debt that the animal has run up through anaerobic glycolysis must be repaid\uff0c a debt that is proportionally much greater for the larger vertebrates than for the smaller ones. Whereas the tiny shrew can replace in minutes the glycogen used for maximum effort\uff0c for example\uff0c the gigantic dinosaur would have required more than three weeks. It might seem that this inter- minably long recovery time in a large vertebrate would prove a grave disadvantage for survival. Fortunately\uff0c muscle glycogen is used only when needed and even then only in whatever quantity is necessary. Only in times of panic or during mortal combat would the entire reserves be consumed.","id":"1071.txt","label":3} +{"option":["produce in large animals more lactic acid than the liver can safely reconvert.","necessitate a dangerously long recovery period in large animals.","reduce energy more slowly than it can be used by large animals.","consume all of the available glycogen regardless of need."],"question":"According to the text\uff0c a major limitation of anaerobic glycolysis is that it can","article":"It has long been known that the rate of oxidative metabolism (the process that uses oxygen to convert food into energy) in any animal has a profound effect on its living patterns. The high metabolic rate of small animals\uff0c for example\uff0c gives them sustained power and activity per unit of weight\uff0c but at the cost of requiring constant consumption of food and water. Very large animals\uff0c with their relatively low metabolic rates\uff0c can survive well on a sporadic food supply\uff0c but can gen- erate little metabolic energy per gram of body weight. If only oxidative metabolic rate is considered\uff0c there- fore\uff0c one might assume that smaller\uff0c more active\uff0c animals could prey on larger ones\uff0c at least if they attacked in groups. Perhaps they could if it were not for anaerobic glycolysis\uff0c the great equalizer.\nAnaerobic glcolysis is a process in which energy is produced\uff0c without oxygen\uff0c through the breakdown of muscle glycogen into lactic acid and adenosine tri- phosphate (ATP)\uff0c the energy provider. The amount of energy that can be produced anaerobically is a function of the amount of glycogen present-in all vertebrates about 0.5 percent of their muscles' wet weight. Thus the anaerobic energy reserves of a verte- brate are proportional to the size of the animal. If\uff0c for example\uff0c some predators had attacked a 100-ton dinosaur\uff0c normally torpid\uff0c the dinosaur would have been able to generate almost instantaneously\uff0c via anaerobic glycolysis\uff0c the energy of 3\uff0c000 humans at maximum oxidative metabolic energy production. This explains how many large species have managed to compete with their more active neighbors\uff1a the compensation for a low oxidative metabolic rate is glycolysis.\nThere are limitations\uff0c however\uff0c to this compensa- tion. The glycogen reserves of any animal are good\uff0c at most\uff0c for only about two minutes at maximum effort\uff0c after which only the normal oxidative metabolic source of energy remains. With the conclusion of a burst of activity\uff0c the lactic acid level is high in tthe body fluids\uff0c leaving the large animal vulnerable to attack until the acid is reconverted\uff0c via oxidative metabolism\uff0c by the liver into glucose\uff0c which is then sent (in part) back to the muscles for glycogen resyn- thesis. During this process the enormous energy debt that the animal has run up through anaerobic glycolysis must be repaid\uff0c a debt that is proportionally much greater for the larger vertebrates than for the smaller ones. Whereas the tiny shrew can replace in minutes the glycogen used for maximum effort\uff0c for example\uff0c the gigantic dinosaur would have required more than three weeks. It might seem that this inter- minably long recovery time in a large vertebrate would prove a grave disadvantage for survival. Fortunately\uff0c muscle glycogen is used only when needed and even then only in whatever quantity is necessary. Only in times of panic or during mortal combat would the entire reserves be consumed.","id":"1071.txt","label":1} +{"option":["College students in an introductory course on animal physiology.","Historians of science investigating the discovery of anaerobic glycolysis.","Graduate students with specialized training in comparative anatomy.","Zoologists interested in prehistoric animals."],"question":"Which of the following audiences is the author most probably addressing?","article":"It has long been known that the rate of oxidative metabolism (the process that uses oxygen to convert food into energy) in any animal has a profound effect on its living patterns. The high metabolic rate of small animals\uff0c for example\uff0c gives them sustained power and activity per unit of weight\uff0c but at the cost of requiring constant consumption of food and water. Very large animals\uff0c with their relatively low metabolic rates\uff0c can survive well on a sporadic food supply\uff0c but can gen- erate little metabolic energy per gram of body weight. If only oxidative metabolic rate is considered\uff0c there- fore\uff0c one might assume that smaller\uff0c more active\uff0c animals could prey on larger ones\uff0c at least if they attacked in groups. Perhaps they could if it were not for anaerobic glycolysis\uff0c the great equalizer.\nAnaerobic glcolysis is a process in which energy is produced\uff0c without oxygen\uff0c through the breakdown of muscle glycogen into lactic acid and adenosine tri- phosphate (ATP)\uff0c the energy provider. The amount of energy that can be produced anaerobically is a function of the amount of glycogen present-in all vertebrates about 0.5 percent of their muscles' wet weight. Thus the anaerobic energy reserves of a verte- brate are proportional to the size of the animal. If\uff0c for example\uff0c some predators had attacked a 100-ton dinosaur\uff0c normally torpid\uff0c the dinosaur would have been able to generate almost instantaneously\uff0c via anaerobic glycolysis\uff0c the energy of 3\uff0c000 humans at maximum oxidative metabolic energy production. This explains how many large species have managed to compete with their more active neighbors\uff1a the compensation for a low oxidative metabolic rate is glycolysis.\nThere are limitations\uff0c however\uff0c to this compensa- tion. The glycogen reserves of any animal are good\uff0c at most\uff0c for only about two minutes at maximum effort\uff0c after which only the normal oxidative metabolic source of energy remains. With the conclusion of a burst of activity\uff0c the lactic acid level is high in tthe body fluids\uff0c leaving the large animal vulnerable to attack until the acid is reconverted\uff0c via oxidative metabolism\uff0c by the liver into glucose\uff0c which is then sent (in part) back to the muscles for glycogen resyn- thesis. During this process the enormous energy debt that the animal has run up through anaerobic glycolysis must be repaid\uff0c a debt that is proportionally much greater for the larger vertebrates than for the smaller ones. Whereas the tiny shrew can replace in minutes the glycogen used for maximum effort\uff0c for example\uff0c the gigantic dinosaur would have required more than three weeks. It might seem that this inter- minably long recovery time in a large vertebrate would prove a grave disadvantage for survival. Fortunately\uff0c muscle glycogen is used only when needed and even then only in whatever quantity is necessary. Only in times of panic or during mortal combat would the entire reserves be consumed.","id":"1071.txt","label":0} +{"option":["federal funds have been used in a project to clone humans","the White House responded strongly to the news of cloning","NBAC was authorized to control the misuse of cloning technique","the White House has got the panel's recommendations on cloning"],"question":"We can learn from the first paragraph that \t.","article":"When a Scottish research team startled the world by revealing 3 months ago that it had cloned an adult sheep, President Clinton moved swiftly. Declaring that he was opposed to using this unusual animal husbandry technique to clone humans, he ordered that federal funds not be used for such an experiment -- although no one had proposed to do so -- and asked an independent panel of experts chaired by Princeton President Harold Shapiro to report back to the White House in 90 days with recommendations for a national policy on human cloning. That group -- the National Bioethics Advisory Commission (NBAC) -- has been working feverishly to put its wisdom on paper, and at a meeting on 17 May, members agreed on a near-final draft of their recommendations.\nNBAC will ask that Clinton's 90-day ban on federal funds for human cloning be extended indefinitely, and possibly that it be made law. But NBAC members are planning to word the recommendation narrowly to avoid new restrictions on research that involves the cloning of human DNA or cells -- routine in molecular biology. The panel has not yet reached agreement on a crucial question, however, whether to recommend legislation that would make it a crime for private funding to be used for human cloning.\nIn a draft preface to the recommendations, discussed at the 17 May meeting, Shapiro suggested that the panel had found a broad consensus that it would be \"morally unacceptable to attempt to create a human child by adult nuclear cloning.\" Shapiro explained during the meeting that the moral doubt stems mainly from fears about the risk to the health of the child. The panel then informally accepted several general conclusions, although some details have not been settled.\nNBAC plans to call for a continued ban on federal government funding for any attempt to clone body cell nuclei to create a child. Because current federal law already forbids the use of federal funds to create embryos (the earliest stage of human offspring before birth) for research or to knowingly endanger an embryo's life, NBAC will remain silent on embryo research.\nNBAC members also indicated that they will appeal to privately funded researchers and clinics not to try to clone humans by body cell nuclear transfer. But they were divided on whether to go further by calling for a federal law that would impose a complete ban on human cloning. Shapiro and most members favored an appeal for such legislation, but in a phone interview, he said this issue was still \"up in the air.\"","id":"1031.txt","label":1} +{"option":["the ban on federal funds for human cloning should be made a law","the cloning of human DNA is not to be put under more control","it is criminal to use private funding for human cloning","it would be against ethical values to clone a human being"],"question":"The panel agreed on all of the following except that \t.","article":"When a Scottish research team startled the world by revealing 3 months ago that it had cloned an adult sheep, President Clinton moved swiftly. Declaring that he was opposed to using this unusual animal husbandry technique to clone humans, he ordered that federal funds not be used for such an experiment -- although no one had proposed to do so -- and asked an independent panel of experts chaired by Princeton President Harold Shapiro to report back to the White House in 90 days with recommendations for a national policy on human cloning. That group -- the National Bioethics Advisory Commission (NBAC) -- has been working feverishly to put its wisdom on paper, and at a meeting on 17 May, members agreed on a near-final draft of their recommendations.\nNBAC will ask that Clinton's 90-day ban on federal funds for human cloning be extended indefinitely, and possibly that it be made law. But NBAC members are planning to word the recommendation narrowly to avoid new restrictions on research that involves the cloning of human DNA or cells -- routine in molecular biology. The panel has not yet reached agreement on a crucial question, however, whether to recommend legislation that would make it a crime for private funding to be used for human cloning.\nIn a draft preface to the recommendations, discussed at the 17 May meeting, Shapiro suggested that the panel had found a broad consensus that it would be \"morally unacceptable to attempt to create a human child by adult nuclear cloning.\" Shapiro explained during the meeting that the moral doubt stems mainly from fears about the risk to the health of the child. The panel then informally accepted several general conclusions, although some details have not been settled.\nNBAC plans to call for a continued ban on federal government funding for any attempt to clone body cell nuclei to create a child. Because current federal law already forbids the use of federal funds to create embryos (the earliest stage of human offspring before birth) for research or to knowingly endanger an embryo's life, NBAC will remain silent on embryo research.\nNBAC members also indicated that they will appeal to privately funded researchers and clinics not to try to clone humans by body cell nuclear transfer. But they were divided on whether to go further by calling for a federal law that would impose a complete ban on human cloning. Shapiro and most members favored an appeal for such legislation, but in a phone interview, he said this issue was still \"up in the air.\"","id":"1031.txt","label":2} +{"option":["embryo research is just a current development of cloning","the health of the child is not the main concern of embryo research","an embryo's life will not be endangered in embryo research","the issue is explicitly stated and settled in the law"],"question":"NBAC will leave the issue of embryo research undiscussed because \t_.","article":"When a Scottish research team startled the world by revealing 3 months ago that it had cloned an adult sheep, President Clinton moved swiftly. Declaring that he was opposed to using this unusual animal husbandry technique to clone humans, he ordered that federal funds not be used for such an experiment -- although no one had proposed to do so -- and asked an independent panel of experts chaired by Princeton President Harold Shapiro to report back to the White House in 90 days with recommendations for a national policy on human cloning. That group -- the National Bioethics Advisory Commission (NBAC) -- has been working feverishly to put its wisdom on paper, and at a meeting on 17 May, members agreed on a near-final draft of their recommendations.\nNBAC will ask that Clinton's 90-day ban on federal funds for human cloning be extended indefinitely, and possibly that it be made law. But NBAC members are planning to word the recommendation narrowly to avoid new restrictions on research that involves the cloning of human DNA or cells -- routine in molecular biology. The panel has not yet reached agreement on a crucial question, however, whether to recommend legislation that would make it a crime for private funding to be used for human cloning.\nIn a draft preface to the recommendations, discussed at the 17 May meeting, Shapiro suggested that the panel had found a broad consensus that it would be \"morally unacceptable to attempt to create a human child by adult nuclear cloning.\" Shapiro explained during the meeting that the moral doubt stems mainly from fears about the risk to the health of the child. The panel then informally accepted several general conclusions, although some details have not been settled.\nNBAC plans to call for a continued ban on federal government funding for any attempt to clone body cell nuclei to create a child. Because current federal law already forbids the use of federal funds to create embryos (the earliest stage of human offspring before birth) for research or to knowingly endanger an embryo's life, NBAC will remain silent on embryo research.\nNBAC members also indicated that they will appeal to privately funded researchers and clinics not to try to clone humans by body cell nuclear transfer. But they were divided on whether to go further by calling for a federal law that would impose a complete ban on human cloning. Shapiro and most members favored an appeal for such legislation, but in a phone interview, he said this issue was still \"up in the air.\"","id":"1031.txt","label":3} +{"option":["some NBAC members hesitate to ban human cloning completely","a law banning human cloning is to be passed in no time","privately funded researchers will respond positively to NBAC's appeal","the issue of human cloning will soon be settled"],"question":"It can be inferred from the last paragraph that \t.","article":"When a Scottish research team startled the world by revealing 3 months ago that it had cloned an adult sheep, President Clinton moved swiftly. Declaring that he was opposed to using this unusual animal husbandry technique to clone humans, he ordered that federal funds not be used for such an experiment -- although no one had proposed to do so -- and asked an independent panel of experts chaired by Princeton President Harold Shapiro to report back to the White House in 90 days with recommendations for a national policy on human cloning. That group -- the National Bioethics Advisory Commission (NBAC) -- has been working feverishly to put its wisdom on paper, and at a meeting on 17 May, members agreed on a near-final draft of their recommendations.\nNBAC will ask that Clinton's 90-day ban on federal funds for human cloning be extended indefinitely, and possibly that it be made law. But NBAC members are planning to word the recommendation narrowly to avoid new restrictions on research that involves the cloning of human DNA or cells -- routine in molecular biology. The panel has not yet reached agreement on a crucial question, however, whether to recommend legislation that would make it a crime for private funding to be used for human cloning.\nIn a draft preface to the recommendations, discussed at the 17 May meeting, Shapiro suggested that the panel had found a broad consensus that it would be \"morally unacceptable to attempt to create a human child by adult nuclear cloning.\" Shapiro explained during the meeting that the moral doubt stems mainly from fears about the risk to the health of the child. The panel then informally accepted several general conclusions, although some details have not been settled.\nNBAC plans to call for a continued ban on federal government funding for any attempt to clone body cell nuclei to create a child. Because current federal law already forbids the use of federal funds to create embryos (the earliest stage of human offspring before birth) for research or to knowingly endanger an embryo's life, NBAC will remain silent on embryo research.\nNBAC members also indicated that they will appeal to privately funded researchers and clinics not to try to clone humans by body cell nuclear transfer. But they were divided on whether to go further by calling for a federal law that would impose a complete ban on human cloning. Shapiro and most members favored an appeal for such legislation, but in a phone interview, he said this issue was still \"up in the air.\"","id":"1031.txt","label":0} +{"option":["since the time of Charles V","since 1370","before the seventeenth century","since time of Cardinal Richelieu"],"question":"The Bastille had been a prison _ .","article":"Why was Bastille important to the citizens of Paris?The building of the Bastille had been started in 1370under Charles V By the seventeenth century it hadstopped to be important for defense.CardinalRichelieu turned it into a prison.It was not anordinary prison to punish common crimes.Its hugedoors closed only on enemies of the King TheBastille's workings were secret.Prisoners were takento it in closed vehicles.Soldiers on guard duty had to stand with their faces to the wall NOtalking was allowed Worst of all\uff0ca prisoner never knew if he would be there a day\uff0ca week\uff0cayear\uff0cor forever.Only the King's letter could set him free\nOver the years the number of arrests by King's letter had become fewer.By the time of itsfall.most of the prisoners were writers who had written against the corruptionsof thegovernment Voltaire\uff0cthe famous French writer\uff0cspent a year there in 1717\uff5e1718\uff0candanother 12 days in 1726. For those who believed in free speech and free thinking\uff0cthe Bastillestood for everything evil.The day it was captured\uff0conly seven prisoners were foundinside.Still\uff0cthe Bastille was hated by the people It was a symbol of the King's completepower.","id":"2438.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Anyone who did something wrong could find himself suddenly in the Bastille","The Bastille was only for those who were opposed to the King.","Things done in the Bastille were hardly known to people outside","Voltaire was twice put in the Bastille."],"question":"According to the passage\uff0cwhich of the following statements is FALSE?","article":"Why was Bastille important to the citizens of Paris?The building of the Bastille had been started in 1370under Charles V By the seventeenth century it hadstopped to be important for defense.CardinalRichelieu turned it into a prison.It was not anordinary prison to punish common crimes.Its hugedoors closed only on enemies of the King TheBastille's workings were secret.Prisoners were takento it in closed vehicles.Soldiers on guard duty had to stand with their faces to the wall NOtalking was allowed Worst of all\uff0ca prisoner never knew if he would be there a day\uff0ca week\uff0cayear\uff0cor forever.Only the King's letter could set him free\nOver the years the number of arrests by King's letter had become fewer.By the time of itsfall.most of the prisoners were writers who had written against the corruptionsof thegovernment Voltaire\uff0cthe famous French writer\uff0cspent a year there in 1717\uff5e1718\uff0candanother 12 days in 1726. For those who believed in free speech and free thinking\uff0cthe Bastillestood for everything evil.The day it was captured\uff0conly seven prisoners were foundinside.Still\uff0cthe Bastille was hated by the people It was a symbol of the King's completepower.","id":"2438.txt","label":0} +{"option":["a large number of prisoners","a lot of writers who had been against the government","some dozens of people who believed in free speech and free thinking","only a few prisoners"],"question":"At the time of its fall\uff0cthe Bastille housed _ .","article":"Why was Bastille important to the citizens of Paris?The building of the Bastille had been started in 1370under Charles V By the seventeenth century it hadstopped to be important for defense.CardinalRichelieu turned it into a prison.It was not anordinary prison to punish common crimes.Its hugedoors closed only on enemies of the King TheBastille's workings were secret.Prisoners were takento it in closed vehicles.Soldiers on guard duty had to stand with their faces to the wall NOtalking was allowed Worst of all\uff0ca prisoner never knew if he would be there a day\uff0ca week\uff0cayear\uff0cor forever.Only the King's letter could set him free\nOver the years the number of arrests by King's letter had become fewer.By the time of itsfall.most of the prisoners were writers who had written against the corruptionsof thegovernment Voltaire\uff0cthe famous French writer\uff0cspent a year there in 1717\uff5e1718\uff0candanother 12 days in 1726. For those who believed in free speech and free thinking\uff0cthe Bastillestood for everything evil.The day it was captured\uff0conly seven prisoners were foundinside.Still\uff0cthe Bastille was hated by the people It was a symbol of the King's completepower.","id":"2438.txt","label":3} +{"option":["All prisoners in the Bastille had to stay there for life","Over the years the number of prisoners in the Bastille was getting more and more.","The King could put people in\uff0cor let them go out\uff0cas he wanted.","At the time it was captured\uff0cthere were so few prisoners in it that it meant little to thepeople."],"question":"Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?","article":"Why was Bastille important to the citizens of Paris?The building of the Bastille had been started in 1370under Charles V By the seventeenth century it hadstopped to be important for defense.CardinalRichelieu turned it into a prison.It was not anordinary prison to punish common crimes.Its hugedoors closed only on enemies of the King TheBastille's workings were secret.Prisoners were takento it in closed vehicles.Soldiers on guard duty had to stand with their faces to the wall NOtalking was allowed Worst of all\uff0ca prisoner never knew if he would be there a day\uff0ca week\uff0cayear\uff0cor forever.Only the King's letter could set him free\nOver the years the number of arrests by King's letter had become fewer.By the time of itsfall.most of the prisoners were writers who had written against the corruptionsof thegovernment Voltaire\uff0cthe famous French writer\uff0cspent a year there in 1717\uff5e1718\uff0candanother 12 days in 1726. For those who believed in free speech and free thinking\uff0cthe Bastillestood for everything evil.The day it was captured\uff0conly seven prisoners were foundinside.Still\uff0cthe Bastille was hated by the people It was a symbol of the King's completepower.","id":"2438.txt","label":2} +{"option":["tells how the prisoners were controlled by the King","tells how little was known about the Bastille","shows the inner workings of the Bastille","gives a brief history of the Bastille"],"question":"This passage mainly _ .","article":"Why was Bastille important to the citizens of Paris?The building of the Bastille had been started in 1370under Charles V By the seventeenth century it hadstopped to be important for defense.CardinalRichelieu turned it into a prison.It was not anordinary prison to punish common crimes.Its hugedoors closed only on enemies of the King TheBastille's workings were secret.Prisoners were takento it in closed vehicles.Soldiers on guard duty had to stand with their faces to the wall NOtalking was allowed Worst of all\uff0ca prisoner never knew if he would be there a day\uff0ca week\uff0cayear\uff0cor forever.Only the King's letter could set him free\nOver the years the number of arrests by King's letter had become fewer.By the time of itsfall.most of the prisoners were writers who had written against the corruptionsof thegovernment Voltaire\uff0cthe famous French writer\uff0cspent a year there in 1717\uff5e1718\uff0candanother 12 days in 1726. For those who believed in free speech and free thinking\uff0cthe Bastillestood for everything evil.The day it was captured\uff0conly seven prisoners were foundinside.Still\uff0cthe Bastille was hated by the people It was a symbol of the King's completepower.","id":"2438.txt","label":3} +{"option":["The approach of psychohistorians to historical study is currently in vogue even though it lacks the rigor and verifiability of traditional historical method.","Traditional historians can benefit from studying the techniques and findings of psychohistorians.","Areas of sociological study such as childhood and work are of little interest to traditional historians.","The psychological assessment of an individual's behavior and attitudes is more informative than the details of his or her daily life."],"question":"Which of the following best states the main point of the passage?","article":"Traditionally, the study of history has had fixed boundaries and focal points-periods, countries, dramatic events, and great leaders. It also has had clear and firm notions of scholarly procedure: how one inquires into a historical problem, how one presents and documents one's findings, what constitutes admissible and adequate proof.\nAnyone who has followed recent historical literature can testify to the revolution that is taking place in historical studies. The currently fashionable subjects come directly from the sociology catalog: childhood, work, leisure. The new subjects are accompanied by new methods. Where history once was primarily narrative, it is now entirely analytic. The old\u3000questions \"What happened?\" and \"How did it happen?\" have given way to the\u3000question \"Why did it happen?\" Prominent among the methods used to answer the question \"Why\" is psychoanalysis, and its use has given rise to psychohistory.\nPsychohistory does not merely use psychological explanations in historical contexts. Historians have always used such explanations when they were appropriate and when there was sufficient evidence for them. But this pragmatic use\u3000of psychology is not what psychohisto-rians intend. They are committed, not just to psychology in general, but to Freudian psychoanalysis. This commitment precludes a commitment to history as historians have always understood it. Psychohistory derives its \"facts\" not from history, the detailed records of events and their consequences, but from psychoanalysis of the individuals who made history, and deduces its theories not from this or that instance in their lives, but from a view of human nature that transcends history. It denies the basic criterion of historical evidence: that evidence be publicly accessible to, and therefore assessable by, all historians. And it violates the basic \u3000\u3000tenet of historical method: that be alert to the negative instances that would refute their theses. Psychohistorians, convinced of the absolute rightness of their own\u3000theories, are also convinced that theirs\u3000is the \"deepest\" explanation of any\u3000event, that other explanations fall short of the truth.\nPsychohistory is not content to violate the discipline of history (in the sense of the proper mode of studying and writing about the past); it also violates the past itself. It denies to the past an integrity and will of its own, in which people acted out of a variety of motives and in which events had a multiplicity of causes and effects. It imposes upon the past the same determinism that it imposes upon the present, thus robbing people and events of their individuality and of their complexity. Instead of respecting the particularity of the past, it assimilates all events, past and present, into a single deterministic schema that is\u3000presumed to be true at all times and in all circumstances.","id":"2035.txt","label":0} +{"option":["views past events as complex and having their own individuality","relies on a single interpretation of human behavior to explain historical events","interprets historical events in such a way that their specific nature is transcended","turns to psychological explanations in historical contexts to account for events"],"question":"It can be inferred from the passage that one way in which traditional history can be distinguished from psychohistory is that traditional history usual","article":"Traditionally, the study of history has had fixed boundaries and focal points-periods, countries, dramatic events, and great leaders. It also has had clear and firm notions of scholarly procedure: how one inquires into a historical problem, how one presents and documents one's findings, what constitutes admissible and adequate proof.\nAnyone who has followed recent historical literature can testify to the revolution that is taking place in historical studies. The currently fashionable subjects come directly from the sociology catalog: childhood, work, leisure. The new subjects are accompanied by new methods. Where history once was primarily narrative, it is now entirely analytic. The old\u3000questions \"What happened?\" and \"How did it happen?\" have given way to the\u3000question \"Why did it happen?\" Prominent among the methods used to answer the question \"Why\" is psychoanalysis, and its use has given rise to psychohistory.\nPsychohistory does not merely use psychological explanations in historical contexts. Historians have always used such explanations when they were appropriate and when there was sufficient evidence for them. But this pragmatic use\u3000of psychology is not what psychohisto-rians intend. They are committed, not just to psychology in general, but to Freudian psychoanalysis. This commitment precludes a commitment to history as historians have always understood it. Psychohistory derives its \"facts\" not from history, the detailed records of events and their consequences, but from psychoanalysis of the individuals who made history, and deduces its theories not from this or that instance in their lives, but from a view of human nature that transcends history. It denies the basic criterion of historical evidence: that evidence be publicly accessible to, and therefore assessable by, all historians. And it violates the basic \u3000\u3000tenet of historical method: that be alert to the negative instances that would refute their theses. Psychohistorians, convinced of the absolute rightness of their own\u3000theories, are also convinced that theirs\u3000is the \"deepest\" explanation of any\u3000event, that other explanations fall short of the truth.\nPsychohistory is not content to violate the discipline of history (in the sense of the proper mode of studying and writing about the past); it also violates the past itself. It denies to the past an integrity and will of its own, in which people acted out of a variety of motives and in which events had a multiplicity of causes and effects. It imposes upon the past the same determinism that it imposes upon the present, thus robbing people and events of their individuality and of their complexity. Instead of respecting the particularity of the past, it assimilates all events, past and present, into a single deterministic schema that is\u3000presumed to be true at all times and in all circumstances.","id":"2035.txt","label":0} +{"option":["presenting their material in chronological order","producing a one-sided picture of an individual's personality and motivations","uncovering alternative explanations that might cause them to question their own conclusions","offering a consistent interpretation of the impact of personality on historical events"],"question":"It can be inferred from the passage that the methods used by psychohistorians probably prevent them from","article":"Traditionally, the study of history has had fixed boundaries and focal points-periods, countries, dramatic events, and great leaders. It also has had clear and firm notions of scholarly procedure: how one inquires into a historical problem, how one presents and documents one's findings, what constitutes admissible and adequate proof.\nAnyone who has followed recent historical literature can testify to the revolution that is taking place in historical studies. The currently fashionable subjects come directly from the sociology catalog: childhood, work, leisure. The new subjects are accompanied by new methods. Where history once was primarily narrative, it is now entirely analytic. The old\u3000questions \"What happened?\" and \"How did it happen?\" have given way to the\u3000question \"Why did it happen?\" Prominent among the methods used to answer the question \"Why\" is psychoanalysis, and its use has given rise to psychohistory.\nPsychohistory does not merely use psychological explanations in historical contexts. Historians have always used such explanations when they were appropriate and when there was sufficient evidence for them. But this pragmatic use\u3000of psychology is not what psychohisto-rians intend. They are committed, not just to psychology in general, but to Freudian psychoanalysis. This commitment precludes a commitment to history as historians have always understood it. Psychohistory derives its \"facts\" not from history, the detailed records of events and their consequences, but from psychoanalysis of the individuals who made history, and deduces its theories not from this or that instance in their lives, but from a view of human nature that transcends history. It denies the basic criterion of historical evidence: that evidence be publicly accessible to, and therefore assessable by, all historians. And it violates the basic \u3000\u3000tenet of historical method: that be alert to the negative instances that would refute their theses. Psychohistorians, convinced of the absolute rightness of their own\u3000theories, are also convinced that theirs\u3000is the \"deepest\" explanation of any\u3000event, that other explanations fall short of the truth.\nPsychohistory is not content to violate the discipline of history (in the sense of the proper mode of studying and writing about the past); it also violates the past itself. It denies to the past an integrity and will of its own, in which people acted out of a variety of motives and in which events had a multiplicity of causes and effects. It imposes upon the past the same determinism that it imposes upon the present, thus robbing people and events of their individuality and of their complexity. Instead of respecting the particularity of the past, it assimilates all events, past and present, into a single deterministic schema that is\u3000presumed to be true at all times and in all circumstances.","id":"2035.txt","label":2} +{"option":["What are some specific examples of the use of psychohistory in historical interpretation","When were the conventions governing the practice of traditional history first established","When do traditional historians consider psychological explanations of historical developments appropriate","What is the basic criterion of historical evidence required by traditional historians"],"question":"The passage supplies information for answering which of the following questions?","article":"Traditionally, the study of history has had fixed boundaries and focal points-periods, countries, dramatic events, and great leaders. It also has had clear and firm notions of scholarly procedure: how one inquires into a historical problem, how one presents and documents one's findings, what constitutes admissible and adequate proof.\nAnyone who has followed recent historical literature can testify to the revolution that is taking place in historical studies. The currently fashionable subjects come directly from the sociology catalog: childhood, work, leisure. The new subjects are accompanied by new methods. Where history once was primarily narrative, it is now entirely analytic. The old\u3000questions \"What happened?\" and \"How did it happen?\" have given way to the\u3000question \"Why did it happen?\" Prominent among the methods used to answer the question \"Why\" is psychoanalysis, and its use has given rise to psychohistory.\nPsychohistory does not merely use psychological explanations in historical contexts. Historians have always used such explanations when they were appropriate and when there was sufficient evidence for them. But this pragmatic use\u3000of psychology is not what psychohisto-rians intend. They are committed, not just to psychology in general, but to Freudian psychoanalysis. This commitment precludes a commitment to history as historians have always understood it. Psychohistory derives its \"facts\" not from history, the detailed records of events and their consequences, but from psychoanalysis of the individuals who made history, and deduces its theories not from this or that instance in their lives, but from a view of human nature that transcends history. It denies the basic criterion of historical evidence: that evidence be publicly accessible to, and therefore assessable by, all historians. And it violates the basic \u3000\u3000tenet of historical method: that be alert to the negative instances that would refute their theses. Psychohistorians, convinced of the absolute rightness of their own\u3000theories, are also convinced that theirs\u3000is the \"deepest\" explanation of any\u3000event, that other explanations fall short of the truth.\nPsychohistory is not content to violate the discipline of history (in the sense of the proper mode of studying and writing about the past); it also violates the past itself. It denies to the past an integrity and will of its own, in which people acted out of a variety of motives and in which events had a multiplicity of causes and effects. It imposes upon the past the same determinism that it imposes upon the present, thus robbing people and events of their individuality and of their complexity. Instead of respecting the particularity of the past, it assimilates all events, past and present, into a single deterministic schema that is\u3000presumed to be true at all times and in all circumstances.","id":"2035.txt","label":3} +{"option":["The lives of historical figures are presented in episodic rather than narrative form.","Archives used by psychohistorians to gather material are not accessible to other scholars.","Past and current events are all placed within the same deterministic schema.","Events in the adult life of a historical figure are seen to be more consequential than are those in the childhood of the figure."],"question":"The author mentions which of the following as a characteristic of the practice of psychohistorians?","article":"Traditionally, the study of history has had fixed boundaries and focal points-periods, countries, dramatic events, and great leaders. It also has had clear and firm notions of scholarly procedure: how one inquires into a historical problem, how one presents and documents one's findings, what constitutes admissible and adequate proof.\nAnyone who has followed recent historical literature can testify to the revolution that is taking place in historical studies. The currently fashionable subjects come directly from the sociology catalog: childhood, work, leisure. The new subjects are accompanied by new methods. Where history once was primarily narrative, it is now entirely analytic. The old\u3000questions \"What happened?\" and \"How did it happen?\" have given way to the\u3000question \"Why did it happen?\" Prominent among the methods used to answer the question \"Why\" is psychoanalysis, and its use has given rise to psychohistory.\nPsychohistory does not merely use psychological explanations in historical contexts. Historians have always used such explanations when they were appropriate and when there was sufficient evidence for them. But this pragmatic use\u3000of psychology is not what psychohisto-rians intend. They are committed, not just to psychology in general, but to Freudian psychoanalysis. This commitment precludes a commitment to history as historians have always understood it. Psychohistory derives its \"facts\" not from history, the detailed records of events and their consequences, but from psychoanalysis of the individuals who made history, and deduces its theories not from this or that instance in their lives, but from a view of human nature that transcends history. It denies the basic criterion of historical evidence: that evidence be publicly accessible to, and therefore assessable by, all historians. And it violates the basic \u3000\u3000tenet of historical method: that be alert to the negative instances that would refute their theses. Psychohistorians, convinced of the absolute rightness of their own\u3000theories, are also convinced that theirs\u3000is the \"deepest\" explanation of any\u3000event, that other explanations fall short of the truth.\nPsychohistory is not content to violate the discipline of history (in the sense of the proper mode of studying and writing about the past); it also violates the past itself. It denies to the past an integrity and will of its own, in which people acted out of a variety of motives and in which events had a multiplicity of causes and effects. It imposes upon the past the same determinism that it imposes upon the present, thus robbing people and events of their individuality and of their complexity. Instead of respecting the particularity of the past, it assimilates all events, past and present, into a single deterministic schema that is\u3000presumed to be true at all times and in all circumstances.","id":"2035.txt","label":2} +{"option":["a report of events, causes, and effects that is generally accepted by historians but which is, for the most part, unverifiable","an episodic account that lacks cohesion because records of the role of childhood, work, and leisure in the lives of historical figures are rare","an uncharted sea of seemingly unexplainable events that have meaning only when examined as discrete units","a record of the way in which a closed set of immutable psychological laws seems to have shaped events"],"question":"The author of the passage suggests that psychohistorians view history primarily as","article":"Traditionally, the study of history has had fixed boundaries and focal points-periods, countries, dramatic events, and great leaders. It also has had clear and firm notions of scholarly procedure: how one inquires into a historical problem, how one presents and documents one's findings, what constitutes admissible and adequate proof.\nAnyone who has followed recent historical literature can testify to the revolution that is taking place in historical studies. The currently fashionable subjects come directly from the sociology catalog: childhood, work, leisure. The new subjects are accompanied by new methods. Where history once was primarily narrative, it is now entirely analytic. The old\u3000questions \"What happened?\" and \"How did it happen?\" have given way to the\u3000question \"Why did it happen?\" Prominent among the methods used to answer the question \"Why\" is psychoanalysis, and its use has given rise to psychohistory.\nPsychohistory does not merely use psychological explanations in historical contexts. Historians have always used such explanations when they were appropriate and when there was sufficient evidence for them. But this pragmatic use\u3000of psychology is not what psychohisto-rians intend. They are committed, not just to psychology in general, but to Freudian psychoanalysis. This commitment precludes a commitment to history as historians have always understood it. Psychohistory derives its \"facts\" not from history, the detailed records of events and their consequences, but from psychoanalysis of the individuals who made history, and deduces its theories not from this or that instance in their lives, but from a view of human nature that transcends history. It denies the basic criterion of historical evidence: that evidence be publicly accessible to, and therefore assessable by, all historians. And it violates the basic \u3000\u3000tenet of historical method: that be alert to the negative instances that would refute their theses. Psychohistorians, convinced of the absolute rightness of their own\u3000theories, are also convinced that theirs\u3000is the \"deepest\" explanation of any\u3000event, that other explanations fall short of the truth.\nPsychohistory is not content to violate the discipline of history (in the sense of the proper mode of studying and writing about the past); it also violates the past itself. It denies to the past an integrity and will of its own, in which people acted out of a variety of motives and in which events had a multiplicity of causes and effects. It imposes upon the past the same determinism that it imposes upon the present, thus robbing people and events of their individuality and of their complexity. Instead of respecting the particularity of the past, it assimilates all events, past and present, into a single deterministic schema that is\u3000presumed to be true at all times and in all circumstances.","id":"2035.txt","label":3} +{"option":["signal her reservations about the accuracy of psychohistorians' claims for their work","draw attention to a contradiction in the psychohistorians' method","emphasize the major difference between the traditional historians' method and that of psychohistorians","disassociate her opinion of the psychohistorians' claims from her opinion of their method"],"question":"The author of the passage puts the word \"deepest\" (line 57) in quotation marks most probably in order to","article":"Traditionally, the study of history has had fixed boundaries and focal points-periods, countries, dramatic events, and great leaders. It also has had clear and firm notions of scholarly procedure: how one inquires into a historical problem, how one presents and documents one's findings, what constitutes admissible and adequate proof.\nAnyone who has followed recent historical literature can testify to the revolution that is taking place in historical studies. The currently fashionable subjects come directly from the sociology catalog: childhood, work, leisure. The new subjects are accompanied by new methods. Where history once was primarily narrative, it is now entirely analytic. The old\u3000questions \"What happened?\" and \"How did it happen?\" have given way to the\u3000question \"Why did it happen?\" Prominent among the methods used to answer the question \"Why\" is psychoanalysis, and its use has given rise to psychohistory.\nPsychohistory does not merely use psychological explanations in historical contexts. Historians have always used such explanations when they were appropriate and when there was sufficient evidence for them. But this pragmatic use\u3000of psychology is not what psychohisto-rians intend. They are committed, not just to psychology in general, but to Freudian psychoanalysis. This commitment precludes a commitment to history as historians have always understood it. Psychohistory derives its \"facts\" not from history, the detailed records of events and their consequences, but from psychoanalysis of the individuals who made history, and deduces its theories not from this or that instance in their lives, but from a view of human nature that transcends history. It denies the basic criterion of historical evidence: that evidence be publicly accessible to, and therefore assessable by, all historians. And it violates the basic \u3000\u3000tenet of historical method: that be alert to the negative instances that would refute their theses. Psychohistorians, convinced of the absolute rightness of their own\u3000theories, are also convinced that theirs\u3000is the \"deepest\" explanation of any\u3000event, that other explanations fall short of the truth.\nPsychohistory is not content to violate the discipline of history (in the sense of the proper mode of studying and writing about the past); it also violates the past itself. It denies to the past an integrity and will of its own, in which people acted out of a variety of motives and in which events had a multiplicity of causes and effects. It imposes upon the past the same determinism that it imposes upon the present, thus robbing people and events of their individuality and of their complexity. Instead of respecting the particularity of the past, it assimilates all events, past and present, into a single deterministic schema that is\u3000presumed to be true at all times and in all circumstances.","id":"2035.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Make general statement without reference to specific examples.","Describe some of the criteria employed by traditional historians.","Question the adequacy of the psychohistorians' interpretation of events.","Point out inconsistencies in the psychohistorians' application of their methods."],"question":"In presenting her analysis, the author does all of the following EXCEPT:","article":"Traditionally, the study of history has had fixed boundaries and focal points-periods, countries, dramatic events, and great leaders. It also has had clear and firm notions of scholarly procedure: how one inquires into a historical problem, how one presents and documents one's findings, what constitutes admissible and adequate proof.\nAnyone who has followed recent historical literature can testify to the revolution that is taking place in historical studies. The currently fashionable subjects come directly from the sociology catalog: childhood, work, leisure. The new subjects are accompanied by new methods. Where history once was primarily narrative, it is now entirely analytic. The old\u3000questions \"What happened?\" and \"How did it happen?\" have given way to the\u3000question \"Why did it happen?\" Prominent among the methods used to answer the question \"Why\" is psychoanalysis, and its use has given rise to psychohistory.\nPsychohistory does not merely use psychological explanations in historical contexts. Historians have always used such explanations when they were appropriate and when there was sufficient evidence for them. But this pragmatic use\u3000of psychology is not what psychohisto-rians intend. They are committed, not just to psychology in general, but to Freudian psychoanalysis. This commitment precludes a commitment to history as historians have always understood it. Psychohistory derives its \"facts\" not from history, the detailed records of events and their consequences, but from psychoanalysis of the individuals who made history, and deduces its theories not from this or that instance in their lives, but from a view of human nature that transcends history. It denies the basic criterion of historical evidence: that evidence be publicly accessible to, and therefore assessable by, all historians. And it violates the basic \u3000\u3000tenet of historical method: that be alert to the negative instances that would refute their theses. Psychohistorians, convinced of the absolute rightness of their own\u3000theories, are also convinced that theirs\u3000is the \"deepest\" explanation of any\u3000event, that other explanations fall short of the truth.\nPsychohistory is not content to violate the discipline of history (in the sense of the proper mode of studying and writing about the past); it also violates the past itself. It denies to the past an integrity and will of its own, in which people acted out of a variety of motives and in which events had a multiplicity of causes and effects. It imposes upon the past the same determinism that it imposes upon the present, thus robbing people and events of their individuality and of their complexity. Instead of respecting the particularity of the past, it assimilates all events, past and present, into a single deterministic schema that is\u3000presumed to be true at all times and in all circumstances.","id":"2035.txt","label":3} +{"option":["the Romans","the Greeks","the Americans","the Europeans"],"question":"A water system for baths was built by over 3,000 years ago.","article":"Baths and bothing have long been considered of medical importance to man. In Greece there are the ruins of a water system for baths built over 3,000 years ago. The Romans had warm public baths. In some baths, as many 3,000 persons could bathe at the same time.\nTreating disease by taking bathing has been popular for centuries. Modern medical bathing first became popular in Europe and by the late 1700's has also become popular in the United States.\nFor many years frequent bathing was believed to be bad for one's health. Ordinary bathing just to keep clean was avoided, and perfume was often used to cover up body smells!\nBy the 1700's doctors began to say that soap and water were good for health. They believed that it was good for people to be clean. Slowly, people began to bathe more frequently. During the Victorian Age of the late 19th century, taking a bath on Saturday night became common.\nIn the United States ordinary bathing was slow to become popular. During the 18th and early 19th centuries, many Americans were know as \"The Great Unwashed!\" In one American city , for example, a person was only allowed to take a bathe every thirty days! That was a law!\nFrequency of bathing today is partly a matter of habit. People know that bathing for cleanliness is important to health, Doctors know that dirty bodies increase the chance of diseases. As a result, in the United States, people generally bathe often. Some people bath once a day at least. They consider a daily bath essential (=necessary) to good health.","id":"1671.txt","label":1} +{"option":["ruin one's business","cause disease","drive customers away","cause good health"],"question":"Dirty bodies can.","article":"Baths and bothing have long been considered of medical importance to man. In Greece there are the ruins of a water system for baths built over 3,000 years ago. The Romans had warm public baths. In some baths, as many 3,000 persons could bathe at the same time.\nTreating disease by taking bathing has been popular for centuries. Modern medical bathing first became popular in Europe and by the late 1700's has also become popular in the United States.\nFor many years frequent bathing was believed to be bad for one's health. Ordinary bathing just to keep clean was avoided, and perfume was often used to cover up body smells!\nBy the 1700's doctors began to say that soap and water were good for health. They believed that it was good for people to be clean. Slowly, people began to bathe more frequently. During the Victorian Age of the late 19th century, taking a bath on Saturday night became common.\nIn the United States ordinary bathing was slow to become popular. During the 18th and early 19th centuries, many Americans were know as \"The Great Unwashed!\" In one American city , for example, a person was only allowed to take a bathe every thirty days! That was a law!\nFrequency of bathing today is partly a matter of habit. People know that bathing for cleanliness is important to health, Doctors know that dirty bodies increase the chance of diseases. As a result, in the United States, people generally bathe often. Some people bath once a day at least. They consider a daily bath essential (=necessary) to good health.","id":"1671.txt","label":1} +{"option":["unimportant","good for health","harmful","important"],"question":"In the 18th century doctors believed that being clean was.","article":"Baths and bothing have long been considered of medical importance to man. In Greece there are the ruins of a water system for baths built over 3,000 years ago. The Romans had warm public baths. In some baths, as many 3,000 persons could bathe at the same time.\nTreating disease by taking bathing has been popular for centuries. Modern medical bathing first became popular in Europe and by the late 1700's has also become popular in the United States.\nFor many years frequent bathing was believed to be bad for one's health. Ordinary bathing just to keep clean was avoided, and perfume was often used to cover up body smells!\nBy the 1700's doctors began to say that soap and water were good for health. They believed that it was good for people to be clean. Slowly, people began to bathe more frequently. During the Victorian Age of the late 19th century, taking a bath on Saturday night became common.\nIn the United States ordinary bathing was slow to become popular. During the 18th and early 19th centuries, many Americans were know as \"The Great Unwashed!\" In one American city , for example, a person was only allowed to take a bathe every thirty days! That was a law!\nFrequency of bathing today is partly a matter of habit. People know that bathing for cleanliness is important to health, Doctors know that dirty bodies increase the chance of diseases. As a result, in the United States, people generally bathe often. Some people bath once a day at least. They consider a daily bath essential (=necessary) to good health.","id":"1671.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Everybody in America takes a daily bath.","A bath a day keeps the doctor away.","Taking baths has become popular in the world.","Bathing has become easier and cheaper."],"question":"Which of the following gives the main idea of the passage?","article":"Baths and bothing have long been considered of medical importance to man. In Greece there are the ruins of a water system for baths built over 3,000 years ago. The Romans had warm public baths. In some baths, as many 3,000 persons could bathe at the same time.\nTreating disease by taking bathing has been popular for centuries. Modern medical bathing first became popular in Europe and by the late 1700's has also become popular in the United States.\nFor many years frequent bathing was believed to be bad for one's health. Ordinary bathing just to keep clean was avoided, and perfume was often used to cover up body smells!\nBy the 1700's doctors began to say that soap and water were good for health. They believed that it was good for people to be clean. Slowly, people began to bathe more frequently. During the Victorian Age of the late 19th century, taking a bath on Saturday night became common.\nIn the United States ordinary bathing was slow to become popular. During the 18th and early 19th centuries, many Americans were know as \"The Great Unwashed!\" In one American city , for example, a person was only allowed to take a bathe every thirty days! That was a law!\nFrequency of bathing today is partly a matter of habit. People know that bathing for cleanliness is important to health, Doctors know that dirty bodies increase the chance of diseases. As a result, in the United States, people generally bathe often. Some people bath once a day at least. They consider a daily bath essential (=necessary) to good health.","id":"1671.txt","label":2} +{"option":["some friends had lost their lives","her neighborhood was destroyed","her school had moved to Brooklyn","the elderly were free from suffering"],"question":"When Natalie returned to Rockaway after the hurricane ,she found _ .","article":"Surviving Hurricane Sandy\nNatalie Doan,14, has always felt lucky to live in Rockaway, New York. Living just a few blocks from the beach, Natalie can see the ocean and hear the waves from her house. \"It's the ocean that makes Rockaway so special,\" she says.\nOn October 29, 2012, that ocean turned fierce. That night, Hurricane Sandy attacked the East Coast, and Rockaway was hit especially hard. Fortunately, Natalie's family escaped to Brooklyn shortly before the city's bridges closed.\nWhen they returned to Rockaway the next day, they found their neighborhood in ruins. Many of Natalie's friends had lost their homes and were living far away. All around her, people were suffering, especially the elderly. Natalie's school was so damaged that she had to temporarily attend a school in Brooklyn.\nIn the following few days, the men and women helping Rockaway recover inspired Natalie. Volunteers came with carloads of donated clothing and toys. Neighbors devoted their spare time to helping others rebuild. Teenagers climbed dozens of flights of stairs to deliver water and food to elderly people trapped in powerless high-rise buildings.\n\"My mom tells me that I can't control what happens to me,\" Natalie says. \"but I can always choose how I deal with it.\"\nNatalie's choice was to help.\nShe created a website page matching survivors in need with donors who wanted to halp. Natalie posted introduction about a boy named Patrick, who lost his baseball card collecting when his house burned down. Within days, Patrick's collection was replaced.\nIn the coming months, her website page helped lots of kids: Christopher, who received a new basketball; Charlie, who got a new keyboard. Natalie also worked with other organizations to bring much-need supplies to Rockaway. Her efforts made her a famous person. Last April, she was invited to the White House and honored as a Hurricane Sandy Champion of Change.\nToday, the scarsof destruction are still seen in Rockaway, but hope is in the air. The streets are clear, and many homes have been rebuilt. \"I can't imagine living anywhere but Rockaway,\" Natalie declares. \"My neighborhood will be back, even stronger than before.\"","id":"707.txt","label":1} +{"option":["The people helping Rockaway rebuild","The people trapped in high_rise buildings","The volunteers donating money to suevivors","Local teenagers bringing clothing to elderly people"],"question":"According to paragraph4,who inspired Natalie most?","article":"Surviving Hurricane Sandy\nNatalie Doan,14, has always felt lucky to live in Rockaway, New York. Living just a few blocks from the beach, Natalie can see the ocean and hear the waves from her house. \"It's the ocean that makes Rockaway so special,\" she says.\nOn October 29, 2012, that ocean turned fierce. That night, Hurricane Sandy attacked the East Coast, and Rockaway was hit especially hard. Fortunately, Natalie's family escaped to Brooklyn shortly before the city's bridges closed.\nWhen they returned to Rockaway the next day, they found their neighborhood in ruins. Many of Natalie's friends had lost their homes and were living far away. All around her, people were suffering, especially the elderly. Natalie's school was so damaged that she had to temporarily attend a school in Brooklyn.\nIn the following few days, the men and women helping Rockaway recover inspired Natalie. Volunteers came with carloads of donated clothing and toys. Neighbors devoted their spare time to helping others rebuild. Teenagers climbed dozens of flights of stairs to deliver water and food to elderly people trapped in powerless high-rise buildings.\n\"My mom tells me that I can't control what happens to me,\" Natalie says. \"but I can always choose how I deal with it.\"\nNatalie's choice was to help.\nShe created a website page matching survivors in need with donors who wanted to halp. Natalie posted introduction about a boy named Patrick, who lost his baseball card collecting when his house burned down. Within days, Patrick's collection was replaced.\nIn the coming months, her website page helped lots of kids: Christopher, who received a new basketball; Charlie, who got a new keyboard. Natalie also worked with other organizations to bring much-need supplies to Rockaway. Her efforts made her a famous person. Last April, she was invited to the White House and honored as a Hurricane Sandy Champion of Change.\nToday, the scarsof destruction are still seen in Rockaway, but hope is in the air. The streets are clear, and many homes have been rebuilt. \"I can't imagine living anywhere but Rockaway,\" Natalie declares. \"My neighborhood will be back, even stronger than before.\"","id":"707.txt","label":0} +{"option":["She gave her toys to other kids","She took care of younger children","She called on the White House to help","She built an information sharing platform"],"question":"How did Natalie help the survivors?","article":"Surviving Hurricane Sandy\nNatalie Doan,14, has always felt lucky to live in Rockaway, New York. Living just a few blocks from the beach, Natalie can see the ocean and hear the waves from her house. \"It's the ocean that makes Rockaway so special,\" she says.\nOn October 29, 2012, that ocean turned fierce. That night, Hurricane Sandy attacked the East Coast, and Rockaway was hit especially hard. Fortunately, Natalie's family escaped to Brooklyn shortly before the city's bridges closed.\nWhen they returned to Rockaway the next day, they found their neighborhood in ruins. Many of Natalie's friends had lost their homes and were living far away. All around her, people were suffering, especially the elderly. Natalie's school was so damaged that she had to temporarily attend a school in Brooklyn.\nIn the following few days, the men and women helping Rockaway recover inspired Natalie. Volunteers came with carloads of donated clothing and toys. Neighbors devoted their spare time to helping others rebuild. Teenagers climbed dozens of flights of stairs to deliver water and food to elderly people trapped in powerless high-rise buildings.\n\"My mom tells me that I can't control what happens to me,\" Natalie says. \"but I can always choose how I deal with it.\"\nNatalie's choice was to help.\nShe created a website page matching survivors in need with donors who wanted to halp. Natalie posted introduction about a boy named Patrick, who lost his baseball card collecting when his house burned down. Within days, Patrick's collection was replaced.\nIn the coming months, her website page helped lots of kids: Christopher, who received a new basketball; Charlie, who got a new keyboard. Natalie also worked with other organizations to bring much-need supplies to Rockaway. Her efforts made her a famous person. Last April, she was invited to the White House and honored as a Hurricane Sandy Champion of Change.\nToday, the scarsof destruction are still seen in Rockaway, but hope is in the air. The streets are clear, and many homes have been rebuilt. \"I can't imagine living anywhere but Rockaway,\" Natalie declares. \"My neighborhood will be back, even stronger than before.\"","id":"707.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Little people can make a big difference","A friend in need is a friend indeed","East or west,home is best","Technology is power"],"question":"What does the story intend to tell us?","article":"Surviving Hurricane Sandy\nNatalie Doan,14, has always felt lucky to live in Rockaway, New York. Living just a few blocks from the beach, Natalie can see the ocean and hear the waves from her house. \"It's the ocean that makes Rockaway so special,\" she says.\nOn October 29, 2012, that ocean turned fierce. That night, Hurricane Sandy attacked the East Coast, and Rockaway was hit especially hard. Fortunately, Natalie's family escaped to Brooklyn shortly before the city's bridges closed.\nWhen they returned to Rockaway the next day, they found their neighborhood in ruins. Many of Natalie's friends had lost their homes and were living far away. All around her, people were suffering, especially the elderly. Natalie's school was so damaged that she had to temporarily attend a school in Brooklyn.\nIn the following few days, the men and women helping Rockaway recover inspired Natalie. Volunteers came with carloads of donated clothing and toys. Neighbors devoted their spare time to helping others rebuild. Teenagers climbed dozens of flights of stairs to deliver water and food to elderly people trapped in powerless high-rise buildings.\n\"My mom tells me that I can't control what happens to me,\" Natalie says. \"but I can always choose how I deal with it.\"\nNatalie's choice was to help.\nShe created a website page matching survivors in need with donors who wanted to halp. Natalie posted introduction about a boy named Patrick, who lost his baseball card collecting when his house burned down. Within days, Patrick's collection was replaced.\nIn the coming months, her website page helped lots of kids: Christopher, who received a new basketball; Charlie, who got a new keyboard. Natalie also worked with other organizations to bring much-need supplies to Rockaway. Her efforts made her a famous person. Last April, she was invited to the White House and honored as a Hurricane Sandy Champion of Change.\nToday, the scarsof destruction are still seen in Rockaway, but hope is in the air. The streets are clear, and many homes have been rebuilt. \"I can't imagine living anywhere but Rockaway,\" Natalie declares. \"My neighborhood will be back, even stronger than before.\"","id":"707.txt","label":0} +{"option":["head straight for the center of the storm","get into the car for safety","wait patiently for the storm to develop","collect information about a coming storm"],"question":"For storm chasing, the first thing storm chasers do is to.","article":"When a storm is coming, most people leave the area as quickly ad possible and head for safety. But there are a few people who will get into their cars and go straight for the center of the storm. These people are willing to risk(\u2026)being killed by floods or 100-kilometer-an-hour winds for the excitement of watching the storm close up.\n\"Storm chasing\" is becoming an increasingly popular hobby, especially in the Midwest of the United States, where there are frepuent storms between March and July. A storm chaser begins the day by checking the Internet for the latest weather reports, and then drives up to 1,000 kilometers to where the storm will be and wits for it to develop.\nAlthough anyone can do it , storm chasing is extremely dangerous. The power of a big storm can throw a cow into the air or destroy a whole house in seconds. Storm chasers are also often hurt in accidents caused by driving in a heavy rain. If you are a beginner, it is much safer to join a group for storm-chasing vacations during the storm season.\nEven then, storm chasing is not all adventure and excitement. \"Storm chasing is 95% driving,\" says Daniel Lynch, who spends most of his summer storm-chasing. \"Sometimes you can sit around for hours waiting for something to happen, and all you get is blue sky and a few light showers.\"\nHowever, for storm chasers, it is all worth it. \"When you get close to a storm, it is the most exciting sight you will ever see in your life,\" says Jasper Morley. \"Every storm is an example of the power of nature, It is the greatest show on Earth.\"","id":"3288.txt","label":3} +{"option":["not to drive in a heavy rain","to do it in an organized way","not to get too close to a storm","to spend more time on it in summer"],"question":"Beginners of storm chasing are advised.","article":"When a storm is coming, most people leave the area as quickly ad possible and head for safety. But there are a few people who will get into their cars and go straight for the center of the storm. These people are willing to risk(\u2026)being killed by floods or 100-kilometer-an-hour winds for the excitement of watching the storm close up.\n\"Storm chasing\" is becoming an increasingly popular hobby, especially in the Midwest of the United States, where there are frepuent storms between March and July. A storm chaser begins the day by checking the Internet for the latest weather reports, and then drives up to 1,000 kilometers to where the storm will be and wits for it to develop.\nAlthough anyone can do it , storm chasing is extremely dangerous. The power of a big storm can throw a cow into the air or destroy a whole house in seconds. Storm chasers are also often hurt in accidents caused by driving in a heavy rain. If you are a beginner, it is much safer to join a group for storm-chasing vacations during the storm season.\nEven then, storm chasing is not all adventure and excitement. \"Storm chasing is 95% driving,\" says Daniel Lynch, who spends most of his summer storm-chasing. \"Sometimes you can sit around for hours waiting for something to happen, and all you get is blue sky and a few light showers.\"\nHowever, for storm chasers, it is all worth it. \"When you get close to a storm, it is the most exciting sight you will ever see in your life,\" says Jasper Morley. \"Every storm is an example of the power of nature, It is the greatest show on Earth.\"","id":"3288.txt","label":1} +{"option":["storm chasing costs a lot of money","storm chasing is worth hours of waiting","efforts in storm chasing are well paid","a storm presents the greatest show on Earth"],"question":"By saying \"it is all worth it\" in the last paragraph, the author means that.","article":"When a storm is coming, most people leave the area as quickly ad possible and head for safety. But there are a few people who will get into their cars and go straight for the center of the storm. These people are willing to risk(\u2026)being killed by floods or 100-kilometer-an-hour winds for the excitement of watching the storm close up.\n\"Storm chasing\" is becoming an increasingly popular hobby, especially in the Midwest of the United States, where there are frepuent storms between March and July. A storm chaser begins the day by checking the Internet for the latest weather reports, and then drives up to 1,000 kilometers to where the storm will be and wits for it to develop.\nAlthough anyone can do it , storm chasing is extremely dangerous. The power of a big storm can throw a cow into the air or destroy a whole house in seconds. Storm chasers are also often hurt in accidents caused by driving in a heavy rain. If you are a beginner, it is much safer to join a group for storm-chasing vacations during the storm season.\nEven then, storm chasing is not all adventure and excitement. \"Storm chasing is 95% driving,\" says Daniel Lynch, who spends most of his summer storm-chasing. \"Sometimes you can sit around for hours waiting for something to happen, and all you get is blue sky and a few light showers.\"\nHowever, for storm chasers, it is all worth it. \"When you get close to a storm, it is the most exciting sight you will ever see in your life,\" says Jasper Morley. \"Every storm is an example of the power of nature, It is the greatest show on Earth.\"","id":"3288.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Sometimes storm chasers get nothing but disappointment","Many storm chasers get killed in the storms.","Storm chasing is becoming popular around the world\/","Storm chasing is only fit for young people."],"question":"What can we learn from the text?","article":"When a storm is coming, most people leave the area as quickly ad possible and head for safety. But there are a few people who will get into their cars and go straight for the center of the storm. These people are willing to risk(\u2026)being killed by floods or 100-kilometer-an-hour winds for the excitement of watching the storm close up.\n\"Storm chasing\" is becoming an increasingly popular hobby, especially in the Midwest of the United States, where there are frepuent storms between March and July. A storm chaser begins the day by checking the Internet for the latest weather reports, and then drives up to 1,000 kilometers to where the storm will be and wits for it to develop.\nAlthough anyone can do it , storm chasing is extremely dangerous. The power of a big storm can throw a cow into the air or destroy a whole house in seconds. Storm chasers are also often hurt in accidents caused by driving in a heavy rain. If you are a beginner, it is much safer to join a group for storm-chasing vacations during the storm season.\nEven then, storm chasing is not all adventure and excitement. \"Storm chasing is 95% driving,\" says Daniel Lynch, who spends most of his summer storm-chasing. \"Sometimes you can sit around for hours waiting for something to happen, and all you get is blue sky and a few light showers.\"\nHowever, for storm chasers, it is all worth it. \"When you get close to a storm, it is the most exciting sight you will ever see in your life,\" says Jasper Morley. \"Every storm is an example of the power of nature, It is the greatest show on Earth.\"","id":"3288.txt","label":0} +{"option":["The habit of thinking independently.","Profound knowledge of the world.","Practical abilities for future career.","The confidence in intellectual pursuits."],"question":"What do American parents expect their children to acquire in school?","article":"Americans today don't place a very high value on intellect. Our heroes are athletes, entertainers, and entrepreneurs, not scholars. Even our schools are where we send our children to get a practical education -- not to pursue knowledge for the sake of knowledge. Symptoms of pervasive anti-intellectualism in our schools aren't difficult to find.\n\"Schools have always been in a society where practical is more important than intellectual,\" says education writer Diane Ravitch. \"Schools could be a counterbalance.\"\nRavitch's latest book, Left Back: A Century of Failed School Reforms, traces the roots of anti-intellectualism in our schools, concluding they are anything but a counterbalance to the American distaste for intellectual pursuits.\nBut they could and should be. Encouraging kids to reject the life of the mind leaves them vulnerable to exploitation and control. Without the ability to think critically, to defend their ideas and understand the ideas of others, they cannot fully participate in our democracy. Continuing along this path, says writer Earl Shorris, \"We will become a second-rate country. We will have a less civil society.\"\n\"Intellect is resented as a form of power or privilege,\" writes historian and professor Richard Hofstadter in Anti-Intellectualism in American Life, a Pulitzer-Prize winning book on the roots of anti-intellectualism in US politics, religion, and education. From the beginning of our history, says Hofstadter, our democratic and populist urges have driven us to reject anything that smells of elitism. Practicality, common sense, and native intelligence have been considered more noble qualities than anything you could learn from a book.\nRalph Waldo Emerson and other Transcendentalist philosophers thought schooling and rigorous book learning put unnatural restraints on children: \"We are shut up in schools and college recitation rooms for 10 or 15 years and come out at last with a bellyful of words and do not know a thing.\" Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn exemplified American anti-intellectualism. Its hero avoids being civilized -- going to school and learning to read -- so he can preserve his innate goodness.\nIntellect, according to Hofstadter, is different from native intelligence, a quality we reluctantly admire. Intellect is the critical, creative, and contemplative side of the mind. Intelligence seeks to grasp, manipulate, re-order, and adjust, while intellect examines, ponders, wonders, theorizes, criticizes and imagines.\nSchool remains a place where intellect is mistrusted. Hofstadter says our country's educational system is in the grips of people who \"joyfully and militantly proclaim their hostility to intellect and their eagerness to identify with children who show the least intellectual promise.\"","id":"3272.txt","label":2} +{"option":["undervaluing intellect","favoring intellectualism","supporting school reform","suppressing native intelligence"],"question":"We can learn from the text that Americans have a history of \t.","article":"Americans today don't place a very high value on intellect. Our heroes are athletes, entertainers, and entrepreneurs, not scholars. Even our schools are where we send our children to get a practical education -- not to pursue knowledge for the sake of knowledge. Symptoms of pervasive anti-intellectualism in our schools aren't difficult to find.\n\"Schools have always been in a society where practical is more important than intellectual,\" says education writer Diane Ravitch. \"Schools could be a counterbalance.\"\nRavitch's latest book, Left Back: A Century of Failed School Reforms, traces the roots of anti-intellectualism in our schools, concluding they are anything but a counterbalance to the American distaste for intellectual pursuits.\nBut they could and should be. Encouraging kids to reject the life of the mind leaves them vulnerable to exploitation and control. Without the ability to think critically, to defend their ideas and understand the ideas of others, they cannot fully participate in our democracy. Continuing along this path, says writer Earl Shorris, \"We will become a second-rate country. We will have a less civil society.\"\n\"Intellect is resented as a form of power or privilege,\" writes historian and professor Richard Hofstadter in Anti-Intellectualism in American Life, a Pulitzer-Prize winning book on the roots of anti-intellectualism in US politics, religion, and education. From the beginning of our history, says Hofstadter, our democratic and populist urges have driven us to reject anything that smells of elitism. Practicality, common sense, and native intelligence have been considered more noble qualities than anything you could learn from a book.\nRalph Waldo Emerson and other Transcendentalist philosophers thought schooling and rigorous book learning put unnatural restraints on children: \"We are shut up in schools and college recitation rooms for 10 or 15 years and come out at last with a bellyful of words and do not know a thing.\" Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn exemplified American anti-intellectualism. Its hero avoids being civilized -- going to school and learning to read -- so he can preserve his innate goodness.\nIntellect, according to Hofstadter, is different from native intelligence, a quality we reluctantly admire. Intellect is the critical, creative, and contemplative side of the mind. Intelligence seeks to grasp, manipulate, re-order, and adjust, while intellect examines, ponders, wonders, theorizes, criticizes and imagines.\nSchool remains a place where intellect is mistrusted. Hofstadter says our country's educational system is in the grips of people who \"joyfully and militantly proclaim their hostility to intellect and their eagerness to identify with children who show the least intellectual promise.\"","id":"3272.txt","label":0} +{"option":["identical","similar","complementary","opposit"],"question":"The views of Ravitch and Emerson on schooling are \t.","article":"Americans today don't place a very high value on intellect. Our heroes are athletes, entertainers, and entrepreneurs, not scholars. Even our schools are where we send our children to get a practical education -- not to pursue knowledge for the sake of knowledge. Symptoms of pervasive anti-intellectualism in our schools aren't difficult to find.\n\"Schools have always been in a society where practical is more important than intellectual,\" says education writer Diane Ravitch. \"Schools could be a counterbalance.\"\nRavitch's latest book, Left Back: A Century of Failed School Reforms, traces the roots of anti-intellectualism in our schools, concluding they are anything but a counterbalance to the American distaste for intellectual pursuits.\nBut they could and should be. Encouraging kids to reject the life of the mind leaves them vulnerable to exploitation and control. Without the ability to think critically, to defend their ideas and understand the ideas of others, they cannot fully participate in our democracy. Continuing along this path, says writer Earl Shorris, \"We will become a second-rate country. We will have a less civil society.\"\n\"Intellect is resented as a form of power or privilege,\" writes historian and professor Richard Hofstadter in Anti-Intellectualism in American Life, a Pulitzer-Prize winning book on the roots of anti-intellectualism in US politics, religion, and education. From the beginning of our history, says Hofstadter, our democratic and populist urges have driven us to reject anything that smells of elitism. Practicality, common sense, and native intelligence have been considered more noble qualities than anything you could learn from a book.\nRalph Waldo Emerson and other Transcendentalist philosophers thought schooling and rigorous book learning put unnatural restraints on children: \"We are shut up in schools and college recitation rooms for 10 or 15 years and come out at last with a bellyful of words and do not know a thing.\" Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn exemplified American anti-intellectualism. Its hero avoids being civilized -- going to school and learning to read -- so he can preserve his innate goodness.\nIntellect, according to Hofstadter, is different from native intelligence, a quality we reluctantly admire. Intellect is the critical, creative, and contemplative side of the mind. Intelligence seeks to grasp, manipulate, re-order, and adjust, while intellect examines, ponders, wonders, theorizes, criticizes and imagines.\nSchool remains a place where intellect is mistrusted. Hofstadter says our country's educational system is in the grips of people who \"joyfully and militantly proclaim their hostility to intellect and their eagerness to identify with children who show the least intellectual promise.\"","id":"3272.txt","label":3} +{"option":["a pioneer of education reform","an opponent of intellectualism","a scholar in favor of intellect","an advocate of regular schooling"],"question":"Emerson, according to the text, is probably \t.","article":"Americans today don't place a very high value on intellect. Our heroes are athletes, entertainers, and entrepreneurs, not scholars. Even our schools are where we send our children to get a practical education -- not to pursue knowledge for the sake of knowledge. Symptoms of pervasive anti-intellectualism in our schools aren't difficult to find.\n\"Schools have always been in a society where practical is more important than intellectual,\" says education writer Diane Ravitch. \"Schools could be a counterbalance.\"\nRavitch's latest book, Left Back: A Century of Failed School Reforms, traces the roots of anti-intellectualism in our schools, concluding they are anything but a counterbalance to the American distaste for intellectual pursuits.\nBut they could and should be. Encouraging kids to reject the life of the mind leaves them vulnerable to exploitation and control. Without the ability to think critically, to defend their ideas and understand the ideas of others, they cannot fully participate in our democracy. Continuing along this path, says writer Earl Shorris, \"We will become a second-rate country. We will have a less civil society.\"\n\"Intellect is resented as a form of power or privilege,\" writes historian and professor Richard Hofstadter in Anti-Intellectualism in American Life, a Pulitzer-Prize winning book on the roots of anti-intellectualism in US politics, religion, and education. From the beginning of our history, says Hofstadter, our democratic and populist urges have driven us to reject anything that smells of elitism. Practicality, common sense, and native intelligence have been considered more noble qualities than anything you could learn from a book.\nRalph Waldo Emerson and other Transcendentalist philosophers thought schooling and rigorous book learning put unnatural restraints on children: \"We are shut up in schools and college recitation rooms for 10 or 15 years and come out at last with a bellyful of words and do not know a thing.\" Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn exemplified American anti-intellectualism. Its hero avoids being civilized -- going to school and learning to read -- so he can preserve his innate goodness.\nIntellect, according to Hofstadter, is different from native intelligence, a quality we reluctantly admire. Intellect is the critical, creative, and contemplative side of the mind. Intelligence seeks to grasp, manipulate, re-order, and adjust, while intellect examines, ponders, wonders, theorizes, criticizes and imagines.\nSchool remains a place where intellect is mistrusted. Hofstadter says our country's educational system is in the grips of people who \"joyfully and militantly proclaim their hostility to intellect and their eagerness to identify with children who show the least intellectual promise.\"","id":"3272.txt","label":1} +{"option":["It is second to intelligence.","It evolves from common sense.","It is to be pursued.","It underlies power."],"question":"What does the author think of intellect?","article":"Americans today don't place a very high value on intellect. Our heroes are athletes, entertainers, and entrepreneurs, not scholars. Even our schools are where we send our children to get a practical education -- not to pursue knowledge for the sake of knowledge. Symptoms of pervasive anti-intellectualism in our schools aren't difficult to find.\n\"Schools have always been in a society where practical is more important than intellectual,\" says education writer Diane Ravitch. \"Schools could be a counterbalance.\"\nRavitch's latest book, Left Back: A Century of Failed School Reforms, traces the roots of anti-intellectualism in our schools, concluding they are anything but a counterbalance to the American distaste for intellectual pursuits.\nBut they could and should be. Encouraging kids to reject the life of the mind leaves them vulnerable to exploitation and control. Without the ability to think critically, to defend their ideas and understand the ideas of others, they cannot fully participate in our democracy. Continuing along this path, says writer Earl Shorris, \"We will become a second-rate country. We will have a less civil society.\"\n\"Intellect is resented as a form of power or privilege,\" writes historian and professor Richard Hofstadter in Anti-Intellectualism in American Life, a Pulitzer-Prize winning book on the roots of anti-intellectualism in US politics, religion, and education. From the beginning of our history, says Hofstadter, our democratic and populist urges have driven us to reject anything that smells of elitism. Practicality, common sense, and native intelligence have been considered more noble qualities than anything you could learn from a book.\nRalph Waldo Emerson and other Transcendentalist philosophers thought schooling and rigorous book learning put unnatural restraints on children: \"We are shut up in schools and college recitation rooms for 10 or 15 years and come out at last with a bellyful of words and do not know a thing.\" Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn exemplified American anti-intellectualism. Its hero avoids being civilized -- going to school and learning to read -- so he can preserve his innate goodness.\nIntellect, according to Hofstadter, is different from native intelligence, a quality we reluctantly admire. Intellect is the critical, creative, and contemplative side of the mind. Intelligence seeks to grasp, manipulate, re-order, and adjust, while intellect examines, ponders, wonders, theorizes, criticizes and imagines.\nSchool remains a place where intellect is mistrusted. Hofstadter says our country's educational system is in the grips of people who \"joyfully and militantly proclaim their hostility to intellect and their eagerness to identify with children who show the least intellectual promise.\"","id":"3272.txt","label":2} +{"option":["is splendidly decorated","has pleasant smells of kabobs","is crowded with dining tables","looks like a common restaurant"],"question":"When first entering the restaurant, one can find that it _ .","article":"When first entered, Vanak Restaurant does not look like much of a restaurant, but once the pleasant smells of kabobhit the senses, you are incapable of calling it anything less.\nOwned by a local couple, this Persian restaurant has an inviting, homelike atmosphere that many restaurants lack.\nThe space is small with only a few dining tables and nearly no decoration, but the environment is truly charming.\nLying in a hardly noticeable street corner, the restaurant still attracts all customers, especially those experienced in the delights of Middle Eastern cooking.\nA common sight is that of old Persian men sitting in the corner talking loudly about world topics, watching news events on TV, drinking a black tea known as Persian chai, an reading local Persian newspapers all the while trying to finish off their plates piled with food.\nThe variety of food at the restaurant is limited, but the amount of each dish is fairly large. Most of the meals can serve two people and are under $10, so not only is it affordable but practical as well.\nThe food, especially appeals to health-conscious eaters because each dish is very healthy, made with limited fat and oil and served straight off the grill .\nThe main dish that the restaurant is popular for is its kabobs, which are different style of grilled meat.\nOne delicious and extremely healthy dish is the Joojeh Kabob, which is made of grille chicken pieces served with cither rice or bread. Another great kabob is the Cbelo Kabob, kabob consisting of grilled beef.\nAlthough the restaurant is small, the atmosphere and the food is delicious. It is a place that should not be overlooked.","id":"1989.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Watching news events on TV.","Drinking a kind of black coffee.","Reading local English newspapers.","Discussing world topics in low voices."],"question":"What activity is also mentioned apart from dining in the restaurant?","article":"When first entered, Vanak Restaurant does not look like much of a restaurant, but once the pleasant smells of kabobhit the senses, you are incapable of calling it anything less.\nOwned by a local couple, this Persian restaurant has an inviting, homelike atmosphere that many restaurants lack.\nThe space is small with only a few dining tables and nearly no decoration, but the environment is truly charming.\nLying in a hardly noticeable street corner, the restaurant still attracts all customers, especially those experienced in the delights of Middle Eastern cooking.\nA common sight is that of old Persian men sitting in the corner talking loudly about world topics, watching news events on TV, drinking a black tea known as Persian chai, an reading local Persian newspapers all the while trying to finish off their plates piled with food.\nThe variety of food at the restaurant is limited, but the amount of each dish is fairly large. Most of the meals can serve two people and are under $10, so not only is it affordable but practical as well.\nThe food, especially appeals to health-conscious eaters because each dish is very healthy, made with limited fat and oil and served straight off the grill .\nThe main dish that the restaurant is popular for is its kabobs, which are different style of grilled meat.\nOne delicious and extremely healthy dish is the Joojeh Kabob, which is made of grille chicken pieces served with cither rice or bread. Another great kabob is the Cbelo Kabob, kabob consisting of grilled beef.\nAlthough the restaurant is small, the atmosphere and the food is delicious. It is a place that should not be overlooked.","id":"1989.txt","label":0} +{"option":["is served in small amounts","is rather expensive","is rich in variety","is very healthy"],"question":"The food of the restaurant _ .","article":"When first entered, Vanak Restaurant does not look like much of a restaurant, but once the pleasant smells of kabobhit the senses, you are incapable of calling it anything less.\nOwned by a local couple, this Persian restaurant has an inviting, homelike atmosphere that many restaurants lack.\nThe space is small with only a few dining tables and nearly no decoration, but the environment is truly charming.\nLying in a hardly noticeable street corner, the restaurant still attracts all customers, especially those experienced in the delights of Middle Eastern cooking.\nA common sight is that of old Persian men sitting in the corner talking loudly about world topics, watching news events on TV, drinking a black tea known as Persian chai, an reading local Persian newspapers all the while trying to finish off their plates piled with food.\nThe variety of food at the restaurant is limited, but the amount of each dish is fairly large. Most of the meals can serve two people and are under $10, so not only is it affordable but practical as well.\nThe food, especially appeals to health-conscious eaters because each dish is very healthy, made with limited fat and oil and served straight off the grill .\nThe main dish that the restaurant is popular for is its kabobs, which are different style of grilled meat.\nOne delicious and extremely healthy dish is the Joojeh Kabob, which is made of grille chicken pieces served with cither rice or bread. Another great kabob is the Cbelo Kabob, kabob consisting of grilled beef.\nAlthough the restaurant is small, the atmosphere and the food is delicious. It is a place that should not be overlooked.","id":"1989.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Rice","Chicken","Bread","Beef"],"question":"What is the dish Joojeh Kabob mainly made of?","article":"When first entered, Vanak Restaurant does not look like much of a restaurant, but once the pleasant smells of kabobhit the senses, you are incapable of calling it anything less.\nOwned by a local couple, this Persian restaurant has an inviting, homelike atmosphere that many restaurants lack.\nThe space is small with only a few dining tables and nearly no decoration, but the environment is truly charming.\nLying in a hardly noticeable street corner, the restaurant still attracts all customers, especially those experienced in the delights of Middle Eastern cooking.\nA common sight is that of old Persian men sitting in the corner talking loudly about world topics, watching news events on TV, drinking a black tea known as Persian chai, an reading local Persian newspapers all the while trying to finish off their plates piled with food.\nThe variety of food at the restaurant is limited, but the amount of each dish is fairly large. Most of the meals can serve two people and are under $10, so not only is it affordable but practical as well.\nThe food, especially appeals to health-conscious eaters because each dish is very healthy, made with limited fat and oil and served straight off the grill .\nThe main dish that the restaurant is popular for is its kabobs, which are different style of grilled meat.\nOne delicious and extremely healthy dish is the Joojeh Kabob, which is made of grille chicken pieces served with cither rice or bread. Another great kabob is the Cbelo Kabob, kabob consisting of grilled beef.\nAlthough the restaurant is small, the atmosphere and the food is delicious. It is a place that should not be overlooked.","id":"1989.txt","label":1} +{"option":["occupies a large space","owns a favorable location","is popular for its special food","has a quiet environment inside"],"question":"It can be inferred from the passage that the restaurant _ .","article":"When first entered, Vanak Restaurant does not look like much of a restaurant, but once the pleasant smells of kabobhit the senses, you are incapable of calling it anything less.\nOwned by a local couple, this Persian restaurant has an inviting, homelike atmosphere that many restaurants lack.\nThe space is small with only a few dining tables and nearly no decoration, but the environment is truly charming.\nLying in a hardly noticeable street corner, the restaurant still attracts all customers, especially those experienced in the delights of Middle Eastern cooking.\nA common sight is that of old Persian men sitting in the corner talking loudly about world topics, watching news events on TV, drinking a black tea known as Persian chai, an reading local Persian newspapers all the while trying to finish off their plates piled with food.\nThe variety of food at the restaurant is limited, but the amount of each dish is fairly large. Most of the meals can serve two people and are under $10, so not only is it affordable but practical as well.\nThe food, especially appeals to health-conscious eaters because each dish is very healthy, made with limited fat and oil and served straight off the grill .\nThe main dish that the restaurant is popular for is its kabobs, which are different style of grilled meat.\nOne delicious and extremely healthy dish is the Joojeh Kabob, which is made of grille chicken pieces served with cither rice or bread. Another great kabob is the Cbelo Kabob, kabob consisting of grilled beef.\nAlthough the restaurant is small, the atmosphere and the food is delicious. It is a place that should not be overlooked.","id":"1989.txt","label":2} +{"option":["will remain the same","will slow down","will speed up","can not be predicted"],"question":"According to the writer, the rate of change in technology _ .","article":"Hardly a week goes by without some advance in technology that would have seemed incredible 50 years ago. And we can expect the rate of change to accelerate rather than slow down within our lifetime. The developments in technology are bound to have a dramatic effect on the future of work. By 2010, new technology will have revolutionized communications. People will be transmitting messages down telephone lines that previously would have been sent by post. Not only postmen but also clerks and secretaries will vanish in a paper-free society. All the routine tasks they perform will be carried on a tiny silicon chip so that they will be as obsolete as the horse and cart after the invention of the motorcar. One change will make thousands, if not millions, redundant.\nEven people in traditional professions, where expert knowledge has been the key, are unlikely to escape the effects of new technology. Instead of going to a solicitor, you might go to a computer that is programmed with all the most up-to-date legal information. Doctors, too, will find that an electronic competitor will be able to carry out a much quicker and more accurate diagnosis and recommend more efficient courses oftreatment. In education, teachers will be largely replaced by teaching machines far more knowledgeable than any human being. Most learning will take place in the home via video conferencing. Children will still go to school though, until another place is created where they can make friends and develop social skills.","id":"808.txt","label":2} +{"option":["people needn't telephone each other","the present postal system will have disappeared","people will no longer send letters","the postmen will have been replaced by silicon chip."],"question":"The writer expects that by 2020 new technology will have revolutionized communications and _","article":"Hardly a week goes by without some advance in technology that would have seemed incredible 50 years ago. And we can expect the rate of change to accelerate rather than slow down within our lifetime. The developments in technology are bound to have a dramatic effect on the future of work. By 2010, new technology will have revolutionized communications. People will be transmitting messages down telephone lines that previously would have been sent by post. Not only postmen but also clerks and secretaries will vanish in a paper-free society. All the routine tasks they perform will be carried on a tiny silicon chip so that they will be as obsolete as the horse and cart after the invention of the motorcar. One change will make thousands, if not millions, redundant.\nEven people in traditional professions, where expert knowledge has been the key, are unlikely to escape the effects of new technology. Instead of going to a solicitor, you might go to a computer that is programmed with all the most up-to-date legal information. Doctors, too, will find that an electronic competitor will be able to carry out a much quicker and more accurate diagnosis and recommend more efficient courses oftreatment. In education, teachers will be largely replaced by teaching machines far more knowledgeable than any human being. Most learning will take place in the home via video conferencing. Children will still go to school though, until another place is created where they can make friends and develop social skills.","id":"808.txt","label":1} +{"option":["the tiny silicon chips","the letter written on paper","the postmen, clerks and secretaries","the routine tasks performed by the postmen"],"question":"The word \" they\" (Line 6, Para. 1) refers to _ .","article":"Hardly a week goes by without some advance in technology that would have seemed incredible 50 years ago. And we can expect the rate of change to accelerate rather than slow down within our lifetime. The developments in technology are bound to have a dramatic effect on the future of work. By 2010, new technology will have revolutionized communications. People will be transmitting messages down telephone lines that previously would have been sent by post. Not only postmen but also clerks and secretaries will vanish in a paper-free society. All the routine tasks they perform will be carried on a tiny silicon chip so that they will be as obsolete as the horse and cart after the invention of the motorcar. One change will make thousands, if not millions, redundant.\nEven people in traditional professions, where expert knowledge has been the key, are unlikely to escape the effects of new technology. Instead of going to a solicitor, you might go to a computer that is programmed with all the most up-to-date legal information. Doctors, too, will find that an electronic competitor will be able to carry out a much quicker and more accurate diagnosis and recommend more efficient courses oftreatment. In education, teachers will be largely replaced by teaching machines far more knowledgeable than any human being. Most learning will take place in the home via video conferencing. Children will still go to school though, until another place is created where they can make friends and develop social skills.","id":"808.txt","label":2} +{"option":["professionals won't be affected by new technology","doctor won't be as efficient by the postmen","computers cannot replace lawyers","experts will lose job in the future"],"question":"From the second paragraph, we can infer that _","article":"Hardly a week goes by without some advance in technology that would have seemed incredible 50 years ago. And we can expect the rate of change to accelerate rather than slow down within our lifetime. The developments in technology are bound to have a dramatic effect on the future of work. By 2010, new technology will have revolutionized communications. People will be transmitting messages down telephone lines that previously would have been sent by post. Not only postmen but also clerks and secretaries will vanish in a paper-free society. All the routine tasks they perform will be carried on a tiny silicon chip so that they will be as obsolete as the horse and cart after the invention of the motorcar. One change will make thousands, if not millions, redundant.\nEven people in traditional professions, where expert knowledge has been the key, are unlikely to escape the effects of new technology. Instead of going to a solicitor, you might go to a computer that is programmed with all the most up-to-date legal information. Doctors, too, will find that an electronic competitor will be able to carry out a much quicker and more accurate diagnosis and recommend more efficient courses oftreatment. In education, teachers will be largely replaced by teaching machines far more knowledgeable than any human being. Most learning will take place in the home via video conferencing. Children will still go to school though, until another place is created where they can make friends and develop social skills.","id":"808.txt","label":1} +{"option":["people should get prepared for the future","there exists no real threat of unemployment","the advance of technology is not desirable","machines will have control over men"],"question":"In the writer's view, _ .","article":"Hardly a week goes by without some advance in technology that would have seemed incredible 50 years ago. And we can expect the rate of change to accelerate rather than slow down within our lifetime. The developments in technology are bound to have a dramatic effect on the future of work. By 2010, new technology will have revolutionized communications. People will be transmitting messages down telephone lines that previously would have been sent by post. Not only postmen but also clerks and secretaries will vanish in a paper-free society. All the routine tasks they perform will be carried on a tiny silicon chip so that they will be as obsolete as the horse and cart after the invention of the motorcar. One change will make thousands, if not millions, redundant.\nEven people in traditional professions, where expert knowledge has been the key, are unlikely to escape the effects of new technology. Instead of going to a solicitor, you might go to a computer that is programmed with all the most up-to-date legal information. Doctors, too, will find that an electronic competitor will be able to carry out a much quicker and more accurate diagnosis and recommend more efficient courses oftreatment. In education, teachers will be largely replaced by teaching machines far more knowledgeable than any human being. Most learning will take place in the home via video conferencing. Children will still go to school though, until another place is created where they can make friends and develop social skills.","id":"808.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Betty was talkative.","Betty was an interrupter.","Betty did not take her turn.","Betty paid no attention to Sara."],"question":"What did Sara think of Betty when talking with her?","article":"Pacing and Pausing\nSara tried to befriend her old friend Steve's new wife, but Betty never seemed to have anything to say. While Sara felt Betty didn't hold up her end of the conversation, Betty complained to Steve that Sara never gave her a chance to talk. The problem had to do with expectations about pacing and pausing.\nConversation is a turn-taking game. When our habits are similar, there's no problem. But if our habits are different, you may start to talk before I'm finished or fail to take your turn when I'm finished. That's what was happening with Betty and Sara.\nIt may not be coincidental that Betty, who expected relatively longer pauses between turns, is British, and Sara, who expected relatively shorter pauses, is American. Betty often felt interrupted by Sara. But Betty herself became an interrupter and found herself doing most of the talking when she met a visitor from Finland. And Sara had a hard time cutting in on some speakers from Latin America or Israel.\nThe general phenomenon, then, is that the small conversation techniques, like pacing and pausing, lead people to draw conclusions not about conversational style but about personality and abilities. These habitual differences are often the basis for dangerous stereotyping . And these social phenomena can have very personal consequences. For example, a woman from the southwestern part of the US went to live in an eastern city to take up a job in personnel. When the Personnel Department got together for meetings, she kept searching for the right time to break in--and never found it. Although back home she was considered outgoing and confident, in Washington she was viewed as shy and retiring. When she was evaluated at the end of the year, she was told to take a training course because of her inability to speak up.\nThat's why slight differences in conversational style--tiny little things like microseconds of pause-can have a great effect on one's life. The result in this case was a judgment of psychological problems---even in the mind of the woman herself, who really wondered what was wrong with her and registered for assertiveness training.","id":"2287.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Americans.","Israelis.","The British.","The Finns."],"question":"According to the passage, who are likely to expect the shortest pauses between turns?","article":"Pacing and Pausing\nSara tried to befriend her old friend Steve's new wife, but Betty never seemed to have anything to say. While Sara felt Betty didn't hold up her end of the conversation, Betty complained to Steve that Sara never gave her a chance to talk. The problem had to do with expectations about pacing and pausing.\nConversation is a turn-taking game. When our habits are similar, there's no problem. But if our habits are different, you may start to talk before I'm finished or fail to take your turn when I'm finished. That's what was happening with Betty and Sara.\nIt may not be coincidental that Betty, who expected relatively longer pauses between turns, is British, and Sara, who expected relatively shorter pauses, is American. Betty often felt interrupted by Sara. But Betty herself became an interrupter and found herself doing most of the talking when she met a visitor from Finland. And Sara had a hard time cutting in on some speakers from Latin America or Israel.\nThe general phenomenon, then, is that the small conversation techniques, like pacing and pausing, lead people to draw conclusions not about conversational style but about personality and abilities. These habitual differences are often the basis for dangerous stereotyping . And these social phenomena can have very personal consequences. For example, a woman from the southwestern part of the US went to live in an eastern city to take up a job in personnel. When the Personnel Department got together for meetings, she kept searching for the right time to break in--and never found it. Although back home she was considered outgoing and confident, in Washington she was viewed as shy and retiring. When she was evaluated at the end of the year, she was told to take a training course because of her inability to speak up.\nThat's why slight differences in conversational style--tiny little things like microseconds of pause-can have a great effect on one's life. The result in this case was a judgment of psychological problems---even in the mind of the woman herself, who really wondered what was wrong with her and registered for assertiveness training.","id":"2287.txt","label":1} +{"option":["communication breakdown results from short pauses and fast pacing","women are unfavorably stereotyped in eastern cities of the US","one's inability to speak up is culturally determined sometimes","one should receive training to build up one's confidence"],"question":"We can learn from the passage that _ .","article":"Pacing and Pausing\nSara tried to befriend her old friend Steve's new wife, but Betty never seemed to have anything to say. While Sara felt Betty didn't hold up her end of the conversation, Betty complained to Steve that Sara never gave her a chance to talk. The problem had to do with expectations about pacing and pausing.\nConversation is a turn-taking game. When our habits are similar, there's no problem. But if our habits are different, you may start to talk before I'm finished or fail to take your turn when I'm finished. That's what was happening with Betty and Sara.\nIt may not be coincidental that Betty, who expected relatively longer pauses between turns, is British, and Sara, who expected relatively shorter pauses, is American. Betty often felt interrupted by Sara. But Betty herself became an interrupter and found herself doing most of the talking when she met a visitor from Finland. And Sara had a hard time cutting in on some speakers from Latin America or Israel.\nThe general phenomenon, then, is that the small conversation techniques, like pacing and pausing, lead people to draw conclusions not about conversational style but about personality and abilities. These habitual differences are often the basis for dangerous stereotyping . And these social phenomena can have very personal consequences. For example, a woman from the southwestern part of the US went to live in an eastern city to take up a job in personnel. When the Personnel Department got together for meetings, she kept searching for the right time to break in--and never found it. Although back home she was considered outgoing and confident, in Washington she was viewed as shy and retiring. When she was evaluated at the end of the year, she was told to take a training course because of her inability to speak up.\nThat's why slight differences in conversational style--tiny little things like microseconds of pause-can have a great effect on one's life. The result in this case was a judgment of psychological problems---even in the mind of the woman herself, who really wondered what was wrong with her and registered for assertiveness training.","id":"2287.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Those who often take exercise.","Those who often watch television.","Those who often have meals at home.","Those who often walk to school."],"question":"According to the text, what kind of children may eat more unhealthy food?","article":"Many facts suggest that children are overweight and the situation is getting worse, according to the doctors. I feel there are a number of reasons for this.\nSome people blame the fact that we are surrounded by shops selling unhealthy, fatty foods, such as fried chicken and ice cream, at low prices. This has turned out a whole generation of grown-ups who seldom cook a meal for themselves. If there were fewer of these restaurants, then probably children would buy less take-away food.\nThere is another argument that blames parents for allowing their children to become overweight. I agree with this, because good eating habits begin early in life, long before children start to visit fast food shops. If children are given fried chicken and chocolate rather than healthy food, or are always allowed to choose what they eat, they will go for sweet and salty foods every time, and this will carry on throughout their lives.\nThere is a third reason for this situation. Children these days take very little exercise. They do not walk to school. When they get home, they sit in front of the television or their computers and play computer games. Not only is this an unhealthy pastime, it also gives them time to eat more unhealthy food. What they need is to go outside and play active games or sports.\nThe above are the main reasons for this problem, and therefore we have to encourage young people to be more active, as well as steering them away from fast food shops and bad eating habits.","id":"3363.txt","label":1} +{"option":["their parents often cook meals for them","they are too busy to go out and play","they can' t choose what to eat","there are too many fast food shops around"],"question":"The author thinks that children are becoming overweight because","article":"Many facts suggest that children are overweight and the situation is getting worse, according to the doctors. I feel there are a number of reasons for this.\nSome people blame the fact that we are surrounded by shops selling unhealthy, fatty foods, such as fried chicken and ice cream, at low prices. This has turned out a whole generation of grown-ups who seldom cook a meal for themselves. If there were fewer of these restaurants, then probably children would buy less take-away food.\nThere is another argument that blames parents for allowing their children to become overweight. I agree with this, because good eating habits begin early in life, long before children start to visit fast food shops. If children are given fried chicken and chocolate rather than healthy food, or are always allowed to choose what they eat, they will go for sweet and salty foods every time, and this will carry on throughout their lives.\nThere is a third reason for this situation. Children these days take very little exercise. They do not walk to school. When they get home, they sit in front of the television or their computers and play computer games. Not only is this an unhealthy pastime, it also gives them time to eat more unhealthy food. What they need is to go outside and play active games or sports.\nThe above are the main reasons for this problem, and therefore we have to encourage young people to be more active, as well as steering them away from fast food shops and bad eating habits.","id":"3363.txt","label":3} +{"option":["tell a story","provide facts","give advice","compare opinions"],"question":"The main purpose of the text is to _ .","article":"Many facts suggest that children are overweight and the situation is getting worse, according to the doctors. I feel there are a number of reasons for this.\nSome people blame the fact that we are surrounded by shops selling unhealthy, fatty foods, such as fried chicken and ice cream, at low prices. This has turned out a whole generation of grown-ups who seldom cook a meal for themselves. If there were fewer of these restaurants, then probably children would buy less take-away food.\nThere is another argument that blames parents for allowing their children to become overweight. I agree with this, because good eating habits begin early in life, long before children start to visit fast food shops. If children are given fried chicken and chocolate rather than healthy food, or are always allowed to choose what they eat, they will go for sweet and salty foods every time, and this will carry on throughout their lives.\nThere is a third reason for this situation. Children these days take very little exercise. They do not walk to school. When they get home, they sit in front of the television or their computers and play computer games. Not only is this an unhealthy pastime, it also gives them time to eat more unhealthy food. What they need is to go outside and play active games or sports.\nThe above are the main reasons for this problem, and therefore we have to encourage young people to be more active, as well as steering them away from fast food shops and bad eating habits.","id":"3363.txt","label":2} +{"option":["on TV","from the manager","at the supermarket","from the newspaper"],"question":"The housewives learnt about the offer of free goods _ .","article":"All the housewives who went to the new supermarket had one great ambition: to be the lucky customer who did not have to pay for her shopping. For this was what the notice just inside the entrance promised. It said: \" Remember, once a week, one of our customers gets free goods. This May Be Your Lucky Day!\"\nFor several weeks Mrs. Edwards hoped, like many of her friends, to be the lucky customer. Unlike her friends, she never gave up hoping. The cupboards in kitchen were full of things which she did not need. Her husband tried to advise her against buying things but failed. She dreamed of the day when the manager of the supermarket would approach her and say: \" Madam, this is Your Lucky Day. Everything in your basket is free.\"\nOne Friday morning, after she had finished her shopping and had taken it to her car, she found that she had forgotten to buy any tea. She dashed back to the supermarket, got the tea and went towards the cash-desk. As she did so, she saw the manager of the supermarket approach her. \" Madam,\" he said, holding out his hand, \" I want to congratulate you! You are our lucky customer and everything you have in your basket is free!\"","id":"734.txt","label":2} +{"option":["is always very lucky","had no friends","hoped to get free shopping","gets disappointed easily"],"question":"Mrs. Edwards _ .","article":"All the housewives who went to the new supermarket had one great ambition: to be the lucky customer who did not have to pay for her shopping. For this was what the notice just inside the entrance promised. It said: \" Remember, once a week, one of our customers gets free goods. This May Be Your Lucky Day!\"\nFor several weeks Mrs. Edwards hoped, like many of her friends, to be the lucky customer. Unlike her friends, she never gave up hoping. The cupboards in kitchen were full of things which she did not need. Her husband tried to advise her against buying things but failed. She dreamed of the day when the manager of the supermarket would approach her and say: \" Madam, this is Your Lucky Day. Everything in your basket is free.\"\nOne Friday morning, after she had finished her shopping and had taken it to her car, she found that she had forgotten to buy any tea. She dashed back to the supermarket, got the tea and went towards the cash-desk. As she did so, she saw the manager of the supermarket approach her. \" Madam,\" he said, holding out his hand, \" I want to congratulate you! You are our lucky customer and everything you have in your basket is free!\"","id":"734.txt","label":2} +{"option":["make her unhappy","cheer her up","buy things with her","stop her buying things"],"question":"Mrs. Edwards's husband tried to _ .","article":"All the housewives who went to the new supermarket had one great ambition: to be the lucky customer who did not have to pay for her shopping. For this was what the notice just inside the entrance promised. It said: \" Remember, once a week, one of our customers gets free goods. This May Be Your Lucky Day!\"\nFor several weeks Mrs. Edwards hoped, like many of her friends, to be the lucky customer. Unlike her friends, she never gave up hoping. The cupboards in kitchen were full of things which she did not need. Her husband tried to advise her against buying things but failed. She dreamed of the day when the manager of the supermarket would approach her and say: \" Madam, this is Your Lucky Day. Everything in your basket is free.\"\nOne Friday morning, after she had finished her shopping and had taken it to her car, she found that she had forgotten to buy any tea. She dashed back to the supermarket, got the tea and went towards the cash-desk. As she did so, she saw the manager of the supermarket approach her. \" Madam,\" he said, holding out his hand, \" I want to congratulate you! You are our lucky customer and everything you have in your basket is free!\"","id":"734.txt","label":3} +{"option":["buy another thing","talk to the manager","pay for her shopping","find her shopping"],"question":"Mrs. Edwards went back to the supermarket quickly because she had to _ .","article":"All the housewives who went to the new supermarket had one great ambition: to be the lucky customer who did not have to pay for her shopping. For this was what the notice just inside the entrance promised. It said: \" Remember, once a week, one of our customers gets free goods. This May Be Your Lucky Day!\"\nFor several weeks Mrs. Edwards hoped, like many of her friends, to be the lucky customer. Unlike her friends, she never gave up hoping. The cupboards in kitchen were full of things which she did not need. Her husband tried to advise her against buying things but failed. She dreamed of the day when the manager of the supermarket would approach her and say: \" Madam, this is Your Lucky Day. Everything in your basket is free.\"\nOne Friday morning, after she had finished her shopping and had taken it to her car, she found that she had forgotten to buy any tea. She dashed back to the supermarket, got the tea and went towards the cash-desk. As she did so, she saw the manager of the supermarket approach her. \" Madam,\" he said, holding out his hand, \" I want to congratulate you! You are our lucky customer and everything you have in your basket is free!\"","id":"734.txt","label":0} +{"option":["pleased","delighted","proud","disappointed."],"question":"Mrs. Edwards must have been _ .","article":"All the housewives who went to the new supermarket had one great ambition: to be the lucky customer who did not have to pay for her shopping. For this was what the notice just inside the entrance promised. It said: \" Remember, once a week, one of our customers gets free goods. This May Be Your Lucky Day!\"\nFor several weeks Mrs. Edwards hoped, like many of her friends, to be the lucky customer. Unlike her friends, she never gave up hoping. The cupboards in kitchen were full of things which she did not need. Her husband tried to advise her against buying things but failed. She dreamed of the day when the manager of the supermarket would approach her and say: \" Madam, this is Your Lucky Day. Everything in your basket is free.\"\nOne Friday morning, after she had finished her shopping and had taken it to her car, she found that she had forgotten to buy any tea. She dashed back to the supermarket, got the tea and went towards the cash-desk. As she did so, she saw the manager of the supermarket approach her. \" Madam,\" he said, holding out his hand, \" I want to congratulate you! You are our lucky customer and everything you have in your basket is free!\"","id":"734.txt","label":3} +{"option":["how much more wisdom we have now than before","what wisdom is and how to develop it","if there is a great increase of wisdom in our age","whether wisdom can be developed or not"],"question":"Disagreement arises when people try to decide ________.","article":"Most people would agree that, although our age exceeds all previous ages in knowledge, there has been no corresponding increase in wisdom. But Agreement ceases as soon as we attempt to define \"wisdom\" and consider means of promoting it.\nThere are several factors that contribute to wisdom. Of these I should put first a sense of proportion: the capacity to take account of all the important factors in a problem and to attach to each its due weight. This has become more difficult than it used to be owing to the extent and complexity of the special knowledge required of various kinds of technicians. Suppose, for example, that you are engaged in research in scientific medicine. The work is difficult and is likely to absorb the whole of your mind. You have no time to consider the effect which your discoveries or inventions may have outside the field of medicine. You succeed (let us say) as modern medicine has succeeded, in enormously lowering the infant death-rate, not only in Europe and America, but also in Asia and Africa. This has the entirely unintended result of making the food supply inadequate and lowing the standard of life in the parts of the world that have the greatest populations. To take an even more dramatic example, which is in everybody's mind at the present time; you study the makeup of the atom from a disinterested desire for knowledge, and by chance place in the hands of a powerful mad man the means of destroying the human race.\nTherefore, with every increase of knowledge and skill, wisdom becomes more necessary, for every such increase augments our capacity for realizing our purposes, and therefore augments our capacity for evil, if our purpose are unwise.","id":"3721.txt","label":1} +{"option":["carefully consider the bad effects of any kind of research work","give each important problem some careful consideration","acquire a great deal of complex and special knowledge","give suitable consideration to all the possible elements in a problem"],"question":"According to the author, \"wisdom\" is the ability to ________.","article":"Most people would agree that, although our age exceeds all previous ages in knowledge, there has been no corresponding increase in wisdom. But Agreement ceases as soon as we attempt to define \"wisdom\" and consider means of promoting it.\nThere are several factors that contribute to wisdom. Of these I should put first a sense of proportion: the capacity to take account of all the important factors in a problem and to attach to each its due weight. This has become more difficult than it used to be owing to the extent and complexity of the special knowledge required of various kinds of technicians. Suppose, for example, that you are engaged in research in scientific medicine. The work is difficult and is likely to absorb the whole of your mind. You have no time to consider the effect which your discoveries or inventions may have outside the field of medicine. You succeed (let us say) as modern medicine has succeeded, in enormously lowering the infant death-rate, not only in Europe and America, but also in Asia and Africa. This has the entirely unintended result of making the food supply inadequate and lowing the standard of life in the parts of the world that have the greatest populations. To take an even more dramatic example, which is in everybody's mind at the present time; you study the makeup of the atom from a disinterested desire for knowledge, and by chance place in the hands of a powerful mad man the means of destroying the human race.\nTherefore, with every increase of knowledge and skill, wisdom becomes more necessary, for every such increase augments our capacity for realizing our purposes, and therefore augments our capacity for evil, if our purpose are unwise.","id":"3721.txt","label":3} +{"option":["prove to be helpful everywhere in the world","give rise to an increase in population in Europe","cause food shortages in Asia and Africa","raise the living standard of the people in Africa"],"question":"Lowering the infant death-rate may ________.","article":"Most people would agree that, although our age exceeds all previous ages in knowledge, there has been no corresponding increase in wisdom. But Agreement ceases as soon as we attempt to define \"wisdom\" and consider means of promoting it.\nThere are several factors that contribute to wisdom. Of these I should put first a sense of proportion: the capacity to take account of all the important factors in a problem and to attach to each its due weight. This has become more difficult than it used to be owing to the extent and complexity of the special knowledge required of various kinds of technicians. Suppose, for example, that you are engaged in research in scientific medicine. The work is difficult and is likely to absorb the whole of your mind. You have no time to consider the effect which your discoveries or inventions may have outside the field of medicine. You succeed (let us say) as modern medicine has succeeded, in enormously lowering the infant death-rate, not only in Europe and America, but also in Asia and Africa. This has the entirely unintended result of making the food supply inadequate and lowing the standard of life in the parts of the world that have the greatest populations. To take an even more dramatic example, which is in everybody's mind at the present time; you study the makeup of the atom from a disinterested desire for knowledge, and by chance place in the hands of a powerful mad man the means of destroying the human race.\nTherefore, with every increase of knowledge and skill, wisdom becomes more necessary, for every such increase augments our capacity for realizing our purposes, and therefore augments our capacity for evil, if our purpose are unwise.","id":"3721.txt","label":2} +{"option":["it's extremely difficult to consider all the important elements in problem","success in medical research has its negative effects","scientists may unknowingly cause destruction to the human race","it's unwise to be totally absorbed in research in scientific medicine"],"question":"The author uses the examples in the passage to illustrate his point that ________.","article":"Most people would agree that, although our age exceeds all previous ages in knowledge, there has been no corresponding increase in wisdom. But Agreement ceases as soon as we attempt to define \"wisdom\" and consider means of promoting it.\nThere are several factors that contribute to wisdom. Of these I should put first a sense of proportion: the capacity to take account of all the important factors in a problem and to attach to each its due weight. This has become more difficult than it used to be owing to the extent and complexity of the special knowledge required of various kinds of technicians. Suppose, for example, that you are engaged in research in scientific medicine. The work is difficult and is likely to absorb the whole of your mind. You have no time to consider the effect which your discoveries or inventions may have outside the field of medicine. You succeed (let us say) as modern medicine has succeeded, in enormously lowering the infant death-rate, not only in Europe and America, but also in Asia and Africa. This has the entirely unintended result of making the food supply inadequate and lowing the standard of life in the parts of the world that have the greatest populations. To take an even more dramatic example, which is in everybody's mind at the present time; you study the makeup of the atom from a disinterested desire for knowledge, and by chance place in the hands of a powerful mad man the means of destroying the human race.\nTherefore, with every increase of knowledge and skill, wisdom becomes more necessary, for every such increase augments our capacity for realizing our purposes, and therefore augments our capacity for evil, if our purpose are unwise.","id":"3721.txt","label":0} +{"option":["It is unwise to place the results of scientific research in the hands of a powerful mad man.","The more knowledge one has, the wiser one becomes.","Any increase of knowledge could lead to disastrous results without the guidance of wisdom.","Wisdom increases in proportion to one's age."],"question":"What is the main idea of the passage?","article":"Most people would agree that, although our age exceeds all previous ages in knowledge, there has been no corresponding increase in wisdom. But Agreement ceases as soon as we attempt to define \"wisdom\" and consider means of promoting it.\nThere are several factors that contribute to wisdom. Of these I should put first a sense of proportion: the capacity to take account of all the important factors in a problem and to attach to each its due weight. This has become more difficult than it used to be owing to the extent and complexity of the special knowledge required of various kinds of technicians. Suppose, for example, that you are engaged in research in scientific medicine. The work is difficult and is likely to absorb the whole of your mind. You have no time to consider the effect which your discoveries or inventions may have outside the field of medicine. You succeed (let us say) as modern medicine has succeeded, in enormously lowering the infant death-rate, not only in Europe and America, but also in Asia and Africa. This has the entirely unintended result of making the food supply inadequate and lowing the standard of life in the parts of the world that have the greatest populations. To take an even more dramatic example, which is in everybody's mind at the present time; you study the makeup of the atom from a disinterested desire for knowledge, and by chance place in the hands of a powerful mad man the means of destroying the human race.\nTherefore, with every increase of knowledge and skill, wisdom becomes more necessary, for every such increase augments our capacity for realizing our purposes, and therefore augments our capacity for evil, if our purpose are unwise.","id":"3721.txt","label":2} +{"option":["how fast a firm moves depends on how big it is.","how competitive a firm is depends on what it produces.","Firms guided by strategic speed take time to make necessary changes.","Firms guided by operational speed take time to develop necessary team spirit."],"question":"What can we learn from the text?","article":"In business, there's a speed difference: It's the difference between how important a firms leaders say speed is to their competitive strategyand how fast the company actually moves. The difference is important regardless of industry and company size. Companies fearful or losing their competitive advantage spend much time and money looking for ways to pick up the speed.\nIn our study of 343 businesses, the companies that chose to go, go, go to try to gain an edge ended with lower sales and operating incomes than those that paused at key moments to make sure they were on the right track, What's more, the firms that \"slowed down to speed up \"improved their top and bottom lines ,averaging 40% higher sales and 52% higher operating incomes over a three-years period.\nHow did they disobey the laws of business physics, taking more time than competitors yet performing better ? They thought differently about what \"slower \"and \"faster\" mean. Firms sometimes fail to understand the difference between operation speed (moving quickly ) and strategic speed (reducing the time it takes to deliver value ). Simply increasing the speed of production, for example , may be one way to try to reduce the speed difference. But that often leads to reduced value over time, in the form of lower-quality products and services.\nIn our study, high performing companies with strategic speed always made changes when necessary. They became more open to idea and discussion. They encouraged new ways of thinking. And they allowed time to look and learn. By contrast . Performance suffered at firms that moved falt all the among their employer , and had little time thinking about changes.\nStrategic speed serves as a kind of leadership. Teams that regularly take time to get things right , rather than plough ahead full bore , are more successful in meeting their business goals. That kind of strategy must come from the top.","id":"1981.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Improve quality? Serve better.","Deliver value? Plough ahead.","Reduce time? Move faster.","Need speed? Slow down."],"question":"Where could be the last title for the text?","article":"In business, there's a speed difference: It's the difference between how important a firms leaders say speed is to their competitive strategyand how fast the company actually moves. The difference is important regardless of industry and company size. Companies fearful or losing their competitive advantage spend much time and money looking for ways to pick up the speed.\nIn our study of 343 businesses, the companies that chose to go, go, go to try to gain an edge ended with lower sales and operating incomes than those that paused at key moments to make sure they were on the right track, What's more, the firms that \"slowed down to speed up \"improved their top and bottom lines ,averaging 40% higher sales and 52% higher operating incomes over a three-years period.\nHow did they disobey the laws of business physics, taking more time than competitors yet performing better ? They thought differently about what \"slower \"and \"faster\" mean. Firms sometimes fail to understand the difference between operation speed (moving quickly ) and strategic speed (reducing the time it takes to deliver value ). Simply increasing the speed of production, for example , may be one way to try to reduce the speed difference. But that often leads to reduced value over time, in the form of lower-quality products and services.\nIn our study, high performing companies with strategic speed always made changes when necessary. They became more open to idea and discussion. They encouraged new ways of thinking. And they allowed time to look and learn. By contrast . Performance suffered at firms that moved falt all the among their employer , and had little time thinking about changes.\nStrategic speed serves as a kind of leadership. Teams that regularly take time to get things right , rather than plough ahead full bore , are more successful in meeting their business goals. That kind of strategy must come from the top.","id":"1981.txt","label":3} +{"option":["To find where honey badgers live.","To catch some honey badgers for food.","To find out why honey badgers have a bad reputation.","To observe how honey badgers behave."],"question":"Why did the wild life experts visit the Kalahari Desert?","article":"On a recent field trip to the Kalahari Desert, a team of researchers learnt a lot more about honey badgers ( ). The team employed a local wildlife expert, Kitso Khama, to help them locate and follow the badgers across the desert. Their main aim was to study the badgers' movements and behavior as discreetly as possible, without frightening them away or causing them to change their natural behavior. They also planned to trap a few and study them close up before releasing them in view of the animal's reputation, this was something that even Khama was reluctant to do.\n\"The problem with honey badgers is they are naturally curious animals, especially when they see something new,\" he says. \"That, combined with their unpredictable nature, can be a dangerous mixture.\nIf they sense you have food, for example, they won't be shy about coming right up to you for something to eat. They're actually quite sociable creatures around humans, but as soon as they feel they might be in danger, they can become extremely vicious . Fortunately this is rare, but it does happen.\"\nThe research confirmed many things that were already known. As expected, honey badgers ate any creatures they could catch and kill. Even poisonous snakes, feared and avoided by most other animals, were not safe from them. The researchers were surprised, however, by the animal's fondness for local melons, probably because of their high water content. Previously researchers thought that the animal got all of its liquid requirements from its prey ( ). The team also learnt that, contrary to previous research findings, the badgers occasionally formed loose family groups.\nThey were also able to confirm certain results from previous research, including the fact that female badgers never socialised with each other.\nFollowing some of the male badgers was a challenge, since they can cover large distances in a short space of time. Some hunting territories cover more than 500 square kilometers. Although they seem happy to share these territories with other males, there are occasional fights over an important food source, and male badgers can be as aggressive towards each other as they are towards other species.\nAs the badgers became accustomed to the presence of people, it gave the team the chance to get up close to them without being the subject of the animals' curiosity--or a sudden aggression.\nThe badgers' eating patterns, which had been disrupted, to normal. It also allowed the team to observe more closely some of the other creatures that form working associations with the honey badger, as these seemed to badgers' relaxed attitude when near humans.","id":"1283.txt","label":3} +{"option":["They are always looking for food.","They do not enjoy human company.","It is common for them to attack people.","They show interest in things they are not familiar with."],"question":"What does Kitso Khama say about honey badgers?","article":"On a recent field trip to the Kalahari Desert, a team of researchers learnt a lot more about honey badgers ( ). The team employed a local wildlife expert, Kitso Khama, to help them locate and follow the badgers across the desert. Their main aim was to study the badgers' movements and behavior as discreetly as possible, without frightening them away or causing them to change their natural behavior. They also planned to trap a few and study them close up before releasing them in view of the animal's reputation, this was something that even Khama was reluctant to do.\n\"The problem with honey badgers is they are naturally curious animals, especially when they see something new,\" he says. \"That, combined with their unpredictable nature, can be a dangerous mixture.\nIf they sense you have food, for example, they won't be shy about coming right up to you for something to eat. They're actually quite sociable creatures around humans, but as soon as they feel they might be in danger, they can become extremely vicious . Fortunately this is rare, but it does happen.\"\nThe research confirmed many things that were already known. As expected, honey badgers ate any creatures they could catch and kill. Even poisonous snakes, feared and avoided by most other animals, were not safe from them. The researchers were surprised, however, by the animal's fondness for local melons, probably because of their high water content. Previously researchers thought that the animal got all of its liquid requirements from its prey ( ). The team also learnt that, contrary to previous research findings, the badgers occasionally formed loose family groups.\nThey were also able to confirm certain results from previous research, including the fact that female badgers never socialised with each other.\nFollowing some of the male badgers was a challenge, since they can cover large distances in a short space of time. Some hunting territories cover more than 500 square kilometers. Although they seem happy to share these territories with other males, there are occasional fights over an important food source, and male badgers can be as aggressive towards each other as they are towards other species.\nAs the badgers became accustomed to the presence of people, it gave the team the chance to get up close to them without being the subject of the animals' curiosity--or a sudden aggression.\nThe badgers' eating patterns, which had been disrupted, to normal. It also allowed the team to observe more closely some of the other creatures that form working associations with the honey badger, as these seemed to badgers' relaxed attitude when near humans.","id":"1283.txt","label":3} +{"option":["There were some creatures they did not eat.","They were afraid of poisonous creatures.","Female badgers did not mix with male badgers.","They may get some of the water they needed from fruit."],"question":"What did the team find out about honey badgers?","article":"On a recent field trip to the Kalahari Desert, a team of researchers learnt a lot more about honey badgers ( ). The team employed a local wildlife expert, Kitso Khama, to help them locate and follow the badgers across the desert. Their main aim was to study the badgers' movements and behavior as discreetly as possible, without frightening them away or causing them to change their natural behavior. They also planned to trap a few and study them close up before releasing them in view of the animal's reputation, this was something that even Khama was reluctant to do.\n\"The problem with honey badgers is they are naturally curious animals, especially when they see something new,\" he says. \"That, combined with their unpredictable nature, can be a dangerous mixture.\nIf they sense you have food, for example, they won't be shy about coming right up to you for something to eat. They're actually quite sociable creatures around humans, but as soon as they feel they might be in danger, they can become extremely vicious . Fortunately this is rare, but it does happen.\"\nThe research confirmed many things that were already known. As expected, honey badgers ate any creatures they could catch and kill. Even poisonous snakes, feared and avoided by most other animals, were not safe from them. The researchers were surprised, however, by the animal's fondness for local melons, probably because of their high water content. Previously researchers thought that the animal got all of its liquid requirements from its prey ( ). The team also learnt that, contrary to previous research findings, the badgers occasionally formed loose family groups.\nThey were also able to confirm certain results from previous research, including the fact that female badgers never socialised with each other.\nFollowing some of the male badgers was a challenge, since they can cover large distances in a short space of time. Some hunting territories cover more than 500 square kilometers. Although they seem happy to share these territories with other males, there are occasional fights over an important food source, and male badgers can be as aggressive towards each other as they are towards other species.\nAs the badgers became accustomed to the presence of people, it gave the team the chance to get up close to them without being the subject of the animals' curiosity--or a sudden aggression.\nThe badgers' eating patterns, which had been disrupted, to normal. It also allowed the team to observe more closely some of the other creatures that form working associations with the honey badger, as these seemed to badgers' relaxed attitude when near humans.","id":"1283.txt","label":3} +{"option":["They don't run very quickly.","They defend their territory from other badgers.","They hunt over a very large area.","They are more aggressive than females."],"question":"Which of the following is a typical feature of male badgers?","article":"On a recent field trip to the Kalahari Desert, a team of researchers learnt a lot more about honey badgers ( ). The team employed a local wildlife expert, Kitso Khama, to help them locate and follow the badgers across the desert. Their main aim was to study the badgers' movements and behavior as discreetly as possible, without frightening them away or causing them to change their natural behavior. They also planned to trap a few and study them close up before releasing them in view of the animal's reputation, this was something that even Khama was reluctant to do.\n\"The problem with honey badgers is they are naturally curious animals, especially when they see something new,\" he says. \"That, combined with their unpredictable nature, can be a dangerous mixture.\nIf they sense you have food, for example, they won't be shy about coming right up to you for something to eat. They're actually quite sociable creatures around humans, but as soon as they feel they might be in danger, they can become extremely vicious . Fortunately this is rare, but it does happen.\"\nThe research confirmed many things that were already known. As expected, honey badgers ate any creatures they could catch and kill. Even poisonous snakes, feared and avoided by most other animals, were not safe from them. The researchers were surprised, however, by the animal's fondness for local melons, probably because of their high water content. Previously researchers thought that the animal got all of its liquid requirements from its prey ( ). The team also learnt that, contrary to previous research findings, the badgers occasionally formed loose family groups.\nThey were also able to confirm certain results from previous research, including the fact that female badgers never socialised with each other.\nFollowing some of the male badgers was a challenge, since they can cover large distances in a short space of time. Some hunting territories cover more than 500 square kilometers. Although they seem happy to share these territories with other males, there are occasional fights over an important food source, and male badgers can be as aggressive towards each other as they are towards other species.\nAs the badgers became accustomed to the presence of people, it gave the team the chance to get up close to them without being the subject of the animals' curiosity--or a sudden aggression.\nThe badgers' eating patterns, which had been disrupted, to normal. It also allowed the team to observe more closely some of the other creatures that form working associations with the honey badger, as these seemed to badgers' relaxed attitude when near humans.","id":"1283.txt","label":2} +{"option":["They lost interest in people.","They became less aggressive towards other creatures.","They started eating more.","Other animals started working with them."],"question":"What happened when honey badgers got used to humans around them?","article":"On a recent field trip to the Kalahari Desert, a team of researchers learnt a lot more about honey badgers ( ). The team employed a local wildlife expert, Kitso Khama, to help them locate and follow the badgers across the desert. Their main aim was to study the badgers' movements and behavior as discreetly as possible, without frightening them away or causing them to change their natural behavior. They also planned to trap a few and study them close up before releasing them in view of the animal's reputation, this was something that even Khama was reluctant to do.\n\"The problem with honey badgers is they are naturally curious animals, especially when they see something new,\" he says. \"That, combined with their unpredictable nature, can be a dangerous mixture.\nIf they sense you have food, for example, they won't be shy about coming right up to you for something to eat. They're actually quite sociable creatures around humans, but as soon as they feel they might be in danger, they can become extremely vicious . Fortunately this is rare, but it does happen.\"\nThe research confirmed many things that were already known. As expected, honey badgers ate any creatures they could catch and kill. Even poisonous snakes, feared and avoided by most other animals, were not safe from them. The researchers were surprised, however, by the animal's fondness for local melons, probably because of their high water content. Previously researchers thought that the animal got all of its liquid requirements from its prey ( ). The team also learnt that, contrary to previous research findings, the badgers occasionally formed loose family groups.\nThey were also able to confirm certain results from previous research, including the fact that female badgers never socialised with each other.\nFollowing some of the male badgers was a challenge, since they can cover large distances in a short space of time. Some hunting territories cover more than 500 square kilometers. Although they seem happy to share these territories with other males, there are occasional fights over an important food source, and male badgers can be as aggressive towards each other as they are towards other species.\nAs the badgers became accustomed to the presence of people, it gave the team the chance to get up close to them without being the subject of the animals' curiosity--or a sudden aggression.\nThe badgers' eating patterns, which had been disrupted, to normal. It also allowed the team to observe more closely some of the other creatures that form working associations with the honey badger, as these seemed to badgers' relaxed attitude when near humans.","id":"1283.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Books were an important form of artistic expression.","A wide variety of books with different styles and topics became available.","They were sold primarily near mosques.","Most books were intended for sale on the open market."],"question":"Paragraph 1 makes all of the following points about Islamic books EXCEPT:","article":"The arts of the Islamic book, such as calligraphy and decorative drawing, developed during A.D. 900 to 1500, and luxury books are some of the most characteristic examples of Islamic art produced in this period. This came about from two major developments: paper became common, replacing parchment as the major medium for writing, and rounded scripts were regularized and perfected so that they replaced the angular scripts of the previous period, which because of their angularity were uneven in height. Books became major vehicles for artistic expression, and the artists who produced them, notably calligraphers and painters, enjoyed high status, and their workshops were often sponsored by princes and their courts. Before A.D. 900, manuscripts of the Koran (the book containing the teachings of the Islamic religion) seem to have been the most common type of book produced and decorated, but after that date a wide range of books were produced for a broad spectrum of patrons. These continued to include, of course, manuscripts of the Koran, which every Muslim wanted to read, but scientific works, histories, romances, and epic and lyric poetry were also copied in fine handwriting and decorated with beautiful illustrations. Most were made for sale on the open market, and cities boasted special souks (markets) where books were bought and sold. The mosque of Marrakech in Morocco is known as the Kutubiyya, or Booksellers' Mosque, after the adjacent market. Some of the most luxurious books were specific commissions made at the order of a particular prince and signed by the calligrapher and decorator.\nPapermaking had been introduced to the Islamic lands from China in the eighth century. It has been said that Chinese papermakers were among the prisoners captured in a battle fought near Samarqand between the Chinese and the Muslims in 751, and the technique of papermaking - in which cellulose pulp extracted from any of several plants is first suspended in water, caught on a fine screen, and then dried into flexible sheets - slowly spread westward. Within fifty years, the government in Baghdad was using paper for documents. Writing in ink on paper, unlike parchment, could not easily be erased, and therefore paper had the advantage that it was difficult to alter what was written on it. Papermaking spread quickly to Egypt - and eventually to Sicily and Spain - but it was several centuries before paper supplanted parchment for copies of the Koran, probably because of the conservative nature of religious art and its practitioners. In western Islamic lands, parchment continued to be used for manuscripts of the Koran throughout this period.\nThe introduction of paper spurred a conceptual revolution whose consequences have barely been explored. Although paper was never as cheap as it has become today, it was far less expensive than parchment, and therefore more people could afford to buy books, Paper is thinner than parchment, so more pages could be enclosed within a single volume. At first, paper was made in relatively small sheets that were pasted together, but by the beginning of the fourteenth century, very large sheets - as much as a meter across - were available.These large sheets meant that calligraphers and artists had more space on which to work. Paintings became more complicated, giving the artist greater opportunities to depict space or emotion. The increased availability of paper, particularly after 1250, encouraged people to develop systems of representation, such as architectural plans and drawings. This in turn allowed the easy transfer of artistic ideas and motifs over great distances from one medium to another, and in a different scale in ways that had been difficult, if not impossible, in the previous period.\nRounded styles of Arabic handwriting had long been used for correspondence and documents alongside the formal angular scripts used for inscriptions and manuscripts of the Koran. Around the year 900, Ibn Muqla, who was a secretary and vizier at the Abbasid court in Baghdad, developed a system of proportioned writing. He standardized the length of alif, the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, and then determined what the size and shape of all other letters should be, based on the alif. Eventually, six round forms of handwriting, composed of three pairs of big and little scripts known collectively as the Six Pens, became the standard repertory of every calligrapher.","id":"3569.txt","label":2} +{"option":["visited","owned","praised","supported"],"question":"The word \"sponsored\" in the passage is closest in meaning to","article":"The arts of the Islamic book, such as calligraphy and decorative drawing, developed during A.D. 900 to 1500, and luxury books are some of the most characteristic examples of Islamic art produced in this period. This came about from two major developments: paper became common, replacing parchment as the major medium for writing, and rounded scripts were regularized and perfected so that they replaced the angular scripts of the previous period, which because of their angularity were uneven in height. Books became major vehicles for artistic expression, and the artists who produced them, notably calligraphers and painters, enjoyed high status, and their workshops were often sponsored by princes and their courts. Before A.D. 900, manuscripts of the Koran (the book containing the teachings of the Islamic religion) seem to have been the most common type of book produced and decorated, but after that date a wide range of books were produced for a broad spectrum of patrons. These continued to include, of course, manuscripts of the Koran, which every Muslim wanted to read, but scientific works, histories, romances, and epic and lyric poetry were also copied in fine handwriting and decorated with beautiful illustrations. Most were made for sale on the open market, and cities boasted special souks (markets) where books were bought and sold. The mosque of Marrakech in Morocco is known as the Kutubiyya, or Booksellers' Mosque, after the adjacent market. Some of the most luxurious books were specific commissions made at the order of a particular prince and signed by the calligrapher and decorator.\nPapermaking had been introduced to the Islamic lands from China in the eighth century. It has been said that Chinese papermakers were among the prisoners captured in a battle fought near Samarqand between the Chinese and the Muslims in 751, and the technique of papermaking - in which cellulose pulp extracted from any of several plants is first suspended in water, caught on a fine screen, and then dried into flexible sheets - slowly spread westward. Within fifty years, the government in Baghdad was using paper for documents. Writing in ink on paper, unlike parchment, could not easily be erased, and therefore paper had the advantage that it was difficult to alter what was written on it. Papermaking spread quickly to Egypt - and eventually to Sicily and Spain - but it was several centuries before paper supplanted parchment for copies of the Koran, probably because of the conservative nature of religious art and its practitioners. In western Islamic lands, parchment continued to be used for manuscripts of the Koran throughout this period.\nThe introduction of paper spurred a conceptual revolution whose consequences have barely been explored. Although paper was never as cheap as it has become today, it was far less expensive than parchment, and therefore more people could afford to buy books, Paper is thinner than parchment, so more pages could be enclosed within a single volume. At first, paper was made in relatively small sheets that were pasted together, but by the beginning of the fourteenth century, very large sheets - as much as a meter across - were available.These large sheets meant that calligraphers and artists had more space on which to work. Paintings became more complicated, giving the artist greater opportunities to depict space or emotion. The increased availability of paper, particularly after 1250, encouraged people to develop systems of representation, such as architectural plans and drawings. This in turn allowed the easy transfer of artistic ideas and motifs over great distances from one medium to another, and in a different scale in ways that had been difficult, if not impossible, in the previous period.\nRounded styles of Arabic handwriting had long been used for correspondence and documents alongside the formal angular scripts used for inscriptions and manuscripts of the Koran. Around the year 900, Ibn Muqla, who was a secretary and vizier at the Abbasid court in Baghdad, developed a system of proportioned writing. He standardized the length of alif, the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, and then determined what the size and shape of all other letters should be, based on the alif. Eventually, six round forms of handwriting, composed of three pairs of big and little scripts known collectively as the Six Pens, became the standard repertory of every calligrapher.","id":"3569.txt","label":3} +{"option":["major","nearby","ancient","well-known"],"question":"The word \"adjacent\" in the passage is closest in meaning to","article":"The arts of the Islamic book, such as calligraphy and decorative drawing, developed during A.D. 900 to 1500, and luxury books are some of the most characteristic examples of Islamic art produced in this period. This came about from two major developments: paper became common, replacing parchment as the major medium for writing, and rounded scripts were regularized and perfected so that they replaced the angular scripts of the previous period, which because of their angularity were uneven in height. Books became major vehicles for artistic expression, and the artists who produced them, notably calligraphers and painters, enjoyed high status, and their workshops were often sponsored by princes and their courts. Before A.D. 900, manuscripts of the Koran (the book containing the teachings of the Islamic religion) seem to have been the most common type of book produced and decorated, but after that date a wide range of books were produced for a broad spectrum of patrons. These continued to include, of course, manuscripts of the Koran, which every Muslim wanted to read, but scientific works, histories, romances, and epic and lyric poetry were also copied in fine handwriting and decorated with beautiful illustrations. Most were made for sale on the open market, and cities boasted special souks (markets) where books were bought and sold. The mosque of Marrakech in Morocco is known as the Kutubiyya, or Booksellers' Mosque, after the adjacent market. Some of the most luxurious books were specific commissions made at the order of a particular prince and signed by the calligrapher and decorator.\nPapermaking had been introduced to the Islamic lands from China in the eighth century. It has been said that Chinese papermakers were among the prisoners captured in a battle fought near Samarqand between the Chinese and the Muslims in 751, and the technique of papermaking - in which cellulose pulp extracted from any of several plants is first suspended in water, caught on a fine screen, and then dried into flexible sheets - slowly spread westward. Within fifty years, the government in Baghdad was using paper for documents. Writing in ink on paper, unlike parchment, could not easily be erased, and therefore paper had the advantage that it was difficult to alter what was written on it. Papermaking spread quickly to Egypt - and eventually to Sicily and Spain - but it was several centuries before paper supplanted parchment for copies of the Koran, probably because of the conservative nature of religious art and its practitioners. In western Islamic lands, parchment continued to be used for manuscripts of the Koran throughout this period.\nThe introduction of paper spurred a conceptual revolution whose consequences have barely been explored. Although paper was never as cheap as it has become today, it was far less expensive than parchment, and therefore more people could afford to buy books, Paper is thinner than parchment, so more pages could be enclosed within a single volume. At first, paper was made in relatively small sheets that were pasted together, but by the beginning of the fourteenth century, very large sheets - as much as a meter across - were available.These large sheets meant that calligraphers and artists had more space on which to work. Paintings became more complicated, giving the artist greater opportunities to depict space or emotion. The increased availability of paper, particularly after 1250, encouraged people to develop systems of representation, such as architectural plans and drawings. This in turn allowed the easy transfer of artistic ideas and motifs over great distances from one medium to another, and in a different scale in ways that had been difficult, if not impossible, in the previous period.\nRounded styles of Arabic handwriting had long been used for correspondence and documents alongside the formal angular scripts used for inscriptions and manuscripts of the Koran. Around the year 900, Ibn Muqla, who was a secretary and vizier at the Abbasid court in Baghdad, developed a system of proportioned writing. He standardized the length of alif, the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, and then determined what the size and shape of all other letters should be, based on the alif. Eventually, six round forms of handwriting, composed of three pairs of big and little scripts known collectively as the Six Pens, became the standard repertory of every calligrapher.","id":"3569.txt","label":1} +{"option":["included a wide range of subjects","did not contain any calligraphy or decoration","used rounded scripts","were usually written on parchment"],"question":"According to paragraph 1, before A.D. 900, books in the Islamic world","article":"The arts of the Islamic book, such as calligraphy and decorative drawing, developed during A.D. 900 to 1500, and luxury books are some of the most characteristic examples of Islamic art produced in this period. This came about from two major developments: paper became common, replacing parchment as the major medium for writing, and rounded scripts were regularized and perfected so that they replaced the angular scripts of the previous period, which because of their angularity were uneven in height. Books became major vehicles for artistic expression, and the artists who produced them, notably calligraphers and painters, enjoyed high status, and their workshops were often sponsored by princes and their courts. Before A.D. 900, manuscripts of the Koran (the book containing the teachings of the Islamic religion) seem to have been the most common type of book produced and decorated, but after that date a wide range of books were produced for a broad spectrum of patrons. These continued to include, of course, manuscripts of the Koran, which every Muslim wanted to read, but scientific works, histories, romances, and epic and lyric poetry were also copied in fine handwriting and decorated with beautiful illustrations. Most were made for sale on the open market, and cities boasted special souks (markets) where books were bought and sold. The mosque of Marrakech in Morocco is known as the Kutubiyya, or Booksellers' Mosque, after the adjacent market. Some of the most luxurious books were specific commissions made at the order of a particular prince and signed by the calligrapher and decorator.\nPapermaking had been introduced to the Islamic lands from China in the eighth century. It has been said that Chinese papermakers were among the prisoners captured in a battle fought near Samarqand between the Chinese and the Muslims in 751, and the technique of papermaking - in which cellulose pulp extracted from any of several plants is first suspended in water, caught on a fine screen, and then dried into flexible sheets - slowly spread westward. Within fifty years, the government in Baghdad was using paper for documents. Writing in ink on paper, unlike parchment, could not easily be erased, and therefore paper had the advantage that it was difficult to alter what was written on it. Papermaking spread quickly to Egypt - and eventually to Sicily and Spain - but it was several centuries before paper supplanted parchment for copies of the Koran, probably because of the conservative nature of religious art and its practitioners. In western Islamic lands, parchment continued to be used for manuscripts of the Koran throughout this period.\nThe introduction of paper spurred a conceptual revolution whose consequences have barely been explored. Although paper was never as cheap as it has become today, it was far less expensive than parchment, and therefore more people could afford to buy books, Paper is thinner than parchment, so more pages could be enclosed within a single volume. At first, paper was made in relatively small sheets that were pasted together, but by the beginning of the fourteenth century, very large sheets - as much as a meter across - were available.These large sheets meant that calligraphers and artists had more space on which to work. Paintings became more complicated, giving the artist greater opportunities to depict space or emotion. The increased availability of paper, particularly after 1250, encouraged people to develop systems of representation, such as architectural plans and drawings. This in turn allowed the easy transfer of artistic ideas and motifs over great distances from one medium to another, and in a different scale in ways that had been difficult, if not impossible, in the previous period.\nRounded styles of Arabic handwriting had long been used for correspondence and documents alongside the formal angular scripts used for inscriptions and manuscripts of the Koran. Around the year 900, Ibn Muqla, who was a secretary and vizier at the Abbasid court in Baghdad, developed a system of proportioned writing. He standardized the length of alif, the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, and then determined what the size and shape of all other letters should be, based on the alif. Eventually, six round forms of handwriting, composed of three pairs of big and little scripts known collectively as the Six Pens, became the standard repertory of every calligrapher.","id":"3569.txt","label":3} +{"option":["To cast doubt on the importance of souks in making books available to common people","To provide an example of a place where books were made at the order of a particular prince","To emphasize how influential and well known the book markets were","To demonstrate the need for religious texts in Islamic lands"],"question":"In paragraph 1, why does the author mention the fact that the mosque in Marrakech, Morocco, is known as the Booksellers' Mosque","article":"The arts of the Islamic book, such as calligraphy and decorative drawing, developed during A.D. 900 to 1500, and luxury books are some of the most characteristic examples of Islamic art produced in this period. This came about from two major developments: paper became common, replacing parchment as the major medium for writing, and rounded scripts were regularized and perfected so that they replaced the angular scripts of the previous period, which because of their angularity were uneven in height. Books became major vehicles for artistic expression, and the artists who produced them, notably calligraphers and painters, enjoyed high status, and their workshops were often sponsored by princes and their courts. Before A.D. 900, manuscripts of the Koran (the book containing the teachings of the Islamic religion) seem to have been the most common type of book produced and decorated, but after that date a wide range of books were produced for a broad spectrum of patrons. These continued to include, of course, manuscripts of the Koran, which every Muslim wanted to read, but scientific works, histories, romances, and epic and lyric poetry were also copied in fine handwriting and decorated with beautiful illustrations. Most were made for sale on the open market, and cities boasted special souks (markets) where books were bought and sold. The mosque of Marrakech in Morocco is known as the Kutubiyya, or Booksellers' Mosque, after the adjacent market. Some of the most luxurious books were specific commissions made at the order of a particular prince and signed by the calligrapher and decorator.\nPapermaking had been introduced to the Islamic lands from China in the eighth century. It has been said that Chinese papermakers were among the prisoners captured in a battle fought near Samarqand between the Chinese and the Muslims in 751, and the technique of papermaking - in which cellulose pulp extracted from any of several plants is first suspended in water, caught on a fine screen, and then dried into flexible sheets - slowly spread westward. Within fifty years, the government in Baghdad was using paper for documents. Writing in ink on paper, unlike parchment, could not easily be erased, and therefore paper had the advantage that it was difficult to alter what was written on it. Papermaking spread quickly to Egypt - and eventually to Sicily and Spain - but it was several centuries before paper supplanted parchment for copies of the Koran, probably because of the conservative nature of religious art and its practitioners. In western Islamic lands, parchment continued to be used for manuscripts of the Koran throughout this period.\nThe introduction of paper spurred a conceptual revolution whose consequences have barely been explored. Although paper was never as cheap as it has become today, it was far less expensive than parchment, and therefore more people could afford to buy books, Paper is thinner than parchment, so more pages could be enclosed within a single volume. At first, paper was made in relatively small sheets that were pasted together, but by the beginning of the fourteenth century, very large sheets - as much as a meter across - were available.These large sheets meant that calligraphers and artists had more space on which to work. Paintings became more complicated, giving the artist greater opportunities to depict space or emotion. The increased availability of paper, particularly after 1250, encouraged people to develop systems of representation, such as architectural plans and drawings. This in turn allowed the easy transfer of artistic ideas and motifs over great distances from one medium to another, and in a different scale in ways that had been difficult, if not impossible, in the previous period.\nRounded styles of Arabic handwriting had long been used for correspondence and documents alongside the formal angular scripts used for inscriptions and manuscripts of the Koran. Around the year 900, Ibn Muqla, who was a secretary and vizier at the Abbasid court in Baghdad, developed a system of proportioned writing. He standardized the length of alif, the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, and then determined what the size and shape of all other letters should be, based on the alif. Eventually, six round forms of handwriting, composed of three pairs of big and little scripts known collectively as the Six Pens, became the standard repertory of every calligrapher.","id":"3569.txt","label":2} +{"option":["taken out of","produced using","discovered in","combined with"],"question":"The phrase \"extracted from\" in the passage is closest in meaning to","article":"The arts of the Islamic book, such as calligraphy and decorative drawing, developed during A.D. 900 to 1500, and luxury books are some of the most characteristic examples of Islamic art produced in this period. This came about from two major developments: paper became common, replacing parchment as the major medium for writing, and rounded scripts were regularized and perfected so that they replaced the angular scripts of the previous period, which because of their angularity were uneven in height. Books became major vehicles for artistic expression, and the artists who produced them, notably calligraphers and painters, enjoyed high status, and their workshops were often sponsored by princes and their courts. Before A.D. 900, manuscripts of the Koran (the book containing the teachings of the Islamic religion) seem to have been the most common type of book produced and decorated, but after that date a wide range of books were produced for a broad spectrum of patrons. These continued to include, of course, manuscripts of the Koran, which every Muslim wanted to read, but scientific works, histories, romances, and epic and lyric poetry were also copied in fine handwriting and decorated with beautiful illustrations. Most were made for sale on the open market, and cities boasted special souks (markets) where books were bought and sold. The mosque of Marrakech in Morocco is known as the Kutubiyya, or Booksellers' Mosque, after the adjacent market. Some of the most luxurious books were specific commissions made at the order of a particular prince and signed by the calligrapher and decorator.\nPapermaking had been introduced to the Islamic lands from China in the eighth century. It has been said that Chinese papermakers were among the prisoners captured in a battle fought near Samarqand between the Chinese and the Muslims in 751, and the technique of papermaking - in which cellulose pulp extracted from any of several plants is first suspended in water, caught on a fine screen, and then dried into flexible sheets - slowly spread westward. Within fifty years, the government in Baghdad was using paper for documents. Writing in ink on paper, unlike parchment, could not easily be erased, and therefore paper had the advantage that it was difficult to alter what was written on it. Papermaking spread quickly to Egypt - and eventually to Sicily and Spain - but it was several centuries before paper supplanted parchment for copies of the Koran, probably because of the conservative nature of religious art and its practitioners. In western Islamic lands, parchment continued to be used for manuscripts of the Koran throughout this period.\nThe introduction of paper spurred a conceptual revolution whose consequences have barely been explored. Although paper was never as cheap as it has become today, it was far less expensive than parchment, and therefore more people could afford to buy books, Paper is thinner than parchment, so more pages could be enclosed within a single volume. At first, paper was made in relatively small sheets that were pasted together, but by the beginning of the fourteenth century, very large sheets - as much as a meter across - were available.These large sheets meant that calligraphers and artists had more space on which to work. Paintings became more complicated, giving the artist greater opportunities to depict space or emotion. The increased availability of paper, particularly after 1250, encouraged people to develop systems of representation, such as architectural plans and drawings. This in turn allowed the easy transfer of artistic ideas and motifs over great distances from one medium to another, and in a different scale in ways that had been difficult, if not impossible, in the previous period.\nRounded styles of Arabic handwriting had long been used for correspondence and documents alongside the formal angular scripts used for inscriptions and manuscripts of the Koran. Around the year 900, Ibn Muqla, who was a secretary and vizier at the Abbasid court in Baghdad, developed a system of proportioned writing. He standardized the length of alif, the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, and then determined what the size and shape of all other letters should be, based on the alif. Eventually, six round forms of handwriting, composed of three pairs of big and little scripts known collectively as the Six Pens, became the standard repertory of every calligrapher.","id":"3569.txt","label":0} +{"option":["It was harder to erase or change what was written on paper.","More pages of paper could be bound in a single volume.","Paper could be produced in sheets of varying weights and thicknesses.","More people could buy books made of paper because it was cheaper."],"question":"In paragraphs 2 and 3, which of the following is NOT mentioned as an advantage of paper over parchment?","article":"The arts of the Islamic book, such as calligraphy and decorative drawing, developed during A.D. 900 to 1500, and luxury books are some of the most characteristic examples of Islamic art produced in this period. This came about from two major developments: paper became common, replacing parchment as the major medium for writing, and rounded scripts were regularized and perfected so that they replaced the angular scripts of the previous period, which because of their angularity were uneven in height. Books became major vehicles for artistic expression, and the artists who produced them, notably calligraphers and painters, enjoyed high status, and their workshops were often sponsored by princes and their courts. Before A.D. 900, manuscripts of the Koran (the book containing the teachings of the Islamic religion) seem to have been the most common type of book produced and decorated, but after that date a wide range of books were produced for a broad spectrum of patrons. These continued to include, of course, manuscripts of the Koran, which every Muslim wanted to read, but scientific works, histories, romances, and epic and lyric poetry were also copied in fine handwriting and decorated with beautiful illustrations. Most were made for sale on the open market, and cities boasted special souks (markets) where books were bought and sold. The mosque of Marrakech in Morocco is known as the Kutubiyya, or Booksellers' Mosque, after the adjacent market. Some of the most luxurious books were specific commissions made at the order of a particular prince and signed by the calligrapher and decorator.\nPapermaking had been introduced to the Islamic lands from China in the eighth century. It has been said that Chinese papermakers were among the prisoners captured in a battle fought near Samarqand between the Chinese and the Muslims in 751, and the technique of papermaking - in which cellulose pulp extracted from any of several plants is first suspended in water, caught on a fine screen, and then dried into flexible sheets - slowly spread westward. Within fifty years, the government in Baghdad was using paper for documents. Writing in ink on paper, unlike parchment, could not easily be erased, and therefore paper had the advantage that it was difficult to alter what was written on it. Papermaking spread quickly to Egypt - and eventually to Sicily and Spain - but it was several centuries before paper supplanted parchment for copies of the Koran, probably because of the conservative nature of religious art and its practitioners. In western Islamic lands, parchment continued to be used for manuscripts of the Koran throughout this period.\nThe introduction of paper spurred a conceptual revolution whose consequences have barely been explored. Although paper was never as cheap as it has become today, it was far less expensive than parchment, and therefore more people could afford to buy books, Paper is thinner than parchment, so more pages could be enclosed within a single volume. At first, paper was made in relatively small sheets that were pasted together, but by the beginning of the fourteenth century, very large sheets - as much as a meter across - were available.These large sheets meant that calligraphers and artists had more space on which to work. Paintings became more complicated, giving the artist greater opportunities to depict space or emotion. The increased availability of paper, particularly after 1250, encouraged people to develop systems of representation, such as architectural plans and drawings. This in turn allowed the easy transfer of artistic ideas and motifs over great distances from one medium to another, and in a different scale in ways that had been difficult, if not impossible, in the previous period.\nRounded styles of Arabic handwriting had long been used for correspondence and documents alongside the formal angular scripts used for inscriptions and manuscripts of the Koran. Around the year 900, Ibn Muqla, who was a secretary and vizier at the Abbasid court in Baghdad, developed a system of proportioned writing. He standardized the length of alif, the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, and then determined what the size and shape of all other letters should be, based on the alif. Eventually, six round forms of handwriting, composed of three pairs of big and little scripts known collectively as the Six Pens, became the standard repertory of every calligrapher.","id":"3569.txt","label":2} +{"option":["To provide evidence that the development of papermaking techniques was very slow","To explain why paper was never as cheap as it has become today","To make the point that paper allowed artists to develop paintings that were more expressive and complex","To prove that paper was more popular with artists who used large sheets, than it was with book printers, who used smaller sheets"],"question":"Why does the author include the following information: \"At first, paper was made in relatively small sheets that were pasted together, but by the beginning of the fourteenth century, very large sheets - as much as a meter across -were available.\"?","article":"The arts of the Islamic book, such as calligraphy and decorative drawing, developed during A.D. 900 to 1500, and luxury books are some of the most characteristic examples of Islamic art produced in this period. This came about from two major developments: paper became common, replacing parchment as the major medium for writing, and rounded scripts were regularized and perfected so that they replaced the angular scripts of the previous period, which because of their angularity were uneven in height. Books became major vehicles for artistic expression, and the artists who produced them, notably calligraphers and painters, enjoyed high status, and their workshops were often sponsored by princes and their courts. Before A.D. 900, manuscripts of the Koran (the book containing the teachings of the Islamic religion) seem to have been the most common type of book produced and decorated, but after that date a wide range of books were produced for a broad spectrum of patrons. These continued to include, of course, manuscripts of the Koran, which every Muslim wanted to read, but scientific works, histories, romances, and epic and lyric poetry were also copied in fine handwriting and decorated with beautiful illustrations. Most were made for sale on the open market, and cities boasted special souks (markets) where books were bought and sold. The mosque of Marrakech in Morocco is known as the Kutubiyya, or Booksellers' Mosque, after the adjacent market. Some of the most luxurious books were specific commissions made at the order of a particular prince and signed by the calligrapher and decorator.\nPapermaking had been introduced to the Islamic lands from China in the eighth century. It has been said that Chinese papermakers were among the prisoners captured in a battle fought near Samarqand between the Chinese and the Muslims in 751, and the technique of papermaking - in which cellulose pulp extracted from any of several plants is first suspended in water, caught on a fine screen, and then dried into flexible sheets - slowly spread westward. Within fifty years, the government in Baghdad was using paper for documents. Writing in ink on paper, unlike parchment, could not easily be erased, and therefore paper had the advantage that it was difficult to alter what was written on it. Papermaking spread quickly to Egypt - and eventually to Sicily and Spain - but it was several centuries before paper supplanted parchment for copies of the Koran, probably because of the conservative nature of religious art and its practitioners. In western Islamic lands, parchment continued to be used for manuscripts of the Koran throughout this period.\nThe introduction of paper spurred a conceptual revolution whose consequences have barely been explored. Although paper was never as cheap as it has become today, it was far less expensive than parchment, and therefore more people could afford to buy books, Paper is thinner than parchment, so more pages could be enclosed within a single volume. At first, paper was made in relatively small sheets that were pasted together, but by the beginning of the fourteenth century, very large sheets - as much as a meter across - were available.These large sheets meant that calligraphers and artists had more space on which to work. Paintings became more complicated, giving the artist greater opportunities to depict space or emotion. The increased availability of paper, particularly after 1250, encouraged people to develop systems of representation, such as architectural plans and drawings. This in turn allowed the easy transfer of artistic ideas and motifs over great distances from one medium to another, and in a different scale in ways that had been difficult, if not impossible, in the previous period.\nRounded styles of Arabic handwriting had long been used for correspondence and documents alongside the formal angular scripts used for inscriptions and manuscripts of the Koran. Around the year 900, Ibn Muqla, who was a secretary and vizier at the Abbasid court in Baghdad, developed a system of proportioned writing. He standardized the length of alif, the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, and then determined what the size and shape of all other letters should be, based on the alif. Eventually, six round forms of handwriting, composed of three pairs of big and little scripts known collectively as the Six Pens, became the standard repertory of every calligrapher.","id":"3569.txt","label":2} +{"option":["encourage more people to make their own drawings","made the transfer of artistic ideas to distant people and places much easier","made architectural plans more complex and therefore harder to read","allowed artists to create paintings that were smaller in scale"],"question":"According to paragraph 3, the increased availability of paper and the development of systems of representation","article":"The arts of the Islamic book, such as calligraphy and decorative drawing, developed during A.D. 900 to 1500, and luxury books are some of the most characteristic examples of Islamic art produced in this period. This came about from two major developments: paper became common, replacing parchment as the major medium for writing, and rounded scripts were regularized and perfected so that they replaced the angular scripts of the previous period, which because of their angularity were uneven in height. Books became major vehicles for artistic expression, and the artists who produced them, notably calligraphers and painters, enjoyed high status, and their workshops were often sponsored by princes and their courts. Before A.D. 900, manuscripts of the Koran (the book containing the teachings of the Islamic religion) seem to have been the most common type of book produced and decorated, but after that date a wide range of books were produced for a broad spectrum of patrons. These continued to include, of course, manuscripts of the Koran, which every Muslim wanted to read, but scientific works, histories, romances, and epic and lyric poetry were also copied in fine handwriting and decorated with beautiful illustrations. Most were made for sale on the open market, and cities boasted special souks (markets) where books were bought and sold. The mosque of Marrakech in Morocco is known as the Kutubiyya, or Booksellers' Mosque, after the adjacent market. Some of the most luxurious books were specific commissions made at the order of a particular prince and signed by the calligrapher and decorator.\nPapermaking had been introduced to the Islamic lands from China in the eighth century. It has been said that Chinese papermakers were among the prisoners captured in a battle fought near Samarqand between the Chinese and the Muslims in 751, and the technique of papermaking - in which cellulose pulp extracted from any of several plants is first suspended in water, caught on a fine screen, and then dried into flexible sheets - slowly spread westward. Within fifty years, the government in Baghdad was using paper for documents. Writing in ink on paper, unlike parchment, could not easily be erased, and therefore paper had the advantage that it was difficult to alter what was written on it. Papermaking spread quickly to Egypt - and eventually to Sicily and Spain - but it was several centuries before paper supplanted parchment for copies of the Koran, probably because of the conservative nature of religious art and its practitioners. In western Islamic lands, parchment continued to be used for manuscripts of the Koran throughout this period.\nThe introduction of paper spurred a conceptual revolution whose consequences have barely been explored. Although paper was never as cheap as it has become today, it was far less expensive than parchment, and therefore more people could afford to buy books, Paper is thinner than parchment, so more pages could be enclosed within a single volume. At first, paper was made in relatively small sheets that were pasted together, but by the beginning of the fourteenth century, very large sheets - as much as a meter across - were available.These large sheets meant that calligraphers and artists had more space on which to work. Paintings became more complicated, giving the artist greater opportunities to depict space or emotion. The increased availability of paper, particularly after 1250, encouraged people to develop systems of representation, such as architectural plans and drawings. This in turn allowed the easy transfer of artistic ideas and motifs over great distances from one medium to another, and in a different scale in ways that had been difficult, if not impossible, in the previous period.\nRounded styles of Arabic handwriting had long been used for correspondence and documents alongside the formal angular scripts used for inscriptions and manuscripts of the Koran. Around the year 900, Ibn Muqla, who was a secretary and vizier at the Abbasid court in Baghdad, developed a system of proportioned writing. He standardized the length of alif, the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, and then determined what the size and shape of all other letters should be, based on the alif. Eventually, six round forms of handwriting, composed of three pairs of big and little scripts known collectively as the Six Pens, became the standard repertory of every calligrapher.","id":"3569.txt","label":1} +{"option":["He modified a set of formal scripts known as the Six Pens into rounded scripts appropriate for correspondence.","He created a standardized set of rounded scripts proportional to the size of the first letter of the alphabet.","He promoted calligraphy as an art form and encouraged the use of rounded letters in religious texts.","He persuaded the court in Baghdad to use rounded styles instead of more angular scripts in their documents."],"question":"According to paragraph 4, what did Ibn Muqla achieve around the year 900?","article":"The arts of the Islamic book, such as calligraphy and decorative drawing, developed during A.D. 900 to 1500, and luxury books are some of the most characteristic examples of Islamic art produced in this period. This came about from two major developments: paper became common, replacing parchment as the major medium for writing, and rounded scripts were regularized and perfected so that they replaced the angular scripts of the previous period, which because of their angularity were uneven in height. Books became major vehicles for artistic expression, and the artists who produced them, notably calligraphers and painters, enjoyed high status, and their workshops were often sponsored by princes and their courts. Before A.D. 900, manuscripts of the Koran (the book containing the teachings of the Islamic religion) seem to have been the most common type of book produced and decorated, but after that date a wide range of books were produced for a broad spectrum of patrons. These continued to include, of course, manuscripts of the Koran, which every Muslim wanted to read, but scientific works, histories, romances, and epic and lyric poetry were also copied in fine handwriting and decorated with beautiful illustrations. Most were made for sale on the open market, and cities boasted special souks (markets) where books were bought and sold. The mosque of Marrakech in Morocco is known as the Kutubiyya, or Booksellers' Mosque, after the adjacent market. Some of the most luxurious books were specific commissions made at the order of a particular prince and signed by the calligrapher and decorator.\nPapermaking had been introduced to the Islamic lands from China in the eighth century. It has been said that Chinese papermakers were among the prisoners captured in a battle fought near Samarqand between the Chinese and the Muslims in 751, and the technique of papermaking - in which cellulose pulp extracted from any of several plants is first suspended in water, caught on a fine screen, and then dried into flexible sheets - slowly spread westward. Within fifty years, the government in Baghdad was using paper for documents. Writing in ink on paper, unlike parchment, could not easily be erased, and therefore paper had the advantage that it was difficult to alter what was written on it. Papermaking spread quickly to Egypt - and eventually to Sicily and Spain - but it was several centuries before paper supplanted parchment for copies of the Koran, probably because of the conservative nature of religious art and its practitioners. In western Islamic lands, parchment continued to be used for manuscripts of the Koran throughout this period.\nThe introduction of paper spurred a conceptual revolution whose consequences have barely been explored. Although paper was never as cheap as it has become today, it was far less expensive than parchment, and therefore more people could afford to buy books, Paper is thinner than parchment, so more pages could be enclosed within a single volume. At first, paper was made in relatively small sheets that were pasted together, but by the beginning of the fourteenth century, very large sheets - as much as a meter across - were available.These large sheets meant that calligraphers and artists had more space on which to work. Paintings became more complicated, giving the artist greater opportunities to depict space or emotion. The increased availability of paper, particularly after 1250, encouraged people to develop systems of representation, such as architectural plans and drawings. This in turn allowed the easy transfer of artistic ideas and motifs over great distances from one medium to another, and in a different scale in ways that had been difficult, if not impossible, in the previous period.\nRounded styles of Arabic handwriting had long been used for correspondence and documents alongside the formal angular scripts used for inscriptions and manuscripts of the Koran. Around the year 900, Ibn Muqla, who was a secretary and vizier at the Abbasid court in Baghdad, developed a system of proportioned writing. He standardized the length of alif, the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, and then determined what the size and shape of all other letters should be, based on the alif. Eventually, six round forms of handwriting, composed of three pairs of big and little scripts known collectively as the Six Pens, became the standard repertory of every calligrapher.","id":"3569.txt","label":1} +{"option":["made up of","developed from","in addition to","similar to"],"question":"The phrase \"composed of\" in the passage is closest in meaning to","article":"The arts of the Islamic book, such as calligraphy and decorative drawing, developed during A.D. 900 to 1500, and luxury books are some of the most characteristic examples of Islamic art produced in this period. This came about from two major developments: paper became common, replacing parchment as the major medium for writing, and rounded scripts were regularized and perfected so that they replaced the angular scripts of the previous period, which because of their angularity were uneven in height. Books became major vehicles for artistic expression, and the artists who produced them, notably calligraphers and painters, enjoyed high status, and their workshops were often sponsored by princes and their courts. Before A.D. 900, manuscripts of the Koran (the book containing the teachings of the Islamic religion) seem to have been the most common type of book produced and decorated, but after that date a wide range of books were produced for a broad spectrum of patrons. These continued to include, of course, manuscripts of the Koran, which every Muslim wanted to read, but scientific works, histories, romances, and epic and lyric poetry were also copied in fine handwriting and decorated with beautiful illustrations. Most were made for sale on the open market, and cities boasted special souks (markets) where books were bought and sold. The mosque of Marrakech in Morocco is known as the Kutubiyya, or Booksellers' Mosque, after the adjacent market. Some of the most luxurious books were specific commissions made at the order of a particular prince and signed by the calligrapher and decorator.\nPapermaking had been introduced to the Islamic lands from China in the eighth century. It has been said that Chinese papermakers were among the prisoners captured in a battle fought near Samarqand between the Chinese and the Muslims in 751, and the technique of papermaking - in which cellulose pulp extracted from any of several plants is first suspended in water, caught on a fine screen, and then dried into flexible sheets - slowly spread westward. Within fifty years, the government in Baghdad was using paper for documents. Writing in ink on paper, unlike parchment, could not easily be erased, and therefore paper had the advantage that it was difficult to alter what was written on it. Papermaking spread quickly to Egypt - and eventually to Sicily and Spain - but it was several centuries before paper supplanted parchment for copies of the Koran, probably because of the conservative nature of religious art and its practitioners. In western Islamic lands, parchment continued to be used for manuscripts of the Koran throughout this period.\nThe introduction of paper spurred a conceptual revolution whose consequences have barely been explored. Although paper was never as cheap as it has become today, it was far less expensive than parchment, and therefore more people could afford to buy books, Paper is thinner than parchment, so more pages could be enclosed within a single volume. At first, paper was made in relatively small sheets that were pasted together, but by the beginning of the fourteenth century, very large sheets - as much as a meter across - were available.These large sheets meant that calligraphers and artists had more space on which to work. Paintings became more complicated, giving the artist greater opportunities to depict space or emotion. The increased availability of paper, particularly after 1250, encouraged people to develop systems of representation, such as architectural plans and drawings. This in turn allowed the easy transfer of artistic ideas and motifs over great distances from one medium to another, and in a different scale in ways that had been difficult, if not impossible, in the previous period.\nRounded styles of Arabic handwriting had long been used for correspondence and documents alongside the formal angular scripts used for inscriptions and manuscripts of the Koran. Around the year 900, Ibn Muqla, who was a secretary and vizier at the Abbasid court in Baghdad, developed a system of proportioned writing. He standardized the length of alif, the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, and then determined what the size and shape of all other letters should be, based on the alif. Eventually, six round forms of handwriting, composed of three pairs of big and little scripts known collectively as the Six Pens, became the standard repertory of every calligrapher.","id":"3569.txt","label":0} +{"option":["our knowledge is very poor","dreams in 1950s were never in colour","we have little knowledge about our own senses","most people tend to dream in black and white"],"question":"Schwitzgebel believes that _ .","article":"Spend too long watching old movies this holiday season, and your nightlife might seem a lot less colourful. ~ When we are surrounded by black and white imagery, we think our dreams are monochrome, says a US philosopher.\nIn surveys from the 1950s--the golden age of black and white--most said that their dreams were never or rarely in colour, found Eric Schwitzgebel of the University of California, Riverside. Before and since, most have reported colourful dreams.\nThe finding shows how little we know our own senses, says Schwitzgebel. This is one piece of a general picture--our knowledge of our stream of experience is very poor.\nAmerican dreaming in the Eisenhower era was no different to that in any other period, Schwitzgebel thinks. People were just more likely to believe that they dreamed in black and white, because that reflected the artificial dreams around them. Before the twentieth century, dreams were often compared to paintings or tapestries.\nWe know little about what a dreaming brain is up to, comments neuroscientist Daniel Glaser. Brain scans of sleepers might show whether the brain regions that process colour vision are active during vivid dreams, he says.\nAnother possibility is that dream colours are indeterminate, in the same way that a novelist can describe something without naming its colour. They would only become coloured, or not, in our waking reconstruction of them.\nWhen people say that they dream in black and white, they probably mean that they haven't noticed any colours, says psychologist Mark Blagrove of the University of Wales, UK.\nBlack and white dreaming is a concept borrowed from technology, he agrees. The idea that things in dreams are in shades of grey has no meaning.\nOur waking perceptions of colour are just as fluid. Only the central patch of the retina can see in colour, yet we perceive the whole world as coloured. Our eyes jump around, and the brain fills in the gaps with memory or guesswork. Our feeling that we see in colour could be akin to our perception of dreaming in colour, Glaser says.\nThe media probably influence our dreaming lives as much now as they did in the 1950s. Few people mention touch in dreams, Schwitzgebel points out--that' s why people pinch themselves to see if they' reawake.\nBut as entertainment becomes more immersive--with virtual reality providing tactile, as well as visual, stimulation--our dreams may come to seem more touchy-feely. We might start thinking ourdreams are really great, he says. [426 words]","id":"1200.txt","label":2} +{"option":["none will dream in black and white","we might not be able to see whether we are dreaming by pinching ourselves","the media will influence our dreaming much less than they do now","dream colours will become determinate"],"question":"In the future, _ .","article":"Spend too long watching old movies this holiday season, and your nightlife might seem a lot less colourful. ~ When we are surrounded by black and white imagery, we think our dreams are monochrome, says a US philosopher.\nIn surveys from the 1950s--the golden age of black and white--most said that their dreams were never or rarely in colour, found Eric Schwitzgebel of the University of California, Riverside. Before and since, most have reported colourful dreams.\nThe finding shows how little we know our own senses, says Schwitzgebel. This is one piece of a general picture--our knowledge of our stream of experience is very poor.\nAmerican dreaming in the Eisenhower era was no different to that in any other period, Schwitzgebel thinks. People were just more likely to believe that they dreamed in black and white, because that reflected the artificial dreams around them. Before the twentieth century, dreams were often compared to paintings or tapestries.\nWe know little about what a dreaming brain is up to, comments neuroscientist Daniel Glaser. Brain scans of sleepers might show whether the brain regions that process colour vision are active during vivid dreams, he says.\nAnother possibility is that dream colours are indeterminate, in the same way that a novelist can describe something without naming its colour. They would only become coloured, or not, in our waking reconstruction of them.\nWhen people say that they dream in black and white, they probably mean that they haven't noticed any colours, says psychologist Mark Blagrove of the University of Wales, UK.\nBlack and white dreaming is a concept borrowed from technology, he agrees. The idea that things in dreams are in shades of grey has no meaning.\nOur waking perceptions of colour are just as fluid. Only the central patch of the retina can see in colour, yet we perceive the whole world as coloured. Our eyes jump around, and the brain fills in the gaps with memory or guesswork. Our feeling that we see in colour could be akin to our perception of dreaming in colour, Glaser says.\nThe media probably influence our dreaming lives as much now as they did in the 1950s. Few people mention touch in dreams, Schwitzgebel points out--that' s why people pinch themselves to see if they' reawake.\nBut as entertainment becomes more immersive--with virtual reality providing tactile, as well as visual, stimulation--our dreams may come to seem more touchy-feely. We might start thinking ourdreams are really great, he says. [426 words]","id":"1200.txt","label":1} +{"option":["people never dream in black and white","it is meaningless to say dreaming in black and white","much work has to be done before we know why a brain dreams","we are incapable of perceiving the world around us in colour"],"question":"According to neuroscientist Daniel Glaser, _ .","article":"Spend too long watching old movies this holiday season, and your nightlife might seem a lot less colourful. ~ When we are surrounded by black and white imagery, we think our dreams are monochrome, says a US philosopher.\nIn surveys from the 1950s--the golden age of black and white--most said that their dreams were never or rarely in colour, found Eric Schwitzgebel of the University of California, Riverside. Before and since, most have reported colourful dreams.\nThe finding shows how little we know our own senses, says Schwitzgebel. This is one piece of a general picture--our knowledge of our stream of experience is very poor.\nAmerican dreaming in the Eisenhower era was no different to that in any other period, Schwitzgebel thinks. People were just more likely to believe that they dreamed in black and white, because that reflected the artificial dreams around them. Before the twentieth century, dreams were often compared to paintings or tapestries.\nWe know little about what a dreaming brain is up to, comments neuroscientist Daniel Glaser. Brain scans of sleepers might show whether the brain regions that process colour vision are active during vivid dreams, he says.\nAnother possibility is that dream colours are indeterminate, in the same way that a novelist can describe something without naming its colour. They would only become coloured, or not, in our waking reconstruction of them.\nWhen people say that they dream in black and white, they probably mean that they haven't noticed any colours, says psychologist Mark Blagrove of the University of Wales, UK.\nBlack and white dreaming is a concept borrowed from technology, he agrees. The idea that things in dreams are in shades of grey has no meaning.\nOur waking perceptions of colour are just as fluid. Only the central patch of the retina can see in colour, yet we perceive the whole world as coloured. Our eyes jump around, and the brain fills in the gaps with memory or guesswork. Our feeling that we see in colour could be akin to our perception of dreaming in colour, Glaser says.\nThe media probably influence our dreaming lives as much now as they did in the 1950s. Few people mention touch in dreams, Schwitzgebel points out--that' s why people pinch themselves to see if they' reawake.\nBut as entertainment becomes more immersive--with virtual reality providing tactile, as well as visual, stimulation--our dreams may come to seem more touchy-feely. We might start thinking ourdreams are really great, he says. [426 words]","id":"1200.txt","label":2} +{"option":["are somewhat influenced by what we watch during waking hours","black and white dreaming results from watching old movies","people who dream in black and white are all colour-blind","what we dream are certainly what we have seen"],"question":"It can be inferred from this passage that our dreams _ .","article":"Spend too long watching old movies this holiday season, and your nightlife might seem a lot less colourful. ~ When we are surrounded by black and white imagery, we think our dreams are monochrome, says a US philosopher.\nIn surveys from the 1950s--the golden age of black and white--most said that their dreams were never or rarely in colour, found Eric Schwitzgebel of the University of California, Riverside. Before and since, most have reported colourful dreams.\nThe finding shows how little we know our own senses, says Schwitzgebel. This is one piece of a general picture--our knowledge of our stream of experience is very poor.\nAmerican dreaming in the Eisenhower era was no different to that in any other period, Schwitzgebel thinks. People were just more likely to believe that they dreamed in black and white, because that reflected the artificial dreams around them. Before the twentieth century, dreams were often compared to paintings or tapestries.\nWe know little about what a dreaming brain is up to, comments neuroscientist Daniel Glaser. Brain scans of sleepers might show whether the brain regions that process colour vision are active during vivid dreams, he says.\nAnother possibility is that dream colours are indeterminate, in the same way that a novelist can describe something without naming its colour. They would only become coloured, or not, in our waking reconstruction of them.\nWhen people say that they dream in black and white, they probably mean that they haven't noticed any colours, says psychologist Mark Blagrove of the University of Wales, UK.\nBlack and white dreaming is a concept borrowed from technology, he agrees. The idea that things in dreams are in shades of grey has no meaning.\nOur waking perceptions of colour are just as fluid. Only the central patch of the retina can see in colour, yet we perceive the whole world as coloured. Our eyes jump around, and the brain fills in the gaps with memory or guesswork. Our feeling that we see in colour could be akin to our perception of dreaming in colour, Glaser says.\nThe media probably influence our dreaming lives as much now as they did in the 1950s. Few people mention touch in dreams, Schwitzgebel points out--that' s why people pinch themselves to see if they' reawake.\nBut as entertainment becomes more immersive--with virtual reality providing tactile, as well as visual, stimulation--our dreams may come to seem more touchy-feely. We might start thinking ourdreams are really great, he says. [426 words]","id":"1200.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Artificial Dreams","Our Future Dreams","American Dreaming in the Eisenhower Era","Black and White Imagery Makes Dreams Monochrome"],"question":"The best title for this passage should be _","article":"Spend too long watching old movies this holiday season, and your nightlife might seem a lot less colourful. ~ When we are surrounded by black and white imagery, we think our dreams are monochrome, says a US philosopher.\nIn surveys from the 1950s--the golden age of black and white--most said that their dreams were never or rarely in colour, found Eric Schwitzgebel of the University of California, Riverside. Before and since, most have reported colourful dreams.\nThe finding shows how little we know our own senses, says Schwitzgebel. This is one piece of a general picture--our knowledge of our stream of experience is very poor.\nAmerican dreaming in the Eisenhower era was no different to that in any other period, Schwitzgebel thinks. People were just more likely to believe that they dreamed in black and white, because that reflected the artificial dreams around them. Before the twentieth century, dreams were often compared to paintings or tapestries.\nWe know little about what a dreaming brain is up to, comments neuroscientist Daniel Glaser. Brain scans of sleepers might show whether the brain regions that process colour vision are active during vivid dreams, he says.\nAnother possibility is that dream colours are indeterminate, in the same way that a novelist can describe something without naming its colour. They would only become coloured, or not, in our waking reconstruction of them.\nWhen people say that they dream in black and white, they probably mean that they haven't noticed any colours, says psychologist Mark Blagrove of the University of Wales, UK.\nBlack and white dreaming is a concept borrowed from technology, he agrees. The idea that things in dreams are in shades of grey has no meaning.\nOur waking perceptions of colour are just as fluid. Only the central patch of the retina can see in colour, yet we perceive the whole world as coloured. Our eyes jump around, and the brain fills in the gaps with memory or guesswork. Our feeling that we see in colour could be akin to our perception of dreaming in colour, Glaser says.\nThe media probably influence our dreaming lives as much now as they did in the 1950s. Few people mention touch in dreams, Schwitzgebel points out--that' s why people pinch themselves to see if they' reawake.\nBut as entertainment becomes more immersive--with virtual reality providing tactile, as well as visual, stimulation--our dreams may come to seem more touchy-feely. We might start thinking ourdreams are really great, he says. [426 words]","id":"1200.txt","label":3} +{"option":["teachers are less satisfied","students are more demanding","students will become more competent","teachers will spend less time on teaching"],"question":"The author thinks that with full government funding","article":"The Cost of Higher Education\nIndividuals should pay for their higher education.\nA university education is of huge and direct benefit to the individual. Graduates earn more than non-graduates. Meanwhile, social mobility is ever more dependent on having a degree. However, only some people have it. So the individual, not the taxpayers, should pay for it. There are pressing calls on the resources of the government. Using taxpayers' money to help a small number of people to earn high incomes in the future is not one of them.\nFull government funding is not very good for universities. Adam Smith worked in a Scottish university whose teachers lived off student fees. He knew and looked down upon 18th-century Oxford, where the academics lived comfortably off the income received from the government. Guaranteed salaries, Smith argued, were the enemy of hard work; and when the academics were lazy and incompetent, the students were similarly lazy.\nIf students have to pay for their education, they not only work harder, but also demand more from their teachers. And their teachers have to keep them satisfied. If that means taking teaching seriously, and giving less time to their own research interests, that is surely something to celebrate.\nMany people believe that higher education should be free because it is good for the economy . Many graduates clearly do contribute to national wealth, but so do all the businesses that invest and create jobs. If you believe that the government should pay for higher education because graduates are economically productive, you should also believe that the government should pay part of business costs. Anyone promising to create jobs should receive a gift of capital from the government to invest. Therefore, it is the individual, not the government, who should pay for their university education.","id":"2284.txt","label":3} +{"option":["argue against free university education","call on them to finance students' studies","encourage graduates to go into business","show their contribution to higher education"],"question":"The author mentions businesses in Paragraph 5 in order to","article":"The Cost of Higher Education\nIndividuals should pay for their higher education.\nA university education is of huge and direct benefit to the individual. Graduates earn more than non-graduates. Meanwhile, social mobility is ever more dependent on having a degree. However, only some people have it. So the individual, not the taxpayers, should pay for it. There are pressing calls on the resources of the government. Using taxpayers' money to help a small number of people to earn high incomes in the future is not one of them.\nFull government funding is not very good for universities. Adam Smith worked in a Scottish university whose teachers lived off student fees. He knew and looked down upon 18th-century Oxford, where the academics lived comfortably off the income received from the government. Guaranteed salaries, Smith argued, were the enemy of hard work; and when the academics were lazy and incompetent, the students were similarly lazy.\nIf students have to pay for their education, they not only work harder, but also demand more from their teachers. And their teachers have to keep them satisfied. If that means taking teaching seriously, and giving less time to their own research interests, that is surely something to celebrate.\nMany people believe that higher education should be free because it is good for the economy . Many graduates clearly do contribute to national wealth, but so do all the businesses that invest and create jobs. If you believe that the government should pay for higher education because graduates are economically productive, you should also believe that the government should pay part of business costs. Anyone promising to create jobs should receive a gift of capital from the government to invest. Therefore, it is the individual, not the government, who should pay for their university education.","id":"2284.txt","label":0} +{"option":["do something better than other people","know more about a subject than other people","excel others in work","all of the above"],"question":"The student who earns A's on his report card has grasped the idea and has found the real meaning of individuality. So has the youngster who has designed his own spaceship, who paints pictures of the world around him, or who can name all the states and their capitals. According to the author unique individuals are persons who _ .","article":"It is doing something better than other people that makes us unique. Yet a surprising number of people still see individuality as a surface thing. They wear bright clothes, dye their hair strange colors and decorate their skin with tattoos to make some kind of social statement.\nThe whole purpose of individuality is excellence. The people who comprehend the simple principle of being unique through performance make our entire political and economic system work. Those who invent, who improve, who know more about a subject than other people do, and who take something that doesn't work and make it work-these people are the very soul of capitalism.\nCharles Kettering didn't like the idea of cranking a car to make it start, so he invented the electric starter. Henry Ford figured out the assembly-line technique and made it possible to mass-produce automobiles. Lewis Waterman saw no need to go on dipping a pen into an inkwell, so he put the ink into the pen. George Westinghouse told the world how to stop a train, and Elisha Otis, inventor of the elevator, indirectly created the city skyline. These people understood that individualism means working at the top of one's capacity.\nFortunately, enough Americans have been inspired to do something with their uniqueness that we have developed in less than three centuries from a frontier outpost into not only a country of freedom but a country strong enough to protect that freedom. These people prized the notions of individuality and excellence above all things and thus kept the great machine functioning. The ones with the purple hair and the horrorable jewelry are just along for the ride, trying to be \"different\" and not knowing how to go about it.","id":"842.txt","label":3} +{"option":["wearing bright clothes","coloring their hair","doing better than others","decorating their skin with tattoos"],"question":"People who regard individuality as a surface thing always do the following EXCEPT","article":"It is doing something better than other people that makes us unique. Yet a surprising number of people still see individuality as a surface thing. They wear bright clothes, dye their hair strange colors and decorate their skin with tattoos to make some kind of social statement.\nThe whole purpose of individuality is excellence. The people who comprehend the simple principle of being unique through performance make our entire political and economic system work. Those who invent, who improve, who know more about a subject than other people do, and who take something that doesn't work and make it work-these people are the very soul of capitalism.\nCharles Kettering didn't like the idea of cranking a car to make it start, so he invented the electric starter. Henry Ford figured out the assembly-line technique and made it possible to mass-produce automobiles. Lewis Waterman saw no need to go on dipping a pen into an inkwell, so he put the ink into the pen. George Westinghouse told the world how to stop a train, and Elisha Otis, inventor of the elevator, indirectly created the city skyline. These people understood that individualism means working at the top of one's capacity.\nFortunately, enough Americans have been inspired to do something with their uniqueness that we have developed in less than three centuries from a frontier outpost into not only a country of freedom but a country strong enough to protect that freedom. These people prized the notions of individuality and excellence above all things and thus kept the great machine functioning. The ones with the purple hair and the horrorable jewelry are just along for the ride, trying to be \"different\" and not knowing how to go about it.","id":"842.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Henry Ford invented assembly-line technique.","Elisha Otis was the inventor of the lift","George Westinghouse created cranks.","Lewis Waterman put the ink into the pen."],"question":"Which is NOT TRUE according to the passage?","article":"It is doing something better than other people that makes us unique. Yet a surprising number of people still see individuality as a surface thing. They wear bright clothes, dye their hair strange colors and decorate their skin with tattoos to make some kind of social statement.\nThe whole purpose of individuality is excellence. The people who comprehend the simple principle of being unique through performance make our entire political and economic system work. Those who invent, who improve, who know more about a subject than other people do, and who take something that doesn't work and make it work-these people are the very soul of capitalism.\nCharles Kettering didn't like the idea of cranking a car to make it start, so he invented the electric starter. Henry Ford figured out the assembly-line technique and made it possible to mass-produce automobiles. Lewis Waterman saw no need to go on dipping a pen into an inkwell, so he put the ink into the pen. George Westinghouse told the world how to stop a train, and Elisha Otis, inventor of the elevator, indirectly created the city skyline. These people understood that individualism means working at the top of one's capacity.\nFortunately, enough Americans have been inspired to do something with their uniqueness that we have developed in less than three centuries from a frontier outpost into not only a country of freedom but a country strong enough to protect that freedom. These people prized the notions of individuality and excellence above all things and thus kept the great machine functioning. The ones with the purple hair and the horrorable jewelry are just along for the ride, trying to be \"different\" and not knowing how to go about it.","id":"842.txt","label":2} +{"option":["the real secret to being unique lies in our excellent work","if we want to be different we'd gain more profit","the student who earns A's on the report card has not grasped the real meaning of\u3000individuality","all Americans work miracles In the writer's opinion"],"question":"It can be inferred from the passage that _ .","article":"It is doing something better than other people that makes us unique. Yet a surprising number of people still see individuality as a surface thing. They wear bright clothes, dye their hair strange colors and decorate their skin with tattoos to make some kind of social statement.\nThe whole purpose of individuality is excellence. The people who comprehend the simple principle of being unique through performance make our entire political and economic system work. Those who invent, who improve, who know more about a subject than other people do, and who take something that doesn't work and make it work-these people are the very soul of capitalism.\nCharles Kettering didn't like the idea of cranking a car to make it start, so he invented the electric starter. Henry Ford figured out the assembly-line technique and made it possible to mass-produce automobiles. Lewis Waterman saw no need to go on dipping a pen into an inkwell, so he put the ink into the pen. George Westinghouse told the world how to stop a train, and Elisha Otis, inventor of the elevator, indirectly created the city skyline. These people understood that individualism means working at the top of one's capacity.\nFortunately, enough Americans have been inspired to do something with their uniqueness that we have developed in less than three centuries from a frontier outpost into not only a country of freedom but a country strong enough to protect that freedom. These people prized the notions of individuality and excellence above all things and thus kept the great machine functioning. The ones with the purple hair and the horrorable jewelry are just along for the ride, trying to be \"different\" and not knowing how to go about it.","id":"842.txt","label":0} +{"option":["The youngster who designed his own spaceship.","The youngster who painted worthy pictures.","The youngster who was interested in wearing strange clothes.","Both A and B."],"question":"Who has understood the sense of individuality?","article":"It is doing something better than other people that makes us unique. Yet a surprising number of people still see individuality as a surface thing. They wear bright clothes, dye their hair strange colors and decorate their skin with tattoos to make some kind of social statement.\nThe whole purpose of individuality is excellence. The people who comprehend the simple principle of being unique through performance make our entire political and economic system work. Those who invent, who improve, who know more about a subject than other people do, and who take something that doesn't work and make it work-these people are the very soul of capitalism.\nCharles Kettering didn't like the idea of cranking a car to make it start, so he invented the electric starter. Henry Ford figured out the assembly-line technique and made it possible to mass-produce automobiles. Lewis Waterman saw no need to go on dipping a pen into an inkwell, so he put the ink into the pen. George Westinghouse told the world how to stop a train, and Elisha Otis, inventor of the elevator, indirectly created the city skyline. These people understood that individualism means working at the top of one's capacity.\nFortunately, enough Americans have been inspired to do something with their uniqueness that we have developed in less than three centuries from a frontier outpost into not only a country of freedom but a country strong enough to protect that freedom. These people prized the notions of individuality and excellence above all things and thus kept the great machine functioning. The ones with the purple hair and the horrorable jewelry are just along for the ride, trying to be \"different\" and not knowing how to go about it.","id":"842.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Advocating Violence.","Violence Can Do Nothing to Diminish Race Prejudice.","Important People on Both Sides See Violence As a Legitimate Solution.","The Instincts of Human Race Are Thirsty for Violence."],"question":"What is the best title for this passage?","article":"Violence Can Do Nothing to Diminish Race Prejudice\nIn some countries where racial prejudice is acute, violencehas so come to be taken for granted as a means of solvingdifferences, that it is not even questioned. There are countrieswhere the white man imposes his rule by brute force; there arecountries where the black man protests by setting fire to citiesand by looting and pillaging. Important people on both sides,who would in other respects appear to be reasonable men, get up and calmly argue in favor ofviolence - as if it were a legitimate solution, like any other. What is really frightening, what really fillsyou with despair, is the realization that when it comes to the crunch, we have made no actualprogress at all. We may wear collars and ties instead of war-paint, but our instincts remain basicallyunchanged. The whole of the recorded history of the human race, that tedious documentation ofviolence, has taught us absolutely nothing. We have still not learnt that violence never solves aproblem but makes it more acute. The sheer horror, the bloodshed, the suffering mean nothing.No solution ever comes to light the morning after when we dismally contemplate the smoking ruinsand wonder what hit us.\nThe truly reasonable men who know where the solutions lie are finding it harder and herder to geta hearing. They are despised, mistrusted and even persecuted by their own kind because theyadvocate such apparently outrageous things as law enforcement. If half the energy that goes intoviolent acts were put to good use, if our efforts were directed at cleaning up the slums andghettos, at improving living-standards and providing education and employment for all, we wouldhave gone a long way to arriving at a solution. Our strength is sapped by having to mop up themess that violence leaves in its wake. In a well-directed effort, it would not be impossible to fulfill theideals of a stable social programme. The benefits that can be derived from constructive solutionsare everywhere apparent in the world around us. Genuine and lasting solutions are always possible,providing we work within the framework of the law.\nBefore we can even begin to contemplate peaceful co-existence between the races, we mustappreciate each other's problems. And to do this, we must learn about them: it is a simple exercisein communication, in exchanging information. \u2018Talk, talk, talk,' the advocates of violence say, \u2018allyou ever do is talk, and we are none the wiser.' It's rather like the story of the famous barristerwho painstakingly explained his case to the judge. After listening to a lengthy argument the judgecomplained that after all this talk, he was none the wiser. \u2018Possible, my lord,' the barrister replied, \u2018none the wiser, but surely far better informed.' Knowledge is the necessary prerequisite towisdom: the knowledge that violence creates the evils it pretends to solve.","id":"243.txt","label":1} +{"option":["violence never solves anything.","nothing.","the bloodshed means nothing.","everything."],"question":"Recorded history has taught us","article":"Violence Can Do Nothing to Diminish Race Prejudice\nIn some countries where racial prejudice is acute, violencehas so come to be taken for granted as a means of solvingdifferences, that it is not even questioned. There are countrieswhere the white man imposes his rule by brute force; there arecountries where the black man protests by setting fire to citiesand by looting and pillaging. Important people on both sides,who would in other respects appear to be reasonable men, get up and calmly argue in favor ofviolence - as if it were a legitimate solution, like any other. What is really frightening, what really fillsyou with despair, is the realization that when it comes to the crunch, we have made no actualprogress at all. We may wear collars and ties instead of war-paint, but our instincts remain basicallyunchanged. The whole of the recorded history of the human race, that tedious documentation ofviolence, has taught us absolutely nothing. We have still not learnt that violence never solves aproblem but makes it more acute. The sheer horror, the bloodshed, the suffering mean nothing.No solution ever comes to light the morning after when we dismally contemplate the smoking ruinsand wonder what hit us.\nThe truly reasonable men who know where the solutions lie are finding it harder and herder to geta hearing. They are despised, mistrusted and even persecuted by their own kind because theyadvocate such apparently outrageous things as law enforcement. If half the energy that goes intoviolent acts were put to good use, if our efforts were directed at cleaning up the slums andghettos, at improving living-standards and providing education and employment for all, we wouldhave gone a long way to arriving at a solution. Our strength is sapped by having to mop up themess that violence leaves in its wake. In a well-directed effort, it would not be impossible to fulfill theideals of a stable social programme. The benefits that can be derived from constructive solutionsare everywhere apparent in the world around us. Genuine and lasting solutions are always possible,providing we work within the framework of the law.\nBefore we can even begin to contemplate peaceful co-existence between the races, we mustappreciate each other's problems. And to do this, we must learn about them: it is a simple exercisein communication, in exchanging information. \u2018Talk, talk, talk,' the advocates of violence say, \u2018allyou ever do is talk, and we are none the wiser.' It's rather like the story of the famous barristerwho painstakingly explained his case to the judge. After listening to a lengthy argument the judgecomplained that after all this talk, he was none the wiser. \u2018Possible, my lord,' the barrister replied, \u2018none the wiser, but surely far better informed.' Knowledge is the necessary prerequisite towisdom: the knowledge that violence creates the evils it pretends to solve.","id":"243.txt","label":1} +{"option":["can't get a hearing.","are looked down upon.","are persecuted.","Have difficulty in advocating law enforcement."],"question":"It can be inferred that truly reasonable men","article":"Violence Can Do Nothing to Diminish Race Prejudice\nIn some countries where racial prejudice is acute, violencehas so come to be taken for granted as a means of solvingdifferences, that it is not even questioned. There are countrieswhere the white man imposes his rule by brute force; there arecountries where the black man protests by setting fire to citiesand by looting and pillaging. Important people on both sides,who would in other respects appear to be reasonable men, get up and calmly argue in favor ofviolence - as if it were a legitimate solution, like any other. What is really frightening, what really fillsyou with despair, is the realization that when it comes to the crunch, we have made no actualprogress at all. We may wear collars and ties instead of war-paint, but our instincts remain basicallyunchanged. The whole of the recorded history of the human race, that tedious documentation ofviolence, has taught us absolutely nothing. We have still not learnt that violence never solves aproblem but makes it more acute. The sheer horror, the bloodshed, the suffering mean nothing.No solution ever comes to light the morning after when we dismally contemplate the smoking ruinsand wonder what hit us.\nThe truly reasonable men who know where the solutions lie are finding it harder and herder to geta hearing. They are despised, mistrusted and even persecuted by their own kind because theyadvocate such apparently outrageous things as law enforcement. If half the energy that goes intoviolent acts were put to good use, if our efforts were directed at cleaning up the slums andghettos, at improving living-standards and providing education and employment for all, we wouldhave gone a long way to arriving at a solution. Our strength is sapped by having to mop up themess that violence leaves in its wake. In a well-directed effort, it would not be impossible to fulfill theideals of a stable social programme. The benefits that can be derived from constructive solutionsare everywhere apparent in the world around us. Genuine and lasting solutions are always possible,providing we work within the framework of the law.\nBefore we can even begin to contemplate peaceful co-existence between the races, we mustappreciate each other's problems. And to do this, we must learn about them: it is a simple exercisein communication, in exchanging information. \u2018Talk, talk, talk,' the advocates of violence say, \u2018allyou ever do is talk, and we are none the wiser.' It's rather like the story of the famous barristerwho painstakingly explained his case to the judge. After listening to a lengthy argument the judgecomplained that after all this talk, he was none the wiser. \u2018Possible, my lord,' the barrister replied, \u2018none the wiser, but surely far better informed.' Knowledge is the necessary prerequisite towisdom: the knowledge that violence creates the evils it pretends to solve.","id":"243.txt","label":3} +{"option":["he was not at all wise in listening.","He was not at all wiser than nothing before.","He gains nothing after listening.","He makes no sense of the argument."],"question":"\"He was none the wiser\" means","article":"Violence Can Do Nothing to Diminish Race Prejudice\nIn some countries where racial prejudice is acute, violencehas so come to be taken for granted as a means of solvingdifferences, that it is not even questioned. There are countrieswhere the white man imposes his rule by brute force; there arecountries where the black man protests by setting fire to citiesand by looting and pillaging. Important people on both sides,who would in other respects appear to be reasonable men, get up and calmly argue in favor ofviolence - as if it were a legitimate solution, like any other. What is really frightening, what really fillsyou with despair, is the realization that when it comes to the crunch, we have made no actualprogress at all. We may wear collars and ties instead of war-paint, but our instincts remain basicallyunchanged. The whole of the recorded history of the human race, that tedious documentation ofviolence, has taught us absolutely nothing. We have still not learnt that violence never solves aproblem but makes it more acute. The sheer horror, the bloodshed, the suffering mean nothing.No solution ever comes to light the morning after when we dismally contemplate the smoking ruinsand wonder what hit us.\nThe truly reasonable men who know where the solutions lie are finding it harder and herder to geta hearing. They are despised, mistrusted and even persecuted by their own kind because theyadvocate such apparently outrageous things as law enforcement. If half the energy that goes intoviolent acts were put to good use, if our efforts were directed at cleaning up the slums andghettos, at improving living-standards and providing education and employment for all, we wouldhave gone a long way to arriving at a solution. Our strength is sapped by having to mop up themess that violence leaves in its wake. In a well-directed effort, it would not be impossible to fulfill theideals of a stable social programme. The benefits that can be derived from constructive solutionsare everywhere apparent in the world around us. Genuine and lasting solutions are always possible,providing we work within the framework of the law.\nBefore we can even begin to contemplate peaceful co-existence between the races, we mustappreciate each other's problems. And to do this, we must learn about them: it is a simple exercisein communication, in exchanging information. \u2018Talk, talk, talk,' the advocates of violence say, \u2018allyou ever do is talk, and we are none the wiser.' It's rather like the story of the famous barristerwho painstakingly explained his case to the judge. After listening to a lengthy argument the judgecomplained that after all this talk, he was none the wiser. \u2018Possible, my lord,' the barrister replied, \u2018none the wiser, but surely far better informed.' Knowledge is the necessary prerequisite towisdom: the knowledge that violence creates the evils it pretends to solve.","id":"243.txt","label":2} +{"option":["law enforcement.","knowledge.","nonviolence.","Mopping up the violent mess."],"question":"According the author the best way to solve race prejudice is","article":"Violence Can Do Nothing to Diminish Race Prejudice\nIn some countries where racial prejudice is acute, violencehas so come to be taken for granted as a means of solvingdifferences, that it is not even questioned. There are countrieswhere the white man imposes his rule by brute force; there arecountries where the black man protests by setting fire to citiesand by looting and pillaging. Important people on both sides,who would in other respects appear to be reasonable men, get up and calmly argue in favor ofviolence - as if it were a legitimate solution, like any other. What is really frightening, what really fillsyou with despair, is the realization that when it comes to the crunch, we have made no actualprogress at all. We may wear collars and ties instead of war-paint, but our instincts remain basicallyunchanged. The whole of the recorded history of the human race, that tedious documentation ofviolence, has taught us absolutely nothing. We have still not learnt that violence never solves aproblem but makes it more acute. The sheer horror, the bloodshed, the suffering mean nothing.No solution ever comes to light the morning after when we dismally contemplate the smoking ruinsand wonder what hit us.\nThe truly reasonable men who know where the solutions lie are finding it harder and herder to geta hearing. They are despised, mistrusted and even persecuted by their own kind because theyadvocate such apparently outrageous things as law enforcement. If half the energy that goes intoviolent acts were put to good use, if our efforts were directed at cleaning up the slums andghettos, at improving living-standards and providing education and employment for all, we wouldhave gone a long way to arriving at a solution. Our strength is sapped by having to mop up themess that violence leaves in its wake. In a well-directed effort, it would not be impossible to fulfill theideals of a stable social programme. The benefits that can be derived from constructive solutionsare everywhere apparent in the world around us. Genuine and lasting solutions are always possible,providing we work within the framework of the law.\nBefore we can even begin to contemplate peaceful co-existence between the races, we mustappreciate each other's problems. And to do this, we must learn about them: it is a simple exercisein communication, in exchanging information. \u2018Talk, talk, talk,' the advocates of violence say, \u2018allyou ever do is talk, and we are none the wiser.' It's rather like the story of the famous barristerwho painstakingly explained his case to the judge. After listening to a lengthy argument the judgecomplained that after all this talk, he was none the wiser. \u2018Possible, my lord,' the barrister replied, \u2018none the wiser, but surely far better informed.' Knowledge is the necessary prerequisite towisdom: the knowledge that violence creates the evils it pretends to solve.","id":"243.txt","label":0} +{"option":["The range of sizes, shapes, and designs","The unusual geometric","The absence of decoration","The rare materials used"],"question":"If the basketry materials used by the Pomo people were limited, the designs were amazingly varied. Every Pomo basketmaker knew how to produce from fifteen to twenty distinct patterns that could be combined in a number of different ways. 1. What best distinguished Pomo baskets from baskets of other groups?","article":"The Native Americans of northern California were highly skilled at basketry, using the reeds, grasses, barks, and roots they found around them to fashion articles of all sorts and sizes - not only trays, containers, and cooking pots, but hats, boats, fish traps, baby carriers, and ceremonial objects.\nOf all these experts, none excelled the Pomo - a group who lived on or near the coast during the 1800's, and whose descendants continue to live in parts of the same region to this day. They made baskets three feet in diameter and others no bigger than a thimble. The Pomo people were masters of decoration. Some of their baskets were completely covered with shell pendants; others with feathers that made the baskets' surfaces as soft as the breasts of birds. Moreover, the Pomo people made use of more weaving techniques than did their neighbors. Most groups made all their basketwork by twining - the twisting of a flexible horizontal material, called a weft, around stiffer vertical strands of material, the warp. Others depended primarily on coiling - a process in which a continuous coil of stiff material is held in the desired shape with tight wrapping of flexible strands. Only the Pomo people used both processes with equal ease and frequency. In addition, they made use of four distinct variations on the basic twining process, often employing more than one of them in a single article.\nAlthough a wide variety of materials was available, the Pomo people used only a few. The warp was always made of willow, and the most commonly used weft was sedge root, a woody fiber that could easily be separated into strands no thicker than a thread. For color, the Pomo people used the bark of redbud for their twined work and dyed bullrush root for black in coiled work. Though other materials were sometimes used, these four were the staples in their finest basketry.","id":"2128.txt","label":1} +{"option":["maintain","organize","trade","create"],"question":"The word \"fashion\" in line 2 is closest in meaning to","article":"The Native Americans of northern California were highly skilled at basketry, using the reeds, grasses, barks, and roots they found around them to fashion articles of all sorts and sizes - not only trays, containers, and cooking pots, but hats, boats, fish traps, baby carriers, and ceremonial objects.\nOf all these experts, none excelled the Pomo - a group who lived on or near the coast during the 1800's, and whose descendants continue to live in parts of the same region to this day. They made baskets three feet in diameter and others no bigger than a thimble. The Pomo people were masters of decoration. Some of their baskets were completely covered with shell pendants; others with feathers that made the baskets' surfaces as soft as the breasts of birds. Moreover, the Pomo people made use of more weaving techniques than did their neighbors. Most groups made all their basketwork by twining - the twisting of a flexible horizontal material, called a weft, around stiffer vertical strands of material, the warp. Others depended primarily on coiling - a process in which a continuous coil of stiff material is held in the desired shape with tight wrapping of flexible strands. Only the Pomo people used both processes with equal ease and frequency. In addition, they made use of four distinct variations on the basic twining process, often employing more than one of them in a single article.\nAlthough a wide variety of materials was available, the Pomo people used only a few. The warp was always made of willow, and the most commonly used weft was sedge root, a woody fiber that could easily be separated into strands no thicker than a thread. For color, the Pomo people used the bark of redbud for their twined work and dyed bullrush root for black in coiled work. Though other materials were sometimes used, these four were the staples in their finest basketry.","id":"2128.txt","label":3} +{"option":["shells","feathers","leaves","bark"],"question":"The Pomo people used each of the following materials to decorate baskets EXCEPT","article":"The Native Americans of northern California were highly skilled at basketry, using the reeds, grasses, barks, and roots they found around them to fashion articles of all sorts and sizes - not only trays, containers, and cooking pots, but hats, boats, fish traps, baby carriers, and ceremonial objects.\nOf all these experts, none excelled the Pomo - a group who lived on or near the coast during the 1800's, and whose descendants continue to live in parts of the same region to this day. They made baskets three feet in diameter and others no bigger than a thimble. The Pomo people were masters of decoration. Some of their baskets were completely covered with shell pendants; others with feathers that made the baskets' surfaces as soft as the breasts of birds. Moreover, the Pomo people made use of more weaving techniques than did their neighbors. Most groups made all their basketwork by twining - the twisting of a flexible horizontal material, called a weft, around stiffer vertical strands of material, the warp. Others depended primarily on coiling - a process in which a continuous coil of stiff material is held in the desired shape with tight wrapping of flexible strands. Only the Pomo people used both processes with equal ease and frequency. In addition, they made use of four distinct variations on the basic twining process, often employing more than one of them in a single article.\nAlthough a wide variety of materials was available, the Pomo people used only a few. The warp was always made of willow, and the most commonly used weft was sedge root, a woody fiber that could easily be separated into strands no thicker than a thread. For color, the Pomo people used the bark of redbud for their twined work and dyed bullrush root for black in coiled work. Though other materials were sometimes used, these four were the staples in their finest basketry.","id":"2128.txt","label":2} +{"option":["The neighbors of the Pomo people tried to improve on the Pomo basket weaving techniques.","The Pomo people were the most skilled basket weavers in their region.","The Pomo people learned their basket weaving techniques from other Native Americans.","The Pomo baskets have been handed down for generations."],"question":"What is the author's main point in the second paragraph?","article":"The Native Americans of northern California were highly skilled at basketry, using the reeds, grasses, barks, and roots they found around them to fashion articles of all sorts and sizes - not only trays, containers, and cooking pots, but hats, boats, fish traps, baby carriers, and ceremonial objects.\nOf all these experts, none excelled the Pomo - a group who lived on or near the coast during the 1800's, and whose descendants continue to live in parts of the same region to this day. They made baskets three feet in diameter and others no bigger than a thimble. The Pomo people were masters of decoration. Some of their baskets were completely covered with shell pendants; others with feathers that made the baskets' surfaces as soft as the breasts of birds. Moreover, the Pomo people made use of more weaving techniques than did their neighbors. Most groups made all their basketwork by twining - the twisting of a flexible horizontal material, called a weft, around stiffer vertical strands of material, the warp. Others depended primarily on coiling - a process in which a continuous coil of stiff material is held in the desired shape with tight wrapping of flexible strands. Only the Pomo people used both processes with equal ease and frequency. In addition, they made use of four distinct variations on the basic twining process, often employing more than one of them in a single article.\nAlthough a wide variety of materials was available, the Pomo people used only a few. The warp was always made of willow, and the most commonly used weft was sedge root, a woody fiber that could easily be separated into strands no thicker than a thread. For color, the Pomo people used the bark of redbud for their twined work and dyed bullrush root for black in coiled work. Though other materials were sometimes used, these four were the staples in their finest basketry.","id":"2128.txt","label":1} +{"option":["masters","baskets","pendants","surfaces"],"question":"The word \"others \" in line 9 refers to","article":"The Native Americans of northern California were highly skilled at basketry, using the reeds, grasses, barks, and roots they found around them to fashion articles of all sorts and sizes - not only trays, containers, and cooking pots, but hats, boats, fish traps, baby carriers, and ceremonial objects.\nOf all these experts, none excelled the Pomo - a group who lived on or near the coast during the 1800's, and whose descendants continue to live in parts of the same region to this day. They made baskets three feet in diameter and others no bigger than a thimble. The Pomo people were masters of decoration. Some of their baskets were completely covered with shell pendants; others with feathers that made the baskets' surfaces as soft as the breasts of birds. Moreover, the Pomo people made use of more weaving techniques than did their neighbors. Most groups made all their basketwork by twining - the twisting of a flexible horizontal material, called a weft, around stiffer vertical strands of material, the warp. Others depended primarily on coiling - a process in which a continuous coil of stiff material is held in the desired shape with tight wrapping of flexible strands. Only the Pomo people used both processes with equal ease and frequency. In addition, they made use of four distinct variations on the basic twining process, often employing more than one of them in a single article.\nAlthough a wide variety of materials was available, the Pomo people used only a few. The warp was always made of willow, and the most commonly used weft was sedge root, a woody fiber that could easily be separated into strands no thicker than a thread. For color, the Pomo people used the bark of redbud for their twined work and dyed bullrush root for black in coiled work. Though other materials were sometimes used, these four were the staples in their finest basketry.","id":"2128.txt","label":1} +{"option":["tool for separating sedge root","process used for coloring baskets","pliable maternal woven around the warp","pattern used to decorate baskets"],"question":"According to the passage , a weft is a","article":"The Native Americans of northern California were highly skilled at basketry, using the reeds, grasses, barks, and roots they found around them to fashion articles of all sorts and sizes - not only trays, containers, and cooking pots, but hats, boats, fish traps, baby carriers, and ceremonial objects.\nOf all these experts, none excelled the Pomo - a group who lived on or near the coast during the 1800's, and whose descendants continue to live in parts of the same region to this day. They made baskets three feet in diameter and others no bigger than a thimble. The Pomo people were masters of decoration. Some of their baskets were completely covered with shell pendants; others with feathers that made the baskets' surfaces as soft as the breasts of birds. Moreover, the Pomo people made use of more weaving techniques than did their neighbors. Most groups made all their basketwork by twining - the twisting of a flexible horizontal material, called a weft, around stiffer vertical strands of material, the warp. Others depended primarily on coiling - a process in which a continuous coil of stiff material is held in the desired shape with tight wrapping of flexible strands. Only the Pomo people used both processes with equal ease and frequency. In addition, they made use of four distinct variations on the basic twining process, often employing more than one of them in a single article.\nAlthough a wide variety of materials was available, the Pomo people used only a few. The warp was always made of willow, and the most commonly used weft was sedge root, a woody fiber that could easily be separated into strands no thicker than a thread. For color, the Pomo people used the bark of redbud for their twined work and dyed bullrush root for black in coiled work. Though other materials were sometimes used, these four were the staples in their finest basketry.","id":"2128.txt","label":2} +{"option":["bullrush","willow","sedge","redbud"],"question":"According to the passage , what did the Pomo people use as the warp in their baskets?","article":"The Native Americans of northern California were highly skilled at basketry, using the reeds, grasses, barks, and roots they found around them to fashion articles of all sorts and sizes - not only trays, containers, and cooking pots, but hats, boats, fish traps, baby carriers, and ceremonial objects.\nOf all these experts, none excelled the Pomo - a group who lived on or near the coast during the 1800's, and whose descendants continue to live in parts of the same region to this day. They made baskets three feet in diameter and others no bigger than a thimble. The Pomo people were masters of decoration. Some of their baskets were completely covered with shell pendants; others with feathers that made the baskets' surfaces as soft as the breasts of birds. Moreover, the Pomo people made use of more weaving techniques than did their neighbors. Most groups made all their basketwork by twining - the twisting of a flexible horizontal material, called a weft, around stiffer vertical strands of material, the warp. Others depended primarily on coiling - a process in which a continuous coil of stiff material is held in the desired shape with tight wrapping of flexible strands. Only the Pomo people used both processes with equal ease and frequency. In addition, they made use of four distinct variations on the basic twining process, often employing more than one of them in a single article.\nAlthough a wide variety of materials was available, the Pomo people used only a few. The warp was always made of willow, and the most commonly used weft was sedge root, a woody fiber that could easily be separated into strands no thicker than a thread. For color, the Pomo people used the bark of redbud for their twined work and dyed bullrush root for black in coiled work. Though other materials were sometimes used, these four were the staples in their finest basketry.","id":"2128.txt","label":1} +{"option":["decoration","shape","design","object"],"question":"The word \"article\" in line 17 is close in meaning to","article":"The Native Americans of northern California were highly skilled at basketry, using the reeds, grasses, barks, and roots they found around them to fashion articles of all sorts and sizes - not only trays, containers, and cooking pots, but hats, boats, fish traps, baby carriers, and ceremonial objects.\nOf all these experts, none excelled the Pomo - a group who lived on or near the coast during the 1800's, and whose descendants continue to live in parts of the same region to this day. They made baskets three feet in diameter and others no bigger than a thimble. The Pomo people were masters of decoration. Some of their baskets were completely covered with shell pendants; others with feathers that made the baskets' surfaces as soft as the breasts of birds. Moreover, the Pomo people made use of more weaving techniques than did their neighbors. Most groups made all their basketwork by twining - the twisting of a flexible horizontal material, called a weft, around stiffer vertical strands of material, the warp. Others depended primarily on coiling - a process in which a continuous coil of stiff material is held in the desired shape with tight wrapping of flexible strands. Only the Pomo people used both processes with equal ease and frequency. In addition, they made use of four distinct variations on the basic twining process, often employing more than one of them in a single article.\nAlthough a wide variety of materials was available, the Pomo people used only a few. The warp was always made of willow, and the most commonly used weft was sedge root, a woody fiber that could easily be separated into strands no thicker than a thread. For color, the Pomo people used the bark of redbud for their twined work and dyed bullrush root for black in coiled work. Though other materials were sometimes used, these four were the staples in their finest basketry.","id":"2128.txt","label":3} +{"option":["bullrush and coiling","weft and warp","willow and feathers","sedge and weaving"],"question":"According to the passage . The relationship between redbud and twining is most similar to the relationship between","article":"The Native Americans of northern California were highly skilled at basketry, using the reeds, grasses, barks, and roots they found around them to fashion articles of all sorts and sizes - not only trays, containers, and cooking pots, but hats, boats, fish traps, baby carriers, and ceremonial objects.\nOf all these experts, none excelled the Pomo - a group who lived on or near the coast during the 1800's, and whose descendants continue to live in parts of the same region to this day. They made baskets three feet in diameter and others no bigger than a thimble. The Pomo people were masters of decoration. Some of their baskets were completely covered with shell pendants; others with feathers that made the baskets' surfaces as soft as the breasts of birds. Moreover, the Pomo people made use of more weaving techniques than did their neighbors. Most groups made all their basketwork by twining - the twisting of a flexible horizontal material, called a weft, around stiffer vertical strands of material, the warp. Others depended primarily on coiling - a process in which a continuous coil of stiff material is held in the desired shape with tight wrapping of flexible strands. Only the Pomo people used both processes with equal ease and frequency. In addition, they made use of four distinct variations on the basic twining process, often employing more than one of them in a single article.\nAlthough a wide variety of materials was available, the Pomo people used only a few. The warp was always made of willow, and the most commonly used weft was sedge root, a woody fiber that could easily be separated into strands no thicker than a thread. For color, the Pomo people used the bark of redbud for their twined work and dyed bullrush root for black in coiled work. Though other materials were sometimes used, these four were the staples in their finest basketry.","id":"2128.txt","label":0} +{"option":["combinations","limitations","accessories","basic elements"],"question":"The word \"staples\" in line 23 is closest in meaning to","article":"The Native Americans of northern California were highly skilled at basketry, using the reeds, grasses, barks, and roots they found around them to fashion articles of all sorts and sizes - not only trays, containers, and cooking pots, but hats, boats, fish traps, baby carriers, and ceremonial objects.\nOf all these experts, none excelled the Pomo - a group who lived on or near the coast during the 1800's, and whose descendants continue to live in parts of the same region to this day. They made baskets three feet in diameter and others no bigger than a thimble. The Pomo people were masters of decoration. Some of their baskets were completely covered with shell pendants; others with feathers that made the baskets' surfaces as soft as the breasts of birds. Moreover, the Pomo people made use of more weaving techniques than did their neighbors. Most groups made all their basketwork by twining - the twisting of a flexible horizontal material, called a weft, around stiffer vertical strands of material, the warp. Others depended primarily on coiling - a process in which a continuous coil of stiff material is held in the desired shape with tight wrapping of flexible strands. Only the Pomo people used both processes with equal ease and frequency. In addition, they made use of four distinct variations on the basic twining process, often employing more than one of them in a single article.\nAlthough a wide variety of materials was available, the Pomo people used only a few. The warp was always made of willow, and the most commonly used weft was sedge root, a woody fiber that could easily be separated into strands no thicker than a thread. For color, the Pomo people used the bark of redbud for their twined work and dyed bullrush root for black in coiled work. Though other materials were sometimes used, these four were the staples in their finest basketry.","id":"2128.txt","label":3} +{"option":["systematic","beautiful","different","compatible"],"question":"The word \"distinct\" in lime 26 is closest in meaning to","article":"The Native Americans of northern California were highly skilled at basketry, using the reeds, grasses, barks, and roots they found around them to fashion articles of all sorts and sizes - not only trays, containers, and cooking pots, but hats, boats, fish traps, baby carriers, and ceremonial objects.\nOf all these experts, none excelled the Pomo - a group who lived on or near the coast during the 1800's, and whose descendants continue to live in parts of the same region to this day. They made baskets three feet in diameter and others no bigger than a thimble. The Pomo people were masters of decoration. Some of their baskets were completely covered with shell pendants; others with feathers that made the baskets' surfaces as soft as the breasts of birds. Moreover, the Pomo people made use of more weaving techniques than did their neighbors. Most groups made all their basketwork by twining - the twisting of a flexible horizontal material, called a weft, around stiffer vertical strands of material, the warp. Others depended primarily on coiling - a process in which a continuous coil of stiff material is held in the desired shape with tight wrapping of flexible strands. Only the Pomo people used both processes with equal ease and frequency. In addition, they made use of four distinct variations on the basic twining process, often employing more than one of them in a single article.\nAlthough a wide variety of materials was available, the Pomo people used only a few. The warp was always made of willow, and the most commonly used weft was sedge root, a woody fiber that could easily be separated into strands no thicker than a thread. For color, the Pomo people used the bark of redbud for their twined work and dyed bullrush root for black in coiled work. Though other materials were sometimes used, these four were the staples in their finest basketry.","id":"2128.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Baskets produced by other Native Americans were less varied in design than those of the Pomo people.","Baskets produced by Pomo weavers were primarily for ceremonial purposes.","There were a very limited number of basketmaking materials available to the Pomo people.","The basketmaking production of the Pomo people has increased over the years."],"question":"Which of the following statements about Pomo baskets can be best inferred from the passage ?","article":"The Native Americans of northern California were highly skilled at basketry, using the reeds, grasses, barks, and roots they found around them to fashion articles of all sorts and sizes - not only trays, containers, and cooking pots, but hats, boats, fish traps, baby carriers, and ceremonial objects.\nOf all these experts, none excelled the Pomo - a group who lived on or near the coast during the 1800's, and whose descendants continue to live in parts of the same region to this day. They made baskets three feet in diameter and others no bigger than a thimble. The Pomo people were masters of decoration. Some of their baskets were completely covered with shell pendants; others with feathers that made the baskets' surfaces as soft as the breasts of birds. Moreover, the Pomo people made use of more weaving techniques than did their neighbors. Most groups made all their basketwork by twining - the twisting of a flexible horizontal material, called a weft, around stiffer vertical strands of material, the warp. Others depended primarily on coiling - a process in which a continuous coil of stiff material is held in the desired shape with tight wrapping of flexible strands. Only the Pomo people used both processes with equal ease and frequency. In addition, they made use of four distinct variations on the basic twining process, often employing more than one of them in a single article.\nAlthough a wide variety of materials was available, the Pomo people used only a few. The warp was always made of willow, and the most commonly used weft was sedge root, a woody fiber that could easily be separated into strands no thicker than a thread. For color, the Pomo people used the bark of redbud for their twined work and dyed bullrush root for black in coiled work. Though other materials were sometimes used, these four were the staples in their finest basketry.","id":"2128.txt","label":0} +{"option":["the unexpected competition from video games","it needs to find a new business model for long-term development","it is severely threatened by online piracy","it fails to catch up with the technological development of digital distribution"],"question":"The main problem faced by the music industry is _ .","article":"As the music industry searches for a new model in the age of digital distribution and internet piracy, it is getting a helping hand from an unexpected quarter: video games such as\" Guitar Hero\" and\" Rock Band\" , which let people play along to songs on simplified imitation instruments.\" These games are revitalising the industry,\" says Aram Sinnreich, an industry expert at New York University. \" They're helping as both a revenue and an advertising platform.\"\nThe main impact of the games is to provide exposure. Inclusion of their music in these popular games has allowed previously obscure bands to achieve international fame, and veteran musicians to blast the ears of a new generation. According to Activision Blizzard, the video-game giant behind\" Guitar Hero III\" , bands whose songs are included in the game can expect online sales of their music to increase by an average of 300% as a result. \" We're definitely in demand-we're constantly being pitched by artists and management,\" says Paul DeGooyer, senior vice-president of games and music at MTV, which publishes\" Rock Band\" . As well as increasing sales, having a song in his game also boosts a band's overall fame and popularity. \" We're providing a new outlet for people to experience music,\" he says.\nOne beneficiary has been Dragonforce, a British speed-metal band that rose to fame after their song\" Through the Fire and Flames\" was included as the hardest track in\" Guitar Hero III\" . Its difficulty has inspired many players to post videos of themselves playing the song online. Chris Brown, who is in charge of the band's marketing, says the track had sold 55,000 copies online before the game's release in October 2007. \" Now we're up to 624,000. Guitar Hero has really opened up our music to the mainstream,\" says Mr Brown.\nEstablished artists are also using the games to promote their music. Bobby Kotick, Activision's boss, says Aerosmith have made more money from\" Guitar Hero: Aerosmith\" , a version of the video-game that features the band, than from any of their albums. Mr Kotick has even suggested that rather than expecting games companies to pay to license their music, bands should pay to have their music included in games. Motley Crue released a new single via\" Rock Band\" in April, and in September Metallica's new album\" Death Magnetic\" was made available as a download for\" Guitar Hero\" on the day of its release. \uff08Fans have pointed out that the video-game version actually sounds better than the album.\uff09Such in-game downloads are typically sold for $2 per song, twice as much as the music alone fetches on iTunes, the leading online-music store.\nBut will it last? Bob Lefsetz, a veteran industry figure, speculates that music games, which burst onto the scene in 2005, could burn out just as quickly. Teenagers already like classic rock anyway, he says, so the games will not greatly expand the market. \" The music business is looking for any good news. These games aren't going to save it.\"","id":"462.txt","label":1} +{"option":["all the bands with their music included in video games can gain popularity","the major influence of video games on the music industry is increasing revenue","artists and managers try to find the best music bands from video games","inspiring interaction with game players can increase a band's fame"],"question":"It can be inferred from the text that _ .","article":"As the music industry searches for a new model in the age of digital distribution and internet piracy, it is getting a helping hand from an unexpected quarter: video games such as\" Guitar Hero\" and\" Rock Band\" , which let people play along to songs on simplified imitation instruments.\" These games are revitalising the industry,\" says Aram Sinnreich, an industry expert at New York University. \" They're helping as both a revenue and an advertising platform.\"\nThe main impact of the games is to provide exposure. Inclusion of their music in these popular games has allowed previously obscure bands to achieve international fame, and veteran musicians to blast the ears of a new generation. According to Activision Blizzard, the video-game giant behind\" Guitar Hero III\" , bands whose songs are included in the game can expect online sales of their music to increase by an average of 300% as a result. \" We're definitely in demand-we're constantly being pitched by artists and management,\" says Paul DeGooyer, senior vice-president of games and music at MTV, which publishes\" Rock Band\" . As well as increasing sales, having a song in his game also boosts a band's overall fame and popularity. \" We're providing a new outlet for people to experience music,\" he says.\nOne beneficiary has been Dragonforce, a British speed-metal band that rose to fame after their song\" Through the Fire and Flames\" was included as the hardest track in\" Guitar Hero III\" . Its difficulty has inspired many players to post videos of themselves playing the song online. Chris Brown, who is in charge of the band's marketing, says the track had sold 55,000 copies online before the game's release in October 2007. \" Now we're up to 624,000. Guitar Hero has really opened up our music to the mainstream,\" says Mr Brown.\nEstablished artists are also using the games to promote their music. Bobby Kotick, Activision's boss, says Aerosmith have made more money from\" Guitar Hero: Aerosmith\" , a version of the video-game that features the band, than from any of their albums. Mr Kotick has even suggested that rather than expecting games companies to pay to license their music, bands should pay to have their music included in games. Motley Crue released a new single via\" Rock Band\" in April, and in September Metallica's new album\" Death Magnetic\" was made available as a download for\" Guitar Hero\" on the day of its release. \uff08Fans have pointed out that the video-game version actually sounds better than the album.\uff09Such in-game downloads are typically sold for $2 per song, twice as much as the music alone fetches on iTunes, the leading online-music store.\nBut will it last? Bob Lefsetz, a veteran industry figure, speculates that music games, which burst onto the scene in 2005, could burn out just as quickly. Teenagers already like classic rock anyway, he says, so the games will not greatly expand the market. \" The music business is looking for any good news. These games aren't going to save it.\"","id":"462.txt","label":3} +{"option":["he has already established a new business model for the music industry","music in video games should also be downloadable on the internet","there should be difference between the video-game and album versions of a song","video games should charge bands but not the other way around"],"question":"Bobby Kotick, Activision's boss, believes that _ .","article":"As the music industry searches for a new model in the age of digital distribution and internet piracy, it is getting a helping hand from an unexpected quarter: video games such as\" Guitar Hero\" and\" Rock Band\" , which let people play along to songs on simplified imitation instruments.\" These games are revitalising the industry,\" says Aram Sinnreich, an industry expert at New York University. \" They're helping as both a revenue and an advertising platform.\"\nThe main impact of the games is to provide exposure. Inclusion of their music in these popular games has allowed previously obscure bands to achieve international fame, and veteran musicians to blast the ears of a new generation. According to Activision Blizzard, the video-game giant behind\" Guitar Hero III\" , bands whose songs are included in the game can expect online sales of their music to increase by an average of 300% as a result. \" We're definitely in demand-we're constantly being pitched by artists and management,\" says Paul DeGooyer, senior vice-president of games and music at MTV, which publishes\" Rock Band\" . As well as increasing sales, having a song in his game also boosts a band's overall fame and popularity. \" We're providing a new outlet for people to experience music,\" he says.\nOne beneficiary has been Dragonforce, a British speed-metal band that rose to fame after their song\" Through the Fire and Flames\" was included as the hardest track in\" Guitar Hero III\" . Its difficulty has inspired many players to post videos of themselves playing the song online. Chris Brown, who is in charge of the band's marketing, says the track had sold 55,000 copies online before the game's release in October 2007. \" Now we're up to 624,000. Guitar Hero has really opened up our music to the mainstream,\" says Mr Brown.\nEstablished artists are also using the games to promote their music. Bobby Kotick, Activision's boss, says Aerosmith have made more money from\" Guitar Hero: Aerosmith\" , a version of the video-game that features the band, than from any of their albums. Mr Kotick has even suggested that rather than expecting games companies to pay to license their music, bands should pay to have their music included in games. Motley Crue released a new single via\" Rock Band\" in April, and in September Metallica's new album\" Death Magnetic\" was made available as a download for\" Guitar Hero\" on the day of its release. \uff08Fans have pointed out that the video-game version actually sounds better than the album.\uff09Such in-game downloads are typically sold for $2 per song, twice as much as the music alone fetches on iTunes, the leading online-music store.\nBut will it last? Bob Lefsetz, a veteran industry figure, speculates that music games, which burst onto the scene in 2005, could burn out just as quickly. Teenagers already like classic rock anyway, he says, so the games will not greatly expand the market. \" The music business is looking for any good news. These games aren't going to save it.\"","id":"462.txt","label":3} +{"option":["the collaboration between video games and the music industry might be a flash in the pan","the video game model is the last gasp of the deteriorating music industry","rock music is not exactly the reason why the bands succeed in video games","the music business is still looking for greater music"],"question":"We can draw a conclusion from the last paragraph that _ .","article":"As the music industry searches for a new model in the age of digital distribution and internet piracy, it is getting a helping hand from an unexpected quarter: video games such as\" Guitar Hero\" and\" Rock Band\" , which let people play along to songs on simplified imitation instruments.\" These games are revitalising the industry,\" says Aram Sinnreich, an industry expert at New York University. \" They're helping as both a revenue and an advertising platform.\"\nThe main impact of the games is to provide exposure. Inclusion of their music in these popular games has allowed previously obscure bands to achieve international fame, and veteran musicians to blast the ears of a new generation. According to Activision Blizzard, the video-game giant behind\" Guitar Hero III\" , bands whose songs are included in the game can expect online sales of their music to increase by an average of 300% as a result. \" We're definitely in demand-we're constantly being pitched by artists and management,\" says Paul DeGooyer, senior vice-president of games and music at MTV, which publishes\" Rock Band\" . As well as increasing sales, having a song in his game also boosts a band's overall fame and popularity. \" We're providing a new outlet for people to experience music,\" he says.\nOne beneficiary has been Dragonforce, a British speed-metal band that rose to fame after their song\" Through the Fire and Flames\" was included as the hardest track in\" Guitar Hero III\" . Its difficulty has inspired many players to post videos of themselves playing the song online. Chris Brown, who is in charge of the band's marketing, says the track had sold 55,000 copies online before the game's release in October 2007. \" Now we're up to 624,000. Guitar Hero has really opened up our music to the mainstream,\" says Mr Brown.\nEstablished artists are also using the games to promote their music. Bobby Kotick, Activision's boss, says Aerosmith have made more money from\" Guitar Hero: Aerosmith\" , a version of the video-game that features the band, than from any of their albums. Mr Kotick has even suggested that rather than expecting games companies to pay to license their music, bands should pay to have their music included in games. Motley Crue released a new single via\" Rock Band\" in April, and in September Metallica's new album\" Death Magnetic\" was made available as a download for\" Guitar Hero\" on the day of its release. \uff08Fans have pointed out that the video-game version actually sounds better than the album.\uff09Such in-game downloads are typically sold for $2 per song, twice as much as the music alone fetches on iTunes, the leading online-music store.\nBut will it last? Bob Lefsetz, a veteran industry figure, speculates that music games, which burst onto the scene in 2005, could burn out just as quickly. Teenagers already like classic rock anyway, he says, so the games will not greatly expand the market. \" The music business is looking for any good news. These games aren't going to save it.\"","id":"462.txt","label":0} +{"option":["objective","positive","pessimistic","indifferent"],"question":"From the text we can see that the writer's attitude toward the collaboration seems _ .","article":"As the music industry searches for a new model in the age of digital distribution and internet piracy, it is getting a helping hand from an unexpected quarter: video games such as\" Guitar Hero\" and\" Rock Band\" , which let people play along to songs on simplified imitation instruments.\" These games are revitalising the industry,\" says Aram Sinnreich, an industry expert at New York University. \" They're helping as both a revenue and an advertising platform.\"\nThe main impact of the games is to provide exposure. Inclusion of their music in these popular games has allowed previously obscure bands to achieve international fame, and veteran musicians to blast the ears of a new generation. According to Activision Blizzard, the video-game giant behind\" Guitar Hero III\" , bands whose songs are included in the game can expect online sales of their music to increase by an average of 300% as a result. \" We're definitely in demand-we're constantly being pitched by artists and management,\" says Paul DeGooyer, senior vice-president of games and music at MTV, which publishes\" Rock Band\" . As well as increasing sales, having a song in his game also boosts a band's overall fame and popularity. \" We're providing a new outlet for people to experience music,\" he says.\nOne beneficiary has been Dragonforce, a British speed-metal band that rose to fame after their song\" Through the Fire and Flames\" was included as the hardest track in\" Guitar Hero III\" . Its difficulty has inspired many players to post videos of themselves playing the song online. Chris Brown, who is in charge of the band's marketing, says the track had sold 55,000 copies online before the game's release in October 2007. \" Now we're up to 624,000. Guitar Hero has really opened up our music to the mainstream,\" says Mr Brown.\nEstablished artists are also using the games to promote their music. Bobby Kotick, Activision's boss, says Aerosmith have made more money from\" Guitar Hero: Aerosmith\" , a version of the video-game that features the band, than from any of their albums. Mr Kotick has even suggested that rather than expecting games companies to pay to license their music, bands should pay to have their music included in games. Motley Crue released a new single via\" Rock Band\" in April, and in September Metallica's new album\" Death Magnetic\" was made available as a download for\" Guitar Hero\" on the day of its release. \uff08Fans have pointed out that the video-game version actually sounds better than the album.\uff09Such in-game downloads are typically sold for $2 per song, twice as much as the music alone fetches on iTunes, the leading online-music store.\nBut will it last? Bob Lefsetz, a veteran industry figure, speculates that music games, which burst onto the scene in 2005, could burn out just as quickly. Teenagers already like classic rock anyway, he says, so the games will not greatly expand the market. \" The music business is looking for any good news. These games aren't going to save it.\"","id":"462.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Manufacture as many green products as possible.","Indicate whether their products are recyclable.","Specify in what way their products are green.","Attach green labels to all of their products."],"question":"What do the revised \"Green Guides\" require businesses to do?","article":"Manufacturers of products that claim to be environmentally friendly will face tighter rules on how they are advertised to consumers under changes proposed by the Federal Trade Commission.\nThe commission's revised \"Green Guides\" warn marketers against using labels that make broad claims, like \"eco-friendly\". Marketers must qualify their claims on the product packaging and limit them to a specific benefit, such as how much of the product is recycled.\n\"This is really about trying to cut through the confusion that consumers have when they are buying a product and that businesses have when they are selling a product,\" said Jon Leibowitz, chairman of the commission.\nThe revisions come at a time when green marketing is on the rise. According to a new study, the number of advertisements with green messages in mainstream magazines has risen since 1987, and peaked in 2008 at 10.4%. In 2009, the number dropped to 9%.\nBut while the number of advertisements may have dipped, there has been a rapid spread of ecolabeling. There are both good and bad players in the eco-labeling game.\nIn the last five years or so, there has been an explosion of green claims and environmental claims. It is clear that consumers don't always know what they are getting.\nA handful of lawsuits have been filed in recent years against companies accused of using misleading environmental labels. In 2008 and 2009, class-action lawsuits were filed against SC Johnson for using \"Greenlist\" labels on its cleaning products. The lawsuits said that the label was misleading because it gave the impression that the products had been certified by a third party when the certification was the company's own.\n\"We are very proud of our accomplishments under the Greenlist system and we believe that we will prevail in these cases,\" Christopher Beard, director of public affairs for SC Johnson, said, while acknowledging that \"this has been an area that is difficult to navigate.\"\nCompanies have also taken it upon themselves to contest each other's green claims.\nDavid Mallen, associate director of the Council of Better Business Bureau, said in the last two years the organization had seen an increase in the number of claims companies were bringing against each other for false or misleading environmental product claims.\n\"About once a week, I have a client that will bring up a new certification I've never even heard of and I'm in this industry, said Kevin Wilhelm, chief executive officer of Sustainable Business Consulting. \"It's kind of a Wild West, anybody can claim themselves to be green.\" Mr. Wilhelm said the excess of labels made it difficult for businesses and consumers to know which labels they should pay attention to.","id":"1850.txt","label":2} +{"option":["They can easily see through the businesses' tricks.","They have to spend lots of time choosing products.","They have doubt about current green certification.","They are not clear which products are truly green."],"question":"What does the author say about consumers facing an explosion of green claims?","article":"Manufacturers of products that claim to be environmentally friendly will face tighter rules on how they are advertised to consumers under changes proposed by the Federal Trade Commission.\nThe commission's revised \"Green Guides\" warn marketers against using labels that make broad claims, like \"eco-friendly\". Marketers must qualify their claims on the product packaging and limit them to a specific benefit, such as how much of the product is recycled.\n\"This is really about trying to cut through the confusion that consumers have when they are buying a product and that businesses have when they are selling a product,\" said Jon Leibowitz, chairman of the commission.\nThe revisions come at a time when green marketing is on the rise. According to a new study, the number of advertisements with green messages in mainstream magazines has risen since 1987, and peaked in 2008 at 10.4%. In 2009, the number dropped to 9%.\nBut while the number of advertisements may have dipped, there has been a rapid spread of ecolabeling. There are both good and bad players in the eco-labeling game.\nIn the last five years or so, there has been an explosion of green claims and environmental claims. It is clear that consumers don't always know what they are getting.\nA handful of lawsuits have been filed in recent years against companies accused of using misleading environmental labels. In 2008 and 2009, class-action lawsuits were filed against SC Johnson for using \"Greenlist\" labels on its cleaning products. The lawsuits said that the label was misleading because it gave the impression that the products had been certified by a third party when the certification was the company's own.\n\"We are very proud of our accomplishments under the Greenlist system and we believe that we will prevail in these cases,\" Christopher Beard, director of public affairs for SC Johnson, said, while acknowledging that \"this has been an area that is difficult to navigate.\"\nCompanies have also taken it upon themselves to contest each other's green claims.\nDavid Mallen, associate director of the Council of Better Business Bureau, said in the last two years the organization had seen an increase in the number of claims companies were bringing against each other for false or misleading environmental product claims.\n\"About once a week, I have a client that will bring up a new certification I've never even heard of and I'm in this industry, said Kevin Wilhelm, chief executive officer of Sustainable Business Consulting. \"It's kind of a Wild West, anybody can claim themselves to be green.\" Mr. Wilhelm said the excess of labels made it difficult for businesses and consumers to know which labels they should pay attention to.","id":"1850.txt","label":3} +{"option":["It gave consumers the impression that all its products were truly green.","It gave a third party the authority to label its products as environmentally friendly.","It misled consumers to believe that its products had been certified by a third party.","It sold cleaning products that were not included in the official \"Greenlist\"."],"question":"What was SC Johnson accused of in the class-action lawsuits?","article":"Manufacturers of products that claim to be environmentally friendly will face tighter rules on how they are advertised to consumers under changes proposed by the Federal Trade Commission.\nThe commission's revised \"Green Guides\" warn marketers against using labels that make broad claims, like \"eco-friendly\". Marketers must qualify their claims on the product packaging and limit them to a specific benefit, such as how much of the product is recycled.\n\"This is really about trying to cut through the confusion that consumers have when they are buying a product and that businesses have when they are selling a product,\" said Jon Leibowitz, chairman of the commission.\nThe revisions come at a time when green marketing is on the rise. According to a new study, the number of advertisements with green messages in mainstream magazines has risen since 1987, and peaked in 2008 at 10.4%. In 2009, the number dropped to 9%.\nBut while the number of advertisements may have dipped, there has been a rapid spread of ecolabeling. There are both good and bad players in the eco-labeling game.\nIn the last five years or so, there has been an explosion of green claims and environmental claims. It is clear that consumers don't always know what they are getting.\nA handful of lawsuits have been filed in recent years against companies accused of using misleading environmental labels. In 2008 and 2009, class-action lawsuits were filed against SC Johnson for using \"Greenlist\" labels on its cleaning products. The lawsuits said that the label was misleading because it gave the impression that the products had been certified by a third party when the certification was the company's own.\n\"We are very proud of our accomplishments under the Greenlist system and we believe that we will prevail in these cases,\" Christopher Beard, director of public affairs for SC Johnson, said, while acknowledging that \"this has been an area that is difficult to navigate.\"\nCompanies have also taken it upon themselves to contest each other's green claims.\nDavid Mallen, associate director of the Council of Better Business Bureau, said in the last two years the organization had seen an increase in the number of claims companies were bringing against each other for false or misleading environmental product claims.\n\"About once a week, I have a client that will bring up a new certification I've never even heard of and I'm in this industry, said Kevin Wilhelm, chief executive officer of Sustainable Business Consulting. \"It's kind of a Wild West, anybody can claim themselves to be green.\" Mr. Wilhelm said the excess of labels made it difficult for businesses and consumers to know which labels they should pay attention to.","id":"1850.txt","label":2} +{"option":["There were no clear guidelines concerning green labeling.","His company's products had been well received by the public.","It was in conformity to the prevailing practice in the market.","No law required the involvement of a third party in certification."],"question":"How did Christopher Beard defend his company's labeling practice?","article":"Manufacturers of products that claim to be environmentally friendly will face tighter rules on how they are advertised to consumers under changes proposed by the Federal Trade Commission.\nThe commission's revised \"Green Guides\" warn marketers against using labels that make broad claims, like \"eco-friendly\". Marketers must qualify their claims on the product packaging and limit them to a specific benefit, such as how much of the product is recycled.\n\"This is really about trying to cut through the confusion that consumers have when they are buying a product and that businesses have when they are selling a product,\" said Jon Leibowitz, chairman of the commission.\nThe revisions come at a time when green marketing is on the rise. According to a new study, the number of advertisements with green messages in mainstream magazines has risen since 1987, and peaked in 2008 at 10.4%. In 2009, the number dropped to 9%.\nBut while the number of advertisements may have dipped, there has been a rapid spread of ecolabeling. There are both good and bad players in the eco-labeling game.\nIn the last five years or so, there has been an explosion of green claims and environmental claims. It is clear that consumers don't always know what they are getting.\nA handful of lawsuits have been filed in recent years against companies accused of using misleading environmental labels. In 2008 and 2009, class-action lawsuits were filed against SC Johnson for using \"Greenlist\" labels on its cleaning products. The lawsuits said that the label was misleading because it gave the impression that the products had been certified by a third party when the certification was the company's own.\n\"We are very proud of our accomplishments under the Greenlist system and we believe that we will prevail in these cases,\" Christopher Beard, director of public affairs for SC Johnson, said, while acknowledging that \"this has been an area that is difficult to navigate.\"\nCompanies have also taken it upon themselves to contest each other's green claims.\nDavid Mallen, associate director of the Council of Better Business Bureau, said in the last two years the organization had seen an increase in the number of claims companies were bringing against each other for false or misleading environmental product claims.\n\"About once a week, I have a client that will bring up a new certification I've never even heard of and I'm in this industry, said Kevin Wilhelm, chief executive officer of Sustainable Business Consulting. \"It's kind of a Wild West, anybody can claim themselves to be green.\" Mr. Wilhelm said the excess of labels made it difficult for businesses and consumers to know which labels they should pay attention to.","id":"1850.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Businesses compete to produce green products.","Each business acts its own way in green labeling.","Consumers grow wild with products labeled green.","Anything produced in the West can be labeled green."],"question":"What does Kevin Wilhelm imply by saying \"It's kind of a Wild West\" (Line 3\uff0cPara. 11)?","article":"Manufacturers of products that claim to be environmentally friendly will face tighter rules on how they are advertised to consumers under changes proposed by the Federal Trade Commission.\nThe commission's revised \"Green Guides\" warn marketers against using labels that make broad claims, like \"eco-friendly\". Marketers must qualify their claims on the product packaging and limit them to a specific benefit, such as how much of the product is recycled.\n\"This is really about trying to cut through the confusion that consumers have when they are buying a product and that businesses have when they are selling a product,\" said Jon Leibowitz, chairman of the commission.\nThe revisions come at a time when green marketing is on the rise. According to a new study, the number of advertisements with green messages in mainstream magazines has risen since 1987, and peaked in 2008 at 10.4%. In 2009, the number dropped to 9%.\nBut while the number of advertisements may have dipped, there has been a rapid spread of ecolabeling. There are both good and bad players in the eco-labeling game.\nIn the last five years or so, there has been an explosion of green claims and environmental claims. It is clear that consumers don't always know what they are getting.\nA handful of lawsuits have been filed in recent years against companies accused of using misleading environmental labels. In 2008 and 2009, class-action lawsuits were filed against SC Johnson for using \"Greenlist\" labels on its cleaning products. The lawsuits said that the label was misleading because it gave the impression that the products had been certified by a third party when the certification was the company's own.\n\"We are very proud of our accomplishments under the Greenlist system and we believe that we will prevail in these cases,\" Christopher Beard, director of public affairs for SC Johnson, said, while acknowledging that \"this has been an area that is difficult to navigate.\"\nCompanies have also taken it upon themselves to contest each other's green claims.\nDavid Mallen, associate director of the Council of Better Business Bureau, said in the last two years the organization had seen an increase in the number of claims companies were bringing against each other for false or misleading environmental product claims.\n\"About once a week, I have a client that will bring up a new certification I've never even heard of and I'm in this industry, said Kevin Wilhelm, chief executive officer of Sustainable Business Consulting. \"It's kind of a Wild West, anybody can claim themselves to be green.\" Mr. Wilhelm said the excess of labels made it difficult for businesses and consumers to know which labels they should pay attention to.","id":"1850.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Most city-states followed the model provided by Athens.","Most city-states were based on aristocratic rule.","Different types of government and organization were used by different city- states.","By 500 B C. the city-states were no longer powerful."],"question":"Paragraph 1 supports which of the following statements about the Greek city- states?","article":"One of the most important changes in Greece during the period from 800 B.C. to 500 B.C. was the rise of the polis, or city-state, and each polis developed a system of government that was appropriate to its circumstances. The problems that were faced and solved in Athens were the sharing of political power between the established aristocracy and the emerging other classes, and the adjustment of aristocratic ways of life to the ways of life of the new polis. It was the harmonious blending of all of these elements that was to produce the classical culture of Athens.\nEntering the polis age, Athens had the traditional institutions of other Greek protodemocratic states: an assembly of adult males, an aristocratic council, and annually elected officials. Within this traditional framework the Athenians, between 600 B.C. and 450 B. C., evolved what Greeks regarded as a fully fledged democratic constitution, though the right to vote was given to fewer groups of people than is seen in modem times.\nThe first steps toward change were taken by Solon in 594 B. C., when he broke the aristocracy's stranglehold on elected offices by establishing wealth rather than birth as the basis of office holding, abolishing the economic obligations of ordinary Athenians to the aristocracy, and allowing the assembly (of which all citizens were equal members) to overrule the decisions of local courts in certain cases. The strength of the Athenian aristocracy was further weakened during the rest of the century by the rise of a type of government known as a tyranny, which is a form of interim rule by a popular strongman (not rule by a ruthless dictator as the modern use of the term suggests to us). The Peisistratids, as the succession of tyrants were called (after the founder of the dynasty, Peisistratos), strengthened Athenian central administration at the expense of the aristocracy by appointing judges throughout the region, producing Athens' first national coinage, and adding and embellishing festivals that tended to focus attention on Athens rather than on local villages of the surrounding region. By the end of the century, the time was ripe for more change: the tyrants were driven out, and in 508 B C a new reformer, Cleisthenes, gave final form to the developments reducing aristocratic control already under way.\nCleisthenes' principal contribution to the creation of democracy at Athens was to complete the long process of weakening family and clan structures, especially among the aristocrats, and to set in their place locality-based corporations called demes, which became the point of entry for all civic and most religious life in Athens. Out of the demes were created 10 artificial tribes of roughly equal population. From the demes, by either election or selection, came 500 members of a new council, 6,000 jurors for the courts, 10 generals, and hundreds of commissioners. The assembly was sovereign in all matters but in practice delegated its power to subordinate bodies such as the council, which prepared the agenda for the meetings of the assembly, and courts, which took care of most judicial matters. Various committees acted as an executive branch, implementing policies of the assembly and supervising, for instance, the food and water supplies and public buildings. This wide-scale participation by the citizenry in the government distinguished the democratic form of the Athenian polis from other, less liberal forms.\nThe effect of Cleisthenes' reforms was to establish the superiority of the Athenian community as a whole over local institutions without destroying them. National politics rather than local or deme politics became the focal point. At the same time, entry into national politics began at the deme level and gave local loyalty a new focus: Athens itself. Over the next two centuries the implications of Cleisthenes' reforms were fully exploited.\nDuring the fifth century B. C. the council of 500 was extremely influential in shaping policy. In the next century, however, it was the mature assembly that took on decision-making responsibility. By any measure other than that of the aristocrats, who had been upstaged by the supposedly inferior \"people,\" the Athenian democracy was a stunning success. Never before, or since, have so many people been involved in the serious business of self-governance. It was precisely this opportunity to participate in public life that provided a stimulus for the brilliant unfolding of classical Greek culture.\nOne of the most important changes in Greece during the period from 800 B.C. to 500 B.C. was the rise of the polis, or city-state, and each polis developed a system of government that was appropriate to its circumstances. The problems that were faced and solved in Athens were the sharing of political power between the established aristocracy and the emerging other classes, and the adjustment of aristocratic ways of life to the ways of life of the new polis. It was the harmonious blending of all of these elements that was to produce the classical culture of Athens.","id":"3020.txt","label":2} +{"option":["a council made up of aristocrats","an assembly made up of men","a constitution that was fully democratic","officials who were elected yearly"],"question":"According to paragraph 2, Athens had all of the following before becoming a city- state EXCEPT","article":"One of the most important changes in Greece during the period from 800 B.C. to 500 B.C. was the rise of the polis, or city-state, and each polis developed a system of government that was appropriate to its circumstances. The problems that were faced and solved in Athens were the sharing of political power between the established aristocracy and the emerging other classes, and the adjustment of aristocratic ways of life to the ways of life of the new polis. It was the harmonious blending of all of these elements that was to produce the classical culture of Athens.\nEntering the polis age, Athens had the traditional institutions of other Greek protodemocratic states: an assembly of adult males, an aristocratic council, and annually elected officials. Within this traditional framework the Athenians, between 600 B.C. and 450 B. C., evolved what Greeks regarded as a fully fledged democratic constitution, though the right to vote was given to fewer groups of people than is seen in modem times.\nThe first steps toward change were taken by Solon in 594 B. C., when he broke the aristocracy's stranglehold on elected offices by establishing wealth rather than birth as the basis of office holding, abolishing the economic obligations of ordinary Athenians to the aristocracy, and allowing the assembly (of which all citizens were equal members) to overrule the decisions of local courts in certain cases. The strength of the Athenian aristocracy was further weakened during the rest of the century by the rise of a type of government known as a tyranny, which is a form of interim rule by a popular strongman (not rule by a ruthless dictator as the modern use of the term suggests to us). The Peisistratids, as the succession of tyrants were called (after the founder of the dynasty, Peisistratos), strengthened Athenian central administration at the expense of the aristocracy by appointing judges throughout the region, producing Athens' first national coinage, and adding and embellishing festivals that tended to focus attention on Athens rather than on local villages of the surrounding region. By the end of the century, the time was ripe for more change: the tyrants were driven out, and in 508 B C a new reformer, Cleisthenes, gave final form to the developments reducing aristocratic control already under way.\nCleisthenes' principal contribution to the creation of democracy at Athens was to complete the long process of weakening family and clan structures, especially among the aristocrats, and to set in their place locality-based corporations called demes, which became the point of entry for all civic and most religious life in Athens. Out of the demes were created 10 artificial tribes of roughly equal population. From the demes, by either election or selection, came 500 members of a new council, 6,000 jurors for the courts, 10 generals, and hundreds of commissioners. The assembly was sovereign in all matters but in practice delegated its power to subordinate bodies such as the council, which prepared the agenda for the meetings of the assembly, and courts, which took care of most judicial matters. Various committees acted as an executive branch, implementing policies of the assembly and supervising, for instance, the food and water supplies and public buildings. This wide-scale participation by the citizenry in the government distinguished the democratic form of the Athenian polis from other, less liberal forms.\nThe effect of Cleisthenes' reforms was to establish the superiority of the Athenian community as a whole over local institutions without destroying them. National politics rather than local or deme politics became the focal point. At the same time, entry into national politics began at the deme level and gave local loyalty a new focus: Athens itself. Over the next two centuries the implications of Cleisthenes' reforms were fully exploited.\nDuring the fifth century B. C. the council of 500 was extremely influential in shaping policy. In the next century, however, it was the mature assembly that took on decision-making responsibility. By any measure other than that of the aristocrats, who had been upstaged by the supposedly inferior \"people,\" the Athenian democracy was a stunning success. Never before, or since, have so many people been involved in the serious business of self-governance. It was precisely this opportunity to participate in public life that provided a stimulus for the brilliant unfolding of classical Greek culture.\nOne of the most important changes in Greece during the period from 800 B.C. to 500 B.C. was the rise of the polis, or city-state, and each polis developed a system of government that was appropriate to its circumstances. The problems that were faced and solved in Athens were the sharing of political power between the established aristocracy and the emerging other classes, and the adjustment of aristocratic ways of life to the ways of life of the new polis. It was the harmonious blending of all of these elements that was to produce the classical culture of Athens.","id":"3020.txt","label":2} +{"option":["make fewer people qualified to be members of the assembly","make it possible for non-aristocrats to hold office","help the aristocrats maintain power","Increase economic opportunities for all Athenian citizens"],"question":"According to paragraph 3, an important effect of making wealth the basis of office holding was to","article":"One of the most important changes in Greece during the period from 800 B.C. to 500 B.C. was the rise of the polis, or city-state, and each polis developed a system of government that was appropriate to its circumstances. The problems that were faced and solved in Athens were the sharing of political power between the established aristocracy and the emerging other classes, and the adjustment of aristocratic ways of life to the ways of life of the new polis. It was the harmonious blending of all of these elements that was to produce the classical culture of Athens.\nEntering the polis age, Athens had the traditional institutions of other Greek protodemocratic states: an assembly of adult males, an aristocratic council, and annually elected officials. Within this traditional framework the Athenians, between 600 B.C. and 450 B. C., evolved what Greeks regarded as a fully fledged democratic constitution, though the right to vote was given to fewer groups of people than is seen in modem times.\nThe first steps toward change were taken by Solon in 594 B. C., when he broke the aristocracy's stranglehold on elected offices by establishing wealth rather than birth as the basis of office holding, abolishing the economic obligations of ordinary Athenians to the aristocracy, and allowing the assembly (of which all citizens were equal members) to overrule the decisions of local courts in certain cases. The strength of the Athenian aristocracy was further weakened during the rest of the century by the rise of a type of government known as a tyranny, which is a form of interim rule by a popular strongman (not rule by a ruthless dictator as the modern use of the term suggests to us). The Peisistratids, as the succession of tyrants were called (after the founder of the dynasty, Peisistratos), strengthened Athenian central administration at the expense of the aristocracy by appointing judges throughout the region, producing Athens' first national coinage, and adding and embellishing festivals that tended to focus attention on Athens rather than on local villages of the surrounding region. By the end of the century, the time was ripe for more change: the tyrants were driven out, and in 508 B C a new reformer, Cleisthenes, gave final form to the developments reducing aristocratic control already under way.\nCleisthenes' principal contribution to the creation of democracy at Athens was to complete the long process of weakening family and clan structures, especially among the aristocrats, and to set in their place locality-based corporations called demes, which became the point of entry for all civic and most religious life in Athens. Out of the demes were created 10 artificial tribes of roughly equal population. From the demes, by either election or selection, came 500 members of a new council, 6,000 jurors for the courts, 10 generals, and hundreds of commissioners. The assembly was sovereign in all matters but in practice delegated its power to subordinate bodies such as the council, which prepared the agenda for the meetings of the assembly, and courts, which took care of most judicial matters. Various committees acted as an executive branch, implementing policies of the assembly and supervising, for instance, the food and water supplies and public buildings. This wide-scale participation by the citizenry in the government distinguished the democratic form of the Athenian polis from other, less liberal forms.\nThe effect of Cleisthenes' reforms was to establish the superiority of the Athenian community as a whole over local institutions without destroying them. National politics rather than local or deme politics became the focal point. At the same time, entry into national politics began at the deme level and gave local loyalty a new focus: Athens itself. Over the next two centuries the implications of Cleisthenes' reforms were fully exploited.\nDuring the fifth century B. C. the council of 500 was extremely influential in shaping policy. In the next century, however, it was the mature assembly that took on decision-making responsibility. By any measure other than that of the aristocrats, who had been upstaged by the supposedly inferior \"people,\" the Athenian democracy was a stunning success. Never before, or since, have so many people been involved in the serious business of self-governance. It was precisely this opportunity to participate in public life that provided a stimulus for the brilliant unfolding of classical Greek culture.\nOne of the most important changes in Greece during the period from 800 B.C. to 500 B.C. was the rise of the polis, or city-state, and each polis developed a system of government that was appropriate to its circumstances. The problems that were faced and solved in Athens were the sharing of political power between the established aristocracy and the emerging other classes, and the adjustment of aristocratic ways of life to the ways of life of the new polis. It was the harmonious blending of all of these elements that was to produce the classical culture of Athens.","id":"3020.txt","label":1} +{"option":["limiting","eliminating","revising","supervising"],"question":"The word \"abolishing\" in the passage is closest in meaning to","article":"One of the most important changes in Greece during the period from 800 B.C. to 500 B.C. was the rise of the polis, or city-state, and each polis developed a system of government that was appropriate to its circumstances. The problems that were faced and solved in Athens were the sharing of political power between the established aristocracy and the emerging other classes, and the adjustment of aristocratic ways of life to the ways of life of the new polis. It was the harmonious blending of all of these elements that was to produce the classical culture of Athens.\nEntering the polis age, Athens had the traditional institutions of other Greek protodemocratic states: an assembly of adult males, an aristocratic council, and annually elected officials. Within this traditional framework the Athenians, between 600 B.C. and 450 B. C., evolved what Greeks regarded as a fully fledged democratic constitution, though the right to vote was given to fewer groups of people than is seen in modem times.\nThe first steps toward change were taken by Solon in 594 B. C., when he broke the aristocracy's stranglehold on elected offices by establishing wealth rather than birth as the basis of office holding, abolishing the economic obligations of ordinary Athenians to the aristocracy, and allowing the assembly (of which all citizens were equal members) to overrule the decisions of local courts in certain cases. The strength of the Athenian aristocracy was further weakened during the rest of the century by the rise of a type of government known as a tyranny, which is a form of interim rule by a popular strongman (not rule by a ruthless dictator as the modern use of the term suggests to us). The Peisistratids, as the succession of tyrants were called (after the founder of the dynasty, Peisistratos), strengthened Athenian central administration at the expense of the aristocracy by appointing judges throughout the region, producing Athens' first national coinage, and adding and embellishing festivals that tended to focus attention on Athens rather than on local villages of the surrounding region. By the end of the century, the time was ripe for more change: the tyrants were driven out, and in 508 B C a new reformer, Cleisthenes, gave final form to the developments reducing aristocratic control already under way.\nCleisthenes' principal contribution to the creation of democracy at Athens was to complete the long process of weakening family and clan structures, especially among the aristocrats, and to set in their place locality-based corporations called demes, which became the point of entry for all civic and most religious life in Athens. Out of the demes were created 10 artificial tribes of roughly equal population. From the demes, by either election or selection, came 500 members of a new council, 6,000 jurors for the courts, 10 generals, and hundreds of commissioners. The assembly was sovereign in all matters but in practice delegated its power to subordinate bodies such as the council, which prepared the agenda for the meetings of the assembly, and courts, which took care of most judicial matters. Various committees acted as an executive branch, implementing policies of the assembly and supervising, for instance, the food and water supplies and public buildings. This wide-scale participation by the citizenry in the government distinguished the democratic form of the Athenian polis from other, less liberal forms.\nThe effect of Cleisthenes' reforms was to establish the superiority of the Athenian community as a whole over local institutions without destroying them. National politics rather than local or deme politics became the focal point. At the same time, entry into national politics began at the deme level and gave local loyalty a new focus: Athens itself. Over the next two centuries the implications of Cleisthenes' reforms were fully exploited.\nDuring the fifth century B. C. the council of 500 was extremely influential in shaping policy. In the next century, however, it was the mature assembly that took on decision-making responsibility. By any measure other than that of the aristocrats, who had been upstaged by the supposedly inferior \"people,\" the Athenian democracy was a stunning success. Never before, or since, have so many people been involved in the serious business of self-governance. It was precisely this opportunity to participate in public life that provided a stimulus for the brilliant unfolding of classical Greek culture.\nOne of the most important changes in Greece during the period from 800 B.C. to 500 B.C. was the rise of the polis, or city-state, and each polis developed a system of government that was appropriate to its circumstances. The problems that were faced and solved in Athens were the sharing of political power between the established aristocracy and the emerging other classes, and the adjustment of aristocratic ways of life to the ways of life of the new polis. It was the harmonious blending of all of these elements that was to produce the classical culture of Athens.","id":"3020.txt","label":1} +{"option":["most Athenians were opposed to rule by the Peisistratids","the word had a somewhat different meaning for the Athenians than it does for people today","the tyrants were supported by the aristocracy","the word can be applied only to ruthless dictators"],"question":"In paragraph 3, the author's explanation of the word \"tyranny\" indicates that","article":"One of the most important changes in Greece during the period from 800 B.C. to 500 B.C. was the rise of the polis, or city-state, and each polis developed a system of government that was appropriate to its circumstances. The problems that were faced and solved in Athens were the sharing of political power between the established aristocracy and the emerging other classes, and the adjustment of aristocratic ways of life to the ways of life of the new polis. It was the harmonious blending of all of these elements that was to produce the classical culture of Athens.\nEntering the polis age, Athens had the traditional institutions of other Greek protodemocratic states: an assembly of adult males, an aristocratic council, and annually elected officials. Within this traditional framework the Athenians, between 600 B.C. and 450 B. C., evolved what Greeks regarded as a fully fledged democratic constitution, though the right to vote was given to fewer groups of people than is seen in modem times.\nThe first steps toward change were taken by Solon in 594 B. C., when he broke the aristocracy's stranglehold on elected offices by establishing wealth rather than birth as the basis of office holding, abolishing the economic obligations of ordinary Athenians to the aristocracy, and allowing the assembly (of which all citizens were equal members) to overrule the decisions of local courts in certain cases. The strength of the Athenian aristocracy was further weakened during the rest of the century by the rise of a type of government known as a tyranny, which is a form of interim rule by a popular strongman (not rule by a ruthless dictator as the modern use of the term suggests to us). The Peisistratids, as the succession of tyrants were called (after the founder of the dynasty, Peisistratos), strengthened Athenian central administration at the expense of the aristocracy by appointing judges throughout the region, producing Athens' first national coinage, and adding and embellishing festivals that tended to focus attention on Athens rather than on local villages of the surrounding region. By the end of the century, the time was ripe for more change: the tyrants were driven out, and in 508 B C a new reformer, Cleisthenes, gave final form to the developments reducing aristocratic control already under way.\nCleisthenes' principal contribution to the creation of democracy at Athens was to complete the long process of weakening family and clan structures, especially among the aristocrats, and to set in their place locality-based corporations called demes, which became the point of entry for all civic and most religious life in Athens. Out of the demes were created 10 artificial tribes of roughly equal population. From the demes, by either election or selection, came 500 members of a new council, 6,000 jurors for the courts, 10 generals, and hundreds of commissioners. The assembly was sovereign in all matters but in practice delegated its power to subordinate bodies such as the council, which prepared the agenda for the meetings of the assembly, and courts, which took care of most judicial matters. Various committees acted as an executive branch, implementing policies of the assembly and supervising, for instance, the food and water supplies and public buildings. This wide-scale participation by the citizenry in the government distinguished the democratic form of the Athenian polis from other, less liberal forms.\nThe effect of Cleisthenes' reforms was to establish the superiority of the Athenian community as a whole over local institutions without destroying them. National politics rather than local or deme politics became the focal point. At the same time, entry into national politics began at the deme level and gave local loyalty a new focus: Athens itself. Over the next two centuries the implications of Cleisthenes' reforms were fully exploited.\nDuring the fifth century B. C. the council of 500 was extremely influential in shaping policy. In the next century, however, it was the mature assembly that took on decision-making responsibility. By any measure other than that of the aristocrats, who had been upstaged by the supposedly inferior \"people,\" the Athenian democracy was a stunning success. Never before, or since, have so many people been involved in the serious business of self-governance. It was precisely this opportunity to participate in public life that provided a stimulus for the brilliant unfolding of classical Greek culture.\nOne of the most important changes in Greece during the period from 800 B.C. to 500 B.C. was the rise of the polis, or city-state, and each polis developed a system of government that was appropriate to its circumstances. The problems that were faced and solved in Athens were the sharing of political power between the established aristocracy and the emerging other classes, and the adjustment of aristocratic ways of life to the ways of life of the new polis. It was the harmonious blending of all of these elements that was to produce the classical culture of Athens.","id":"3020.txt","label":1} +{"option":["A national system of coins was created.","Judges were appointed across the region.","New festivals were added.","Increased attention was focused on local villages."],"question":"According to paragraph 3, all of the following were true of the Peisistratids' rule EXCEPT:","article":"One of the most important changes in Greece during the period from 800 B.C. to 500 B.C. was the rise of the polis, or city-state, and each polis developed a system of government that was appropriate to its circumstances. The problems that were faced and solved in Athens were the sharing of political power between the established aristocracy and the emerging other classes, and the adjustment of aristocratic ways of life to the ways of life of the new polis. It was the harmonious blending of all of these elements that was to produce the classical culture of Athens.\nEntering the polis age, Athens had the traditional institutions of other Greek protodemocratic states: an assembly of adult males, an aristocratic council, and annually elected officials. Within this traditional framework the Athenians, between 600 B.C. and 450 B. C., evolved what Greeks regarded as a fully fledged democratic constitution, though the right to vote was given to fewer groups of people than is seen in modem times.\nThe first steps toward change were taken by Solon in 594 B. C., when he broke the aristocracy's stranglehold on elected offices by establishing wealth rather than birth as the basis of office holding, abolishing the economic obligations of ordinary Athenians to the aristocracy, and allowing the assembly (of which all citizens were equal members) to overrule the decisions of local courts in certain cases. The strength of the Athenian aristocracy was further weakened during the rest of the century by the rise of a type of government known as a tyranny, which is a form of interim rule by a popular strongman (not rule by a ruthless dictator as the modern use of the term suggests to us). The Peisistratids, as the succession of tyrants were called (after the founder of the dynasty, Peisistratos), strengthened Athenian central administration at the expense of the aristocracy by appointing judges throughout the region, producing Athens' first national coinage, and adding and embellishing festivals that tended to focus attention on Athens rather than on local villages of the surrounding region. By the end of the century, the time was ripe for more change: the tyrants were driven out, and in 508 B C a new reformer, Cleisthenes, gave final form to the developments reducing aristocratic control already under way.\nCleisthenes' principal contribution to the creation of democracy at Athens was to complete the long process of weakening family and clan structures, especially among the aristocrats, and to set in their place locality-based corporations called demes, which became the point of entry for all civic and most religious life in Athens. Out of the demes were created 10 artificial tribes of roughly equal population. From the demes, by either election or selection, came 500 members of a new council, 6,000 jurors for the courts, 10 generals, and hundreds of commissioners. The assembly was sovereign in all matters but in practice delegated its power to subordinate bodies such as the council, which prepared the agenda for the meetings of the assembly, and courts, which took care of most judicial matters. Various committees acted as an executive branch, implementing policies of the assembly and supervising, for instance, the food and water supplies and public buildings. This wide-scale participation by the citizenry in the government distinguished the democratic form of the Athenian polis from other, less liberal forms.\nThe effect of Cleisthenes' reforms was to establish the superiority of the Athenian community as a whole over local institutions without destroying them. National politics rather than local or deme politics became the focal point. At the same time, entry into national politics began at the deme level and gave local loyalty a new focus: Athens itself. Over the next two centuries the implications of Cleisthenes' reforms were fully exploited.\nDuring the fifth century B. C. the council of 500 was extremely influential in shaping policy. In the next century, however, it was the mature assembly that took on decision-making responsibility. By any measure other than that of the aristocrats, who had been upstaged by the supposedly inferior \"people,\" the Athenian democracy was a stunning success. Never before, or since, have so many people been involved in the serious business of self-governance. It was precisely this opportunity to participate in public life that provided a stimulus for the brilliant unfolding of classical Greek culture.\nOne of the most important changes in Greece during the period from 800 B.C. to 500 B.C. was the rise of the polis, or city-state, and each polis developed a system of government that was appropriate to its circumstances. The problems that were faced and solved in Athens were the sharing of political power between the established aristocracy and the emerging other classes, and the adjustment of aristocratic ways of life to the ways of life of the new polis. It was the harmonious blending of all of these elements that was to produce the classical culture of Athens.","id":"3020.txt","label":3} +{"option":["making more attractive","providing support for","duplicating","controlling"],"question":"The word \"embellishing\" in the passage is closest in meaning to","article":"One of the most important changes in Greece during the period from 800 B.C. to 500 B.C. was the rise of the polis, or city-state, and each polis developed a system of government that was appropriate to its circumstances. The problems that were faced and solved in Athens were the sharing of political power between the established aristocracy and the emerging other classes, and the adjustment of aristocratic ways of life to the ways of life of the new polis. It was the harmonious blending of all of these elements that was to produce the classical culture of Athens.\nEntering the polis age, Athens had the traditional institutions of other Greek protodemocratic states: an assembly of adult males, an aristocratic council, and annually elected officials. Within this traditional framework the Athenians, between 600 B.C. and 450 B. C., evolved what Greeks regarded as a fully fledged democratic constitution, though the right to vote was given to fewer groups of people than is seen in modem times.\nThe first steps toward change were taken by Solon in 594 B. C., when he broke the aristocracy's stranglehold on elected offices by establishing wealth rather than birth as the basis of office holding, abolishing the economic obligations of ordinary Athenians to the aristocracy, and allowing the assembly (of which all citizens were equal members) to overrule the decisions of local courts in certain cases. The strength of the Athenian aristocracy was further weakened during the rest of the century by the rise of a type of government known as a tyranny, which is a form of interim rule by a popular strongman (not rule by a ruthless dictator as the modern use of the term suggests to us). The Peisistratids, as the succession of tyrants were called (after the founder of the dynasty, Peisistratos), strengthened Athenian central administration at the expense of the aristocracy by appointing judges throughout the region, producing Athens' first national coinage, and adding and embellishing festivals that tended to focus attention on Athens rather than on local villages of the surrounding region. By the end of the century, the time was ripe for more change: the tyrants were driven out, and in 508 B C a new reformer, Cleisthenes, gave final form to the developments reducing aristocratic control already under way.\nCleisthenes' principal contribution to the creation of democracy at Athens was to complete the long process of weakening family and clan structures, especially among the aristocrats, and to set in their place locality-based corporations called demes, which became the point of entry for all civic and most religious life in Athens. Out of the demes were created 10 artificial tribes of roughly equal population. From the demes, by either election or selection, came 500 members of a new council, 6,000 jurors for the courts, 10 generals, and hundreds of commissioners. The assembly was sovereign in all matters but in practice delegated its power to subordinate bodies such as the council, which prepared the agenda for the meetings of the assembly, and courts, which took care of most judicial matters. Various committees acted as an executive branch, implementing policies of the assembly and supervising, for instance, the food and water supplies and public buildings. This wide-scale participation by the citizenry in the government distinguished the democratic form of the Athenian polis from other, less liberal forms.\nThe effect of Cleisthenes' reforms was to establish the superiority of the Athenian community as a whole over local institutions without destroying them. National politics rather than local or deme politics became the focal point. At the same time, entry into national politics began at the deme level and gave local loyalty a new focus: Athens itself. Over the next two centuries the implications of Cleisthenes' reforms were fully exploited.\nDuring the fifth century B. C. the council of 500 was extremely influential in shaping policy. In the next century, however, it was the mature assembly that took on decision-making responsibility. By any measure other than that of the aristocrats, who had been upstaged by the supposedly inferior \"people,\" the Athenian democracy was a stunning success. Never before, or since, have so many people been involved in the serious business of self-governance. It was precisely this opportunity to participate in public life that provided a stimulus for the brilliant unfolding of classical Greek culture.\nOne of the most important changes in Greece during the period from 800 B.C. to 500 B.C. was the rise of the polis, or city-state, and each polis developed a system of government that was appropriate to its circumstances. The problems that were faced and solved in Athens were the sharing of political power between the established aristocracy and the emerging other classes, and the adjustment of aristocratic ways of life to the ways of life of the new polis. It was the harmonious blending of all of these elements that was to produce the classical culture of Athens.","id":"3020.txt","label":0} +{"option":["ensure that every region had the same number of commissioners","distribute the population more equally throughout the Athens region","limit the number of aristocratic clans","reduce the importance of family connections"],"question":"According to paragraph 4, one effect of making the demes the point of entry for civic life was to","article":"One of the most important changes in Greece during the period from 800 B.C. to 500 B.C. was the rise of the polis, or city-state, and each polis developed a system of government that was appropriate to its circumstances. The problems that were faced and solved in Athens were the sharing of political power between the established aristocracy and the emerging other classes, and the adjustment of aristocratic ways of life to the ways of life of the new polis. It was the harmonious blending of all of these elements that was to produce the classical culture of Athens.\nEntering the polis age, Athens had the traditional institutions of other Greek protodemocratic states: an assembly of adult males, an aristocratic council, and annually elected officials. Within this traditional framework the Athenians, between 600 B.C. and 450 B. C., evolved what Greeks regarded as a fully fledged democratic constitution, though the right to vote was given to fewer groups of people than is seen in modem times.\nThe first steps toward change were taken by Solon in 594 B. C., when he broke the aristocracy's stranglehold on elected offices by establishing wealth rather than birth as the basis of office holding, abolishing the economic obligations of ordinary Athenians to the aristocracy, and allowing the assembly (of which all citizens were equal members) to overrule the decisions of local courts in certain cases. The strength of the Athenian aristocracy was further weakened during the rest of the century by the rise of a type of government known as a tyranny, which is a form of interim rule by a popular strongman (not rule by a ruthless dictator as the modern use of the term suggests to us). The Peisistratids, as the succession of tyrants were called (after the founder of the dynasty, Peisistratos), strengthened Athenian central administration at the expense of the aristocracy by appointing judges throughout the region, producing Athens' first national coinage, and adding and embellishing festivals that tended to focus attention on Athens rather than on local villages of the surrounding region. By the end of the century, the time was ripe for more change: the tyrants were driven out, and in 508 B C a new reformer, Cleisthenes, gave final form to the developments reducing aristocratic control already under way.\nCleisthenes' principal contribution to the creation of democracy at Athens was to complete the long process of weakening family and clan structures, especially among the aristocrats, and to set in their place locality-based corporations called demes, which became the point of entry for all civic and most religious life in Athens. Out of the demes were created 10 artificial tribes of roughly equal population. From the demes, by either election or selection, came 500 members of a new council, 6,000 jurors for the courts, 10 generals, and hundreds of commissioners. The assembly was sovereign in all matters but in practice delegated its power to subordinate bodies such as the council, which prepared the agenda for the meetings of the assembly, and courts, which took care of most judicial matters. Various committees acted as an executive branch, implementing policies of the assembly and supervising, for instance, the food and water supplies and public buildings. This wide-scale participation by the citizenry in the government distinguished the democratic form of the Athenian polis from other, less liberal forms.\nThe effect of Cleisthenes' reforms was to establish the superiority of the Athenian community as a whole over local institutions without destroying them. National politics rather than local or deme politics became the focal point. At the same time, entry into national politics began at the deme level and gave local loyalty a new focus: Athens itself. Over the next two centuries the implications of Cleisthenes' reforms were fully exploited.\nDuring the fifth century B. C. the council of 500 was extremely influential in shaping policy. In the next century, however, it was the mature assembly that took on decision-making responsibility. By any measure other than that of the aristocrats, who had been upstaged by the supposedly inferior \"people,\" the Athenian democracy was a stunning success. Never before, or since, have so many people been involved in the serious business of self-governance. It was precisely this opportunity to participate in public life that provided a stimulus for the brilliant unfolding of classical Greek culture.\nOne of the most important changes in Greece during the period from 800 B.C. to 500 B.C. was the rise of the polis, or city-state, and each polis developed a system of government that was appropriate to its circumstances. The problems that were faced and solved in Athens were the sharing of political power between the established aristocracy and the emerging other classes, and the adjustment of aristocratic ways of life to the ways of life of the new polis. It was the harmonious blending of all of these elements that was to produce the classical culture of Athens.","id":"3020.txt","label":3} +{"option":["determine what issues came before the assembly","prepare the agenda for the courts","carry out the assembly's policies","oversee the distribution of food and water"],"question":"According to paragraph 4, one role of the new council was to","article":"One of the most important changes in Greece during the period from 800 B.C. to 500 B.C. was the rise of the polis, or city-state, and each polis developed a system of government that was appropriate to its circumstances. The problems that were faced and solved in Athens were the sharing of political power between the established aristocracy and the emerging other classes, and the adjustment of aristocratic ways of life to the ways of life of the new polis. It was the harmonious blending of all of these elements that was to produce the classical culture of Athens.\nEntering the polis age, Athens had the traditional institutions of other Greek protodemocratic states: an assembly of adult males, an aristocratic council, and annually elected officials. Within this traditional framework the Athenians, between 600 B.C. and 450 B. C., evolved what Greeks regarded as a fully fledged democratic constitution, though the right to vote was given to fewer groups of people than is seen in modem times.\nThe first steps toward change were taken by Solon in 594 B. C., when he broke the aristocracy's stranglehold on elected offices by establishing wealth rather than birth as the basis of office holding, abolishing the economic obligations of ordinary Athenians to the aristocracy, and allowing the assembly (of which all citizens were equal members) to overrule the decisions of local courts in certain cases. The strength of the Athenian aristocracy was further weakened during the rest of the century by the rise of a type of government known as a tyranny, which is a form of interim rule by a popular strongman (not rule by a ruthless dictator as the modern use of the term suggests to us). The Peisistratids, as the succession of tyrants were called (after the founder of the dynasty, Peisistratos), strengthened Athenian central administration at the expense of the aristocracy by appointing judges throughout the region, producing Athens' first national coinage, and adding and embellishing festivals that tended to focus attention on Athens rather than on local villages of the surrounding region. By the end of the century, the time was ripe for more change: the tyrants were driven out, and in 508 B C a new reformer, Cleisthenes, gave final form to the developments reducing aristocratic control already under way.\nCleisthenes' principal contribution to the creation of democracy at Athens was to complete the long process of weakening family and clan structures, especially among the aristocrats, and to set in their place locality-based corporations called demes, which became the point of entry for all civic and most religious life in Athens. Out of the demes were created 10 artificial tribes of roughly equal population. From the demes, by either election or selection, came 500 members of a new council, 6,000 jurors for the courts, 10 generals, and hundreds of commissioners. The assembly was sovereign in all matters but in practice delegated its power to subordinate bodies such as the council, which prepared the agenda for the meetings of the assembly, and courts, which took care of most judicial matters. Various committees acted as an executive branch, implementing policies of the assembly and supervising, for instance, the food and water supplies and public buildings. This wide-scale participation by the citizenry in the government distinguished the democratic form of the Athenian polis from other, less liberal forms.\nThe effect of Cleisthenes' reforms was to establish the superiority of the Athenian community as a whole over local institutions without destroying them. National politics rather than local or deme politics became the focal point. At the same time, entry into national politics began at the deme level and gave local loyalty a new focus: Athens itself. Over the next two centuries the implications of Cleisthenes' reforms were fully exploited.\nDuring the fifth century B. C. the council of 500 was extremely influential in shaping policy. In the next century, however, it was the mature assembly that took on decision-making responsibility. By any measure other than that of the aristocrats, who had been upstaged by the supposedly inferior \"people,\" the Athenian democracy was a stunning success. Never before, or since, have so many people been involved in the serious business of self-governance. It was precisely this opportunity to participate in public life that provided a stimulus for the brilliant unfolding of classical Greek culture.\nOne of the most important changes in Greece during the period from 800 B.C. to 500 B.C. was the rise of the polis, or city-state, and each polis developed a system of government that was appropriate to its circumstances. The problems that were faced and solved in Athens were the sharing of political power between the established aristocracy and the emerging other classes, and the adjustment of aristocratic ways of life to the ways of life of the new polis. It was the harmonious blending of all of these elements that was to produce the classical culture of Athens.","id":"3020.txt","label":0} +{"option":["separated","understood","utilized","exported"],"question":"The word \"exploited\" in the passage is closest in meaning to","article":"One of the most important changes in Greece during the period from 800 B.C. to 500 B.C. was the rise of the polis, or city-state, and each polis developed a system of government that was appropriate to its circumstances. The problems that were faced and solved in Athens were the sharing of political power between the established aristocracy and the emerging other classes, and the adjustment of aristocratic ways of life to the ways of life of the new polis. It was the harmonious blending of all of these elements that was to produce the classical culture of Athens.\nEntering the polis age, Athens had the traditional institutions of other Greek protodemocratic states: an assembly of adult males, an aristocratic council, and annually elected officials. Within this traditional framework the Athenians, between 600 B.C. and 450 B. C., evolved what Greeks regarded as a fully fledged democratic constitution, though the right to vote was given to fewer groups of people than is seen in modem times.\nThe first steps toward change were taken by Solon in 594 B. C., when he broke the aristocracy's stranglehold on elected offices by establishing wealth rather than birth as the basis of office holding, abolishing the economic obligations of ordinary Athenians to the aristocracy, and allowing the assembly (of which all citizens were equal members) to overrule the decisions of local courts in certain cases. The strength of the Athenian aristocracy was further weakened during the rest of the century by the rise of a type of government known as a tyranny, which is a form of interim rule by a popular strongman (not rule by a ruthless dictator as the modern use of the term suggests to us). The Peisistratids, as the succession of tyrants were called (after the founder of the dynasty, Peisistratos), strengthened Athenian central administration at the expense of the aristocracy by appointing judges throughout the region, producing Athens' first national coinage, and adding and embellishing festivals that tended to focus attention on Athens rather than on local villages of the surrounding region. By the end of the century, the time was ripe for more change: the tyrants were driven out, and in 508 B C a new reformer, Cleisthenes, gave final form to the developments reducing aristocratic control already under way.\nCleisthenes' principal contribution to the creation of democracy at Athens was to complete the long process of weakening family and clan structures, especially among the aristocrats, and to set in their place locality-based corporations called demes, which became the point of entry for all civic and most religious life in Athens. Out of the demes were created 10 artificial tribes of roughly equal population. From the demes, by either election or selection, came 500 members of a new council, 6,000 jurors for the courts, 10 generals, and hundreds of commissioners. The assembly was sovereign in all matters but in practice delegated its power to subordinate bodies such as the council, which prepared the agenda for the meetings of the assembly, and courts, which took care of most judicial matters. Various committees acted as an executive branch, implementing policies of the assembly and supervising, for instance, the food and water supplies and public buildings. This wide-scale participation by the citizenry in the government distinguished the democratic form of the Athenian polis from other, less liberal forms.\nThe effect of Cleisthenes' reforms was to establish the superiority of the Athenian community as a whole over local institutions without destroying them. National politics rather than local or deme politics became the focal point. At the same time, entry into national politics began at the deme level and gave local loyalty a new focus: Athens itself. Over the next two centuries the implications of Cleisthenes' reforms were fully exploited.\nDuring the fifth century B. C. the council of 500 was extremely influential in shaping policy. In the next century, however, it was the mature assembly that took on decision-making responsibility. By any measure other than that of the aristocrats, who had been upstaged by the supposedly inferior \"people,\" the Athenian democracy was a stunning success. Never before, or since, have so many people been involved in the serious business of self-governance. It was precisely this opportunity to participate in public life that provided a stimulus for the brilliant unfolding of classical Greek culture.\nOne of the most important changes in Greece during the period from 800 B.C. to 500 B.C. was the rise of the polis, or city-state, and each polis developed a system of government that was appropriate to its circumstances. The problems that were faced and solved in Athens were the sharing of political power between the established aristocracy and the emerging other classes, and the adjustment of aristocratic ways of life to the ways of life of the new polis. It was the harmonious blending of all of these elements that was to produce the classical culture of Athens.","id":"3020.txt","label":2} +{"option":["popular","universal","impressive","continuing"],"question":"The word \"stunning\" in the passage is closest in meaning to","article":"One of the most important changes in Greece during the period from 800 B.C. to 500 B.C. was the rise of the polis, or city-state, and each polis developed a system of government that was appropriate to its circumstances. The problems that were faced and solved in Athens were the sharing of political power between the established aristocracy and the emerging other classes, and the adjustment of aristocratic ways of life to the ways of life of the new polis. It was the harmonious blending of all of these elements that was to produce the classical culture of Athens.\nEntering the polis age, Athens had the traditional institutions of other Greek protodemocratic states: an assembly of adult males, an aristocratic council, and annually elected officials. Within this traditional framework the Athenians, between 600 B.C. and 450 B. C., evolved what Greeks regarded as a fully fledged democratic constitution, though the right to vote was given to fewer groups of people than is seen in modem times.\nThe first steps toward change were taken by Solon in 594 B. C., when he broke the aristocracy's stranglehold on elected offices by establishing wealth rather than birth as the basis of office holding, abolishing the economic obligations of ordinary Athenians to the aristocracy, and allowing the assembly (of which all citizens were equal members) to overrule the decisions of local courts in certain cases. The strength of the Athenian aristocracy was further weakened during the rest of the century by the rise of a type of government known as a tyranny, which is a form of interim rule by a popular strongman (not rule by a ruthless dictator as the modern use of the term suggests to us). The Peisistratids, as the succession of tyrants were called (after the founder of the dynasty, Peisistratos), strengthened Athenian central administration at the expense of the aristocracy by appointing judges throughout the region, producing Athens' first national coinage, and adding and embellishing festivals that tended to focus attention on Athens rather than on local villages of the surrounding region. By the end of the century, the time was ripe for more change: the tyrants were driven out, and in 508 B C a new reformer, Cleisthenes, gave final form to the developments reducing aristocratic control already under way.\nCleisthenes' principal contribution to the creation of democracy at Athens was to complete the long process of weakening family and clan structures, especially among the aristocrats, and to set in their place locality-based corporations called demes, which became the point of entry for all civic and most religious life in Athens. Out of the demes were created 10 artificial tribes of roughly equal population. From the demes, by either election or selection, came 500 members of a new council, 6,000 jurors for the courts, 10 generals, and hundreds of commissioners. The assembly was sovereign in all matters but in practice delegated its power to subordinate bodies such as the council, which prepared the agenda for the meetings of the assembly, and courts, which took care of most judicial matters. Various committees acted as an executive branch, implementing policies of the assembly and supervising, for instance, the food and water supplies and public buildings. This wide-scale participation by the citizenry in the government distinguished the democratic form of the Athenian polis from other, less liberal forms.\nThe effect of Cleisthenes' reforms was to establish the superiority of the Athenian community as a whole over local institutions without destroying them. National politics rather than local or deme politics became the focal point. At the same time, entry into national politics began at the deme level and gave local loyalty a new focus: Athens itself. Over the next two centuries the implications of Cleisthenes' reforms were fully exploited.\nDuring the fifth century B. C. the council of 500 was extremely influential in shaping policy. In the next century, however, it was the mature assembly that took on decision-making responsibility. By any measure other than that of the aristocrats, who had been upstaged by the supposedly inferior \"people,\" the Athenian democracy was a stunning success. Never before, or since, have so many people been involved in the serious business of self-governance. It was precisely this opportunity to participate in public life that provided a stimulus for the brilliant unfolding of classical Greek culture.\nOne of the most important changes in Greece during the period from 800 B.C. to 500 B.C. was the rise of the polis, or city-state, and each polis developed a system of government that was appropriate to its circumstances. The problems that were faced and solved in Athens were the sharing of political power between the established aristocracy and the emerging other classes, and the adjustment of aristocratic ways of life to the ways of life of the new polis. It was the harmonious blending of all of these elements that was to produce the classical culture of Athens.","id":"3020.txt","label":2} +{"option":["They think they are insane.","They feel rather bad-tempered and short-fussed.","They become violently sick.","They are too tired to do anything."],"question":"What effect does exceeding positive ionization have on some people?","article":"Recent research has claimed that an excess of positive ions in the air can have an ill effect on people's physical or psychological health. What are positive ions? Well, the air is full of ions, electrically charged particles, and generally there is a rough balance between the positive and the negative charged. But sometimes this balance becomes disturbed and a larger proportion of positive ions are found. This happens naturally before thunderstorm, earthquakes when winds such as the Mistral, Hamsin or Sharav are blowing in certain countries. Or it can be caused by a build-up of static electricity indoors from carpets or clothing made of man-made fibres, or from TV sets, duplicators or computer display screens.\nWhen a large number of positive ions are present in the air many people experience unpleasant effects such as headaches, fatigue, irritability, and some particularly sensitive people suffer nausea or even mental disturbance. Animals are also affected, particularly before earthquakes, snakes have been observed to come out of hibernation, rats to flee from their burrows, dogs howl and cats jump about unaccountably. This has led the US Geographical Survey to fund a network of volunteers to watch animals in an effort to foresee such disasters before they hit vulnerable areas such as California.\nConversely, when large numbers of negative ions are present, then people have a feeling of well-being. Natural conditions that produce these large amounts are near the sea, close to waterfalls or fountains, or in any place where water is sprayed, or forms a spray. This probably accounts for the beneficial effect of a holiday by the sea, or in the mountains with tumbling streams or waterfalls.\nTo increase the supply of negative ions indoors, some scientists recommend the use of ionisers: small portable machines, which generate negative ions. They claim that ionisers not only clean and refresh the air but also improve the health of people sensitive to excess positive ions. Of course, there are the detractors, other scientists, who dismiss such claims and are skeptical about negative\/positive ion research. Therefore people can only make up their own minds by observing the effects on themselves, or on others, of a negative rich or poor environment. After all it is debatable whether depending on seismic readings to anticipate earthquakes is more effective than watching the cat.","id":"82.txt","label":1} +{"option":["using home-made electrical goods.","wearing clothes made of natural materials.","walking on artificial floor coverings.","copying TV programs on a computer."],"question":"In accordance with the passage, static electricity can be caused by _ .","article":"Recent research has claimed that an excess of positive ions in the air can have an ill effect on people's physical or psychological health. What are positive ions? Well, the air is full of ions, electrically charged particles, and generally there is a rough balance between the positive and the negative charged. But sometimes this balance becomes disturbed and a larger proportion of positive ions are found. This happens naturally before thunderstorm, earthquakes when winds such as the Mistral, Hamsin or Sharav are blowing in certain countries. Or it can be caused by a build-up of static electricity indoors from carpets or clothing made of man-made fibres, or from TV sets, duplicators or computer display screens.\nWhen a large number of positive ions are present in the air many people experience unpleasant effects such as headaches, fatigue, irritability, and some particularly sensitive people suffer nausea or even mental disturbance. Animals are also affected, particularly before earthquakes, snakes have been observed to come out of hibernation, rats to flee from their burrows, dogs howl and cats jump about unaccountably. This has led the US Geographical Survey to fund a network of volunteers to watch animals in an effort to foresee such disasters before they hit vulnerable areas such as California.\nConversely, when large numbers of negative ions are present, then people have a feeling of well-being. Natural conditions that produce these large amounts are near the sea, close to waterfalls or fountains, or in any place where water is sprayed, or forms a spray. This probably accounts for the beneficial effect of a holiday by the sea, or in the mountains with tumbling streams or waterfalls.\nTo increase the supply of negative ions indoors, some scientists recommend the use of ionisers: small portable machines, which generate negative ions. They claim that ionisers not only clean and refresh the air but also improve the health of people sensitive to excess positive ions. Of course, there are the detractors, other scientists, who dismiss such claims and are skeptical about negative\/positive ion research. Therefore people can only make up their own minds by observing the effects on themselves, or on others, of a negative rich or poor environment. After all it is debatable whether depending on seismic readings to anticipate earthquakes is more effective than watching the cat.","id":"82.txt","label":2} +{"option":["near a pound with a water pump.","close to a slow-flowing river.","high in some barren mountains.","by a rotating water sprinkler."],"question":"A high negative ion count is likely to be found _ .","article":"Recent research has claimed that an excess of positive ions in the air can have an ill effect on people's physical or psychological health. What are positive ions? Well, the air is full of ions, electrically charged particles, and generally there is a rough balance between the positive and the negative charged. But sometimes this balance becomes disturbed and a larger proportion of positive ions are found. This happens naturally before thunderstorm, earthquakes when winds such as the Mistral, Hamsin or Sharav are blowing in certain countries. Or it can be caused by a build-up of static electricity indoors from carpets or clothing made of man-made fibres, or from TV sets, duplicators or computer display screens.\nWhen a large number of positive ions are present in the air many people experience unpleasant effects such as headaches, fatigue, irritability, and some particularly sensitive people suffer nausea or even mental disturbance. Animals are also affected, particularly before earthquakes, snakes have been observed to come out of hibernation, rats to flee from their burrows, dogs howl and cats jump about unaccountably. This has led the US Geographical Survey to fund a network of volunteers to watch animals in an effort to foresee such disasters before they hit vulnerable areas such as California.\nConversely, when large numbers of negative ions are present, then people have a feeling of well-being. Natural conditions that produce these large amounts are near the sea, close to waterfalls or fountains, or in any place where water is sprayed, or forms a spray. This probably accounts for the beneficial effect of a holiday by the sea, or in the mountains with tumbling streams or waterfalls.\nTo increase the supply of negative ions indoors, some scientists recommend the use of ionisers: small portable machines, which generate negative ions. They claim that ionisers not only clean and refresh the air but also improve the health of people sensitive to excess positive ions. Of course, there are the detractors, other scientists, who dismiss such claims and are skeptical about negative\/positive ion research. Therefore people can only make up their own minds by observing the effects on themselves, or on others, of a negative rich or poor environment. After all it is debatable whether depending on seismic readings to anticipate earthquakes is more effective than watching the cat.","id":"82.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Ionisers.","Air-conditioners.","Exhaust-fans","Vacuum pumps."],"question":"What kind of machine can generate negative ions indoors?","article":"Recent research has claimed that an excess of positive ions in the air can have an ill effect on people's physical or psychological health. What are positive ions? Well, the air is full of ions, electrically charged particles, and generally there is a rough balance between the positive and the negative charged. But sometimes this balance becomes disturbed and a larger proportion of positive ions are found. This happens naturally before thunderstorm, earthquakes when winds such as the Mistral, Hamsin or Sharav are blowing in certain countries. Or it can be caused by a build-up of static electricity indoors from carpets or clothing made of man-made fibres, or from TV sets, duplicators or computer display screens.\nWhen a large number of positive ions are present in the air many people experience unpleasant effects such as headaches, fatigue, irritability, and some particularly sensitive people suffer nausea or even mental disturbance. Animals are also affected, particularly before earthquakes, snakes have been observed to come out of hibernation, rats to flee from their burrows, dogs howl and cats jump about unaccountably. This has led the US Geographical Survey to fund a network of volunteers to watch animals in an effort to foresee such disasters before they hit vulnerable areas such as California.\nConversely, when large numbers of negative ions are present, then people have a feeling of well-being. Natural conditions that produce these large amounts are near the sea, close to waterfalls or fountains, or in any place where water is sprayed, or forms a spray. This probably accounts for the beneficial effect of a holiday by the sea, or in the mountains with tumbling streams or waterfalls.\nTo increase the supply of negative ions indoors, some scientists recommend the use of ionisers: small portable machines, which generate negative ions. They claim that ionisers not only clean and refresh the air but also improve the health of people sensitive to excess positive ions. Of course, there are the detractors, other scientists, who dismiss such claims and are skeptical about negative\/positive ion research. Therefore people can only make up their own minds by observing the effects on themselves, or on others, of a negative rich or poor environment. After all it is debatable whether depending on seismic readings to anticipate earthquakes is more effective than watching the cat.","id":"82.txt","label":0} +{"option":["watching animals to anticipate earthquakes is more effective than depending on seismography.","the unusual behavior of animals cannot be trusted.","neither watching nor using seismographs is reliable.","earthquake"],"question":"Some scientists believe that _ .","article":"Recent research has claimed that an excess of positive ions in the air can have an ill effect on people's physical or psychological health. What are positive ions? Well, the air is full of ions, electrically charged particles, and generally there is a rough balance between the positive and the negative charged. But sometimes this balance becomes disturbed and a larger proportion of positive ions are found. This happens naturally before thunderstorm, earthquakes when winds such as the Mistral, Hamsin or Sharav are blowing in certain countries. Or it can be caused by a build-up of static electricity indoors from carpets or clothing made of man-made fibres, or from TV sets, duplicators or computer display screens.\nWhen a large number of positive ions are present in the air many people experience unpleasant effects such as headaches, fatigue, irritability, and some particularly sensitive people suffer nausea or even mental disturbance. Animals are also affected, particularly before earthquakes, snakes have been observed to come out of hibernation, rats to flee from their burrows, dogs howl and cats jump about unaccountably. This has led the US Geographical Survey to fund a network of volunteers to watch animals in an effort to foresee such disasters before they hit vulnerable areas such as California.\nConversely, when large numbers of negative ions are present, then people have a feeling of well-being. Natural conditions that produce these large amounts are near the sea, close to waterfalls or fountains, or in any place where water is sprayed, or forms a spray. This probably accounts for the beneficial effect of a holiday by the sea, or in the mountains with tumbling streams or waterfalls.\nTo increase the supply of negative ions indoors, some scientists recommend the use of ionisers: small portable machines, which generate negative ions. They claim that ionisers not only clean and refresh the air but also improve the health of people sensitive to excess positive ions. Of course, there are the detractors, other scientists, who dismiss such claims and are skeptical about negative\/positive ion research. Therefore people can only make up their own minds by observing the effects on themselves, or on others, of a negative rich or poor environment. After all it is debatable whether depending on seismic readings to anticipate earthquakes is more effective than watching the cat.","id":"82.txt","label":0} +{"option":["custom reveals only the superficial nature of human behavior","the study of social orders can replace the study of custom","people are still not aware of the important role that custom plays in forming our world outlook","custom has little to do with our ways of thinking"],"question":"The author thinks the reason why custom has been ignored in the academic world is that ________.","article":"Now custom has not been commonly regarded as a subject of any great importance. The inner workings of our own brains we feel to be uniquely worthy of investigation, but custom, we have a way of thinking, is behavior at its most commonplace. As a matter of fact, it is the other way around. Traditional custom, taken the world over, is a mass of detailed behavior more astonishing than what any one person can ever evolve in individual actions. Yet that is a rather trivial aspect of the matter. The fact of first-rate importance is the predominant role that custom plays in experience and in belief and the very great varieties it may manifest.\nNo man ever looks at the world with pristine eyes. He sees it edited by a definite set of customs and institutions and ways of thinking. Even in his philosophical probing he cannot go behind these stereotypes; his very concepts of the true and the false will still have reference to his particular traditional customs. John Dewey has said in all seriousness that the part played by custom in shaping the behavior of the individual as over against any way in which he can affect traditional custom, is as the proportion of the total vocabulary of his mother tongue over against those words of his own baby talk that are taken up into the language of his family. When one seriously studies axial orders that have had the opportunity to develop independently, the becomes no more than an exact and matter-of-fact observation. The life history of the individual is first and foremost an adjustment to the patterns and standards traditionally handed down in his community. From the moment of his birth the customs into which he is born shape his experience and behavior. By the time he can talk, he is the little creature of his culture, and by the time he is grown and able to take part in its activities, its habits are his habits, its beliefs his beliefs, its impossibilities his impossibilities.","id":"2749.txt","label":2} +{"option":["An individual can exercise very little influence on the cultural tradition into which he is born.","Custom is the direct result of the philosophical probing of a group of people.","An individual is strongly influenced by the cultural tradition even before he is born.","Custom represents the collective wisdom which benefits the individual."],"question":"Which of the following is true according to John Dewey?","article":"Now custom has not been commonly regarded as a subject of any great importance. The inner workings of our own brains we feel to be uniquely worthy of investigation, but custom, we have a way of thinking, is behavior at its most commonplace. As a matter of fact, it is the other way around. Traditional custom, taken the world over, is a mass of detailed behavior more astonishing than what any one person can ever evolve in individual actions. Yet that is a rather trivial aspect of the matter. The fact of first-rate importance is the predominant role that custom plays in experience and in belief and the very great varieties it may manifest.\nNo man ever looks at the world with pristine eyes. He sees it edited by a definite set of customs and institutions and ways of thinking. Even in his philosophical probing he cannot go behind these stereotypes; his very concepts of the true and the false will still have reference to his particular traditional customs. John Dewey has said in all seriousness that the part played by custom in shaping the behavior of the individual as over against any way in which he can affect traditional custom, is as the proportion of the total vocabulary of his mother tongue over against those words of his own baby talk that are taken up into the language of his family. When one seriously studies axial orders that have had the opportunity to develop independently, the becomes no more than an exact and matter-of-fact observation. The life history of the individual is first and foremost an adjustment to the patterns and standards traditionally handed down in his community. From the moment of his birth the customs into which he is born shape his experience and behavior. By the time he can talk, he is the little creature of his culture, and by the time he is grown and able to take part in its activities, its habits are his habits, its beliefs his beliefs, its impossibilities his impossibilities.","id":"2749.txt","label":0} +{"option":["the concept of the true and the false of a society","the independently developed social orders","the adjustment of the individual to the new social environment","the patterns and standards of behavior of a community"],"question":"The world \"custom\" in this passage most probably means ________.","article":"Now custom has not been commonly regarded as a subject of any great importance. The inner workings of our own brains we feel to be uniquely worthy of investigation, but custom, we have a way of thinking, is behavior at its most commonplace. As a matter of fact, it is the other way around. Traditional custom, taken the world over, is a mass of detailed behavior more astonishing than what any one person can ever evolve in individual actions. Yet that is a rather trivial aspect of the matter. The fact of first-rate importance is the predominant role that custom plays in experience and in belief and the very great varieties it may manifest.\nNo man ever looks at the world with pristine eyes. He sees it edited by a definite set of customs and institutions and ways of thinking. Even in his philosophical probing he cannot go behind these stereotypes; his very concepts of the true and the false will still have reference to his particular traditional customs. John Dewey has said in all seriousness that the part played by custom in shaping the behavior of the individual as over against any way in which he can affect traditional custom, is as the proportion of the total vocabulary of his mother tongue over against those words of his own baby talk that are taken up into the language of his family. When one seriously studies axial orders that have had the opportunity to develop independently, the becomes no more than an exact and matter-of-fact observation. The life history of the individual is first and foremost an adjustment to the patterns and standards traditionally handed down in his community. From the moment of his birth the customs into which he is born shape his experience and behavior. By the time he can talk, he is the little creature of his culture, and by the time he is grown and able to take part in its activities, its habits are his habits, its beliefs his beliefs, its impossibilities his impossibilities.","id":"2749.txt","label":3} +{"option":["is constantly shaping the cultural traditions of his people","is predominated by traditional custom","is continually influenced by the habits of other communities","is chiefly influenced by the people around him"],"question":"According to the passage a person's life, from his birth to his death, ________.","article":"Now custom has not been commonly regarded as a subject of any great importance. The inner workings of our own brains we feel to be uniquely worthy of investigation, but custom, we have a way of thinking, is behavior at its most commonplace. As a matter of fact, it is the other way around. Traditional custom, taken the world over, is a mass of detailed behavior more astonishing than what any one person can ever evolve in individual actions. Yet that is a rather trivial aspect of the matter. The fact of first-rate importance is the predominant role that custom plays in experience and in belief and the very great varieties it may manifest.\nNo man ever looks at the world with pristine eyes. He sees it edited by a definite set of customs and institutions and ways of thinking. Even in his philosophical probing he cannot go behind these stereotypes; his very concepts of the true and the false will still have reference to his particular traditional customs. John Dewey has said in all seriousness that the part played by custom in shaping the behavior of the individual as over against any way in which he can affect traditional custom, is as the proportion of the total vocabulary of his mother tongue over against those words of his own baby talk that are taken up into the language of his family. When one seriously studies axial orders that have had the opportunity to develop independently, the becomes no more than an exact and matter-of-fact observation. The life history of the individual is first and foremost an adjustment to the patterns and standards traditionally handed down in his community. From the moment of his birth the customs into which he is born shape his experience and behavior. By the time he can talk, he is the little creature of his culture, and by the time he is grown and able to take part in its activities, its habits are his habits, its beliefs his beliefs, its impossibilities his impossibilities.","id":"2749.txt","label":1} +{"option":["to urge individuals to follow traditional customs","to stress the strong influence of customs on an individual","to examine the interaction of man and axial customs","to show man's adjustment to traditional customs"],"question":"The author's pump in writing this passage is ________.","article":"Now custom has not been commonly regarded as a subject of any great importance. The inner workings of our own brains we feel to be uniquely worthy of investigation, but custom, we have a way of thinking, is behavior at its most commonplace. As a matter of fact, it is the other way around. Traditional custom, taken the world over, is a mass of detailed behavior more astonishing than what any one person can ever evolve in individual actions. Yet that is a rather trivial aspect of the matter. The fact of first-rate importance is the predominant role that custom plays in experience and in belief and the very great varieties it may manifest.\nNo man ever looks at the world with pristine eyes. He sees it edited by a definite set of customs and institutions and ways of thinking. Even in his philosophical probing he cannot go behind these stereotypes; his very concepts of the true and the false will still have reference to his particular traditional customs. John Dewey has said in all seriousness that the part played by custom in shaping the behavior of the individual as over against any way in which he can affect traditional custom, is as the proportion of the total vocabulary of his mother tongue over against those words of his own baby talk that are taken up into the language of his family. When one seriously studies axial orders that have had the opportunity to develop independently, the becomes no more than an exact and matter-of-fact observation. The life history of the individual is first and foremost an adjustment to the patterns and standards traditionally handed down in his community. From the moment of his birth the customs into which he is born shape his experience and behavior. By the time he can talk, he is the little creature of his culture, and by the time he is grown and able to take part in its activities, its habits are his habits, its beliefs his beliefs, its impossibilities his impossibilities.","id":"2749.txt","label":1} +{"option":["The case is not encouraging in promoting America's justice outside the country.","The Pentagon is finally beginning to work effectively to try the detainees of its anti-terrorist war.","The detainees are not supposed to have civilian lawyers, while only military lawyers are allowed.","The fact that the Pentagon has been involved in a series of controversies leads to the public attention of the Hicks case."],"question":"What does the author intend to illustrate with the Hicks case?","article":"The American military tribunals set up to pass judgment on terrorism suspects at Guant\u00e1namo Bay lurched into life this week when David Hicks, the\" Australian Taliban\" , unexpectedly pleaded guilty. The Pentagon will be relieved that the tribunals have started to show results after five years of controversy over the status of\" enemy combatants\" , claims of torture, the admissibility of forced confessions and a Supreme Court ruling last year that halted an earlier version of the tribunals. Yet the Hicks case is hardly an impressive start for America's offshore justice. Critics say the 31-year-old Mr Hicks, a former kangaroo skinner and alleged al-Qaeda fighter, faces a\" kangaroo court\" . Two of his civilian lawyers were barred from the hearing on March 26th. His military lawyer, Major Michael Mori, has been threatened with prosecution for harshly criticising the tribunals.\nThe prosecutor, Colonel Morris Davis, said the defence lawyer may have breached military law that bans officers from using\" contemptuous words\" against the president or senior officials. Major Mori filed a counter-charge against the prosecution, saying it was trying to intimidate him. In the end the motion will not be heard because Mr Hicks, looking pale and bedraggled, admitted the charge of\" providing material support for terrorism\" . A charge of\" attempted murder in violation of the laws of war\" was dropped. As The Economist went to press, the tribunal was due to hear details of his plea and pass sentence, which Mr Hicks is expected to serve out in Australia. His father, Terry Hicks, said his son had had\" five years of absolute hell\" since being captured in Afghanistan and allegedly suffering beatings, rape and forced injections in American custody-accusations rejected by the Pentagon. The guilty plea was just\" a way to get home\" , said Mr Hicks's father.\nMany in Australia regard Mr Hicks as more of a lost soul than a dangerous terrorist. Indeed, his charge sheet portrays him as little more than an al-Qaeda foot-soldier, and a poor one at that. His jihadi CV is pitiful compared with the evidence being given by some of the 14\" high value detainees\" belatedly brought to Guant\u00e1namo from CIA secret prisons in September. They include al-Qaeda's operational chief, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who in a closed hearing to determine whether he was an\" enemy combatant\" earlier this month boasted that he had organised the September 11th attacks\" from A to Z\" , and 30 other plots. Meanwhile, Ahmed Ghalfan Ghailani and Waleed bin Atttash, from Tanzania and Yemen respectively, have admitted supplying equipment for the bombing of the American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998.\nMany of these big names will face trial, and perhaps the death penalty. But the tribunals are expected to try only 60-80 of the more than 380 prisoners currently in Guant\u00e1namo. Over the years hundreds of detainees have been sent back to their countries, where some have been jailed and most have been released-and sometimes re-arrested. The Bush Administration says it wants to phase out and eventually close the jail. But it is unlikely to do so for some years, either because it lacks the evidence to prosecute detainees\uff08even under the more lax military rules it is using\uff09, or because other countries are unwilling to take them back.","id":"543.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Hicks' military lawyer was also sued by the prosecutor.","The reason that Mr. Hicks pleaded guilty was to escape from the bad treatment.","Mr. Hicks has admitted guilty of both charges by the prosecutor.","The Pentagon is unaware of the accusation toward the American custody."],"question":"What can we infer from the second paragraph?","article":"The American military tribunals set up to pass judgment on terrorism suspects at Guant\u00e1namo Bay lurched into life this week when David Hicks, the\" Australian Taliban\" , unexpectedly pleaded guilty. The Pentagon will be relieved that the tribunals have started to show results after five years of controversy over the status of\" enemy combatants\" , claims of torture, the admissibility of forced confessions and a Supreme Court ruling last year that halted an earlier version of the tribunals. Yet the Hicks case is hardly an impressive start for America's offshore justice. Critics say the 31-year-old Mr Hicks, a former kangaroo skinner and alleged al-Qaeda fighter, faces a\" kangaroo court\" . Two of his civilian lawyers were barred from the hearing on March 26th. His military lawyer, Major Michael Mori, has been threatened with prosecution for harshly criticising the tribunals.\nThe prosecutor, Colonel Morris Davis, said the defence lawyer may have breached military law that bans officers from using\" contemptuous words\" against the president or senior officials. Major Mori filed a counter-charge against the prosecution, saying it was trying to intimidate him. In the end the motion will not be heard because Mr Hicks, looking pale and bedraggled, admitted the charge of\" providing material support for terrorism\" . A charge of\" attempted murder in violation of the laws of war\" was dropped. As The Economist went to press, the tribunal was due to hear details of his plea and pass sentence, which Mr Hicks is expected to serve out in Australia. His father, Terry Hicks, said his son had had\" five years of absolute hell\" since being captured in Afghanistan and allegedly suffering beatings, rape and forced injections in American custody-accusations rejected by the Pentagon. The guilty plea was just\" a way to get home\" , said Mr Hicks's father.\nMany in Australia regard Mr Hicks as more of a lost soul than a dangerous terrorist. Indeed, his charge sheet portrays him as little more than an al-Qaeda foot-soldier, and a poor one at that. His jihadi CV is pitiful compared with the evidence being given by some of the 14\" high value detainees\" belatedly brought to Guant\u00e1namo from CIA secret prisons in September. They include al-Qaeda's operational chief, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who in a closed hearing to determine whether he was an\" enemy combatant\" earlier this month boasted that he had organised the September 11th attacks\" from A to Z\" , and 30 other plots. Meanwhile, Ahmed Ghalfan Ghailani and Waleed bin Atttash, from Tanzania and Yemen respectively, have admitted supplying equipment for the bombing of the American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998.\nMany of these big names will face trial, and perhaps the death penalty. But the tribunals are expected to try only 60-80 of the more than 380 prisoners currently in Guant\u00e1namo. Over the years hundreds of detainees have been sent back to their countries, where some have been jailed and most have been released-and sometimes re-arrested. The Bush Administration says it wants to phase out and eventually close the jail. But it is unlikely to do so for some years, either because it lacks the evidence to prosecute detainees\uff08even under the more lax military rules it is using\uff09, or because other countries are unwilling to take them back.","id":"543.txt","label":1} +{"option":["a court dealing with kangaroo smuggle","a weird court","an unfair court","a military court"],"question":"What does\" kangaroo court\" \uff08Line 7, Paragraph 1\uff09mean?","article":"The American military tribunals set up to pass judgment on terrorism suspects at Guant\u00e1namo Bay lurched into life this week when David Hicks, the\" Australian Taliban\" , unexpectedly pleaded guilty. The Pentagon will be relieved that the tribunals have started to show results after five years of controversy over the status of\" enemy combatants\" , claims of torture, the admissibility of forced confessions and a Supreme Court ruling last year that halted an earlier version of the tribunals. Yet the Hicks case is hardly an impressive start for America's offshore justice. Critics say the 31-year-old Mr Hicks, a former kangaroo skinner and alleged al-Qaeda fighter, faces a\" kangaroo court\" . Two of his civilian lawyers were barred from the hearing on March 26th. His military lawyer, Major Michael Mori, has been threatened with prosecution for harshly criticising the tribunals.\nThe prosecutor, Colonel Morris Davis, said the defence lawyer may have breached military law that bans officers from using\" contemptuous words\" against the president or senior officials. Major Mori filed a counter-charge against the prosecution, saying it was trying to intimidate him. In the end the motion will not be heard because Mr Hicks, looking pale and bedraggled, admitted the charge of\" providing material support for terrorism\" . A charge of\" attempted murder in violation of the laws of war\" was dropped. As The Economist went to press, the tribunal was due to hear details of his plea and pass sentence, which Mr Hicks is expected to serve out in Australia. His father, Terry Hicks, said his son had had\" five years of absolute hell\" since being captured in Afghanistan and allegedly suffering beatings, rape and forced injections in American custody-accusations rejected by the Pentagon. The guilty plea was just\" a way to get home\" , said Mr Hicks's father.\nMany in Australia regard Mr Hicks as more of a lost soul than a dangerous terrorist. Indeed, his charge sheet portrays him as little more than an al-Qaeda foot-soldier, and a poor one at that. His jihadi CV is pitiful compared with the evidence being given by some of the 14\" high value detainees\" belatedly brought to Guant\u00e1namo from CIA secret prisons in September. They include al-Qaeda's operational chief, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who in a closed hearing to determine whether he was an\" enemy combatant\" earlier this month boasted that he had organised the September 11th attacks\" from A to Z\" , and 30 other plots. Meanwhile, Ahmed Ghalfan Ghailani and Waleed bin Atttash, from Tanzania and Yemen respectively, have admitted supplying equipment for the bombing of the American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998.\nMany of these big names will face trial, and perhaps the death penalty. But the tribunals are expected to try only 60-80 of the more than 380 prisoners currently in Guant\u00e1namo. Over the years hundreds of detainees have been sent back to their countries, where some have been jailed and most have been released-and sometimes re-arrested. The Bush Administration says it wants to phase out and eventually close the jail. But it is unlikely to do so for some years, either because it lacks the evidence to prosecute detainees\uff08even under the more lax military rules it is using\uff09, or because other countries are unwilling to take them back.","id":"543.txt","label":2} +{"option":["the jail in Guant\u00e1namo Bay will be closed in the near future","the government is too optimistic in closing the jail","the tribunals will eventually try all the detainees","all the detainees will be sent back to their own countries"],"question":"The fourth paragraph suggests that _ .","article":"The American military tribunals set up to pass judgment on terrorism suspects at Guant\u00e1namo Bay lurched into life this week when David Hicks, the\" Australian Taliban\" , unexpectedly pleaded guilty. The Pentagon will be relieved that the tribunals have started to show results after five years of controversy over the status of\" enemy combatants\" , claims of torture, the admissibility of forced confessions and a Supreme Court ruling last year that halted an earlier version of the tribunals. Yet the Hicks case is hardly an impressive start for America's offshore justice. Critics say the 31-year-old Mr Hicks, a former kangaroo skinner and alleged al-Qaeda fighter, faces a\" kangaroo court\" . Two of his civilian lawyers were barred from the hearing on March 26th. His military lawyer, Major Michael Mori, has been threatened with prosecution for harshly criticising the tribunals.\nThe prosecutor, Colonel Morris Davis, said the defence lawyer may have breached military law that bans officers from using\" contemptuous words\" against the president or senior officials. Major Mori filed a counter-charge against the prosecution, saying it was trying to intimidate him. In the end the motion will not be heard because Mr Hicks, looking pale and bedraggled, admitted the charge of\" providing material support for terrorism\" . A charge of\" attempted murder in violation of the laws of war\" was dropped. As The Economist went to press, the tribunal was due to hear details of his plea and pass sentence, which Mr Hicks is expected to serve out in Australia. His father, Terry Hicks, said his son had had\" five years of absolute hell\" since being captured in Afghanistan and allegedly suffering beatings, rape and forced injections in American custody-accusations rejected by the Pentagon. The guilty plea was just\" a way to get home\" , said Mr Hicks's father.\nMany in Australia regard Mr Hicks as more of a lost soul than a dangerous terrorist. Indeed, his charge sheet portrays him as little more than an al-Qaeda foot-soldier, and a poor one at that. His jihadi CV is pitiful compared with the evidence being given by some of the 14\" high value detainees\" belatedly brought to Guant\u00e1namo from CIA secret prisons in September. They include al-Qaeda's operational chief, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who in a closed hearing to determine whether he was an\" enemy combatant\" earlier this month boasted that he had organised the September 11th attacks\" from A to Z\" , and 30 other plots. Meanwhile, Ahmed Ghalfan Ghailani and Waleed bin Atttash, from Tanzania and Yemen respectively, have admitted supplying equipment for the bombing of the American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998.\nMany of these big names will face trial, and perhaps the death penalty. But the tribunals are expected to try only 60-80 of the more than 380 prisoners currently in Guant\u00e1namo. Over the years hundreds of detainees have been sent back to their countries, where some have been jailed and most have been released-and sometimes re-arrested. The Bush Administration says it wants to phase out and eventually close the jail. But it is unlikely to do so for some years, either because it lacks the evidence to prosecute detainees\uff08even under the more lax military rules it is using\uff09, or because other countries are unwilling to take them back.","id":"543.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Australians regard Mr. Hicks as a hero since he is a big name in the al-Qaeda organization.","Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is charged of his organization of the entire event of the September 11 attacks.","Most detainees will face severe trials and sentences when they are sent back to their home countries.","The whole passage is permeated by an ironic tone towards the saying that the Hicks case showcases America's justice."],"question":"Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?","article":"The American military tribunals set up to pass judgment on terrorism suspects at Guant\u00e1namo Bay lurched into life this week when David Hicks, the\" Australian Taliban\" , unexpectedly pleaded guilty. The Pentagon will be relieved that the tribunals have started to show results after five years of controversy over the status of\" enemy combatants\" , claims of torture, the admissibility of forced confessions and a Supreme Court ruling last year that halted an earlier version of the tribunals. Yet the Hicks case is hardly an impressive start for America's offshore justice. Critics say the 31-year-old Mr Hicks, a former kangaroo skinner and alleged al-Qaeda fighter, faces a\" kangaroo court\" . Two of his civilian lawyers were barred from the hearing on March 26th. His military lawyer, Major Michael Mori, has been threatened with prosecution for harshly criticising the tribunals.\nThe prosecutor, Colonel Morris Davis, said the defence lawyer may have breached military law that bans officers from using\" contemptuous words\" against the president or senior officials. Major Mori filed a counter-charge against the prosecution, saying it was trying to intimidate him. In the end the motion will not be heard because Mr Hicks, looking pale and bedraggled, admitted the charge of\" providing material support for terrorism\" . A charge of\" attempted murder in violation of the laws of war\" was dropped. As The Economist went to press, the tribunal was due to hear details of his plea and pass sentence, which Mr Hicks is expected to serve out in Australia. His father, Terry Hicks, said his son had had\" five years of absolute hell\" since being captured in Afghanistan and allegedly suffering beatings, rape and forced injections in American custody-accusations rejected by the Pentagon. The guilty plea was just\" a way to get home\" , said Mr Hicks's father.\nMany in Australia regard Mr Hicks as more of a lost soul than a dangerous terrorist. Indeed, his charge sheet portrays him as little more than an al-Qaeda foot-soldier, and a poor one at that. His jihadi CV is pitiful compared with the evidence being given by some of the 14\" high value detainees\" belatedly brought to Guant\u00e1namo from CIA secret prisons in September. They include al-Qaeda's operational chief, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who in a closed hearing to determine whether he was an\" enemy combatant\" earlier this month boasted that he had organised the September 11th attacks\" from A to Z\" , and 30 other plots. Meanwhile, Ahmed Ghalfan Ghailani and Waleed bin Atttash, from Tanzania and Yemen respectively, have admitted supplying equipment for the bombing of the American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998.\nMany of these big names will face trial, and perhaps the death penalty. But the tribunals are expected to try only 60-80 of the more than 380 prisoners currently in Guant\u00e1namo. Over the years hundreds of detainees have been sent back to their countries, where some have been jailed and most have been released-and sometimes re-arrested. The Bush Administration says it wants to phase out and eventually close the jail. But it is unlikely to do so for some years, either because it lacks the evidence to prosecute detainees\uff08even under the more lax military rules it is using\uff09, or because other countries are unwilling to take them back.","id":"543.txt","label":3} +{"option":["the choice between spiritual encouragement and monetary rewards","the appropriate amount of external rewards","the study of relationship between actions and","the effects of external rewards on students' performance"],"question":"Psychologists are divided with regard to their attitudes toward _ .","article":"Psychologists take opposing views of how external rewards, from warm praise to old cash, affect motivation and creativity. Behaviorists, who study the relation between actions and, argue that rewards can improve performance at work and school. Some other researchers who study various aspects of mental life, maintain those rewards often destroy creativity byencouraging dependence on approval and gifts from others.\nThe latter view has gained many supporters, especially among educators. But the careful use of small monetary rewards sparks in grade-school children suggesting that properly presented inducements indeed aid inventiveness, according to a study in the June Journal Personality and Social Psychology.\n\"If they know they're working for a reward and can focus on a relatively challenging task, they show the most creativity,\" says Robert Esenberger of the University of Delaware in Newark. \"But it's easy to kill creativity by giving rewards for poor performance or creating too much anticipation for rewards.\"\nA teacher who continually draws attention to rewards or who hands out high grades for ordinary achievement ends up with uninspired students, Esenberger holds. As an example of the latter point, he notes growing efforts at major universities to tighten grading standards and restore falling grades.\nIn earlier grades, the use of so-called token economics, in which students handle challenging problems and receive performance-based points toward valued rewards, shows promise in raising effort and creativity, the Delaware psychologist claims.","id":"364.txt","label":3} +{"option":["They approve of external rewards.","They don't think external rewards.","They have doubts about external rewards.","They believe external rewards can motivate small children, but not college students."],"question":"What is the view held by many educators concerning external rewards for students?","article":"Psychologists take opposing views of how external rewards, from warm praise to old cash, affect motivation and creativity. Behaviorists, who study the relation between actions and, argue that rewards can improve performance at work and school. Some other researchers who study various aspects of mental life, maintain those rewards often destroy creativity byencouraging dependence on approval and gifts from others.\nThe latter view has gained many supporters, especially among educators. But the careful use of small monetary rewards sparks in grade-school children suggesting that properly presented inducements indeed aid inventiveness, according to a study in the June Journal Personality and Social Psychology.\n\"If they know they're working for a reward and can focus on a relatively challenging task, they show the most creativity,\" says Robert Esenberger of the University of Delaware in Newark. \"But it's easy to kill creativity by giving rewards for poor performance or creating too much anticipation for rewards.\"\nA teacher who continually draws attention to rewards or who hands out high grades for ordinary achievement ends up with uninspired students, Esenberger holds. As an example of the latter point, he notes growing efforts at major universities to tighten grading standards and restore falling grades.\nIn earlier grades, the use of so-called token economics, in which students handle challenging problems and receive performance-based points toward valued rewards, shows promise in raising effort and creativity, the Delaware psychologist claims.","id":"364.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Give rewards for performances which deserve them.","Always promise rewards.","Assign tasks which are not very challenging.","Be more lenient to students when mistakes are made."],"question":"According to the result of the study mentioned in the passage, what should educators do to stimulate motivation and creativity?","article":"Psychologists take opposing views of how external rewards, from warm praise to old cash, affect motivation and creativity. Behaviorists, who study the relation between actions and, argue that rewards can improve performance at work and school. Some other researchers who study various aspects of mental life, maintain those rewards often destroy creativity byencouraging dependence on approval and gifts from others.\nThe latter view has gained many supporters, especially among educators. But the careful use of small monetary rewards sparks in grade-school children suggesting that properly presented inducements indeed aid inventiveness, according to a study in the June Journal Personality and Social Psychology.\n\"If they know they're working for a reward and can focus on a relatively challenging task, they show the most creativity,\" says Robert Esenberger of the University of Delaware in Newark. \"But it's easy to kill creativity by giving rewards for poor performance or creating too much anticipation for rewards.\"\nA teacher who continually draws attention to rewards or who hands out high grades for ordinary achievement ends up with uninspired students, Esenberger holds. As an example of the latter point, he notes growing efforts at major universities to tighten grading standards and restore falling grades.\nIn earlier grades, the use of so-called token economics, in which students handle challenging problems and receive performance-based points toward valued rewards, shows promise in raising effort and creativity, the Delaware psychologist claims.","id":"364.txt","label":0} +{"option":["rewarding poor performance may kill the creativity of students'","punishment is more effective than rewarding","failing uninspired students helps improve their overall academic standards","discouraging the students anticipation for easy rewards is matter of urgency"],"question":"It can be inferred from the passage that major universities are trying to tighten their grading standards because they believe _ .","article":"Psychologists take opposing views of how external rewards, from warm praise to old cash, affect motivation and creativity. Behaviorists, who study the relation between actions and, argue that rewards can improve performance at work and school. Some other researchers who study various aspects of mental life, maintain those rewards often destroy creativity byencouraging dependence on approval and gifts from others.\nThe latter view has gained many supporters, especially among educators. But the careful use of small monetary rewards sparks in grade-school children suggesting that properly presented inducements indeed aid inventiveness, according to a study in the June Journal Personality and Social Psychology.\n\"If they know they're working for a reward and can focus on a relatively challenging task, they show the most creativity,\" says Robert Esenberger of the University of Delaware in Newark. \"But it's easy to kill creativity by giving rewards for poor performance or creating too much anticipation for rewards.\"\nA teacher who continually draws attention to rewards or who hands out high grades for ordinary achievement ends up with uninspired students, Esenberger holds. As an example of the latter point, he notes growing efforts at major universities to tighten grading standards and restore falling grades.\nIn earlier grades, the use of so-called token economics, in which students handle challenging problems and receive performance-based points toward valued rewards, shows promise in raising effort and creativity, the Delaware psychologist claims.","id":"364.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Students are assigned challenging tasks.","Rewards are given for good performances.","Students are evaluated according to the effort they put into the task.","With token economics, students' creativity can be enhanced."],"question":"Which of the following facts about \"token economics\" is not correct?","article":"Psychologists take opposing views of how external rewards, from warm praise to old cash, affect motivation and creativity. Behaviorists, who study the relation between actions and, argue that rewards can improve performance at work and school. Some other researchers who study various aspects of mental life, maintain those rewards often destroy creativity byencouraging dependence on approval and gifts from others.\nThe latter view has gained many supporters, especially among educators. But the careful use of small monetary rewards sparks in grade-school children suggesting that properly presented inducements indeed aid inventiveness, according to a study in the June Journal Personality and Social Psychology.\n\"If they know they're working for a reward and can focus on a relatively challenging task, they show the most creativity,\" says Robert Esenberger of the University of Delaware in Newark. \"But it's easy to kill creativity by giving rewards for poor performance or creating too much anticipation for rewards.\"\nA teacher who continually draws attention to rewards or who hands out high grades for ordinary achievement ends up with uninspired students, Esenberger holds. As an example of the latter point, he notes growing efforts at major universities to tighten grading standards and restore falling grades.\nIn earlier grades, the use of so-called token economics, in which students handle challenging problems and receive performance-based points toward valued rewards, shows promise in raising effort and creativity, the Delaware psychologist claims.","id":"364.txt","label":2} +{"option":["The difficulty of paying the tuition.","The far-sight of Katie's parents.","The promising future of Katie.","The increasing college tuition."],"question":"What does the author intend to illustrate with the example of the Harts?","article":"As long as her parents can remember, 13-year-old Katie Hart has been talking about going to college. Her mother, Tally, a financial-aid officer at an Ohio university, knows all too well the daunting calculus of paying for a college education. Last year the average yearly tuition at a private, four-year school climbed 5. 5 percent to more than $17,000. The Harts have started saving, and figure they can afford a public university without a problem. But what if Katie applies to Princeton \uff08she's threatening\uff09, where one year's tuition, room and board-almost $34,000 in 2002-will cost more than some luxury cars? Even a number cruncher like Tally admits it's a little scary, especially since she'll retire and Katie will go to college at around the same time.\nPaying for college has always been a humbling endeavor. The good news: last year students collected $74 billion in financial aid, the most ever. Most families pay less than full freight. Sixty percent of public-university students and three quarters of those at private colleges receive some form of financial aid-mostly, these days, in the form of loans. But those numbers are not as encouraging as they appear for lower-income families, because schools are changing their formulas for distributing aid. Eager to boost their magazine rankings, which are based in part on the test scores of entering freshmen, they're throwing more aid at smarter kids-whether they need it or not.\nThe best way to prepare is to start saving early. A new law passed last year makes that easier for some families. So-called 529 plans allow parents to sock away funds in federal-tax-free-investment accounts, as long as the money is used for\" qualified education expenses\" like tuition, room and board. The plans aren't for everyone. For tax reasons, some lower-and middle-income families may be better off choosing other investments. But saving is vital. When's the best time to start?\" Sometime,\" says Jack Joyce of the College Board, \" between the maternity ward and middle school.\"\nAid packages usually come in some combination of grants, loans and jobs. These days 60 percent of all aid comes in the form of low-interest loans. All students are eligible for\" unsubsidized\" federal Stafford loans, which let them defer interest payments until after graduation. Students who can demonstrate need can also qualify for federal Perkins loans or\" subsidized\" Staffords, where the government pays the interest during school. Fortunately, this is a borrower's market. \" Interest rates are at their lowest level in the history of student loans,\" says Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of Finaid. Kantrowitz expects rates to fall even further when they're reviewed this summer.\nTraditional scholarships, academic or athletic, are still a part of many families' planning. Mack Reiter, a 17-year-old national wrestling champion, gets so many recruiting letters he throws most away. He'll almost certainly get a free ride. Without it, \" we would really be in a bind,\" says his mother, Janet. For everyone else, it's worth the effort to pick through local and national scholarship offerings, which can be found on Web sites like collegeboard. com.","id":"566.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Some families are too poor to pay the full amount of the tuition.","Many parents do not favor the form of loans.","Paying the tuition makes the parents feel humble.","Those who are in great need may not get what they need."],"question":"What can we infer from the second paragraph?","article":"As long as her parents can remember, 13-year-old Katie Hart has been talking about going to college. Her mother, Tally, a financial-aid officer at an Ohio university, knows all too well the daunting calculus of paying for a college education. Last year the average yearly tuition at a private, four-year school climbed 5. 5 percent to more than $17,000. The Harts have started saving, and figure they can afford a public university without a problem. But what if Katie applies to Princeton \uff08she's threatening\uff09, where one year's tuition, room and board-almost $34,000 in 2002-will cost more than some luxury cars? Even a number cruncher like Tally admits it's a little scary, especially since she'll retire and Katie will go to college at around the same time.\nPaying for college has always been a humbling endeavor. The good news: last year students collected $74 billion in financial aid, the most ever. Most families pay less than full freight. Sixty percent of public-university students and three quarters of those at private colleges receive some form of financial aid-mostly, these days, in the form of loans. But those numbers are not as encouraging as they appear for lower-income families, because schools are changing their formulas for distributing aid. Eager to boost their magazine rankings, which are based in part on the test scores of entering freshmen, they're throwing more aid at smarter kids-whether they need it or not.\nThe best way to prepare is to start saving early. A new law passed last year makes that easier for some families. So-called 529 plans allow parents to sock away funds in federal-tax-free-investment accounts, as long as the money is used for\" qualified education expenses\" like tuition, room and board. The plans aren't for everyone. For tax reasons, some lower-and middle-income families may be better off choosing other investments. But saving is vital. When's the best time to start?\" Sometime,\" says Jack Joyce of the College Board, \" between the maternity ward and middle school.\"\nAid packages usually come in some combination of grants, loans and jobs. These days 60 percent of all aid comes in the form of low-interest loans. All students are eligible for\" unsubsidized\" federal Stafford loans, which let them defer interest payments until after graduation. Students who can demonstrate need can also qualify for federal Perkins loans or\" subsidized\" Staffords, where the government pays the interest during school. Fortunately, this is a borrower's market. \" Interest rates are at their lowest level in the history of student loans,\" says Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of Finaid. Kantrowitz expects rates to fall even further when they're reviewed this summer.\nTraditional scholarships, academic or athletic, are still a part of many families' planning. Mack Reiter, a 17-year-old national wrestling champion, gets so many recruiting letters he throws most away. He'll almost certainly get a free ride. Without it, \" we would really be in a bind,\" says his mother, Janet. For everyone else, it's worth the effort to pick through local and national scholarship offerings, which can be found on Web sites like collegeboard. com.","id":"566.txt","label":3} +{"option":["many recruiting letters failed to provide Mack Reiter with scholarships","Mack Reiter wanted to help his family go out of the trouble","traditional scholarships are a good solution to the tuition problems in some families","Mack Reiter was very proud of his national wrestling championship"],"question":"The last paragraph suggests that _ .","article":"As long as her parents can remember, 13-year-old Katie Hart has been talking about going to college. Her mother, Tally, a financial-aid officer at an Ohio university, knows all too well the daunting calculus of paying for a college education. Last year the average yearly tuition at a private, four-year school climbed 5. 5 percent to more than $17,000. The Harts have started saving, and figure they can afford a public university without a problem. But what if Katie applies to Princeton \uff08she's threatening\uff09, where one year's tuition, room and board-almost $34,000 in 2002-will cost more than some luxury cars? Even a number cruncher like Tally admits it's a little scary, especially since she'll retire and Katie will go to college at around the same time.\nPaying for college has always been a humbling endeavor. The good news: last year students collected $74 billion in financial aid, the most ever. Most families pay less than full freight. Sixty percent of public-university students and three quarters of those at private colleges receive some form of financial aid-mostly, these days, in the form of loans. But those numbers are not as encouraging as they appear for lower-income families, because schools are changing their formulas for distributing aid. Eager to boost their magazine rankings, which are based in part on the test scores of entering freshmen, they're throwing more aid at smarter kids-whether they need it or not.\nThe best way to prepare is to start saving early. A new law passed last year makes that easier for some families. So-called 529 plans allow parents to sock away funds in federal-tax-free-investment accounts, as long as the money is used for\" qualified education expenses\" like tuition, room and board. The plans aren't for everyone. For tax reasons, some lower-and middle-income families may be better off choosing other investments. But saving is vital. When's the best time to start?\" Sometime,\" says Jack Joyce of the College Board, \" between the maternity ward and middle school.\"\nAid packages usually come in some combination of grants, loans and jobs. These days 60 percent of all aid comes in the form of low-interest loans. All students are eligible for\" unsubsidized\" federal Stafford loans, which let them defer interest payments until after graduation. Students who can demonstrate need can also qualify for federal Perkins loans or\" subsidized\" Staffords, where the government pays the interest during school. Fortunately, this is a borrower's market. \" Interest rates are at their lowest level in the history of student loans,\" says Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of Finaid. Kantrowitz expects rates to fall even further when they're reviewed this summer.\nTraditional scholarships, academic or athletic, are still a part of many families' planning. Mack Reiter, a 17-year-old national wrestling champion, gets so many recruiting letters he throws most away. He'll almost certainly get a free ride. Without it, \" we would really be in a bind,\" says his mother, Janet. For everyone else, it's worth the effort to pick through local and national scholarship offerings, which can be found on Web sites like collegeboard. com.","id":"566.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Richer.","Wiser.","Happier.","Luckier."],"question":"What does the author mean by\" better off\" \uff08Lines 4\uff5e5, Paragraph 3\uff09?","article":"As long as her parents can remember, 13-year-old Katie Hart has been talking about going to college. Her mother, Tally, a financial-aid officer at an Ohio university, knows all too well the daunting calculus of paying for a college education. Last year the average yearly tuition at a private, four-year school climbed 5. 5 percent to more than $17,000. The Harts have started saving, and figure they can afford a public university without a problem. But what if Katie applies to Princeton \uff08she's threatening\uff09, where one year's tuition, room and board-almost $34,000 in 2002-will cost more than some luxury cars? Even a number cruncher like Tally admits it's a little scary, especially since she'll retire and Katie will go to college at around the same time.\nPaying for college has always been a humbling endeavor. The good news: last year students collected $74 billion in financial aid, the most ever. Most families pay less than full freight. Sixty percent of public-university students and three quarters of those at private colleges receive some form of financial aid-mostly, these days, in the form of loans. But those numbers are not as encouraging as they appear for lower-income families, because schools are changing their formulas for distributing aid. Eager to boost their magazine rankings, which are based in part on the test scores of entering freshmen, they're throwing more aid at smarter kids-whether they need it or not.\nThe best way to prepare is to start saving early. A new law passed last year makes that easier for some families. So-called 529 plans allow parents to sock away funds in federal-tax-free-investment accounts, as long as the money is used for\" qualified education expenses\" like tuition, room and board. The plans aren't for everyone. For tax reasons, some lower-and middle-income families may be better off choosing other investments. But saving is vital. When's the best time to start?\" Sometime,\" says Jack Joyce of the College Board, \" between the maternity ward and middle school.\"\nAid packages usually come in some combination of grants, loans and jobs. These days 60 percent of all aid comes in the form of low-interest loans. All students are eligible for\" unsubsidized\" federal Stafford loans, which let them defer interest payments until after graduation. Students who can demonstrate need can also qualify for federal Perkins loans or\" subsidized\" Staffords, where the government pays the interest during school. Fortunately, this is a borrower's market. \" Interest rates are at their lowest level in the history of student loans,\" says Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of Finaid. Kantrowitz expects rates to fall even further when they're reviewed this summer.\nTraditional scholarships, academic or athletic, are still a part of many families' planning. Mack Reiter, a 17-year-old national wrestling champion, gets so many recruiting letters he throws most away. He'll almost certainly get a free ride. Without it, \" we would really be in a bind,\" says his mother, Janet. For everyone else, it's worth the effort to pick through local and national scholarship offerings, which can be found on Web sites like collegeboard. com.","id":"566.txt","label":1} +{"option":["The Harts prefer a public university to a private one.","It is much easier to pay the tuition at present.","All students can get the aid package.","Traditional scholarships are still attractive to some families."],"question":"Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?","article":"As long as her parents can remember, 13-year-old Katie Hart has been talking about going to college. Her mother, Tally, a financial-aid officer at an Ohio university, knows all too well the daunting calculus of paying for a college education. Last year the average yearly tuition at a private, four-year school climbed 5. 5 percent to more than $17,000. The Harts have started saving, and figure they can afford a public university without a problem. But what if Katie applies to Princeton \uff08she's threatening\uff09, where one year's tuition, room and board-almost $34,000 in 2002-will cost more than some luxury cars? Even a number cruncher like Tally admits it's a little scary, especially since she'll retire and Katie will go to college at around the same time.\nPaying for college has always been a humbling endeavor. The good news: last year students collected $74 billion in financial aid, the most ever. Most families pay less than full freight. Sixty percent of public-university students and three quarters of those at private colleges receive some form of financial aid-mostly, these days, in the form of loans. But those numbers are not as encouraging as they appear for lower-income families, because schools are changing their formulas for distributing aid. Eager to boost their magazine rankings, which are based in part on the test scores of entering freshmen, they're throwing more aid at smarter kids-whether they need it or not.\nThe best way to prepare is to start saving early. A new law passed last year makes that easier for some families. So-called 529 plans allow parents to sock away funds in federal-tax-free-investment accounts, as long as the money is used for\" qualified education expenses\" like tuition, room and board. The plans aren't for everyone. For tax reasons, some lower-and middle-income families may be better off choosing other investments. But saving is vital. When's the best time to start?\" Sometime,\" says Jack Joyce of the College Board, \" between the maternity ward and middle school.\"\nAid packages usually come in some combination of grants, loans and jobs. These days 60 percent of all aid comes in the form of low-interest loans. All students are eligible for\" unsubsidized\" federal Stafford loans, which let them defer interest payments until after graduation. Students who can demonstrate need can also qualify for federal Perkins loans or\" subsidized\" Staffords, where the government pays the interest during school. Fortunately, this is a borrower's market. \" Interest rates are at their lowest level in the history of student loans,\" says Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of Finaid. Kantrowitz expects rates to fall even further when they're reviewed this summer.\nTraditional scholarships, academic or athletic, are still a part of many families' planning. Mack Reiter, a 17-year-old national wrestling champion, gets so many recruiting letters he throws most away. He'll almost certainly get a free ride. Without it, \" we would really be in a bind,\" says his mother, Janet. For everyone else, it's worth the effort to pick through local and national scholarship offerings, which can be found on Web sites like collegeboard. com.","id":"566.txt","label":3} +{"option":["he considered his fiction was of high level but was generally undervalued.","he wrote the Holmes stories at the beginning for fun but later merely for the large income.","the Holmes stories hindered him from writing historical fiction.","the Holmes stories earned him the international fame as well as pressure."],"question":"Conan Doyle regarded Holmes as a burden because _","article":"The inventor of Sherlock Holmes was the most commercially successful author of his time. Arthur Conan Doyle was a phenomenon: practising doctor, war correspondent, businessman, politician and a campaigner for legal and colonial reforms as well as a popular novelist.\nBut he considered his fiction undervalued. Though he was known worldwide as the author of the Holmes stories and even sometimes addressed as Mr Sherlock Holmes, Doyle regarded himself as primarily a writer of uplifting historical fiction, usually with a medieval background. At first he considered Sherlock Holmes a pleasant diversion that filled a gap in his income. Eventually he came to think of the detective as an irksome burden: \"He keeps me from higher things,\" he wrote.\nThe Sherlock Holmes stories continue to exercise extraordinary power. The writing is never more than efficient but the setting remains perennial: the comfortable, carpeted, fire-lit Baker Street sitting room shared by Holmes and Watson, the paradoxically womblike world of a Victorian bachelor set above an anarchic underworld full of violence and immorality. Doyle's literary masterstroke was dividing the story between Holmes and Watson. It was a device the writer used frequently but never as effectively as here.\nDoyle's true theme was division: between order and anarchy, reason and emotion, the material and the spiritual. He himself was a man divided, as two new biographical books make clear. The very picture of an upright Victorian gentleman, Doyle was not averse to fighting in the street when the mood took him. And in his late 30s, at the height of his fame, he ran a double life, conducting a largely secret affair with the woman who eventually became his second wife, while his first was gradually succumbing to tuberculosis.\nMuch of this is revealed in detail in Andrew Lycett's biography and in a selection of Doyle's letters edited by the present executor of the Doyle estate. The story behind the publication of these two books might make a Doylesque thriller in itself. Mr Lycett and the Doyle estate vied to gain control of newly discovered material, each trying to get to market first. Mr Lycett's book is a serious piece of work from an experienced professional biographer. If he never quite gets fully to grips with Doyle's elusive personality, the author is particularly good on the intellectual background to Doyle's work, both known and forgotten. The biography is hobbled by the Doyle estate's refusal to permit quotation from numerous documents. But Mr Lycett makes the best of what he has and fills the gaps with insight.\nThe selected letters by contrast are strictly an enthusiast's book. The editors' comments are a bit haphazard and it is poorly presented. On the other hand, it does convey an almost physical presence of the author, with his strange mixture of kindness and carelessness, overbearing self-confidence and depressive self-doubt. Above all there is the impression of a man driven by internal forces. Since boyhood Doyle had been struggling with the consequences of his rationalist rejection of Catholicism and his growing conviction that there must be some kind of reality beyond the scientific. This was a division that in the end he could not manage. By the close of his life he was spending his diminishing energies defending not only the world of spiritualism but also the outermost fraudulent fringes of supernatural belief. It was a sorry ending.","id":"3544.txt","label":2} +{"option":["adverse.","against.","opposite.","converse."],"question":"The word \"averse\" (Line 4, Paragraph 4) most probably means _","article":"The inventor of Sherlock Holmes was the most commercially successful author of his time. Arthur Conan Doyle was a phenomenon: practising doctor, war correspondent, businessman, politician and a campaigner for legal and colonial reforms as well as a popular novelist.\nBut he considered his fiction undervalued. Though he was known worldwide as the author of the Holmes stories and even sometimes addressed as Mr Sherlock Holmes, Doyle regarded himself as primarily a writer of uplifting historical fiction, usually with a medieval background. At first he considered Sherlock Holmes a pleasant diversion that filled a gap in his income. Eventually he came to think of the detective as an irksome burden: \"He keeps me from higher things,\" he wrote.\nThe Sherlock Holmes stories continue to exercise extraordinary power. The writing is never more than efficient but the setting remains perennial: the comfortable, carpeted, fire-lit Baker Street sitting room shared by Holmes and Watson, the paradoxically womblike world of a Victorian bachelor set above an anarchic underworld full of violence and immorality. Doyle's literary masterstroke was dividing the story between Holmes and Watson. It was a device the writer used frequently but never as effectively as here.\nDoyle's true theme was division: between order and anarchy, reason and emotion, the material and the spiritual. He himself was a man divided, as two new biographical books make clear. The very picture of an upright Victorian gentleman, Doyle was not averse to fighting in the street when the mood took him. And in his late 30s, at the height of his fame, he ran a double life, conducting a largely secret affair with the woman who eventually became his second wife, while his first was gradually succumbing to tuberculosis.\nMuch of this is revealed in detail in Andrew Lycett's biography and in a selection of Doyle's letters edited by the present executor of the Doyle estate. The story behind the publication of these two books might make a Doylesque thriller in itself. Mr Lycett and the Doyle estate vied to gain control of newly discovered material, each trying to get to market first. Mr Lycett's book is a serious piece of work from an experienced professional biographer. If he never quite gets fully to grips with Doyle's elusive personality, the author is particularly good on the intellectual background to Doyle's work, both known and forgotten. The biography is hobbled by the Doyle estate's refusal to permit quotation from numerous documents. But Mr Lycett makes the best of what he has and fills the gaps with insight.\nThe selected letters by contrast are strictly an enthusiast's book. The editors' comments are a bit haphazard and it is poorly presented. On the other hand, it does convey an almost physical presence of the author, with his strange mixture of kindness and carelessness, overbearing self-confidence and depressive self-doubt. Above all there is the impression of a man driven by internal forces. Since boyhood Doyle had been struggling with the consequences of his rationalist rejection of Catholicism and his growing conviction that there must be some kind of reality beyond the scientific. This was a division that in the end he could not manage. By the close of his life he was spending his diminishing energies defending not only the world of spiritualism but also the outermost fraudulent fringes of supernatural belief. It was a sorry ending.","id":"3544.txt","label":1} +{"option":["a reasonable gentleman.","a man with doubtful life style.","one with man divided\tpsychological identities.","a man of integrity and enthusiasm."],"question":"In Andrew Lycett's biography, Doyle is most probably described as _","article":"The inventor of Sherlock Holmes was the most commercially successful author of his time. Arthur Conan Doyle was a phenomenon: practising doctor, war correspondent, businessman, politician and a campaigner for legal and colonial reforms as well as a popular novelist.\nBut he considered his fiction undervalued. Though he was known worldwide as the author of the Holmes stories and even sometimes addressed as Mr Sherlock Holmes, Doyle regarded himself as primarily a writer of uplifting historical fiction, usually with a medieval background. At first he considered Sherlock Holmes a pleasant diversion that filled a gap in his income. Eventually he came to think of the detective as an irksome burden: \"He keeps me from higher things,\" he wrote.\nThe Sherlock Holmes stories continue to exercise extraordinary power. The writing is never more than efficient but the setting remains perennial: the comfortable, carpeted, fire-lit Baker Street sitting room shared by Holmes and Watson, the paradoxically womblike world of a Victorian bachelor set above an anarchic underworld full of violence and immorality. Doyle's literary masterstroke was dividing the story between Holmes and Watson. It was a device the writer used frequently but never as effectively as here.\nDoyle's true theme was division: between order and anarchy, reason and emotion, the material and the spiritual. He himself was a man divided, as two new biographical books make clear. The very picture of an upright Victorian gentleman, Doyle was not averse to fighting in the street when the mood took him. And in his late 30s, at the height of his fame, he ran a double life, conducting a largely secret affair with the woman who eventually became his second wife, while his first was gradually succumbing to tuberculosis.\nMuch of this is revealed in detail in Andrew Lycett's biography and in a selection of Doyle's letters edited by the present executor of the Doyle estate. The story behind the publication of these two books might make a Doylesque thriller in itself. Mr Lycett and the Doyle estate vied to gain control of newly discovered material, each trying to get to market first. Mr Lycett's book is a serious piece of work from an experienced professional biographer. If he never quite gets fully to grips with Doyle's elusive personality, the author is particularly good on the intellectual background to Doyle's work, both known and forgotten. The biography is hobbled by the Doyle estate's refusal to permit quotation from numerous documents. But Mr Lycett makes the best of what he has and fills the gaps with insight.\nThe selected letters by contrast are strictly an enthusiast's book. The editors' comments are a bit haphazard and it is poorly presented. On the other hand, it does convey an almost physical presence of the author, with his strange mixture of kindness and carelessness, overbearing self-confidence and depressive self-doubt. Above all there is the impression of a man driven by internal forces. Since boyhood Doyle had been struggling with the consequences of his rationalist rejection of Catholicism and his growing conviction that there must be some kind of reality beyond the scientific. This was a division that in the end he could not manage. By the close of his life he was spending his diminishing energies defending not only the world of spiritualism but also the outermost fraudulent fringes of supernatural belief. It was a sorry ending.","id":"3544.txt","label":0} +{"option":["his own creation of the two opposite characters, Holmes and Watson.","his paradoxical views on religion and science in boyhood.","his confusion on reality and fiction all through his life driven by internal forces.","his devotion to the world of spiritualism and his involvement in the secular society."],"question":"Doyle's divided personality was a result of _","article":"The inventor of Sherlock Holmes was the most commercially successful author of his time. Arthur Conan Doyle was a phenomenon: practising doctor, war correspondent, businessman, politician and a campaigner for legal and colonial reforms as well as a popular novelist.\nBut he considered his fiction undervalued. Though he was known worldwide as the author of the Holmes stories and even sometimes addressed as Mr Sherlock Holmes, Doyle regarded himself as primarily a writer of uplifting historical fiction, usually with a medieval background. At first he considered Sherlock Holmes a pleasant diversion that filled a gap in his income. Eventually he came to think of the detective as an irksome burden: \"He keeps me from higher things,\" he wrote.\nThe Sherlock Holmes stories continue to exercise extraordinary power. The writing is never more than efficient but the setting remains perennial: the comfortable, carpeted, fire-lit Baker Street sitting room shared by Holmes and Watson, the paradoxically womblike world of a Victorian bachelor set above an anarchic underworld full of violence and immorality. Doyle's literary masterstroke was dividing the story between Holmes and Watson. It was a device the writer used frequently but never as effectively as here.\nDoyle's true theme was division: between order and anarchy, reason and emotion, the material and the spiritual. He himself was a man divided, as two new biographical books make clear. The very picture of an upright Victorian gentleman, Doyle was not averse to fighting in the street when the mood took him. And in his late 30s, at the height of his fame, he ran a double life, conducting a largely secret affair with the woman who eventually became his second wife, while his first was gradually succumbing to tuberculosis.\nMuch of this is revealed in detail in Andrew Lycett's biography and in a selection of Doyle's letters edited by the present executor of the Doyle estate. The story behind the publication of these two books might make a Doylesque thriller in itself. Mr Lycett and the Doyle estate vied to gain control of newly discovered material, each trying to get to market first. Mr Lycett's book is a serious piece of work from an experienced professional biographer. If he never quite gets fully to grips with Doyle's elusive personality, the author is particularly good on the intellectual background to Doyle's work, both known and forgotten. The biography is hobbled by the Doyle estate's refusal to permit quotation from numerous documents. But Mr Lycett makes the best of what he has and fills the gaps with insight.\nThe selected letters by contrast are strictly an enthusiast's book. The editors' comments are a bit haphazard and it is poorly presented. On the other hand, it does convey an almost physical presence of the author, with his strange mixture of kindness and carelessness, overbearing self-confidence and depressive self-doubt. Above all there is the impression of a man driven by internal forces. Since boyhood Doyle had been struggling with the consequences of his rationalist rejection of Catholicism and his growing conviction that there must be some kind of reality beyond the scientific. This was a division that in the end he could not manage. By the close of his life he was spending his diminishing energies defending not only the world of spiritualism but also the outermost fraudulent fringes of supernatural belief. It was a sorry ending.","id":"3544.txt","label":1} +{"option":["He was concerned with the protection of Doyle's privacy.","Mr. Lycett was not the ideal biographer of Doyle.","there was a kind of competition between the two parties in the publication of Doyle's biography.","He was unsatisfied with Mr. Lycett's work which turns Doyle's life into a thriller story."],"question":"Doyle estate refused to permit Mr. Lycett to quotate from documents because _","article":"The inventor of Sherlock Holmes was the most commercially successful author of his time. Arthur Conan Doyle was a phenomenon: practising doctor, war correspondent, businessman, politician and a campaigner for legal and colonial reforms as well as a popular novelist.\nBut he considered his fiction undervalued. Though he was known worldwide as the author of the Holmes stories and even sometimes addressed as Mr Sherlock Holmes, Doyle regarded himself as primarily a writer of uplifting historical fiction, usually with a medieval background. At first he considered Sherlock Holmes a pleasant diversion that filled a gap in his income. Eventually he came to think of the detective as an irksome burden: \"He keeps me from higher things,\" he wrote.\nThe Sherlock Holmes stories continue to exercise extraordinary power. The writing is never more than efficient but the setting remains perennial: the comfortable, carpeted, fire-lit Baker Street sitting room shared by Holmes and Watson, the paradoxically womblike world of a Victorian bachelor set above an anarchic underworld full of violence and immorality. Doyle's literary masterstroke was dividing the story between Holmes and Watson. It was a device the writer used frequently but never as effectively as here.\nDoyle's true theme was division: between order and anarchy, reason and emotion, the material and the spiritual. He himself was a man divided, as two new biographical books make clear. The very picture of an upright Victorian gentleman, Doyle was not averse to fighting in the street when the mood took him. And in his late 30s, at the height of his fame, he ran a double life, conducting a largely secret affair with the woman who eventually became his second wife, while his first was gradually succumbing to tuberculosis.\nMuch of this is revealed in detail in Andrew Lycett's biography and in a selection of Doyle's letters edited by the present executor of the Doyle estate. The story behind the publication of these two books might make a Doylesque thriller in itself. Mr Lycett and the Doyle estate vied to gain control of newly discovered material, each trying to get to market first. Mr Lycett's book is a serious piece of work from an experienced professional biographer. If he never quite gets fully to grips with Doyle's elusive personality, the author is particularly good on the intellectual background to Doyle's work, both known and forgotten. The biography is hobbled by the Doyle estate's refusal to permit quotation from numerous documents. But Mr Lycett makes the best of what he has and fills the gaps with insight.\nThe selected letters by contrast are strictly an enthusiast's book. The editors' comments are a bit haphazard and it is poorly presented. On the other hand, it does convey an almost physical presence of the author, with his strange mixture of kindness and carelessness, overbearing self-confidence and depressive self-doubt. Above all there is the impression of a man driven by internal forces. Since boyhood Doyle had been struggling with the consequences of his rationalist rejection of Catholicism and his growing conviction that there must be some kind of reality beyond the scientific. This was a division that in the end he could not manage. By the close of his life he was spending his diminishing energies defending not only the world of spiritualism but also the outermost fraudulent fringes of supernatural belief. It was a sorry ending.","id":"3544.txt","label":2} +{"option":["they have to look after their kids","they have to look after their parents","they are busy with their work","they have no money"],"question":"Many post-80s couples can't go to the movies, shop or attend parties because _ .","article":"Many post-80s couples are complaining that going to the movies, shopping or attending parties have become impossible since their kids were born. That's the way most parents are living their lives, no weekends of their own, no time to visit friends, not even a chance of promotion in their jobs.\nAsking help from their parents might be a way out,but problems are that some aging parents arc not strong enough to take care of the kids, and that the kids may also become too spoiled by their grandparents.\nThen, here comes a solution: families with kids can form a small group, and parents of each family can take turns to look after all the kids in this group on weekends. Thus, other parents can have some quiet time and feel free to do\nsomething they've been planning for a long time. At the same time, the kids can make new friends and won' t be hanging around their parents all day long.This is baby-pooling.","id":"2463.txt","label":0} +{"option":["out of date","a solution","without question","a complaint"],"question":"In paragraph 2, \"a way out\" means _ .","article":"Many post-80s couples are complaining that going to the movies, shopping or attending parties have become impossible since their kids were born. That's the way most parents are living their lives, no weekends of their own, no time to visit friends, not even a chance of promotion in their jobs.\nAsking help from their parents might be a way out,but problems are that some aging parents arc not strong enough to take care of the kids, and that the kids may also become too spoiled by their grandparents.\nThen, here comes a solution: families with kids can form a small group, and parents of each family can take turns to look after all the kids in this group on weekends. Thus, other parents can have some quiet time and feel free to do\nsomething they've been planning for a long time. At the same time, the kids can make new friends and won' t be hanging around their parents all day long.This is baby-pooling.","id":"2463.txt","label":1} +{"option":["families with kids form a small group","they ask their aging parents for help","they give up their jobs","they lake their kids wherever they go"],"question":"According to the last paragraph, the solution to the problem of post-80s couples is that _ .","article":"Many post-80s couples are complaining that going to the movies, shopping or attending parties have become impossible since their kids were born. That's the way most parents are living their lives, no weekends of their own, no time to visit friends, not even a chance of promotion in their jobs.\nAsking help from their parents might be a way out,but problems are that some aging parents arc not strong enough to take care of the kids, and that the kids may also become too spoiled by their grandparents.\nThen, here comes a solution: families with kids can form a small group, and parents of each family can take turns to look after all the kids in this group on weekends. Thus, other parents can have some quiet time and feel free to do\nsomething they've been planning for a long time. At the same time, the kids can make new friends and won' t be hanging around their parents all day long.This is baby-pooling.","id":"2463.txt","label":0} +{"option":["The parents can have much more free time.","The kids can make new friends.","The kids won't be hanging around their parents all day long.","All of the above."],"question":"What is( are) the advantage(s) of baby-pooling?","article":"Many post-80s couples are complaining that going to the movies, shopping or attending parties have become impossible since their kids were born. That's the way most parents are living their lives, no weekends of their own, no time to visit friends, not even a chance of promotion in their jobs.\nAsking help from their parents might be a way out,but problems are that some aging parents arc not strong enough to take care of the kids, and that the kids may also become too spoiled by their grandparents.\nThen, here comes a solution: families with kids can form a small group, and parents of each family can take turns to look after all the kids in this group on weekends. Thus, other parents can have some quiet time and feel free to do\nsomething they've been planning for a long time. At the same time, the kids can make new friends and won' t be hanging around their parents all day long.This is baby-pooling.","id":"2463.txt","label":3} +{"option":["post-80s couples and their friends","post-80s couples and baby-pooling","post-80s couples and their parents","kids and their grandparents"],"question":"The passage mainly discusses _ ?","article":"Many post-80s couples are complaining that going to the movies, shopping or attending parties have become impossible since their kids were born. That's the way most parents are living their lives, no weekends of their own, no time to visit friends, not even a chance of promotion in their jobs.\nAsking help from their parents might be a way out,but problems are that some aging parents arc not strong enough to take care of the kids, and that the kids may also become too spoiled by their grandparents.\nThen, here comes a solution: families with kids can form a small group, and parents of each family can take turns to look after all the kids in this group on weekends. Thus, other parents can have some quiet time and feel free to do\nsomething they've been planning for a long time. At the same time, the kids can make new friends and won' t be hanging around their parents all day long.This is baby-pooling.","id":"2463.txt","label":1} +{"option":["that they could not have traveled across the Bering Strait","that Asia and the Western hemisphere were connected by a large land mass","that the Bering Sea was an isthmus at one time","that migration was in the one direction only"],"question":"The movement of plants and animals form Asia to America indicates _ .","article":"The life story of the human species goes back a million years, and there is no doubt that man came only recently to the western hemisphere. None of the thousands of sites of aboriginal habitation uncovered in North and South America has antiquity comparable to that of old World sites. Man's occupation of the New World may date several tens of thousands of years, but no one rationally argues that he has been here even 100,000 years.\nSpeculation as to how man found his way to America was lively at the outset, and the proposed routes boxed the compass. With one or two notable exceptions, however, students of American anthropology soon settled for the plausible idea that the first immigrants came b way of a land bridge that had connected the northeast comer of Asia to the northwest corner of North America across the Bering Strait. Mariners were able to supply the reassuring information that the strait is not only narrow - it is 56 miles wide - but also shallow, a lowering of the sea level there by 100 feet or so would transform the strait into an isthmus. With little eels in the way of evidence to sustain the Bering Strait land bridge, anthropologists embraced the idea that man walked dryshod from Asia to America.\nToward the end of the last century, however, it became apparent that the Western Hemisphere was the New World not only for man but also for a host of animals and plants. Zoologists and botanists showed that numerous subjects of their respective kingdoms must have originated in Asia and spread to America. These findings were neither astonishing nor wholly unexpected. Such spread of populations is not to be envisioned as an exodus or mass migration, even in the case of animals. It is, rather, a spilling into new territory that accompanies increase in numbers, with movement in the direction of least population pressure and most favorable ecological conditions. But the immense traffic in plant and animal's forms placed a heavy burden on the Bering Strait land bridge as the anthropologists ahead envisioned it. Whereas purposeful men could make their way across a narrow bridge, the slow diffusion of plant and animals would require an avenue as a continent and available for ages at a stretch.","id":"3908.txt","label":1} +{"option":["life arose in America independently of life in Europe","the first settlers in America came during the sixteenth century","a large continent once existed which has disappeared","man was a host to animals and plants"],"question":"The author is refuting the notion that _ .","article":"The life story of the human species goes back a million years, and there is no doubt that man came only recently to the western hemisphere. None of the thousands of sites of aboriginal habitation uncovered in North and South America has antiquity comparable to that of old World sites. Man's occupation of the New World may date several tens of thousands of years, but no one rationally argues that he has been here even 100,000 years.\nSpeculation as to how man found his way to America was lively at the outset, and the proposed routes boxed the compass. With one or two notable exceptions, however, students of American anthropology soon settled for the plausible idea that the first immigrants came b way of a land bridge that had connected the northeast comer of Asia to the northwest corner of North America across the Bering Strait. Mariners were able to supply the reassuring information that the strait is not only narrow - it is 56 miles wide - but also shallow, a lowering of the sea level there by 100 feet or so would transform the strait into an isthmus. With little eels in the way of evidence to sustain the Bering Strait land bridge, anthropologists embraced the idea that man walked dryshod from Asia to America.\nToward the end of the last century, however, it became apparent that the Western Hemisphere was the New World not only for man but also for a host of animals and plants. Zoologists and botanists showed that numerous subjects of their respective kingdoms must have originated in Asia and spread to America. These findings were neither astonishing nor wholly unexpected. Such spread of populations is not to be envisioned as an exodus or mass migration, even in the case of animals. It is, rather, a spilling into new territory that accompanies increase in numbers, with movement in the direction of least population pressure and most favorable ecological conditions. But the immense traffic in plant and animal's forms placed a heavy burden on the Bering Strait land bridge as the anthropologists ahead envisioned it. Whereas purposeful men could make their way across a narrow bridge, the slow diffusion of plant and animals would require an avenue as a continent and available for ages at a stretch.","id":"3908.txt","label":2} +{"option":["the migration of mankind was from West to East","the migration of mankind was from East to West","mankind traveled in all directions","mankind walked from Asia to America"],"question":"By using the words \u2015boxed the compass \u2015(in Line 7) the author implies that _ .","article":"The life story of the human species goes back a million years, and there is no doubt that man came only recently to the western hemisphere. None of the thousands of sites of aboriginal habitation uncovered in North and South America has antiquity comparable to that of old World sites. Man's occupation of the New World may date several tens of thousands of years, but no one rationally argues that he has been here even 100,000 years.\nSpeculation as to how man found his way to America was lively at the outset, and the proposed routes boxed the compass. With one or two notable exceptions, however, students of American anthropology soon settled for the plausible idea that the first immigrants came b way of a land bridge that had connected the northeast comer of Asia to the northwest corner of North America across the Bering Strait. Mariners were able to supply the reassuring information that the strait is not only narrow - it is 56 miles wide - but also shallow, a lowering of the sea level there by 100 feet or so would transform the strait into an isthmus. With little eels in the way of evidence to sustain the Bering Strait land bridge, anthropologists embraced the idea that man walked dryshod from Asia to America.\nToward the end of the last century, however, it became apparent that the Western Hemisphere was the New World not only for man but also for a host of animals and plants. Zoologists and botanists showed that numerous subjects of their respective kingdoms must have originated in Asia and spread to America. These findings were neither astonishing nor wholly unexpected. Such spread of populations is not to be envisioned as an exodus or mass migration, even in the case of animals. It is, rather, a spilling into new territory that accompanies increase in numbers, with movement in the direction of least population pressure and most favorable ecological conditions. But the immense traffic in plant and animal's forms placed a heavy burden on the Bering Strait land bridge as the anthropologists ahead envisioned it. Whereas purposeful men could make their way across a narrow bridge, the slow diffusion of plant and animals would require an avenue as a continent and available for ages at a stretch.","id":"3908.txt","label":2} +{"option":["overcrowding","favorable environmental conditions","famine","the existence of a land bridge"],"question":"One reason for the migration not mentioned by the author is _ .","article":"The life story of the human species goes back a million years, and there is no doubt that man came only recently to the western hemisphere. None of the thousands of sites of aboriginal habitation uncovered in North and South America has antiquity comparable to that of old World sites. Man's occupation of the New World may date several tens of thousands of years, but no one rationally argues that he has been here even 100,000 years.\nSpeculation as to how man found his way to America was lively at the outset, and the proposed routes boxed the compass. With one or two notable exceptions, however, students of American anthropology soon settled for the plausible idea that the first immigrants came b way of a land bridge that had connected the northeast comer of Asia to the northwest corner of North America across the Bering Strait. Mariners were able to supply the reassuring information that the strait is not only narrow - it is 56 miles wide - but also shallow, a lowering of the sea level there by 100 feet or so would transform the strait into an isthmus. With little eels in the way of evidence to sustain the Bering Strait land bridge, anthropologists embraced the idea that man walked dryshod from Asia to America.\nToward the end of the last century, however, it became apparent that the Western Hemisphere was the New World not only for man but also for a host of animals and plants. Zoologists and botanists showed that numerous subjects of their respective kingdoms must have originated in Asia and spread to America. These findings were neither astonishing nor wholly unexpected. Such spread of populations is not to be envisioned as an exodus or mass migration, even in the case of animals. It is, rather, a spilling into new territory that accompanies increase in numbers, with movement in the direction of least population pressure and most favorable ecological conditions. But the immense traffic in plant and animal's forms placed a heavy burden on the Bering Strait land bridge as the anthropologists ahead envisioned it. Whereas purposeful men could make their way across a narrow bridge, the slow diffusion of plant and animals would require an avenue as a continent and available for ages at a stretch.","id":"3908.txt","label":2} +{"option":["the contributions of anthropologist","the contributions of zoologists and botanists","the contributions made by the American Indians","the existence of a large land mass between Asia and North America"],"question":"We may assume that in the paragraph that follows this passage the author argues about _ .","article":"The life story of the human species goes back a million years, and there is no doubt that man came only recently to the western hemisphere. None of the thousands of sites of aboriginal habitation uncovered in North and South America has antiquity comparable to that of old World sites. Man's occupation of the New World may date several tens of thousands of years, but no one rationally argues that he has been here even 100,000 years.\nSpeculation as to how man found his way to America was lively at the outset, and the proposed routes boxed the compass. With one or two notable exceptions, however, students of American anthropology soon settled for the plausible idea that the first immigrants came b way of a land bridge that had connected the northeast comer of Asia to the northwest corner of North America across the Bering Strait. Mariners were able to supply the reassuring information that the strait is not only narrow - it is 56 miles wide - but also shallow, a lowering of the sea level there by 100 feet or so would transform the strait into an isthmus. With little eels in the way of evidence to sustain the Bering Strait land bridge, anthropologists embraced the idea that man walked dryshod from Asia to America.\nToward the end of the last century, however, it became apparent that the Western Hemisphere was the New World not only for man but also for a host of animals and plants. Zoologists and botanists showed that numerous subjects of their respective kingdoms must have originated in Asia and spread to America. These findings were neither astonishing nor wholly unexpected. Such spread of populations is not to be envisioned as an exodus or mass migration, even in the case of animals. It is, rather, a spilling into new territory that accompanies increase in numbers, with movement in the direction of least population pressure and most favorable ecological conditions. But the immense traffic in plant and animal's forms placed a heavy burden on the Bering Strait land bridge as the anthropologists ahead envisioned it. Whereas purposeful men could make their way across a narrow bridge, the slow diffusion of plant and animals would require an avenue as a continent and available for ages at a stretch.","id":"3908.txt","label":3} +{"option":["He likes it","He thinks it puzzling","He hates it","He doesn't accept it as part of his life"],"question":"What is the author's attitude toward dreaming?","article":"Now and again I have had horrible dreams, but not enough of them to make me lose my delight in dreams. To begin with. I like the idea of dreaming, of going to bed and lying still and then, by some queer magic, wandering into another kind of existence. As a child, I could never understand why grown-ups took dreaming so calmly when they could make such a fuss about any holiday, This still puzzles me. I am puzzled by people who say they never dream and appear to have no interest in the subject. It is much more astonishing than it would be if they said they never went out for a walk. Most people do not seem to accept dreaming as part of their lives. They appear to see it as an irritating little habit, like sneezing or yawning.I can never understand this. My dream life does not seem as important as my waking life because there is far less of it, but to me it is important.","id":"1177.txt","label":0} +{"option":["an irritating little habit","a horrible but wonderful experience","a true reflection of reality","another kind of existence"],"question":"For the author of the passage, dreaming is.","article":"Now and again I have had horrible dreams, but not enough of them to make me lose my delight in dreams. To begin with. I like the idea of dreaming, of going to bed and lying still and then, by some queer magic, wandering into another kind of existence. As a child, I could never understand why grown-ups took dreaming so calmly when they could make such a fuss about any holiday, This still puzzles me. I am puzzled by people who say they never dream and appear to have no interest in the subject. It is much more astonishing than it would be if they said they never went out for a walk. Most people do not seem to accept dreaming as part of their lives. They appear to see it as an irritating little habit, like sneezing or yawning.I can never understand this. My dream life does not seem as important as my waking life because there is far less of it, but to me it is important.","id":"1177.txt","label":3} +{"option":["interesting","mysterious","foolish","lazy"],"question":"The author of the passage suggests that people who say they never go out for a walk are.","article":"Now and again I have had horrible dreams, but not enough of them to make me lose my delight in dreams. To begin with. I like the idea of dreaming, of going to bed and lying still and then, by some queer magic, wandering into another kind of existence. As a child, I could never understand why grown-ups took dreaming so calmly when they could make such a fuss about any holiday, This still puzzles me. I am puzzled by people who say they never dream and appear to have no interest in the subject. It is much more astonishing than it would be if they said they never went out for a walk. Most people do not seem to accept dreaming as part of their lives. They appear to see it as an irritating little habit, like sneezing or yawning.I can never understand this. My dream life does not seem as important as my waking life because there is far less of it, but to me it is important.","id":"1177.txt","label":1} +{"option":["only when he was a child","only when he is a grown-up","both as a child and as a grown-up","only in his old age"],"question":"The author of the passage enjoys dreaming most.","article":"Now and again I have had horrible dreams, but not enough of them to make me lose my delight in dreams. To begin with. I like the idea of dreaming, of going to bed and lying still and then, by some queer magic, wandering into another kind of existence. As a child, I could never understand why grown-ups took dreaming so calmly when they could make such a fuss about any holiday, This still puzzles me. I am puzzled by people who say they never dream and appear to have no interest in the subject. It is much more astonishing than it would be if they said they never went out for a walk. Most people do not seem to accept dreaming as part of their lives. They appear to see it as an irritating little habit, like sneezing or yawning.I can never understand this. My dream life does not seem as important as my waking life because there is far less of it, but to me it is important.","id":"1177.txt","label":2} +{"option":["are overexcited about their dreams","have had dreams most of the time","are not interested in talking about their dreams","consider their dreams of to much importance"],"question":"The author of the passage complains that most people.","article":"Now and again I have had horrible dreams, but not enough of them to make me lose my delight in dreams. To begin with. I like the idea of dreaming, of going to bed and lying still and then, by some queer magic, wandering into another kind of existence. As a child, I could never understand why grown-ups took dreaming so calmly when they could make such a fuss about any holiday, This still puzzles me. I am puzzled by people who say they never dream and appear to have no interest in the subject. It is much more astonishing than it would be if they said they never went out for a walk. Most people do not seem to accept dreaming as part of their lives. They appear to see it as an irritating little habit, like sneezing or yawning.I can never understand this. My dream life does not seem as important as my waking life because there is far less of it, but to me it is important.","id":"1177.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Fancy packaging can help to engage new smokers.","It has little to do with the quality or taste of cigarettes.","Plain packaging discourages non-smokers from taking up smoking.","It has little impact on their decision whether or not to quit smoking."],"question":"What do chain smokers think of cigarette packaging?","article":"Any veteran nicotine addict will testify that fancy packaging plays no role in the decision to keep smoking. So, it is argued, stripping cartons of their branding will trigger no mass movement to quit.\nBut that isn't why the government-under pressure from cancer charities, health workers and the Labour party-has agreed to legislate for standardized packaging. The theory is that smoking should be stripped of any appeal to discourage new generations from starting in the first place. Plain packaging would be another step in the reclassification of cigarettes from inviting consumer products to narcotics.\nNaturally, the tobacco industry is violently opposed. No business likes to admit that it sells addictive poison as a lifestyle choice. That is why government has historically intervened, banning advertising, imposing health warnings and punitive duties. This approach has led over time to a fall in smoking with numbers having roughly halved since the 1970s. Evidence from Australia suggests plain packaging pushes society further along that road. Since tobacco as one of the biggest causes of premature death in the UK, a measure that tames the habit even by a fraction is worth trying.\nSo why has it taken so long? The Department of Health declared its intention to consider the move in November 2010 and consulted through 2012. But the plan was suspended in July 2013. It did not escape notice that a lobbying firm set up by Lynton Crosby, David Cameron's election campaign director, had previously acted for Philip Morris International. (The prime minister denied there was a connection between his news adviser's outside interests and the change in legislative programme.) In November 2013, after an unnecessary round of additional consultation, health minister Jane Ellison said the government was minded to proceed after all. Now we are told Members of Parliament (MPs) will have a free voice before parliament is dissolved in March.\nParliament has in fact already authorised the government to tame the tobacco trade. MPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of Labour amendments to the children and families bill last February that included the power to regulate for plain packaging. With sufficient will in Downing Street this would have been done already. But strength of will is the missing ingredient where Mr. Cameron and public health are concerned. His attitude to state intervention has looked confused ever since his bizarre 2006lament that chocolate oranges placed seductively at supermarket check-outs fueled obesity.\nThe government has moved reluctantly into a sensible public health policy, but with such obvious over-cautiousness that any political credit due belongs to the opposition. Without sustained external pressure it seems certain Mr. Cameron would still be hooked on the interests of big tobacco companies.","id":"1748.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Pass a law to standardise cigarette packaging.","Rid cigarette cartons of all advertisements.","Subsidise companies to adopt plain packaging.","Reclassify cigarettes according to packaging."],"question":"What has the UK government agreed to do concerning tobacco packaging?","article":"Any veteran nicotine addict will testify that fancy packaging plays no role in the decision to keep smoking. So, it is argued, stripping cartons of their branding will trigger no mass movement to quit.\nBut that isn't why the government-under pressure from cancer charities, health workers and the Labour party-has agreed to legislate for standardized packaging. The theory is that smoking should be stripped of any appeal to discourage new generations from starting in the first place. Plain packaging would be another step in the reclassification of cigarettes from inviting consumer products to narcotics.\nNaturally, the tobacco industry is violently opposed. No business likes to admit that it sells addictive poison as a lifestyle choice. That is why government has historically intervened, banning advertising, imposing health warnings and punitive duties. This approach has led over time to a fall in smoking with numbers having roughly halved since the 1970s. Evidence from Australia suggests plain packaging pushes society further along that road. Since tobacco as one of the biggest causes of premature death in the UK, a measure that tames the habit even by a fraction is worth trying.\nSo why has it taken so long? The Department of Health declared its intention to consider the move in November 2010 and consulted through 2012. But the plan was suspended in July 2013. It did not escape notice that a lobbying firm set up by Lynton Crosby, David Cameron's election campaign director, had previously acted for Philip Morris International. (The prime minister denied there was a connection between his news adviser's outside interests and the change in legislative programme.) In November 2013, after an unnecessary round of additional consultation, health minister Jane Ellison said the government was minded to proceed after all. Now we are told Members of Parliament (MPs) will have a free voice before parliament is dissolved in March.\nParliament has in fact already authorised the government to tame the tobacco trade. MPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of Labour amendments to the children and families bill last February that included the power to regulate for plain packaging. With sufficient will in Downing Street this would have been done already. But strength of will is the missing ingredient where Mr. Cameron and public health are concerned. His attitude to state intervention has looked confused ever since his bizarre 2006lament that chocolate oranges placed seductively at supermarket check-outs fueled obesity.\nThe government has moved reluctantly into a sensible public health policy, but with such obvious over-cautiousness that any political credit due belongs to the opposition. Without sustained external pressure it seems certain Mr. Cameron would still be hooked on the interests of big tobacco companies.","id":"1748.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Premature death rates resulting from smoking have declined.","The number of smokers has dropped more sharply than in the UK.","The sales of tobacco substitutes have increased considerably.","Cigarette sales have been falling far more quickly than in the UK."],"question":"What has happened in Australia where plain packaging is implemented?","article":"Any veteran nicotine addict will testify that fancy packaging plays no role in the decision to keep smoking. So, it is argued, stripping cartons of their branding will trigger no mass movement to quit.\nBut that isn't why the government-under pressure from cancer charities, health workers and the Labour party-has agreed to legislate for standardized packaging. The theory is that smoking should be stripped of any appeal to discourage new generations from starting in the first place. Plain packaging would be another step in the reclassification of cigarettes from inviting consumer products to narcotics.\nNaturally, the tobacco industry is violently opposed. No business likes to admit that it sells addictive poison as a lifestyle choice. That is why government has historically intervened, banning advertising, imposing health warnings and punitive duties. This approach has led over time to a fall in smoking with numbers having roughly halved since the 1970s. Evidence from Australia suggests plain packaging pushes society further along that road. Since tobacco as one of the biggest causes of premature death in the UK, a measure that tames the habit even by a fraction is worth trying.\nSo why has it taken so long? The Department of Health declared its intention to consider the move in November 2010 and consulted through 2012. But the plan was suspended in July 2013. It did not escape notice that a lobbying firm set up by Lynton Crosby, David Cameron's election campaign director, had previously acted for Philip Morris International. (The prime minister denied there was a connection between his news adviser's outside interests and the change in legislative programme.) In November 2013, after an unnecessary round of additional consultation, health minister Jane Ellison said the government was minded to proceed after all. Now we are told Members of Parliament (MPs) will have a free voice before parliament is dissolved in March.\nParliament has in fact already authorised the government to tame the tobacco trade. MPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of Labour amendments to the children and families bill last February that included the power to regulate for plain packaging. With sufficient will in Downing Street this would have been done already. But strength of will is the missing ingredient where Mr. Cameron and public health are concerned. His attitude to state intervention has looked confused ever since his bizarre 2006lament that chocolate oranges placed seductively at supermarket check-outs fueled obesity.\nThe government has moved reluctantly into a sensible public health policy, but with such obvious over-cautiousness that any political credit due belongs to the opposition. Without sustained external pressure it seems certain Mr. Cameron would still be hooked on the interests of big tobacco companies.","id":"1748.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Prime Minister Cameron has been reluctant to take action.","There is strong opposition from veteran nicotine addicts.","Many Members of Parliament are addicted to smoking.","Pressure from tobacco manufacturers remains strong."],"question":"Why it taken so long for the UK government to consider plain packaging?","article":"Any veteran nicotine addict will testify that fancy packaging plays no role in the decision to keep smoking. So, it is argued, stripping cartons of their branding will trigger no mass movement to quit.\nBut that isn't why the government-under pressure from cancer charities, health workers and the Labour party-has agreed to legislate for standardized packaging. The theory is that smoking should be stripped of any appeal to discourage new generations from starting in the first place. Plain packaging would be another step in the reclassification of cigarettes from inviting consumer products to narcotics.\nNaturally, the tobacco industry is violently opposed. No business likes to admit that it sells addictive poison as a lifestyle choice. That is why government has historically intervened, banning advertising, imposing health warnings and punitive duties. This approach has led over time to a fall in smoking with numbers having roughly halved since the 1970s. Evidence from Australia suggests plain packaging pushes society further along that road. Since tobacco as one of the biggest causes of premature death in the UK, a measure that tames the habit even by a fraction is worth trying.\nSo why has it taken so long? The Department of Health declared its intention to consider the move in November 2010 and consulted through 2012. But the plan was suspended in July 2013. It did not escape notice that a lobbying firm set up by Lynton Crosby, David Cameron's election campaign director, had previously acted for Philip Morris International. (The prime minister denied there was a connection between his news adviser's outside interests and the change in legislative programme.) In November 2013, after an unnecessary round of additional consultation, health minister Jane Ellison said the government was minded to proceed after all. Now we are told Members of Parliament (MPs) will have a free voice before parliament is dissolved in March.\nParliament has in fact already authorised the government to tame the tobacco trade. MPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of Labour amendments to the children and families bill last February that included the power to regulate for plain packaging. With sufficient will in Downing Street this would have been done already. But strength of will is the missing ingredient where Mr. Cameron and public health are concerned. His attitude to state intervention has looked confused ever since his bizarre 2006lament that chocolate oranges placed seductively at supermarket check-outs fueled obesity.\nThe government has moved reluctantly into a sensible public health policy, but with such obvious over-cautiousness that any political credit due belongs to the opposition. Without sustained external pressure it seems certain Mr. Cameron would still be hooked on the interests of big tobacco companies.","id":"1748.txt","label":0} +{"option":["They fueled a lot of controversy.","They made more British people obese.","They attracted a lot of smokers.","They had certain ingredients missing."],"question":"What did Cameron say about chocolate oranges at supermarket checkouts?","article":"Any veteran nicotine addict will testify that fancy packaging plays no role in the decision to keep smoking. So, it is argued, stripping cartons of their branding will trigger no mass movement to quit.\nBut that isn't why the government-under pressure from cancer charities, health workers and the Labour party-has agreed to legislate for standardized packaging. The theory is that smoking should be stripped of any appeal to discourage new generations from starting in the first place. Plain packaging would be another step in the reclassification of cigarettes from inviting consumer products to narcotics.\nNaturally, the tobacco industry is violently opposed. No business likes to admit that it sells addictive poison as a lifestyle choice. That is why government has historically intervened, banning advertising, imposing health warnings and punitive duties. This approach has led over time to a fall in smoking with numbers having roughly halved since the 1970s. Evidence from Australia suggests plain packaging pushes society further along that road. Since tobacco as one of the biggest causes of premature death in the UK, a measure that tames the habit even by a fraction is worth trying.\nSo why has it taken so long? The Department of Health declared its intention to consider the move in November 2010 and consulted through 2012. But the plan was suspended in July 2013. It did not escape notice that a lobbying firm set up by Lynton Crosby, David Cameron's election campaign director, had previously acted for Philip Morris International. (The prime minister denied there was a connection between his news adviser's outside interests and the change in legislative programme.) In November 2013, after an unnecessary round of additional consultation, health minister Jane Ellison said the government was minded to proceed after all. Now we are told Members of Parliament (MPs) will have a free voice before parliament is dissolved in March.\nParliament has in fact already authorised the government to tame the tobacco trade. MPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of Labour amendments to the children and families bill last February that included the power to regulate for plain packaging. With sufficient will in Downing Street this would have been done already. But strength of will is the missing ingredient where Mr. Cameron and public health are concerned. His attitude to state intervention has looked confused ever since his bizarre 2006lament that chocolate oranges placed seductively at supermarket check-outs fueled obesity.\nThe government has moved reluctantly into a sensible public health policy, but with such obvious over-cautiousness that any political credit due belongs to the opposition. Without sustained external pressure it seems certain Mr. Cameron would still be hooked on the interests of big tobacco companies.","id":"1748.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Through his observation of the country life.","Through the combination of different ideas.","By taking other people's advice.","By using the nickname of the reconstructed Chicago."],"question":"How did Howard get the name for his building plan of garden cities?","article":"The garden city was largely the invention of Ebenezer Howard (1850-1928). After immigrating form England to the USA, and an unsuccessful attempt to make a living as a farmer, he moved to Chicago, where he saw the reconstruction of the city after the disastrous fire of 1871. In those days, it was nicknamed \"the Garden City\", almost certainly the source of Howard's name for his later building plan of towns. Returning to London, Howard developed his design in the 1880s and 1890s, drawing on ideas that were popular at the time, but creating a unique combination of designs.\nThe nineteenth-century poor city was in many ways a terrible place, dirty and crowded; but it offered economic and social opportunities. At the same time, the British countryside was in fact equally unattractive: though it promised fresh air and nature, it suffered from agricultural depression and it offered neither enough work and wages, nor much social life. Howard's idea was to combine the best of town and country in a new kind of settlement, the garden city. Howard's idea was that a group of people should set up a company, borrowing money to establish a garden city in the depressed countryside; far enough from existing cities to make sure that the land was bought at the bottom price.\nGarden cities would provide a central public open space, radial avenues and connecting industries. They would be surrounded by a much larger area of green belt, also owned by the company, containing not merely farms but also some industrial institutions. As more and more people moved in, the garden city would reach its planned limit-Howard suggested 32,000 people; then, another would be started a short distance away. Thus, over time, there would develop a vast planned house collection, extending almost without limit; within it, each garden city would offer a wide rang of jobs and services, but each would also be connected to the others by a rapid transportation system, thus giving all the economic and social opportunities of a big city.","id":"3482.txt","label":3} +{"option":["as far as possible from existing cities","in the countryside where the land was cheap","in the countryside where agriculture was developed","near cities where employment opportunities already existed"],"question":"According to Howard, garden cities should be built _ .","article":"The garden city was largely the invention of Ebenezer Howard (1850-1928). After immigrating form England to the USA, and an unsuccessful attempt to make a living as a farmer, he moved to Chicago, where he saw the reconstruction of the city after the disastrous fire of 1871. In those days, it was nicknamed \"the Garden City\", almost certainly the source of Howard's name for his later building plan of towns. Returning to London, Howard developed his design in the 1880s and 1890s, drawing on ideas that were popular at the time, but creating a unique combination of designs.\nThe nineteenth-century poor city was in many ways a terrible place, dirty and crowded; but it offered economic and social opportunities. At the same time, the British countryside was in fact equally unattractive: though it promised fresh air and nature, it suffered from agricultural depression and it offered neither enough work and wages, nor much social life. Howard's idea was to combine the best of town and country in a new kind of settlement, the garden city. Howard's idea was that a group of people should set up a company, borrowing money to establish a garden city in the depressed countryside; far enough from existing cities to make sure that the land was bought at the bottom price.\nGarden cities would provide a central public open space, radial avenues and connecting industries. They would be surrounded by a much larger area of green belt, also owned by the company, containing not merely farms but also some industrial institutions. As more and more people moved in, the garden city would reach its planned limit-Howard suggested 32,000 people; then, another would be started a short distance away. Thus, over time, there would develop a vast planned house collection, extending almost without limit; within it, each garden city would offer a wide rang of jobs and services, but each would also be connected to the others by a rapid transportation system, thus giving all the economic and social opportunities of a big city.","id":"3482.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Their number would continue to rise","Each one would continue to become larger","People would live and work in the same place","Each one would contain a certain type of business"],"question":"What can we learn about garden cities from the last paragraph?","article":"The garden city was largely the invention of Ebenezer Howard (1850-1928). After immigrating form England to the USA, and an unsuccessful attempt to make a living as a farmer, he moved to Chicago, where he saw the reconstruction of the city after the disastrous fire of 1871. In those days, it was nicknamed \"the Garden City\", almost certainly the source of Howard's name for his later building plan of towns. Returning to London, Howard developed his design in the 1880s and 1890s, drawing on ideas that were popular at the time, but creating a unique combination of designs.\nThe nineteenth-century poor city was in many ways a terrible place, dirty and crowded; but it offered economic and social opportunities. At the same time, the British countryside was in fact equally unattractive: though it promised fresh air and nature, it suffered from agricultural depression and it offered neither enough work and wages, nor much social life. Howard's idea was to combine the best of town and country in a new kind of settlement, the garden city. Howard's idea was that a group of people should set up a company, borrowing money to establish a garden city in the depressed countryside; far enough from existing cities to make sure that the land was bought at the bottom price.\nGarden cities would provide a central public open space, radial avenues and connecting industries. They would be surrounded by a much larger area of green belt, also owned by the company, containing not merely farms but also some industrial institutions. As more and more people moved in, the garden city would reach its planned limit-Howard suggested 32,000 people; then, another would be started a short distance away. Thus, over time, there would develop a vast planned house collection, extending almost without limit; within it, each garden city would offer a wide rang of jobs and services, but each would also be connected to the others by a rapid transportation system, thus giving all the economic and social opportunities of a big city.","id":"3482.txt","label":0} +{"option":["City and Countryside","The Invention of the Garden City","A New City in Chicago","A Famous Garden City in England"],"question":"What could be the best title for the passage?","article":"The garden city was largely the invention of Ebenezer Howard (1850-1928). After immigrating form England to the USA, and an unsuccessful attempt to make a living as a farmer, he moved to Chicago, where he saw the reconstruction of the city after the disastrous fire of 1871. In those days, it was nicknamed \"the Garden City\", almost certainly the source of Howard's name for his later building plan of towns. Returning to London, Howard developed his design in the 1880s and 1890s, drawing on ideas that were popular at the time, but creating a unique combination of designs.\nThe nineteenth-century poor city was in many ways a terrible place, dirty and crowded; but it offered economic and social opportunities. At the same time, the British countryside was in fact equally unattractive: though it promised fresh air and nature, it suffered from agricultural depression and it offered neither enough work and wages, nor much social life. Howard's idea was to combine the best of town and country in a new kind of settlement, the garden city. Howard's idea was that a group of people should set up a company, borrowing money to establish a garden city in the depressed countryside; far enough from existing cities to make sure that the land was bought at the bottom price.\nGarden cities would provide a central public open space, radial avenues and connecting industries. They would be surrounded by a much larger area of green belt, also owned by the company, containing not merely farms but also some industrial institutions. As more and more people moved in, the garden city would reach its planned limit-Howard suggested 32,000 people; then, another would be started a short distance away. Thus, over time, there would develop a vast planned house collection, extending almost without limit; within it, each garden city would offer a wide rang of jobs and services, but each would also be connected to the others by a rapid transportation system, thus giving all the economic and social opportunities of a big city.","id":"3482.txt","label":1} +{"option":["more family-oriented","unusually popular","more profound","relatively formal"],"question":"Compared with other TV talk shows, both the Jerry Springer and the Oprah Winfrey are ________.","article":"In the world of entertainment, TV talk shows have undoubtedly flooded every inch of space on daytime television. And anyone who watches them regularly knows that each one varies in style and format. But no two shows are more profoundly opposite in content, while at the same time standing out above the rest, than the Jerry Springer and the Oprah Winfrey shows.\nJerry Springer could easily be considered the king of \"trash talk \". The topics on his show are as shocking as shocking can be. For example, the show takes the ever-common talk show themes of love, sex, cheating, guilt, hate, conflict and morality to a different level. Clearly, the Jerry Springer show is a display and exploitation of society's moral catastrophes , yet people are willing to eat up the intriguing predicaments of other people's lives.\nLike Jerry Springer, Oprah Winfrey takes TV talk show to its extreme, but Oprah goes in the opposite direction. The show focuses on the improvement of society and an individual's quality of life. Topics range from teaching your children responsibility, managing your work week, to getting to know your neighbors.\nCompared to Oprah, the Jerry Springer show looks like poisonous waste being dumped on society. Jerry ends every show with a \"final word\". He makes a small speech that sums up the entire moral of the show. Hopefully, this is the part where most people will learn something very valuable.\nClean as it is, the Oprah show is not for everyone. The show's main target audiences are middle-class Americans. Most of these people have the time, money, and stability to deal with life's tougher problems. Jerry Springer, on the other hand, has more of an association with the young adults of society. These are 18-to 21-year-olds whose main troubles in life involve love, relationship, sex, money and peers. They are the ones who see some value and lessons to be learned underneath the show's exploitation.\nWhile the two shows are as different as night and day, both have ruled the talk show circuit for many years now. Each one caters to a different audience while both have a strong following from large groups of fans. Ironically, both could also be considered pioneers in the talk show world.","id":"3565.txt","label":1} +{"option":["remain fascinated by them","are ready to face up to them","remain indifferent to them","are willing to get involved in them"],"question":"Though the social problems Jerry Springer talks about appear distasteful, the audience ________.","article":"In the world of entertainment, TV talk shows have undoubtedly flooded every inch of space on daytime television. And anyone who watches them regularly knows that each one varies in style and format. But no two shows are more profoundly opposite in content, while at the same time standing out above the rest, than the Jerry Springer and the Oprah Winfrey shows.\nJerry Springer could easily be considered the king of \"trash talk \". The topics on his show are as shocking as shocking can be. For example, the show takes the ever-common talk show themes of love, sex, cheating, guilt, hate, conflict and morality to a different level. Clearly, the Jerry Springer show is a display and exploitation of society's moral catastrophes , yet people are willing to eat up the intriguing predicaments of other people's lives.\nLike Jerry Springer, Oprah Winfrey takes TV talk show to its extreme, but Oprah goes in the opposite direction. The show focuses on the improvement of society and an individual's quality of life. Topics range from teaching your children responsibility, managing your work week, to getting to know your neighbors.\nCompared to Oprah, the Jerry Springer show looks like poisonous waste being dumped on society. Jerry ends every show with a \"final word\". He makes a small speech that sums up the entire moral of the show. Hopefully, this is the part where most people will learn something very valuable.\nClean as it is, the Oprah show is not for everyone. The show's main target audiences are middle-class Americans. Most of these people have the time, money, and stability to deal with life's tougher problems. Jerry Springer, on the other hand, has more of an association with the young adults of society. These are 18-to 21-year-olds whose main troubles in life involve love, relationship, sex, money and peers. They are the ones who see some value and lessons to be learned underneath the show's exploitation.\nWhile the two shows are as different as night and day, both have ruled the talk show circuit for many years now. Each one caters to a different audience while both have a strong following from large groups of fans. Ironically, both could also be considered pioneers in the talk show world.","id":"3565.txt","label":0} +{"option":["A new type of robot.","Racist hatred.","Family budget planning.","Street violence."],"question":"Which of the following is likely to be a topic of the Oprah Winfrey show?","article":"In the world of entertainment, TV talk shows have undoubtedly flooded every inch of space on daytime television. And anyone who watches them regularly knows that each one varies in style and format. But no two shows are more profoundly opposite in content, while at the same time standing out above the rest, than the Jerry Springer and the Oprah Winfrey shows.\nJerry Springer could easily be considered the king of \"trash talk \". The topics on his show are as shocking as shocking can be. For example, the show takes the ever-common talk show themes of love, sex, cheating, guilt, hate, conflict and morality to a different level. Clearly, the Jerry Springer show is a display and exploitation of society's moral catastrophes , yet people are willing to eat up the intriguing predicaments of other people's lives.\nLike Jerry Springer, Oprah Winfrey takes TV talk show to its extreme, but Oprah goes in the opposite direction. The show focuses on the improvement of society and an individual's quality of life. Topics range from teaching your children responsibility, managing your work week, to getting to know your neighbors.\nCompared to Oprah, the Jerry Springer show looks like poisonous waste being dumped on society. Jerry ends every show with a \"final word\". He makes a small speech that sums up the entire moral of the show. Hopefully, this is the part where most people will learn something very valuable.\nClean as it is, the Oprah show is not for everyone. The show's main target audiences are middle-class Americans. Most of these people have the time, money, and stability to deal with life's tougher problems. Jerry Springer, on the other hand, has more of an association with the young adults of society. These are 18-to 21-year-olds whose main troubles in life involve love, relationship, sex, money and peers. They are the ones who see some value and lessons to be learned underneath the show's exploitation.\nWhile the two shows are as different as night and day, both have ruled the talk show circuit for many years now. Each one caters to a different audience while both have a strong following from large groups of fans. Ironically, both could also be considered pioneers in the talk show world.","id":"3565.txt","label":2} +{"option":["ironical","sensitive","instructive","cynical"],"question":"Despite their different approaches, the two talk shows are both ________.","article":"In the world of entertainment, TV talk shows have undoubtedly flooded every inch of space on daytime television. And anyone who watches them regularly knows that each one varies in style and format. But no two shows are more profoundly opposite in content, while at the same time standing out above the rest, than the Jerry Springer and the Oprah Winfrey shows.\nJerry Springer could easily be considered the king of \"trash talk \". The topics on his show are as shocking as shocking can be. For example, the show takes the ever-common talk show themes of love, sex, cheating, guilt, hate, conflict and morality to a different level. Clearly, the Jerry Springer show is a display and exploitation of society's moral catastrophes , yet people are willing to eat up the intriguing predicaments of other people's lives.\nLike Jerry Springer, Oprah Winfrey takes TV talk show to its extreme, but Oprah goes in the opposite direction. The show focuses on the improvement of society and an individual's quality of life. Topics range from teaching your children responsibility, managing your work week, to getting to know your neighbors.\nCompared to Oprah, the Jerry Springer show looks like poisonous waste being dumped on society. Jerry ends every show with a \"final word\". He makes a small speech that sums up the entire moral of the show. Hopefully, this is the part where most people will learn something very valuable.\nClean as it is, the Oprah show is not for everyone. The show's main target audiences are middle-class Americans. Most of these people have the time, money, and stability to deal with life's tougher problems. Jerry Springer, on the other hand, has more of an association with the young adults of society. These are 18-to 21-year-olds whose main troubles in life involve love, relationship, sex, money and peers. They are the ones who see some value and lessons to be learned underneath the show's exploitation.\nWhile the two shows are as different as night and day, both have ruled the talk show circuit for many years now. Each one caters to a different audience while both have a strong following from large groups of fans. Ironically, both could also be considered pioneers in the talk show world.","id":"3565.txt","label":2} +{"option":["have monopolized the talk show circuit","exploit the weaknesses in human nature","appear at different times of the day","are targeted at different audiences"],"question":"We can learn from the passage that the two talk shows ________.","article":"In the world of entertainment, TV talk shows have undoubtedly flooded every inch of space on daytime television. And anyone who watches them regularly knows that each one varies in style and format. But no two shows are more profoundly opposite in content, while at the same time standing out above the rest, than the Jerry Springer and the Oprah Winfrey shows.\nJerry Springer could easily be considered the king of \"trash talk \". The topics on his show are as shocking as shocking can be. For example, the show takes the ever-common talk show themes of love, sex, cheating, guilt, hate, conflict and morality to a different level. Clearly, the Jerry Springer show is a display and exploitation of society's moral catastrophes , yet people are willing to eat up the intriguing predicaments of other people's lives.\nLike Jerry Springer, Oprah Winfrey takes TV talk show to its extreme, but Oprah goes in the opposite direction. The show focuses on the improvement of society and an individual's quality of life. Topics range from teaching your children responsibility, managing your work week, to getting to know your neighbors.\nCompared to Oprah, the Jerry Springer show looks like poisonous waste being dumped on society. Jerry ends every show with a \"final word\". He makes a small speech that sums up the entire moral of the show. Hopefully, this is the part where most people will learn something very valuable.\nClean as it is, the Oprah show is not for everyone. The show's main target audiences are middle-class Americans. Most of these people have the time, money, and stability to deal with life's tougher problems. Jerry Springer, on the other hand, has more of an association with the young adults of society. These are 18-to 21-year-olds whose main troubles in life involve love, relationship, sex, money and peers. They are the ones who see some value and lessons to be learned underneath the show's exploitation.\nWhile the two shows are as different as night and day, both have ruled the talk show circuit for many years now. Each one caters to a different audience while both have a strong following from large groups of fans. Ironically, both could also be considered pioneers in the talk show world.","id":"3565.txt","label":3} +{"option":["They were profitable to manufacture.","They were in ever-increasing demand.","They were subject to taxation almost everywhere.","They were no longer considered necessities of life."],"question":"What did Adam Smith say about sugar, alcohol and tobacco.","article":"\"Sugar, alcohol and tobacco,\" economist Adam Smith once wrote, \"are commodities which are nowhere necessaries of life, which have become objects of almost universal consumption, and which are, therefore, extremely popular subjects of taxation.\"\nTwo and a half centuries on, most countries impose some sort of tax on alcohol and tobacco. With surging obesity levels putting increasing strain on public health systems, governments around the world have begun to toy with the idea of taxing sugar as well.\nWhether such taxes work is a matter of debate. A preliminary review of Mexico's taxation found a fall in purchases of taxed drinks as well as a rise in sales if untaxed and healthier drinks. By contrast, a Danish tax on foods high in fats was abandoned a year after its introduction, amid claims that consumers were avoiding it by crossing the border to Germany to satisfy their desire for cheaper, fattier fare.\nThe food industry has, in general, been firmly opposed to such direct government action. Nonetheless, the renewed focus on waistlines means that industry groups are under pressure to demonstrate their products are healthy as well as tasty.\nOver the past three decades, the industry has made some efforts to improve the quality of its offerings. For example, some drink manufactures have cut the amount of sugar in their beverages.\nMany of the reductions over the past 30 years have been achieved either by reducing the amount of sugar, salt or fat in a product, or by finding an alternative ingredient. More recently, however.\nSome companies have been investing money in a more ambitious undertaking: learning how to adjust the fundamental make-up of the food they sell. For example, having salt on the outside, but none on the inside, reduces the salt content without changing the taste.\nWhile reformulating recipesis one way to improve public health, it should be part of a multi-sided approach. The key is to remember that\nthere is not just one solution. To deal with obesity, a mixture of approaches-including reformulation, taxation and adjusting portion sizes-will be needed. There is no silver bullet.","id":"2070.txt","label":2} +{"option":["They are under growing pressures to balance their national budgets.","They find it ever harder to cope with sugar-induced health problems.","They practice of taxing alcohol and tobacco has proved both popular and profitable.","The sugar industry is overtaking alcohol and tobacco business in generating profits."],"question":"Why have many countries started to consider taxing sugar?","article":"\"Sugar, alcohol and tobacco,\" economist Adam Smith once wrote, \"are commodities which are nowhere necessaries of life, which have become objects of almost universal consumption, and which are, therefore, extremely popular subjects of taxation.\"\nTwo and a half centuries on, most countries impose some sort of tax on alcohol and tobacco. With surging obesity levels putting increasing strain on public health systems, governments around the world have begun to toy with the idea of taxing sugar as well.\nWhether such taxes work is a matter of debate. A preliminary review of Mexico's taxation found a fall in purchases of taxed drinks as well as a rise in sales if untaxed and healthier drinks. By contrast, a Danish tax on foods high in fats was abandoned a year after its introduction, amid claims that consumers were avoiding it by crossing the border to Germany to satisfy their desire for cheaper, fattier fare.\nThe food industry has, in general, been firmly opposed to such direct government action. Nonetheless, the renewed focus on waistlines means that industry groups are under pressure to demonstrate their products are healthy as well as tasty.\nOver the past three decades, the industry has made some efforts to improve the quality of its offerings. For example, some drink manufactures have cut the amount of sugar in their beverages.\nMany of the reductions over the past 30 years have been achieved either by reducing the amount of sugar, salt or fat in a product, or by finding an alternative ingredient. More recently, however.\nSome companies have been investing money in a more ambitious undertaking: learning how to adjust the fundamental make-up of the food they sell. For example, having salt on the outside, but none on the inside, reduces the salt content without changing the taste.\nWhile reformulating recipesis one way to improve public health, it should be part of a multi-sided approach. The key is to remember that\nthere is not just one solution. To deal with obesity, a mixture of approaches-including reformulation, taxation and adjusting portion sizes-will be needed. There is no silver bullet.","id":"2070.txt","label":1} +{"option":["It did not work out as well as was expected.","It gave rise to a lot of problems on the border.","It could not succeed without German cooperation.","It met with firm opposition from the food industry."],"question":"What do we learn about Danish taxation on fat-rich foods?","article":"\"Sugar, alcohol and tobacco,\" economist Adam Smith once wrote, \"are commodities which are nowhere necessaries of life, which have become objects of almost universal consumption, and which are, therefore, extremely popular subjects of taxation.\"\nTwo and a half centuries on, most countries impose some sort of tax on alcohol and tobacco. With surging obesity levels putting increasing strain on public health systems, governments around the world have begun to toy with the idea of taxing sugar as well.\nWhether such taxes work is a matter of debate. A preliminary review of Mexico's taxation found a fall in purchases of taxed drinks as well as a rise in sales if untaxed and healthier drinks. By contrast, a Danish tax on foods high in fats was abandoned a year after its introduction, amid claims that consumers were avoiding it by crossing the border to Germany to satisfy their desire for cheaper, fattier fare.\nThe food industry has, in general, been firmly opposed to such direct government action. Nonetheless, the renewed focus on waistlines means that industry groups are under pressure to demonstrate their products are healthy as well as tasty.\nOver the past three decades, the industry has made some efforts to improve the quality of its offerings. For example, some drink manufactures have cut the amount of sugar in their beverages.\nMany of the reductions over the past 30 years have been achieved either by reducing the amount of sugar, salt or fat in a product, or by finding an alternative ingredient. More recently, however.\nSome companies have been investing money in a more ambitious undertaking: learning how to adjust the fundamental make-up of the food they sell. For example, having salt on the outside, but none on the inside, reduces the salt content without changing the taste.\nWhile reformulating recipesis one way to improve public health, it should be part of a multi-sided approach. The key is to remember that\nthere is not just one solution. To deal with obesity, a mixture of approaches-including reformulation, taxation and adjusting portion sizes-will be needed. There is no silver bullet.","id":"2070.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Replacing sugar or salt with alternative ingredients.","Setting a limit on the amount of sugar or salt in their products.","Investing in research to find ways to adapt to consumers' needs.","Adjusting the physical composition of their products."],"question":"What is the more recent effort by food companies to make foods and drinks both healthy and tasty?","article":"\"Sugar, alcohol and tobacco,\" economist Adam Smith once wrote, \"are commodities which are nowhere necessaries of life, which have become objects of almost universal consumption, and which are, therefore, extremely popular subjects of taxation.\"\nTwo and a half centuries on, most countries impose some sort of tax on alcohol and tobacco. With surging obesity levels putting increasing strain on public health systems, governments around the world have begun to toy with the idea of taxing sugar as well.\nWhether such taxes work is a matter of debate. A preliminary review of Mexico's taxation found a fall in purchases of taxed drinks as well as a rise in sales if untaxed and healthier drinks. By contrast, a Danish tax on foods high in fats was abandoned a year after its introduction, amid claims that consumers were avoiding it by crossing the border to Germany to satisfy their desire for cheaper, fattier fare.\nThe food industry has, in general, been firmly opposed to such direct government action. Nonetheless, the renewed focus on waistlines means that industry groups are under pressure to demonstrate their products are healthy as well as tasty.\nOver the past three decades, the industry has made some efforts to improve the quality of its offerings. For example, some drink manufactures have cut the amount of sugar in their beverages.\nMany of the reductions over the past 30 years have been achieved either by reducing the amount of sugar, salt or fat in a product, or by finding an alternative ingredient. More recently, however.\nSome companies have been investing money in a more ambitious undertaking: learning how to adjust the fundamental make-up of the food they sell. For example, having salt on the outside, but none on the inside, reduces the salt content without changing the taste.\nWhile reformulating recipesis one way to improve public health, it should be part of a multi-sided approach. The key is to remember that\nthere is not just one solution. To deal with obesity, a mixture of approaches-including reformulation, taxation and adjusting portion sizes-will be needed. There is no silver bullet.","id":"2070.txt","label":3} +{"option":["There is no single easy quick solution to the problem.","There is no hope of success without public cooperation.","There is on hurry in finding ways to solve the obesity problem.","There is no effective way to reduce people's sugar consumption."],"question":"What does the author mean by saying, at the end of the passage, \"There is no silver bullet\"(Line 4, Para 7)?","article":"\"Sugar, alcohol and tobacco,\" economist Adam Smith once wrote, \"are commodities which are nowhere necessaries of life, which have become objects of almost universal consumption, and which are, therefore, extremely popular subjects of taxation.\"\nTwo and a half centuries on, most countries impose some sort of tax on alcohol and tobacco. With surging obesity levels putting increasing strain on public health systems, governments around the world have begun to toy with the idea of taxing sugar as well.\nWhether such taxes work is a matter of debate. A preliminary review of Mexico's taxation found a fall in purchases of taxed drinks as well as a rise in sales if untaxed and healthier drinks. By contrast, a Danish tax on foods high in fats was abandoned a year after its introduction, amid claims that consumers were avoiding it by crossing the border to Germany to satisfy their desire for cheaper, fattier fare.\nThe food industry has, in general, been firmly opposed to such direct government action. Nonetheless, the renewed focus on waistlines means that industry groups are under pressure to demonstrate their products are healthy as well as tasty.\nOver the past three decades, the industry has made some efforts to improve the quality of its offerings. For example, some drink manufactures have cut the amount of sugar in their beverages.\nMany of the reductions over the past 30 years have been achieved either by reducing the amount of sugar, salt or fat in a product, or by finding an alternative ingredient. More recently, however.\nSome companies have been investing money in a more ambitious undertaking: learning how to adjust the fundamental make-up of the food they sell. For example, having salt on the outside, but none on the inside, reduces the salt content without changing the taste.\nWhile reformulating recipesis one way to improve public health, it should be part of a multi-sided approach. The key is to remember that\nthere is not just one solution. To deal with obesity, a mixture of approaches-including reformulation, taxation and adjusting portion sizes-will be needed. There is no silver bullet.","id":"2070.txt","label":0} +{"option":["will probably take effect in six years","covers all the high school subjects","has been approved by all states","is advocated by California state governor"],"question":"We learn from the passage that the Digital Textbook Initiative _ .","article":"California has a new program called the Digital Textbook Initiative. \"Starting this fall with high school math and science, we will be the first state in the nation to provide schools with a state-approved list of digital textbooks.\" That was Governor in June, talking about his effort to get schools to use materials available free online. He listed reasons why he thinks digital textbooks make sense.\nCalifornia approves traditional textbooks in six-year cycles. Digital ones can offer the latest information. They lighten the load of school bags. They save paper and trees, and make learning more fun and interactive. And above all, he said, they help schools with their finances.\nThe state has had to make severe cuts in school spending\u00a0because of deep financial problems. More than six million students attend California public schools.\nEarlier this year, California invited content developers to offer digital math and science materials for high schools. These had to meet at least 90% of the state's learning requirements. Specially trained teachers examined 16 textbooks and approved ten of them.\nSix of the ten were published by the CK 12 Foundation, a non-profit group that had been developing digital science and math books for about two years. The foundation paid teachers and other education professionals to write and edit them. The money came from a group financed by the Khosla Family.\nCalifornia cannot require schools to use the digital textbooks. Individual school districts will have to decide for themselves.\nSusan Martimo, a California Department of Education official, says she does not expect widespread use right away. Her best guess is that some schools with a lot of technology will be the first to use them, but only in addition to their traditional books.\nSchool administrators point out that the texts may be free online, but students need a way to access them. Not everyone has a computer or electronic reader. Schools could print out copies, but that would not help the environment. Also, there is the cost to train teachers to use digital textbooks effectively.","id":"4174.txt","label":3} +{"option":["help schools save money","benefit the environment","provide interesting materials","reduce students' heavy burden"],"question":"The main reason for promoting digital textbooks is to _ .","article":"California has a new program called the Digital Textbook Initiative. \"Starting this fall with high school math and science, we will be the first state in the nation to provide schools with a state-approved list of digital textbooks.\" That was Governor in June, talking about his effort to get schools to use materials available free online. He listed reasons why he thinks digital textbooks make sense.\nCalifornia approves traditional textbooks in six-year cycles. Digital ones can offer the latest information. They lighten the load of school bags. They save paper and trees, and make learning more fun and interactive. And above all, he said, they help schools with their finances.\nThe state has had to make severe cuts in school spending\u00a0because of deep financial problems. More than six million students attend California public schools.\nEarlier this year, California invited content developers to offer digital math and science materials for high schools. These had to meet at least 90% of the state's learning requirements. Specially trained teachers examined 16 textbooks and approved ten of them.\nSix of the ten were published by the CK 12 Foundation, a non-profit group that had been developing digital science and math books for about two years. The foundation paid teachers and other education professionals to write and edit them. The money came from a group financed by the Khosla Family.\nCalifornia cannot require schools to use the digital textbooks. Individual school districts will have to decide for themselves.\nSusan Martimo, a California Department of Education official, says she does not expect widespread use right away. Her best guess is that some schools with a lot of technology will be the first to use them, but only in addition to their traditional books.\nSchool administrators point out that the texts may be free online, but students need a way to access them. Not everyone has a computer or electronic reader. Schools could print out copies, but that would not help the environment. Also, there is the cost to train teachers to use digital textbooks effectively.","id":"4174.txt","label":0} +{"option":["It approved and produced 16 digital textbooks.","It paid teachers to write digital textbooks.","It is financed by California state government.","It makes money through developing digital textbooks."],"question":"What does the author say about CK 12 Foundation?","article":"California has a new program called the Digital Textbook Initiative. \"Starting this fall with high school math and science, we will be the first state in the nation to provide schools with a state-approved list of digital textbooks.\" That was Governor in June, talking about his effort to get schools to use materials available free online. He listed reasons why he thinks digital textbooks make sense.\nCalifornia approves traditional textbooks in six-year cycles. Digital ones can offer the latest information. They lighten the load of school bags. They save paper and trees, and make learning more fun and interactive. And above all, he said, they help schools with their finances.\nThe state has had to make severe cuts in school spending\u00a0because of deep financial problems. More than six million students attend California public schools.\nEarlier this year, California invited content developers to offer digital math and science materials for high schools. These had to meet at least 90% of the state's learning requirements. Specially trained teachers examined 16 textbooks and approved ten of them.\nSix of the ten were published by the CK 12 Foundation, a non-profit group that had been developing digital science and math books for about two years. The foundation paid teachers and other education professionals to write and edit them. The money came from a group financed by the Khosla Family.\nCalifornia cannot require schools to use the digital textbooks. Individual school districts will have to decide for themselves.\nSusan Martimo, a California Department of Education official, says she does not expect widespread use right away. Her best guess is that some schools with a lot of technology will be the first to use them, but only in addition to their traditional books.\nSchool administrators point out that the texts may be free online, but students need a way to access them. Not everyone has a computer or electronic reader. Schools could print out copies, but that would not help the environment. Also, there is the cost to train teachers to use digital textbooks effectively.","id":"4174.txt","label":1} +{"option":["are not likely to have a widespread use","will soon replace traditional ones","will first be adopted by well-equipped schools","are certain to be approved by school districts"],"question":"According to Susan Martimo, digital textbooks _ .","article":"California has a new program called the Digital Textbook Initiative. \"Starting this fall with high school math and science, we will be the first state in the nation to provide schools with a state-approved list of digital textbooks.\" That was Governor in June, talking about his effort to get schools to use materials available free online. He listed reasons why he thinks digital textbooks make sense.\nCalifornia approves traditional textbooks in six-year cycles. Digital ones can offer the latest information. They lighten the load of school bags. They save paper and trees, and make learning more fun and interactive. And above all, he said, they help schools with their finances.\nThe state has had to make severe cuts in school spending\u00a0because of deep financial problems. More than six million students attend California public schools.\nEarlier this year, California invited content developers to offer digital math and science materials for high schools. These had to meet at least 90% of the state's learning requirements. Specially trained teachers examined 16 textbooks and approved ten of them.\nSix of the ten were published by the CK 12 Foundation, a non-profit group that had been developing digital science and math books for about two years. The foundation paid teachers and other education professionals to write and edit them. The money came from a group financed by the Khosla Family.\nCalifornia cannot require schools to use the digital textbooks. Individual school districts will have to decide for themselves.\nSusan Martimo, a California Department of Education official, says she does not expect widespread use right away. Her best guess is that some schools with a lot of technology will be the first to use them, but only in addition to their traditional books.\nSchool administrators point out that the texts may be free online, but students need a way to access them. Not everyone has a computer or electronic reader. Schools could print out copies, but that would not help the environment. Also, there is the cost to train teachers to use digital textbooks effectively.","id":"4174.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Schools are reluctant to print out copies.","The use of digital textbooks is not really free.","Students need to pay for computers.","Training teachers to use the textbooks is not efficient."],"question":"What can be inferred from the last paragraph?","article":"California has a new program called the Digital Textbook Initiative. \"Starting this fall with high school math and science, we will be the first state in the nation to provide schools with a state-approved list of digital textbooks.\" That was Governor in June, talking about his effort to get schools to use materials available free online. He listed reasons why he thinks digital textbooks make sense.\nCalifornia approves traditional textbooks in six-year cycles. Digital ones can offer the latest information. They lighten the load of school bags. They save paper and trees, and make learning more fun and interactive. And above all, he said, they help schools with their finances.\nThe state has had to make severe cuts in school spending\u00a0because of deep financial problems. More than six million students attend California public schools.\nEarlier this year, California invited content developers to offer digital math and science materials for high schools. These had to meet at least 90% of the state's learning requirements. Specially trained teachers examined 16 textbooks and approved ten of them.\nSix of the ten were published by the CK 12 Foundation, a non-profit group that had been developing digital science and math books for about two years. The foundation paid teachers and other education professionals to write and edit them. The money came from a group financed by the Khosla Family.\nCalifornia cannot require schools to use the digital textbooks. Individual school districts will have to decide for themselves.\nSusan Martimo, a California Department of Education official, says she does not expect widespread use right away. Her best guess is that some schools with a lot of technology will be the first to use them, but only in addition to their traditional books.\nSchool administrators point out that the texts may be free online, but students need a way to access them. Not everyone has a computer or electronic reader. Schools could print out copies, but that would not help the environment. Also, there is the cost to train teachers to use digital textbooks effectively.","id":"4174.txt","label":1} +{"option":["implication","contradiction","interpretation","confusion"],"question":"The word \"paradox\" (Line 1, Para. 1) means \"_ \".","article":"It is a curious paradox that we think of the physical sciences as \"hard\", the social sciences as \"soft,\" and the biological sciences as somewhere in between. This is interpreted to mean that our knowledge of physical system is more certain than our knowledge of biological systems, and these in turn are more certain than our knowledge of social systems. In terms of our capacity of sample the relevant universes, however, and the probability that our images of these universes are at least approximately correct, one suspects that a reverse order is more reasonable. We are able to sample earth's social systems with some degree of confidence that we have a reasonable sample of the total universe being investigated. Our knowledge of social systems, therefore, while it is in many ways extremely inaccurate, is not likely to be seriously overturned by new discoveries. Even the folk knowledge in social systems on which ordinary life is based in earning, spending, organizing, marrying, taking part in political activities, fighting and so on, is not very dissimilar from the more sophisticated images of the social system derived form the social sciences, even though it is built upon the very imperfect samples of personal experience.\nIn contrast, our image of the astronomical universe, or even if earth's geological history, ca easily be subject to revolutionary changes as new data come in and new theories are worked out. If we define the \"security\" of our image of various parts of the total system as the probability of their suffering significant changes, then we would reverse the order for hardness and as the most secure, the physical sciences as the least secure, and again the biological sciences as somewhere in between. Our image of the astronomical universe is the least secure of all simply because we observe such a fantastically small sample of it and its record-keeping is trivial records of biological systems. Records of the astronomical universe, despite the fact that we learnt things as they were long age, are limited in the extreme.\nEven in regard to such a close neighbor as the moon, which we have actually visited, theories about its origin and history are extremely different, contradictory, and hard to choose among. Our knowledge of physical evolution is incomplete and insecure.","id":"1787.txt","label":0} +{"option":["a reverse ordering will help promote the development of the physical sciences","our knowledge of physical systems is more reliable than that of social systems","our understanding of the social systems is approximately correct","we are better able to investigate social phenomena than physical phenomena"],"question":"Accroding to the author, we should reverse our classification of the physical sciences as \"hard\" and the social sciences as \"soft\" because _ .","article":"It is a curious paradox that we think of the physical sciences as \"hard\", the social sciences as \"soft,\" and the biological sciences as somewhere in between. This is interpreted to mean that our knowledge of physical system is more certain than our knowledge of biological systems, and these in turn are more certain than our knowledge of social systems. In terms of our capacity of sample the relevant universes, however, and the probability that our images of these universes are at least approximately correct, one suspects that a reverse order is more reasonable. We are able to sample earth's social systems with some degree of confidence that we have a reasonable sample of the total universe being investigated. Our knowledge of social systems, therefore, while it is in many ways extremely inaccurate, is not likely to be seriously overturned by new discoveries. Even the folk knowledge in social systems on which ordinary life is based in earning, spending, organizing, marrying, taking part in political activities, fighting and so on, is not very dissimilar from the more sophisticated images of the social system derived form the social sciences, even though it is built upon the very imperfect samples of personal experience.\nIn contrast, our image of the astronomical universe, or even if earth's geological history, ca easily be subject to revolutionary changes as new data come in and new theories are worked out. If we define the \"security\" of our image of various parts of the total system as the probability of their suffering significant changes, then we would reverse the order for hardness and as the most secure, the physical sciences as the least secure, and again the biological sciences as somewhere in between. Our image of the astronomical universe is the least secure of all simply because we observe such a fantastically small sample of it and its record-keeping is trivial records of biological systems. Records of the astronomical universe, despite the fact that we learnt things as they were long age, are limited in the extreme.\nEven in regard to such a close neighbor as the moon, which we have actually visited, theories about its origin and history are extremely different, contradictory, and hard to choose among. Our knowledge of physical evolution is incomplete and insecure.","id":"1787.txt","label":2} +{"option":["it is not based on personal experience","new discoveries are less likely to occur in social sciences","it is based on a fairly representative quantity of data","the records of social systems are more reliable"],"question":"The author believes that our knowledge of social systems is more secure than that of physical systems because_ .","article":"It is a curious paradox that we think of the physical sciences as \"hard\", the social sciences as \"soft,\" and the biological sciences as somewhere in between. This is interpreted to mean that our knowledge of physical system is more certain than our knowledge of biological systems, and these in turn are more certain than our knowledge of social systems. In terms of our capacity of sample the relevant universes, however, and the probability that our images of these universes are at least approximately correct, one suspects that a reverse order is more reasonable. We are able to sample earth's social systems with some degree of confidence that we have a reasonable sample of the total universe being investigated. Our knowledge of social systems, therefore, while it is in many ways extremely inaccurate, is not likely to be seriously overturned by new discoveries. Even the folk knowledge in social systems on which ordinary life is based in earning, spending, organizing, marrying, taking part in political activities, fighting and so on, is not very dissimilar from the more sophisticated images of the social system derived form the social sciences, even though it is built upon the very imperfect samples of personal experience.\nIn contrast, our image of the astronomical universe, or even if earth's geological history, ca easily be subject to revolutionary changes as new data come in and new theories are worked out. If we define the \"security\" of our image of various parts of the total system as the probability of their suffering significant changes, then we would reverse the order for hardness and as the most secure, the physical sciences as the least secure, and again the biological sciences as somewhere in between. Our image of the astronomical universe is the least secure of all simply because we observe such a fantastically small sample of it and its record-keeping is trivial records of biological systems. Records of the astronomical universe, despite the fact that we learnt things as they were long age, are limited in the extreme.\nEven in regard to such a close neighbor as the moon, which we have actually visited, theories about its origin and history are extremely different, contradictory, and hard to choose among. Our knowledge of physical evolution is incomplete and insecure.","id":"1787.txt","label":3} +{"option":["contradictory theories keep emerging all the time","new information is constantly coming in","the direction of their development is difficult to predict","our knowledge of the physical world is inaccurate"],"question":"The chances of the physical sciences being subject to great changes are the biggest because _ .","article":"It is a curious paradox that we think of the physical sciences as \"hard\", the social sciences as \"soft,\" and the biological sciences as somewhere in between. This is interpreted to mean that our knowledge of physical system is more certain than our knowledge of biological systems, and these in turn are more certain than our knowledge of social systems. In terms of our capacity of sample the relevant universes, however, and the probability that our images of these universes are at least approximately correct, one suspects that a reverse order is more reasonable. We are able to sample earth's social systems with some degree of confidence that we have a reasonable sample of the total universe being investigated. Our knowledge of social systems, therefore, while it is in many ways extremely inaccurate, is not likely to be seriously overturned by new discoveries. Even the folk knowledge in social systems on which ordinary life is based in earning, spending, organizing, marrying, taking part in political activities, fighting and so on, is not very dissimilar from the more sophisticated images of the social system derived form the social sciences, even though it is built upon the very imperfect samples of personal experience.\nIn contrast, our image of the astronomical universe, or even if earth's geological history, ca easily be subject to revolutionary changes as new data come in and new theories are worked out. If we define the \"security\" of our image of various parts of the total system as the probability of their suffering significant changes, then we would reverse the order for hardness and as the most secure, the physical sciences as the least secure, and again the biological sciences as somewhere in between. Our image of the astronomical universe is the least secure of all simply because we observe such a fantastically small sample of it and its record-keeping is trivial records of biological systems. Records of the astronomical universe, despite the fact that we learnt things as they were long age, are limited in the extreme.\nEven in regard to such a close neighbor as the moon, which we have actually visited, theories about its origin and history are extremely different, contradictory, and hard to choose among. Our knowledge of physical evolution is incomplete and insecure.","id":"1787.txt","label":0} +{"option":["theories of its origin and history are varied","our knowledge of it is highly insecure","only a very small sample of it has been observed","few scientists are involved in the study of astronomy"],"question":"We know less about the astronomical universe than we don about any social system because _ .","article":"It is a curious paradox that we think of the physical sciences as \"hard\", the social sciences as \"soft,\" and the biological sciences as somewhere in between. This is interpreted to mean that our knowledge of physical system is more certain than our knowledge of biological systems, and these in turn are more certain than our knowledge of social systems. In terms of our capacity of sample the relevant universes, however, and the probability that our images of these universes are at least approximately correct, one suspects that a reverse order is more reasonable. We are able to sample earth's social systems with some degree of confidence that we have a reasonable sample of the total universe being investigated. Our knowledge of social systems, therefore, while it is in many ways extremely inaccurate, is not likely to be seriously overturned by new discoveries. Even the folk knowledge in social systems on which ordinary life is based in earning, spending, organizing, marrying, taking part in political activities, fighting and so on, is not very dissimilar from the more sophisticated images of the social system derived form the social sciences, even though it is built upon the very imperfect samples of personal experience.\nIn contrast, our image of the astronomical universe, or even if earth's geological history, ca easily be subject to revolutionary changes as new data come in and new theories are worked out. If we define the \"security\" of our image of various parts of the total system as the probability of their suffering significant changes, then we would reverse the order for hardness and as the most secure, the physical sciences as the least secure, and again the biological sciences as somewhere in between. Our image of the astronomical universe is the least secure of all simply because we observe such a fantastically small sample of it and its record-keeping is trivial records of biological systems. Records of the astronomical universe, despite the fact that we learnt things as they were long age, are limited in the extreme.\nEven in regard to such a close neighbor as the moon, which we have actually visited, theories about its origin and history are extremely different, contradictory, and hard to choose among. Our knowledge of physical evolution is incomplete and insecure.","id":"1787.txt","label":3} +{"option":["To explain a new requirement for graduation.","To interest students in a new community program.","To discuss the problems of elementary school students.","To recruit elementary school teachers for a special program."],"question":"What is the purpose of the talk?","article":"Community service is an important component of education here at our university. We encourage all students to volunteer for at least one community activity before they graduate. A new community program called \" One On One\" helps elementary students who've fallen behind. Your education majors might be especially interested in it because it offers the opportunity to do some teaching, that is, tutoring in math and English.\nYou'd have to volunteer two hours a week for one semester. You can choose to help a child with math, English, or both. Half-hour lessons are fine, so you could do a half hour of each subject two days a week.\nProfessor Dodge will act as a mentor to the tutors - he'll be available to help you with lesson plans or to offer suggestions for activities. He has office hours every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. You can sign up for the program with him and begin the tutoring next week.\nI'm sure you'll enjoy this community service ... and you'll gain valuable experience at the same time. It looks good on your resume, too, showing that you've had experience with children and that you care about your community. If you'd like to sign up, or if you have any questions, stop by Professor Dodge's office this week.","id":"711.txt","label":1} +{"option":["To find jobs for graduating students.","To help education majors prepare for final exams.","To offer tutorials to elementary school students.","To provide funding for a community service project."],"question":"What is the purpose of the program that the speaker describes?","article":"Community service is an important component of education here at our university. We encourage all students to volunteer for at least one community activity before they graduate. A new community program called \" One On One\" helps elementary students who've fallen behind. Your education majors might be especially interested in it because it offers the opportunity to do some teaching, that is, tutoring in math and English.\nYou'd have to volunteer two hours a week for one semester. You can choose to help a child with math, English, or both. Half-hour lessons are fine, so you could do a half hour of each subject two days a week.\nProfessor Dodge will act as a mentor to the tutors - he'll be available to help you with lesson plans or to offer suggestions for activities. He has office hours every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. You can sign up for the program with him and begin the tutoring next week.\nI'm sure you'll enjoy this community service ... and you'll gain valuable experience at the same time. It looks good on your resume, too, showing that you've had experience with children and that you care about your community. If you'd like to sign up, or if you have any questions, stop by Professor Dodge's office this week.","id":"711.txt","label":2} +{"option":["He advises students to participate in certain program.","He teaches part-time in an elementary school.","He observes elementary school students in the classroom.","He helps students prepare their resumes."],"question":"What does Professor Dodge do?","article":"Community service is an important component of education here at our university. We encourage all students to volunteer for at least one community activity before they graduate. A new community program called \" One On One\" helps elementary students who've fallen behind. Your education majors might be especially interested in it because it offers the opportunity to do some teaching, that is, tutoring in math and English.\nYou'd have to volunteer two hours a week for one semester. You can choose to help a child with math, English, or both. Half-hour lessons are fine, so you could do a half hour of each subject two days a week.\nProfessor Dodge will act as a mentor to the tutors - he'll be available to help you with lesson plans or to offer suggestions for activities. He has office hours every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. You can sign up for the program with him and begin the tutoring next week.\nI'm sure you'll enjoy this community service ... and you'll gain valuable experience at the same time. It looks good on your resume, too, showing that you've had experience with children and that you care about your community. If you'd like to sign up, or if you have any questions, stop by Professor Dodge's office this week.","id":"711.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Contact the elementary school.","Sign up for a special class.","Submit a resume to the dean.","Talk to Professor Dodge."],"question":"What should students who are interested in the tutorials do?","article":"Community service is an important component of education here at our university. We encourage all students to volunteer for at least one community activity before they graduate. A new community program called \" One On One\" helps elementary students who've fallen behind. Your education majors might be especially interested in it because it offers the opportunity to do some teaching, that is, tutoring in math and English.\nYou'd have to volunteer two hours a week for one semester. You can choose to help a child with math, English, or both. Half-hour lessons are fine, so you could do a half hour of each subject two days a week.\nProfessor Dodge will act as a mentor to the tutors - he'll be available to help you with lesson plans or to offer suggestions for activities. He has office hours every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. You can sign up for the program with him and begin the tutoring next week.\nI'm sure you'll enjoy this community service ... and you'll gain valuable experience at the same time. It looks good on your resume, too, showing that you've had experience with children and that you care about your community. If you'd like to sign up, or if you have any questions, stop by Professor Dodge's office this week.","id":"711.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Faculty.","Students.","Residents","Graduated students."],"question":"Whom do you think the speaker addresses?","article":"Community service is an important component of education here at our university. We encourage all students to volunteer for at least one community activity before they graduate. A new community program called \" One On One\" helps elementary students who've fallen behind. Your education majors might be especially interested in it because it offers the opportunity to do some teaching, that is, tutoring in math and English.\nYou'd have to volunteer two hours a week for one semester. You can choose to help a child with math, English, or both. Half-hour lessons are fine, so you could do a half hour of each subject two days a week.\nProfessor Dodge will act as a mentor to the tutors - he'll be available to help you with lesson plans or to offer suggestions for activities. He has office hours every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. You can sign up for the program with him and begin the tutoring next week.\nI'm sure you'll enjoy this community service ... and you'll gain valuable experience at the same time. It looks good on your resume, too, showing that you've had experience with children and that you care about your community. If you'd like to sign up, or if you have any questions, stop by Professor Dodge's office this week.","id":"711.txt","label":1} +{"option":["it protects him against the harmful rays from space","it provides sufficient light for plant growth","it supplies the heat necessary for human survival","it screens off the falling meteors"],"question":"According to the first paragraph, the atmosphere is essential to man in that _ .","article":"Space is a dangerous place, not only because of meteors but also because of rays from the sun and other stars. The atmosphere again acts as our protective blanket on earth. Light gets through, and this is essential for plants to make the food, which we eat. Heat, too, makes our environment endurable. Various kinds of rays come through the air from outer space, but enormous quantities of radiation from the sun are screened off. As soon as men leave the atmosphere they are exposed to this radiation but their spacesuits or the walls of their spacecraft, if they are inside, do prevent a lot of radiation damage.\nRadiation is the greatest known danger to explorers in space. The unit of radiation is called rem. Scientists have reason to think that a man can put up with far more radiation than 0.1 rem without being damaged; the figure of 60 rems has been agreed on. The trouble is that it is extremely difficult to be sure about radiation damage-a person may feel perfectly well, but the cells of his or her sex organs may be damaged, and this will not be discovered until the birth of deformed children or even grandchildren. Missions of the Apollo flights have had to cross belts of high radiation and, during the outward and return journeys, the Apollo crew accumulated a large amount of rems. So far, no dangerous amounts of radiation have been reported, but the Apollo missions have been quite short. We simply do not know yet how men are going to get on when they spend weeks and months outside the protection of the atmosphere, working in a space laboratory. Drugs might help to decrease the damage done by radiation, but no really effective ones have been found so far.","id":"3109.txt","label":0} +{"option":["exposure to even tiny amounts of radiation is fatal","the effect of exposure to radiation is slow in coming","radiation is avoidable in space exploration","astronauts in spacesuits needn't worry about radiation damage"],"question":"We know from the passage that _ .","article":"Space is a dangerous place, not only because of meteors but also because of rays from the sun and other stars. The atmosphere again acts as our protective blanket on earth. Light gets through, and this is essential for plants to make the food, which we eat. Heat, too, makes our environment endurable. Various kinds of rays come through the air from outer space, but enormous quantities of radiation from the sun are screened off. As soon as men leave the atmosphere they are exposed to this radiation but their spacesuits or the walls of their spacecraft, if they are inside, do prevent a lot of radiation damage.\nRadiation is the greatest known danger to explorers in space. The unit of radiation is called rem. Scientists have reason to think that a man can put up with far more radiation than 0.1 rem without being damaged; the figure of 60 rems has been agreed on. The trouble is that it is extremely difficult to be sure about radiation damage-a person may feel perfectly well, but the cells of his or her sex organs may be damaged, and this will not be discovered until the birth of deformed children or even grandchildren. Missions of the Apollo flights have had to cross belts of high radiation and, during the outward and return journeys, the Apollo crew accumulated a large amount of rems. So far, no dangerous amounts of radiation have been reported, but the Apollo missions have been quite short. We simply do not know yet how men are going to get on when they spend weeks and months outside the protection of the atmosphere, working in a space laboratory. Drugs might help to decrease the damage done by radiation, but no really effective ones have been found so far.","id":"3109.txt","label":1} +{"option":["is insignificant","seems overestimated","is enormous","remains unknown"],"question":"The harm radiation has done to the Apollo crew members _ .","article":"Space is a dangerous place, not only because of meteors but also because of rays from the sun and other stars. The atmosphere again acts as our protective blanket on earth. Light gets through, and this is essential for plants to make the food, which we eat. Heat, too, makes our environment endurable. Various kinds of rays come through the air from outer space, but enormous quantities of radiation from the sun are screened off. As soon as men leave the atmosphere they are exposed to this radiation but their spacesuits or the walls of their spacecraft, if they are inside, do prevent a lot of radiation damage.\nRadiation is the greatest known danger to explorers in space. The unit of radiation is called rem. Scientists have reason to think that a man can put up with far more radiation than 0.1 rem without being damaged; the figure of 60 rems has been agreed on. The trouble is that it is extremely difficult to be sure about radiation damage-a person may feel perfectly well, but the cells of his or her sex organs may be damaged, and this will not be discovered until the birth of deformed children or even grandchildren. Missions of the Apollo flights have had to cross belts of high radiation and, during the outward and return journeys, the Apollo crew accumulated a large amount of rems. So far, no dangerous amounts of radiation have been reported, but the Apollo missions have been quite short. We simply do not know yet how men are going to get on when they spend weeks and months outside the protection of the atmosphere, working in a space laboratory. Drugs might help to decrease the damage done by radiation, but no really effective ones have been found so far.","id":"3109.txt","label":3} +{"option":["the Apollo mission was very successful","protection from space radiation is no easy job","astronauts will have deformed children or grandchildren","radiation is not a threat to well-protected space explorers"],"question":"It can be inferred from the passage that _ .","article":"Space is a dangerous place, not only because of meteors but also because of rays from the sun and other stars. The atmosphere again acts as our protective blanket on earth. Light gets through, and this is essential for plants to make the food, which we eat. Heat, too, makes our environment endurable. Various kinds of rays come through the air from outer space, but enormous quantities of radiation from the sun are screened off. As soon as men leave the atmosphere they are exposed to this radiation but their spacesuits or the walls of their spacecraft, if they are inside, do prevent a lot of radiation damage.\nRadiation is the greatest known danger to explorers in space. The unit of radiation is called rem. Scientists have reason to think that a man can put up with far more radiation than 0.1 rem without being damaged; the figure of 60 rems has been agreed on. The trouble is that it is extremely difficult to be sure about radiation damage-a person may feel perfectly well, but the cells of his or her sex organs may be damaged, and this will not be discovered until the birth of deformed children or even grandchildren. Missions of the Apollo flights have had to cross belts of high radiation and, during the outward and return journeys, the Apollo crew accumulated a large amount of rems. So far, no dangerous amounts of radiation have been reported, but the Apollo missions have been quite short. We simply do not know yet how men are going to get on when they spend weeks and months outside the protection of the atmosphere, working in a space laboratory. Drugs might help to decrease the damage done by radiation, but no really effective ones have been found so far.","id":"3109.txt","label":1} +{"option":["The Atmosphere and Our Environment","Research on Radiation","Effects of Space Radiation","Importance Protection Against Radiation"],"question":"The best title for this passage would be _ .","article":"Space is a dangerous place, not only because of meteors but also because of rays from the sun and other stars. The atmosphere again acts as our protective blanket on earth. Light gets through, and this is essential for plants to make the food, which we eat. Heat, too, makes our environment endurable. Various kinds of rays come through the air from outer space, but enormous quantities of radiation from the sun are screened off. As soon as men leave the atmosphere they are exposed to this radiation but their spacesuits or the walls of their spacecraft, if they are inside, do prevent a lot of radiation damage.\nRadiation is the greatest known danger to explorers in space. The unit of radiation is called rem. Scientists have reason to think that a man can put up with far more radiation than 0.1 rem without being damaged; the figure of 60 rems has been agreed on. The trouble is that it is extremely difficult to be sure about radiation damage-a person may feel perfectly well, but the cells of his or her sex organs may be damaged, and this will not be discovered until the birth of deformed children or even grandchildren. Missions of the Apollo flights have had to cross belts of high radiation and, during the outward and return journeys, the Apollo crew accumulated a large amount of rems. So far, no dangerous amounts of radiation have been reported, but the Apollo missions have been quite short. We simply do not know yet how men are going to get on when they spend weeks and months outside the protection of the atmosphere, working in a space laboratory. Drugs might help to decrease the damage done by radiation, but no really effective ones have been found so far.","id":"3109.txt","label":2} +{"option":["too hard","important","pleasant","dull"],"question":"The early immigrants considered work _ .","article":"Work is a very important part of life in the United States. When the early Protestant immigrants came to this country, they brought the idea that work was the way to God and heaven. This attitude, the Protestant Work Ethic, still influences America today. Work is not only important for economic benefits, the salary, but also for social and psychological needs, the feeling of doing something for the good of the society. Americans spend most of their lives working, being productive. For most Americans, their work defines them: they are what they do. What happens then, when a person can no longer work?\nAlmost all Americans stop working at age sixty-five or seventy and retire. Because work is such an important part of life in this culture, retirement can be very difficult.\nRetirees often feel that they are useless and unproductive. Of course, some people are happy to retire; but leaving one's job, whatever it is, is a difficult change, even for those who look forward to retiring. Many retirees do not know how to use their time or they feel lost without their jobs. Retirements can also bring financial problems. Many people rely on Social Security checks every month. During their working years, employees contribute a certain percentage of their salaries to the government. Each employer also gives a certain percentage to the government. When people retire, they receive this money as income. These checks do not provide enough money to live on, however, because prices are increasing very rapidly. Senior citizens, those over sixty-five, have to have savings in the bank or other retirement plans to make ends meet. The rate of inflation is forcing prices higher each year; Social Security checks alone cannot cover these growing expenses. The government offers some assistance, Medicare(health care)and welfare(general assistance), but many senior citizens have to change their life styles after retirement. They have to spend carefully to be sure that they can afford to buy food, fuel and other necessities.\nOf course, many senior citizens are happy with retirement. They have time to spend with their families or enjoy their hobbies. Some continue to work part time, others do volunteer work. Some, like those in the Retired Business Executives Association, even help young, people to get started in new business. Many retired citizens also belong to \" Golden Age\" groups. These organizations plan trips and social events. There are many chances for retirees.\nAmerican society is only beginning to be concerned about the special physical and emotional needs of its senior citizens. The government is taking steps to ease the problem of limited income. They are building new housing, offering discounts in stores and museums and on buses, and providing other services such as free courses, food service, and help with housework.\nRetired citizens are a rapidly growing percentage of the population. This part of the population is very important and we must meet their needs. After all, every citizen will be a senior citizen some day.","id":"3933.txt","label":1} +{"option":["doesn't only mean money but it is also psychological","can make life more comfortable","can prove people to be independent","gives people funny"],"question":"Why do Americans like working? Because working _ .","article":"Work is a very important part of life in the United States. When the early Protestant immigrants came to this country, they brought the idea that work was the way to God and heaven. This attitude, the Protestant Work Ethic, still influences America today. Work is not only important for economic benefits, the salary, but also for social and psychological needs, the feeling of doing something for the good of the society. Americans spend most of their lives working, being productive. For most Americans, their work defines them: they are what they do. What happens then, when a person can no longer work?\nAlmost all Americans stop working at age sixty-five or seventy and retire. Because work is such an important part of life in this culture, retirement can be very difficult.\nRetirees often feel that they are useless and unproductive. Of course, some people are happy to retire; but leaving one's job, whatever it is, is a difficult change, even for those who look forward to retiring. Many retirees do not know how to use their time or they feel lost without their jobs. Retirements can also bring financial problems. Many people rely on Social Security checks every month. During their working years, employees contribute a certain percentage of their salaries to the government. Each employer also gives a certain percentage to the government. When people retire, they receive this money as income. These checks do not provide enough money to live on, however, because prices are increasing very rapidly. Senior citizens, those over sixty-five, have to have savings in the bank or other retirement plans to make ends meet. The rate of inflation is forcing prices higher each year; Social Security checks alone cannot cover these growing expenses. The government offers some assistance, Medicare(health care)and welfare(general assistance), but many senior citizens have to change their life styles after retirement. They have to spend carefully to be sure that they can afford to buy food, fuel and other necessities.\nOf course, many senior citizens are happy with retirement. They have time to spend with their families or enjoy their hobbies. Some continue to work part time, others do volunteer work. Some, like those in the Retired Business Executives Association, even help young, people to get started in new business. Many retired citizens also belong to \" Golden Age\" groups. These organizations plan trips and social events. There are many chances for retirees.\nAmerican society is only beginning to be concerned about the special physical and emotional needs of its senior citizens. The government is taking steps to ease the problem of limited income. They are building new housing, offering discounts in stores and museums and on buses, and providing other services such as free courses, food service, and help with housework.\nRetired citizens are a rapidly growing percentage of the population. This part of the population is very important and we must meet their needs. After all, every citizen will be a senior citizen some day.","id":"3933.txt","label":0} +{"option":["have no financial problems still want to earn more money","have financial problems still feel lost","have no financial problems still feel lost","have no financial problems feels it's hard to make ends meet"],"question":"We can safely put forward that retirees who _ .","article":"Work is a very important part of life in the United States. When the early Protestant immigrants came to this country, they brought the idea that work was the way to God and heaven. This attitude, the Protestant Work Ethic, still influences America today. Work is not only important for economic benefits, the salary, but also for social and psychological needs, the feeling of doing something for the good of the society. Americans spend most of their lives working, being productive. For most Americans, their work defines them: they are what they do. What happens then, when a person can no longer work?\nAlmost all Americans stop working at age sixty-five or seventy and retire. Because work is such an important part of life in this culture, retirement can be very difficult.\nRetirees often feel that they are useless and unproductive. Of course, some people are happy to retire; but leaving one's job, whatever it is, is a difficult change, even for those who look forward to retiring. Many retirees do not know how to use their time or they feel lost without their jobs. Retirements can also bring financial problems. Many people rely on Social Security checks every month. During their working years, employees contribute a certain percentage of their salaries to the government. Each employer also gives a certain percentage to the government. When people retire, they receive this money as income. These checks do not provide enough money to live on, however, because prices are increasing very rapidly. Senior citizens, those over sixty-five, have to have savings in the bank or other retirement plans to make ends meet. The rate of inflation is forcing prices higher each year; Social Security checks alone cannot cover these growing expenses. The government offers some assistance, Medicare(health care)and welfare(general assistance), but many senior citizens have to change their life styles after retirement. They have to spend carefully to be sure that they can afford to buy food, fuel and other necessities.\nOf course, many senior citizens are happy with retirement. They have time to spend with their families or enjoy their hobbies. Some continue to work part time, others do volunteer work. Some, like those in the Retired Business Executives Association, even help young, people to get started in new business. Many retired citizens also belong to \" Golden Age\" groups. These organizations plan trips and social events. There are many chances for retirees.\nAmerican society is only beginning to be concerned about the special physical and emotional needs of its senior citizens. The government is taking steps to ease the problem of limited income. They are building new housing, offering discounts in stores and museums and on buses, and providing other services such as free courses, food service, and help with housework.\nRetired citizens are a rapidly growing percentage of the population. This part of the population is very important and we must meet their needs. After all, every citizen will be a senior citizen some day.","id":"3933.txt","label":2} +{"option":["hadn't paid attention to the retirees' problems","has already solved a lot of retirees' problems","has just begun to pay attention to the retirees' problems","won't pay attention to the retirees' problems"],"question":"According to the passage the government _ .","article":"Work is a very important part of life in the United States. When the early Protestant immigrants came to this country, they brought the idea that work was the way to God and heaven. This attitude, the Protestant Work Ethic, still influences America today. Work is not only important for economic benefits, the salary, but also for social and psychological needs, the feeling of doing something for the good of the society. Americans spend most of their lives working, being productive. For most Americans, their work defines them: they are what they do. What happens then, when a person can no longer work?\nAlmost all Americans stop working at age sixty-five or seventy and retire. Because work is such an important part of life in this culture, retirement can be very difficult.\nRetirees often feel that they are useless and unproductive. Of course, some people are happy to retire; but leaving one's job, whatever it is, is a difficult change, even for those who look forward to retiring. Many retirees do not know how to use their time or they feel lost without their jobs. Retirements can also bring financial problems. Many people rely on Social Security checks every month. During their working years, employees contribute a certain percentage of their salaries to the government. Each employer also gives a certain percentage to the government. When people retire, they receive this money as income. These checks do not provide enough money to live on, however, because prices are increasing very rapidly. Senior citizens, those over sixty-five, have to have savings in the bank or other retirement plans to make ends meet. The rate of inflation is forcing prices higher each year; Social Security checks alone cannot cover these growing expenses. The government offers some assistance, Medicare(health care)and welfare(general assistance), but many senior citizens have to change their life styles after retirement. They have to spend carefully to be sure that they can afford to buy food, fuel and other necessities.\nOf course, many senior citizens are happy with retirement. They have time to spend with their families or enjoy their hobbies. Some continue to work part time, others do volunteer work. Some, like those in the Retired Business Executives Association, even help young, people to get started in new business. Many retired citizens also belong to \" Golden Age\" groups. These organizations plan trips and social events. There are many chances for retirees.\nAmerican society is only beginning to be concerned about the special physical and emotional needs of its senior citizens. The government is taking steps to ease the problem of limited income. They are building new housing, offering discounts in stores and museums and on buses, and providing other services such as free courses, food service, and help with housework.\nRetired citizens are a rapidly growing percentage of the population. This part of the population is very important and we must meet their needs. After all, every citizen will be a senior citizen some day.","id":"3933.txt","label":2} +{"option":["New housing has been built.","The old are offered discounts in stores.","Senior citizens are provided free courses, food service.","None."],"question":"Which of the following is not steps taken for the benefit of senior citizens by the government?","article":"Work is a very important part of life in the United States. When the early Protestant immigrants came to this country, they brought the idea that work was the way to God and heaven. This attitude, the Protestant Work Ethic, still influences America today. Work is not only important for economic benefits, the salary, but also for social and psychological needs, the feeling of doing something for the good of the society. Americans spend most of their lives working, being productive. For most Americans, their work defines them: they are what they do. What happens then, when a person can no longer work?\nAlmost all Americans stop working at age sixty-five or seventy and retire. Because work is such an important part of life in this culture, retirement can be very difficult.\nRetirees often feel that they are useless and unproductive. Of course, some people are happy to retire; but leaving one's job, whatever it is, is a difficult change, even for those who look forward to retiring. Many retirees do not know how to use their time or they feel lost without their jobs. Retirements can also bring financial problems. Many people rely on Social Security checks every month. During their working years, employees contribute a certain percentage of their salaries to the government. Each employer also gives a certain percentage to the government. When people retire, they receive this money as income. These checks do not provide enough money to live on, however, because prices are increasing very rapidly. Senior citizens, those over sixty-five, have to have savings in the bank or other retirement plans to make ends meet. The rate of inflation is forcing prices higher each year; Social Security checks alone cannot cover these growing expenses. The government offers some assistance, Medicare(health care)and welfare(general assistance), but many senior citizens have to change their life styles after retirement. They have to spend carefully to be sure that they can afford to buy food, fuel and other necessities.\nOf course, many senior citizens are happy with retirement. They have time to spend with their families or enjoy their hobbies. Some continue to work part time, others do volunteer work. Some, like those in the Retired Business Executives Association, even help young, people to get started in new business. Many retired citizens also belong to \" Golden Age\" groups. These organizations plan trips and social events. There are many chances for retirees.\nAmerican society is only beginning to be concerned about the special physical and emotional needs of its senior citizens. The government is taking steps to ease the problem of limited income. They are building new housing, offering discounts in stores and museums and on buses, and providing other services such as free courses, food service, and help with housework.\nRetired citizens are a rapidly growing percentage of the population. This part of the population is very important and we must meet their needs. After all, every citizen will be a senior citizen some day.","id":"3933.txt","label":3} +{"option":["very old people enjoy living with their relatives","social services have nothing to do with very old people","very old people would like to live alone so that they can have more personal freedom","very old people are able to keep their rooms very clean"],"question":"It is implied in Paragraph 1 that _ .","article":"Very old people do raise moral problems for almost everyone who comes in contact with them. Their values-this can't be repeated too often-are not necessarily our values. Physical comfort, cleanness and order are not necessarily the most important things. The social services from time to time find themselves faced with a flat with decaying food covered by small worms, and an old person lying alone in bed, taking no notice of the worms. But is it interfering with personal freedom to insist that they go to live with some of their relatives so that they might be taken better care of? Some social workers, the ones who clear up the worms, think we are in danger of carrying this concept of personal freedom to the point where serious risks are being taken with the health and safety of the old.\nIndeed, the old can be easily hurt or harmed. The body is like a car, it needs more mechanical maintenance as it gets older. You can carry this comparison right through to the provision of spare parts. But never forget that such operations are painful experiences, however good the results. And at what point should you cease to treat the old body? Is it morally right to try to push off death by pursuing the development of drugs to excite the forgetful old mind and to activate the old body, knowing that it is designed to die? You cannot ask doctors or scientists to decide, because so long as they can see the technical opportunities, they will feel bound to give them a try, on the principle that while there's life, there's hope.\nWhen you talk to the old people, however, you are forced to the conclusion that whether age is happy or unpleasant depends less on money or on health than it does on your ability to have fun.","id":"841.txt","label":2} +{"option":["health and safety are more important than personal freedom","personal freedom is more important than health and safety","old people should keep their rooms clean","one should not take the risk of dealing with old people"],"question":"Some social workers think that _ .","article":"Very old people do raise moral problems for almost everyone who comes in contact with them. Their values-this can't be repeated too often-are not necessarily our values. Physical comfort, cleanness and order are not necessarily the most important things. The social services from time to time find themselves faced with a flat with decaying food covered by small worms, and an old person lying alone in bed, taking no notice of the worms. But is it interfering with personal freedom to insist that they go to live with some of their relatives so that they might be taken better care of? Some social workers, the ones who clear up the worms, think we are in danger of carrying this concept of personal freedom to the point where serious risks are being taken with the health and safety of the old.\nIndeed, the old can be easily hurt or harmed. The body is like a car, it needs more mechanical maintenance as it gets older. You can carry this comparison right through to the provision of spare parts. But never forget that such operations are painful experiences, however good the results. And at what point should you cease to treat the old body? Is it morally right to try to push off death by pursuing the development of drugs to excite the forgetful old mind and to activate the old body, knowing that it is designed to die? You cannot ask doctors or scientists to decide, because so long as they can see the technical opportunities, they will feel bound to give them a try, on the principle that while there's life, there's hope.\nWhen you talk to the old people, however, you are forced to the conclusion that whether age is happy or unpleasant depends less on money or on health than it does on your ability to have fun.","id":"841.txt","label":0} +{"option":["the human body can't be compared to a car","the older a person, the more care he needs","too much emphasis has been put on old people's values","it is easy to provide spare parts for old people"],"question":"In the author's opinion, _ .","article":"Very old people do raise moral problems for almost everyone who comes in contact with them. Their values-this can't be repeated too often-are not necessarily our values. Physical comfort, cleanness and order are not necessarily the most important things. The social services from time to time find themselves faced with a flat with decaying food covered by small worms, and an old person lying alone in bed, taking no notice of the worms. But is it interfering with personal freedom to insist that they go to live with some of their relatives so that they might be taken better care of? Some social workers, the ones who clear up the worms, think we are in danger of carrying this concept of personal freedom to the point where serious risks are being taken with the health and safety of the old.\nIndeed, the old can be easily hurt or harmed. The body is like a car, it needs more mechanical maintenance as it gets older. You can carry this comparison right through to the provision of spare parts. But never forget that such operations are painful experiences, however good the results. And at what point should you cease to treat the old body? Is it morally right to try to push off death by pursuing the development of drugs to excite the forgetful old mind and to activate the old body, knowing that it is designed to die? You cannot ask doctors or scientists to decide, because so long as they can see the technical opportunities, they will feel bound to give them a try, on the principle that while there's life, there's hope.\nWhen you talk to the old people, however, you are forced to the conclusion that whether age is happy or unpleasant depends less on money or on health than it does on your ability to have fun.","id":"841.txt","label":1} +{"option":["the conclusion you have come to","your talk to the old people","whether age is happy or unpleasant","one's money or one's health"],"question":"The word \"it\" in the last paragraph refers to _ .","article":"Very old people do raise moral problems for almost everyone who comes in contact with them. Their values-this can't be repeated too often-are not necessarily our values. Physical comfort, cleanness and order are not necessarily the most important things. The social services from time to time find themselves faced with a flat with decaying food covered by small worms, and an old person lying alone in bed, taking no notice of the worms. But is it interfering with personal freedom to insist that they go to live with some of their relatives so that they might be taken better care of? Some social workers, the ones who clear up the worms, think we are in danger of carrying this concept of personal freedom to the point where serious risks are being taken with the health and safety of the old.\nIndeed, the old can be easily hurt or harmed. The body is like a car, it needs more mechanical maintenance as it gets older. You can carry this comparison right through to the provision of spare parts. But never forget that such operations are painful experiences, however good the results. And at what point should you cease to treat the old body? Is it morally right to try to push off death by pursuing the development of drugs to excite the forgetful old mind and to activate the old body, knowing that it is designed to die? You cannot ask doctors or scientists to decide, because so long as they can see the technical opportunities, they will feel bound to give them a try, on the principle that while there's life, there's hope.\nWhen you talk to the old people, however, you are forced to the conclusion that whether age is happy or unpleasant depends less on money or on health than it does on your ability to have fun.","id":"841.txt","label":2} +{"option":["medical decisions for old people should be left to the doctors","old people can enjoy a happy life only if they are very rich","the opinion that we should try every means possible to save old people is doubtful","it is always morally right to treat old people and push off death"],"question":"The author thinks that _ .","article":"Very old people do raise moral problems for almost everyone who comes in contact with them. Their values-this can't be repeated too often-are not necessarily our values. Physical comfort, cleanness and order are not necessarily the most important things. The social services from time to time find themselves faced with a flat with decaying food covered by small worms, and an old person lying alone in bed, taking no notice of the worms. But is it interfering with personal freedom to insist that they go to live with some of their relatives so that they might be taken better care of? Some social workers, the ones who clear up the worms, think we are in danger of carrying this concept of personal freedom to the point where serious risks are being taken with the health and safety of the old.\nIndeed, the old can be easily hurt or harmed. The body is like a car, it needs more mechanical maintenance as it gets older. You can carry this comparison right through to the provision of spare parts. But never forget that such operations are painful experiences, however good the results. And at what point should you cease to treat the old body? Is it morally right to try to push off death by pursuing the development of drugs to excite the forgetful old mind and to activate the old body, knowing that it is designed to die? You cannot ask doctors or scientists to decide, because so long as they can see the technical opportunities, they will feel bound to give them a try, on the principle that while there's life, there's hope.\nWhen you talk to the old people, however, you are forced to the conclusion that whether age is happy or unpleasant depends less on money or on health than it does on your ability to have fun.","id":"841.txt","label":2} +{"option":["there are many murders in the recent history of hatred","the murder also happened in Jasper one year ago","it is another case of the gay being tortured to death","the city council president comes from Sylacauga"],"question":"What is implied in the first two paragraphs?","article":"\" This is not the type of place where this happens, \" city council president George Carlton told a reporter, after the horror became public in his hometown, Sylacauga, Ala. He echoed what was said in Jasper, Texas, a year ago. Few people then had ever heard of Jasper. A week ago, even fewer could have pointed out Sylacauga on a map. A tiny city of 13, 000, halfway between Birmingham and Montgomery, Sylacauga was known for its white marble quarries, textile mills and ice-cream factory. But last week Sylacauga, like Jasper, became a chapter in the recent history of hatred.\nAccording to police, Steven Eric Mullins, 25, and Charles Monroe Butler Jr., 21, plotted for two weeks to murder Billy Jack Gaither, 39. On Feb. 19, they arranged to meet him at a Sylacauga bar and lured him to a secluded area. There they beat him and dumped him into the trunk of his car. They then drove about 15 miles to Peckerwood Creek in Coosa County. There, says Coosa County Sheriff's Deputy Al Bradley, \" they took him out of the trunk, took an ax handle and beat him to death.\" They set two old tires aflame, says Bradley, \" then they put the body on the fire.\" They did it all, the deputy says, because Gaither was gay.\nGaither's death has become a rallying point for gay-rights organizations' and state legislators' pushing a bill that would extend Alabama's three-year-old hate-crimes law beyond race, color, religion and national origin to cover crimes related to sexual orientation as well. \" It's unfortunate that somebody had to lose his life in order for this legislation to pick up momentum here in the state of Alabama, \" says state Representative Alvin Holmes, who failed to get the original law amended when it was passed in 1996. Holmes filed for extending the law after Matthew Shepard, a gay student, was beaten and left to die on a fence in Wyoming last October, an incident that sparked national outrage. Even Wyoming failed to pass hate-crime legislation in the wake of the Shepard lynching. Like Shepard, Gaither did not hesitate to admit being gay, though he adhered quietly to Sylacauga's Southern dispositions. And friends dispute Mullins' and Butler's allegations that a sexual proposition incited the murder. Gaither's brother Randy told CNN\uff1a \" Regardless of his personal life or anything, he doesn't deserve to be killed for this.\"\n\" The message people are getting is that gay people are second-class citizens, \" says Tracey Conaty, spokesperson for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.\nBefore Gaither's murder, activists were planning a major national pro-gay offensive. From March 21 to March 27, the task force will launch its \" Equality Begins at Home\" campaign, with 250 grass-roots events in all 50 states aimed at passing anti-gay-bashing legislation. Says Conaty\uff1a \" These laws reflect the conscience of a community and send an important message.\" The March events, says Urvashi Vaid, director of the task force's policy institute, will involve straight people concerned about neighbors denied basic human rights. Adds Vaid\uff1a \" It's more than just a gay thing.\"","id":"614.txt","label":2} +{"option":["it is difficult to extend the hate-crime legislation","people want to extend the hate-crime law","the gays are really in a terrible fix","people are indifferent to the gay student"],"question":"The author uses the example of Matthew Shepard to show that _ .","article":"\" This is not the type of place where this happens, \" city council president George Carlton told a reporter, after the horror became public in his hometown, Sylacauga, Ala. He echoed what was said in Jasper, Texas, a year ago. Few people then had ever heard of Jasper. A week ago, even fewer could have pointed out Sylacauga on a map. A tiny city of 13, 000, halfway between Birmingham and Montgomery, Sylacauga was known for its white marble quarries, textile mills and ice-cream factory. But last week Sylacauga, like Jasper, became a chapter in the recent history of hatred.\nAccording to police, Steven Eric Mullins, 25, and Charles Monroe Butler Jr., 21, plotted for two weeks to murder Billy Jack Gaither, 39. On Feb. 19, they arranged to meet him at a Sylacauga bar and lured him to a secluded area. There they beat him and dumped him into the trunk of his car. They then drove about 15 miles to Peckerwood Creek in Coosa County. There, says Coosa County Sheriff's Deputy Al Bradley, \" they took him out of the trunk, took an ax handle and beat him to death.\" They set two old tires aflame, says Bradley, \" then they put the body on the fire.\" They did it all, the deputy says, because Gaither was gay.\nGaither's death has become a rallying point for gay-rights organizations' and state legislators' pushing a bill that would extend Alabama's three-year-old hate-crimes law beyond race, color, religion and national origin to cover crimes related to sexual orientation as well. \" It's unfortunate that somebody had to lose his life in order for this legislation to pick up momentum here in the state of Alabama, \" says state Representative Alvin Holmes, who failed to get the original law amended when it was passed in 1996. Holmes filed for extending the law after Matthew Shepard, a gay student, was beaten and left to die on a fence in Wyoming last October, an incident that sparked national outrage. Even Wyoming failed to pass hate-crime legislation in the wake of the Shepard lynching. Like Shepard, Gaither did not hesitate to admit being gay, though he adhered quietly to Sylacauga's Southern dispositions. And friends dispute Mullins' and Butler's allegations that a sexual proposition incited the murder. Gaither's brother Randy told CNN\uff1a \" Regardless of his personal life or anything, he doesn't deserve to be killed for this.\"\n\" The message people are getting is that gay people are second-class citizens, \" says Tracey Conaty, spokesperson for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.\nBefore Gaither's murder, activists were planning a major national pro-gay offensive. From March 21 to March 27, the task force will launch its \" Equality Begins at Home\" campaign, with 250 grass-roots events in all 50 states aimed at passing anti-gay-bashing legislation. Says Conaty\uff1a \" These laws reflect the conscience of a community and send an important message.\" The March events, says Urvashi Vaid, director of the task force's policy institute, will involve straight people concerned about neighbors denied basic human rights. Adds Vaid\uff1a \" It's more than just a gay thing.\"","id":"614.txt","label":0} +{"option":["indifferent","sympathetic","outrageous","considerate"],"question":"Alvin Holmes\u2018 attitude toward the gay victims is _ .","article":"\" This is not the type of place where this happens, \" city council president George Carlton told a reporter, after the horror became public in his hometown, Sylacauga, Ala. He echoed what was said in Jasper, Texas, a year ago. Few people then had ever heard of Jasper. A week ago, even fewer could have pointed out Sylacauga on a map. A tiny city of 13, 000, halfway between Birmingham and Montgomery, Sylacauga was known for its white marble quarries, textile mills and ice-cream factory. But last week Sylacauga, like Jasper, became a chapter in the recent history of hatred.\nAccording to police, Steven Eric Mullins, 25, and Charles Monroe Butler Jr., 21, plotted for two weeks to murder Billy Jack Gaither, 39. On Feb. 19, they arranged to meet him at a Sylacauga bar and lured him to a secluded area. There they beat him and dumped him into the trunk of his car. They then drove about 15 miles to Peckerwood Creek in Coosa County. There, says Coosa County Sheriff's Deputy Al Bradley, \" they took him out of the trunk, took an ax handle and beat him to death.\" They set two old tires aflame, says Bradley, \" then they put the body on the fire.\" They did it all, the deputy says, because Gaither was gay.\nGaither's death has become a rallying point for gay-rights organizations' and state legislators' pushing a bill that would extend Alabama's three-year-old hate-crimes law beyond race, color, religion and national origin to cover crimes related to sexual orientation as well. \" It's unfortunate that somebody had to lose his life in order for this legislation to pick up momentum here in the state of Alabama, \" says state Representative Alvin Holmes, who failed to get the original law amended when it was passed in 1996. Holmes filed for extending the law after Matthew Shepard, a gay student, was beaten and left to die on a fence in Wyoming last October, an incident that sparked national outrage. Even Wyoming failed to pass hate-crime legislation in the wake of the Shepard lynching. Like Shepard, Gaither did not hesitate to admit being gay, though he adhered quietly to Sylacauga's Southern dispositions. And friends dispute Mullins' and Butler's allegations that a sexual proposition incited the murder. Gaither's brother Randy told CNN\uff1a \" Regardless of his personal life or anything, he doesn't deserve to be killed for this.\"\n\" The message people are getting is that gay people are second-class citizens, \" says Tracey Conaty, spokesperson for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.\nBefore Gaither's murder, activists were planning a major national pro-gay offensive. From March 21 to March 27, the task force will launch its \" Equality Begins at Home\" campaign, with 250 grass-roots events in all 50 states aimed at passing anti-gay-bashing legislation. Says Conaty\uff1a \" These laws reflect the conscience of a community and send an important message.\" The March events, says Urvashi Vaid, director of the task force's policy institute, will involve straight people concerned about neighbors denied basic human rights. Adds Vaid\uff1a \" It's more than just a gay thing.\"","id":"614.txt","label":1} +{"option":["aroused people\u2018s sympathy for the gay","sharpened people\u2018s awareness","gave legislation some momentum","failed to have any change in the legislation"],"question":"Similar to Matthew Shepard, Gaither\u2018s death _ .","article":"\" This is not the type of place where this happens, \" city council president George Carlton told a reporter, after the horror became public in his hometown, Sylacauga, Ala. He echoed what was said in Jasper, Texas, a year ago. Few people then had ever heard of Jasper. A week ago, even fewer could have pointed out Sylacauga on a map. A tiny city of 13, 000, halfway between Birmingham and Montgomery, Sylacauga was known for its white marble quarries, textile mills and ice-cream factory. But last week Sylacauga, like Jasper, became a chapter in the recent history of hatred.\nAccording to police, Steven Eric Mullins, 25, and Charles Monroe Butler Jr., 21, plotted for two weeks to murder Billy Jack Gaither, 39. On Feb. 19, they arranged to meet him at a Sylacauga bar and lured him to a secluded area. There they beat him and dumped him into the trunk of his car. They then drove about 15 miles to Peckerwood Creek in Coosa County. There, says Coosa County Sheriff's Deputy Al Bradley, \" they took him out of the trunk, took an ax handle and beat him to death.\" They set two old tires aflame, says Bradley, \" then they put the body on the fire.\" They did it all, the deputy says, because Gaither was gay.\nGaither's death has become a rallying point for gay-rights organizations' and state legislators' pushing a bill that would extend Alabama's three-year-old hate-crimes law beyond race, color, religion and national origin to cover crimes related to sexual orientation as well. \" It's unfortunate that somebody had to lose his life in order for this legislation to pick up momentum here in the state of Alabama, \" says state Representative Alvin Holmes, who failed to get the original law amended when it was passed in 1996. Holmes filed for extending the law after Matthew Shepard, a gay student, was beaten and left to die on a fence in Wyoming last October, an incident that sparked national outrage. Even Wyoming failed to pass hate-crime legislation in the wake of the Shepard lynching. Like Shepard, Gaither did not hesitate to admit being gay, though he adhered quietly to Sylacauga's Southern dispositions. And friends dispute Mullins' and Butler's allegations that a sexual proposition incited the murder. Gaither's brother Randy told CNN\uff1a \" Regardless of his personal life or anything, he doesn't deserve to be killed for this.\"\n\" The message people are getting is that gay people are second-class citizens, \" says Tracey Conaty, spokesperson for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.\nBefore Gaither's murder, activists were planning a major national pro-gay offensive. From March 21 to March 27, the task force will launch its \" Equality Begins at Home\" campaign, with 250 grass-roots events in all 50 states aimed at passing anti-gay-bashing legislation. Says Conaty\uff1a \" These laws reflect the conscience of a community and send an important message.\" The March events, says Urvashi Vaid, director of the task force's policy institute, will involve straight people concerned about neighbors denied basic human rights. Adds Vaid\uff1a \" It's more than just a gay thing.\"","id":"614.txt","label":3} +{"option":["people should be concerned about their gay neighbors","the gay people shouldn\u2018t be regarded as second-class citizens","the legislation for the gay still has a long way to go","more pro-gay campaigns should be launched"],"question":"The text intends to express the idea that _ .","article":"\" This is not the type of place where this happens, \" city council president George Carlton told a reporter, after the horror became public in his hometown, Sylacauga, Ala. He echoed what was said in Jasper, Texas, a year ago. Few people then had ever heard of Jasper. A week ago, even fewer could have pointed out Sylacauga on a map. A tiny city of 13, 000, halfway between Birmingham and Montgomery, Sylacauga was known for its white marble quarries, textile mills and ice-cream factory. But last week Sylacauga, like Jasper, became a chapter in the recent history of hatred.\nAccording to police, Steven Eric Mullins, 25, and Charles Monroe Butler Jr., 21, plotted for two weeks to murder Billy Jack Gaither, 39. On Feb. 19, they arranged to meet him at a Sylacauga bar and lured him to a secluded area. There they beat him and dumped him into the trunk of his car. They then drove about 15 miles to Peckerwood Creek in Coosa County. There, says Coosa County Sheriff's Deputy Al Bradley, \" they took him out of the trunk, took an ax handle and beat him to death.\" They set two old tires aflame, says Bradley, \" then they put the body on the fire.\" They did it all, the deputy says, because Gaither was gay.\nGaither's death has become a rallying point for gay-rights organizations' and state legislators' pushing a bill that would extend Alabama's three-year-old hate-crimes law beyond race, color, religion and national origin to cover crimes related to sexual orientation as well. \" It's unfortunate that somebody had to lose his life in order for this legislation to pick up momentum here in the state of Alabama, \" says state Representative Alvin Holmes, who failed to get the original law amended when it was passed in 1996. Holmes filed for extending the law after Matthew Shepard, a gay student, was beaten and left to die on a fence in Wyoming last October, an incident that sparked national outrage. Even Wyoming failed to pass hate-crime legislation in the wake of the Shepard lynching. Like Shepard, Gaither did not hesitate to admit being gay, though he adhered quietly to Sylacauga's Southern dispositions. And friends dispute Mullins' and Butler's allegations that a sexual proposition incited the murder. Gaither's brother Randy told CNN\uff1a \" Regardless of his personal life or anything, he doesn't deserve to be killed for this.\"\n\" The message people are getting is that gay people are second-class citizens, \" says Tracey Conaty, spokesperson for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.\nBefore Gaither's murder, activists were planning a major national pro-gay offensive. From March 21 to March 27, the task force will launch its \" Equality Begins at Home\" campaign, with 250 grass-roots events in all 50 states aimed at passing anti-gay-bashing legislation. Says Conaty\uff1a \" These laws reflect the conscience of a community and send an important message.\" The March events, says Urvashi Vaid, director of the task force's policy institute, will involve straight people concerned about neighbors denied basic human rights. Adds Vaid\uff1a \" It's more than just a gay thing.\"","id":"614.txt","label":2} +{"option":["admiration.","indifference.","suspicion.","repulsion"],"question":"The writer's attitude toward the arts is one of","article":"Shams and delusions are esteemed for soundest truths, while reality is fabulous. If men would steadily observe realities only, and not allow themselves to be deluded, life, to compare it with such things as we know, would be like a fairy tale and the Arabian Nights' Entertainments. If we respected only what is inevitable and has a right to be , music and poetry would resound along the streets. When we are unhurried and wise, we perceive that only great and worthy things have any permanent and absolute existence, --that petty fears and petty pleasure are but the shadow of reality. This is always exhilarating and sublime. By closing the eyes and slumbering, by consenting to be deceived by shows, men establish and confirm their daily life of routine and habit everywhere, which still is built on purely illusory foundation. Children, who play life, discern its true law and relations more clearly than men, who fail to live worthily, but who think that they are wiser by experience, that is, by failure. I have read in a Hindoo book, that \"there was a king's son, who, being expelled in infancy from his native city, was brought up by a forester, and, growing up to maturity in that state, imagined himself to belong to the barbarous race with which be lived. One of his father's ministers having discovered him, revealed to him what he was, and the misconception of his character was removed, and he knew himself to be a prince. So soul, from the circumstances in which it is placed, mistakes its own character, until the truth is revealed to it by some holy teacher, and then it knows itself to be Brahme.\" We think that that is which appears to be. If a man should give us an account of the realities he beheld, we should not recognize the place in his description. Look at a meeting-house, or a court-house, or a jail, or a shop. Or a dwelling-house, and say what that thing really is before a true gaze, and they would all go to pieces in your account of them. Men esteem truth remote, in the outskirts of the system, behind the farthest star, before Adam and after the last man. In eternity there is indeed something true and sublime. But all these times and places and occasions are now and here. God himself culminates in the present moment, and will never be more divine in the lapse of all ages. And we are enabled to apprehend at all what is sublime and noble only by the perpetual instilling and drenching of the reality that surrounds us. The universe constantly and obediently answers to our conceptions; whether we travel fast or slow, the track is laid for us. Let us spend our lives in conceiving then. The poet or the artist never yet had as fair and noble a design but some of his posterity at least could accomplish it.","id":"1676.txt","label":0} +{"option":["should practice what the Hindoos preach.","frequently faces vital problems better than grownups do.","hardly ever knows his true origin.","is incapable of appreciating the arts."],"question":"The author believes that a child.","article":"Shams and delusions are esteemed for soundest truths, while reality is fabulous. If men would steadily observe realities only, and not allow themselves to be deluded, life, to compare it with such things as we know, would be like a fairy tale and the Arabian Nights' Entertainments. If we respected only what is inevitable and has a right to be , music and poetry would resound along the streets. When we are unhurried and wise, we perceive that only great and worthy things have any permanent and absolute existence, --that petty fears and petty pleasure are but the shadow of reality. This is always exhilarating and sublime. By closing the eyes and slumbering, by consenting to be deceived by shows, men establish and confirm their daily life of routine and habit everywhere, which still is built on purely illusory foundation. Children, who play life, discern its true law and relations more clearly than men, who fail to live worthily, but who think that they are wiser by experience, that is, by failure. I have read in a Hindoo book, that \"there was a king's son, who, being expelled in infancy from his native city, was brought up by a forester, and, growing up to maturity in that state, imagined himself to belong to the barbarous race with which be lived. One of his father's ministers having discovered him, revealed to him what he was, and the misconception of his character was removed, and he knew himself to be a prince. So soul, from the circumstances in which it is placed, mistakes its own character, until the truth is revealed to it by some holy teacher, and then it knows itself to be Brahme.\" We think that that is which appears to be. If a man should give us an account of the realities he beheld, we should not recognize the place in his description. Look at a meeting-house, or a court-house, or a jail, or a shop. Or a dwelling-house, and say what that thing really is before a true gaze, and they would all go to pieces in your account of them. Men esteem truth remote, in the outskirts of the system, behind the farthest star, before Adam and after the last man. In eternity there is indeed something true and sublime. But all these times and places and occasions are now and here. God himself culminates in the present moment, and will never be more divine in the lapse of all ages. And we are enabled to apprehend at all what is sublime and noble only by the perpetual instilling and drenching of the reality that surrounds us. The universe constantly and obediently answers to our conceptions; whether we travel fast or slow, the track is laid for us. Let us spend our lives in conceiving then. The poet or the artist never yet had as fair and noble a design but some of his posterity at least could accomplish it.","id":"1676.txt","label":1} +{"option":["look to the future for enlightenment.","appraise the present for its true value.","honor the wisdom of the past ages.","spend more time in leisure activities."],"question":"The author is primarily concerned with urging the reader to","article":"Shams and delusions are esteemed for soundest truths, while reality is fabulous. If men would steadily observe realities only, and not allow themselves to be deluded, life, to compare it with such things as we know, would be like a fairy tale and the Arabian Nights' Entertainments. If we respected only what is inevitable and has a right to be , music and poetry would resound along the streets. When we are unhurried and wise, we perceive that only great and worthy things have any permanent and absolute existence, --that petty fears and petty pleasure are but the shadow of reality. This is always exhilarating and sublime. By closing the eyes and slumbering, by consenting to be deceived by shows, men establish and confirm their daily life of routine and habit everywhere, which still is built on purely illusory foundation. Children, who play life, discern its true law and relations more clearly than men, who fail to live worthily, but who think that they are wiser by experience, that is, by failure. I have read in a Hindoo book, that \"there was a king's son, who, being expelled in infancy from his native city, was brought up by a forester, and, growing up to maturity in that state, imagined himself to belong to the barbarous race with which be lived. One of his father's ministers having discovered him, revealed to him what he was, and the misconception of his character was removed, and he knew himself to be a prince. So soul, from the circumstances in which it is placed, mistakes its own character, until the truth is revealed to it by some holy teacher, and then it knows itself to be Brahme.\" We think that that is which appears to be. If a man should give us an account of the realities he beheld, we should not recognize the place in his description. Look at a meeting-house, or a court-house, or a jail, or a shop. Or a dwelling-house, and say what that thing really is before a true gaze, and they would all go to pieces in your account of them. Men esteem truth remote, in the outskirts of the system, behind the farthest star, before Adam and after the last man. In eternity there is indeed something true and sublime. But all these times and places and occasions are now and here. God himself culminates in the present moment, and will never be more divine in the lapse of all ages. And we are enabled to apprehend at all what is sublime and noble only by the perpetual instilling and drenching of the reality that surrounds us. The universe constantly and obediently answers to our conceptions; whether we travel fast or slow, the track is laid for us. Let us spend our lives in conceiving then. The poet or the artist never yet had as fair and noble a design but some of his posterity at least could accomplish it.","id":"1676.txt","label":1} +{"option":["history and economics.","society and population.","biology and physics.","theology and philosophy."],"question":"The passage is primarily concerned with problem of","article":"Shams and delusions are esteemed for soundest truths, while reality is fabulous. If men would steadily observe realities only, and not allow themselves to be deluded, life, to compare it with such things as we know, would be like a fairy tale and the Arabian Nights' Entertainments. If we respected only what is inevitable and has a right to be , music and poetry would resound along the streets. When we are unhurried and wise, we perceive that only great and worthy things have any permanent and absolute existence, --that petty fears and petty pleasure are but the shadow of reality. This is always exhilarating and sublime. By closing the eyes and slumbering, by consenting to be deceived by shows, men establish and confirm their daily life of routine and habit everywhere, which still is built on purely illusory foundation. Children, who play life, discern its true law and relations more clearly than men, who fail to live worthily, but who think that they are wiser by experience, that is, by failure. I have read in a Hindoo book, that \"there was a king's son, who, being expelled in infancy from his native city, was brought up by a forester, and, growing up to maturity in that state, imagined himself to belong to the barbarous race with which be lived. One of his father's ministers having discovered him, revealed to him what he was, and the misconception of his character was removed, and he knew himself to be a prince. So soul, from the circumstances in which it is placed, mistakes its own character, until the truth is revealed to it by some holy teacher, and then it knows itself to be Brahme.\" We think that that is which appears to be. If a man should give us an account of the realities he beheld, we should not recognize the place in his description. Look at a meeting-house, or a court-house, or a jail, or a shop. Or a dwelling-house, and say what that thing really is before a true gaze, and they would all go to pieces in your account of them. Men esteem truth remote, in the outskirts of the system, behind the farthest star, before Adam and after the last man. In eternity there is indeed something true and sublime. But all these times and places and occasions are now and here. God himself culminates in the present moment, and will never be more divine in the lapse of all ages. And we are enabled to apprehend at all what is sublime and noble only by the perpetual instilling and drenching of the reality that surrounds us. The universe constantly and obediently answers to our conceptions; whether we travel fast or slow, the track is laid for us. Let us spend our lives in conceiving then. The poet or the artist never yet had as fair and noble a design but some of his posterity at least could accomplish it.","id":"1676.txt","label":3} +{"option":["It was built by middle school students","It has an attractive design","It was made in 1971","It won the fourth prize"],"question":"What is special about the car Helios in the text?","article":"It's not the flashiest car in the world. Not even close. But the 1971 Volkswagen named Helios can do something most cars can't : run on solar energy-energy from the sun's light and head!\nJoshua Bechtold, 14,and the other students at the Riverside School in Lyndonville, Vermont, worked They named their car after Helios, the sun god in Greek mythology\u3002\nThe 4-year-old Tour de Sol encourages the use of \"green\",or environmen- tally friendly, cars to help reduce pollution and save enengy. It's not a race. Cars are judged on fuel efficiencyrather than speed. In the week-long event, 44 cars took the 350-mile tour from Waterbury, Connecticut, to Lake George, New York. Of the 23 student cars, Helios was the only one built by middle school students.\nA teacher drove Helios, but the children talked with people wherever they stopped along the road.\"That was my favorite part,\"says Anna Browne,15.\"We explained how the car runs.\"\nDue in part to old, inefficient batteries\uff0cHelios finished fourth-out of four-in its kind, the sun-powered class.\"We were there for the fun of it,\"Anna says,\"We're proud of Helios,\"says Ariel Gleicher, 14.\"It's a car that's good for the environment.\"","id":"2685.txt","label":0} +{"option":["1","4","23","44"],"question":"How many sun-powered cars took part in the race?","article":"It's not the flashiest car in the world. Not even close. But the 1971 Volkswagen named Helios can do something most cars can't : run on solar energy-energy from the sun's light and head!\nJoshua Bechtold, 14,and the other students at the Riverside School in Lyndonville, Vermont, worked They named their car after Helios, the sun god in Greek mythology\u3002\nThe 4-year-old Tour de Sol encourages the use of \"green\",or environmen- tally friendly, cars to help reduce pollution and save enengy. It's not a race. Cars are judged on fuel efficiencyrather than speed. In the week-long event, 44 cars took the 350-mile tour from Waterbury, Connecticut, to Lake George, New York. Of the 23 student cars, Helios was the only one built by middle school students.\nA teacher drove Helios, but the children talked with people wherever they stopped along the road.\"That was my favorite part,\"says Anna Browne,15.\"We explained how the car runs.\"\nDue in part to old, inefficient batteries\uff0cHelios finished fourth-out of four-in its kind, the sun-powered class.\"We were there for the fun of it,\"Anna says,\"We're proud of Helios,\"says Ariel Gleicher, 14.\"It's a car that's good for the environment.\"","id":"2685.txt","label":1} +{"option":["The Making of Helios","1999 American Tour de Sol","Sun-powered Gars on the Road","Use of Green Cars in Connecticut"],"question":"What would be the best title for the text?","article":"It's not the flashiest car in the world. Not even close. But the 1971 Volkswagen named Helios can do something most cars can't : run on solar energy-energy from the sun's light and head!\nJoshua Bechtold, 14,and the other students at the Riverside School in Lyndonville, Vermont, worked They named their car after Helios, the sun god in Greek mythology\u3002\nThe 4-year-old Tour de Sol encourages the use of \"green\",or environmen- tally friendly, cars to help reduce pollution and save enengy. It's not a race. Cars are judged on fuel efficiencyrather than speed. In the week-long event, 44 cars took the 350-mile tour from Waterbury, Connecticut, to Lake George, New York. Of the 23 student cars, Helios was the only one built by middle school students.\nA teacher drove Helios, but the children talked with people wherever they stopped along the road.\"That was my favorite part,\"says Anna Browne,15.\"We explained how the car runs.\"\nDue in part to old, inefficient batteries\uff0cHelios finished fourth-out of four-in its kind, the sun-powered class.\"We were there for the fun of it,\"Anna says,\"We're proud of Helios,\"says Ariel Gleicher, 14.\"It's a car that's good for the environment.\"","id":"2685.txt","label":2} +{"option":["it could run as far as 350 miles","it was favored by many children","it had high-quality batteries","it was driven by clean energy"],"question":"The students felt proud of Helios because.","article":"It's not the flashiest car in the world. Not even close. But the 1971 Volkswagen named Helios can do something most cars can't : run on solar energy-energy from the sun's light and head!\nJoshua Bechtold, 14,and the other students at the Riverside School in Lyndonville, Vermont, worked They named their car after Helios, the sun god in Greek mythology\u3002\nThe 4-year-old Tour de Sol encourages the use of \"green\",or environmen- tally friendly, cars to help reduce pollution and save enengy. It's not a race. Cars are judged on fuel efficiencyrather than speed. In the week-long event, 44 cars took the 350-mile tour from Waterbury, Connecticut, to Lake George, New York. Of the 23 student cars, Helios was the only one built by middle school students.\nA teacher drove Helios, but the children talked with people wherever they stopped along the road.\"That was my favorite part,\"says Anna Browne,15.\"We explained how the car runs.\"\nDue in part to old, inefficient batteries\uff0cHelios finished fourth-out of four-in its kind, the sun-powered class.\"We were there for the fun of it,\"Anna says,\"We're proud of Helios,\"says Ariel Gleicher, 14.\"It's a car that's good for the environment.\"","id":"2685.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Northern Europe heard the gunshot loud and clear.","Gas supplies fell remarkably in Europe.","Russia cut gas supplies to Ukraine.","Russia had a fierce row with Ukraine."],"question":"Which of the following is compared to \"a loaded weapon going off\"?","article":"If you leave a loaded weapon lying around, it is bound to go off sooner or later. Snow-covered northern Europe heard the gunshot loud and clear when Russia cut supplies to Ukraine this week as part of a row about money and power, the two eternal battlegrounds of global energy. From central Europe right across to France on the Atlantic seaboard, gas supplies fell by more than one-third. For years Europeans had been telling themselves that a cold-war enemy which had supplied them without fail could still be depended on now it was an ally. Suddenly, nobody was quite so sure.\nFearing the threat to its reputation as a supplier, Russia rapidly restored the gas and settled its differences with Ukraine. But it was an uncomfortable glimpse of the dangers for a continent that imports roughly half its gas and expects to be importing 80% of its gas by 2030 much of it from Russia. It was scarcely more welcome for America, which condemned Russia s tactics. And no wonder: it consumes one-quarter of the world's oil, but produces only 3% of the stuff. Over the coming years, the world's dependence on oil looks likely to concentrate on the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia. Russian oil had seemed a useful alternative.\nFear of the energy weapon has a long history. When producers had the upper hand in the oil embargo of 1973-74, Arab members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC. cut supply, sowing turmoil and a global recession. When consumers had the upper hand in the early 1990s, the embargo cut the other way. After Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990, the world shut in 5m barrels a day (b\/d) of production from the two countries in an attempt to force him out.\nWith oil costing $ 60 a barrel, five times more than the nominal price in 1999, and spot prices for natural gas in some European and American markets at or near record levels, power has swung back to the producers for the first time since the early 1980s. Nobody knows how long todays tight markets will last. \"It took us a long time to get there and it will take us a long time to get back,\" says Robin West, chairman of PFC Energy in Washington. A clutch of alarmist books with titles such as \"The Death of Oil\" predict that so little oil is left in the ground that producers will always have pricing power. The question is how worried consumers should be. What are the threats to energy security and what should the world do about them? The answers suggest a need for planning and a certain amount of grim realism, but not for outright panic. [452 words]","id":"1187.txt","label":2} +{"option":["can still depend on Russia for the supply of gas","contended with their cold war enemy, Russia, for a long time","are glad to have Russia as their ally to supply them gas","worry about the possible unreliability of gas Supply from Russia"],"question":"The Europeans _","article":"If you leave a loaded weapon lying around, it is bound to go off sooner or later. Snow-covered northern Europe heard the gunshot loud and clear when Russia cut supplies to Ukraine this week as part of a row about money and power, the two eternal battlegrounds of global energy. From central Europe right across to France on the Atlantic seaboard, gas supplies fell by more than one-third. For years Europeans had been telling themselves that a cold-war enemy which had supplied them without fail could still be depended on now it was an ally. Suddenly, nobody was quite so sure.\nFearing the threat to its reputation as a supplier, Russia rapidly restored the gas and settled its differences with Ukraine. But it was an uncomfortable glimpse of the dangers for a continent that imports roughly half its gas and expects to be importing 80% of its gas by 2030 much of it from Russia. It was scarcely more welcome for America, which condemned Russia s tactics. And no wonder: it consumes one-quarter of the world's oil, but produces only 3% of the stuff. Over the coming years, the world's dependence on oil looks likely to concentrate on the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia. Russian oil had seemed a useful alternative.\nFear of the energy weapon has a long history. When producers had the upper hand in the oil embargo of 1973-74, Arab members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC. cut supply, sowing turmoil and a global recession. When consumers had the upper hand in the early 1990s, the embargo cut the other way. After Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990, the world shut in 5m barrels a day (b\/d) of production from the two countries in an attempt to force him out.\nWith oil costing $ 60 a barrel, five times more than the nominal price in 1999, and spot prices for natural gas in some European and American markets at or near record levels, power has swung back to the producers for the first time since the early 1980s. Nobody knows how long todays tight markets will last. \"It took us a long time to get there and it will take us a long time to get back,\" says Robin West, chairman of PFC Energy in Washington. A clutch of alarmist books with titles such as \"The Death of Oil\" predict that so little oil is left in the ground that producers will always have pricing power. The question is how worried consumers should be. What are the threats to energy security and what should the world do about them? The answers suggest a need for planning and a certain amount of grim realism, but not for outright panic. [452 words]","id":"1187.txt","label":3} +{"option":["poses a threat to Russia's reputation as an oil supplier","wakes up to the dangers Russia's oil tactics may bring","is less vulnerable economically than European continent","has shifted its dependence on oil from the middle east to Russia"],"question":"According to the text, America _ .","article":"If you leave a loaded weapon lying around, it is bound to go off sooner or later. Snow-covered northern Europe heard the gunshot loud and clear when Russia cut supplies to Ukraine this week as part of a row about money and power, the two eternal battlegrounds of global energy. From central Europe right across to France on the Atlantic seaboard, gas supplies fell by more than one-third. For years Europeans had been telling themselves that a cold-war enemy which had supplied them without fail could still be depended on now it was an ally. Suddenly, nobody was quite so sure.\nFearing the threat to its reputation as a supplier, Russia rapidly restored the gas and settled its differences with Ukraine. But it was an uncomfortable glimpse of the dangers for a continent that imports roughly half its gas and expects to be importing 80% of its gas by 2030 much of it from Russia. It was scarcely more welcome for America, which condemned Russia s tactics. And no wonder: it consumes one-quarter of the world's oil, but produces only 3% of the stuff. Over the coming years, the world's dependence on oil looks likely to concentrate on the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia. Russian oil had seemed a useful alternative.\nFear of the energy weapon has a long history. When producers had the upper hand in the oil embargo of 1973-74, Arab members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC. cut supply, sowing turmoil and a global recession. When consumers had the upper hand in the early 1990s, the embargo cut the other way. After Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990, the world shut in 5m barrels a day (b\/d) of production from the two countries in an attempt to force him out.\nWith oil costing $ 60 a barrel, five times more than the nominal price in 1999, and spot prices for natural gas in some European and American markets at or near record levels, power has swung back to the producers for the first time since the early 1980s. Nobody knows how long todays tight markets will last. \"It took us a long time to get there and it will take us a long time to get back,\" says Robin West, chairman of PFC Energy in Washington. A clutch of alarmist books with titles such as \"The Death of Oil\" predict that so little oil is left in the ground that producers will always have pricing power. The question is how worried consumers should be. What are the threats to energy security and what should the world do about them? The answers suggest a need for planning and a certain amount of grim realism, but not for outright panic. [452 words]","id":"1187.txt","label":1} +{"option":["leads to the decrease of oil supply","leads to the decrease of oil demand","signals an imminent global recession","may serve as a powerful weapon"],"question":"An oil embargo _ .","article":"If you leave a loaded weapon lying around, it is bound to go off sooner or later. Snow-covered northern Europe heard the gunshot loud and clear when Russia cut supplies to Ukraine this week as part of a row about money and power, the two eternal battlegrounds of global energy. From central Europe right across to France on the Atlantic seaboard, gas supplies fell by more than one-third. For years Europeans had been telling themselves that a cold-war enemy which had supplied them without fail could still be depended on now it was an ally. Suddenly, nobody was quite so sure.\nFearing the threat to its reputation as a supplier, Russia rapidly restored the gas and settled its differences with Ukraine. But it was an uncomfortable glimpse of the dangers for a continent that imports roughly half its gas and expects to be importing 80% of its gas by 2030 much of it from Russia. It was scarcely more welcome for America, which condemned Russia s tactics. And no wonder: it consumes one-quarter of the world's oil, but produces only 3% of the stuff. Over the coming years, the world's dependence on oil looks likely to concentrate on the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia. Russian oil had seemed a useful alternative.\nFear of the energy weapon has a long history. When producers had the upper hand in the oil embargo of 1973-74, Arab members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC. cut supply, sowing turmoil and a global recession. When consumers had the upper hand in the early 1990s, the embargo cut the other way. After Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990, the world shut in 5m barrels a day (b\/d) of production from the two countries in an attempt to force him out.\nWith oil costing $ 60 a barrel, five times more than the nominal price in 1999, and spot prices for natural gas in some European and American markets at or near record levels, power has swung back to the producers for the first time since the early 1980s. Nobody knows how long todays tight markets will last. \"It took us a long time to get there and it will take us a long time to get back,\" says Robin West, chairman of PFC Energy in Washington. A clutch of alarmist books with titles such as \"The Death of Oil\" predict that so little oil is left in the ground that producers will always have pricing power. The question is how worried consumers should be. What are the threats to energy security and what should the world do about them? The answers suggest a need for planning and a certain amount of grim realism, but not for outright panic. [452 words]","id":"1187.txt","label":3} +{"option":["be well prepared for the grim future","be more optimistic than ever before","be no less worried than the producers","be no more worried than the producers"],"question":"In the face of the shortage of oil supply, the consumers should _","article":"If you leave a loaded weapon lying around, it is bound to go off sooner or later. Snow-covered northern Europe heard the gunshot loud and clear when Russia cut supplies to Ukraine this week as part of a row about money and power, the two eternal battlegrounds of global energy. From central Europe right across to France on the Atlantic seaboard, gas supplies fell by more than one-third. For years Europeans had been telling themselves that a cold-war enemy which had supplied them without fail could still be depended on now it was an ally. Suddenly, nobody was quite so sure.\nFearing the threat to its reputation as a supplier, Russia rapidly restored the gas and settled its differences with Ukraine. But it was an uncomfortable glimpse of the dangers for a continent that imports roughly half its gas and expects to be importing 80% of its gas by 2030 much of it from Russia. It was scarcely more welcome for America, which condemned Russia s tactics. And no wonder: it consumes one-quarter of the world's oil, but produces only 3% of the stuff. Over the coming years, the world's dependence on oil looks likely to concentrate on the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia. Russian oil had seemed a useful alternative.\nFear of the energy weapon has a long history. When producers had the upper hand in the oil embargo of 1973-74, Arab members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC. cut supply, sowing turmoil and a global recession. When consumers had the upper hand in the early 1990s, the embargo cut the other way. After Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990, the world shut in 5m barrels a day (b\/d) of production from the two countries in an attempt to force him out.\nWith oil costing $ 60 a barrel, five times more than the nominal price in 1999, and spot prices for natural gas in some European and American markets at or near record levels, power has swung back to the producers for the first time since the early 1980s. Nobody knows how long todays tight markets will last. \"It took us a long time to get there and it will take us a long time to get back,\" says Robin West, chairman of PFC Energy in Washington. A clutch of alarmist books with titles such as \"The Death of Oil\" predict that so little oil is left in the ground that producers will always have pricing power. The question is how worried consumers should be. What are the threats to energy security and what should the world do about them? The answers suggest a need for planning and a certain amount of grim realism, but not for outright panic. [452 words]","id":"1187.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Gypsies Want to Form a Nation.","Are They a Nation.","EU Is Afraid of Their Growth.","They Are a Tribe"],"question":"The Best Title of this passage is","article":"Europe's Gypsies, Are They a Nation?\nThe striving of countries in Central Europe to enter the European Union may offer an unprecedented chance to the continent's Gypsies (or Roman) to be recognized as a nation, albeit one without a defined territory. And if they were to achieve that they might even seek some kind of formal place-at least a total population outnumbers that of many of the Union's present and future countries. Some experts put the figure at 4m-plus; some proponents of Gypsy rights go as high as 15m.\nUnlike Jews, Gypsies have had no known ancestral land to hark back to. Though their language is related to Hindi, their territorial origins are misty. Romanian peasants held them to be born on the moon. Other Europeans (wrongly) thought them migrant Egyptians, hence the derivative Gypsy. Most probably they were itinerant metal workers and entertainers who drifted west from India in the 7th century.\nHowever, since communism in Central Europe collapsed a decade ago, the notion of Romanestan as a landless nation founded on Gypsy culture has gained ground. The International Romany Union, which says it stands for 10m Gypsies in more than 30 countries, is fostering the idea of \"self-rallying\". It is trying to promote a standard and written form of the language; it waves a Gypsy flag (green with a wheel) when it lobbies in such places as the United Bations; and in July it held a congress in Prague, The Czech capital. Where President Vaclav Havel said that Gypsies in his own country and elsewhere should have a better deal.\nAt the congress a Slovak-born lawyer, Emil Scuka, was elected president of the International Tomany Union. Later this month a group of elected Gypsy politicians, including members of parliament, mayors and local councilors from all over Europe (OSCE), to discuss how to persuade more Gypsies to get involved in politics.\nThe International Romany Union is probably the most representative of the outfits that speak for Gypsies, but that is not saying a lot. Of the several hundred delegates who gathered at its congress, few were democratically elected; oddly, none came from Hungary, whose Gypsies are perhaps the world's best organized, with some 450 Gypsy bodies advising local councils there. The union did, however, announce its ambition to set up a parliament, but how it would actually be elected was left undecided.\nSo far, the European Commission is wary of encouraging Gypsies to present themselves as a nation. The might, it is feared, open a Pandora's box already containing Basques, Corsicans and other awkward peoples. Besides, acknowledging Gypsies as a nation might backfire, just when several countries, particularly Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, are beginning to treat them better, in order to qualify for EU membership. \"The EU's whole premise is to overcome differences, not to highlight them,\" says a nervous Eurocrat.\nBut the idea that the Gypsies should win some kind of special recognition as Europe's largest continent wide minority, and one with a terrible history of persecution, is catching on. Gypsies have suffered many pogroms over the centuries. In Romania, the country that still has the largest number of them (more than 1m), in the 19th century they were actually enslaved. Hitler tried to wipe them out, along with the Jews.\n\"Gypsies deserve some space within European structures,\" says Jan Marinus Wiersma, a Dutchman in the European Parliament who suggests that one of the current commissioners should be responsible for Gypsy affairs. Some prominent Gypsies say they should be more directly represented, perhaps with a quota in the European Parliament. That, they argue, might give them a boost. There are moves afoot to help them to get money for, among other things, a Gypsy university.\nOne big snag is that Europe's Gypsies are, in fact, extremely heterogeneous. They belong to many different, and often antagonistic, clans and tribes, with no common language or religion, Their self-proclaimed leaders have often proved quarrelsome and corrupt. Still, says, Dimitrina Petrova, head of the European Roma Rights Center in Budapest, Gypsies' shared experience of suffering entitles them to talk of one nation; their potential unity, she says, stems from \"being regarded as sub-human by most majorities in Europe.\"\nAnd they have begun to be a bit more pragmatic. In Slovakia and Bulgaria, for instance, Gypsy political parties are trying to form electoral blocks that could win seats in parliament. In Macedonia, a Gypsy party already has some-and even runs a municipality. Nicholas Gheorge, an expert on Gypsy affairs at the OSCE, reckons that, spread over Central Europe, there are now about 20 Gypsy MPS and mayors, 400-odd local councilors, and a growing number of businessmen and intellectuals.\nThat is far from saying that they have the people or the cash to forge a nation. But, with the Gypsy question on the EU's agenda in Central Europe, they are making ground.","id":"284.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Most probably they drifted west from India in the 7th century.","They are scattered everywhere in the world.","Probably, they stemmed from Central Europe.","They probably came from the International Romany Union."],"question":"Where are the most probable Gypsy territory origins?","article":"Europe's Gypsies, Are They a Nation?\nThe striving of countries in Central Europe to enter the European Union may offer an unprecedented chance to the continent's Gypsies (or Roman) to be recognized as a nation, albeit one without a defined territory. And if they were to achieve that they might even seek some kind of formal place-at least a total population outnumbers that of many of the Union's present and future countries. Some experts put the figure at 4m-plus; some proponents of Gypsy rights go as high as 15m.\nUnlike Jews, Gypsies have had no known ancestral land to hark back to. Though their language is related to Hindi, their territorial origins are misty. Romanian peasants held them to be born on the moon. Other Europeans (wrongly) thought them migrant Egyptians, hence the derivative Gypsy. Most probably they were itinerant metal workers and entertainers who drifted west from India in the 7th century.\nHowever, since communism in Central Europe collapsed a decade ago, the notion of Romanestan as a landless nation founded on Gypsy culture has gained ground. The International Romany Union, which says it stands for 10m Gypsies in more than 30 countries, is fostering the idea of \"self-rallying\". It is trying to promote a standard and written form of the language; it waves a Gypsy flag (green with a wheel) when it lobbies in such places as the United Bations; and in July it held a congress in Prague, The Czech capital. Where President Vaclav Havel said that Gypsies in his own country and elsewhere should have a better deal.\nAt the congress a Slovak-born lawyer, Emil Scuka, was elected president of the International Tomany Union. Later this month a group of elected Gypsy politicians, including members of parliament, mayors and local councilors from all over Europe (OSCE), to discuss how to persuade more Gypsies to get involved in politics.\nThe International Romany Union is probably the most representative of the outfits that speak for Gypsies, but that is not saying a lot. Of the several hundred delegates who gathered at its congress, few were democratically elected; oddly, none came from Hungary, whose Gypsies are perhaps the world's best organized, with some 450 Gypsy bodies advising local councils there. The union did, however, announce its ambition to set up a parliament, but how it would actually be elected was left undecided.\nSo far, the European Commission is wary of encouraging Gypsies to present themselves as a nation. The might, it is feared, open a Pandora's box already containing Basques, Corsicans and other awkward peoples. Besides, acknowledging Gypsies as a nation might backfire, just when several countries, particularly Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, are beginning to treat them better, in order to qualify for EU membership. \"The EU's whole premise is to overcome differences, not to highlight them,\" says a nervous Eurocrat.\nBut the idea that the Gypsies should win some kind of special recognition as Europe's largest continent wide minority, and one with a terrible history of persecution, is catching on. Gypsies have suffered many pogroms over the centuries. In Romania, the country that still has the largest number of them (more than 1m), in the 19th century they were actually enslaved. Hitler tried to wipe them out, along with the Jews.\n\"Gypsies deserve some space within European structures,\" says Jan Marinus Wiersma, a Dutchman in the European Parliament who suggests that one of the current commissioners should be responsible for Gypsy affairs. Some prominent Gypsies say they should be more directly represented, perhaps with a quota in the European Parliament. That, they argue, might give them a boost. There are moves afoot to help them to get money for, among other things, a Gypsy university.\nOne big snag is that Europe's Gypsies are, in fact, extremely heterogeneous. They belong to many different, and often antagonistic, clans and tribes, with no common language or religion, Their self-proclaimed leaders have often proved quarrelsome and corrupt. Still, says, Dimitrina Petrova, head of the European Roma Rights Center in Budapest, Gypsies' shared experience of suffering entitles them to talk of one nation; their potential unity, she says, stems from \"being regarded as sub-human by most majorities in Europe.\"\nAnd they have begun to be a bit more pragmatic. In Slovakia and Bulgaria, for instance, Gypsy political parties are trying to form electoral blocks that could win seats in parliament. In Macedonia, a Gypsy party already has some-and even runs a municipality. Nicholas Gheorge, an expert on Gypsy affairs at the OSCE, reckons that, spread over Central Europe, there are now about 20 Gypsy MPS and mayors, 400-odd local councilors, and a growing number of businessmen and intellectuals.\nThat is far from saying that they have the people or the cash to forge a nation. But, with the Gypsy question on the EU's agenda in Central Europe, they are making ground.","id":"284.txt","label":0} +{"option":["It lobbies for a demand to be accepted by such international organizations as EU and UN.","It lobbies for a post in any international Romany Union.","It lobbies for the right as a nation.","It lobbies for a place in such international organizations as the EU or UN."],"question":"What does the International Romany lobby for?","article":"Europe's Gypsies, Are They a Nation?\nThe striving of countries in Central Europe to enter the European Union may offer an unprecedented chance to the continent's Gypsies (or Roman) to be recognized as a nation, albeit one without a defined territory. And if they were to achieve that they might even seek some kind of formal place-at least a total population outnumbers that of many of the Union's present and future countries. Some experts put the figure at 4m-plus; some proponents of Gypsy rights go as high as 15m.\nUnlike Jews, Gypsies have had no known ancestral land to hark back to. Though their language is related to Hindi, their territorial origins are misty. Romanian peasants held them to be born on the moon. Other Europeans (wrongly) thought them migrant Egyptians, hence the derivative Gypsy. Most probably they were itinerant metal workers and entertainers who drifted west from India in the 7th century.\nHowever, since communism in Central Europe collapsed a decade ago, the notion of Romanestan as a landless nation founded on Gypsy culture has gained ground. The International Romany Union, which says it stands for 10m Gypsies in more than 30 countries, is fostering the idea of \"self-rallying\". It is trying to promote a standard and written form of the language; it waves a Gypsy flag (green with a wheel) when it lobbies in such places as the United Bations; and in July it held a congress in Prague, The Czech capital. Where President Vaclav Havel said that Gypsies in his own country and elsewhere should have a better deal.\nAt the congress a Slovak-born lawyer, Emil Scuka, was elected president of the International Tomany Union. Later this month a group of elected Gypsy politicians, including members of parliament, mayors and local councilors from all over Europe (OSCE), to discuss how to persuade more Gypsies to get involved in politics.\nThe International Romany Union is probably the most representative of the outfits that speak for Gypsies, but that is not saying a lot. Of the several hundred delegates who gathered at its congress, few were democratically elected; oddly, none came from Hungary, whose Gypsies are perhaps the world's best organized, with some 450 Gypsy bodies advising local councils there. The union did, however, announce its ambition to set up a parliament, but how it would actually be elected was left undecided.\nSo far, the European Commission is wary of encouraging Gypsies to present themselves as a nation. The might, it is feared, open a Pandora's box already containing Basques, Corsicans and other awkward peoples. Besides, acknowledging Gypsies as a nation might backfire, just when several countries, particularly Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, are beginning to treat them better, in order to qualify for EU membership. \"The EU's whole premise is to overcome differences, not to highlight them,\" says a nervous Eurocrat.\nBut the idea that the Gypsies should win some kind of special recognition as Europe's largest continent wide minority, and one with a terrible history of persecution, is catching on. Gypsies have suffered many pogroms over the centuries. In Romania, the country that still has the largest number of them (more than 1m), in the 19th century they were actually enslaved. Hitler tried to wipe them out, along with the Jews.\n\"Gypsies deserve some space within European structures,\" says Jan Marinus Wiersma, a Dutchman in the European Parliament who suggests that one of the current commissioners should be responsible for Gypsy affairs. Some prominent Gypsies say they should be more directly represented, perhaps with a quota in the European Parliament. That, they argue, might give them a boost. There are moves afoot to help them to get money for, among other things, a Gypsy university.\nOne big snag is that Europe's Gypsies are, in fact, extremely heterogeneous. They belong to many different, and often antagonistic, clans and tribes, with no common language or religion, Their self-proclaimed leaders have often proved quarrelsome and corrupt. Still, says, Dimitrina Petrova, head of the European Roma Rights Center in Budapest, Gypsies' shared experience of suffering entitles them to talk of one nation; their potential unity, she says, stems from \"being regarded as sub-human by most majorities in Europe.\"\nAnd they have begun to be a bit more pragmatic. In Slovakia and Bulgaria, for instance, Gypsy political parties are trying to form electoral blocks that could win seats in parliament. In Macedonia, a Gypsy party already has some-and even runs a municipality. Nicholas Gheorge, an expert on Gypsy affairs at the OSCE, reckons that, spread over Central Europe, there are now about 20 Gypsy MPS and mayors, 400-odd local councilors, and a growing number of businessmen and intellectuals.\nThat is far from saying that they have the people or the cash to forge a nation. But, with the Gypsy question on the EU's agenda in Central Europe, they are making ground.","id":"284.txt","label":3} +{"option":["It may open a Pandora's Box.","Encouragement may lead to some unexpected results.","It fears that the Basgnes, Corsicans and other nations seeking separation may raise the same demand.","Gyspsies' demand may highlight the difference in the EU."],"question":"Why is the Europe Commission wary of encouraging Gypsies to present themselves as a nation?","article":"Europe's Gypsies, Are They a Nation?\nThe striving of countries in Central Europe to enter the European Union may offer an unprecedented chance to the continent's Gypsies (or Roman) to be recognized as a nation, albeit one without a defined territory. And if they were to achieve that they might even seek some kind of formal place-at least a total population outnumbers that of many of the Union's present and future countries. Some experts put the figure at 4m-plus; some proponents of Gypsy rights go as high as 15m.\nUnlike Jews, Gypsies have had no known ancestral land to hark back to. Though their language is related to Hindi, their territorial origins are misty. Romanian peasants held them to be born on the moon. Other Europeans (wrongly) thought them migrant Egyptians, hence the derivative Gypsy. Most probably they were itinerant metal workers and entertainers who drifted west from India in the 7th century.\nHowever, since communism in Central Europe collapsed a decade ago, the notion of Romanestan as a landless nation founded on Gypsy culture has gained ground. The International Romany Union, which says it stands for 10m Gypsies in more than 30 countries, is fostering the idea of \"self-rallying\". It is trying to promote a standard and written form of the language; it waves a Gypsy flag (green with a wheel) when it lobbies in such places as the United Bations; and in July it held a congress in Prague, The Czech capital. Where President Vaclav Havel said that Gypsies in his own country and elsewhere should have a better deal.\nAt the congress a Slovak-born lawyer, Emil Scuka, was elected president of the International Tomany Union. Later this month a group of elected Gypsy politicians, including members of parliament, mayors and local councilors from all over Europe (OSCE), to discuss how to persuade more Gypsies to get involved in politics.\nThe International Romany Union is probably the most representative of the outfits that speak for Gypsies, but that is not saying a lot. Of the several hundred delegates who gathered at its congress, few were democratically elected; oddly, none came from Hungary, whose Gypsies are perhaps the world's best organized, with some 450 Gypsy bodies advising local councils there. The union did, however, announce its ambition to set up a parliament, but how it would actually be elected was left undecided.\nSo far, the European Commission is wary of encouraging Gypsies to present themselves as a nation. The might, it is feared, open a Pandora's box already containing Basques, Corsicans and other awkward peoples. Besides, acknowledging Gypsies as a nation might backfire, just when several countries, particularly Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, are beginning to treat them better, in order to qualify for EU membership. \"The EU's whole premise is to overcome differences, not to highlight them,\" says a nervous Eurocrat.\nBut the idea that the Gypsies should win some kind of special recognition as Europe's largest continent wide minority, and one with a terrible history of persecution, is catching on. Gypsies have suffered many pogroms over the centuries. In Romania, the country that still has the largest number of them (more than 1m), in the 19th century they were actually enslaved. Hitler tried to wipe them out, along with the Jews.\n\"Gypsies deserve some space within European structures,\" says Jan Marinus Wiersma, a Dutchman in the European Parliament who suggests that one of the current commissioners should be responsible for Gypsy affairs. Some prominent Gypsies say they should be more directly represented, perhaps with a quota in the European Parliament. That, they argue, might give them a boost. There are moves afoot to help them to get money for, among other things, a Gypsy university.\nOne big snag is that Europe's Gypsies are, in fact, extremely heterogeneous. They belong to many different, and often antagonistic, clans and tribes, with no common language or religion, Their self-proclaimed leaders have often proved quarrelsome and corrupt. Still, says, Dimitrina Petrova, head of the European Roma Rights Center in Budapest, Gypsies' shared experience of suffering entitles them to talk of one nation; their potential unity, she says, stems from \"being regarded as sub-human by most majorities in Europe.\"\nAnd they have begun to be a bit more pragmatic. In Slovakia and Bulgaria, for instance, Gypsy political parties are trying to form electoral blocks that could win seats in parliament. In Macedonia, a Gypsy party already has some-and even runs a municipality. Nicholas Gheorge, an expert on Gypsy affairs at the OSCE, reckons that, spread over Central Europe, there are now about 20 Gypsy MPS and mayors, 400-odd local councilors, and a growing number of businessmen and intellectuals.\nThat is far from saying that they have the people or the cash to forge a nation. But, with the Gypsy question on the EU's agenda in Central Europe, they are making ground.","id":"284.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Gypsies belong to different and antagonistic clans and tribes without a common language or religion.","Their leaders prove corrupt.","Their potential unity stems from \"being regarded as sub-human\".","They are a bit more pragmatic."],"question":"The big problem lies in the fact that","article":"Europe's Gypsies, Are They a Nation?\nThe striving of countries in Central Europe to enter the European Union may offer an unprecedented chance to the continent's Gypsies (or Roman) to be recognized as a nation, albeit one without a defined territory. And if they were to achieve that they might even seek some kind of formal place-at least a total population outnumbers that of many of the Union's present and future countries. Some experts put the figure at 4m-plus; some proponents of Gypsy rights go as high as 15m.\nUnlike Jews, Gypsies have had no known ancestral land to hark back to. Though their language is related to Hindi, their territorial origins are misty. Romanian peasants held them to be born on the moon. Other Europeans (wrongly) thought them migrant Egyptians, hence the derivative Gypsy. Most probably they were itinerant metal workers and entertainers who drifted west from India in the 7th century.\nHowever, since communism in Central Europe collapsed a decade ago, the notion of Romanestan as a landless nation founded on Gypsy culture has gained ground. The International Romany Union, which says it stands for 10m Gypsies in more than 30 countries, is fostering the idea of \"self-rallying\". It is trying to promote a standard and written form of the language; it waves a Gypsy flag (green with a wheel) when it lobbies in such places as the United Bations; and in July it held a congress in Prague, The Czech capital. Where President Vaclav Havel said that Gypsies in his own country and elsewhere should have a better deal.\nAt the congress a Slovak-born lawyer, Emil Scuka, was elected president of the International Tomany Union. Later this month a group of elected Gypsy politicians, including members of parliament, mayors and local councilors from all over Europe (OSCE), to discuss how to persuade more Gypsies to get involved in politics.\nThe International Romany Union is probably the most representative of the outfits that speak for Gypsies, but that is not saying a lot. Of the several hundred delegates who gathered at its congress, few were democratically elected; oddly, none came from Hungary, whose Gypsies are perhaps the world's best organized, with some 450 Gypsy bodies advising local councils there. The union did, however, announce its ambition to set up a parliament, but how it would actually be elected was left undecided.\nSo far, the European Commission is wary of encouraging Gypsies to present themselves as a nation. The might, it is feared, open a Pandora's box already containing Basques, Corsicans and other awkward peoples. Besides, acknowledging Gypsies as a nation might backfire, just when several countries, particularly Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, are beginning to treat them better, in order to qualify for EU membership. \"The EU's whole premise is to overcome differences, not to highlight them,\" says a nervous Eurocrat.\nBut the idea that the Gypsies should win some kind of special recognition as Europe's largest continent wide minority, and one with a terrible history of persecution, is catching on. Gypsies have suffered many pogroms over the centuries. In Romania, the country that still has the largest number of them (more than 1m), in the 19th century they were actually enslaved. Hitler tried to wipe them out, along with the Jews.\n\"Gypsies deserve some space within European structures,\" says Jan Marinus Wiersma, a Dutchman in the European Parliament who suggests that one of the current commissioners should be responsible for Gypsy affairs. Some prominent Gypsies say they should be more directly represented, perhaps with a quota in the European Parliament. That, they argue, might give them a boost. There are moves afoot to help them to get money for, among other things, a Gypsy university.\nOne big snag is that Europe's Gypsies are, in fact, extremely heterogeneous. They belong to many different, and often antagonistic, clans and tribes, with no common language or religion, Their self-proclaimed leaders have often proved quarrelsome and corrupt. Still, says, Dimitrina Petrova, head of the European Roma Rights Center in Budapest, Gypsies' shared experience of suffering entitles them to talk of one nation; their potential unity, she says, stems from \"being regarded as sub-human by most majorities in Europe.\"\nAnd they have begun to be a bit more pragmatic. In Slovakia and Bulgaria, for instance, Gypsy political parties are trying to form electoral blocks that could win seats in parliament. In Macedonia, a Gypsy party already has some-and even runs a municipality. Nicholas Gheorge, an expert on Gypsy affairs at the OSCE, reckons that, spread over Central Europe, there are now about 20 Gypsy MPS and mayors, 400-odd local councilors, and a growing number of businessmen and intellectuals.\nThat is far from saying that they have the people or the cash to forge a nation. But, with the Gypsy question on the EU's agenda in Central Europe, they are making ground.","id":"284.txt","label":0} +{"option":["interesting.","important.","established.","understood."],"question":"The word \"crucial\" in the passage is closest in meaning to","article":"Information on past climates is of primary relevance to archaeology because of what it tells us about the effects on the land and on the resources that people needed to survive. The most crucial effect of climate was on the sheer quantity of land available in each period, measurable by studying ancient coastlines. These have changed constantly through time, even in relatively recent periods, as can be seen from the Neolithic stone circle of Er Lannic, in Brittany, France (once inland but now half submerged on an islanD. or medieval villages in east Yorkshire, England, that have tumbled into the sea in the last few centuries as the North Sea gnaws its way westward and erodes the cliffs. Conversely, silts deposited by rivers sometimes push the sea farther back, creating new land, as at Ephesus in western Turkey, a port on the coast in Roman times but today some five kilometers inland.\nNevertheless, for archeologists concerned with the long periods of time of the Paleolithic period there are variations in coastlines of much greater magnitude to consider. The expansion and contraction of the continental glaciers caused huge and uneven rises and falls in sea levels worldwide. When the ice sheets grew, the sea level would drop as water became locked up in the glaciers; when the ice melted, the sea level would rise again. Falls in sea level often exposed a number of important land bridges, such as those linking Alaska to northeast Asia and Britain to northwest Europe, a phenomenon with far-reaching effects not only on human colonization of the globe but also on the environment as a whole - the flora and fauna of isolated or insular areas were radically and often irreversibly affected. Between Alaska and Asia today lies the Bering Strait, which is so shallow that a fall in sea level of only four meters would turn it into a land bridge. When the ice sheets were at their greatest extent some 18,000 years ago (the glacier maximum), it is thought that the fall was about 120 meters, which therefore created not merely a bridge but a vast plain,1,000 kilometers from the north to the south, which has been called Beringia. The existence of Beringia (and the extent to which it could have supported human life) is one of the crucial pieces of evidence in the continuing debate about the likely route and date of human colonization of the New World.\nThe assessment of past rises and falls in sea level requires study of submerged land surfaces off the coast and of raised or elevated beaches on land. Raised beaches are remnants of former coastlines at higher levels relative to the present shoreline and visible, for instance, along the Californian coast north of San Francisco. The height of a raised beach above the present shoreline, however, does not generally give a straightforward indication of the height of a former sea level. In the majority of cases, the beaches lie at a higher level because the land has been raised up through isostatic uplift or tectonic movement. Isostatic uplift of the land occurs when the weight of ice is removed as temperatures rise, as at the end of an ice age; it has affected coastlines, for example, in Scandinavia, Scotland, Alaska, and Newfoundland during the postglacial period. Tectonic movements involve displacements in the plates that make up Earth's crust. Middle and Late Pleistocene raised beaches in the Mediterranean are one instance of such movements.\nRaised beaches often consist of areas of sand, pebbles, or dunes, sometimes containing seashells or piles of debris comprising shells and bones of marine animals used by humans. In Tokyo Bay, for example, shell mounds of the Jomon period (about 10,000 to 300 B.C.E.)mark the position of the shoreline at a time of maximum inundation by the sea (6,500-5,500 years ago),when, through tectonic movement, the sea was three to five meters higher in relation to the contemporary landmass of Japan than at present. Analysis of the shells themselves has confirmed the changes in marine topography, for it is only during the maximum phase that subtropical species of mollusc are present, indicating a higher water temperature.","id":"1667.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Recent changes in the shoreline that have resulted in the creation of new land.","Port cities that have lost shoreline due to the erosion of land.","The ocean's role in the formation of new land.","The importance of changes in shoreline to cities located inland."],"question":"According to paragraph 1, the city of Ephesus in western Turkey is an example of which of the following?","article":"Information on past climates is of primary relevance to archaeology because of what it tells us about the effects on the land and on the resources that people needed to survive. The most crucial effect of climate was on the sheer quantity of land available in each period, measurable by studying ancient coastlines. These have changed constantly through time, even in relatively recent periods, as can be seen from the Neolithic stone circle of Er Lannic, in Brittany, France (once inland but now half submerged on an islanD. or medieval villages in east Yorkshire, England, that have tumbled into the sea in the last few centuries as the North Sea gnaws its way westward and erodes the cliffs. Conversely, silts deposited by rivers sometimes push the sea farther back, creating new land, as at Ephesus in western Turkey, a port on the coast in Roman times but today some five kilometers inland.\nNevertheless, for archeologists concerned with the long periods of time of the Paleolithic period there are variations in coastlines of much greater magnitude to consider. The expansion and contraction of the continental glaciers caused huge and uneven rises and falls in sea levels worldwide. When the ice sheets grew, the sea level would drop as water became locked up in the glaciers; when the ice melted, the sea level would rise again. Falls in sea level often exposed a number of important land bridges, such as those linking Alaska to northeast Asia and Britain to northwest Europe, a phenomenon with far-reaching effects not only on human colonization of the globe but also on the environment as a whole - the flora and fauna of isolated or insular areas were radically and often irreversibly affected. Between Alaska and Asia today lies the Bering Strait, which is so shallow that a fall in sea level of only four meters would turn it into a land bridge. When the ice sheets were at their greatest extent some 18,000 years ago (the glacier maximum), it is thought that the fall was about 120 meters, which therefore created not merely a bridge but a vast plain,1,000 kilometers from the north to the south, which has been called Beringia. The existence of Beringia (and the extent to which it could have supported human life) is one of the crucial pieces of evidence in the continuing debate about the likely route and date of human colonization of the New World.\nThe assessment of past rises and falls in sea level requires study of submerged land surfaces off the coast and of raised or elevated beaches on land. Raised beaches are remnants of former coastlines at higher levels relative to the present shoreline and visible, for instance, along the Californian coast north of San Francisco. The height of a raised beach above the present shoreline, however, does not generally give a straightforward indication of the height of a former sea level. In the majority of cases, the beaches lie at a higher level because the land has been raised up through isostatic uplift or tectonic movement. Isostatic uplift of the land occurs when the weight of ice is removed as temperatures rise, as at the end of an ice age; it has affected coastlines, for example, in Scandinavia, Scotland, Alaska, and Newfoundland during the postglacial period. Tectonic movements involve displacements in the plates that make up Earth's crust. Middle and Late Pleistocene raised beaches in the Mediterranean are one instance of such movements.\nRaised beaches often consist of areas of sand, pebbles, or dunes, sometimes containing seashells or piles of debris comprising shells and bones of marine animals used by humans. In Tokyo Bay, for example, shell mounds of the Jomon period (about 10,000 to 300 B.C.E.)mark the position of the shoreline at a time of maximum inundation by the sea (6,500-5,500 years ago),when, through tectonic movement, the sea was three to five meters higher in relation to the contemporary landmass of Japan than at present. Analysis of the shells themselves has confirmed the changes in marine topography, for it is only during the maximum phase that subtropical species of mollusc are present, indicating a higher water temperature.","id":"1667.txt","label":0} +{"option":["The amount of land not covered by water was a greater during warmer periods.","Warmer weather encouraged the expansion of the range of flora and fauna.","As a result of colder weather,land bridges became exposed.","The rise of sea level occurred during periods of cold weather."],"question":"Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 2 about the effects of climate change during the Paleolithic period?","article":"Information on past climates is of primary relevance to archaeology because of what it tells us about the effects on the land and on the resources that people needed to survive. The most crucial effect of climate was on the sheer quantity of land available in each period, measurable by studying ancient coastlines. These have changed constantly through time, even in relatively recent periods, as can be seen from the Neolithic stone circle of Er Lannic, in Brittany, France (once inland but now half submerged on an islanD. or medieval villages in east Yorkshire, England, that have tumbled into the sea in the last few centuries as the North Sea gnaws its way westward and erodes the cliffs. Conversely, silts deposited by rivers sometimes push the sea farther back, creating new land, as at Ephesus in western Turkey, a port on the coast in Roman times but today some five kilometers inland.\nNevertheless, for archeologists concerned with the long periods of time of the Paleolithic period there are variations in coastlines of much greater magnitude to consider. The expansion and contraction of the continental glaciers caused huge and uneven rises and falls in sea levels worldwide. When the ice sheets grew, the sea level would drop as water became locked up in the glaciers; when the ice melted, the sea level would rise again. Falls in sea level often exposed a number of important land bridges, such as those linking Alaska to northeast Asia and Britain to northwest Europe, a phenomenon with far-reaching effects not only on human colonization of the globe but also on the environment as a whole - the flora and fauna of isolated or insular areas were radically and often irreversibly affected. Between Alaska and Asia today lies the Bering Strait, which is so shallow that a fall in sea level of only four meters would turn it into a land bridge. When the ice sheets were at their greatest extent some 18,000 years ago (the glacier maximum), it is thought that the fall was about 120 meters, which therefore created not merely a bridge but a vast plain,1,000 kilometers from the north to the south, which has been called Beringia. The existence of Beringia (and the extent to which it could have supported human life) is one of the crucial pieces of evidence in the continuing debate about the likely route and date of human colonization of the New World.\nThe assessment of past rises and falls in sea level requires study of submerged land surfaces off the coast and of raised or elevated beaches on land. Raised beaches are remnants of former coastlines at higher levels relative to the present shoreline and visible, for instance, along the Californian coast north of San Francisco. The height of a raised beach above the present shoreline, however, does not generally give a straightforward indication of the height of a former sea level. In the majority of cases, the beaches lie at a higher level because the land has been raised up through isostatic uplift or tectonic movement. Isostatic uplift of the land occurs when the weight of ice is removed as temperatures rise, as at the end of an ice age; it has affected coastlines, for example, in Scandinavia, Scotland, Alaska, and Newfoundland during the postglacial period. Tectonic movements involve displacements in the plates that make up Earth's crust. Middle and Late Pleistocene raised beaches in the Mediterranean are one instance of such movements.\nRaised beaches often consist of areas of sand, pebbles, or dunes, sometimes containing seashells or piles of debris comprising shells and bones of marine animals used by humans. In Tokyo Bay, for example, shell mounds of the Jomon period (about 10,000 to 300 B.C.E.)mark the position of the shoreline at a time of maximum inundation by the sea (6,500-5,500 years ago),when, through tectonic movement, the sea was three to five meters higher in relation to the contemporary landmass of Japan than at present. Analysis of the shells themselves has confirmed the changes in marine topography, for it is only during the maximum phase that subtropical species of mollusc are present, indicating a higher water temperature.","id":"1667.txt","label":2} +{"option":["unable to return to their previous conditions.","in a constant state of change.","completely destroyed by human colonization.","unevenly distributed across the area."],"question":"By indicating that flora and fauna of isolated or insular areas were often irreversibly affected by the changes due to the Ice Age, the author means that the flora and fauna were","article":"Information on past climates is of primary relevance to archaeology because of what it tells us about the effects on the land and on the resources that people needed to survive. The most crucial effect of climate was on the sheer quantity of land available in each period, measurable by studying ancient coastlines. These have changed constantly through time, even in relatively recent periods, as can be seen from the Neolithic stone circle of Er Lannic, in Brittany, France (once inland but now half submerged on an islanD. or medieval villages in east Yorkshire, England, that have tumbled into the sea in the last few centuries as the North Sea gnaws its way westward and erodes the cliffs. Conversely, silts deposited by rivers sometimes push the sea farther back, creating new land, as at Ephesus in western Turkey, a port on the coast in Roman times but today some five kilometers inland.\nNevertheless, for archeologists concerned with the long periods of time of the Paleolithic period there are variations in coastlines of much greater magnitude to consider. The expansion and contraction of the continental glaciers caused huge and uneven rises and falls in sea levels worldwide. When the ice sheets grew, the sea level would drop as water became locked up in the glaciers; when the ice melted, the sea level would rise again. Falls in sea level often exposed a number of important land bridges, such as those linking Alaska to northeast Asia and Britain to northwest Europe, a phenomenon with far-reaching effects not only on human colonization of the globe but also on the environment as a whole - the flora and fauna of isolated or insular areas were radically and often irreversibly affected. Between Alaska and Asia today lies the Bering Strait, which is so shallow that a fall in sea level of only four meters would turn it into a land bridge. When the ice sheets were at their greatest extent some 18,000 years ago (the glacier maximum), it is thought that the fall was about 120 meters, which therefore created not merely a bridge but a vast plain,1,000 kilometers from the north to the south, which has been called Beringia. The existence of Beringia (and the extent to which it could have supported human life) is one of the crucial pieces of evidence in the continuing debate about the likely route and date of human colonization of the New World.\nThe assessment of past rises and falls in sea level requires study of submerged land surfaces off the coast and of raised or elevated beaches on land. Raised beaches are remnants of former coastlines at higher levels relative to the present shoreline and visible, for instance, along the Californian coast north of San Francisco. The height of a raised beach above the present shoreline, however, does not generally give a straightforward indication of the height of a former sea level. In the majority of cases, the beaches lie at a higher level because the land has been raised up through isostatic uplift or tectonic movement. Isostatic uplift of the land occurs when the weight of ice is removed as temperatures rise, as at the end of an ice age; it has affected coastlines, for example, in Scandinavia, Scotland, Alaska, and Newfoundland during the postglacial period. Tectonic movements involve displacements in the plates that make up Earth's crust. Middle and Late Pleistocene raised beaches in the Mediterranean are one instance of such movements.\nRaised beaches often consist of areas of sand, pebbles, or dunes, sometimes containing seashells or piles of debris comprising shells and bones of marine animals used by humans. In Tokyo Bay, for example, shell mounds of the Jomon period (about 10,000 to 300 B.C.E.)mark the position of the shoreline at a time of maximum inundation by the sea (6,500-5,500 years ago),when, through tectonic movement, the sea was three to five meters higher in relation to the contemporary landmass of Japan than at present. Analysis of the shells themselves has confirmed the changes in marine topography, for it is only during the maximum phase that subtropical species of mollusc are present, indicating a higher water temperature.","id":"1667.txt","label":0} +{"option":["It may have been used by the people who first colonized North America.","It may have been large enough to support life.","It was probably still four meters under water during the glacier maximum.","It was probably a vast plain."],"question":"According to paragraph 2, all of the following are true of Beringia EXCEPT","article":"Information on past climates is of primary relevance to archaeology because of what it tells us about the effects on the land and on the resources that people needed to survive. The most crucial effect of climate was on the sheer quantity of land available in each period, measurable by studying ancient coastlines. These have changed constantly through time, even in relatively recent periods, as can be seen from the Neolithic stone circle of Er Lannic, in Brittany, France (once inland but now half submerged on an islanD. or medieval villages in east Yorkshire, England, that have tumbled into the sea in the last few centuries as the North Sea gnaws its way westward and erodes the cliffs. Conversely, silts deposited by rivers sometimes push the sea farther back, creating new land, as at Ephesus in western Turkey, a port on the coast in Roman times but today some five kilometers inland.\nNevertheless, for archeologists concerned with the long periods of time of the Paleolithic period there are variations in coastlines of much greater magnitude to consider. The expansion and contraction of the continental glaciers caused huge and uneven rises and falls in sea levels worldwide. When the ice sheets grew, the sea level would drop as water became locked up in the glaciers; when the ice melted, the sea level would rise again. Falls in sea level often exposed a number of important land bridges, such as those linking Alaska to northeast Asia and Britain to northwest Europe, a phenomenon with far-reaching effects not only on human colonization of the globe but also on the environment as a whole - the flora and fauna of isolated or insular areas were radically and often irreversibly affected. Between Alaska and Asia today lies the Bering Strait, which is so shallow that a fall in sea level of only four meters would turn it into a land bridge. When the ice sheets were at their greatest extent some 18,000 years ago (the glacier maximum), it is thought that the fall was about 120 meters, which therefore created not merely a bridge but a vast plain,1,000 kilometers from the north to the south, which has been called Beringia. The existence of Beringia (and the extent to which it could have supported human life) is one of the crucial pieces of evidence in the continuing debate about the likely route and date of human colonization of the New World.\nThe assessment of past rises and falls in sea level requires study of submerged land surfaces off the coast and of raised or elevated beaches on land. Raised beaches are remnants of former coastlines at higher levels relative to the present shoreline and visible, for instance, along the Californian coast north of San Francisco. The height of a raised beach above the present shoreline, however, does not generally give a straightforward indication of the height of a former sea level. In the majority of cases, the beaches lie at a higher level because the land has been raised up through isostatic uplift or tectonic movement. Isostatic uplift of the land occurs when the weight of ice is removed as temperatures rise, as at the end of an ice age; it has affected coastlines, for example, in Scandinavia, Scotland, Alaska, and Newfoundland during the postglacial period. Tectonic movements involve displacements in the plates that make up Earth's crust. Middle and Late Pleistocene raised beaches in the Mediterranean are one instance of such movements.\nRaised beaches often consist of areas of sand, pebbles, or dunes, sometimes containing seashells or piles of debris comprising shells and bones of marine animals used by humans. In Tokyo Bay, for example, shell mounds of the Jomon period (about 10,000 to 300 B.C.E.)mark the position of the shoreline at a time of maximum inundation by the sea (6,500-5,500 years ago),when, through tectonic movement, the sea was three to five meters higher in relation to the contemporary landmass of Japan than at present. Analysis of the shells themselves has confirmed the changes in marine topography, for it is only during the maximum phase that subtropical species of mollusc are present, indicating a higher water temperature.","id":"1667.txt","label":2} +{"option":["It explains the idea that changes in coastlines do not necessarily result in significant alternations to existing marine life.","It illustrates the kind of impact that variations in land availability caused by climate change can have.","It provides a large amount of archaeological evidence that casts doubt on changes in sea level during the Paleolithic period.","It shows how ancient coastlines can serve as useful models in understanding recent changes in coastlines."],"question":"What purpose does the discussion about the Bering Strait in paragraph 2 serve in the passage?","article":"Information on past climates is of primary relevance to archaeology because of what it tells us about the effects on the land and on the resources that people needed to survive. The most crucial effect of climate was on the sheer quantity of land available in each period, measurable by studying ancient coastlines. These have changed constantly through time, even in relatively recent periods, as can be seen from the Neolithic stone circle of Er Lannic, in Brittany, France (once inland but now half submerged on an islanD. or medieval villages in east Yorkshire, England, that have tumbled into the sea in the last few centuries as the North Sea gnaws its way westward and erodes the cliffs. Conversely, silts deposited by rivers sometimes push the sea farther back, creating new land, as at Ephesus in western Turkey, a port on the coast in Roman times but today some five kilometers inland.\nNevertheless, for archeologists concerned with the long periods of time of the Paleolithic period there are variations in coastlines of much greater magnitude to consider. The expansion and contraction of the continental glaciers caused huge and uneven rises and falls in sea levels worldwide. When the ice sheets grew, the sea level would drop as water became locked up in the glaciers; when the ice melted, the sea level would rise again. Falls in sea level often exposed a number of important land bridges, such as those linking Alaska to northeast Asia and Britain to northwest Europe, a phenomenon with far-reaching effects not only on human colonization of the globe but also on the environment as a whole - the flora and fauna of isolated or insular areas were radically and often irreversibly affected. Between Alaska and Asia today lies the Bering Strait, which is so shallow that a fall in sea level of only four meters would turn it into a land bridge. When the ice sheets were at their greatest extent some 18,000 years ago (the glacier maximum), it is thought that the fall was about 120 meters, which therefore created not merely a bridge but a vast plain,1,000 kilometers from the north to the south, which has been called Beringia. The existence of Beringia (and the extent to which it could have supported human life) is one of the crucial pieces of evidence in the continuing debate about the likely route and date of human colonization of the New World.\nThe assessment of past rises and falls in sea level requires study of submerged land surfaces off the coast and of raised or elevated beaches on land. Raised beaches are remnants of former coastlines at higher levels relative to the present shoreline and visible, for instance, along the Californian coast north of San Francisco. The height of a raised beach above the present shoreline, however, does not generally give a straightforward indication of the height of a former sea level. In the majority of cases, the beaches lie at a higher level because the land has been raised up through isostatic uplift or tectonic movement. Isostatic uplift of the land occurs when the weight of ice is removed as temperatures rise, as at the end of an ice age; it has affected coastlines, for example, in Scandinavia, Scotland, Alaska, and Newfoundland during the postglacial period. Tectonic movements involve displacements in the plates that make up Earth's crust. Middle and Late Pleistocene raised beaches in the Mediterranean are one instance of such movements.\nRaised beaches often consist of areas of sand, pebbles, or dunes, sometimes containing seashells or piles of debris comprising shells and bones of marine animals used by humans. In Tokyo Bay, for example, shell mounds of the Jomon period (about 10,000 to 300 B.C.E.)mark the position of the shoreline at a time of maximum inundation by the sea (6,500-5,500 years ago),when, through tectonic movement, the sea was three to five meters higher in relation to the contemporary landmass of Japan than at present. Analysis of the shells themselves has confirmed the changes in marine topography, for it is only during the maximum phase that subtropical species of mollusc are present, indicating a higher water temperature.","id":"1667.txt","label":1} +{"option":["remains","regions","points","origins"],"question":"The word \"remnants\" in the passage is closest meaning to","article":"Information on past climates is of primary relevance to archaeology because of what it tells us about the effects on the land and on the resources that people needed to survive. The most crucial effect of climate was on the sheer quantity of land available in each period, measurable by studying ancient coastlines. These have changed constantly through time, even in relatively recent periods, as can be seen from the Neolithic stone circle of Er Lannic, in Brittany, France (once inland but now half submerged on an islanD. or medieval villages in east Yorkshire, England, that have tumbled into the sea in the last few centuries as the North Sea gnaws its way westward and erodes the cliffs. Conversely, silts deposited by rivers sometimes push the sea farther back, creating new land, as at Ephesus in western Turkey, a port on the coast in Roman times but today some five kilometers inland.\nNevertheless, for archeologists concerned with the long periods of time of the Paleolithic period there are variations in coastlines of much greater magnitude to consider. The expansion and contraction of the continental glaciers caused huge and uneven rises and falls in sea levels worldwide. When the ice sheets grew, the sea level would drop as water became locked up in the glaciers; when the ice melted, the sea level would rise again. Falls in sea level often exposed a number of important land bridges, such as those linking Alaska to northeast Asia and Britain to northwest Europe, a phenomenon with far-reaching effects not only on human colonization of the globe but also on the environment as a whole - the flora and fauna of isolated or insular areas were radically and often irreversibly affected. Between Alaska and Asia today lies the Bering Strait, which is so shallow that a fall in sea level of only four meters would turn it into a land bridge. When the ice sheets were at their greatest extent some 18,000 years ago (the glacier maximum), it is thought that the fall was about 120 meters, which therefore created not merely a bridge but a vast plain,1,000 kilometers from the north to the south, which has been called Beringia. The existence of Beringia (and the extent to which it could have supported human life) is one of the crucial pieces of evidence in the continuing debate about the likely route and date of human colonization of the New World.\nThe assessment of past rises and falls in sea level requires study of submerged land surfaces off the coast and of raised or elevated beaches on land. Raised beaches are remnants of former coastlines at higher levels relative to the present shoreline and visible, for instance, along the Californian coast north of San Francisco. The height of a raised beach above the present shoreline, however, does not generally give a straightforward indication of the height of a former sea level. In the majority of cases, the beaches lie at a higher level because the land has been raised up through isostatic uplift or tectonic movement. Isostatic uplift of the land occurs when the weight of ice is removed as temperatures rise, as at the end of an ice age; it has affected coastlines, for example, in Scandinavia, Scotland, Alaska, and Newfoundland during the postglacial period. Tectonic movements involve displacements in the plates that make up Earth's crust. Middle and Late Pleistocene raised beaches in the Mediterranean are one instance of such movements.\nRaised beaches often consist of areas of sand, pebbles, or dunes, sometimes containing seashells or piles of debris comprising shells and bones of marine animals used by humans. In Tokyo Bay, for example, shell mounds of the Jomon period (about 10,000 to 300 B.C.E.)mark the position of the shoreline at a time of maximum inundation by the sea (6,500-5,500 years ago),when, through tectonic movement, the sea was three to five meters higher in relation to the contemporary landmass of Japan than at present. Analysis of the shells themselves has confirmed the changes in marine topography, for it is only during the maximum phase that subtropical species of mollusc are present, indicating a higher water temperature.","id":"1667.txt","label":0} +{"option":["The height of the beach may have been raised or altered by human interventions in the shore environment.","The height of the beach may be the result of erosion over a brief period of time.","It is difficult to assess if the sea actually existed at that level for any significant period of time.","The surface of Earth may have shifted,moving the beach from its original positron."],"question":"According to paragraph 3, why is the height of a raised beach not a straightforward indicator of past sea level?","article":"Information on past climates is of primary relevance to archaeology because of what it tells us about the effects on the land and on the resources that people needed to survive. The most crucial effect of climate was on the sheer quantity of land available in each period, measurable by studying ancient coastlines. These have changed constantly through time, even in relatively recent periods, as can be seen from the Neolithic stone circle of Er Lannic, in Brittany, France (once inland but now half submerged on an islanD. or medieval villages in east Yorkshire, England, that have tumbled into the sea in the last few centuries as the North Sea gnaws its way westward and erodes the cliffs. Conversely, silts deposited by rivers sometimes push the sea farther back, creating new land, as at Ephesus in western Turkey, a port on the coast in Roman times but today some five kilometers inland.\nNevertheless, for archeologists concerned with the long periods of time of the Paleolithic period there are variations in coastlines of much greater magnitude to consider. The expansion and contraction of the continental glaciers caused huge and uneven rises and falls in sea levels worldwide. When the ice sheets grew, the sea level would drop as water became locked up in the glaciers; when the ice melted, the sea level would rise again. Falls in sea level often exposed a number of important land bridges, such as those linking Alaska to northeast Asia and Britain to northwest Europe, a phenomenon with far-reaching effects not only on human colonization of the globe but also on the environment as a whole - the flora and fauna of isolated or insular areas were radically and often irreversibly affected. Between Alaska and Asia today lies the Bering Strait, which is so shallow that a fall in sea level of only four meters would turn it into a land bridge. When the ice sheets were at their greatest extent some 18,000 years ago (the glacier maximum), it is thought that the fall was about 120 meters, which therefore created not merely a bridge but a vast plain,1,000 kilometers from the north to the south, which has been called Beringia. The existence of Beringia (and the extent to which it could have supported human life) is one of the crucial pieces of evidence in the continuing debate about the likely route and date of human colonization of the New World.\nThe assessment of past rises and falls in sea level requires study of submerged land surfaces off the coast and of raised or elevated beaches on land. Raised beaches are remnants of former coastlines at higher levels relative to the present shoreline and visible, for instance, along the Californian coast north of San Francisco. The height of a raised beach above the present shoreline, however, does not generally give a straightforward indication of the height of a former sea level. In the majority of cases, the beaches lie at a higher level because the land has been raised up through isostatic uplift or tectonic movement. Isostatic uplift of the land occurs when the weight of ice is removed as temperatures rise, as at the end of an ice age; it has affected coastlines, for example, in Scandinavia, Scotland, Alaska, and Newfoundland during the postglacial period. Tectonic movements involve displacements in the plates that make up Earth's crust. Middle and Late Pleistocene raised beaches in the Mediterranean are one instance of such movements.\nRaised beaches often consist of areas of sand, pebbles, or dunes, sometimes containing seashells or piles of debris comprising shells and bones of marine animals used by humans. In Tokyo Bay, for example, shell mounds of the Jomon period (about 10,000 to 300 B.C.E.)mark the position of the shoreline at a time of maximum inundation by the sea (6,500-5,500 years ago),when, through tectonic movement, the sea was three to five meters higher in relation to the contemporary landmass of Japan than at present. Analysis of the shells themselves has confirmed the changes in marine topography, for it is only during the maximum phase that subtropical species of mollusc are present, indicating a higher water temperature.","id":"1667.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Shifts in Earth's crust.","A decrease in the pressure of thick ice sheets.","A decrease in temperature.","Changes in sea level."],"question":"According to paragraph 3, which of following causes an isostatic uplift?","article":"Information on past climates is of primary relevance to archaeology because of what it tells us about the effects on the land and on the resources that people needed to survive. The most crucial effect of climate was on the sheer quantity of land available in each period, measurable by studying ancient coastlines. These have changed constantly through time, even in relatively recent periods, as can be seen from the Neolithic stone circle of Er Lannic, in Brittany, France (once inland but now half submerged on an islanD. or medieval villages in east Yorkshire, England, that have tumbled into the sea in the last few centuries as the North Sea gnaws its way westward and erodes the cliffs. Conversely, silts deposited by rivers sometimes push the sea farther back, creating new land, as at Ephesus in western Turkey, a port on the coast in Roman times but today some five kilometers inland.\nNevertheless, for archeologists concerned with the long periods of time of the Paleolithic period there are variations in coastlines of much greater magnitude to consider. The expansion and contraction of the continental glaciers caused huge and uneven rises and falls in sea levels worldwide. When the ice sheets grew, the sea level would drop as water became locked up in the glaciers; when the ice melted, the sea level would rise again. Falls in sea level often exposed a number of important land bridges, such as those linking Alaska to northeast Asia and Britain to northwest Europe, a phenomenon with far-reaching effects not only on human colonization of the globe but also on the environment as a whole - the flora and fauna of isolated or insular areas were radically and often irreversibly affected. Between Alaska and Asia today lies the Bering Strait, which is so shallow that a fall in sea level of only four meters would turn it into a land bridge. When the ice sheets were at their greatest extent some 18,000 years ago (the glacier maximum), it is thought that the fall was about 120 meters, which therefore created not merely a bridge but a vast plain,1,000 kilometers from the north to the south, which has been called Beringia. The existence of Beringia (and the extent to which it could have supported human life) is one of the crucial pieces of evidence in the continuing debate about the likely route and date of human colonization of the New World.\nThe assessment of past rises and falls in sea level requires study of submerged land surfaces off the coast and of raised or elevated beaches on land. Raised beaches are remnants of former coastlines at higher levels relative to the present shoreline and visible, for instance, along the Californian coast north of San Francisco. The height of a raised beach above the present shoreline, however, does not generally give a straightforward indication of the height of a former sea level. In the majority of cases, the beaches lie at a higher level because the land has been raised up through isostatic uplift or tectonic movement. Isostatic uplift of the land occurs when the weight of ice is removed as temperatures rise, as at the end of an ice age; it has affected coastlines, for example, in Scandinavia, Scotland, Alaska, and Newfoundland during the postglacial period. Tectonic movements involve displacements in the plates that make up Earth's crust. Middle and Late Pleistocene raised beaches in the Mediterranean are one instance of such movements.\nRaised beaches often consist of areas of sand, pebbles, or dunes, sometimes containing seashells or piles of debris comprising shells and bones of marine animals used by humans. In Tokyo Bay, for example, shell mounds of the Jomon period (about 10,000 to 300 B.C.E.)mark the position of the shoreline at a time of maximum inundation by the sea (6,500-5,500 years ago),when, through tectonic movement, the sea was three to five meters higher in relation to the contemporary landmass of Japan than at present. Analysis of the shells themselves has confirmed the changes in marine topography, for it is only during the maximum phase that subtropical species of mollusc are present, indicating a higher water temperature.","id":"1667.txt","label":1} +{"option":["taken from.","made up of.","suggesting.","covering."],"question":"The word \"comprising\" in the passage 4 is closest in meaning to","article":"Information on past climates is of primary relevance to archaeology because of what it tells us about the effects on the land and on the resources that people needed to survive. The most crucial effect of climate was on the sheer quantity of land available in each period, measurable by studying ancient coastlines. These have changed constantly through time, even in relatively recent periods, as can be seen from the Neolithic stone circle of Er Lannic, in Brittany, France (once inland but now half submerged on an islanD. or medieval villages in east Yorkshire, England, that have tumbled into the sea in the last few centuries as the North Sea gnaws its way westward and erodes the cliffs. Conversely, silts deposited by rivers sometimes push the sea farther back, creating new land, as at Ephesus in western Turkey, a port on the coast in Roman times but today some five kilometers inland.\nNevertheless, for archeologists concerned with the long periods of time of the Paleolithic period there are variations in coastlines of much greater magnitude to consider. The expansion and contraction of the continental glaciers caused huge and uneven rises and falls in sea levels worldwide. When the ice sheets grew, the sea level would drop as water became locked up in the glaciers; when the ice melted, the sea level would rise again. Falls in sea level often exposed a number of important land bridges, such as those linking Alaska to northeast Asia and Britain to northwest Europe, a phenomenon with far-reaching effects not only on human colonization of the globe but also on the environment as a whole - the flora and fauna of isolated or insular areas were radically and often irreversibly affected. Between Alaska and Asia today lies the Bering Strait, which is so shallow that a fall in sea level of only four meters would turn it into a land bridge. When the ice sheets were at their greatest extent some 18,000 years ago (the glacier maximum), it is thought that the fall was about 120 meters, which therefore created not merely a bridge but a vast plain,1,000 kilometers from the north to the south, which has been called Beringia. The existence of Beringia (and the extent to which it could have supported human life) is one of the crucial pieces of evidence in the continuing debate about the likely route and date of human colonization of the New World.\nThe assessment of past rises and falls in sea level requires study of submerged land surfaces off the coast and of raised or elevated beaches on land. Raised beaches are remnants of former coastlines at higher levels relative to the present shoreline and visible, for instance, along the Californian coast north of San Francisco. The height of a raised beach above the present shoreline, however, does not generally give a straightforward indication of the height of a former sea level. In the majority of cases, the beaches lie at a higher level because the land has been raised up through isostatic uplift or tectonic movement. Isostatic uplift of the land occurs when the weight of ice is removed as temperatures rise, as at the end of an ice age; it has affected coastlines, for example, in Scandinavia, Scotland, Alaska, and Newfoundland during the postglacial period. Tectonic movements involve displacements in the plates that make up Earth's crust. Middle and Late Pleistocene raised beaches in the Mediterranean are one instance of such movements.\nRaised beaches often consist of areas of sand, pebbles, or dunes, sometimes containing seashells or piles of debris comprising shells and bones of marine animals used by humans. In Tokyo Bay, for example, shell mounds of the Jomon period (about 10,000 to 300 B.C.E.)mark the position of the shoreline at a time of maximum inundation by the sea (6,500-5,500 years ago),when, through tectonic movement, the sea was three to five meters higher in relation to the contemporary landmass of Japan than at present. Analysis of the shells themselves has confirmed the changes in marine topography, for it is only during the maximum phase that subtropical species of mollusc are present, indicating a higher water temperature.","id":"1667.txt","label":1} +{"option":["The coastal land currently available is smaller than it was during the Japan period.","The height of raised beaches around Tokyo Bay is a poor indicator of ancient sea levels.","The water temperature in Tokyo Bay is lower at present than it was during the Jomon period.","Tectonic movement during the Jomon period was not responsible for the formation of Tokyo Bay's raised beaches."],"question":"Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 4 about Tokyo Bay?","article":"Information on past climates is of primary relevance to archaeology because of what it tells us about the effects on the land and on the resources that people needed to survive. The most crucial effect of climate was on the sheer quantity of land available in each period, measurable by studying ancient coastlines. These have changed constantly through time, even in relatively recent periods, as can be seen from the Neolithic stone circle of Er Lannic, in Brittany, France (once inland but now half submerged on an islanD. or medieval villages in east Yorkshire, England, that have tumbled into the sea in the last few centuries as the North Sea gnaws its way westward and erodes the cliffs. Conversely, silts deposited by rivers sometimes push the sea farther back, creating new land, as at Ephesus in western Turkey, a port on the coast in Roman times but today some five kilometers inland.\nNevertheless, for archeologists concerned with the long periods of time of the Paleolithic period there are variations in coastlines of much greater magnitude to consider. The expansion and contraction of the continental glaciers caused huge and uneven rises and falls in sea levels worldwide. When the ice sheets grew, the sea level would drop as water became locked up in the glaciers; when the ice melted, the sea level would rise again. Falls in sea level often exposed a number of important land bridges, such as those linking Alaska to northeast Asia and Britain to northwest Europe, a phenomenon with far-reaching effects not only on human colonization of the globe but also on the environment as a whole - the flora and fauna of isolated or insular areas were radically and often irreversibly affected. Between Alaska and Asia today lies the Bering Strait, which is so shallow that a fall in sea level of only four meters would turn it into a land bridge. When the ice sheets were at their greatest extent some 18,000 years ago (the glacier maximum), it is thought that the fall was about 120 meters, which therefore created not merely a bridge but a vast plain,1,000 kilometers from the north to the south, which has been called Beringia. The existence of Beringia (and the extent to which it could have supported human life) is one of the crucial pieces of evidence in the continuing debate about the likely route and date of human colonization of the New World.\nThe assessment of past rises and falls in sea level requires study of submerged land surfaces off the coast and of raised or elevated beaches on land. Raised beaches are remnants of former coastlines at higher levels relative to the present shoreline and visible, for instance, along the Californian coast north of San Francisco. The height of a raised beach above the present shoreline, however, does not generally give a straightforward indication of the height of a former sea level. In the majority of cases, the beaches lie at a higher level because the land has been raised up through isostatic uplift or tectonic movement. Isostatic uplift of the land occurs when the weight of ice is removed as temperatures rise, as at the end of an ice age; it has affected coastlines, for example, in Scandinavia, Scotland, Alaska, and Newfoundland during the postglacial period. Tectonic movements involve displacements in the plates that make up Earth's crust. Middle and Late Pleistocene raised beaches in the Mediterranean are one instance of such movements.\nRaised beaches often consist of areas of sand, pebbles, or dunes, sometimes containing seashells or piles of debris comprising shells and bones of marine animals used by humans. In Tokyo Bay, for example, shell mounds of the Jomon period (about 10,000 to 300 B.C.E.)mark the position of the shoreline at a time of maximum inundation by the sea (6,500-5,500 years ago),when, through tectonic movement, the sea was three to five meters higher in relation to the contemporary landmass of Japan than at present. Analysis of the shells themselves has confirmed the changes in marine topography, for it is only during the maximum phase that subtropical species of mollusc are present, indicating a higher water temperature.","id":"1667.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Babylonians","Subarians","Akkadians","Sumerians"],"question":"According to the passage , the inventors of written language in Mesopotamia were probably the","article":"Archaeological discoveries have led some scholars to believe that the first Mesopotamian inventors of writing may have been a people the later Babylonians called Subarians. According to tradition, they came from the north and moved into Uruk in the south. By about 3100 B.C., they were apparently subjugated in southern Mesopotamia by the Sumerians, whose name became synonymous with the region immediately north of the Persian Gulf, in the fertile lower valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates. Here the Sumerians were already well established by the year 3000 B.C. They had invented bronze, an alloy that could be cast in molds, out of which they made tools and weapons. They lived in cities, and they had begun to acquire and use capital. Perhaps most important, the Sumerians adapted writing (probably from the Subarians) into a flexible tool of communication.\nArchaeologists have known about the Sumerians for over 150 years. Archaeologists working at Nineveh in northern Mesopotamia in the mid-nineteenth century found many inscribed clay tablets. Some they could decipher because the language was a Semitic one (Akkadian), on which scholars had already been working for a generation. But other tablets were inscribed in another language that was not Semitic and previously unknown. Because these inscriptions made reference to the king of Sumer and Akkad, a scholar suggested that the new language be called Sumerian.\nBut it was not until the 1890's that archaeologists excavating in city-states well to the south of Nineveh found many thousands of tablets inscribed in Sumerian only. Because the Akkadians thought of Sumerian as a classical language (as ancient Greek and Latin are considered today), they taught it to educated persons and they inscribed vocabulary, translation exercises, and other study aids on tablets. Working from known Akkadian to previously unknown Sumerian, scholars since the 1890's have learned how to read the Sumerian language moderately well. Vast quantities of tablets in Sumerian have been unearthed during the intervening years from numerous sites.","id":"378.txt","label":1} +{"option":["distinguished","segregated","concentrated","conquered"],"question":"The word \"subjugated\" in line 4 is closest in meaning to","article":"Archaeological discoveries have led some scholars to believe that the first Mesopotamian inventors of writing may have been a people the later Babylonians called Subarians. According to tradition, they came from the north and moved into Uruk in the south. By about 3100 B.C., they were apparently subjugated in southern Mesopotamia by the Sumerians, whose name became synonymous with the region immediately north of the Persian Gulf, in the fertile lower valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates. Here the Sumerians were already well established by the year 3000 B.C. They had invented bronze, an alloy that could be cast in molds, out of which they made tools and weapons. They lived in cities, and they had begun to acquire and use capital. Perhaps most important, the Sumerians adapted writing (probably from the Subarians) into a flexible tool of communication.\nArchaeologists have known about the Sumerians for over 150 years. Archaeologists working at Nineveh in northern Mesopotamia in the mid-nineteenth century found many inscribed clay tablets. Some they could decipher because the language was a Semitic one (Akkadian), on which scholars had already been working for a generation. But other tablets were inscribed in another language that was not Semitic and previously unknown. Because these inscriptions made reference to the king of Sumer and Akkad, a scholar suggested that the new language be called Sumerian.\nBut it was not until the 1890's that archaeologists excavating in city-states well to the south of Nineveh found many thousands of tablets inscribed in Sumerian only. Because the Akkadians thought of Sumerian as a classical language (as ancient Greek and Latin are considered today), they taught it to educated persons and they inscribed vocabulary, translation exercises, and other study aids on tablets. Working from known Akkadian to previously unknown Sumerian, scholars since the 1890's have learned how to read the Sumerian language moderately well. Vast quantities of tablets in Sumerian have been unearthed during the intervening years from numerous sites.","id":"378.txt","label":3} +{"option":["equivalent to","important for","respected in","familiar with"],"question":"The phrase \"synonymous with\" in line 5 is closest in meaning to","article":"Archaeological discoveries have led some scholars to believe that the first Mesopotamian inventors of writing may have been a people the later Babylonians called Subarians. According to tradition, they came from the north and moved into Uruk in the south. By about 3100 B.C., they were apparently subjugated in southern Mesopotamia by the Sumerians, whose name became synonymous with the region immediately north of the Persian Gulf, in the fertile lower valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates. Here the Sumerians were already well established by the year 3000 B.C. They had invented bronze, an alloy that could be cast in molds, out of which they made tools and weapons. They lived in cities, and they had begun to acquire and use capital. Perhaps most important, the Sumerians adapted writing (probably from the Subarians) into a flexible tool of communication.\nArchaeologists have known about the Sumerians for over 150 years. Archaeologists working at Nineveh in northern Mesopotamia in the mid-nineteenth century found many inscribed clay tablets. Some they could decipher because the language was a Semitic one (Akkadian), on which scholars had already been working for a generation. But other tablets were inscribed in another language that was not Semitic and previously unknown. Because these inscriptions made reference to the king of Sumer and Akkad, a scholar suggested that the new language be called Sumerian.\nBut it was not until the 1890's that archaeologists excavating in city-states well to the south of Nineveh found many thousands of tablets inscribed in Sumerian only. Because the Akkadians thought of Sumerian as a classical language (as ancient Greek and Latin are considered today), they taught it to educated persons and they inscribed vocabulary, translation exercises, and other study aids on tablets. Working from known Akkadian to previously unknown Sumerian, scholars since the 1890's have learned how to read the Sumerian language moderately well. Vast quantities of tablets in Sumerian have been unearthed during the intervening years from numerous sites.","id":"378.txt","label":0} +{"option":["They had abandoned the area north of the Persian Gulf.","They had established themselves in cities.","They had started to communicate through","They had created bronze tools and weapons."],"question":"According to the passage , by the year 3000 B.C. the Sumerians had already done all of the following EXCEPT:","article":"Archaeological discoveries have led some scholars to believe that the first Mesopotamian inventors of writing may have been a people the later Babylonians called Subarians. According to tradition, they came from the north and moved into Uruk in the south. By about 3100 B.C., they were apparently subjugated in southern Mesopotamia by the Sumerians, whose name became synonymous with the region immediately north of the Persian Gulf, in the fertile lower valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates. Here the Sumerians were already well established by the year 3000 B.C. They had invented bronze, an alloy that could be cast in molds, out of which they made tools and weapons. They lived in cities, and they had begun to acquire and use capital. Perhaps most important, the Sumerians adapted writing (probably from the Subarians) into a flexible tool of communication.\nArchaeologists have known about the Sumerians for over 150 years. Archaeologists working at Nineveh in northern Mesopotamia in the mid-nineteenth century found many inscribed clay tablets. Some they could decipher because the language was a Semitic one (Akkadian), on which scholars had already been working for a generation. But other tablets were inscribed in another language that was not Semitic and previously unknown. Because these inscriptions made reference to the king of Sumer and Akkad, a scholar suggested that the new language be called Sumerian.\nBut it was not until the 1890's that archaeologists excavating in city-states well to the south of Nineveh found many thousands of tablets inscribed in Sumerian only. Because the Akkadians thought of Sumerian as a classical language (as ancient Greek and Latin are considered today), they taught it to educated persons and they inscribed vocabulary, translation exercises, and other study aids on tablets. Working from known Akkadian to previously unknown Sumerian, scholars since the 1890's have learned how to read the Sumerian language moderately well. Vast quantities of tablets in Sumerian have been unearthed during the intervening years from numerous sites.","id":"378.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Archaeologists","Sumerians","years","clay tablets"],"question":"The word \"some\" in line 14 refers to","article":"Archaeological discoveries have led some scholars to believe that the first Mesopotamian inventors of writing may have been a people the later Babylonians called Subarians. According to tradition, they came from the north and moved into Uruk in the south. By about 3100 B.C., they were apparently subjugated in southern Mesopotamia by the Sumerians, whose name became synonymous with the region immediately north of the Persian Gulf, in the fertile lower valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates. Here the Sumerians were already well established by the year 3000 B.C. They had invented bronze, an alloy that could be cast in molds, out of which they made tools and weapons. They lived in cities, and they had begun to acquire and use capital. Perhaps most important, the Sumerians adapted writing (probably from the Subarians) into a flexible tool of communication.\nArchaeologists have known about the Sumerians for over 150 years. Archaeologists working at Nineveh in northern Mesopotamia in the mid-nineteenth century found many inscribed clay tablets. Some they could decipher because the language was a Semitic one (Akkadian), on which scholars had already been working for a generation. But other tablets were inscribed in another language that was not Semitic and previously unknown. Because these inscriptions made reference to the king of Sumer and Akkad, a scholar suggested that the new language be called Sumerian.\nBut it was not until the 1890's that archaeologists excavating in city-states well to the south of Nineveh found many thousands of tablets inscribed in Sumerian only. Because the Akkadians thought of Sumerian as a classical language (as ancient Greek and Latin are considered today), they taught it to educated persons and they inscribed vocabulary, translation exercises, and other study aids on tablets. Working from known Akkadian to previously unknown Sumerian, scholars since the 1890's have learned how to read the Sumerian language moderately well. Vast quantities of tablets in Sumerian have been unearthed during the intervening years from numerous sites.","id":"378.txt","label":3} +{"option":["They were descendants of the Persians.","They were the first people to cultivate the valley of the Tigris.","They were accomplished musicians.","They had the beginnings of an economy."],"question":"Which of the following can be inferred from the passage concerning the Sumerians?","article":"Archaeological discoveries have led some scholars to believe that the first Mesopotamian inventors of writing may have been a people the later Babylonians called Subarians. According to tradition, they came from the north and moved into Uruk in the south. By about 3100 B.C., they were apparently subjugated in southern Mesopotamia by the Sumerians, whose name became synonymous with the region immediately north of the Persian Gulf, in the fertile lower valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates. Here the Sumerians were already well established by the year 3000 B.C. They had invented bronze, an alloy that could be cast in molds, out of which they made tools and weapons. They lived in cities, and they had begun to acquire and use capital. Perhaps most important, the Sumerians adapted writing (probably from the Subarians) into a flexible tool of communication.\nArchaeologists have known about the Sumerians for over 150 years. Archaeologists working at Nineveh in northern Mesopotamia in the mid-nineteenth century found many inscribed clay tablets. Some they could decipher because the language was a Semitic one (Akkadian), on which scholars had already been working for a generation. But other tablets were inscribed in another language that was not Semitic and previously unknown. Because these inscriptions made reference to the king of Sumer and Akkad, a scholar suggested that the new language be called Sumerian.\nBut it was not until the 1890's that archaeologists excavating in city-states well to the south of Nineveh found many thousands of tablets inscribed in Sumerian only. Because the Akkadians thought of Sumerian as a classical language (as ancient Greek and Latin are considered today), they taught it to educated persons and they inscribed vocabulary, translation exercises, and other study aids on tablets. Working from known Akkadian to previously unknown Sumerian, scholars since the 1890's have learned how to read the Sumerian language moderately well. Vast quantities of tablets in Sumerian have been unearthed during the intervening years from numerous sites.","id":"378.txt","label":3} +{"option":["in the early nineteenth century","more than 150 years ago","after the 1890's","in the mid-eighteenth century"],"question":"According to the passage , when did archaeologists begin to be able to understand tablets inscribed in Sumerian?","article":"Archaeological discoveries have led some scholars to believe that the first Mesopotamian inventors of writing may have been a people the later Babylonians called Subarians. According to tradition, they came from the north and moved into Uruk in the south. By about 3100 B.C., they were apparently subjugated in southern Mesopotamia by the Sumerians, whose name became synonymous with the region immediately north of the Persian Gulf, in the fertile lower valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates. Here the Sumerians were already well established by the year 3000 B.C. They had invented bronze, an alloy that could be cast in molds, out of which they made tools and weapons. They lived in cities, and they had begun to acquire and use capital. Perhaps most important, the Sumerians adapted writing (probably from the Subarians) into a flexible tool of communication.\nArchaeologists have known about the Sumerians for over 150 years. Archaeologists working at Nineveh in northern Mesopotamia in the mid-nineteenth century found many inscribed clay tablets. Some they could decipher because the language was a Semitic one (Akkadian), on which scholars had already been working for a generation. But other tablets were inscribed in another language that was not Semitic and previously unknown. Because these inscriptions made reference to the king of Sumer and Akkad, a scholar suggested that the new language be called Sumerian.\nBut it was not until the 1890's that archaeologists excavating in city-states well to the south of Nineveh found many thousands of tablets inscribed in Sumerian only. Because the Akkadians thought of Sumerian as a classical language (as ancient Greek and Latin are considered today), they taught it to educated persons and they inscribed vocabulary, translation exercises, and other study aids on tablets. Working from known Akkadian to previously unknown Sumerian, scholars since the 1890's have learned how to read the Sumerian language moderately well. Vast quantities of tablets in Sumerian have been unearthed during the intervening years from numerous sites.","id":"378.txt","label":2} +{"option":["It was invented in Mesopotamia.","It became well established around 3000 B.C.","It became a classical language.","It was used exclusively for business transactions."],"question":"According to the passage , in what way did the Sumerian language resemble ancient Greek and Latin?","article":"Archaeological discoveries have led some scholars to believe that the first Mesopotamian inventors of writing may have been a people the later Babylonians called Subarians. According to tradition, they came from the north and moved into Uruk in the south. By about 3100 B.C., they were apparently subjugated in southern Mesopotamia by the Sumerians, whose name became synonymous with the region immediately north of the Persian Gulf, in the fertile lower valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates. Here the Sumerians were already well established by the year 3000 B.C. They had invented bronze, an alloy that could be cast in molds, out of which they made tools and weapons. They lived in cities, and they had begun to acquire and use capital. Perhaps most important, the Sumerians adapted writing (probably from the Subarians) into a flexible tool of communication.\nArchaeologists have known about the Sumerians for over 150 years. Archaeologists working at Nineveh in northern Mesopotamia in the mid-nineteenth century found many inscribed clay tablets. Some they could decipher because the language was a Semitic one (Akkadian), on which scholars had already been working for a generation. But other tablets were inscribed in another language that was not Semitic and previously unknown. Because these inscriptions made reference to the king of Sumer and Akkad, a scholar suggested that the new language be called Sumerian.\nBut it was not until the 1890's that archaeologists excavating in city-states well to the south of Nineveh found many thousands of tablets inscribed in Sumerian only. Because the Akkadians thought of Sumerian as a classical language (as ancient Greek and Latin are considered today), they taught it to educated persons and they inscribed vocabulary, translation exercises, and other study aids on tablets. Working from known Akkadian to previously unknown Sumerian, scholars since the 1890's have learned how to read the Sumerian language moderately well. Vast quantities of tablets in Sumerian have been unearthed during the intervening years from numerous sites.","id":"378.txt","label":2} +{"option":["living","digging","assembling","building"],"question":"The word \"excavating\" in line 19 is closest in meaning to","article":"Archaeological discoveries have led some scholars to believe that the first Mesopotamian inventors of writing may have been a people the later Babylonians called Subarians. According to tradition, they came from the north and moved into Uruk in the south. By about 3100 B.C., they were apparently subjugated in southern Mesopotamia by the Sumerians, whose name became synonymous with the region immediately north of the Persian Gulf, in the fertile lower valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates. Here the Sumerians were already well established by the year 3000 B.C. They had invented bronze, an alloy that could be cast in molds, out of which they made tools and weapons. They lived in cities, and they had begun to acquire and use capital. Perhaps most important, the Sumerians adapted writing (probably from the Subarians) into a flexible tool of communication.\nArchaeologists have known about the Sumerians for over 150 years. Archaeologists working at Nineveh in northern Mesopotamia in the mid-nineteenth century found many inscribed clay tablets. Some they could decipher because the language was a Semitic one (Akkadian), on which scholars had already been working for a generation. But other tablets were inscribed in another language that was not Semitic and previously unknown. Because these inscriptions made reference to the king of Sumer and Akkad, a scholar suggested that the new language be called Sumerian.\nBut it was not until the 1890's that archaeologists excavating in city-states well to the south of Nineveh found many thousands of tablets inscribed in Sumerian only. Because the Akkadians thought of Sumerian as a classical language (as ancient Greek and Latin are considered today), they taught it to educated persons and they inscribed vocabulary, translation exercises, and other study aids on tablets. Working from known Akkadian to previously unknown Sumerian, scholars since the 1890's have learned how to read the Sumerian language moderately well. Vast quantities of tablets in Sumerian have been unearthed during the intervening years from numerous sites.","id":"378.txt","label":1} +{"option":["by translating the work of the Subarians","by using their knowledge of spoken Semitic languages","by comparing Sumerian to other classical languages","by using their knowledge of Akkadian"],"question":"According to the passage , how did archaeologists learn to read the Sumerian language?","article":"Archaeological discoveries have led some scholars to believe that the first Mesopotamian inventors of writing may have been a people the later Babylonians called Subarians. According to tradition, they came from the north and moved into Uruk in the south. By about 3100 B.C., they were apparently subjugated in southern Mesopotamia by the Sumerians, whose name became synonymous with the region immediately north of the Persian Gulf, in the fertile lower valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates. Here the Sumerians were already well established by the year 3000 B.C. They had invented bronze, an alloy that could be cast in molds, out of which they made tools and weapons. They lived in cities, and they had begun to acquire and use capital. Perhaps most important, the Sumerians adapted writing (probably from the Subarians) into a flexible tool of communication.\nArchaeologists have known about the Sumerians for over 150 years. Archaeologists working at Nineveh in northern Mesopotamia in the mid-nineteenth century found many inscribed clay tablets. Some they could decipher because the language was a Semitic one (Akkadian), on which scholars had already been working for a generation. But other tablets were inscribed in another language that was not Semitic and previously unknown. Because these inscriptions made reference to the king of Sumer and Akkad, a scholar suggested that the new language be called Sumerian.\nBut it was not until the 1890's that archaeologists excavating in city-states well to the south of Nineveh found many thousands of tablets inscribed in Sumerian only. Because the Akkadians thought of Sumerian as a classical language (as ancient Greek and Latin are considered today), they taught it to educated persons and they inscribed vocabulary, translation exercises, and other study aids on tablets. Working from known Akkadian to previously unknown Sumerian, scholars since the 1890's have learned how to read the Sumerian language moderately well. Vast quantities of tablets in Sumerian have been unearthed during the intervening years from numerous sites.","id":"378.txt","label":3} +{"option":["The differences between government and newspaper weather forecasting in the United States.","The history of publishing weather maps in United States newspapers","A comparison of regional and national weather reporting in the United States.","Information that forms the basis for weather forecasting in the United States"],"question":"What does the passage mainly discuss?","article":"Newspaper publishers in the United States have long been enthusiastic users and distributors of weather maps. Although some newspapers that had carried the United States Weather Bureau's national weather map in 1912 dropped it once the novelty had passed, many continued to print the daily weather chart provided by their local forecasting office. In the 1930's, when interest in aviation and progress in air-mass analysis made weather patterns more newsworthy, additional newspapers started or resumed the daily weather map. In 1935, The Associated Press (AP) news service inaugurated its WirePhoto network and offered subscribing newspapers morning and afternoon weather maps redrafted by the AP's Washington, B.C., office from charts provided by the government agency. Another news service, United Press International (UPI), developed a competing Photowire network and also provided timely weather maps for both morning and afternoon newspapers. After the United States government launched a series of weather satellites in 1966, both the AP and UPI offered cloud-cover photos obtained from the Weather Bureau.\nIn the late 1970's and early 1980's, the weather map became an essential ingredient in the redesign of the American newspaper. News publishers, threatened by increased competition from television for readers' attention, sought to package the news more conveniently and attractively. In 1982, many publishers felt threatened by the new USA Today, a national daily newspaper that used a page-wide, full-color weather map as its key design element. That the weather map in USA Today did not include information about weather fronts and pressures attests to the largely symbolic role it played. Nonetheless, competing local and metropolitan newspapers responded in a variety of ways. Most substituted full-color temperature maps for the standard weather maps, while others dropped the comparatively drab satellite photos or added regional forecast maps with pictorial symbols to indicate rainy, snowy, cloudy, or clear conditions. A few newspapers, notably The New York Times, adopted a highly informative yet less visually prominent weather map that was specially designed to explain an important recent or imminent weather event. Ironically, a newspaper's richest, most instructive weather maps often are comparatively small and inconspicuous.","id":"369.txt","label":1} +{"option":["began again","held back","thought over","referred to"],"question":"The word \"resumed\" in line 7 is closest in meaning to","article":"Newspaper publishers in the United States have long been enthusiastic users and distributors of weather maps. Although some newspapers that had carried the United States Weather Bureau's national weather map in 1912 dropped it once the novelty had passed, many continued to print the daily weather chart provided by their local forecasting office. In the 1930's, when interest in aviation and progress in air-mass analysis made weather patterns more newsworthy, additional newspapers started or resumed the daily weather map. In 1935, The Associated Press (AP) news service inaugurated its WirePhoto network and offered subscribing newspapers morning and afternoon weather maps redrafted by the AP's Washington, B.C., office from charts provided by the government agency. Another news service, United Press International (UPI), developed a competing Photowire network and also provided timely weather maps for both morning and afternoon newspapers. After the United States government launched a series of weather satellites in 1966, both the AP and UPI offered cloud-cover photos obtained from the Weather Bureau.\nIn the late 1970's and early 1980's, the weather map became an essential ingredient in the redesign of the American newspaper. News publishers, threatened by increased competition from television for readers' attention, sought to package the news more conveniently and attractively. In 1982, many publishers felt threatened by the new USA Today, a national daily newspaper that used a page-wide, full-color weather map as its key design element. That the weather map in USA Today did not include information about weather fronts and pressures attests to the largely symbolic role it played. Nonetheless, competing local and metropolitan newspapers responded in a variety of ways. Most substituted full-color temperature maps for the standard weather maps, while others dropped the comparatively drab satellite photos or added regional forecast maps with pictorial symbols to indicate rainy, snowy, cloudy, or clear conditions. A few newspapers, notably The New York Times, adopted a highly informative yet less visually prominent weather map that was specially designed to explain an important recent or imminent weather event. Ironically, a newspaper's richest, most instructive weather maps often are comparatively small and inconspicuous.","id":"369.txt","label":0} +{"option":["the progress in printing technology","a growing interest in air transportation","a change in atmospheric conditions","the improvement of weather forecasting techniques"],"question":"According to the passage , one important reason why newspapers printed daily weather maps during the first half of the twentieth century was","article":"Newspaper publishers in the United States have long been enthusiastic users and distributors of weather maps. Although some newspapers that had carried the United States Weather Bureau's national weather map in 1912 dropped it once the novelty had passed, many continued to print the daily weather chart provided by their local forecasting office. In the 1930's, when interest in aviation and progress in air-mass analysis made weather patterns more newsworthy, additional newspapers started or resumed the daily weather map. In 1935, The Associated Press (AP) news service inaugurated its WirePhoto network and offered subscribing newspapers morning and afternoon weather maps redrafted by the AP's Washington, B.C., office from charts provided by the government agency. Another news service, United Press International (UPI), developed a competing Photowire network and also provided timely weather maps for both morning and afternoon newspapers. After the United States government launched a series of weather satellites in 1966, both the AP and UPI offered cloud-cover photos obtained from the Weather Bureau.\nIn the late 1970's and early 1980's, the weather map became an essential ingredient in the redesign of the American newspaper. News publishers, threatened by increased competition from television for readers' attention, sought to package the news more conveniently and attractively. In 1982, many publishers felt threatened by the new USA Today, a national daily newspaper that used a page-wide, full-color weather map as its key design element. That the weather map in USA Today did not include information about weather fronts and pressures attests to the largely symbolic role it played. Nonetheless, competing local and metropolitan newspapers responded in a variety of ways. Most substituted full-color temperature maps for the standard weather maps, while others dropped the comparatively drab satellite photos or added regional forecast maps with pictorial symbols to indicate rainy, snowy, cloudy, or clear conditions. A few newspapers, notably The New York Times, adopted a highly informative yet less visually prominent weather map that was specially designed to explain an important recent or imminent weather event. Ironically, a newspaper's richest, most instructive weather maps often are comparatively small and inconspicuous.","id":"369.txt","label":1} +{"option":["A new system of weather forecasting","An air-mass analysis","Twice daily weather maps","Cloud-cover photographs"],"question":"What regular service did The Associated Press and United Press International begin to offer subscribing newspapers in the 1930's?","article":"Newspaper publishers in the United States have long been enthusiastic users and distributors of weather maps. Although some newspapers that had carried the United States Weather Bureau's national weather map in 1912 dropped it once the novelty had passed, many continued to print the daily weather chart provided by their local forecasting office. In the 1930's, when interest in aviation and progress in air-mass analysis made weather patterns more newsworthy, additional newspapers started or resumed the daily weather map. In 1935, The Associated Press (AP) news service inaugurated its WirePhoto network and offered subscribing newspapers morning and afternoon weather maps redrafted by the AP's Washington, B.C., office from charts provided by the government agency. Another news service, United Press International (UPI), developed a competing Photowire network and also provided timely weather maps for both morning and afternoon newspapers. After the United States government launched a series of weather satellites in 1966, both the AP and UPI offered cloud-cover photos obtained from the Weather Bureau.\nIn the late 1970's and early 1980's, the weather map became an essential ingredient in the redesign of the American newspaper. News publishers, threatened by increased competition from television for readers' attention, sought to package the news more conveniently and attractively. In 1982, many publishers felt threatened by the new USA Today, a national daily newspaper that used a page-wide, full-color weather map as its key design element. That the weather map in USA Today did not include information about weather fronts and pressures attests to the largely symbolic role it played. Nonetheless, competing local and metropolitan newspapers responded in a variety of ways. Most substituted full-color temperature maps for the standard weather maps, while others dropped the comparatively drab satellite photos or added regional forecast maps with pictorial symbols to indicate rainy, snowy, cloudy, or clear conditions. A few newspapers, notably The New York Times, adopted a highly informative yet less visually prominent weather map that was specially designed to explain an important recent or imminent weather event. Ironically, a newspaper's richest, most instructive weather maps often are comparatively small and inconspicuous.","id":"369.txt","label":2} +{"option":["makes up for","combines with","interferes with","gives evidence of"],"question":"The phrase \"attests to\" in line 21 is closest in meaning to","article":"Newspaper publishers in the United States have long been enthusiastic users and distributors of weather maps. Although some newspapers that had carried the United States Weather Bureau's national weather map in 1912 dropped it once the novelty had passed, many continued to print the daily weather chart provided by their local forecasting office. In the 1930's, when interest in aviation and progress in air-mass analysis made weather patterns more newsworthy, additional newspapers started or resumed the daily weather map. In 1935, The Associated Press (AP) news service inaugurated its WirePhoto network and offered subscribing newspapers morning and afternoon weather maps redrafted by the AP's Washington, B.C., office from charts provided by the government agency. Another news service, United Press International (UPI), developed a competing Photowire network and also provided timely weather maps for both morning and afternoon newspapers. After the United States government launched a series of weather satellites in 1966, both the AP and UPI offered cloud-cover photos obtained from the Weather Bureau.\nIn the late 1970's and early 1980's, the weather map became an essential ingredient in the redesign of the American newspaper. News publishers, threatened by increased competition from television for readers' attention, sought to package the news more conveniently and attractively. In 1982, many publishers felt threatened by the new USA Today, a national daily newspaper that used a page-wide, full-color weather map as its key design element. That the weather map in USA Today did not include information about weather fronts and pressures attests to the largely symbolic role it played. Nonetheless, competing local and metropolitan newspapers responded in a variety of ways. Most substituted full-color temperature maps for the standard weather maps, while others dropped the comparatively drab satellite photos or added regional forecast maps with pictorial symbols to indicate rainy, snowy, cloudy, or clear conditions. A few newspapers, notably The New York Times, adopted a highly informative yet less visually prominent weather map that was specially designed to explain an important recent or imminent weather event. Ironically, a newspaper's richest, most instructive weather maps often are comparatively small and inconspicuous.","id":"369.txt","label":3} +{"option":["newspapers","ways","temperature maps","weather maps"],"question":"The word \"others\" in line 24 refers to","article":"Newspaper publishers in the United States have long been enthusiastic users and distributors of weather maps. Although some newspapers that had carried the United States Weather Bureau's national weather map in 1912 dropped it once the novelty had passed, many continued to print the daily weather chart provided by their local forecasting office. In the 1930's, when interest in aviation and progress in air-mass analysis made weather patterns more newsworthy, additional newspapers started or resumed the daily weather map. In 1935, The Associated Press (AP) news service inaugurated its WirePhoto network and offered subscribing newspapers morning and afternoon weather maps redrafted by the AP's Washington, B.C., office from charts provided by the government agency. Another news service, United Press International (UPI), developed a competing Photowire network and also provided timely weather maps for both morning and afternoon newspapers. After the United States government launched a series of weather satellites in 1966, both the AP and UPI offered cloud-cover photos obtained from the Weather Bureau.\nIn the late 1970's and early 1980's, the weather map became an essential ingredient in the redesign of the American newspaper. News publishers, threatened by increased competition from television for readers' attention, sought to package the news more conveniently and attractively. In 1982, many publishers felt threatened by the new USA Today, a national daily newspaper that used a page-wide, full-color weather map as its key design element. That the weather map in USA Today did not include information about weather fronts and pressures attests to the largely symbolic role it played. Nonetheless, competing local and metropolitan newspapers responded in a variety of ways. Most substituted full-color temperature maps for the standard weather maps, while others dropped the comparatively drab satellite photos or added regional forecast maps with pictorial symbols to indicate rainy, snowy, cloudy, or clear conditions. A few newspapers, notably The New York Times, adopted a highly informative yet less visually prominent weather map that was specially designed to explain an important recent or imminent weather event. Ironically, a newspaper's richest, most instructive weather maps often are comparatively small and inconspicuous.","id":"369.txt","label":0} +{"option":["precise","poor","simple","dull"],"question":"The word \"drab\" in line 24 is closest in meaning to","article":"Newspaper publishers in the United States have long been enthusiastic users and distributors of weather maps. Although some newspapers that had carried the United States Weather Bureau's national weather map in 1912 dropped it once the novelty had passed, many continued to print the daily weather chart provided by their local forecasting office. In the 1930's, when interest in aviation and progress in air-mass analysis made weather patterns more newsworthy, additional newspapers started or resumed the daily weather map. In 1935, The Associated Press (AP) news service inaugurated its WirePhoto network and offered subscribing newspapers morning and afternoon weather maps redrafted by the AP's Washington, B.C., office from charts provided by the government agency. Another news service, United Press International (UPI), developed a competing Photowire network and also provided timely weather maps for both morning and afternoon newspapers. After the United States government launched a series of weather satellites in 1966, both the AP and UPI offered cloud-cover photos obtained from the Weather Bureau.\nIn the late 1970's and early 1980's, the weather map became an essential ingredient in the redesign of the American newspaper. News publishers, threatened by increased competition from television for readers' attention, sought to package the news more conveniently and attractively. In 1982, many publishers felt threatened by the new USA Today, a national daily newspaper that used a page-wide, full-color weather map as its key design element. That the weather map in USA Today did not include information about weather fronts and pressures attests to the largely symbolic role it played. Nonetheless, competing local and metropolitan newspapers responded in a variety of ways. Most substituted full-color temperature maps for the standard weather maps, while others dropped the comparatively drab satellite photos or added regional forecast maps with pictorial symbols to indicate rainy, snowy, cloudy, or clear conditions. A few newspapers, notably The New York Times, adopted a highly informative yet less visually prominent weather map that was specially designed to explain an important recent or imminent weather event. Ironically, a newspaper's richest, most instructive weather maps often are comparatively small and inconspicuous.","id":"369.txt","label":3} +{"option":["printed in foil color","included for symbolic reasons","easily understood by the readers","filled with detailed information"],"question":"In contrast to the weather maps of USA Today, weather maps in The New York Times tended to be","article":"Newspaper publishers in the United States have long been enthusiastic users and distributors of weather maps. Although some newspapers that had carried the United States Weather Bureau's national weather map in 1912 dropped it once the novelty had passed, many continued to print the daily weather chart provided by their local forecasting office. In the 1930's, when interest in aviation and progress in air-mass analysis made weather patterns more newsworthy, additional newspapers started or resumed the daily weather map. In 1935, The Associated Press (AP) news service inaugurated its WirePhoto network and offered subscribing newspapers morning and afternoon weather maps redrafted by the AP's Washington, B.C., office from charts provided by the government agency. Another news service, United Press International (UPI), developed a competing Photowire network and also provided timely weather maps for both morning and afternoon newspapers. After the United States government launched a series of weather satellites in 1966, both the AP and UPI offered cloud-cover photos obtained from the Weather Bureau.\nIn the late 1970's and early 1980's, the weather map became an essential ingredient in the redesign of the American newspaper. News publishers, threatened by increased competition from television for readers' attention, sought to package the news more conveniently and attractively. In 1982, many publishers felt threatened by the new USA Today, a national daily newspaper that used a page-wide, full-color weather map as its key design element. That the weather map in USA Today did not include information about weather fronts and pressures attests to the largely symbolic role it played. Nonetheless, competing local and metropolitan newspapers responded in a variety of ways. Most substituted full-color temperature maps for the standard weather maps, while others dropped the comparatively drab satellite photos or added regional forecast maps with pictorial symbols to indicate rainy, snowy, cloudy, or clear conditions. A few newspapers, notably The New York Times, adopted a highly informative yet less visually prominent weather map that was specially designed to explain an important recent or imminent weather event. Ironically, a newspaper's richest, most instructive weather maps often are comparatively small and inconspicuous.","id":"369.txt","label":3} +{"option":["complex","noticeable","appealing","perfect"],"question":"The word \"prominent\" in line 27 is closest in meaning to","article":"Newspaper publishers in the United States have long been enthusiastic users and distributors of weather maps. Although some newspapers that had carried the United States Weather Bureau's national weather map in 1912 dropped it once the novelty had passed, many continued to print the daily weather chart provided by their local forecasting office. In the 1930's, when interest in aviation and progress in air-mass analysis made weather patterns more newsworthy, additional newspapers started or resumed the daily weather map. In 1935, The Associated Press (AP) news service inaugurated its WirePhoto network and offered subscribing newspapers morning and afternoon weather maps redrafted by the AP's Washington, B.C., office from charts provided by the government agency. Another news service, United Press International (UPI), developed a competing Photowire network and also provided timely weather maps for both morning and afternoon newspapers. After the United States government launched a series of weather satellites in 1966, both the AP and UPI offered cloud-cover photos obtained from the Weather Bureau.\nIn the late 1970's and early 1980's, the weather map became an essential ingredient in the redesign of the American newspaper. News publishers, threatened by increased competition from television for readers' attention, sought to package the news more conveniently and attractively. In 1982, many publishers felt threatened by the new USA Today, a national daily newspaper that used a page-wide, full-color weather map as its key design element. That the weather map in USA Today did not include information about weather fronts and pressures attests to the largely symbolic role it played. Nonetheless, competing local and metropolitan newspapers responded in a variety of ways. Most substituted full-color temperature maps for the standard weather maps, while others dropped the comparatively drab satellite photos or added regional forecast maps with pictorial symbols to indicate rainy, snowy, cloudy, or clear conditions. A few newspapers, notably The New York Times, adopted a highly informative yet less visually prominent weather map that was specially designed to explain an important recent or imminent weather event. Ironically, a newspaper's richest, most instructive weather maps often are comparatively small and inconspicuous.","id":"369.txt","label":1} +{"option":["is not important to newspaper publishers","does not always indicate how much information it provides","reflects how informative a newspaper can be","often can improve newspaper sales"],"question":"The author uses the term \"Ironically\" in line 28 to indicate that a weather map's appearance","article":"Newspaper publishers in the United States have long been enthusiastic users and distributors of weather maps. Although some newspapers that had carried the United States Weather Bureau's national weather map in 1912 dropped it once the novelty had passed, many continued to print the daily weather chart provided by their local forecasting office. In the 1930's, when interest in aviation and progress in air-mass analysis made weather patterns more newsworthy, additional newspapers started or resumed the daily weather map. In 1935, The Associated Press (AP) news service inaugurated its WirePhoto network and offered subscribing newspapers morning and afternoon weather maps redrafted by the AP's Washington, B.C., office from charts provided by the government agency. Another news service, United Press International (UPI), developed a competing Photowire network and also provided timely weather maps for both morning and afternoon newspapers. After the United States government launched a series of weather satellites in 1966, both the AP and UPI offered cloud-cover photos obtained from the Weather Bureau.\nIn the late 1970's and early 1980's, the weather map became an essential ingredient in the redesign of the American newspaper. News publishers, threatened by increased competition from television for readers' attention, sought to package the news more conveniently and attractively. In 1982, many publishers felt threatened by the new USA Today, a national daily newspaper that used a page-wide, full-color weather map as its key design element. That the weather map in USA Today did not include information about weather fronts and pressures attests to the largely symbolic role it played. Nonetheless, competing local and metropolitan newspapers responded in a variety of ways. Most substituted full-color temperature maps for the standard weather maps, while others dropped the comparatively drab satellite photos or added regional forecast maps with pictorial symbols to indicate rainy, snowy, cloudy, or clear conditions. A few newspapers, notably The New York Times, adopted a highly informative yet less visually prominent weather map that was specially designed to explain an important recent or imminent weather event. Ironically, a newspaper's richest, most instructive weather maps often are comparatively small and inconspicuous.","id":"369.txt","label":1} +{"option":["left Chuck for ever.","broke previous their promises of maintaining confidentiality.","talk about what they know about Chuck.","felt surprised and then disappointed about Chuck."],"question":"When Chuck decide to co-operate with Conor O'clery on this book, many of the people in his life _","article":"For most of his life Chuck Feeney has guarded his privacy obsessively. When he became a philanthropist, his gifts came on condition that his name never appeared on any press release or plaque; all donations would cease if confidentiality was breached. But when he decided to co-operate with Conor O'Clery on this book, many of the people in his life, released from their Trappist vows, let themselves go. The result is gripping.\nAn Irish-American, born in New Jersey in 1931, Mr Feeney made a fortune by co-founding Duty Free Shoppers (DFS) which first sold tax-exempt goods to American soldiers abroad and then tapped into the rise of mass tourism. When DFS was sold in 1997, it had delivered nearly $8 billion to its four main shareholders, of which Mr Feeney was the joint biggest, with 38.75% .\nTax avoidance is the flip side to Mr Feeney's philanthropic coin. He is addicted to it. \"Chuck hates taxes. He believes people can do more with money than governments can,\" says a friend. In 1964 a young New York lawyer, Harvey Dale, told Mr Feeney that changes in the tax laws threatened his business, which was running risks that could put the founders in jail. On his advice, Mr Feeney and his co-founder, Robert Miller, transferred ownership to their foreign-born wives, from France and Ecuador, respectively. In 1974, through a deal with the American government, the firm turned the Pacific island of Saipan into a tax haven. Then, in 1978, Mr Feeney grouped his various investments, including his shares of DFS, in a holding company, General Atlantic Group Limited, in tax-free Bermuda. To escape the American taxman, everything was still registered in his wife's name.\nMr Feeney carefully shunned all outward evidence of wealth. But as soon as DFS became reliably profitable, he started the practice of giving 5% of his pre-tax profits to good causes. In 1982 he created a foundation, the Atlantic Philanthropies, based in Bermuda. Two years later he signed over his fortune to the foundation, except for sums set aside for his wife and children. His net worth fell below $5m. When he broke the news to his children, he gave them each a copy of Andrew Carnegie's essay on wealth, written in 1889.\nMr Feeney has given his alma mater, Cornell University, more than $600m, dwarfing all other donations from a single alumnus to an American university. He has contributed hundreds of millions of dollars towards higher education in Ireland, South Africa and Australia. He has helped with health care in Vietnam. In 2004 he went to Cuba, where he met Fidel Castro, who seemed only too happy to accept his capitalist-tax-avoided dollars. But it was his support for the Irish peace process that caused the most controversy, including accusations (without foundation, it turned out) that he had financed the IRA.\nMr Feeney is committed to giving away all the money in his foundation by a fixed date-thought to be in about ten years-but his investment prowess makes this difficult. Currently, Atlantic Philanthropies is worth $4 billion (up from $3.5 billion in 2001) even though, over its lifetime, it has given away about $4 billion in increasing amounts. The trouble for Mr Feeney is that the foundation's assets are growing as fast as he tries to get rid of them.","id":"3447.txt","label":2} +{"option":["he wanted to make more money.","he wanted to give more money to good causes.","he thought the government was corrupted.","he thought people could manage the society with their own money by themselves."],"question":"Mr Feeney was dedicated to avoiding tax because _","article":"For most of his life Chuck Feeney has guarded his privacy obsessively. When he became a philanthropist, his gifts came on condition that his name never appeared on any press release or plaque; all donations would cease if confidentiality was breached. But when he decided to co-operate with Conor O'Clery on this book, many of the people in his life, released from their Trappist vows, let themselves go. The result is gripping.\nAn Irish-American, born in New Jersey in 1931, Mr Feeney made a fortune by co-founding Duty Free Shoppers (DFS) which first sold tax-exempt goods to American soldiers abroad and then tapped into the rise of mass tourism. When DFS was sold in 1997, it had delivered nearly $8 billion to its four main shareholders, of which Mr Feeney was the joint biggest, with 38.75% .\nTax avoidance is the flip side to Mr Feeney's philanthropic coin. He is addicted to it. \"Chuck hates taxes. He believes people can do more with money than governments can,\" says a friend. In 1964 a young New York lawyer, Harvey Dale, told Mr Feeney that changes in the tax laws threatened his business, which was running risks that could put the founders in jail. On his advice, Mr Feeney and his co-founder, Robert Miller, transferred ownership to their foreign-born wives, from France and Ecuador, respectively. In 1974, through a deal with the American government, the firm turned the Pacific island of Saipan into a tax haven. Then, in 1978, Mr Feeney grouped his various investments, including his shares of DFS, in a holding company, General Atlantic Group Limited, in tax-free Bermuda. To escape the American taxman, everything was still registered in his wife's name.\nMr Feeney carefully shunned all outward evidence of wealth. But as soon as DFS became reliably profitable, he started the practice of giving 5% of his pre-tax profits to good causes. In 1982 he created a foundation, the Atlantic Philanthropies, based in Bermuda. Two years later he signed over his fortune to the foundation, except for sums set aside for his wife and children. His net worth fell below $5m. When he broke the news to his children, he gave them each a copy of Andrew Carnegie's essay on wealth, written in 1889.\nMr Feeney has given his alma mater, Cornell University, more than $600m, dwarfing all other donations from a single alumnus to an American university. He has contributed hundreds of millions of dollars towards higher education in Ireland, South Africa and Australia. He has helped with health care in Vietnam. In 2004 he went to Cuba, where he met Fidel Castro, who seemed only too happy to accept his capitalist-tax-avoided dollars. But it was his support for the Irish peace process that caused the most controversy, including accusations (without foundation, it turned out) that he had financed the IRA.\nMr Feeney is committed to giving away all the money in his foundation by a fixed date-thought to be in about ten years-but his investment prowess makes this difficult. Currently, Atlantic Philanthropies is worth $4 billion (up from $3.5 billion in 2001) even though, over its lifetime, it has given away about $4 billion in increasing amounts. The trouble for Mr Feeney is that the foundation's assets are growing as fast as he tries to get rid of them.","id":"3447.txt","label":3} +{"option":["made favorable tax policy for Mr. Feeney's firm","established a branch of DFS.","became a tax-free place","became a heaven for tax-free business"],"question":"Pacific island of Saipan _ through a deal with the American government in 1974.","article":"For most of his life Chuck Feeney has guarded his privacy obsessively. When he became a philanthropist, his gifts came on condition that his name never appeared on any press release or plaque; all donations would cease if confidentiality was breached. But when he decided to co-operate with Conor O'Clery on this book, many of the people in his life, released from their Trappist vows, let themselves go. The result is gripping.\nAn Irish-American, born in New Jersey in 1931, Mr Feeney made a fortune by co-founding Duty Free Shoppers (DFS) which first sold tax-exempt goods to American soldiers abroad and then tapped into the rise of mass tourism. When DFS was sold in 1997, it had delivered nearly $8 billion to its four main shareholders, of which Mr Feeney was the joint biggest, with 38.75% .\nTax avoidance is the flip side to Mr Feeney's philanthropic coin. He is addicted to it. \"Chuck hates taxes. He believes people can do more with money than governments can,\" says a friend. In 1964 a young New York lawyer, Harvey Dale, told Mr Feeney that changes in the tax laws threatened his business, which was running risks that could put the founders in jail. On his advice, Mr Feeney and his co-founder, Robert Miller, transferred ownership to their foreign-born wives, from France and Ecuador, respectively. In 1974, through a deal with the American government, the firm turned the Pacific island of Saipan into a tax haven. Then, in 1978, Mr Feeney grouped his various investments, including his shares of DFS, in a holding company, General Atlantic Group Limited, in tax-free Bermuda. To escape the American taxman, everything was still registered in his wife's name.\nMr Feeney carefully shunned all outward evidence of wealth. But as soon as DFS became reliably profitable, he started the practice of giving 5% of his pre-tax profits to good causes. In 1982 he created a foundation, the Atlantic Philanthropies, based in Bermuda. Two years later he signed over his fortune to the foundation, except for sums set aside for his wife and children. His net worth fell below $5m. When he broke the news to his children, he gave them each a copy of Andrew Carnegie's essay on wealth, written in 1889.\nMr Feeney has given his alma mater, Cornell University, more than $600m, dwarfing all other donations from a single alumnus to an American university. He has contributed hundreds of millions of dollars towards higher education in Ireland, South Africa and Australia. He has helped with health care in Vietnam. In 2004 he went to Cuba, where he met Fidel Castro, who seemed only too happy to accept his capitalist-tax-avoided dollars. But it was his support for the Irish peace process that caused the most controversy, including accusations (without foundation, it turned out) that he had financed the IRA.\nMr Feeney is committed to giving away all the money in his foundation by a fixed date-thought to be in about ten years-but his investment prowess makes this difficult. Currently, Atlantic Philanthropies is worth $4 billion (up from $3.5 billion in 2001) even though, over its lifetime, it has given away about $4 billion in increasing amounts. The trouble for Mr Feeney is that the foundation's assets are growing as fast as he tries to get rid of them.","id":"3447.txt","label":2} +{"option":["He made huge donations to Cornell University.","He contributed money to higher education.","He supported the health care in Vietnam.","He financed the IRA for the Irish peace process"],"question":"Which one of the following statements is NOT true of Mr. Feeney's charity activities?","article":"For most of his life Chuck Feeney has guarded his privacy obsessively. When he became a philanthropist, his gifts came on condition that his name never appeared on any press release or plaque; all donations would cease if confidentiality was breached. But when he decided to co-operate with Conor O'Clery on this book, many of the people in his life, released from their Trappist vows, let themselves go. The result is gripping.\nAn Irish-American, born in New Jersey in 1931, Mr Feeney made a fortune by co-founding Duty Free Shoppers (DFS) which first sold tax-exempt goods to American soldiers abroad and then tapped into the rise of mass tourism. When DFS was sold in 1997, it had delivered nearly $8 billion to its four main shareholders, of which Mr Feeney was the joint biggest, with 38.75% .\nTax avoidance is the flip side to Mr Feeney's philanthropic coin. He is addicted to it. \"Chuck hates taxes. He believes people can do more with money than governments can,\" says a friend. In 1964 a young New York lawyer, Harvey Dale, told Mr Feeney that changes in the tax laws threatened his business, which was running risks that could put the founders in jail. On his advice, Mr Feeney and his co-founder, Robert Miller, transferred ownership to their foreign-born wives, from France and Ecuador, respectively. In 1974, through a deal with the American government, the firm turned the Pacific island of Saipan into a tax haven. Then, in 1978, Mr Feeney grouped his various investments, including his shares of DFS, in a holding company, General Atlantic Group Limited, in tax-free Bermuda. To escape the American taxman, everything was still registered in his wife's name.\nMr Feeney carefully shunned all outward evidence of wealth. But as soon as DFS became reliably profitable, he started the practice of giving 5% of his pre-tax profits to good causes. In 1982 he created a foundation, the Atlantic Philanthropies, based in Bermuda. Two years later he signed over his fortune to the foundation, except for sums set aside for his wife and children. His net worth fell below $5m. When he broke the news to his children, he gave them each a copy of Andrew Carnegie's essay on wealth, written in 1889.\nMr Feeney has given his alma mater, Cornell University, more than $600m, dwarfing all other donations from a single alumnus to an American university. He has contributed hundreds of millions of dollars towards higher education in Ireland, South Africa and Australia. He has helped with health care in Vietnam. In 2004 he went to Cuba, where he met Fidel Castro, who seemed only too happy to accept his capitalist-tax-avoided dollars. But it was his support for the Irish peace process that caused the most controversy, including accusations (without foundation, it turned out) that he had financed the IRA.\nMr Feeney is committed to giving away all the money in his foundation by a fixed date-thought to be in about ten years-but his investment prowess makes this difficult. Currently, Atlantic Philanthropies is worth $4 billion (up from $3.5 billion in 2001) even though, over its lifetime, it has given away about $4 billion in increasing amounts. The trouble for Mr Feeney is that the foundation's assets are growing as fast as he tries to get rid of them.","id":"3447.txt","label":3} +{"option":["he has made too much investment elsewhere to take back the money.","the foundation's assets are increasing too fast to be completely given away.","he has trouble in finding reliable means to donate all the money.","ten years is too long for him to give away all the money."],"question":"It is difficult for Mr. Feeney to give away all the money in his foundation in about ten years since _","article":"For most of his life Chuck Feeney has guarded his privacy obsessively. When he became a philanthropist, his gifts came on condition that his name never appeared on any press release or plaque; all donations would cease if confidentiality was breached. But when he decided to co-operate with Conor O'Clery on this book, many of the people in his life, released from their Trappist vows, let themselves go. The result is gripping.\nAn Irish-American, born in New Jersey in 1931, Mr Feeney made a fortune by co-founding Duty Free Shoppers (DFS) which first sold tax-exempt goods to American soldiers abroad and then tapped into the rise of mass tourism. When DFS was sold in 1997, it had delivered nearly $8 billion to its four main shareholders, of which Mr Feeney was the joint biggest, with 38.75% .\nTax avoidance is the flip side to Mr Feeney's philanthropic coin. He is addicted to it. \"Chuck hates taxes. He believes people can do more with money than governments can,\" says a friend. In 1964 a young New York lawyer, Harvey Dale, told Mr Feeney that changes in the tax laws threatened his business, which was running risks that could put the founders in jail. On his advice, Mr Feeney and his co-founder, Robert Miller, transferred ownership to their foreign-born wives, from France and Ecuador, respectively. In 1974, through a deal with the American government, the firm turned the Pacific island of Saipan into a tax haven. Then, in 1978, Mr Feeney grouped his various investments, including his shares of DFS, in a holding company, General Atlantic Group Limited, in tax-free Bermuda. To escape the American taxman, everything was still registered in his wife's name.\nMr Feeney carefully shunned all outward evidence of wealth. But as soon as DFS became reliably profitable, he started the practice of giving 5% of his pre-tax profits to good causes. In 1982 he created a foundation, the Atlantic Philanthropies, based in Bermuda. Two years later he signed over his fortune to the foundation, except for sums set aside for his wife and children. His net worth fell below $5m. When he broke the news to his children, he gave them each a copy of Andrew Carnegie's essay on wealth, written in 1889.\nMr Feeney has given his alma mater, Cornell University, more than $600m, dwarfing all other donations from a single alumnus to an American university. He has contributed hundreds of millions of dollars towards higher education in Ireland, South Africa and Australia. He has helped with health care in Vietnam. In 2004 he went to Cuba, where he met Fidel Castro, who seemed only too happy to accept his capitalist-tax-avoided dollars. But it was his support for the Irish peace process that caused the most controversy, including accusations (without foundation, it turned out) that he had financed the IRA.\nMr Feeney is committed to giving away all the money in his foundation by a fixed date-thought to be in about ten years-but his investment prowess makes this difficult. Currently, Atlantic Philanthropies is worth $4 billion (up from $3.5 billion in 2001) even though, over its lifetime, it has given away about $4 billion in increasing amounts. The trouble for Mr Feeney is that the foundation's assets are growing as fast as he tries to get rid of them.","id":"3447.txt","label":1} +{"option":["awkward.","wrong.","backward.","bungled"],"question":"The word \"botched\" (Line 5, Paragraph 1) most probably means _","article":"When Catholic clergy or \"pro-life\" politicians argue that abortion laws should be tightened, they do so in the belief that this will reduce the number of terminations. Yet the largest global study of abortion ever undertaken casts doubt on that simple proposition. Restricting abortions, the study says, has little effect on the number of pregnancies terminated. Rather, it drives women to seek illegal, often unsafe backstreet abortions leading to an estimated 67,000 deaths a year. A further 5m women require hospital treatment as a result of botched procedures.\nIn Africa and Asia, where abortion is generally either illegal or restricted, the abortion rate in 2003 (the latest year for which figures are available) was 29 per 1,000 women aged 15-44. This is almost identical to the rate in Europe-28-where legal abortions are widely available. Latin America, which has some of the world's most restrictive abortion laws, is the region with the highest abortion rate (31), while western Europe, which has some of the most liberal laws, has the lowest (12).\nThe study, carried out by the Guttmacher Institute in New York in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and published in a British medical journal, the Lancet, found that most abortions occur in developing countries-35m a year, compared with just 7m in rich countries. But this was largely a reflection of population size. A woman's likelihood of having an abortion is similar whether she lives in a rich country (26 per 1,000) or a poor or middle-income one (29).\nLest it be thought that these sweeping continental numbers hide as much as they reveal, the same point can be made by looking at those countries which have changed their laws. Between 1995 and 2005, 17 nations liberalised abortion legislation, while three tightened restrictions. The number of induced abortions nevertheless declined from nearly 46m in 1995 to 42m in 2003, resulting in a fall in the worldwide abortion rate from 35 to 29. The most dramatic drop-from 90 to 44-was in former communist Eastern Europe, where abortion is generally legal, safe and cheap. This coincided with a big increase in contraceptive use in the region which still has the world's highest abortion rate, with more terminations than live births.\nThe risk of dying in a botched abortion is only part of a broader problem of maternal health in poor countries. Of all the inequalities of development, this is arguably the worst. According to a report published this week by Population Action International, a Washington-based lobby group, women in poor countries are 250 times more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth than women in rich ones. \uff082) Of the 535,000 women who died in childbirth or from pregnancy-related complications in 2005, 99% were in developing countries, according to another report by a group of UN agencies, including WHO, also out this week. Africa accounted for more than half such deaths.As the UN report noted, countries with the highest levels of maternal mortality have made the least progress towards reducing it. A woman in Africa has a one in 16 chance of dying in pregnancy or childbirth, compared with one in 3,800 for a woman in the rich world.","id":"3656.txt","label":3} +{"option":["the abortion rate has nothing to do with a country's national wealth.","the abortion rate has nothing to do with a country's restricting measures on abortion.","the abortion rate cannot be lowered through the legal measures.","the abortion rate cannot be lowered by the implement of tightened abortion laws."],"question":"The fact that the abortion rate in Africa and Asia in 2003 is almost identical to that in Europe implies that _ .","article":"When Catholic clergy or \"pro-life\" politicians argue that abortion laws should be tightened, they do so in the belief that this will reduce the number of terminations. Yet the largest global study of abortion ever undertaken casts doubt on that simple proposition. Restricting abortions, the study says, has little effect on the number of pregnancies terminated. Rather, it drives women to seek illegal, often unsafe backstreet abortions leading to an estimated 67,000 deaths a year. A further 5m women require hospital treatment as a result of botched procedures.\nIn Africa and Asia, where abortion is generally either illegal or restricted, the abortion rate in 2003 (the latest year for which figures are available) was 29 per 1,000 women aged 15-44. This is almost identical to the rate in Europe-28-where legal abortions are widely available. Latin America, which has some of the world's most restrictive abortion laws, is the region with the highest abortion rate (31), while western Europe, which has some of the most liberal laws, has the lowest (12).\nThe study, carried out by the Guttmacher Institute in New York in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and published in a British medical journal, the Lancet, found that most abortions occur in developing countries-35m a year, compared with just 7m in rich countries. But this was largely a reflection of population size. A woman's likelihood of having an abortion is similar whether she lives in a rich country (26 per 1,000) or a poor or middle-income one (29).\nLest it be thought that these sweeping continental numbers hide as much as they reveal, the same point can be made by looking at those countries which have changed their laws. Between 1995 and 2005, 17 nations liberalised abortion legislation, while three tightened restrictions. The number of induced abortions nevertheless declined from nearly 46m in 1995 to 42m in 2003, resulting in a fall in the worldwide abortion rate from 35 to 29. The most dramatic drop-from 90 to 44-was in former communist Eastern Europe, where abortion is generally legal, safe and cheap. This coincided with a big increase in contraceptive use in the region which still has the world's highest abortion rate, with more terminations than live births.\nThe risk of dying in a botched abortion is only part of a broader problem of maternal health in poor countries. Of all the inequalities of development, this is arguably the worst. According to a report published this week by Population Action International, a Washington-based lobby group, women in poor countries are 250 times more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth than women in rich ones. \uff082) Of the 535,000 women who died in childbirth or from pregnancy-related complications in 2005, 99% were in developing countries, according to another report by a group of UN agencies, including WHO, also out this week. Africa accounted for more than half such deaths.As the UN report noted, countries with the highest levels of maternal mortality have made the least progress towards reducing it. A woman in Africa has a one in 16 chance of dying in pregnancy or childbirth, compared with one in 3,800 for a woman in the rich world.","id":"3656.txt","label":2} +{"option":["the abortion rate in countries with strict aboriton laws is higher than that of the counties with liberal laws.","there are much more abortions occuring in developing countries than in developed countries.","there was a dramatic drop in former communist Easter Europe between 1995 and 2005.","there was a big increase in contraceptive use in the region which still has the world's highest abortion rate between 1995 and 2005."],"question":"The conclusion of the study can be proved by the following proofs offered in the passage except that _","article":"When Catholic clergy or \"pro-life\" politicians argue that abortion laws should be tightened, they do so in the belief that this will reduce the number of terminations. Yet the largest global study of abortion ever undertaken casts doubt on that simple proposition. Restricting abortions, the study says, has little effect on the number of pregnancies terminated. Rather, it drives women to seek illegal, often unsafe backstreet abortions leading to an estimated 67,000 deaths a year. A further 5m women require hospital treatment as a result of botched procedures.\nIn Africa and Asia, where abortion is generally either illegal or restricted, the abortion rate in 2003 (the latest year for which figures are available) was 29 per 1,000 women aged 15-44. This is almost identical to the rate in Europe-28-where legal abortions are widely available. Latin America, which has some of the world's most restrictive abortion laws, is the region with the highest abortion rate (31), while western Europe, which has some of the most liberal laws, has the lowest (12).\nThe study, carried out by the Guttmacher Institute in New York in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and published in a British medical journal, the Lancet, found that most abortions occur in developing countries-35m a year, compared with just 7m in rich countries. But this was largely a reflection of population size. A woman's likelihood of having an abortion is similar whether she lives in a rich country (26 per 1,000) or a poor or middle-income one (29).\nLest it be thought that these sweeping continental numbers hide as much as they reveal, the same point can be made by looking at those countries which have changed their laws. Between 1995 and 2005, 17 nations liberalised abortion legislation, while three tightened restrictions. The number of induced abortions nevertheless declined from nearly 46m in 1995 to 42m in 2003, resulting in a fall in the worldwide abortion rate from 35 to 29. The most dramatic drop-from 90 to 44-was in former communist Eastern Europe, where abortion is generally legal, safe and cheap. This coincided with a big increase in contraceptive use in the region which still has the world's highest abortion rate, with more terminations than live births.\nThe risk of dying in a botched abortion is only part of a broader problem of maternal health in poor countries. Of all the inequalities of development, this is arguably the worst. According to a report published this week by Population Action International, a Washington-based lobby group, women in poor countries are 250 times more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth than women in rich ones. \uff082) Of the 535,000 women who died in childbirth or from pregnancy-related complications in 2005, 99% were in developing countries, according to another report by a group of UN agencies, including WHO, also out this week. Africa accounted for more than half such deaths.As the UN report noted, countries with the highest levels of maternal mortality have made the least progress towards reducing it. A woman in Africa has a one in 16 chance of dying in pregnancy or childbirth, compared with one in 3,800 for a woman in the rich world.","id":"3656.txt","label":1} +{"option":["botched procedures of abortion in poor countries.","inequalities of development between rich and poor countries.","ignorance of and little emphasis on the maternal health in poor countries.","strict abortion laws in poor countries."],"question":"Women in poor countries are much more likely dying in childbirth or pregnancy than women in rich countires because of _","article":"When Catholic clergy or \"pro-life\" politicians argue that abortion laws should be tightened, they do so in the belief that this will reduce the number of terminations. Yet the largest global study of abortion ever undertaken casts doubt on that simple proposition. Restricting abortions, the study says, has little effect on the number of pregnancies terminated. Rather, it drives women to seek illegal, often unsafe backstreet abortions leading to an estimated 67,000 deaths a year. A further 5m women require hospital treatment as a result of botched procedures.\nIn Africa and Asia, where abortion is generally either illegal or restricted, the abortion rate in 2003 (the latest year for which figures are available) was 29 per 1,000 women aged 15-44. This is almost identical to the rate in Europe-28-where legal abortions are widely available. Latin America, which has some of the world's most restrictive abortion laws, is the region with the highest abortion rate (31), while western Europe, which has some of the most liberal laws, has the lowest (12).\nThe study, carried out by the Guttmacher Institute in New York in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and published in a British medical journal, the Lancet, found that most abortions occur in developing countries-35m a year, compared with just 7m in rich countries. But this was largely a reflection of population size. A woman's likelihood of having an abortion is similar whether she lives in a rich country (26 per 1,000) or a poor or middle-income one (29).\nLest it be thought that these sweeping continental numbers hide as much as they reveal, the same point can be made by looking at those countries which have changed their laws. Between 1995 and 2005, 17 nations liberalised abortion legislation, while three tightened restrictions. The number of induced abortions nevertheless declined from nearly 46m in 1995 to 42m in 2003, resulting in a fall in the worldwide abortion rate from 35 to 29. The most dramatic drop-from 90 to 44-was in former communist Eastern Europe, where abortion is generally legal, safe and cheap. This coincided with a big increase in contraceptive use in the region which still has the world's highest abortion rate, with more terminations than live births.\nThe risk of dying in a botched abortion is only part of a broader problem of maternal health in poor countries. Of all the inequalities of development, this is arguably the worst. According to a report published this week by Population Action International, a Washington-based lobby group, women in poor countries are 250 times more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth than women in rich ones. \uff082) Of the 535,000 women who died in childbirth or from pregnancy-related complications in 2005, 99% were in developing countries, according to another report by a group of UN agencies, including WHO, also out this week. Africa accounted for more than half such deaths.As the UN report noted, countries with the highest levels of maternal mortality have made the least progress towards reducing it. A woman in Africa has a one in 16 chance of dying in pregnancy or childbirth, compared with one in 3,800 for a woman in the rich world.","id":"3656.txt","label":2} +{"option":["a study on the aborition rate between developed and developing countries.","a study on the aborition laws in different countries.","a study on the general maternal health condition in different countries.","a study on the influence of the aboriton laws on the abortion rate."],"question":"The passage is mainly about _","article":"When Catholic clergy or \"pro-life\" politicians argue that abortion laws should be tightened, they do so in the belief that this will reduce the number of terminations. Yet the largest global study of abortion ever undertaken casts doubt on that simple proposition. Restricting abortions, the study says, has little effect on the number of pregnancies terminated. Rather, it drives women to seek illegal, often unsafe backstreet abortions leading to an estimated 67,000 deaths a year. A further 5m women require hospital treatment as a result of botched procedures.\nIn Africa and Asia, where abortion is generally either illegal or restricted, the abortion rate in 2003 (the latest year for which figures are available) was 29 per 1,000 women aged 15-44. This is almost identical to the rate in Europe-28-where legal abortions are widely available. Latin America, which has some of the world's most restrictive abortion laws, is the region with the highest abortion rate (31), while western Europe, which has some of the most liberal laws, has the lowest (12).\nThe study, carried out by the Guttmacher Institute in New York in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and published in a British medical journal, the Lancet, found that most abortions occur in developing countries-35m a year, compared with just 7m in rich countries. But this was largely a reflection of population size. A woman's likelihood of having an abortion is similar whether she lives in a rich country (26 per 1,000) or a poor or middle-income one (29).\nLest it be thought that these sweeping continental numbers hide as much as they reveal, the same point can be made by looking at those countries which have changed their laws. Between 1995 and 2005, 17 nations liberalised abortion legislation, while three tightened restrictions. The number of induced abortions nevertheless declined from nearly 46m in 1995 to 42m in 2003, resulting in a fall in the worldwide abortion rate from 35 to 29. The most dramatic drop-from 90 to 44-was in former communist Eastern Europe, where abortion is generally legal, safe and cheap. This coincided with a big increase in contraceptive use in the region which still has the world's highest abortion rate, with more terminations than live births.\nThe risk of dying in a botched abortion is only part of a broader problem of maternal health in poor countries. Of all the inequalities of development, this is arguably the worst. According to a report published this week by Population Action International, a Washington-based lobby group, women in poor countries are 250 times more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth than women in rich ones. \uff082) Of the 535,000 women who died in childbirth or from pregnancy-related complications in 2005, 99% were in developing countries, according to another report by a group of UN agencies, including WHO, also out this week. Africa accounted for more than half such deaths.As the UN report noted, countries with the highest levels of maternal mortality have made the least progress towards reducing it. A woman in Africa has a one in 16 chance of dying in pregnancy or childbirth, compared with one in 3,800 for a woman in the rich world.","id":"3656.txt","label":3} +{"option":["critical","questioning","approving","objective"],"question":"In the passage the author's attitude towards \"mixed-ability teaching\" is ________.","article":"We find that bright children are rarely held back by mixed ability teaching. On the contrary, both their knowledge and experience are enriched. We feel that there are many disadvantages in streaming (\u2026) pupils. It does not take into account the fact that children develop at different rates. It can have a bad effect on both the bright and the not-so-bright child. After all, it can be quite discouraging to be at the bottom of the top grade!\nBesides, it is rather unreal to grade people just according to their intellectual ability. This is only one aspect of their total personality. We are concerned to develop the abilities of all our pupils to the full, not just their academic ability. We also value personal qualities and social skills, and we find that mixed-ability teaching contributes to all these aspects of learning.\nIn our classrooms, we work in various ways. The pupils often work in groups: this gives them the opportunity to learn to co-operate, to share, and to develop leadership skills. They also learn how to cope with personal problems as well as learning how to think, to make decisions, to analyze and evaluate, and to communicate effectively. The pupils learn from each other as well as from the teacher.\nSometimes the pupils work in pairs; sometimes they work on individual tasks and assignments, and they can do this at their own speed. They also have some formal class teaching when this is appropriate. We encourage our pupils to use the library, and we teach them the skills they need in order to do this efficiently. An advanced pupil can do advanced work: it does not matter what age the child is. We expect our pupils to do their best, not their least, and we give them every encouragement to attain this goal.","id":"2456.txt","label":2} +{"option":["made to remain in the same classes","forced to study I the lower classes","drawn to their studies","prevented from advancing"],"question":"By \"held back\" (Line 1) the author means \"________\"","article":"We find that bright children are rarely held back by mixed ability teaching. On the contrary, both their knowledge and experience are enriched. We feel that there are many disadvantages in streaming (\u2026) pupils. It does not take into account the fact that children develop at different rates. It can have a bad effect on both the bright and the not-so-bright child. After all, it can be quite discouraging to be at the bottom of the top grade!\nBesides, it is rather unreal to grade people just according to their intellectual ability. This is only one aspect of their total personality. We are concerned to develop the abilities of all our pupils to the full, not just their academic ability. We also value personal qualities and social skills, and we find that mixed-ability teaching contributes to all these aspects of learning.\nIn our classrooms, we work in various ways. The pupils often work in groups: this gives them the opportunity to learn to co-operate, to share, and to develop leadership skills. They also learn how to cope with personal problems as well as learning how to think, to make decisions, to analyze and evaluate, and to communicate effectively. The pupils learn from each other as well as from the teacher.\nSometimes the pupils work in pairs; sometimes they work on individual tasks and assignments, and they can do this at their own speed. They also have some formal class teaching when this is appropriate. We encourage our pupils to use the library, and we teach them the skills they need in order to do this efficiently. An advanced pupil can do advanced work: it does not matter what age the child is. We expect our pupils to do their best, not their least, and we give them every encouragement to attain this goal.","id":"2456.txt","label":3} +{"option":["personal qualities and social skills","total personality","learning ability and communicative skills","intellectual ability"],"question":"The author argues that a teacher's chief concern should be the development of the student's ________.","article":"We find that bright children are rarely held back by mixed ability teaching. On the contrary, both their knowledge and experience are enriched. We feel that there are many disadvantages in streaming (\u2026) pupils. It does not take into account the fact that children develop at different rates. It can have a bad effect on both the bright and the not-so-bright child. After all, it can be quite discouraging to be at the bottom of the top grade!\nBesides, it is rather unreal to grade people just according to their intellectual ability. This is only one aspect of their total personality. We are concerned to develop the abilities of all our pupils to the full, not just their academic ability. We also value personal qualities and social skills, and we find that mixed-ability teaching contributes to all these aspects of learning.\nIn our classrooms, we work in various ways. The pupils often work in groups: this gives them the opportunity to learn to co-operate, to share, and to develop leadership skills. They also learn how to cope with personal problems as well as learning how to think, to make decisions, to analyze and evaluate, and to communicate effectively. The pupils learn from each other as well as from the teacher.\nSometimes the pupils work in pairs; sometimes they work on individual tasks and assignments, and they can do this at their own speed. They also have some formal class teaching when this is appropriate. We encourage our pupils to use the library, and we teach them the skills they need in order to do this efficiently. An advanced pupil can do advanced work: it does not matter what age the child is. We expect our pupils to do their best, not their least, and we give them every encouragement to attain this goal.","id":"2456.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Group work gives pupils the opportunity to learn to work together with other.","Pupils also learn to develop their reasoning abilities.","Group work provides pupils with the opportunity to learn to be capable organizers.","Pupils also learn how to participate in teaching activities."],"question":"Which of the following is NOT MENTIONED in the third paragraph?","article":"We find that bright children are rarely held back by mixed ability teaching. On the contrary, both their knowledge and experience are enriched. We feel that there are many disadvantages in streaming (\u2026) pupils. It does not take into account the fact that children develop at different rates. It can have a bad effect on both the bright and the not-so-bright child. After all, it can be quite discouraging to be at the bottom of the top grade!\nBesides, it is rather unreal to grade people just according to their intellectual ability. This is only one aspect of their total personality. We are concerned to develop the abilities of all our pupils to the full, not just their academic ability. We also value personal qualities and social skills, and we find that mixed-ability teaching contributes to all these aspects of learning.\nIn our classrooms, we work in various ways. The pupils often work in groups: this gives them the opportunity to learn to co-operate, to share, and to develop leadership skills. They also learn how to cope with personal problems as well as learning how to think, to make decisions, to analyze and evaluate, and to communicate effectively. The pupils learn from each other as well as from the teacher.\nSometimes the pupils work in pairs; sometimes they work on individual tasks and assignments, and they can do this at their own speed. They also have some formal class teaching when this is appropriate. We encourage our pupils to use the library, and we teach them the skills they need in order to do this efficiently. An advanced pupil can do advanced work: it does not matter what age the child is. We expect our pupils to do their best, not their least, and we give them every encouragement to attain this goal.","id":"2456.txt","label":3} +{"option":["argue for teaching bright and not-so-bright pupils in the same class","recommend pair work and group work for classroom activities","offer advice on the proper use of the library","emphasize the importance of appropriate formal classroom teaching"],"question":"The author's purpose in writing this passage is to ________.","article":"We find that bright children are rarely held back by mixed ability teaching. On the contrary, both their knowledge and experience are enriched. We feel that there are many disadvantages in streaming (\u2026) pupils. It does not take into account the fact that children develop at different rates. It can have a bad effect on both the bright and the not-so-bright child. After all, it can be quite discouraging to be at the bottom of the top grade!\nBesides, it is rather unreal to grade people just according to their intellectual ability. This is only one aspect of their total personality. We are concerned to develop the abilities of all our pupils to the full, not just their academic ability. We also value personal qualities and social skills, and we find that mixed-ability teaching contributes to all these aspects of learning.\nIn our classrooms, we work in various ways. The pupils often work in groups: this gives them the opportunity to learn to co-operate, to share, and to develop leadership skills. They also learn how to cope with personal problems as well as learning how to think, to make decisions, to analyze and evaluate, and to communicate effectively. The pupils learn from each other as well as from the teacher.\nSometimes the pupils work in pairs; sometimes they work on individual tasks and assignments, and they can do this at their own speed. They also have some formal class teaching when this is appropriate. We encourage our pupils to use the library, and we teach them the skills they need in order to do this efficiently. An advanced pupil can do advanced work: it does not matter what age the child is. We expect our pupils to do their best, not their least, and we give them every encouragement to attain this goal.","id":"2456.txt","label":0} +{"option":["she was too old to fly kites","her husband would make fun of her","she should have been doing her housework then","her girls weren't supposed to play the boy's game"],"question":"Mrs. Patrick was laughing guilnly because she thought.","article":"It was Saturday. As always, it was a busy one, for \"Six days shall you labor and do all your work\" was taken seriously back then. Outside,Father and Mr. Patrick next door were busy chopping firewood. Inside their own houses, Mother and Mrs. Patrick were engaged in spring cleaning.\nSomehow the boys had slipped away to the back lot with their kites. Now, even at the risk of having Brother caught to beat carpets , they had sent him to the kitchen for string. It seemed there was no limit to the heights to which kites would fly today.\nMy mother looked at the sitting room ,its furniture disorderd for a thorough sweeping, Agun she cast a look toward the window. \"Come on, girls ! Let's take string to the boys and watch them\nOn the way we met Mrs. Patrick, laughing guiltily as if she were doing something\nwrong, together with her girls.\nThere never was such a day for flying kited! We played all our fresh string into the boys' kites and they went up higher and higher.We could hardly distinguish the orange-colored spots of the kites. Now and then we slowly pulled one kite back, watching it dancing up and down it the wind, and finally bringing it down to earth , just for the joy of sending it up again.\nEven our fathers dropped their tools and joined us. Our mothers took their turn, laughing like schoolgirls. I think we were all beside ourselves. Parents forgot their duty and their dignity; children forgot their everyday fights and little jealousies. \"Perhaps it's like this in the kingdom of heaven,\" I thought confusedly.\nIt was growing dark before we all walked sleepily back to house. I suppose we had some sort of supper. I suppose there must have been a surface tidying-up, for the house on Sunday looked clean and orderly enough. The strange thing was , we didn't mention that day afterward. I flt a little embarrassed.Surely none of the others had been as excited as I. I locked the memory up in that deepest part of me where we keep\"the things that cannot be and yet they are.\"\nThe years went on, then one day I was hurrying about my kitchen in a city apartment, trying to get some work out of the way while my three-year-old insistently cried her desire to \"go park ,see duck.\"\n\"I can't go!\" I said. \"I have this and this to do, and when I'm through I'll be too tired to walk that for.\"\nMy mother , who was visiting us , looked up from the peas she was shelling ,\"It's a wonderful day,\"she offered\uff0c\"Really warm , yet there's a fine breczc. Do you remember that day we flew kites?\"\nI stopped in my dash between stove and sink. The looked door flew open and with it a rush of memories. \"Come on.\"I told my little girl. \"You're right , it's too good a day to miss.\"\nAnother decade passed. We were in the aftermath of a great war. All evening we had been asking our returned soldier, the youngest Patrick Boy, about his experiences as a prisoner of war. He had talked freely , but now for a long time he had been silent. What was he thinking of - what dark and horrible things?\n\"Say!\" A smile slipped out from his lips. \"Do you remember --- no, of course you wouldn't. It probably didn't make the impression on you as it did on me.\"\nI hardly dared speak.\"Remember what ?\"\n\"I used to think of that day a lot in POW camp, when things weren't too good. Do you remember the day we flew the kites?\"","id":"2303.txt","label":2} +{"option":["felt confused","went wild with joy","looked on","forgot their fights"],"question":"By\"we were all beside ourselves\", the writer means that they all.","article":"It was Saturday. As always, it was a busy one, for \"Six days shall you labor and do all your work\" was taken seriously back then. Outside,Father and Mr. Patrick next door were busy chopping firewood. Inside their own houses, Mother and Mrs. Patrick were engaged in spring cleaning.\nSomehow the boys had slipped away to the back lot with their kites. Now, even at the risk of having Brother caught to beat carpets , they had sent him to the kitchen for string. It seemed there was no limit to the heights to which kites would fly today.\nMy mother looked at the sitting room ,its furniture disorderd for a thorough sweeping, Agun she cast a look toward the window. \"Come on, girls ! Let's take string to the boys and watch them\nOn the way we met Mrs. Patrick, laughing guiltily as if she were doing something\nwrong, together with her girls.\nThere never was such a day for flying kited! We played all our fresh string into the boys' kites and they went up higher and higher.We could hardly distinguish the orange-colored spots of the kites. Now and then we slowly pulled one kite back, watching it dancing up and down it the wind, and finally bringing it down to earth , just for the joy of sending it up again.\nEven our fathers dropped their tools and joined us. Our mothers took their turn, laughing like schoolgirls. I think we were all beside ourselves. Parents forgot their duty and their dignity; children forgot their everyday fights and little jealousies. \"Perhaps it's like this in the kingdom of heaven,\" I thought confusedly.\nIt was growing dark before we all walked sleepily back to house. I suppose we had some sort of supper. I suppose there must have been a surface tidying-up, for the house on Sunday looked clean and orderly enough. The strange thing was , we didn't mention that day afterward. I flt a little embarrassed.Surely none of the others had been as excited as I. I locked the memory up in that deepest part of me where we keep\"the things that cannot be and yet they are.\"\nThe years went on, then one day I was hurrying about my kitchen in a city apartment, trying to get some work out of the way while my three-year-old insistently cried her desire to \"go park ,see duck.\"\n\"I can't go!\" I said. \"I have this and this to do, and when I'm through I'll be too tired to walk that for.\"\nMy mother , who was visiting us , looked up from the peas she was shelling ,\"It's a wonderful day,\"she offered\uff0c\"Really warm , yet there's a fine breczc. Do you remember that day we flew kites?\"\nI stopped in my dash between stove and sink. The looked door flew open and with it a rush of memories. \"Come on.\"I told my little girl. \"You're right , it's too good a day to miss.\"\nAnother decade passed. We were in the aftermath of a great war. All evening we had been asking our returned soldier, the youngest Patrick Boy, about his experiences as a prisoner of war. He had talked freely , but now for a long time he had been silent. What was he thinking of - what dark and horrible things?\n\"Say!\" A smile slipped out from his lips. \"Do you remember --- no, of course you wouldn't. It probably didn't make the impression on you as it did on me.\"\nI hardly dared speak.\"Remember what ?\"\n\"I used to think of that day a lot in POW camp, when things weren't too good. Do you remember the day we flew the kites?\"","id":"2303.txt","label":1} +{"option":["The boys must have had more fun than the girls.","They should have finished their work before playing.","Her parents should spend more time with them.","All the others must have forgotten that day."],"question":"What did the writer think after the kite-flying?","article":"It was Saturday. As always, it was a busy one, for \"Six days shall you labor and do all your work\" was taken seriously back then. Outside,Father and Mr. Patrick next door were busy chopping firewood. Inside their own houses, Mother and Mrs. Patrick were engaged in spring cleaning.\nSomehow the boys had slipped away to the back lot with their kites. Now, even at the risk of having Brother caught to beat carpets , they had sent him to the kitchen for string. It seemed there was no limit to the heights to which kites would fly today.\nMy mother looked at the sitting room ,its furniture disorderd for a thorough sweeping, Agun she cast a look toward the window. \"Come on, girls ! Let's take string to the boys and watch them\nOn the way we met Mrs. Patrick, laughing guiltily as if she were doing something\nwrong, together with her girls.\nThere never was such a day for flying kited! We played all our fresh string into the boys' kites and they went up higher and higher.We could hardly distinguish the orange-colored spots of the kites. Now and then we slowly pulled one kite back, watching it dancing up and down it the wind, and finally bringing it down to earth , just for the joy of sending it up again.\nEven our fathers dropped their tools and joined us. Our mothers took their turn, laughing like schoolgirls. I think we were all beside ourselves. Parents forgot their duty and their dignity; children forgot their everyday fights and little jealousies. \"Perhaps it's like this in the kingdom of heaven,\" I thought confusedly.\nIt was growing dark before we all walked sleepily back to house. I suppose we had some sort of supper. I suppose there must have been a surface tidying-up, for the house on Sunday looked clean and orderly enough. The strange thing was , we didn't mention that day afterward. I flt a little embarrassed.Surely none of the others had been as excited as I. I locked the memory up in that deepest part of me where we keep\"the things that cannot be and yet they are.\"\nThe years went on, then one day I was hurrying about my kitchen in a city apartment, trying to get some work out of the way while my three-year-old insistently cried her desire to \"go park ,see duck.\"\n\"I can't go!\" I said. \"I have this and this to do, and when I'm through I'll be too tired to walk that for.\"\nMy mother , who was visiting us , looked up from the peas she was shelling ,\"It's a wonderful day,\"she offered\uff0c\"Really warm , yet there's a fine breczc. Do you remember that day we flew kites?\"\nI stopped in my dash between stove and sink. The looked door flew open and with it a rush of memories. \"Come on.\"I told my little girl. \"You're right , it's too good a day to miss.\"\nAnother decade passed. We were in the aftermath of a great war. All evening we had been asking our returned soldier, the youngest Patrick Boy, about his experiences as a prisoner of war. He had talked freely , but now for a long time he had been silent. What was he thinking of - what dark and horrible things?\n\"Say!\" A smile slipped out from his lips. \"Do you remember --- no, of course you wouldn't. It probably didn't make the impression on you as it did on me.\"\nI hardly dared speak.\"Remember what ?\"\n\"I used to think of that day a lot in POW camp, when things weren't too good. Do you remember the day we flew the kites?\"","id":"2303.txt","label":3} +{"option":["She suddenly remembered her duty as a mother.","She was reminded of the day they flew kites.","She had finished her work in the kitchen.","She thought it was a great day to play outside."],"question":"Why did the writer finally agree to take her little girl for an outing?","article":"It was Saturday. As always, it was a busy one, for \"Six days shall you labor and do all your work\" was taken seriously back then. Outside,Father and Mr. Patrick next door were busy chopping firewood. Inside their own houses, Mother and Mrs. Patrick were engaged in spring cleaning.\nSomehow the boys had slipped away to the back lot with their kites. Now, even at the risk of having Brother caught to beat carpets , they had sent him to the kitchen for string. It seemed there was no limit to the heights to which kites would fly today.\nMy mother looked at the sitting room ,its furniture disorderd for a thorough sweeping, Agun she cast a look toward the window. \"Come on, girls ! Let's take string to the boys and watch them\nOn the way we met Mrs. Patrick, laughing guiltily as if she were doing something\nwrong, together with her girls.\nThere never was such a day for flying kited! We played all our fresh string into the boys' kites and they went up higher and higher.We could hardly distinguish the orange-colored spots of the kites. Now and then we slowly pulled one kite back, watching it dancing up and down it the wind, and finally bringing it down to earth , just for the joy of sending it up again.\nEven our fathers dropped their tools and joined us. Our mothers took their turn, laughing like schoolgirls. I think we were all beside ourselves. Parents forgot their duty and their dignity; children forgot their everyday fights and little jealousies. \"Perhaps it's like this in the kingdom of heaven,\" I thought confusedly.\nIt was growing dark before we all walked sleepily back to house. I suppose we had some sort of supper. I suppose there must have been a surface tidying-up, for the house on Sunday looked clean and orderly enough. The strange thing was , we didn't mention that day afterward. I flt a little embarrassed.Surely none of the others had been as excited as I. I locked the memory up in that deepest part of me where we keep\"the things that cannot be and yet they are.\"\nThe years went on, then one day I was hurrying about my kitchen in a city apartment, trying to get some work out of the way while my three-year-old insistently cried her desire to \"go park ,see duck.\"\n\"I can't go!\" I said. \"I have this and this to do, and when I'm through I'll be too tired to walk that for.\"\nMy mother , who was visiting us , looked up from the peas she was shelling ,\"It's a wonderful day,\"she offered\uff0c\"Really warm , yet there's a fine breczc. Do you remember that day we flew kites?\"\nI stopped in my dash between stove and sink. The looked door flew open and with it a rush of memories. \"Come on.\"I told my little girl. \"You're right , it's too good a day to miss.\"\nAnother decade passed. We were in the aftermath of a great war. All evening we had been asking our returned soldier, the youngest Patrick Boy, about his experiences as a prisoner of war. He had talked freely , but now for a long time he had been silent. What was he thinking of - what dark and horrible things?\n\"Say!\" A smile slipped out from his lips. \"Do you remember --- no, of course you wouldn't. It probably didn't make the impression on you as it did on me.\"\nI hardly dared speak.\"Remember what ?\"\n\"I used to think of that day a lot in POW camp, when things weren't too good. Do you remember the day we flew the kites?\"","id":"2303.txt","label":1} +{"option":["the writer was not alone in treasuring her fond memories","his experience in POW camp threw a shadow over his life","childhood friendship means so much to the writer","people like him really changed a lot after the war"],"question":"The youngest Patrick Boy is mentioned to show that _ .","article":"It was Saturday. As always, it was a busy one, for \"Six days shall you labor and do all your work\" was taken seriously back then. Outside,Father and Mr. Patrick next door were busy chopping firewood. Inside their own houses, Mother and Mrs. Patrick were engaged in spring cleaning.\nSomehow the boys had slipped away to the back lot with their kites. Now, even at the risk of having Brother caught to beat carpets , they had sent him to the kitchen for string. It seemed there was no limit to the heights to which kites would fly today.\nMy mother looked at the sitting room ,its furniture disorderd for a thorough sweeping, Agun she cast a look toward the window. \"Come on, girls ! Let's take string to the boys and watch them\nOn the way we met Mrs. Patrick, laughing guiltily as if she were doing something\nwrong, together with her girls.\nThere never was such a day for flying kited! We played all our fresh string into the boys' kites and they went up higher and higher.We could hardly distinguish the orange-colored spots of the kites. Now and then we slowly pulled one kite back, watching it dancing up and down it the wind, and finally bringing it down to earth , just for the joy of sending it up again.\nEven our fathers dropped their tools and joined us. Our mothers took their turn, laughing like schoolgirls. I think we were all beside ourselves. Parents forgot their duty and their dignity; children forgot their everyday fights and little jealousies. \"Perhaps it's like this in the kingdom of heaven,\" I thought confusedly.\nIt was growing dark before we all walked sleepily back to house. I suppose we had some sort of supper. I suppose there must have been a surface tidying-up, for the house on Sunday looked clean and orderly enough. The strange thing was , we didn't mention that day afterward. I flt a little embarrassed.Surely none of the others had been as excited as I. I locked the memory up in that deepest part of me where we keep\"the things that cannot be and yet they are.\"\nThe years went on, then one day I was hurrying about my kitchen in a city apartment, trying to get some work out of the way while my three-year-old insistently cried her desire to \"go park ,see duck.\"\n\"I can't go!\" I said. \"I have this and this to do, and when I'm through I'll be too tired to walk that for.\"\nMy mother , who was visiting us , looked up from the peas she was shelling ,\"It's a wonderful day,\"she offered\uff0c\"Really warm , yet there's a fine breczc. Do you remember that day we flew kites?\"\nI stopped in my dash between stove and sink. The looked door flew open and with it a rush of memories. \"Come on.\"I told my little girl. \"You're right , it's too good a day to miss.\"\nAnother decade passed. We were in the aftermath of a great war. All evening we had been asking our returned soldier, the youngest Patrick Boy, about his experiences as a prisoner of war. He had talked freely , but now for a long time he had been silent. What was he thinking of - what dark and horrible things?\n\"Say!\" A smile slipped out from his lips. \"Do you remember --- no, of course you wouldn't. It probably didn't make the impression on you as it did on me.\"\nI hardly dared speak.\"Remember what ?\"\n\"I used to think of that day a lot in POW camp, when things weren't too good. Do you remember the day we flew the kites?\"","id":"2303.txt","label":0} +{"option":["difference in life span between males and females of different species.","difference in life span among species of different mating patterns.","the reason of why human females outlive their male counterparts.","natural selection among males and females during evolution."],"question":"The passage is mainly discussing about _","article":"In the cause of equal rights, feminists have had much to complain about. But one striking piece of inequality has been conveniently overlooked: lifespan. In this area, women have the upper hand. All round the world, they live longer than men. Why they should do so is not immediately obvious. But the same is true in many other species. From lions to antelope and from sea lions to deer, males, for some reason, simply can't go the distance. One theory is that males must compete for female attention. That means evolution is busy selecting for antlers, aggression and alloy wheels in males, at the expense of longevity. Females are not subject to such pressures. If this theory is correct, the effect will be especially noticeable in those species where males compete for the attention of lots of females. Conversely, it will be reduced or absent where they do not.\nTo test that idea, Tim Clutton-Brock of Cambridge University and Kavita Isvaran of the Indian Institute of Science in Bengalooru decided to compare monogamous and polygynous species (in the latter, a male monopolises a number of females). They wanted to find out whether polygynous males had lower survival rates and aged faster than those of monogamous species. To do so, they collected the relevant data for 35 species of long-lived birds and mammals.\nAs they report, the pattern was much as they expected. In 16 of the 19 polygynous species in their sample, males of all ages were much more likely to die during any given period than were females. Furthermore, the older they got, the bigger the mortality gap became. In other words, they aged faster. Males from monogamous species did not show these patterns. The point about polygyny is that if one male has exclusive access to, say, ten females, another nine males will be waiting to topple the harem master as soon as he shows the first sign of weakness. The intense competitive pressure means that individuals who succeed put all their efforts into one or two breeding seasons.\nThat obviously takes its toll directly. But a more subtle effect may also be at work. Most students of ageing agree that an animal's maximum lifespan is set by how long it can reasonably expect to escape predation, disease, accident and damaging aggression by others of its kind. If it will be killed quickly anyway, there is not much reason for evolution to divert scarce resources into keeping the machine in tip-top condition. Those resources should, instead, be devoted to reproduction. And the more threatening the outside world is, the shorter the maximum lifespan should be.\nThere is no reason why that logic should not work between the sexes as well as between species. The test is to identify a species that has made its environment so safe that most of its members die of old age, and see if the difference continues to exist. Fortunately, there is such a species: man. Dr Clutton-Brock reckons that the sex difference in both human rates of ageing and in the usual age of death is an indicator that polygyny was the rule in humanity's evolutionary past-as it still is, in some places. That may not please some feminists, but it could be the price women have paid for outliving their menfolk.","id":"3550.txt","label":2} +{"option":["the most excellent ones.","the most powerful ones.","the most attrative ones.","the most aggressive ones."],"question":"In the sentence \"That means evolution is busy selecting for antlers, aggression and alloy wheels in males...\", \"antlers, agression and alloy wheels\" represent _","article":"In the cause of equal rights, feminists have had much to complain about. But one striking piece of inequality has been conveniently overlooked: lifespan. In this area, women have the upper hand. All round the world, they live longer than men. Why they should do so is not immediately obvious. But the same is true in many other species. From lions to antelope and from sea lions to deer, males, for some reason, simply can't go the distance. One theory is that males must compete for female attention. That means evolution is busy selecting for antlers, aggression and alloy wheels in males, at the expense of longevity. Females are not subject to such pressures. If this theory is correct, the effect will be especially noticeable in those species where males compete for the attention of lots of females. Conversely, it will be reduced or absent where they do not.\nTo test that idea, Tim Clutton-Brock of Cambridge University and Kavita Isvaran of the Indian Institute of Science in Bengalooru decided to compare monogamous and polygynous species (in the latter, a male monopolises a number of females). They wanted to find out whether polygynous males had lower survival rates and aged faster than those of monogamous species. To do so, they collected the relevant data for 35 species of long-lived birds and mammals.\nAs they report, the pattern was much as they expected. In 16 of the 19 polygynous species in their sample, males of all ages were much more likely to die during any given period than were females. Furthermore, the older they got, the bigger the mortality gap became. In other words, they aged faster. Males from monogamous species did not show these patterns. The point about polygyny is that if one male has exclusive access to, say, ten females, another nine males will be waiting to topple the harem master as soon as he shows the first sign of weakness. The intense competitive pressure means that individuals who succeed put all their efforts into one or two breeding seasons.\nThat obviously takes its toll directly. But a more subtle effect may also be at work. Most students of ageing agree that an animal's maximum lifespan is set by how long it can reasonably expect to escape predation, disease, accident and damaging aggression by others of its kind. If it will be killed quickly anyway, there is not much reason for evolution to divert scarce resources into keeping the machine in tip-top condition. Those resources should, instead, be devoted to reproduction. And the more threatening the outside world is, the shorter the maximum lifespan should be.\nThere is no reason why that logic should not work between the sexes as well as between species. The test is to identify a species that has made its environment so safe that most of its members die of old age, and see if the difference continues to exist. Fortunately, there is such a species: man. Dr Clutton-Brock reckons that the sex difference in both human rates of ageing and in the usual age of death is an indicator that polygyny was the rule in humanity's evolutionary past-as it still is, in some places. That may not please some feminists, but it could be the price women have paid for outliving their menfolk.","id":"3550.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Polygamous species have shorter life spans than molygynous species.","Polygamous species aged faster than than molygynous species.","Polygamous males decrease faster in number as they grow older.","Monogamous males live as long as their females."],"question":"Which one of the following statement is TRUE of points proved by the test of Tim Clutton-Brock and Kavita Isvaran?","article":"In the cause of equal rights, feminists have had much to complain about. But one striking piece of inequality has been conveniently overlooked: lifespan. In this area, women have the upper hand. All round the world, they live longer than men. Why they should do so is not immediately obvious. But the same is true in many other species. From lions to antelope and from sea lions to deer, males, for some reason, simply can't go the distance. One theory is that males must compete for female attention. That means evolution is busy selecting for antlers, aggression and alloy wheels in males, at the expense of longevity. Females are not subject to such pressures. If this theory is correct, the effect will be especially noticeable in those species where males compete for the attention of lots of females. Conversely, it will be reduced or absent where they do not.\nTo test that idea, Tim Clutton-Brock of Cambridge University and Kavita Isvaran of the Indian Institute of Science in Bengalooru decided to compare monogamous and polygynous species (in the latter, a male monopolises a number of females). They wanted to find out whether polygynous males had lower survival rates and aged faster than those of monogamous species. To do so, they collected the relevant data for 35 species of long-lived birds and mammals.\nAs they report, the pattern was much as they expected. In 16 of the 19 polygynous species in their sample, males of all ages were much more likely to die during any given period than were females. Furthermore, the older they got, the bigger the mortality gap became. In other words, they aged faster. Males from monogamous species did not show these patterns. The point about polygyny is that if one male has exclusive access to, say, ten females, another nine males will be waiting to topple the harem master as soon as he shows the first sign of weakness. The intense competitive pressure means that individuals who succeed put all their efforts into one or two breeding seasons.\nThat obviously takes its toll directly. But a more subtle effect may also be at work. Most students of ageing agree that an animal's maximum lifespan is set by how long it can reasonably expect to escape predation, disease, accident and damaging aggression by others of its kind. If it will be killed quickly anyway, there is not much reason for evolution to divert scarce resources into keeping the machine in tip-top condition. Those resources should, instead, be devoted to reproduction. And the more threatening the outside world is, the shorter the maximum lifespan should be.\nThere is no reason why that logic should not work between the sexes as well as between species. The test is to identify a species that has made its environment so safe that most of its members die of old age, and see if the difference continues to exist. Fortunately, there is such a species: man. Dr Clutton-Brock reckons that the sex difference in both human rates of ageing and in the usual age of death is an indicator that polygyny was the rule in humanity's evolutionary past-as it still is, in some places. That may not please some feminists, but it could be the price women have paid for outliving their menfolk.","id":"3550.txt","label":1} +{"option":["resources should be devoted to reproduction rather than sustaining life.","resources should be used most efficiently.","species in the most dangerous environment should not waste the resources.","there is no need to divert scarce resources into keeping the machine in best condition."],"question":"The logic behind the fact that the species living in the most dangerous environment have the shortest lifespan is that _","article":"In the cause of equal rights, feminists have had much to complain about. But one striking piece of inequality has been conveniently overlooked: lifespan. In this area, women have the upper hand. All round the world, they live longer than men. Why they should do so is not immediately obvious. But the same is true in many other species. From lions to antelope and from sea lions to deer, males, for some reason, simply can't go the distance. One theory is that males must compete for female attention. That means evolution is busy selecting for antlers, aggression and alloy wheels in males, at the expense of longevity. Females are not subject to such pressures. If this theory is correct, the effect will be especially noticeable in those species where males compete for the attention of lots of females. Conversely, it will be reduced or absent where they do not.\nTo test that idea, Tim Clutton-Brock of Cambridge University and Kavita Isvaran of the Indian Institute of Science in Bengalooru decided to compare monogamous and polygynous species (in the latter, a male monopolises a number of females). They wanted to find out whether polygynous males had lower survival rates and aged faster than those of monogamous species. To do so, they collected the relevant data for 35 species of long-lived birds and mammals.\nAs they report, the pattern was much as they expected. In 16 of the 19 polygynous species in their sample, males of all ages were much more likely to die during any given period than were females. Furthermore, the older they got, the bigger the mortality gap became. In other words, they aged faster. Males from monogamous species did not show these patterns. The point about polygyny is that if one male has exclusive access to, say, ten females, another nine males will be waiting to topple the harem master as soon as he shows the first sign of weakness. The intense competitive pressure means that individuals who succeed put all their efforts into one or two breeding seasons.\nThat obviously takes its toll directly. But a more subtle effect may also be at work. Most students of ageing agree that an animal's maximum lifespan is set by how long it can reasonably expect to escape predation, disease, accident and damaging aggression by others of its kind. If it will be killed quickly anyway, there is not much reason for evolution to divert scarce resources into keeping the machine in tip-top condition. Those resources should, instead, be devoted to reproduction. And the more threatening the outside world is, the shorter the maximum lifespan should be.\nThere is no reason why that logic should not work between the sexes as well as between species. The test is to identify a species that has made its environment so safe that most of its members die of old age, and see if the difference continues to exist. Fortunately, there is such a species: man. Dr Clutton-Brock reckons that the sex difference in both human rates of ageing and in the usual age of death is an indicator that polygyny was the rule in humanity's evolutionary past-as it still is, in some places. That may not please some feminists, but it could be the price women have paid for outliving their menfolk.","id":"3550.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Polygymy was the rule in humanity's evolutionary past.","The sex difference on life span is attributable to humans' biological past which should not be denied by feminists.","The logic does not work between the sexes as well as between species.","It was polygymy that accounts for human females' general longevity over males."],"question":"The test conducted by Tim Clutton-Brock and Kavita Isvaran demostrates that _","article":"In the cause of equal rights, feminists have had much to complain about. But one striking piece of inequality has been conveniently overlooked: lifespan. In this area, women have the upper hand. All round the world, they live longer than men. Why they should do so is not immediately obvious. But the same is true in many other species. From lions to antelope and from sea lions to deer, males, for some reason, simply can't go the distance. One theory is that males must compete for female attention. That means evolution is busy selecting for antlers, aggression and alloy wheels in males, at the expense of longevity. Females are not subject to such pressures. If this theory is correct, the effect will be especially noticeable in those species where males compete for the attention of lots of females. Conversely, it will be reduced or absent where they do not.\nTo test that idea, Tim Clutton-Brock of Cambridge University and Kavita Isvaran of the Indian Institute of Science in Bengalooru decided to compare monogamous and polygynous species (in the latter, a male monopolises a number of females). They wanted to find out whether polygynous males had lower survival rates and aged faster than those of monogamous species. To do so, they collected the relevant data for 35 species of long-lived birds and mammals.\nAs they report, the pattern was much as they expected. In 16 of the 19 polygynous species in their sample, males of all ages were much more likely to die during any given period than were females. Furthermore, the older they got, the bigger the mortality gap became. In other words, they aged faster. Males from monogamous species did not show these patterns. The point about polygyny is that if one male has exclusive access to, say, ten females, another nine males will be waiting to topple the harem master as soon as he shows the first sign of weakness. The intense competitive pressure means that individuals who succeed put all their efforts into one or two breeding seasons.\nThat obviously takes its toll directly. But a more subtle effect may also be at work. Most students of ageing agree that an animal's maximum lifespan is set by how long it can reasonably expect to escape predation, disease, accident and damaging aggression by others of its kind. If it will be killed quickly anyway, there is not much reason for evolution to divert scarce resources into keeping the machine in tip-top condition. Those resources should, instead, be devoted to reproduction. And the more threatening the outside world is, the shorter the maximum lifespan should be.\nThere is no reason why that logic should not work between the sexes as well as between species. The test is to identify a species that has made its environment so safe that most of its members die of old age, and see if the difference continues to exist. Fortunately, there is such a species: man. Dr Clutton-Brock reckons that the sex difference in both human rates of ageing and in the usual age of death is an indicator that polygyny was the rule in humanity's evolutionary past-as it still is, in some places. That may not please some feminists, but it could be the price women have paid for outliving their menfolk.","id":"3550.txt","label":3} +{"option":["It excludes interactions between more than two species.","It makes it less likely for species within a community to survive.","Its significance to the organization of biological communities is small.","Its role in the structure of biological populations is a disruptive one."],"question":"Which of the following statements about commensalism can be inferred from paragraph 1?","article":"A symbiotic relationship is an interaction between two or more species in which one species lives in or on another species. There are three main types of symbiotic relationships: parasitism, commensalism, and mutualism. The first and the third can be key factors in the structure of a biological community; that is, all the populations of organisms living together and potentially interacting in a particular area.\nParasitism is a kind of predator-prey relationship in which one organism, the parasite, derives its food at the expense of its symbiotic associate, the host. Parasites are usually smaller than their hosts. An example of a parasite is a tapeworm that lives inside the intestines of a larger animal and absorbs nutrients from its host. Natural selection favors the parasites that are best able to find and feed on hosts. At the same time, defensive abilities of hosts are also selected for. As an example, plants make chemicals toxic to fungal and bacterial parasites, along with ones toxic to predatory animals (sometimes they are the same chemicals). In vertebrates, the immune system provides a multiple defense against internal parasites.\nAt times, it is actually possible to watch the effects of natural selection in host-parasite relationships. For example, Australia during the 1940 s was overrun by hundreds of millions of European rabbits. The rabbits destroyed huge expanses of Australia and threatened the sheep and cattle industries. In 1950, myxoma virus, a parasite that affects rabbits, was deliberately introduced into Australia to control the rabbit population. Spread rapidly by mosquitoes, the virus devastated the rabbit population. The virus was less deadly to the offspring of surviving rabbits, however, and it caused less and less harm over the years. Apparently, genotypes (the genetic make-up of an organism) in the rabbit population were selected that were better able to resist the parasite. Meanwhile, the deadliest strains of the virus perished with their hosts as natural selection favored strains that could infect hosts but not kill them. Thus, natural selection stabilized this host-parasite relationship.\nIn contrast to parasitism, in commensalism, one partner benefits without significantly affecting the other. Few cases of absolute commensalism probably exist, because it is unlikely that one of the partners will be completely unaffected. Commensal associations sometimes involve one species' obtaining food that is ;;inadvertently exposed by another. For instance, several kinds of birds feed on insects flushed out of the grass by grazing cattle. It is difficult to imagine how this could affect the cattle, but the relationship may help or hinder them in some way not yet recognized.\nThe third type of symbiosis, mutualism, benefits both partners in the relationship Legume plants and their nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and the interactions between flowering plants and their pollinators, are examples of mutualistic association. In the first case, the plants provide the bacteria with carbohydrates and other organic compounds, and the bacteria have enzymes that act as catalysts that eventually add nitrogen to the soil, enriching it. In the second case, pollinators (insects, birds) obtain food from the flowering plant, and the plant has its pollen distributed and seeds dispersed much more efficiently than they would be if they were carried by the wind only. Another example of mutualism would be the bull's horn acacia tree, which grows in Central and South America. The tree provides a place to live for ants of the genus Pseudomyrmex. The ants live in large, hollow thorns and eat sugar secreted by the tree. The ants also eat yellow structures at the tip of leaflets: these are protein rich and seem to have no function for the tree except to attract ants. The ants benefit the host tree by attacking virtually anything that touches it. They sting other insects and large herbivores (animals that eat only plants) and even clip surrounding vegetation that grows near the tree. When the ants are removed, the trees usually die, probably because herbivores damage them so much that they are unable to compete with surrounding vegetation for light and growing space.\nThe complex interplay of species in symbiotic relationships highlights an important point about communities: Their structure depends on a web of diverse connections among organisms.","id":"625.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Digests","Obtains","Controls","Discovers"],"question":"The word derives in the passage (paragraph 2) is closest in meaning to","article":"A symbiotic relationship is an interaction between two or more species in which one species lives in or on another species. There are three main types of symbiotic relationships: parasitism, commensalism, and mutualism. The first and the third can be key factors in the structure of a biological community; that is, all the populations of organisms living together and potentially interacting in a particular area.\nParasitism is a kind of predator-prey relationship in which one organism, the parasite, derives its food at the expense of its symbiotic associate, the host. Parasites are usually smaller than their hosts. An example of a parasite is a tapeworm that lives inside the intestines of a larger animal and absorbs nutrients from its host. Natural selection favors the parasites that are best able to find and feed on hosts. At the same time, defensive abilities of hosts are also selected for. As an example, plants make chemicals toxic to fungal and bacterial parasites, along with ones toxic to predatory animals (sometimes they are the same chemicals). In vertebrates, the immune system provides a multiple defense against internal parasites.\nAt times, it is actually possible to watch the effects of natural selection in host-parasite relationships. For example, Australia during the 1940 s was overrun by hundreds of millions of European rabbits. The rabbits destroyed huge expanses of Australia and threatened the sheep and cattle industries. In 1950, myxoma virus, a parasite that affects rabbits, was deliberately introduced into Australia to control the rabbit population. Spread rapidly by mosquitoes, the virus devastated the rabbit population. The virus was less deadly to the offspring of surviving rabbits, however, and it caused less and less harm over the years. Apparently, genotypes (the genetic make-up of an organism) in the rabbit population were selected that were better able to resist the parasite. Meanwhile, the deadliest strains of the virus perished with their hosts as natural selection favored strains that could infect hosts but not kill them. Thus, natural selection stabilized this host-parasite relationship.\nIn contrast to parasitism, in commensalism, one partner benefits without significantly affecting the other. Few cases of absolute commensalism probably exist, because it is unlikely that one of the partners will be completely unaffected. Commensal associations sometimes involve one species' obtaining food that is ;;inadvertently exposed by another. For instance, several kinds of birds feed on insects flushed out of the grass by grazing cattle. It is difficult to imagine how this could affect the cattle, but the relationship may help or hinder them in some way not yet recognized.\nThe third type of symbiosis, mutualism, benefits both partners in the relationship Legume plants and their nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and the interactions between flowering plants and their pollinators, are examples of mutualistic association. In the first case, the plants provide the bacteria with carbohydrates and other organic compounds, and the bacteria have enzymes that act as catalysts that eventually add nitrogen to the soil, enriching it. In the second case, pollinators (insects, birds) obtain food from the flowering plant, and the plant has its pollen distributed and seeds dispersed much more efficiently than they would be if they were carried by the wind only. Another example of mutualism would be the bull's horn acacia tree, which grows in Central and South America. The tree provides a place to live for ants of the genus Pseudomyrmex. The ants live in large, hollow thorns and eat sugar secreted by the tree. The ants also eat yellow structures at the tip of leaflets: these are protein rich and seem to have no function for the tree except to attract ants. The ants benefit the host tree by attacking virtually anything that touches it. They sting other insects and large herbivores (animals that eat only plants) and even clip surrounding vegetation that grows near the tree. When the ants are removed, the trees usually die, probably because herbivores damage them so much that they are unable to compete with surrounding vegetation for light and growing space.\nThe complex interplay of species in symbiotic relationships highlights an important point about communities: Their structure depends on a web of diverse connections among organisms.","id":"625.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Hosts benefit more from natural selection than parasites do.","Both aggression in predators and defensive capacities in hosts are favored for species survival.","The ability to make toxic chemicals enables a parasite to find and isolate its host.","Larger size equips a parasite to prey on smaller host organisms."],"question":"According to paragraph 2, which of the following is true of the action of natural selection on hosts and parasites?","article":"A symbiotic relationship is an interaction between two or more species in which one species lives in or on another species. There are three main types of symbiotic relationships: parasitism, commensalism, and mutualism. The first and the third can be key factors in the structure of a biological community; that is, all the populations of organisms living together and potentially interacting in a particular area.\nParasitism is a kind of predator-prey relationship in which one organism, the parasite, derives its food at the expense of its symbiotic associate, the host. Parasites are usually smaller than their hosts. An example of a parasite is a tapeworm that lives inside the intestines of a larger animal and absorbs nutrients from its host. Natural selection favors the parasites that are best able to find and feed on hosts. At the same time, defensive abilities of hosts are also selected for. As an example, plants make chemicals toxic to fungal and bacterial parasites, along with ones toxic to predatory animals (sometimes they are the same chemicals). In vertebrates, the immune system provides a multiple defense against internal parasites.\nAt times, it is actually possible to watch the effects of natural selection in host-parasite relationships. For example, Australia during the 1940 s was overrun by hundreds of millions of European rabbits. The rabbits destroyed huge expanses of Australia and threatened the sheep and cattle industries. In 1950, myxoma virus, a parasite that affects rabbits, was deliberately introduced into Australia to control the rabbit population. Spread rapidly by mosquitoes, the virus devastated the rabbit population. The virus was less deadly to the offspring of surviving rabbits, however, and it caused less and less harm over the years. Apparently, genotypes (the genetic make-up of an organism) in the rabbit population were selected that were better able to resist the parasite. Meanwhile, the deadliest strains of the virus perished with their hosts as natural selection favored strains that could infect hosts but not kill them. Thus, natural selection stabilized this host-parasite relationship.\nIn contrast to parasitism, in commensalism, one partner benefits without significantly affecting the other. Few cases of absolute commensalism probably exist, because it is unlikely that one of the partners will be completely unaffected. Commensal associations sometimes involve one species' obtaining food that is ;;inadvertently exposed by another. For instance, several kinds of birds feed on insects flushed out of the grass by grazing cattle. It is difficult to imagine how this could affect the cattle, but the relationship may help or hinder them in some way not yet recognized.\nThe third type of symbiosis, mutualism, benefits both partners in the relationship Legume plants and their nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and the interactions between flowering plants and their pollinators, are examples of mutualistic association. In the first case, the plants provide the bacteria with carbohydrates and other organic compounds, and the bacteria have enzymes that act as catalysts that eventually add nitrogen to the soil, enriching it. In the second case, pollinators (insects, birds) obtain food from the flowering plant, and the plant has its pollen distributed and seeds dispersed much more efficiently than they would be if they were carried by the wind only. Another example of mutualism would be the bull's horn acacia tree, which grows in Central and South America. The tree provides a place to live for ants of the genus Pseudomyrmex. The ants live in large, hollow thorns and eat sugar secreted by the tree. The ants also eat yellow structures at the tip of leaflets: these are protein rich and seem to have no function for the tree except to attract ants. The ants benefit the host tree by attacking virtually anything that touches it. They sting other insects and large herbivores (animals that eat only plants) and even clip surrounding vegetation that grows near the tree. When the ants are removed, the trees usually die, probably because herbivores damage them so much that they are unable to compete with surrounding vegetation for light and growing space.\nThe complex interplay of species in symbiotic relationships highlights an important point about communities: Their structure depends on a web of diverse connections among organisms.","id":"625.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Influenced","Infected","strengthened","destroyed"],"question":"The word devastated in the passage (paragraph 3) is closest in meaning to","article":"A symbiotic relationship is an interaction between two or more species in which one species lives in or on another species. There are three main types of symbiotic relationships: parasitism, commensalism, and mutualism. The first and the third can be key factors in the structure of a biological community; that is, all the populations of organisms living together and potentially interacting in a particular area.\nParasitism is a kind of predator-prey relationship in which one organism, the parasite, derives its food at the expense of its symbiotic associate, the host. Parasites are usually smaller than their hosts. An example of a parasite is a tapeworm that lives inside the intestines of a larger animal and absorbs nutrients from its host. Natural selection favors the parasites that are best able to find and feed on hosts. At the same time, defensive abilities of hosts are also selected for. As an example, plants make chemicals toxic to fungal and bacterial parasites, along with ones toxic to predatory animals (sometimes they are the same chemicals). In vertebrates, the immune system provides a multiple defense against internal parasites.\nAt times, it is actually possible to watch the effects of natural selection in host-parasite relationships. For example, Australia during the 1940 s was overrun by hundreds of millions of European rabbits. The rabbits destroyed huge expanses of Australia and threatened the sheep and cattle industries. In 1950, myxoma virus, a parasite that affects rabbits, was deliberately introduced into Australia to control the rabbit population. Spread rapidly by mosquitoes, the virus devastated the rabbit population. The virus was less deadly to the offspring of surviving rabbits, however, and it caused less and less harm over the years. Apparently, genotypes (the genetic make-up of an organism) in the rabbit population were selected that were better able to resist the parasite. Meanwhile, the deadliest strains of the virus perished with their hosts as natural selection favored strains that could infect hosts but not kill them. Thus, natural selection stabilized this host-parasite relationship.\nIn contrast to parasitism, in commensalism, one partner benefits without significantly affecting the other. Few cases of absolute commensalism probably exist, because it is unlikely that one of the partners will be completely unaffected. Commensal associations sometimes involve one species' obtaining food that is ;;inadvertently exposed by another. For instance, several kinds of birds feed on insects flushed out of the grass by grazing cattle. It is difficult to imagine how this could affect the cattle, but the relationship may help or hinder them in some way not yet recognized.\nThe third type of symbiosis, mutualism, benefits both partners in the relationship Legume plants and their nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and the interactions between flowering plants and their pollinators, are examples of mutualistic association. In the first case, the plants provide the bacteria with carbohydrates and other organic compounds, and the bacteria have enzymes that act as catalysts that eventually add nitrogen to the soil, enriching it. In the second case, pollinators (insects, birds) obtain food from the flowering plant, and the plant has its pollen distributed and seeds dispersed much more efficiently than they would be if they were carried by the wind only. Another example of mutualism would be the bull's horn acacia tree, which grows in Central and South America. The tree provides a place to live for ants of the genus Pseudomyrmex. The ants live in large, hollow thorns and eat sugar secreted by the tree. The ants also eat yellow structures at the tip of leaflets: these are protein rich and seem to have no function for the tree except to attract ants. The ants benefit the host tree by attacking virtually anything that touches it. They sting other insects and large herbivores (animals that eat only plants) and even clip surrounding vegetation that grows near the tree. When the ants are removed, the trees usually die, probably because herbivores damage them so much that they are unable to compete with surrounding vegetation for light and growing space.\nThe complex interplay of species in symbiotic relationships highlights an important point about communities: Their structure depends on a web of diverse connections among organisms.","id":"625.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Human intervention may alter the host, the parasite. and the relationship between them.","The risks of introducing outside organisms into a biological community are not worth the benefits.","Humans should not interfere in host-parasite relationships.","Organisms that survive a parasitic attack do so in spite of the natural selection process."],"question":"Which of the following can be concluded from the discussion in paragraph 3 about the Australian rabbit population?","article":"A symbiotic relationship is an interaction between two or more species in which one species lives in or on another species. There are three main types of symbiotic relationships: parasitism, commensalism, and mutualism. The first and the third can be key factors in the structure of a biological community; that is, all the populations of organisms living together and potentially interacting in a particular area.\nParasitism is a kind of predator-prey relationship in which one organism, the parasite, derives its food at the expense of its symbiotic associate, the host. Parasites are usually smaller than their hosts. An example of a parasite is a tapeworm that lives inside the intestines of a larger animal and absorbs nutrients from its host. Natural selection favors the parasites that are best able to find and feed on hosts. At the same time, defensive abilities of hosts are also selected for. As an example, plants make chemicals toxic to fungal and bacterial parasites, along with ones toxic to predatory animals (sometimes they are the same chemicals). In vertebrates, the immune system provides a multiple defense against internal parasites.\nAt times, it is actually possible to watch the effects of natural selection in host-parasite relationships. For example, Australia during the 1940 s was overrun by hundreds of millions of European rabbits. The rabbits destroyed huge expanses of Australia and threatened the sheep and cattle industries. In 1950, myxoma virus, a parasite that affects rabbits, was deliberately introduced into Australia to control the rabbit population. Spread rapidly by mosquitoes, the virus devastated the rabbit population. The virus was less deadly to the offspring of surviving rabbits, however, and it caused less and less harm over the years. Apparently, genotypes (the genetic make-up of an organism) in the rabbit population were selected that were better able to resist the parasite. Meanwhile, the deadliest strains of the virus perished with their hosts as natural selection favored strains that could infect hosts but not kill them. Thus, natural selection stabilized this host-parasite relationship.\nIn contrast to parasitism, in commensalism, one partner benefits without significantly affecting the other. Few cases of absolute commensalism probably exist, because it is unlikely that one of the partners will be completely unaffected. Commensal associations sometimes involve one species' obtaining food that is ;;inadvertently exposed by another. For instance, several kinds of birds feed on insects flushed out of the grass by grazing cattle. It is difficult to imagine how this could affect the cattle, but the relationship may help or hinder them in some way not yet recognized.\nThe third type of symbiosis, mutualism, benefits both partners in the relationship Legume plants and their nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and the interactions between flowering plants and their pollinators, are examples of mutualistic association. In the first case, the plants provide the bacteria with carbohydrates and other organic compounds, and the bacteria have enzymes that act as catalysts that eventually add nitrogen to the soil, enriching it. In the second case, pollinators (insects, birds) obtain food from the flowering plant, and the plant has its pollen distributed and seeds dispersed much more efficiently than they would be if they were carried by the wind only. Another example of mutualism would be the bull's horn acacia tree, which grows in Central and South America. The tree provides a place to live for ants of the genus Pseudomyrmex. The ants live in large, hollow thorns and eat sugar secreted by the tree. The ants also eat yellow structures at the tip of leaflets: these are protein rich and seem to have no function for the tree except to attract ants. The ants benefit the host tree by attacking virtually anything that touches it. They sting other insects and large herbivores (animals that eat only plants) and even clip surrounding vegetation that grows near the tree. When the ants are removed, the trees usually die, probably because herbivores damage them so much that they are unable to compete with surrounding vegetation for light and growing space.\nThe complex interplay of species in symbiotic relationships highlights an important point about communities: Their structure depends on a web of diverse connections among organisms.","id":"625.txt","label":0} +{"option":["The most toxic viruses died with their hosts.","The surviving rabbits were increasingly immune to the virus.","The decline of the mosquito population caused the spread of the virus to decline.","Rabbits with specific genetic make-ups were favored."],"question":"According to paragraph 3, all of the following characterize the way natural selection stabilized the Australian rabbit population EXCEPT:","article":"A symbiotic relationship is an interaction between two or more species in which one species lives in or on another species. There are three main types of symbiotic relationships: parasitism, commensalism, and mutualism. The first and the third can be key factors in the structure of a biological community; that is, all the populations of organisms living together and potentially interacting in a particular area.\nParasitism is a kind of predator-prey relationship in which one organism, the parasite, derives its food at the expense of its symbiotic associate, the host. Parasites are usually smaller than their hosts. An example of a parasite is a tapeworm that lives inside the intestines of a larger animal and absorbs nutrients from its host. Natural selection favors the parasites that are best able to find and feed on hosts. At the same time, defensive abilities of hosts are also selected for. As an example, plants make chemicals toxic to fungal and bacterial parasites, along with ones toxic to predatory animals (sometimes they are the same chemicals). In vertebrates, the immune system provides a multiple defense against internal parasites.\nAt times, it is actually possible to watch the effects of natural selection in host-parasite relationships. For example, Australia during the 1940 s was overrun by hundreds of millions of European rabbits. The rabbits destroyed huge expanses of Australia and threatened the sheep and cattle industries. In 1950, myxoma virus, a parasite that affects rabbits, was deliberately introduced into Australia to control the rabbit population. Spread rapidly by mosquitoes, the virus devastated the rabbit population. The virus was less deadly to the offspring of surviving rabbits, however, and it caused less and less harm over the years. Apparently, genotypes (the genetic make-up of an organism) in the rabbit population were selected that were better able to resist the parasite. Meanwhile, the deadliest strains of the virus perished with their hosts as natural selection favored strains that could infect hosts but not kill them. Thus, natural selection stabilized this host-parasite relationship.\nIn contrast to parasitism, in commensalism, one partner benefits without significantly affecting the other. Few cases of absolute commensalism probably exist, because it is unlikely that one of the partners will be completely unaffected. Commensal associations sometimes involve one species' obtaining food that is ;;inadvertently exposed by another. For instance, several kinds of birds feed on insects flushed out of the grass by grazing cattle. It is difficult to imagine how this could affect the cattle, but the relationship may help or hinder them in some way not yet recognized.\nThe third type of symbiosis, mutualism, benefits both partners in the relationship Legume plants and their nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and the interactions between flowering plants and their pollinators, are examples of mutualistic association. In the first case, the plants provide the bacteria with carbohydrates and other organic compounds, and the bacteria have enzymes that act as catalysts that eventually add nitrogen to the soil, enriching it. In the second case, pollinators (insects, birds) obtain food from the flowering plant, and the plant has its pollen distributed and seeds dispersed much more efficiently than they would be if they were carried by the wind only. Another example of mutualism would be the bull's horn acacia tree, which grows in Central and South America. The tree provides a place to live for ants of the genus Pseudomyrmex. The ants live in large, hollow thorns and eat sugar secreted by the tree. The ants also eat yellow structures at the tip of leaflets: these are protein rich and seem to have no function for the tree except to attract ants. The ants benefit the host tree by attacking virtually anything that touches it. They sting other insects and large herbivores (animals that eat only plants) and even clip surrounding vegetation that grows near the tree. When the ants are removed, the trees usually die, probably because herbivores damage them so much that they are unable to compete with surrounding vegetation for light and growing space.\nThe complex interplay of species in symbiotic relationships highlights an important point about communities: Their structure depends on a web of diverse connections among organisms.","id":"625.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Indefensibly","Substantially","Unintentionally","Partially"],"question":"The word inadvertently in the passage (paragraph 4) is closest in meaning to","article":"A symbiotic relationship is an interaction between two or more species in which one species lives in or on another species. There are three main types of symbiotic relationships: parasitism, commensalism, and mutualism. The first and the third can be key factors in the structure of a biological community; that is, all the populations of organisms living together and potentially interacting in a particular area.\nParasitism is a kind of predator-prey relationship in which one organism, the parasite, derives its food at the expense of its symbiotic associate, the host. Parasites are usually smaller than their hosts. An example of a parasite is a tapeworm that lives inside the intestines of a larger animal and absorbs nutrients from its host. Natural selection favors the parasites that are best able to find and feed on hosts. At the same time, defensive abilities of hosts are also selected for. As an example, plants make chemicals toxic to fungal and bacterial parasites, along with ones toxic to predatory animals (sometimes they are the same chemicals). In vertebrates, the immune system provides a multiple defense against internal parasites.\nAt times, it is actually possible to watch the effects of natural selection in host-parasite relationships. For example, Australia during the 1940 s was overrun by hundreds of millions of European rabbits. The rabbits destroyed huge expanses of Australia and threatened the sheep and cattle industries. In 1950, myxoma virus, a parasite that affects rabbits, was deliberately introduced into Australia to control the rabbit population. Spread rapidly by mosquitoes, the virus devastated the rabbit population. The virus was less deadly to the offspring of surviving rabbits, however, and it caused less and less harm over the years. Apparently, genotypes (the genetic make-up of an organism) in the rabbit population were selected that were better able to resist the parasite. Meanwhile, the deadliest strains of the virus perished with their hosts as natural selection favored strains that could infect hosts but not kill them. Thus, natural selection stabilized this host-parasite relationship.\nIn contrast to parasitism, in commensalism, one partner benefits without significantly affecting the other. Few cases of absolute commensalism probably exist, because it is unlikely that one of the partners will be completely unaffected. Commensal associations sometimes involve one species' obtaining food that is ;;inadvertently exposed by another. For instance, several kinds of birds feed on insects flushed out of the grass by grazing cattle. It is difficult to imagine how this could affect the cattle, but the relationship may help or hinder them in some way not yet recognized.\nThe third type of symbiosis, mutualism, benefits both partners in the relationship Legume plants and their nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and the interactions between flowering plants and their pollinators, are examples of mutualistic association. In the first case, the plants provide the bacteria with carbohydrates and other organic compounds, and the bacteria have enzymes that act as catalysts that eventually add nitrogen to the soil, enriching it. In the second case, pollinators (insects, birds) obtain food from the flowering plant, and the plant has its pollen distributed and seeds dispersed much more efficiently than they would be if they were carried by the wind only. Another example of mutualism would be the bull's horn acacia tree, which grows in Central and South America. The tree provides a place to live for ants of the genus Pseudomyrmex. The ants live in large, hollow thorns and eat sugar secreted by the tree. The ants also eat yellow structures at the tip of leaflets: these are protein rich and seem to have no function for the tree except to attract ants. The ants benefit the host tree by attacking virtually anything that touches it. They sting other insects and large herbivores (animals that eat only plants) and even clip surrounding vegetation that grows near the tree. When the ants are removed, the trees usually die, probably because herbivores damage them so much that they are unable to compete with surrounding vegetation for light and growing space.\nThe complex interplay of species in symbiotic relationships highlights an important point about communities: Their structure depends on a web of diverse connections among organisms.","id":"625.txt","label":2} +{"option":["adding enriching carbohydrates","speeding the decay of organic matter","destroying enzymes that pollute it","contributing nitrogen to it"],"question":"According to paragraph 5, the relationship between legumes and bacteria benefits the soil by","article":"A symbiotic relationship is an interaction between two or more species in which one species lives in or on another species. There are three main types of symbiotic relationships: parasitism, commensalism, and mutualism. The first and the third can be key factors in the structure of a biological community; that is, all the populations of organisms living together and potentially interacting in a particular area.\nParasitism is a kind of predator-prey relationship in which one organism, the parasite, derives its food at the expense of its symbiotic associate, the host. Parasites are usually smaller than their hosts. An example of a parasite is a tapeworm that lives inside the intestines of a larger animal and absorbs nutrients from its host. Natural selection favors the parasites that are best able to find and feed on hosts. At the same time, defensive abilities of hosts are also selected for. As an example, plants make chemicals toxic to fungal and bacterial parasites, along with ones toxic to predatory animals (sometimes they are the same chemicals). In vertebrates, the immune system provides a multiple defense against internal parasites.\nAt times, it is actually possible to watch the effects of natural selection in host-parasite relationships. For example, Australia during the 1940 s was overrun by hundreds of millions of European rabbits. The rabbits destroyed huge expanses of Australia and threatened the sheep and cattle industries. In 1950, myxoma virus, a parasite that affects rabbits, was deliberately introduced into Australia to control the rabbit population. Spread rapidly by mosquitoes, the virus devastated the rabbit population. The virus was less deadly to the offspring of surviving rabbits, however, and it caused less and less harm over the years. Apparently, genotypes (the genetic make-up of an organism) in the rabbit population were selected that were better able to resist the parasite. Meanwhile, the deadliest strains of the virus perished with their hosts as natural selection favored strains that could infect hosts but not kill them. Thus, natural selection stabilized this host-parasite relationship.\nIn contrast to parasitism, in commensalism, one partner benefits without significantly affecting the other. Few cases of absolute commensalism probably exist, because it is unlikely that one of the partners will be completely unaffected. Commensal associations sometimes involve one species' obtaining food that is ;;inadvertently exposed by another. For instance, several kinds of birds feed on insects flushed out of the grass by grazing cattle. It is difficult to imagine how this could affect the cattle, but the relationship may help or hinder them in some way not yet recognized.\nThe third type of symbiosis, mutualism, benefits both partners in the relationship Legume plants and their nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and the interactions between flowering plants and their pollinators, are examples of mutualistic association. In the first case, the plants provide the bacteria with carbohydrates and other organic compounds, and the bacteria have enzymes that act as catalysts that eventually add nitrogen to the soil, enriching it. In the second case, pollinators (insects, birds) obtain food from the flowering plant, and the plant has its pollen distributed and seeds dispersed much more efficiently than they would be if they were carried by the wind only. Another example of mutualism would be the bull's horn acacia tree, which grows in Central and South America. The tree provides a place to live for ants of the genus Pseudomyrmex. The ants live in large, hollow thorns and eat sugar secreted by the tree. The ants also eat yellow structures at the tip of leaflets: these are protein rich and seem to have no function for the tree except to attract ants. The ants benefit the host tree by attacking virtually anything that touches it. They sting other insects and large herbivores (animals that eat only plants) and even clip surrounding vegetation that grows near the tree. When the ants are removed, the trees usually die, probably because herbivores damage them so much that they are unable to compete with surrounding vegetation for light and growing space.\nThe complex interplay of species in symbiotic relationships highlights an important point about communities: Their structure depends on a web of diverse connections among organisms.","id":"625.txt","label":3} +{"option":["According to paragraph 5, which of the following is NOT true of the relationship between the bull's horn acacia tree and the Pseudomyrmex ants","The acacia trees are a valuable source of nutrition for the ants.","The ants enable the acacia tree to produce its own chemical defenses.","The ants protect the acacia from having to compete with surrounding vegetation."],"question":"According to paragraph 5, which of the following is NOT true of the relationship between the bull's horn acacia tree and the Pseudomyrmex ants?","article":"A symbiotic relationship is an interaction between two or more species in which one species lives in or on another species. There are three main types of symbiotic relationships: parasitism, commensalism, and mutualism. The first and the third can be key factors in the structure of a biological community; that is, all the populations of organisms living together and potentially interacting in a particular area.\nParasitism is a kind of predator-prey relationship in which one organism, the parasite, derives its food at the expense of its symbiotic associate, the host. Parasites are usually smaller than their hosts. An example of a parasite is a tapeworm that lives inside the intestines of a larger animal and absorbs nutrients from its host. Natural selection favors the parasites that are best able to find and feed on hosts. At the same time, defensive abilities of hosts are also selected for. As an example, plants make chemicals toxic to fungal and bacterial parasites, along with ones toxic to predatory animals (sometimes they are the same chemicals). In vertebrates, the immune system provides a multiple defense against internal parasites.\nAt times, it is actually possible to watch the effects of natural selection in host-parasite relationships. For example, Australia during the 1940 s was overrun by hundreds of millions of European rabbits. The rabbits destroyed huge expanses of Australia and threatened the sheep and cattle industries. In 1950, myxoma virus, a parasite that affects rabbits, was deliberately introduced into Australia to control the rabbit population. Spread rapidly by mosquitoes, the virus devastated the rabbit population. The virus was less deadly to the offspring of surviving rabbits, however, and it caused less and less harm over the years. Apparently, genotypes (the genetic make-up of an organism) in the rabbit population were selected that were better able to resist the parasite. Meanwhile, the deadliest strains of the virus perished with their hosts as natural selection favored strains that could infect hosts but not kill them. Thus, natural selection stabilized this host-parasite relationship.\nIn contrast to parasitism, in commensalism, one partner benefits without significantly affecting the other. Few cases of absolute commensalism probably exist, because it is unlikely that one of the partners will be completely unaffected. Commensal associations sometimes involve one species' obtaining food that is ;;inadvertently exposed by another. For instance, several kinds of birds feed on insects flushed out of the grass by grazing cattle. It is difficult to imagine how this could affect the cattle, but the relationship may help or hinder them in some way not yet recognized.\nThe third type of symbiosis, mutualism, benefits both partners in the relationship Legume plants and their nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and the interactions between flowering plants and their pollinators, are examples of mutualistic association. In the first case, the plants provide the bacteria with carbohydrates and other organic compounds, and the bacteria have enzymes that act as catalysts that eventually add nitrogen to the soil, enriching it. In the second case, pollinators (insects, birds) obtain food from the flowering plant, and the plant has its pollen distributed and seeds dispersed much more efficiently than they would be if they were carried by the wind only. Another example of mutualism would be the bull's horn acacia tree, which grows in Central and South America. The tree provides a place to live for ants of the genus Pseudomyrmex. The ants live in large, hollow thorns and eat sugar secreted by the tree. The ants also eat yellow structures at the tip of leaflets: these are protein rich and seem to have no function for the tree except to attract ants. The ants benefit the host tree by attacking virtually anything that touches it. They sting other insects and large herbivores (animals that eat only plants) and even clip surrounding vegetation that grows near the tree. When the ants are removed, the trees usually die, probably because herbivores damage them so much that they are unable to compete with surrounding vegetation for light and growing space.\nThe complex interplay of species in symbiotic relationships highlights an important point about communities: Their structure depends on a web of diverse connections among organisms.","id":"625.txt","label":2} +{"option":["To explain the concept of symbiosis by expanded descriptions of its principal types","To make a comparison between human relationships and symbiotic interactions in the natural world","To demonstrate the unforeseen benefits of natural processes that at first seem wholly destructive","To argue that parasitism is a problem that can be solved by scientific intervention"],"question":"What is the main purpose of paragraph 6?","article":"A symbiotic relationship is an interaction between two or more species in which one species lives in or on another species. There are three main types of symbiotic relationships: parasitism, commensalism, and mutualism. The first and the third can be key factors in the structure of a biological community; that is, all the populations of organisms living together and potentially interacting in a particular area.\nParasitism is a kind of predator-prey relationship in which one organism, the parasite, derives its food at the expense of its symbiotic associate, the host. Parasites are usually smaller than their hosts. An example of a parasite is a tapeworm that lives inside the intestines of a larger animal and absorbs nutrients from its host. Natural selection favors the parasites that are best able to find and feed on hosts. At the same time, defensive abilities of hosts are also selected for. As an example, plants make chemicals toxic to fungal and bacterial parasites, along with ones toxic to predatory animals (sometimes they are the same chemicals). In vertebrates, the immune system provides a multiple defense against internal parasites.\nAt times, it is actually possible to watch the effects of natural selection in host-parasite relationships. For example, Australia during the 1940 s was overrun by hundreds of millions of European rabbits. The rabbits destroyed huge expanses of Australia and threatened the sheep and cattle industries. In 1950, myxoma virus, a parasite that affects rabbits, was deliberately introduced into Australia to control the rabbit population. Spread rapidly by mosquitoes, the virus devastated the rabbit population. The virus was less deadly to the offspring of surviving rabbits, however, and it caused less and less harm over the years. Apparently, genotypes (the genetic make-up of an organism) in the rabbit population were selected that were better able to resist the parasite. Meanwhile, the deadliest strains of the virus perished with their hosts as natural selection favored strains that could infect hosts but not kill them. Thus, natural selection stabilized this host-parasite relationship.\nIn contrast to parasitism, in commensalism, one partner benefits without significantly affecting the other. Few cases of absolute commensalism probably exist, because it is unlikely that one of the partners will be completely unaffected. Commensal associations sometimes involve one species' obtaining food that is ;;inadvertently exposed by another. For instance, several kinds of birds feed on insects flushed out of the grass by grazing cattle. It is difficult to imagine how this could affect the cattle, but the relationship may help or hinder them in some way not yet recognized.\nThe third type of symbiosis, mutualism, benefits both partners in the relationship Legume plants and their nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and the interactions between flowering plants and their pollinators, are examples of mutualistic association. In the first case, the plants provide the bacteria with carbohydrates and other organic compounds, and the bacteria have enzymes that act as catalysts that eventually add nitrogen to the soil, enriching it. In the second case, pollinators (insects, birds) obtain food from the flowering plant, and the plant has its pollen distributed and seeds dispersed much more efficiently than they would be if they were carried by the wind only. Another example of mutualism would be the bull's horn acacia tree, which grows in Central and South America. The tree provides a place to live for ants of the genus Pseudomyrmex. The ants live in large, hollow thorns and eat sugar secreted by the tree. The ants also eat yellow structures at the tip of leaflets: these are protein rich and seem to have no function for the tree except to attract ants. The ants benefit the host tree by attacking virtually anything that touches it. They sting other insects and large herbivores (animals that eat only plants) and even clip surrounding vegetation that grows near the tree. When the ants are removed, the trees usually die, probably because herbivores damage them so much that they are unable to compete with surrounding vegetation for light and growing space.\nThe complex interplay of species in symbiotic relationships highlights an important point about communities: Their structure depends on a web of diverse connections among organisms.","id":"625.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Polarity Reversal: A Fantastic Phenomenon of Nature.","Measurement of the Earth's Magnetic\ue011Field Intensity.","Formation of the Two Poles of the Earth.","A New Approach to the study of Geophysics."],"question":"Which of the following titles is most appropriate to the passage?","article":"There are some earth phenomena you can count on, but the magnetic field, someday is not of them. It fluctuates in strength, drifts from its axis, and every few 100,000 years undergo, dramatic polarity reversal-a period when north pole beco mes south pole and south pole becomes north pole. But how is the field generated , and why is it so unstable?\nGroundbreaking research by two French geophysicists promises to shed some light on the mystery. Using 80 meters of deep sea sediment core, they have obtained me asurements of magnetic\ue011field intensity that span 11 polarity reversals and four million years. The analysis reveals that intensity appears to fluctuate with a clear, well\ue011defined rhythm. Although the strength of the magnetic field varies irregularly during the short term, there seems to be an inevitable long term dec line preceding each polarity reversal. When the poles flip-a process that takes several hundred thousand years-the magnetic field rapidly regains its strength and the cycle is repeated.\nThe results have caused a stir among geophysicists. The magnetic field is though t to originate from molten iron in the outer core,3,000 kilometers beneath the e arth's surface. By studying mineral grains found in material ranging from rocks to clay articles, previous researchers have already been able to identify revers als dating back 170 million years, including the most recent switch 730,000 year s ago. How and why they occur, however, has been widely debated. Several theorie s link polarity flips to external disasters such as meteor impacts. But Peter Ol son, a geophysicist at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, says this is u nlikely if the French researchers are right. In fact, Olson says intensity that predictably declines from one reversal to the next contradicts 90 percent of the models currently under study. If the results prove to be valid geophysicists wi ll have a new theory to guide them in their quest to understand the earth's inne r physics. It certainly points the direction for future research.","id":"11.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Some regularity in the changes of the earth's magnetic field.","Some causes of the fluctuation of the earth's magnetic field.","The origin of the earth's magnetic field.","The frequency of polarity reversals."],"question":"What have the two French geophysicists discovered in their research?","article":"There are some earth phenomena you can count on, but the magnetic field, someday is not of them. It fluctuates in strength, drifts from its axis, and every few 100,000 years undergo, dramatic polarity reversal-a period when north pole beco mes south pole and south pole becomes north pole. But how is the field generated , and why is it so unstable?\nGroundbreaking research by two French geophysicists promises to shed some light on the mystery. Using 80 meters of deep sea sediment core, they have obtained me asurements of magnetic\ue011field intensity that span 11 polarity reversals and four million years. The analysis reveals that intensity appears to fluctuate with a clear, well\ue011defined rhythm. Although the strength of the magnetic field varies irregularly during the short term, there seems to be an inevitable long term dec line preceding each polarity reversal. When the poles flip-a process that takes several hundred thousand years-the magnetic field rapidly regains its strength and the cycle is repeated.\nThe results have caused a stir among geophysicists. The magnetic field is though t to originate from molten iron in the outer core,3,000 kilometers beneath the e arth's surface. By studying mineral grains found in material ranging from rocks to clay articles, previous researchers have already been able to identify revers als dating back 170 million years, including the most recent switch 730,000 year s ago. How and why they occur, however, has been widely debated. Several theorie s link polarity flips to external disasters such as meteor impacts. But Peter Ol son, a geophysicist at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, says this is u nlikely if the French researchers are right. In fact, Olson says intensity that predictably declines from one reversal to the next contradicts 90 percent of the models currently under study. If the results prove to be valid geophysicists wi ll have a new theory to guide them in their quest to understand the earth's inne r physics. It certainly points the direction for future research.","id":"11.txt","label":0} +{"option":["its identification of the origin of the earth's magnetic field","the way the earth's magnetic intensity is measured","its explanation of the shift in the earth's polarity","the way the earth's fluctuation rhythm is defined"],"question":"The French geophysicists' study is different from currently prevailing theories in _ .","article":"There are some earth phenomena you can count on, but the magnetic field, someday is not of them. It fluctuates in strength, drifts from its axis, and every few 100,000 years undergo, dramatic polarity reversal-a period when north pole beco mes south pole and south pole becomes north pole. But how is the field generated , and why is it so unstable?\nGroundbreaking research by two French geophysicists promises to shed some light on the mystery. Using 80 meters of deep sea sediment core, they have obtained me asurements of magnetic\ue011field intensity that span 11 polarity reversals and four million years. The analysis reveals that intensity appears to fluctuate with a clear, well\ue011defined rhythm. Although the strength of the magnetic field varies irregularly during the short term, there seems to be an inevitable long term dec line preceding each polarity reversal. When the poles flip-a process that takes several hundred thousand years-the magnetic field rapidly regains its strength and the cycle is repeated.\nThe results have caused a stir among geophysicists. The magnetic field is though t to originate from molten iron in the outer core,3,000 kilometers beneath the e arth's surface. By studying mineral grains found in material ranging from rocks to clay articles, previous researchers have already been able to identify revers als dating back 170 million years, including the most recent switch 730,000 year s ago. How and why they occur, however, has been widely debated. Several theorie s link polarity flips to external disasters such as meteor impacts. But Peter Ol son, a geophysicist at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, says this is u nlikely if the French researchers are right. In fact, Olson says intensity that predictably declines from one reversal to the next contradicts 90 percent of the models currently under study. If the results prove to be valid geophysicists wi ll have a new theory to guide them in their quest to understand the earth's inne r physics. It certainly points the direction for future research.","id":"11.txt","label":2} +{"option":["is likely to direct further research in the inner physics of the earth","has successfully solved the mystery of polarity reversals","is certain to help predict external disasters","has caused great confusion among the world's geophysicists"],"question":"In Peter Olson's opinion the French experiment _ .","article":"There are some earth phenomena you can count on, but the magnetic field, someday is not of them. It fluctuates in strength, drifts from its axis, and every few 100,000 years undergo, dramatic polarity reversal-a period when north pole beco mes south pole and south pole becomes north pole. But how is the field generated , and why is it so unstable?\nGroundbreaking research by two French geophysicists promises to shed some light on the mystery. Using 80 meters of deep sea sediment core, they have obtained me asurements of magnetic\ue011field intensity that span 11 polarity reversals and four million years. The analysis reveals that intensity appears to fluctuate with a clear, well\ue011defined rhythm. Although the strength of the magnetic field varies irregularly during the short term, there seems to be an inevitable long term dec line preceding each polarity reversal. When the poles flip-a process that takes several hundred thousand years-the magnetic field rapidly regains its strength and the cycle is repeated.\nThe results have caused a stir among geophysicists. The magnetic field is though t to originate from molten iron in the outer core,3,000 kilometers beneath the e arth's surface. By studying mineral grains found in material ranging from rocks to clay articles, previous researchers have already been able to identify revers als dating back 170 million years, including the most recent switch 730,000 year s ago. How and why they occur, however, has been widely debated. Several theorie s link polarity flips to external disasters such as meteor impacts. But Peter Ol son, a geophysicist at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, says this is u nlikely if the French researchers are right. In fact, Olson says intensity that predictably declines from one reversal to the next contradicts 90 percent of the models currently under study. If the results prove to be valid geophysicists wi ll have a new theory to guide them in their quest to understand the earth's inne r physics. It certainly points the direction for future research.","id":"11.txt","label":0} +{"option":["received support from fans like Donovan","remolded the intelligence services","restored many common pastimes","revived spying as a profession"],"question":"The emergence of the Net has \t.","article":"Wild Bill Donovan would have loved the Internet. The American spymaster who built the Office of Strategic Services in the World War II and later laid the roots for the CIA was fascinated with information. Donovan believed in using whatever tools came to hand in the \"great game\" of espionage -- spying as a \"profession.\" These days the Net, which has already re-made such everyday pastimes as buying books and sending mail, is reshaping Donovan's vocation as well.\nThe latest revolution isn't simply a matter of gentlemen reading other gentlemen's e-mail. That kind of electronic spying has been going on for decades. In the past three or four years, the World Wide Web has given birth to a whole industry of point-and-click spying. The spooks call it \"open-source intelligence,\" and as the Net grows, it is becoming increasingly influential. In 1995 the CIA held a contest to see who could compile the most data about Burundi. The winner, by a large margin, was a tiny Virginia company called Open Source Solutions, whose clear advantage was its mastery of the electronic world.\nAmong the firms making the biggest splash in this new world is Straitford, Inc., a private intelligence-analysis firm based in Austin, Texas. Straitford makes money by selling the results of spying (covering nations from Chile to Russia) to corporations like energy-services firm McDermott International. Many of its predictions are available online at www.straitford.com.\nStraitford president George Friedman says he sees the online world as a kind of mutually reinforcing tool for both information collection and distribution, a spymaster's dream. Last week his firm was busy vacuuming up data bits from the far corners of the world and predicting a crisis in Ukraine. \"As soon as that report runs, we'll suddenly get 500 new Internet sign-ups from Ukraine,\" says Friedman, a former political science professor. \"And we'll hear back from some of them.\" Open-source spying does have its risks, of course, since it can be difficult to tell good information from bad. That's where Straitford earns its keep.\nFriedman relies on a lean staff of 20 in Austin. Several of his staff members have military-intelligence backgrounds. He sees the firm's outsider status as the key to its success.\nStraitford's briefs don't sound like the usual Washington back-and-forthing, whereby agencies avoid dramatic declarations on the chance they might be wrong. Straitford, says Friedman, takes pride in its independent voice.","id":"3299.txt","label":1} +{"option":["introduce the topic of online spying","show how he fought for the U.S.","give an episode of the information war","honor his unique services to the CIA"],"question":"Donovan's story is mentioned in the text to \t.","article":"Wild Bill Donovan would have loved the Internet. The American spymaster who built the Office of Strategic Services in the World War II and later laid the roots for the CIA was fascinated with information. Donovan believed in using whatever tools came to hand in the \"great game\" of espionage -- spying as a \"profession.\" These days the Net, which has already re-made such everyday pastimes as buying books and sending mail, is reshaping Donovan's vocation as well.\nThe latest revolution isn't simply a matter of gentlemen reading other gentlemen's e-mail. That kind of electronic spying has been going on for decades. In the past three or four years, the World Wide Web has given birth to a whole industry of point-and-click spying. The spooks call it \"open-source intelligence,\" and as the Net grows, it is becoming increasingly influential. In 1995 the CIA held a contest to see who could compile the most data about Burundi. The winner, by a large margin, was a tiny Virginia company called Open Source Solutions, whose clear advantage was its mastery of the electronic world.\nAmong the firms making the biggest splash in this new world is Straitford, Inc., a private intelligence-analysis firm based in Austin, Texas. Straitford makes money by selling the results of spying (covering nations from Chile to Russia) to corporations like energy-services firm McDermott International. Many of its predictions are available online at www.straitford.com.\nStraitford president George Friedman says he sees the online world as a kind of mutually reinforcing tool for both information collection and distribution, a spymaster's dream. Last week his firm was busy vacuuming up data bits from the far corners of the world and predicting a crisis in Ukraine. \"As soon as that report runs, we'll suddenly get 500 new Internet sign-ups from Ukraine,\" says Friedman, a former political science professor. \"And we'll hear back from some of them.\" Open-source spying does have its risks, of course, since it can be difficult to tell good information from bad. That's where Straitford earns its keep.\nFriedman relies on a lean staff of 20 in Austin. Several of his staff members have military-intelligence backgrounds. He sees the firm's outsider status as the key to its success.\nStraitford's briefs don't sound like the usual Washington back-and-forthing, whereby agencies avoid dramatic declarations on the chance they might be wrong. Straitford, says Friedman, takes pride in its independent voice.","id":"3299.txt","label":0} +{"option":["causing the biggest trouble","exerting the greatest effort","achieving the greatest success","enjoying the widest popularity"],"question":"The phrase \"making the biggest splash\" (Line 1, Paragraph 3) most probably means \t.","article":"Wild Bill Donovan would have loved the Internet. The American spymaster who built the Office of Strategic Services in the World War II and later laid the roots for the CIA was fascinated with information. Donovan believed in using whatever tools came to hand in the \"great game\" of espionage -- spying as a \"profession.\" These days the Net, which has already re-made such everyday pastimes as buying books and sending mail, is reshaping Donovan's vocation as well.\nThe latest revolution isn't simply a matter of gentlemen reading other gentlemen's e-mail. That kind of electronic spying has been going on for decades. In the past three or four years, the World Wide Web has given birth to a whole industry of point-and-click spying. The spooks call it \"open-source intelligence,\" and as the Net grows, it is becoming increasingly influential. In 1995 the CIA held a contest to see who could compile the most data about Burundi. The winner, by a large margin, was a tiny Virginia company called Open Source Solutions, whose clear advantage was its mastery of the electronic world.\nAmong the firms making the biggest splash in this new world is Straitford, Inc., a private intelligence-analysis firm based in Austin, Texas. Straitford makes money by selling the results of spying (covering nations from Chile to Russia) to corporations like energy-services firm McDermott International. Many of its predictions are available online at www.straitford.com.\nStraitford president George Friedman says he sees the online world as a kind of mutually reinforcing tool for both information collection and distribution, a spymaster's dream. Last week his firm was busy vacuuming up data bits from the far corners of the world and predicting a crisis in Ukraine. \"As soon as that report runs, we'll suddenly get 500 new Internet sign-ups from Ukraine,\" says Friedman, a former political science professor. \"And we'll hear back from some of them.\" Open-source spying does have its risks, of course, since it can be difficult to tell good information from bad. That's where Straitford earns its keep.\nFriedman relies on a lean staff of 20 in Austin. Several of his staff members have military-intelligence backgrounds. He sees the firm's outsider status as the key to its success.\nStraitford's briefs don't sound like the usual Washington back-and-forthing, whereby agencies avoid dramatic declarations on the chance they might be wrong. Straitford, says Friedman, takes pride in its independent voice.","id":"3299.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Straitford's prediction about Ukraine has proved true","Straitford guarantees the truthfulness of its information","Straitford's business is characterized by unpredictability","Straitford is able to provide fairly reliable information"],"question":"It can be learned from Paragraph 4 that \t.","article":"Wild Bill Donovan would have loved the Internet. The American spymaster who built the Office of Strategic Services in the World War II and later laid the roots for the CIA was fascinated with information. Donovan believed in using whatever tools came to hand in the \"great game\" of espionage -- spying as a \"profession.\" These days the Net, which has already re-made such everyday pastimes as buying books and sending mail, is reshaping Donovan's vocation as well.\nThe latest revolution isn't simply a matter of gentlemen reading other gentlemen's e-mail. That kind of electronic spying has been going on for decades. In the past three or four years, the World Wide Web has given birth to a whole industry of point-and-click spying. The spooks call it \"open-source intelligence,\" and as the Net grows, it is becoming increasingly influential. In 1995 the CIA held a contest to see who could compile the most data about Burundi. The winner, by a large margin, was a tiny Virginia company called Open Source Solutions, whose clear advantage was its mastery of the electronic world.\nAmong the firms making the biggest splash in this new world is Straitford, Inc., a private intelligence-analysis firm based in Austin, Texas. Straitford makes money by selling the results of spying (covering nations from Chile to Russia) to corporations like energy-services firm McDermott International. Many of its predictions are available online at www.straitford.com.\nStraitford president George Friedman says he sees the online world as a kind of mutually reinforcing tool for both information collection and distribution, a spymaster's dream. Last week his firm was busy vacuuming up data bits from the far corners of the world and predicting a crisis in Ukraine. \"As soon as that report runs, we'll suddenly get 500 new Internet sign-ups from Ukraine,\" says Friedman, a former political science professor. \"And we'll hear back from some of them.\" Open-source spying does have its risks, of course, since it can be difficult to tell good information from bad. That's where Straitford earns its keep.\nFriedman relies on a lean staff of 20 in Austin. Several of his staff members have military-intelligence backgrounds. He sees the firm's outsider status as the key to its success.\nStraitford's briefs don't sound like the usual Washington back-and-forthing, whereby agencies avoid dramatic declarations on the chance they might be wrong. Straitford, says Friedman, takes pride in its independent voice.","id":"3299.txt","label":3} +{"option":["official status","nonconformist image","efficient staff","military background"],"question":"Straitford is most proud of its \t.","article":"Wild Bill Donovan would have loved the Internet. The American spymaster who built the Office of Strategic Services in the World War II and later laid the roots for the CIA was fascinated with information. Donovan believed in using whatever tools came to hand in the \"great game\" of espionage -- spying as a \"profession.\" These days the Net, which has already re-made such everyday pastimes as buying books and sending mail, is reshaping Donovan's vocation as well.\nThe latest revolution isn't simply a matter of gentlemen reading other gentlemen's e-mail. That kind of electronic spying has been going on for decades. In the past three or four years, the World Wide Web has given birth to a whole industry of point-and-click spying. The spooks call it \"open-source intelligence,\" and as the Net grows, it is becoming increasingly influential. In 1995 the CIA held a contest to see who could compile the most data about Burundi. The winner, by a large margin, was a tiny Virginia company called Open Source Solutions, whose clear advantage was its mastery of the electronic world.\nAmong the firms making the biggest splash in this new world is Straitford, Inc., a private intelligence-analysis firm based in Austin, Texas. Straitford makes money by selling the results of spying (covering nations from Chile to Russia) to corporations like energy-services firm McDermott International. Many of its predictions are available online at www.straitford.com.\nStraitford president George Friedman says he sees the online world as a kind of mutually reinforcing tool for both information collection and distribution, a spymaster's dream. Last week his firm was busy vacuuming up data bits from the far corners of the world and predicting a crisis in Ukraine. \"As soon as that report runs, we'll suddenly get 500 new Internet sign-ups from Ukraine,\" says Friedman, a former political science professor. \"And we'll hear back from some of them.\" Open-source spying does have its risks, of course, since it can be difficult to tell good information from bad. That's where Straitford earns its keep.\nFriedman relies on a lean staff of 20 in Austin. Several of his staff members have military-intelligence backgrounds. He sees the firm's outsider status as the key to its success.\nStraitford's briefs don't sound like the usual Washington back-and-forthing, whereby agencies avoid dramatic declarations on the chance they might be wrong. Straitford, says Friedman, takes pride in its independent voice.","id":"3299.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Good tool Design for Women","Importance of Good Tool Design","Tool Design and Prevention of Injuries","Overuse of Tools and Worker Protection"],"question":"What is the best title for the passage?","article":"Good tool design is important in the prevention of overuse injuries. Well-designed tools and equipment will require less force to operate them and prevent awkwardhand positions. They will allow the worker to keep the elbowsnext to the body to prevent damage to the shoulder and arm.\nOveruse injuries can therefore be prevented or reduced if the employer provides, and workers use:\n\u25cfpower tools rather than having to use musclepower\n\u25cftools with specially designed handles that allow the wristto keep straight (See figure 1). This means that hands and wrists are kept in the same position as they would be if they were hanging relaxed at a person's side\nFigure1. Bend the tool, not the wrist\n\u25cftools with handles that can be held comfortably by the whole hand. This means having a selection of sizes-remember that tools that provide a comfortable firm Hold for a person with a very large hand may be awkward for someone with a very small hand. This is a particularly important consideration for women who may use tools originally designed for men.\n\u25cftools that do not press fingers (or flesh) between the handles, and whose handles do not have sharp edges or a small surface area.","id":"2730.txt","label":2} +{"option":["It's kept close to the body.","It fully uses muscle power.","It makes users feel relaxed.","It's operated with less force."],"question":"Which of the following describes a well-designed tool?","article":"Good tool design is important in the prevention of overuse injuries. Well-designed tools and equipment will require less force to operate them and prevent awkwardhand positions. They will allow the worker to keep the elbowsnext to the body to prevent damage to the shoulder and arm.\nOveruse injuries can therefore be prevented or reduced if the employer provides, and workers use:\n\u25cfpower tools rather than having to use musclepower\n\u25cftools with specially designed handles that allow the wristto keep straight (See figure 1). This means that hands and wrists are kept in the same position as they would be if they were hanging relaxed at a person's side\nFigure1. Bend the tool, not the wrist\n\u25cftools with handles that can be held comfortably by the whole hand. This means having a selection of sizes-remember that tools that provide a comfortable firm Hold for a person with a very large hand may be awkward for someone with a very small hand. This is a particularly important consideration for women who may use tools originally designed for men.\n\u25cftools that do not press fingers (or flesh) between the handles, and whose handles do not have sharp edges or a small surface area.","id":"2730.txt","label":3} +{"option":["The effective use of the tool.","The way of operating the tool.","The proper design of the handle.","The purpose of bending the wrist."],"question":"What is Figure 1 used to show?","article":"Good tool design is important in the prevention of overuse injuries. Well-designed tools and equipment will require less force to operate them and prevent awkwardhand positions. They will allow the worker to keep the elbowsnext to the body to prevent damage to the shoulder and arm.\nOveruse injuries can therefore be prevented or reduced if the employer provides, and workers use:\n\u25cfpower tools rather than having to use musclepower\n\u25cftools with specially designed handles that allow the wristto keep straight (See figure 1). This means that hands and wrists are kept in the same position as they would be if they were hanging relaxed at a person's side\nFigure1. Bend the tool, not the wrist\n\u25cftools with handles that can be held comfortably by the whole hand. This means having a selection of sizes-remember that tools that provide a comfortable firm Hold for a person with a very large hand may be awkward for someone with a very small hand. This is a particularly important consideration for women who may use tools originally designed for men.\n\u25cftools that do not press fingers (or flesh) between the handles, and whose handles do not have sharp edges or a small surface area.","id":"2730.txt","label":2} +{"option":["the size","the edge","the shape","the position"],"question":"In choosing tools for women, _ of the handle is the most important.","article":"Good tool design is important in the prevention of overuse injuries. Well-designed tools and equipment will require less force to operate them and prevent awkwardhand positions. They will allow the worker to keep the elbowsnext to the body to prevent damage to the shoulder and arm.\nOveruse injuries can therefore be prevented or reduced if the employer provides, and workers use:\n\u25cfpower tools rather than having to use musclepower\n\u25cftools with specially designed handles that allow the wristto keep straight (See figure 1). This means that hands and wrists are kept in the same position as they would be if they were hanging relaxed at a person's side\nFigure1. Bend the tool, not the wrist\n\u25cftools with handles that can be held comfortably by the whole hand. This means having a selection of sizes-remember that tools that provide a comfortable firm Hold for a person with a very large hand may be awkward for someone with a very small hand. This is a particularly important consideration for women who may use tools originally designed for men.\n\u25cftools that do not press fingers (or flesh) between the handles, and whose handles do not have sharp edges or a small surface area.","id":"2730.txt","label":0} +{"option":["they are cold to each other","they look away from each other","they misunderstand each other's signals","they are introduced at an early age"],"question":"Some cats and dogs may fight when _ .","article":"Can dogs and cats live in perfect harmony in the same home? People who are thinking about adopting a dog as a friend for their cats are worried that they will fight. A recent research has found a new recipe of success. According to the study, if the cat is adopted before the dog, and if they are introduced when still young (less than 6 months for cats, a year for dogs), it is highly probable that the two pets will get along swimmingly. Two-thirds of the homes interviewed reported a positive relationship between their cat and dog.\nHowever, it wasn't all sweetness and light. There was a reported coldness between the cat and dog in 25% of the homes, while aggression and fighting were observed in 10% of the homes. One reason for this is probably that some of their body signals were just opposite. For example, when a cat turns its head away it signals aggression, while a dog doing the same signals submission.\nIn homes with cats and dogs living peacefully, researchers observed a surprising behaviour. They are learning how to talk each other's language. It is a surprise that cats can learn how to talk \u2018dog', and dogs can learn how to talk \u2018Cat'.\nWhat's interesting is that both cats and dogs have appeared to develop their intelligence. They can learn to read each other's body signals, suggesting that the two may have more in common than was preciously suspected. Once familiar with each other's presence and body language, cats and dogs can play together, greet each other nose to nose, and enjoy sleeping together in the sofa. They can easily share the same water bowl and in some cases groom each other.\nThe significance of this research on cats and dogs may go beyond pets----to people who don't get along, including neighbors, colleagues at work, and even world superpowers. If cats and dogs can learn to get along, surely people have a good chance.","id":"3166.txt","label":2} +{"option":["They eat and sleep together","They observe each other's behaviors","They learn to speak each other's language","They know something from each other's voice"],"question":"What is found surprising about cats and dogs?","article":"Can dogs and cats live in perfect harmony in the same home? People who are thinking about adopting a dog as a friend for their cats are worried that they will fight. A recent research has found a new recipe of success. According to the study, if the cat is adopted before the dog, and if they are introduced when still young (less than 6 months for cats, a year for dogs), it is highly probable that the two pets will get along swimmingly. Two-thirds of the homes interviewed reported a positive relationship between their cat and dog.\nHowever, it wasn't all sweetness and light. There was a reported coldness between the cat and dog in 25% of the homes, while aggression and fighting were observed in 10% of the homes. One reason for this is probably that some of their body signals were just opposite. For example, when a cat turns its head away it signals aggression, while a dog doing the same signals submission.\nIn homes with cats and dogs living peacefully, researchers observed a surprising behaviour. They are learning how to talk each other's language. It is a surprise that cats can learn how to talk \u2018dog', and dogs can learn how to talk \u2018Cat'.\nWhat's interesting is that both cats and dogs have appeared to develop their intelligence. They can learn to read each other's body signals, suggesting that the two may have more in common than was preciously suspected. Once familiar with each other's presence and body language, cats and dogs can play together, greet each other nose to nose, and enjoy sleeping together in the sofa. They can easily share the same water bowl and in some cases groom each other.\nThe significance of this research on cats and dogs may go beyond pets----to people who don't get along, including neighbors, colleagues at work, and even world superpowers. If cats and dogs can learn to get along, surely people have a good chance.","id":"3166.txt","label":2} +{"option":["have common interests","are less different than was thought","have a common body langage","are less intelligent than was expected"],"question":"It is suggested in paragraph 4 that cats and dogs _ .","article":"Can dogs and cats live in perfect harmony in the same home? People who are thinking about adopting a dog as a friend for their cats are worried that they will fight. A recent research has found a new recipe of success. According to the study, if the cat is adopted before the dog, and if they are introduced when still young (less than 6 months for cats, a year for dogs), it is highly probable that the two pets will get along swimmingly. Two-thirds of the homes interviewed reported a positive relationship between their cat and dog.\nHowever, it wasn't all sweetness and light. There was a reported coldness between the cat and dog in 25% of the homes, while aggression and fighting were observed in 10% of the homes. One reason for this is probably that some of their body signals were just opposite. For example, when a cat turns its head away it signals aggression, while a dog doing the same signals submission.\nIn homes with cats and dogs living peacefully, researchers observed a surprising behaviour. They are learning how to talk each other's language. It is a surprise that cats can learn how to talk \u2018dog', and dogs can learn how to talk \u2018Cat'.\nWhat's interesting is that both cats and dogs have appeared to develop their intelligence. They can learn to read each other's body signals, suggesting that the two may have more in common than was preciously suspected. Once familiar with each other's presence and body language, cats and dogs can play together, greet each other nose to nose, and enjoy sleeping together in the sofa. They can easily share the same water bowl and in some cases groom each other.\nThe significance of this research on cats and dogs may go beyond pets----to people who don't get along, including neighbors, colleagues at work, and even world superpowers. If cats and dogs can learn to get along, surely people have a good chance.","id":"3166.txt","label":1} +{"option":["We should learn to live in harmony","We should knows more about animals","We should live in peace with animals","We should learn more body languages"],"question":"What can we human beings learn from cats and dogs?","article":"Can dogs and cats live in perfect harmony in the same home? People who are thinking about adopting a dog as a friend for their cats are worried that they will fight. A recent research has found a new recipe of success. According to the study, if the cat is adopted before the dog, and if they are introduced when still young (less than 6 months for cats, a year for dogs), it is highly probable that the two pets will get along swimmingly. Two-thirds of the homes interviewed reported a positive relationship between their cat and dog.\nHowever, it wasn't all sweetness and light. There was a reported coldness between the cat and dog in 25% of the homes, while aggression and fighting were observed in 10% of the homes. One reason for this is probably that some of their body signals were just opposite. For example, when a cat turns its head away it signals aggression, while a dog doing the same signals submission.\nIn homes with cats and dogs living peacefully, researchers observed a surprising behaviour. They are learning how to talk each other's language. It is a surprise that cats can learn how to talk \u2018dog', and dogs can learn how to talk \u2018Cat'.\nWhat's interesting is that both cats and dogs have appeared to develop their intelligence. They can learn to read each other's body signals, suggesting that the two may have more in common than was preciously suspected. Once familiar with each other's presence and body language, cats and dogs can play together, greet each other nose to nose, and enjoy sleeping together in the sofa. They can easily share the same water bowl and in some cases groom each other.\nThe significance of this research on cats and dogs may go beyond pets----to people who don't get along, including neighbors, colleagues at work, and even world superpowers. If cats and dogs can learn to get along, surely people have a good chance.","id":"3166.txt","label":0} +{"option":["of little use","of some use","practical","valuable"],"question":"The man once thought advertising was _ .","article":"A man once said how useless it was to put advertisements in the newspapers. \u2015Last week,\u2016 he said, my umbrella was stolen from a London church. As it was a present, I spent twice its worth in advertising, but didn't get it back.\n\u2015How did you write your advertisement?\u2016 asked one of the listeners, a merchant.\n\u2015Here it is,\u2016 said the man, taking out of his pocket a slip cut from a newspaper, The other man took it and read, \u2015Lost from the City Church last Sunday evening, a black silk umbrella. The gentleman who finds it will receive ten shillings on leaving it at No. 10 Broad Street.\u2016\n\u2015Now,\u2016said the merchant, \u2015I often advertise, and find that it pays me well. But the way in which an advertisement is expressed is of extreme importance. Let us try for your umbrella again, and if it fails, I'll buy you a new one.\u2016\nThe merchant then took a slip of paper out of his pocket and wrote: \u2015If the man who was seen to take an umbrella from the City Church last Sunday evening does n't wish to get into trouble, he will return the umbrella to No.10 Broad Street. He is well known.\u2016\nThis appeared in the paper, and on the following morning, the man was astonished when the opened the front door. (81) In the doorway lay at least twelve umbrellas of all sizes and colors that had been thrown in, and his own was among the number. Many of them had notes fastened to them saying that they hand been taken by mistake, and begging the loser not to say anything about the matter.","id":"1831.txt","label":0} +{"option":["the man got his umbrella back","the man wasted some money advertising","nobody found the missing umbrella","the umbrella was found somewhere near the church"],"question":"The result of the first advertisement was that _ .","article":"A man once said how useless it was to put advertisements in the newspapers. \u2015Last week,\u2016 he said, my umbrella was stolen from a London church. As it was a present, I spent twice its worth in advertising, but didn't get it back.\n\u2015How did you write your advertisement?\u2016 asked one of the listeners, a merchant.\n\u2015Here it is,\u2016 said the man, taking out of his pocket a slip cut from a newspaper, The other man took it and read, \u2015Lost from the City Church last Sunday evening, a black silk umbrella. The gentleman who finds it will receive ten shillings on leaving it at No. 10 Broad Street.\u2016\n\u2015Now,\u2016said the merchant, \u2015I often advertise, and find that it pays me well. But the way in which an advertisement is expressed is of extreme importance. Let us try for your umbrella again, and if it fails, I'll buy you a new one.\u2016\nThe merchant then took a slip of paper out of his pocket and wrote: \u2015If the man who was seen to take an umbrella from the City Church last Sunday evening does n't wish to get into trouble, he will return the umbrella to No.10 Broad Street. He is well known.\u2016\nThis appeared in the paper, and on the following morning, the man was astonished when the opened the front door. (81) In the doorway lay at least twelve umbrellas of all sizes and colors that had been thrown in, and his own was among the number. Many of them had notes fastened to them saying that they hand been taken by mistake, and begging the loser not to say anything about the matter.","id":"1831.txt","label":1} +{"option":["buy a new umbrella","go on looking for his umbrella","write another better advertisement.","report to the police"],"question":"The merchant suggested that the man should _ .","article":"A man once said how useless it was to put advertisements in the newspapers. \u2015Last week,\u2016 he said, my umbrella was stolen from a London church. As it was a present, I spent twice its worth in advertising, but didn't get it back.\n\u2015How did you write your advertisement?\u2016 asked one of the listeners, a merchant.\n\u2015Here it is,\u2016 said the man, taking out of his pocket a slip cut from a newspaper, The other man took it and read, \u2015Lost from the City Church last Sunday evening, a black silk umbrella. The gentleman who finds it will receive ten shillings on leaving it at No. 10 Broad Street.\u2016\n\u2015Now,\u2016said the merchant, \u2015I often advertise, and find that it pays me well. But the way in which an advertisement is expressed is of extreme importance. Let us try for your umbrella again, and if it fails, I'll buy you a new one.\u2016\nThe merchant then took a slip of paper out of his pocket and wrote: \u2015If the man who was seen to take an umbrella from the City Church last Sunday evening does n't wish to get into trouble, he will return the umbrella to No.10 Broad Street. He is well known.\u2016\nThis appeared in the paper, and on the following morning, the man was astonished when the opened the front door. (81) In the doorway lay at least twelve umbrellas of all sizes and colors that had been thrown in, and his own was among the number. Many of them had notes fastened to them saying that they hand been taken by mistake, and begging the loser not to say anything about the matter.","id":"1831.txt","label":2} +{"option":["He knew how to advertise","He had more money for advertising","He found it easy to advertise.","He had a friend in the newspaper where he advertised."],"question":"Why did the merchant say \u2015I often advertise and find that it pays me well\u2016?","article":"A man once said how useless it was to put advertisements in the newspapers. \u2015Last week,\u2016 he said, my umbrella was stolen from a London church. As it was a present, I spent twice its worth in advertising, but didn't get it back.\n\u2015How did you write your advertisement?\u2016 asked one of the listeners, a merchant.\n\u2015Here it is,\u2016 said the man, taking out of his pocket a slip cut from a newspaper, The other man took it and read, \u2015Lost from the City Church last Sunday evening, a black silk umbrella. The gentleman who finds it will receive ten shillings on leaving it at No. 10 Broad Street.\u2016\n\u2015Now,\u2016said the merchant, \u2015I often advertise, and find that it pays me well. But the way in which an advertisement is expressed is of extreme importance. Let us try for your umbrella again, and if it fails, I'll buy you a new one.\u2016\nThe merchant then took a slip of paper out of his pocket and wrote: \u2015If the man who was seen to take an umbrella from the City Church last Sunday evening does n't wish to get into trouble, he will return the umbrella to No.10 Broad Street. He is well known.\u2016\nThis appeared in the paper, and on the following morning, the man was astonished when the opened the front door. (81) In the doorway lay at least twelve umbrellas of all sizes and colors that had been thrown in, and his own was among the number. Many of them had notes fastened to them saying that they hand been taken by mistake, and begging the loser not to say anything about the matter.","id":"1831.txt","label":0} +{"option":["a useless advertisement","how to make an effective advertisement","how the man lost and found his umbrella","what the merchant did for the umbrella owner"],"question":"This is a story about _.","article":"A man once said how useless it was to put advertisements in the newspapers. \u2015Last week,\u2016 he said, my umbrella was stolen from a London church. As it was a present, I spent twice its worth in advertising, but didn't get it back.\n\u2015How did you write your advertisement?\u2016 asked one of the listeners, a merchant.\n\u2015Here it is,\u2016 said the man, taking out of his pocket a slip cut from a newspaper, The other man took it and read, \u2015Lost from the City Church last Sunday evening, a black silk umbrella. The gentleman who finds it will receive ten shillings on leaving it at No. 10 Broad Street.\u2016\n\u2015Now,\u2016said the merchant, \u2015I often advertise, and find that it pays me well. But the way in which an advertisement is expressed is of extreme importance. Let us try for your umbrella again, and if it fails, I'll buy you a new one.\u2016\nThe merchant then took a slip of paper out of his pocket and wrote: \u2015If the man who was seen to take an umbrella from the City Church last Sunday evening does n't wish to get into trouble, he will return the umbrella to No.10 Broad Street. He is well known.\u2016\nThis appeared in the paper, and on the following morning, the man was astonished when the opened the front door. (81) In the doorway lay at least twelve umbrellas of all sizes and colors that had been thrown in, and his own was among the number. Many of them had notes fastened to them saying that they hand been taken by mistake, and begging the loser not to say anything about the matter.","id":"1831.txt","label":1} +{"option":["they do not know how to enjoy themselves","they do not believe that relaxation is important for health","they are travelling fast all the time","they are becoming busier with their work"],"question":"People are finding less and less time for relaxing themselves because _ .","article":"As the pace of life continues to increase ,we are fast losing the art of relaxation. Once you are in the habit of rushing through lift,being on the go from morning till night, it is hard to slow down. But relaxation is essential for a healthy mind and body.\nStress is an natural part of everyday lift and there is no way to avoid it. In fact ,it is not the bad thing it is often supposed to be .A certain amount of stress is vital to provide motivation adn give purpose to life. It is only when the stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor performance and ill health.\nThe amount of stress a person can withstand depends very much on the individual. Some people are not afraid of stress,and such characters are obviously prime material for managerial responsibilities. Others lose heart at the first signs of unusual difficulties. When exposed to stress,in whatever form,we react both chemically and physically. In fact we make choice between \"fight\" or \"flight\" and in more primitive days the choice made the difference between life or death. The crises we meet today are unlikely to be so extreme,but however little the stress,it involves the same response. It is when such a reaction lasts long,through continued exposure to stress,that health becomes endangered.Such serious conditions as high blood pressure and heart disease have established links with stress.Since we cannot remove stress from our lives(it would be unwise to do so even if we could),we need to find ways to deal with it.","id":"3030.txt","label":3} +{"option":["not fearing stress","knowing the art of relaxation","high sense of responsibility","having control over performance"],"question":"According to the writer ,the most important character for a good manager is his _ .","article":"As the pace of life continues to increase ,we are fast losing the art of relaxation. Once you are in the habit of rushing through lift,being on the go from morning till night, it is hard to slow down. But relaxation is essential for a healthy mind and body.\nStress is an natural part of everyday lift and there is no way to avoid it. In fact ,it is not the bad thing it is often supposed to be .A certain amount of stress is vital to provide motivation adn give purpose to life. It is only when the stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor performance and ill health.\nThe amount of stress a person can withstand depends very much on the individual. Some people are not afraid of stress,and such characters are obviously prime material for managerial responsibilities. Others lose heart at the first signs of unusual difficulties. When exposed to stress,in whatever form,we react both chemically and physically. In fact we make choice between \"fight\" or \"flight\" and in more primitive days the choice made the difference between life or death. The crises we meet today are unlikely to be so extreme,but however little the stress,it involves the same response. It is when such a reaction lasts long,through continued exposure to stress,that health becomes endangered.Such serious conditions as high blood pressure and heart disease have established links with stress.Since we cannot remove stress from our lives(it would be unwise to do so even if we could),we need to find ways to deal with it.","id":"3030.txt","label":0} +{"option":["We can find some ways to avoid stress","Stress is always harmful to people","It is easy to change the hagit of keeping oneself busy with work.","Different people can withstand different amounts of stress"],"question":"Which of the follwing statements is ture?","article":"As the pace of life continues to increase ,we are fast losing the art of relaxation. Once you are in the habit of rushing through lift,being on the go from morning till night, it is hard to slow down. But relaxation is essential for a healthy mind and body.\nStress is an natural part of everyday lift and there is no way to avoid it. In fact ,it is not the bad thing it is often supposed to be .A certain amount of stress is vital to provide motivation adn give purpose to life. It is only when the stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor performance and ill health.\nThe amount of stress a person can withstand depends very much on the individual. Some people are not afraid of stress,and such characters are obviously prime material for managerial responsibilities. Others lose heart at the first signs of unusual difficulties. When exposed to stress,in whatever form,we react both chemically and physically. In fact we make choice between \"fight\" or \"flight\" and in more primitive days the choice made the difference between life or death. The crises we meet today are unlikely to be so extreme,but however little the stress,it involves the same response. It is when such a reaction lasts long,through continued exposure to stress,that health becomes endangered.Such serious conditions as high blood pressure and heart disease have established links with stress.Since we cannot remove stress from our lives(it would be unwise to do so even if we could),we need to find ways to deal with it.","id":"3030.txt","label":3} +{"option":["\"making a choice between 'flight' or 'fight'\"","\"reaction to stress both chemically and physically\"","\"responding to crises quickly\"","\"losing heart at the signs difficulties\""],"question":"In Paragraph 3, \"such a reaction\" refers back to _ .","article":"As the pace of life continues to increase ,we are fast losing the art of relaxation. Once you are in the habit of rushing through lift,being on the go from morning till night, it is hard to slow down. But relaxation is essential for a healthy mind and body.\nStress is an natural part of everyday lift and there is no way to avoid it. In fact ,it is not the bad thing it is often supposed to be .A certain amount of stress is vital to provide motivation adn give purpose to life. It is only when the stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor performance and ill health.\nThe amount of stress a person can withstand depends very much on the individual. Some people are not afraid of stress,and such characters are obviously prime material for managerial responsibilities. Others lose heart at the first signs of unusual difficulties. When exposed to stress,in whatever form,we react both chemically and physically. In fact we make choice between \"fight\" or \"flight\" and in more primitive days the choice made the difference between life or death. The crises we meet today are unlikely to be so extreme,but however little the stress,it involves the same response. It is when such a reaction lasts long,through continued exposure to stress,that health becomes endangered.Such serious conditions as high blood pressure and heart disease have established links with stress.Since we cannot remove stress from our lives(it would be unwise to do so even if we could),we need to find ways to deal with it.","id":"3030.txt","label":1} +{"option":["\"expose ourselves to stress\"","\"find ways to deal with stress\"","\"remove stress from our lives\"","\"established links between diseases and stress\""],"question":"In the last sentence of the passage,\"do so \" refers to _ .","article":"As the pace of life continues to increase ,we are fast losing the art of relaxation. Once you are in the habit of rushing through lift,being on the go from morning till night, it is hard to slow down. But relaxation is essential for a healthy mind and body.\nStress is an natural part of everyday lift and there is no way to avoid it. In fact ,it is not the bad thing it is often supposed to be .A certain amount of stress is vital to provide motivation adn give purpose to life. It is only when the stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor performance and ill health.\nThe amount of stress a person can withstand depends very much on the individual. Some people are not afraid of stress,and such characters are obviously prime material for managerial responsibilities. Others lose heart at the first signs of unusual difficulties. When exposed to stress,in whatever form,we react both chemically and physically. In fact we make choice between \"fight\" or \"flight\" and in more primitive days the choice made the difference between life or death. The crises we meet today are unlikely to be so extreme,but however little the stress,it involves the same response. It is when such a reaction lasts long,through continued exposure to stress,that health becomes endangered.Such serious conditions as high blood pressure and heart disease have established links with stress.Since we cannot remove stress from our lives(it would be unwise to do so even if we could),we need to find ways to deal with it.","id":"3030.txt","label":2} +{"option":["being able to speak two languages","being able to speak three languages","being able to speak four languages","being able to speak five languages"],"question":"The word \" bilingual\" (Line 7,para,1) means _ .","article":"Actually, though, America, the \" land of immigrants\" , has always had people of many different nationalities and languages. The 1990 census indicates that almost 14% of Americans speak a non-English language at home. Yet only 3% reported that they spoke English \" not well\" or \" not at all \" . That means that slightly more than one out of 10 Americans could be considered bilingual.\nBesides that, many high school and college students-and even some elementery school students-are required to take a foreign language as a part of their curriculum. In addition to old standbys like Spanish, German and Franch, more and more students are opting Eastern European and Asian languages. Of course, not all students keep up their foreign language abilities. As the old saying goes, \" If you don't use it .\" But still, a growing number of Americans are coming to appreciate the benefits of being multilingual.\nEthnic enclaves, found particularly in major metropolitan centers, have preserved the language and culture of American immigrants. Some local residents can function quite well in their native language, without having to bother learning English. Rogions such as southern Florida and the Southwest have numerous Spanish-speaking neighborhoods. In fact, Spanish speakers-numbering over 17 million-compose the largest non-English linguistic group in America. But Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian,Polish and many other ethnic group add to the linguistic flavor of America. Foreign languages are so commonly used in some ethnic neighborhoods that visitors might think they are in another country!\nAlthough some Americans welcome this linguistic and cultural diversity, other have begun to fear that the English language is being threatened. Since the 1980s, the \" English Only \" movement has sought to promote legislation which would establish English as the \" official language\" and restrict the use of non-English language. However, some groups, including TESOL, the organization for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other language, object to such \" language restrictionism\" . Their view, known as \" English Plus\" , suggests that Americans should have respect for people's native help them fit into the mainstream of society. But so far, 19 states have passed English Only legislation, and the topic is the focus of an ongoing debate.\nWhether or not Engliash is the official language of the United States, it remains the \" language of wider communication\" . Nearly everyone recognizes the need to develop proficiency in English in order to do well in America. To help those who want to brush up on their English skills, English as a Second Language (ESL) classes around. Cities with large numbers of recent immigrants often set up bilingual education programs to teach students content subjects in their native language while they improve their English. Language educators often have strong and divergent views as to which approach helps learners achieve better results: a bilingual approach, an ESL approach-or even a pure immersion(\" sink or swim\" ) approach. However, all these teachers share a common commitment: to help students function well in English.\nAmerican recognize that English is the international language, and people with good English skills can get by in many international settings. On the other hand, in a world growing increasingly smaller, second language skills can be a great favor. They can build cross-cultural bridges and give people an edge in a variety of career field. Indeed, lack of foreign language proficiency can limit one's chances for advancement and keep one in a cultural dead-end street. As many people in America are discovering, being monolingual is no laughing matter.","id":"859.txt","label":0} +{"option":["ethnic groups have preserved their native languages","ethnic groups are not allowed to speak English","ethnic groups encourage their natives to learn foreign languages","ethnic groups allow their natives to go to another country"],"question":"Foreign languages are commonly used in some ethnic neighborhoods because _ .","article":"Actually, though, America, the \" land of immigrants\" , has always had people of many different nationalities and languages. The 1990 census indicates that almost 14% of Americans speak a non-English language at home. Yet only 3% reported that they spoke English \" not well\" or \" not at all \" . That means that slightly more than one out of 10 Americans could be considered bilingual.\nBesides that, many high school and college students-and even some elementery school students-are required to take a foreign language as a part of their curriculum. In addition to old standbys like Spanish, German and Franch, more and more students are opting Eastern European and Asian languages. Of course, not all students keep up their foreign language abilities. As the old saying goes, \" If you don't use it .\" But still, a growing number of Americans are coming to appreciate the benefits of being multilingual.\nEthnic enclaves, found particularly in major metropolitan centers, have preserved the language and culture of American immigrants. Some local residents can function quite well in their native language, without having to bother learning English. Rogions such as southern Florida and the Southwest have numerous Spanish-speaking neighborhoods. In fact, Spanish speakers-numbering over 17 million-compose the largest non-English linguistic group in America. But Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian,Polish and many other ethnic group add to the linguistic flavor of America. Foreign languages are so commonly used in some ethnic neighborhoods that visitors might think they are in another country!\nAlthough some Americans welcome this linguistic and cultural diversity, other have begun to fear that the English language is being threatened. Since the 1980s, the \" English Only \" movement has sought to promote legislation which would establish English as the \" official language\" and restrict the use of non-English language. However, some groups, including TESOL, the organization for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other language, object to such \" language restrictionism\" . Their view, known as \" English Plus\" , suggests that Americans should have respect for people's native help them fit into the mainstream of society. But so far, 19 states have passed English Only legislation, and the topic is the focus of an ongoing debate.\nWhether or not Engliash is the official language of the United States, it remains the \" language of wider communication\" . Nearly everyone recognizes the need to develop proficiency in English in order to do well in America. To help those who want to brush up on their English skills, English as a Second Language (ESL) classes around. Cities with large numbers of recent immigrants often set up bilingual education programs to teach students content subjects in their native language while they improve their English. Language educators often have strong and divergent views as to which approach helps learners achieve better results: a bilingual approach, an ESL approach-or even a pure immersion(\" sink or swim\" ) approach. However, all these teachers share a common commitment: to help students function well in English.\nAmerican recognize that English is the international language, and people with good English skills can get by in many international settings. On the other hand, in a world growing increasingly smaller, second language skills can be a great favor. They can build cross-cultural bridges and give people an edge in a variety of career field. Indeed, lack of foreign language proficiency can limit one's chances for advancement and keep one in a cultural dead-end street. As many people in America are discovering, being monolingual is no laughing matter.","id":"859.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Immigrants from China","Immigrants from Spain","Immigrants from Italy","Immigrants from Vietnam"],"question":"_ compose the largest linguistic group in America.","article":"Actually, though, America, the \" land of immigrants\" , has always had people of many different nationalities and languages. The 1990 census indicates that almost 14% of Americans speak a non-English language at home. Yet only 3% reported that they spoke English \" not well\" or \" not at all \" . That means that slightly more than one out of 10 Americans could be considered bilingual.\nBesides that, many high school and college students-and even some elementery school students-are required to take a foreign language as a part of their curriculum. In addition to old standbys like Spanish, German and Franch, more and more students are opting Eastern European and Asian languages. Of course, not all students keep up their foreign language abilities. As the old saying goes, \" If you don't use it .\" But still, a growing number of Americans are coming to appreciate the benefits of being multilingual.\nEthnic enclaves, found particularly in major metropolitan centers, have preserved the language and culture of American immigrants. Some local residents can function quite well in their native language, without having to bother learning English. Rogions such as southern Florida and the Southwest have numerous Spanish-speaking neighborhoods. In fact, Spanish speakers-numbering over 17 million-compose the largest non-English linguistic group in America. But Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian,Polish and many other ethnic group add to the linguistic flavor of America. Foreign languages are so commonly used in some ethnic neighborhoods that visitors might think they are in another country!\nAlthough some Americans welcome this linguistic and cultural diversity, other have begun to fear that the English language is being threatened. Since the 1980s, the \" English Only \" movement has sought to promote legislation which would establish English as the \" official language\" and restrict the use of non-English language. However, some groups, including TESOL, the organization for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other language, object to such \" language restrictionism\" . Their view, known as \" English Plus\" , suggests that Americans should have respect for people's native help them fit into the mainstream of society. But so far, 19 states have passed English Only legislation, and the topic is the focus of an ongoing debate.\nWhether or not Engliash is the official language of the United States, it remains the \" language of wider communication\" . Nearly everyone recognizes the need to develop proficiency in English in order to do well in America. To help those who want to brush up on their English skills, English as a Second Language (ESL) classes around. Cities with large numbers of recent immigrants often set up bilingual education programs to teach students content subjects in their native language while they improve their English. Language educators often have strong and divergent views as to which approach helps learners achieve better results: a bilingual approach, an ESL approach-or even a pure immersion(\" sink or swim\" ) approach. However, all these teachers share a common commitment: to help students function well in English.\nAmerican recognize that English is the international language, and people with good English skills can get by in many international settings. On the other hand, in a world growing increasingly smaller, second language skills can be a great favor. They can build cross-cultural bridges and give people an edge in a variety of career field. Indeed, lack of foreign language proficiency can limit one's chances for advancement and keep one in a cultural dead-end street. As many people in America are discovering, being monolingual is no laughing matter.","id":"859.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Its purpose was to establish a legislation of restricting the use of English.","TESOL was in favor of \" English Only \" by objecting to \" English plus\" .","It was launched because English was being threatened.","A large majority of states supported the movement."],"question":"Which of the following is TRUE about \" English Only\" movement?","article":"Actually, though, America, the \" land of immigrants\" , has always had people of many different nationalities and languages. The 1990 census indicates that almost 14% of Americans speak a non-English language at home. Yet only 3% reported that they spoke English \" not well\" or \" not at all \" . That means that slightly more than one out of 10 Americans could be considered bilingual.\nBesides that, many high school and college students-and even some elementery school students-are required to take a foreign language as a part of their curriculum. In addition to old standbys like Spanish, German and Franch, more and more students are opting Eastern European and Asian languages. Of course, not all students keep up their foreign language abilities. As the old saying goes, \" If you don't use it .\" But still, a growing number of Americans are coming to appreciate the benefits of being multilingual.\nEthnic enclaves, found particularly in major metropolitan centers, have preserved the language and culture of American immigrants. Some local residents can function quite well in their native language, without having to bother learning English. Rogions such as southern Florida and the Southwest have numerous Spanish-speaking neighborhoods. In fact, Spanish speakers-numbering over 17 million-compose the largest non-English linguistic group in America. But Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian,Polish and many other ethnic group add to the linguistic flavor of America. Foreign languages are so commonly used in some ethnic neighborhoods that visitors might think they are in another country!\nAlthough some Americans welcome this linguistic and cultural diversity, other have begun to fear that the English language is being threatened. Since the 1980s, the \" English Only \" movement has sought to promote legislation which would establish English as the \" official language\" and restrict the use of non-English language. However, some groups, including TESOL, the organization for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other language, object to such \" language restrictionism\" . Their view, known as \" English Plus\" , suggests that Americans should have respect for people's native help them fit into the mainstream of society. But so far, 19 states have passed English Only legislation, and the topic is the focus of an ongoing debate.\nWhether or not Engliash is the official language of the United States, it remains the \" language of wider communication\" . Nearly everyone recognizes the need to develop proficiency in English in order to do well in America. To help those who want to brush up on their English skills, English as a Second Language (ESL) classes around. Cities with large numbers of recent immigrants often set up bilingual education programs to teach students content subjects in their native language while they improve their English. Language educators often have strong and divergent views as to which approach helps learners achieve better results: a bilingual approach, an ESL approach-or even a pure immersion(\" sink or swim\" ) approach. However, all these teachers share a common commitment: to help students function well in English.\nAmerican recognize that English is the international language, and people with good English skills can get by in many international settings. On the other hand, in a world growing increasingly smaller, second language skills can be a great favor. They can build cross-cultural bridges and give people an edge in a variety of career field. Indeed, lack of foreign language proficiency can limit one's chances for advancement and keep one in a cultural dead-end street. As many people in America are discovering, being monolingual is no laughing matter.","id":"859.txt","label":2} +{"option":["the importance of being bilingual","the need to speak the native languages","English-a language widely spoken around the world","the English Only movement"],"question":"The general idea of this passage is _ .","article":"Actually, though, America, the \" land of immigrants\" , has always had people of many different nationalities and languages. The 1990 census indicates that almost 14% of Americans speak a non-English language at home. Yet only 3% reported that they spoke English \" not well\" or \" not at all \" . That means that slightly more than one out of 10 Americans could be considered bilingual.\nBesides that, many high school and college students-and even some elementery school students-are required to take a foreign language as a part of their curriculum. In addition to old standbys like Spanish, German and Franch, more and more students are opting Eastern European and Asian languages. Of course, not all students keep up their foreign language abilities. As the old saying goes, \" If you don't use it .\" But still, a growing number of Americans are coming to appreciate the benefits of being multilingual.\nEthnic enclaves, found particularly in major metropolitan centers, have preserved the language and culture of American immigrants. Some local residents can function quite well in their native language, without having to bother learning English. Rogions such as southern Florida and the Southwest have numerous Spanish-speaking neighborhoods. In fact, Spanish speakers-numbering over 17 million-compose the largest non-English linguistic group in America. But Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian,Polish and many other ethnic group add to the linguistic flavor of America. Foreign languages are so commonly used in some ethnic neighborhoods that visitors might think they are in another country!\nAlthough some Americans welcome this linguistic and cultural diversity, other have begun to fear that the English language is being threatened. Since the 1980s, the \" English Only \" movement has sought to promote legislation which would establish English as the \" official language\" and restrict the use of non-English language. However, some groups, including TESOL, the organization for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other language, object to such \" language restrictionism\" . Their view, known as \" English Plus\" , suggests that Americans should have respect for people's native help them fit into the mainstream of society. But so far, 19 states have passed English Only legislation, and the topic is the focus of an ongoing debate.\nWhether or not Engliash is the official language of the United States, it remains the \" language of wider communication\" . Nearly everyone recognizes the need to develop proficiency in English in order to do well in America. To help those who want to brush up on their English skills, English as a Second Language (ESL) classes around. Cities with large numbers of recent immigrants often set up bilingual education programs to teach students content subjects in their native language while they improve their English. Language educators often have strong and divergent views as to which approach helps learners achieve better results: a bilingual approach, an ESL approach-or even a pure immersion(\" sink or swim\" ) approach. However, all these teachers share a common commitment: to help students function well in English.\nAmerican recognize that English is the international language, and people with good English skills can get by in many international settings. On the other hand, in a world growing increasingly smaller, second language skills can be a great favor. They can build cross-cultural bridges and give people an edge in a variety of career field. Indeed, lack of foreign language proficiency can limit one's chances for advancement and keep one in a cultural dead-end street. As many people in America are discovering, being monolingual is no laughing matter.","id":"859.txt","label":0} +{"option":["were regular","were controlled by a clock","were heard in 1967 only","were secret messages"],"question":"The radio signals discussed in this passage _ .","article":"Some radio singals were heard in 1967.They were coming from a point in the sky where there was unknown star.They were coming very regularly,too:about once a seco nd,if they were controlled by clock.\nThe scientists who heard the signals did not tell anybody else.They were rather afraid to tell in case they frightened people.The signals were coming from a very small body-no bigger,perhaps than the earth.Was that why no light could be seen from it?Or were the signals coming from a planet that belonged to some other star?There was no end to the questions,but the scientists kept the news secret.\"Perhaps there are intelligent beings out there.\"they thought,\"who are trying to send messages to other planets,or to us?So the news was not given to the newspaper.Instead,the scientists studied the signals and searched for others like them...Well,all that happened in 1967 and 1968.Since then scientists have learnt more about those strange,regular,radio signals.And they have told the story,of course.\nThe signals do not come from a planet;they come from a new kind of star called a \"pulsar\"\".About a hundred other pulsars have now been found,and most of them are very like the first one.\nPulsars are strong radio stars.They are the smallest but the heaviest stars we know at present.A handful of pulsar would weigh a few thousand tons.Their light-if they give much light-is too small for us to see.But we can be sure of this,no intelligent beings are living on them.","id":"554.txt","label":0} +{"option":["a satellite","a planet","a sky body which was unknown at that time","intelligent beings who were unknown at that time"],"question":"The radio singals were sent by _ .","article":"Some radio singals were heard in 1967.They were coming from a point in the sky where there was unknown star.They were coming very regularly,too:about once a seco nd,if they were controlled by clock.\nThe scientists who heard the signals did not tell anybody else.They were rather afraid to tell in case they frightened people.The signals were coming from a very small body-no bigger,perhaps than the earth.Was that why no light could be seen from it?Or were the signals coming from a planet that belonged to some other star?There was no end to the questions,but the scientists kept the news secret.\"Perhaps there are intelligent beings out there.\"they thought,\"who are trying to send messages to other planets,or to us?So the news was not given to the newspaper.Instead,the scientists studied the signals and searched for others like them...Well,all that happened in 1967 and 1968.Since then scientists have learnt more about those strange,regular,radio signals.And they have told the story,of course.\nThe signals do not come from a planet;they come from a new kind of star called a \"pulsar\"\".About a hundred other pulsars have now been found,and most of them are very like the first one.\nPulsars are strong radio stars.They are the smallest but the heaviest stars we know at present.A handful of pulsar would weigh a few thousand tons.Their light-if they give much light-is too small for us to see.But we can be sure of this,no intelligent beings are living on them.","id":"554.txt","label":2} +{"option":["the singals stood for secret messages","people would ask them too many questions","they did not want to frighten people","they stood for unimportant messages"],"question":"The scientists did not tell people about the signals because _ .","article":"Some radio singals were heard in 1967.They were coming from a point in the sky where there was unknown star.They were coming very regularly,too:about once a seco nd,if they were controlled by clock.\nThe scientists who heard the signals did not tell anybody else.They were rather afraid to tell in case they frightened people.The signals were coming from a very small body-no bigger,perhaps than the earth.Was that why no light could be seen from it?Or were the signals coming from a planet that belonged to some other star?There was no end to the questions,but the scientists kept the news secret.\"Perhaps there are intelligent beings out there.\"they thought,\"who are trying to send messages to other planets,or to us?So the news was not given to the newspaper.Instead,the scientists studied the signals and searched for others like them...Well,all that happened in 1967 and 1968.Since then scientists have learnt more about those strange,regular,radio signals.And they have told the story,of course.\nThe signals do not come from a planet;they come from a new kind of star called a \"pulsar\"\".About a hundred other pulsars have now been found,and most of them are very like the first one.\nPulsars are strong radio stars.They are the smallest but the heaviest stars we know at present.A handful of pulsar would weigh a few thousand tons.Their light-if they give much light-is too small for us to see.But we can be sure of this,no intelligent beings are living on them.","id":"554.txt","label":2} +{"option":["a small heavy star which sends out strong radio signals and cannot be seen","a small heavy planet which sends out strong radio signals and cannot be seen","a small heavy satellite which sends out strong radio signals and cannot be seen","a small intelligent being who sends out strong radio signals and cannot be seen"],"question":"A pulsar is _ .","article":"Some radio singals were heard in 1967.They were coming from a point in the sky where there was unknown star.They were coming very regularly,too:about once a seco nd,if they were controlled by clock.\nThe scientists who heard the signals did not tell anybody else.They were rather afraid to tell in case they frightened people.The signals were coming from a very small body-no bigger,perhaps than the earth.Was that why no light could be seen from it?Or were the signals coming from a planet that belonged to some other star?There was no end to the questions,but the scientists kept the news secret.\"Perhaps there are intelligent beings out there.\"they thought,\"who are trying to send messages to other planets,or to us?So the news was not given to the newspaper.Instead,the scientists studied the signals and searched for others like them...Well,all that happened in 1967 and 1968.Since then scientists have learnt more about those strange,regular,radio signals.And they have told the story,of course.\nThe signals do not come from a planet;they come from a new kind of star called a \"pulsar\"\".About a hundred other pulsars have now been found,and most of them are very like the first one.\nPulsars are strong radio stars.They are the smallest but the heaviest stars we know at present.A handful of pulsar would weigh a few thousand tons.Their light-if they give much light-is too small for us to see.But we can be sure of this,no intelligent beings are living on them.","id":"554.txt","label":0} +{"option":["One of the pulsars found by scientists sends radio signals.","Pulsar began to send radio singals in 1967.","Scientists have searched for pulsars for many years but found none.","Scientists have found many pulsars since 1967."],"question":"Which of the following is true?","article":"Some radio singals were heard in 1967.They were coming from a point in the sky where there was unknown star.They were coming very regularly,too:about once a seco nd,if they were controlled by clock.\nThe scientists who heard the signals did not tell anybody else.They were rather afraid to tell in case they frightened people.The signals were coming from a very small body-no bigger,perhaps than the earth.Was that why no light could be seen from it?Or were the signals coming from a planet that belonged to some other star?There was no end to the questions,but the scientists kept the news secret.\"Perhaps there are intelligent beings out there.\"they thought,\"who are trying to send messages to other planets,or to us?So the news was not given to the newspaper.Instead,the scientists studied the signals and searched for others like them...Well,all that happened in 1967 and 1968.Since then scientists have learnt more about those strange,regular,radio signals.And they have told the story,of course.\nThe signals do not come from a planet;they come from a new kind of star called a \"pulsar\"\".About a hundred other pulsars have now been found,and most of them are very like the first one.\nPulsars are strong radio stars.They are the smallest but the heaviest stars we know at present.A handful of pulsar would weigh a few thousand tons.Their light-if they give much light-is too small for us to see.But we can be sure of this,no intelligent beings are living on them.","id":"554.txt","label":3} +{"option":["were often absent when a family member was born or dying","were quite unfamiliar with birth and death","usually witnessed the birth or death of a family member","had often experienced the fear of death as part of life"],"question":"The elders of contemporary Americans _ .","article":"In the old day, children were familiar with birth and death as part of life. This is perhaps the first generation of American youngsters who have never been close by during the birth of a baby and have never experienced the death of a family member.\nNowadays when people grow old, we often send them to nursing homes. When they get sick, we transfer them to a hospital, where children are forbidden to visit terminally ill patients-even when those patients are their parents. This deprives the dying patient of significant family members during the last few days of his life and it deprives the children of an experience of death, which is an important learning experience.\nSome of my colleagues and I once interviewed and followed approximately 500 terminally ill patients in order to find out what they could teach us and how we could be of more benefit, not just to them but to the members of their families as well. We are most impressed by the fact that even those patients who were not told of their serious illness were quite aware of its potential outcome.\nIt is important for family members, and doctors and nurses to understand these patients' communications in order to truly understand their needs, fears, and fantasies. Most of our patients welcomed another human being with whom they could talk openly, honestly, and frankly about their trouble. Many of them shared with us their tremendous need to be informed, to be kept up-to-date on their medical condition and to be told when the end was near. We found out that patients who had been dealt with openly and frankly were better able to cope with the approach of death and finally to reach a true stage of acceptance prior to death.","id":"3103.txt","label":2} +{"option":["to learn how to face death","to visit dying patients","to attend to patients","to have access to a hospital"],"question":"Children in America today are denied the chance _ .","article":"In the old day, children were familiar with birth and death as part of life. This is perhaps the first generation of American youngsters who have never been close by during the birth of a baby and have never experienced the death of a family member.\nNowadays when people grow old, we often send them to nursing homes. When they get sick, we transfer them to a hospital, where children are forbidden to visit terminally ill patients-even when those patients are their parents. This deprives the dying patient of significant family members during the last few days of his life and it deprives the children of an experience of death, which is an important learning experience.\nSome of my colleagues and I once interviewed and followed approximately 500 terminally ill patients in order to find out what they could teach us and how we could be of more benefit, not just to them but to the members of their families as well. We are most impressed by the fact that even those patients who were not told of their serious illness were quite aware of its potential outcome.\nIt is important for family members, and doctors and nurses to understand these patients' communications in order to truly understand their needs, fears, and fantasies. Most of our patients welcomed another human being with whom they could talk openly, honestly, and frankly about their trouble. Many of them shared with us their tremendous need to be informed, to be kept up-to-date on their medical condition and to be told when the end was near. We found out that patients who had been dealt with openly and frankly were better able to cope with the approach of death and finally to reach a true stage of acceptance prior to death.","id":"3103.txt","label":1} +{"option":["observing how they reacted to the crisis of death","helping them and their families overcome the fear of death","finding out their attitude towards the approach of death","learning how to best help them and their families"],"question":"Five hundred critically ill patients were investigated with the main purpose of _ .","article":"In the old day, children were familiar with birth and death as part of life. This is perhaps the first generation of American youngsters who have never been close by during the birth of a baby and have never experienced the death of a family member.\nNowadays when people grow old, we often send them to nursing homes. When they get sick, we transfer them to a hospital, where children are forbidden to visit terminally ill patients-even when those patients are their parents. This deprives the dying patient of significant family members during the last few days of his life and it deprives the children of an experience of death, which is an important learning experience.\nSome of my colleagues and I once interviewed and followed approximately 500 terminally ill patients in order to find out what they could teach us and how we could be of more benefit, not just to them but to the members of their families as well. We are most impressed by the fact that even those patients who were not told of their serious illness were quite aware of its potential outcome.\nIt is important for family members, and doctors and nurses to understand these patients' communications in order to truly understand their needs, fears, and fantasies. Most of our patients welcomed another human being with whom they could talk openly, honestly, and frankly about their trouble. Many of them shared with us their tremendous need to be informed, to be kept up-to-date on their medical condition and to be told when the end was near. We found out that patients who had been dealt with openly and frankly were better able to cope with the approach of death and finally to reach a true stage of acceptance prior to death.","id":"3103.txt","label":3} +{"option":["his desire for communication with other people","his fear of approaching death","his pessimistic attitude towards his condition","his reluctance to part with his family"],"question":"The need of a dying patient for company shows _ .","article":"In the old day, children were familiar with birth and death as part of life. This is perhaps the first generation of American youngsters who have never been close by during the birth of a baby and have never experienced the death of a family member.\nNowadays when people grow old, we often send them to nursing homes. When they get sick, we transfer them to a hospital, where children are forbidden to visit terminally ill patients-even when those patients are their parents. This deprives the dying patient of significant family members during the last few days of his life and it deprives the children of an experience of death, which is an important learning experience.\nSome of my colleagues and I once interviewed and followed approximately 500 terminally ill patients in order to find out what they could teach us and how we could be of more benefit, not just to them but to the members of their families as well. We are most impressed by the fact that even those patients who were not told of their serious illness were quite aware of its potential outcome.\nIt is important for family members, and doctors and nurses to understand these patients' communications in order to truly understand their needs, fears, and fantasies. Most of our patients welcomed another human being with whom they could talk openly, honestly, and frankly about their trouble. Many of them shared with us their tremendous need to be informed, to be kept up-to-date on their medical condition and to be told when the end was near. We found out that patients who had been dealt with openly and frankly were better able to cope with the approach of death and finally to reach a true stage of acceptance prior to death.","id":"3103.txt","label":0} +{"option":["dying patients are afraid of being told of the approach of death","most doctors and nurses understand what dying patients need","dying patients should be truthfully informed of their condition","most patients are unable to accept death until it is obviously inevitable"],"question":"It may be concluded from the passage that _ .","article":"In the old day, children were familiar with birth and death as part of life. This is perhaps the first generation of American youngsters who have never been close by during the birth of a baby and have never experienced the death of a family member.\nNowadays when people grow old, we often send them to nursing homes. When they get sick, we transfer them to a hospital, where children are forbidden to visit terminally ill patients-even when those patients are their parents. This deprives the dying patient of significant family members during the last few days of his life and it deprives the children of an experience of death, which is an important learning experience.\nSome of my colleagues and I once interviewed and followed approximately 500 terminally ill patients in order to find out what they could teach us and how we could be of more benefit, not just to them but to the members of their families as well. We are most impressed by the fact that even those patients who were not told of their serious illness were quite aware of its potential outcome.\nIt is important for family members, and doctors and nurses to understand these patients' communications in order to truly understand their needs, fears, and fantasies. Most of our patients welcomed another human being with whom they could talk openly, honestly, and frankly about their trouble. Many of them shared with us their tremendous need to be informed, to be kept up-to-date on their medical condition and to be told when the end was near. We found out that patients who had been dealt with openly and frankly were better able to cope with the approach of death and finally to reach a true stage of acceptance prior to death.","id":"3103.txt","label":2} +{"option":["stand still","jump aside","step forward","draw back"],"question":"It can be inferred that Americans being approached too closely by Middle Easterners would most probably ________.","article":"Our culture has caused most Americans to assume not only that our language is universal but that the gestures we use are understood by everyone. We do not realize that waving good-bye is the way to summon a person from the Philippines to one's side, or that in Italy and some Latin-American countries, curling the finger to oneself is a sign of farewell.\nThose private citizens who sent packages to our troops occupying Germany after World War II and marked them GIFT to escape duty payments did not bother to find out that \"Gift\" means poison in German. Moreover, we like to think of ourselves as friendly, yet we prefer to be at least 3 feet or an arm's length away from others. Latins and Middle Easterners like to come closer and touch, which makes Americans uncomfortable.\nOur linguistic and cultural blindness and the casualness with which we take notice of the developed tastes, gestures, customs and languages of other countries, are losing us friends, business and respect in the world.\nEven here in the United States, we make few concessions to the needs of foreign visitors. There are no information signs in four languages on our public buildings or monuments; we do not have multilingual guided tours. Very few restaurant menus have translations, and multilingual waiters, bank clerks and policemen are rare. Our transportation systems have maps in English only and often we ourselves have difficulty understanding them.\nWhen we go abroad, we tend to cluster in hotels and restaurants where English is spoken. Then attitudes and information we pick up are conditioned by those natives-usually the richer-who speak English. Our business dealings, as well as the nation's diplomacy, are conducted through interpreters.\nFor many years, American dollars no longer buy all good things, and we are slowly beginning to realize that our proper role in the world is changing. A 1979 Harris poll reported that 55 percent of Americans want this country to play a more significant role in world affairs; we want to have a hand in the important decisions of the next century, even though it may not always he the upper hand.","id":"3860.txt","label":3} +{"option":["cultural self-centeredness","casual manners","indifference towards foreign visitors","arrogance towards other cultures"],"question":"The author gives many examples to criticize Americans for their ________.","article":"Our culture has caused most Americans to assume not only that our language is universal but that the gestures we use are understood by everyone. We do not realize that waving good-bye is the way to summon a person from the Philippines to one's side, or that in Italy and some Latin-American countries, curling the finger to oneself is a sign of farewell.\nThose private citizens who sent packages to our troops occupying Germany after World War II and marked them GIFT to escape duty payments did not bother to find out that \"Gift\" means poison in German. Moreover, we like to think of ourselves as friendly, yet we prefer to be at least 3 feet or an arm's length away from others. Latins and Middle Easterners like to come closer and touch, which makes Americans uncomfortable.\nOur linguistic and cultural blindness and the casualness with which we take notice of the developed tastes, gestures, customs and languages of other countries, are losing us friends, business and respect in the world.\nEven here in the United States, we make few concessions to the needs of foreign visitors. There are no information signs in four languages on our public buildings or monuments; we do not have multilingual guided tours. Very few restaurant menus have translations, and multilingual waiters, bank clerks and policemen are rare. Our transportation systems have maps in English only and often we ourselves have difficulty understanding them.\nWhen we go abroad, we tend to cluster in hotels and restaurants where English is spoken. Then attitudes and information we pick up are conditioned by those natives-usually the richer-who speak English. Our business dealings, as well as the nation's diplomacy, are conducted through interpreters.\nFor many years, American dollars no longer buy all good things, and we are slowly beginning to realize that our proper role in the world is changing. A 1979 Harris poll reported that 55 percent of Americans want this country to play a more significant role in world affairs; we want to have a hand in the important decisions of the next century, even though it may not always he the upper hand.","id":"3860.txt","label":0} +{"option":["are isolated by the local people","are not well informed due to the language barrier","tend to get along well with the natives","need interpreters in hotels and restaurants"],"question":"In countries other than their own most Americans ________.","article":"Our culture has caused most Americans to assume not only that our language is universal but that the gestures we use are understood by everyone. We do not realize that waving good-bye is the way to summon a person from the Philippines to one's side, or that in Italy and some Latin-American countries, curling the finger to oneself is a sign of farewell.\nThose private citizens who sent packages to our troops occupying Germany after World War II and marked them GIFT to escape duty payments did not bother to find out that \"Gift\" means poison in German. Moreover, we like to think of ourselves as friendly, yet we prefer to be at least 3 feet or an arm's length away from others. Latins and Middle Easterners like to come closer and touch, which makes Americans uncomfortable.\nOur linguistic and cultural blindness and the casualness with which we take notice of the developed tastes, gestures, customs and languages of other countries, are losing us friends, business and respect in the world.\nEven here in the United States, we make few concessions to the needs of foreign visitors. There are no information signs in four languages on our public buildings or monuments; we do not have multilingual guided tours. Very few restaurant menus have translations, and multilingual waiters, bank clerks and policemen are rare. Our transportation systems have maps in English only and often we ourselves have difficulty understanding them.\nWhen we go abroad, we tend to cluster in hotels and restaurants where English is spoken. Then attitudes and information we pick up are conditioned by those natives-usually the richer-who speak English. Our business dealings, as well as the nation's diplomacy, are conducted through interpreters.\nFor many years, American dollars no longer buy all good things, and we are slowly beginning to realize that our proper role in the world is changing. A 1979 Harris poll reported that 55 percent of Americans want this country to play a more significant role in world affairs; we want to have a hand in the important decisions of the next century, even though it may not always he the upper hand.","id":"3860.txt","label":1} +{"option":["affect their image in the new era","cut themselves off from the outside world","limit their role in world affairs","weaken the position of the US dollar"],"question":"According to the author, Americans' cultural blindness and linguistic ignorance will ________.","article":"Our culture has caused most Americans to assume not only that our language is universal but that the gestures we use are understood by everyone. We do not realize that waving good-bye is the way to summon a person from the Philippines to one's side, or that in Italy and some Latin-American countries, curling the finger to oneself is a sign of farewell.\nThose private citizens who sent packages to our troops occupying Germany after World War II and marked them GIFT to escape duty payments did not bother to find out that \"Gift\" means poison in German. Moreover, we like to think of ourselves as friendly, yet we prefer to be at least 3 feet or an arm's length away from others. Latins and Middle Easterners like to come closer and touch, which makes Americans uncomfortable.\nOur linguistic and cultural blindness and the casualness with which we take notice of the developed tastes, gestures, customs and languages of other countries, are losing us friends, business and respect in the world.\nEven here in the United States, we make few concessions to the needs of foreign visitors. There are no information signs in four languages on our public buildings or monuments; we do not have multilingual guided tours. Very few restaurant menus have translations, and multilingual waiters, bank clerks and policemen are rare. Our transportation systems have maps in English only and often we ourselves have difficulty understanding them.\nWhen we go abroad, we tend to cluster in hotels and restaurants where English is spoken. Then attitudes and information we pick up are conditioned by those natives-usually the richer-who speak English. Our business dealings, as well as the nation's diplomacy, are conducted through interpreters.\nFor many years, American dollars no longer buy all good things, and we are slowly beginning to realize that our proper role in the world is changing. A 1979 Harris poll reported that 55 percent of Americans want this country to play a more significant role in world affairs; we want to have a hand in the important decisions of the next century, even though it may not always he the upper hand.","id":"3860.txt","label":2} +{"option":["it is dangerous to ignore their foreign friends","it is important to maintain their leading role in world affairs","it is necessary to use several languages in public places","it is time to get acquainted with other cultures"],"question":"The author's intention in writing this article is to make Americans realize that ________.","article":"Our culture has caused most Americans to assume not only that our language is universal but that the gestures we use are understood by everyone. We do not realize that waving good-bye is the way to summon a person from the Philippines to one's side, or that in Italy and some Latin-American countries, curling the finger to oneself is a sign of farewell.\nThose private citizens who sent packages to our troops occupying Germany after World War II and marked them GIFT to escape duty payments did not bother to find out that \"Gift\" means poison in German. Moreover, we like to think of ourselves as friendly, yet we prefer to be at least 3 feet or an arm's length away from others. Latins and Middle Easterners like to come closer and touch, which makes Americans uncomfortable.\nOur linguistic and cultural blindness and the casualness with which we take notice of the developed tastes, gestures, customs and languages of other countries, are losing us friends, business and respect in the world.\nEven here in the United States, we make few concessions to the needs of foreign visitors. There are no information signs in four languages on our public buildings or monuments; we do not have multilingual guided tours. Very few restaurant menus have translations, and multilingual waiters, bank clerks and policemen are rare. Our transportation systems have maps in English only and often we ourselves have difficulty understanding them.\nWhen we go abroad, we tend to cluster in hotels and restaurants where English is spoken. Then attitudes and information we pick up are conditioned by those natives-usually the richer-who speak English. Our business dealings, as well as the nation's diplomacy, are conducted through interpreters.\nFor many years, American dollars no longer buy all good things, and we are slowly beginning to realize that our proper role in the world is changing. A 1979 Harris poll reported that 55 percent of Americans want this country to play a more significant role in world affairs; we want to have a hand in the important decisions of the next century, even though it may not always he the upper hand.","id":"3860.txt","label":3} +{"option":["how to suffer pain","how to avoid pain","how to handle pain","how to stop pain"],"question":"The passage is mainly about.","article":"A moment's drilling by the dentist may make us nervous and upset. Many of us cannot stand pain. To avoid the pain of a drilling that may last perhaps a minute or two, we demand theneedle- a shot of novocaine that deadens the nerves around the tooth.\nNow it's true that the human body has developed its millions of nerves to be highly aware of what goes on both inside and outside of it. This helps us adjust to the world. Without our nerves - and our brain, which is a bundle of nerves - we wouldn't know what's happening. But we pay for our sensitivity. We can feel pain when the slightest thing is wrong with any part of our body. The history of torture is based on the human body being open to pain.\nBut there is a way to handle pain. Look at the Indian fakir who sits on a bed of nails. Fakirs can put a needle right through an arm, and feel no pain. This ability that some humans have developed to handle pain should give us ideas about how the mind can deal with pain.\nThe big thing in withstanding pain is our attitude toward it. If the dentist says, This will hurt a little, it helps us to accept the pain. By staying relaxed, and by treating the pain as an interesting sensation, we can handle the pain without falling apart. After all, although pain is an unpleasant sensation, it is still a sensation, and sensations are the stuff of life.","id":"1159.txt","label":2} +{"option":["we should pay a debt for our feeling","we have to be hurt when we feel something","our pain is worth feeling","when we feel pain, we are suffering it"],"question":"The sentence But we pay for our sensitivity. in the second paragraph implies that.","article":"A moment's drilling by the dentist may make us nervous and upset. Many of us cannot stand pain. To avoid the pain of a drilling that may last perhaps a minute or two, we demand theneedle- a shot of novocaine that deadens the nerves around the tooth.\nNow it's true that the human body has developed its millions of nerves to be highly aware of what goes on both inside and outside of it. This helps us adjust to the world. Without our nerves - and our brain, which is a bundle of nerves - we wouldn't know what's happening. But we pay for our sensitivity. We can feel pain when the slightest thing is wrong with any part of our body. The history of torture is based on the human body being open to pain.\nBut there is a way to handle pain. Look at the Indian fakir who sits on a bed of nails. Fakirs can put a needle right through an arm, and feel no pain. This ability that some humans have developed to handle pain should give us ideas about how the mind can deal with pain.\nThe big thing in withstanding pain is our attitude toward it. If the dentist says, This will hurt a little, it helps us to accept the pain. By staying relaxed, and by treating the pain as an interesting sensation, we can handle the pain without falling apart. After all, although pain is an unpleasant sensation, it is still a sensation, and sensations are the stuff of life.","id":"1159.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Indians are not at all afraid of pain","people may be senseless of pain","some people are able to handle pain","fakirs have magic to put needles right through their arms"],"question":"When the author mentions the Indian fakir, he suggests that.","article":"A moment's drilling by the dentist may make us nervous and upset. Many of us cannot stand pain. To avoid the pain of a drilling that may last perhaps a minute or two, we demand theneedle- a shot of novocaine that deadens the nerves around the tooth.\nNow it's true that the human body has developed its millions of nerves to be highly aware of what goes on both inside and outside of it. This helps us adjust to the world. Without our nerves - and our brain, which is a bundle of nerves - we wouldn't know what's happening. But we pay for our sensitivity. We can feel pain when the slightest thing is wrong with any part of our body. The history of torture is based on the human body being open to pain.\nBut there is a way to handle pain. Look at the Indian fakir who sits on a bed of nails. Fakirs can put a needle right through an arm, and feel no pain. This ability that some humans have developed to handle pain should give us ideas about how the mind can deal with pain.\nThe big thing in withstanding pain is our attitude toward it. If the dentist says, This will hurt a little, it helps us to accept the pain. By staying relaxed, and by treating the pain as an interesting sensation, we can handle the pain without falling apart. After all, although pain is an unpleasant sensation, it is still a sensation, and sensations are the stuff of life.","id":"1159.txt","label":2} +{"option":["how we look at pain","to feel pain as much as possible","to show an interest in pain","to accept the pain reluctantly"],"question":"the most important thing to handle pain is.","article":"A moment's drilling by the dentist may make us nervous and upset. Many of us cannot stand pain. To avoid the pain of a drilling that may last perhaps a minute or two, we demand theneedle- a shot of novocaine that deadens the nerves around the tooth.\nNow it's true that the human body has developed its millions of nerves to be highly aware of what goes on both inside and outside of it. This helps us adjust to the world. Without our nerves - and our brain, which is a bundle of nerves - we wouldn't know what's happening. But we pay for our sensitivity. We can feel pain when the slightest thing is wrong with any part of our body. The history of torture is based on the human body being open to pain.\nBut there is a way to handle pain. Look at the Indian fakir who sits on a bed of nails. Fakirs can put a needle right through an arm, and feel no pain. This ability that some humans have developed to handle pain should give us ideas about how the mind can deal with pain.\nThe big thing in withstanding pain is our attitude toward it. If the dentist says, This will hurt a little, it helps us to accept the pain. By staying relaxed, and by treating the pain as an interesting sensation, we can handle the pain without falling apart. After all, although pain is an unpleasant sensation, it is still a sensation, and sensations are the stuff of life.","id":"1159.txt","label":0} +{"option":["pessimistic","optimistic","radical","practical"],"question":"The author's attitude towards pain is.","article":"A moment's drilling by the dentist may make us nervous and upset. Many of us cannot stand pain. To avoid the pain of a drilling that may last perhaps a minute or two, we demand theneedle- a shot of novocaine that deadens the nerves around the tooth.\nNow it's true that the human body has developed its millions of nerves to be highly aware of what goes on both inside and outside of it. This helps us adjust to the world. Without our nerves - and our brain, which is a bundle of nerves - we wouldn't know what's happening. But we pay for our sensitivity. We can feel pain when the slightest thing is wrong with any part of our body. The history of torture is based on the human body being open to pain.\nBut there is a way to handle pain. Look at the Indian fakir who sits on a bed of nails. Fakirs can put a needle right through an arm, and feel no pain. This ability that some humans have developed to handle pain should give us ideas about how the mind can deal with pain.\nThe big thing in withstanding pain is our attitude toward it. If the dentist says, This will hurt a little, it helps us to accept the pain. By staying relaxed, and by treating the pain as an interesting sensation, we can handle the pain without falling apart. After all, although pain is an unpleasant sensation, it is still a sensation, and sensations are the stuff of life.","id":"1159.txt","label":1} +{"option":["The use of MESBIC's for aiding minority entrepreneurs seems to have greater potential for success than does the original SBA approach.","There is a crucial difference in point of view between the staff and directors of some MESBIC's.","After initial problems with management and marketing, minority businesses have begun to expand at a steady rate.","Minority entrepreneurs wishing to form new businesses now have several equally successful federal programs on which to rely."],"question":"Which of the following best states the central idea of the passage?","article":"Federal efforts to aid minority businesses began in the 1960's when the Small Business Administration (SBA) began making federally guaranteed loans and government-sponsored management and technical assistance available to minority business enterprises. While this program enabled many minority entrepreneurs to form new businesses, the results were disappointing, since managerial inexperience, unfavorable locations, and capital shortages led to high failure rates. Even 15 years after the program was implemented, minority business receipts were not quite two percent of the national economy's total receipts.\nRecently federal policymakers have adopted an approach intended to accelerate development of the minority business sector by moving away from directly aiding small minority enterprises and toward supporting large, growth-oriented minority firms through intermediary companies. In this approach, large corporations participate in the development of successful and stable minority businesses by making use of government-sponsored venture capital. The capital is used by a participating company to establish a Minority Enterprise Small Businesses that have potential to become future suppliers of customers of the sponsoring company.\nMESBIC's are the result of the belief that providing established firms with easier access to relevant management techniques and more job-specific experience, as well as substantial amounts of capital, gives those firms a greater opportunity to develop sound business foundations than does simply making general management experience and small amounts of capital available. Further, since potential markets for the minority businesses already exist through the sponsoring companies, the minority businesses face considerably less risk in terms of location and market fluctuation. Following early financial and operating problems, sponsoring corporations began to capitalize MESBIC's far above the legal minimum of $500,000 in order to generate sufficient income and to sustain the quality of management needed. MESBIC's are now emerging as increasingly important financing sources for minority enterprises.\nIronically, MESBIC staffs, which usually consist of Hispanic and Black professionals, tend to approach investments in minority firms more pragmatically than do many MESBIC directors, who are usually senior managers from sponsoring corporations. The latter often still think mainly in terms of the \u2018social responsibility approach' and thus seem to prefer deals that are riskier and less attractive than normal investment criteria would warrant. Such differences in viewpoint have produced uneasiness among many minority staff members, who feel that minority entrepreneurs and businesses should be judged by established business considerations. These staff members believe their point of view is closer to the original philosophy of MESBIC's and they are concerned that, unless a more prudent course if followed, MESBIC directors may revert to policies likely to re-create the disappointing results of the original SBA approach.","id":"267.txt","label":0} +{"option":["seek federal contracts to provide market for minority businesses.","Encourage minority businesses to provide markets for other minority businesses.","Attempt to maintain a specified rate of growth in the minority business sector.","Rely on the participation of large corporations to finance minority businesses."],"question":"According to the passage, the MESBIC approach differ s from the SBA approach in that MESBIC's\u00a0 _ .","article":"Federal efforts to aid minority businesses began in the 1960's when the Small Business Administration (SBA) began making federally guaranteed loans and government-sponsored management and technical assistance available to minority business enterprises. While this program enabled many minority entrepreneurs to form new businesses, the results were disappointing, since managerial inexperience, unfavorable locations, and capital shortages led to high failure rates. Even 15 years after the program was implemented, minority business receipts were not quite two percent of the national economy's total receipts.\nRecently federal policymakers have adopted an approach intended to accelerate development of the minority business sector by moving away from directly aiding small minority enterprises and toward supporting large, growth-oriented minority firms through intermediary companies. In this approach, large corporations participate in the development of successful and stable minority businesses by making use of government-sponsored venture capital. The capital is used by a participating company to establish a Minority Enterprise Small Businesses that have potential to become future suppliers of customers of the sponsoring company.\nMESBIC's are the result of the belief that providing established firms with easier access to relevant management techniques and more job-specific experience, as well as substantial amounts of capital, gives those firms a greater opportunity to develop sound business foundations than does simply making general management experience and small amounts of capital available. Further, since potential markets for the minority businesses already exist through the sponsoring companies, the minority businesses face considerably less risk in terms of location and market fluctuation. Following early financial and operating problems, sponsoring corporations began to capitalize MESBIC's far above the legal minimum of $500,000 in order to generate sufficient income and to sustain the quality of management needed. MESBIC's are now emerging as increasingly important financing sources for minority enterprises.\nIronically, MESBIC staffs, which usually consist of Hispanic and Black professionals, tend to approach investments in minority firms more pragmatically than do many MESBIC directors, who are usually senior managers from sponsoring corporations. The latter often still think mainly in terms of the \u2018social responsibility approach' and thus seem to prefer deals that are riskier and less attractive than normal investment criteria would warrant. Such differences in viewpoint have produced uneasiness among many minority staff members, who feel that minority entrepreneurs and businesses should be judged by established business considerations. These staff members believe their point of view is closer to the original philosophy of MESBIC's and they are concerned that, unless a more prudent course if followed, MESBIC directors may revert to policies likely to re-create the disappointing results of the original SBA approach.","id":"267.txt","label":3} +{"option":["The maximum term for loans made to recipient businesses was 15 years.","Business loans were considered to be more useful to recipient businesses than was management and technical assistance.","The anticipated failure rate for recipient businesses was significantly lower than the rate that actually resulted.","Recipient businesses were encouraged to relocate to areas more favorable for business development."],"question":"Which of the following statements about the SBA program can be inferred from the passage?","article":"Federal efforts to aid minority businesses began in the 1960's when the Small Business Administration (SBA) began making federally guaranteed loans and government-sponsored management and technical assistance available to minority business enterprises. While this program enabled many minority entrepreneurs to form new businesses, the results were disappointing, since managerial inexperience, unfavorable locations, and capital shortages led to high failure rates. Even 15 years after the program was implemented, minority business receipts were not quite two percent of the national economy's total receipts.\nRecently federal policymakers have adopted an approach intended to accelerate development of the minority business sector by moving away from directly aiding small minority enterprises and toward supporting large, growth-oriented minority firms through intermediary companies. In this approach, large corporations participate in the development of successful and stable minority businesses by making use of government-sponsored venture capital. The capital is used by a participating company to establish a Minority Enterprise Small Businesses that have potential to become future suppliers of customers of the sponsoring company.\nMESBIC's are the result of the belief that providing established firms with easier access to relevant management techniques and more job-specific experience, as well as substantial amounts of capital, gives those firms a greater opportunity to develop sound business foundations than does simply making general management experience and small amounts of capital available. Further, since potential markets for the minority businesses already exist through the sponsoring companies, the minority businesses face considerably less risk in terms of location and market fluctuation. Following early financial and operating problems, sponsoring corporations began to capitalize MESBIC's far above the legal minimum of $500,000 in order to generate sufficient income and to sustain the quality of management needed. MESBIC's are now emerging as increasingly important financing sources for minority enterprises.\nIronically, MESBIC staffs, which usually consist of Hispanic and Black professionals, tend to approach investments in minority firms more pragmatically than do many MESBIC directors, who are usually senior managers from sponsoring corporations. The latter often still think mainly in terms of the \u2018social responsibility approach' and thus seem to prefer deals that are riskier and less attractive than normal investment criteria would warrant. Such differences in viewpoint have produced uneasiness among many minority staff members, who feel that minority entrepreneurs and businesses should be judged by established business considerations. These staff members believe their point of view is closer to the original philosophy of MESBIC's and they are concerned that, unless a more prudent course if followed, MESBIC directors may revert to policies likely to re-create the disappointing results of the original SBA approach.","id":"267.txt","label":2} +{"option":["broaden the scope of the discussion to include the legal considerations of funding MESBIC's through sponsoring companies.","call attention to the fact that MESBIC's must receive adequate funding in order to function effectively.","show that sponsoring companies were willing to invest only $500,000 of government-sponsored venture capital in the original MESBIC's.","Compare SBA and MESBIC limits on minimum funding."],"question":"The author refers to the \u2018financial and operating problems' encountered by MESBIC's primarily in order to _ .","article":"Federal efforts to aid minority businesses began in the 1960's when the Small Business Administration (SBA) began making federally guaranteed loans and government-sponsored management and technical assistance available to minority business enterprises. While this program enabled many minority entrepreneurs to form new businesses, the results were disappointing, since managerial inexperience, unfavorable locations, and capital shortages led to high failure rates. Even 15 years after the program was implemented, minority business receipts were not quite two percent of the national economy's total receipts.\nRecently federal policymakers have adopted an approach intended to accelerate development of the minority business sector by moving away from directly aiding small minority enterprises and toward supporting large, growth-oriented minority firms through intermediary companies. In this approach, large corporations participate in the development of successful and stable minority businesses by making use of government-sponsored venture capital. The capital is used by a participating company to establish a Minority Enterprise Small Businesses that have potential to become future suppliers of customers of the sponsoring company.\nMESBIC's are the result of the belief that providing established firms with easier access to relevant management techniques and more job-specific experience, as well as substantial amounts of capital, gives those firms a greater opportunity to develop sound business foundations than does simply making general management experience and small amounts of capital available. Further, since potential markets for the minority businesses already exist through the sponsoring companies, the minority businesses face considerably less risk in terms of location and market fluctuation. Following early financial and operating problems, sponsoring corporations began to capitalize MESBIC's far above the legal minimum of $500,000 in order to generate sufficient income and to sustain the quality of management needed. MESBIC's are now emerging as increasingly important financing sources for minority enterprises.\nIronically, MESBIC staffs, which usually consist of Hispanic and Black professionals, tend to approach investments in minority firms more pragmatically than do many MESBIC directors, who are usually senior managers from sponsoring corporations. The latter often still think mainly in terms of the \u2018social responsibility approach' and thus seem to prefer deals that are riskier and less attractive than normal investment criteria would warrant. Such differences in viewpoint have produced uneasiness among many minority staff members, who feel that minority entrepreneurs and businesses should be judged by established business considerations. These staff members believe their point of view is closer to the original philosophy of MESBIC's and they are concerned that, unless a more prudent course if followed, MESBIC directors may revert to policies likely to re-create the disappointing results of the original SBA approach.","id":"267.txt","label":1} +{"option":["disappointing.","Indifferent.","Shocked.","Defensive."],"question":"It can be inferred from the passage that the attitude of some MESBIC staff member toward the investments preferred by some MESBIC directors can be best described as _ .","article":"Federal efforts to aid minority businesses began in the 1960's when the Small Business Administration (SBA) began making federally guaranteed loans and government-sponsored management and technical assistance available to minority business enterprises. While this program enabled many minority entrepreneurs to form new businesses, the results were disappointing, since managerial inexperience, unfavorable locations, and capital shortages led to high failure rates. Even 15 years after the program was implemented, minority business receipts were not quite two percent of the national economy's total receipts.\nRecently federal policymakers have adopted an approach intended to accelerate development of the minority business sector by moving away from directly aiding small minority enterprises and toward supporting large, growth-oriented minority firms through intermediary companies. In this approach, large corporations participate in the development of successful and stable minority businesses by making use of government-sponsored venture capital. The capital is used by a participating company to establish a Minority Enterprise Small Businesses that have potential to become future suppliers of customers of the sponsoring company.\nMESBIC's are the result of the belief that providing established firms with easier access to relevant management techniques and more job-specific experience, as well as substantial amounts of capital, gives those firms a greater opportunity to develop sound business foundations than does simply making general management experience and small amounts of capital available. Further, since potential markets for the minority businesses already exist through the sponsoring companies, the minority businesses face considerably less risk in terms of location and market fluctuation. Following early financial and operating problems, sponsoring corporations began to capitalize MESBIC's far above the legal minimum of $500,000 in order to generate sufficient income and to sustain the quality of management needed. MESBIC's are now emerging as increasingly important financing sources for minority enterprises.\nIronically, MESBIC staffs, which usually consist of Hispanic and Black professionals, tend to approach investments in minority firms more pragmatically than do many MESBIC directors, who are usually senior managers from sponsoring corporations. The latter often still think mainly in terms of the \u2018social responsibility approach' and thus seem to prefer deals that are riskier and less attractive than normal investment criteria would warrant. Such differences in viewpoint have produced uneasiness among many minority staff members, who feel that minority entrepreneurs and businesses should be judged by established business considerations. These staff members believe their point of view is closer to the original philosophy of MESBIC's and they are concerned that, unless a more prudent course if followed, MESBIC directors may revert to policies likely to re-create the disappointing results of the original SBA approach.","id":"267.txt","label":0} +{"option":["mismanagement","too few students","too many students","the nature of schools"],"question":"According to the author's opinion schools are bad businesses because of _ .","article":"Many private institutions of higher education around the country are in danger. Not all will be saved, and perhaps not all deserve to be saved. There are low-quality schools just as there are low-quality businesses. We have no duty to save them simply because they exist.\nBut many promising institutions that deserve to continue are threatened. They are doing a fine job educationally, but they are caught in a financial squeeze, with no way to reduce rising costs or increase income significantly. Raising tuition doesn't bring in more income, for each time tuition goes up, the enrollment goes down, or the amount that must be given away in student aid goes up. Schools are bad businesses, whether public or private, not usually because of mismanagement but because of the nature of the enterprise. They lose money on every customer, and they can go bankrupt either from too few students or too many students. Even a very good college is a very bad business.\nIt is such colleges, promising but threatened, that I worry about. Low enrollment is not their chief problem. Even with full enrollments, they may go under. Efforts to save them, and preferably to keep them private, are a national necessity. There is no basis for arguing that private schools are inherently better than public schools. There .are many examples to the contrary. Anyone can name state universities and colleges that rank as the finest in the nation and the world. It is now inevitable that public institutions will be dominant , and therefore diversity is a national necessity. Diversity in the way we support schools tends to give us a healthy diversity in the forms of education. In an imperfect society such as ours, uniformity of education throughout the nation could be dangerous. In an imperfect society, diversity is a positive good. Supporters of public higher education know the importance of sustaining private higher education.","id":"1477.txt","label":3} +{"option":["get into difficulties","have low enrollment","have low tuition","bring in more money"],"question":"The author used the phrase \"go under\" in the third paragraph to mean_ .","article":"Many private institutions of higher education around the country are in danger. Not all will be saved, and perhaps not all deserve to be saved. There are low-quality schools just as there are low-quality businesses. We have no duty to save them simply because they exist.\nBut many promising institutions that deserve to continue are threatened. They are doing a fine job educationally, but they are caught in a financial squeeze, with no way to reduce rising costs or increase income significantly. Raising tuition doesn't bring in more income, for each time tuition goes up, the enrollment goes down, or the amount that must be given away in student aid goes up. Schools are bad businesses, whether public or private, not usually because of mismanagement but because of the nature of the enterprise. They lose money on every customer, and they can go bankrupt either from too few students or too many students. Even a very good college is a very bad business.\nIt is such colleges, promising but threatened, that I worry about. Low enrollment is not their chief problem. Even with full enrollments, they may go under. Efforts to save them, and preferably to keep them private, are a national necessity. There is no basis for arguing that private schools are inherently better than public schools. There .are many examples to the contrary. Anyone can name state universities and colleges that rank as the finest in the nation and the world. It is now inevitable that public institutions will be dominant , and therefore diversity is a national necessity. Diversity in the way we support schools tends to give us a healthy diversity in the forms of education. In an imperfect society such as ours, uniformity of education throughout the nation could be dangerous. In an imperfect society, diversity is a positive good. Supporters of public higher education know the importance of sustaining private higher education.","id":"1477.txt","label":0} +{"option":["public institutions","private schools","uniformity of education","high quality of education"],"question":"We can reasonably conclude from this passage that the author made an appeal to the public in order to support_ .","article":"Many private institutions of higher education around the country are in danger. Not all will be saved, and perhaps not all deserve to be saved. There are low-quality schools just as there are low-quality businesses. We have no duty to save them simply because they exist.\nBut many promising institutions that deserve to continue are threatened. They are doing a fine job educationally, but they are caught in a financial squeeze, with no way to reduce rising costs or increase income significantly. Raising tuition doesn't bring in more income, for each time tuition goes up, the enrollment goes down, or the amount that must be given away in student aid goes up. Schools are bad businesses, whether public or private, not usually because of mismanagement but because of the nature of the enterprise. They lose money on every customer, and they can go bankrupt either from too few students or too many students. Even a very good college is a very bad business.\nIt is such colleges, promising but threatened, that I worry about. Low enrollment is not their chief problem. Even with full enrollments, they may go under. Efforts to save them, and preferably to keep them private, are a national necessity. There is no basis for arguing that private schools are inherently better than public schools. There .are many examples to the contrary. Anyone can name state universities and colleges that rank as the finest in the nation and the world. It is now inevitable that public institutions will be dominant , and therefore diversity is a national necessity. Diversity in the way we support schools tends to give us a healthy diversity in the forms of education. In an imperfect society such as ours, uniformity of education throughout the nation could be dangerous. In an imperfect society, diversity is a positive good. Supporters of public higher education know the importance of sustaining private higher education.","id":"1477.txt","label":1} +{"option":["High-quality private schools deserve to be saved.","If the tuition is raised, the enrollment goes down.","There are many cases to show that public-schools are better than private schools.","Private schools have more money than public schools."],"question":"Which of the following is NOT TRUE?","article":"Many private institutions of higher education around the country are in danger. Not all will be saved, and perhaps not all deserve to be saved. There are low-quality schools just as there are low-quality businesses. We have no duty to save them simply because they exist.\nBut many promising institutions that deserve to continue are threatened. They are doing a fine job educationally, but they are caught in a financial squeeze, with no way to reduce rising costs or increase income significantly. Raising tuition doesn't bring in more income, for each time tuition goes up, the enrollment goes down, or the amount that must be given away in student aid goes up. Schools are bad businesses, whether public or private, not usually because of mismanagement but because of the nature of the enterprise. They lose money on every customer, and they can go bankrupt either from too few students or too many students. Even a very good college is a very bad business.\nIt is such colleges, promising but threatened, that I worry about. Low enrollment is not their chief problem. Even with full enrollments, they may go under. Efforts to save them, and preferably to keep them private, are a national necessity. There is no basis for arguing that private schools are inherently better than public schools. There .are many examples to the contrary. Anyone can name state universities and colleges that rank as the finest in the nation and the world. It is now inevitable that public institutions will be dominant , and therefore diversity is a national necessity. Diversity in the way we support schools tends to give us a healthy diversity in the forms of education. In an imperfect society such as ours, uniformity of education throughout the nation could be dangerous. In an imperfect society, diversity is a positive good. Supporters of public higher education know the importance of sustaining private higher education.","id":"1477.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Raising tuition.","Full enrollment.","National awareness and support.","Reduction of rising costs."],"question":"Which of the following ways could possibly save private schools?","article":"Many private institutions of higher education around the country are in danger. Not all will be saved, and perhaps not all deserve to be saved. There are low-quality schools just as there are low-quality businesses. We have no duty to save them simply because they exist.\nBut many promising institutions that deserve to continue are threatened. They are doing a fine job educationally, but they are caught in a financial squeeze, with no way to reduce rising costs or increase income significantly. Raising tuition doesn't bring in more income, for each time tuition goes up, the enrollment goes down, or the amount that must be given away in student aid goes up. Schools are bad businesses, whether public or private, not usually because of mismanagement but because of the nature of the enterprise. They lose money on every customer, and they can go bankrupt either from too few students or too many students. Even a very good college is a very bad business.\nIt is such colleges, promising but threatened, that I worry about. Low enrollment is not their chief problem. Even with full enrollments, they may go under. Efforts to save them, and preferably to keep them private, are a national necessity. There is no basis for arguing that private schools are inherently better than public schools. There .are many examples to the contrary. Anyone can name state universities and colleges that rank as the finest in the nation and the world. It is now inevitable that public institutions will be dominant , and therefore diversity is a national necessity. Diversity in the way we support schools tends to give us a healthy diversity in the forms of education. In an imperfect society such as ours, uniformity of education throughout the nation could be dangerous. In an imperfect society, diversity is a positive good. Supporters of public higher education know the importance of sustaining private higher education.","id":"1477.txt","label":2} +{"option":["will experience some change","still has room for manoeuvre","will attach closely to its faith","will remain rich for years to come"],"question":"The 1st paragraph primarily tells us that Saudi Arabia_","article":"Oil and Islam continue to define Saudi Arabia's room for manoeuvre. With global demand unlikely to wane in the foreseeable future and reserves elsewhere diminishing, oil will continue to keep the kingdom rich for decades to come. At the same time, the Saudis' attachment to their faith is not diminishing; it may even be growing stronger. But the faith itself is changing in subtle ways.\nHaving gone through waves of progress and retrenchment during its 73 years as a unified kingdom, Saudi Arabia is now well into another period of rapid change. This time, however, the well-oiled complacency of the previous big boom, in the 1970s, is largely gone. Four years ago, a survey in this newspaper argued that it might require internal shocks to jolt the Saudis into taking reform seriously. Those shocks have now arrived.\nSince May 2003, when suicide bombers attacked a housing compound in Riyadh, terrorist violence has touched every corner of the kingdom, claiming some 200 lives. Saudi nationals, the most famous being Osama bin Laden, continue to be implicated in terrorist attacks abroad, most notably in Iraq. Yet far from rallying Saudis to the jihadist cause, terrorism has made them identify more closely with the state. More importantly, the violence has brought intense introspection and debate.\nLong accustomed to blaming outside influences for all ills, Saudis now accept that the fixing needs to start at home. Aside from extremism, the problems of unemployment, poverty and the abuse of human rights have moved to the top of the national agenda. Even the most absolute of previous taboos, political reform, is being widely debated. In dozens of interviews with Saudis of all stripes, one phrase kept coming up: the question is no longer whether to reform\/restructure\/change, but how fast to do it.\nThe government's answer, to date, has been slowly, and not very surely. But this survey will argue that far from being a dinosaur nation, lumbering to extinction, Saudi Arabia is capable of rapid evolution. ~ On some important issues, such as the rules governing business, it is already far down the right track. On others, such as the ways it educates its youth and excludes women, the kingdom is only just beginning to shift course.\nMost Saudis reckon it is premature to speak of democracy in their country; but there are myriad ways to emancipate citizens, from upholding the rule of law to making budgets more transparent and loosening the grip of security agencies over universities and the press. Instead of their old tactics of prevarication, slow consensus-building and co-optation, the A1 Sauds should try a new one: putting trust in their people.\u3000\u3000[438 words]","id":"1211.txt","label":0} +{"option":["internal impact","another big boom","another wave of progress","the well-oiled complacency"],"question":"Some people argued that_ is most needed for Saudi Arabias reform.","article":"Oil and Islam continue to define Saudi Arabia's room for manoeuvre. With global demand unlikely to wane in the foreseeable future and reserves elsewhere diminishing, oil will continue to keep the kingdom rich for decades to come. At the same time, the Saudis' attachment to their faith is not diminishing; it may even be growing stronger. But the faith itself is changing in subtle ways.\nHaving gone through waves of progress and retrenchment during its 73 years as a unified kingdom, Saudi Arabia is now well into another period of rapid change. This time, however, the well-oiled complacency of the previous big boom, in the 1970s, is largely gone. Four years ago, a survey in this newspaper argued that it might require internal shocks to jolt the Saudis into taking reform seriously. Those shocks have now arrived.\nSince May 2003, when suicide bombers attacked a housing compound in Riyadh, terrorist violence has touched every corner of the kingdom, claiming some 200 lives. Saudi nationals, the most famous being Osama bin Laden, continue to be implicated in terrorist attacks abroad, most notably in Iraq. Yet far from rallying Saudis to the jihadist cause, terrorism has made them identify more closely with the state. More importantly, the violence has brought intense introspection and debate.\nLong accustomed to blaming outside influences for all ills, Saudis now accept that the fixing needs to start at home. Aside from extremism, the problems of unemployment, poverty and the abuse of human rights have moved to the top of the national agenda. Even the most absolute of previous taboos, political reform, is being widely debated. In dozens of interviews with Saudis of all stripes, one phrase kept coming up: the question is no longer whether to reform\/restructure\/change, but how fast to do it.\nThe government's answer, to date, has been slowly, and not very surely. But this survey will argue that far from being a dinosaur nation, lumbering to extinction, Saudi Arabia is capable of rapid evolution. ~ On some important issues, such as the rules governing business, it is already far down the right track. On others, such as the ways it educates its youth and excludes women, the kingdom is only just beginning to shift course.\nMost Saudis reckon it is premature to speak of democracy in their country; but there are myriad ways to emancipate citizens, from upholding the rule of law to making budgets more transparent and loosening the grip of security agencies over universities and the press. Instead of their old tactics of prevarication, slow consensus-building and co-optation, the A1 Sauds should try a new one: putting trust in their people.\u3000\u3000[438 words]","id":"1211.txt","label":0} +{"option":["the loss of many innocent lives","intense introspection and debate","closer identification with Saudi Arabia","the impact on every corner of Saudi Arabia"],"question":"The primary consequence of terrorist violence is_","article":"Oil and Islam continue to define Saudi Arabia's room for manoeuvre. With global demand unlikely to wane in the foreseeable future and reserves elsewhere diminishing, oil will continue to keep the kingdom rich for decades to come. At the same time, the Saudis' attachment to their faith is not diminishing; it may even be growing stronger. But the faith itself is changing in subtle ways.\nHaving gone through waves of progress and retrenchment during its 73 years as a unified kingdom, Saudi Arabia is now well into another period of rapid change. This time, however, the well-oiled complacency of the previous big boom, in the 1970s, is largely gone. Four years ago, a survey in this newspaper argued that it might require internal shocks to jolt the Saudis into taking reform seriously. Those shocks have now arrived.\nSince May 2003, when suicide bombers attacked a housing compound in Riyadh, terrorist violence has touched every corner of the kingdom, claiming some 200 lives. Saudi nationals, the most famous being Osama bin Laden, continue to be implicated in terrorist attacks abroad, most notably in Iraq. Yet far from rallying Saudis to the jihadist cause, terrorism has made them identify more closely with the state. More importantly, the violence has brought intense introspection and debate.\nLong accustomed to blaming outside influences for all ills, Saudis now accept that the fixing needs to start at home. Aside from extremism, the problems of unemployment, poverty and the abuse of human rights have moved to the top of the national agenda. Even the most absolute of previous taboos, political reform, is being widely debated. In dozens of interviews with Saudis of all stripes, one phrase kept coming up: the question is no longer whether to reform\/restructure\/change, but how fast to do it.\nThe government's answer, to date, has been slowly, and not very surely. But this survey will argue that far from being a dinosaur nation, lumbering to extinction, Saudi Arabia is capable of rapid evolution. ~ On some important issues, such as the rules governing business, it is already far down the right track. On others, such as the ways it educates its youth and excludes women, the kingdom is only just beginning to shift course.\nMost Saudis reckon it is premature to speak of democracy in their country; but there are myriad ways to emancipate citizens, from upholding the rule of law to making budgets more transparent and loosening the grip of security agencies over universities and the press. Instead of their old tactics of prevarication, slow consensus-building and co-optation, the A1 Sauds should try a new one: putting trust in their people.\u3000\u3000[438 words]","id":"1211.txt","label":1} +{"option":["abolishing extremism","fighting against terrorism","putting social reform into practice","blaming outside influences for all evils"],"question":"Saudis have gradually accepted the idea of_","article":"Oil and Islam continue to define Saudi Arabia's room for manoeuvre. With global demand unlikely to wane in the foreseeable future and reserves elsewhere diminishing, oil will continue to keep the kingdom rich for decades to come. At the same time, the Saudis' attachment to their faith is not diminishing; it may even be growing stronger. But the faith itself is changing in subtle ways.\nHaving gone through waves of progress and retrenchment during its 73 years as a unified kingdom, Saudi Arabia is now well into another period of rapid change. This time, however, the well-oiled complacency of the previous big boom, in the 1970s, is largely gone. Four years ago, a survey in this newspaper argued that it might require internal shocks to jolt the Saudis into taking reform seriously. Those shocks have now arrived.\nSince May 2003, when suicide bombers attacked a housing compound in Riyadh, terrorist violence has touched every corner of the kingdom, claiming some 200 lives. Saudi nationals, the most famous being Osama bin Laden, continue to be implicated in terrorist attacks abroad, most notably in Iraq. Yet far from rallying Saudis to the jihadist cause, terrorism has made them identify more closely with the state. More importantly, the violence has brought intense introspection and debate.\nLong accustomed to blaming outside influences for all ills, Saudis now accept that the fixing needs to start at home. Aside from extremism, the problems of unemployment, poverty and the abuse of human rights have moved to the top of the national agenda. Even the most absolute of previous taboos, political reform, is being widely debated. In dozens of interviews with Saudis of all stripes, one phrase kept coming up: the question is no longer whether to reform\/restructure\/change, but how fast to do it.\nThe government's answer, to date, has been slowly, and not very surely. But this survey will argue that far from being a dinosaur nation, lumbering to extinction, Saudi Arabia is capable of rapid evolution. ~ On some important issues, such as the rules governing business, it is already far down the right track. On others, such as the ways it educates its youth and excludes women, the kingdom is only just beginning to shift course.\nMost Saudis reckon it is premature to speak of democracy in their country; but there are myriad ways to emancipate citizens, from upholding the rule of law to making budgets more transparent and loosening the grip of security agencies over universities and the press. Instead of their old tactics of prevarication, slow consensus-building and co-optation, the A1 Sauds should try a new one: putting trust in their people.\u3000\u3000[438 words]","id":"1211.txt","label":2} +{"option":["reform in education","upholding the rule of law","some emancipation of citizens","the rapid progress of democracy"],"question":"Saudis hardly EXCEPT_","article":"Oil and Islam continue to define Saudi Arabia's room for manoeuvre. With global demand unlikely to wane in the foreseeable future and reserves elsewhere diminishing, oil will continue to keep the kingdom rich for decades to come. At the same time, the Saudis' attachment to their faith is not diminishing; it may even be growing stronger. But the faith itself is changing in subtle ways.\nHaving gone through waves of progress and retrenchment during its 73 years as a unified kingdom, Saudi Arabia is now well into another period of rapid change. This time, however, the well-oiled complacency of the previous big boom, in the 1970s, is largely gone. Four years ago, a survey in this newspaper argued that it might require internal shocks to jolt the Saudis into taking reform seriously. Those shocks have now arrived.\nSince May 2003, when suicide bombers attacked a housing compound in Riyadh, terrorist violence has touched every corner of the kingdom, claiming some 200 lives. Saudi nationals, the most famous being Osama bin Laden, continue to be implicated in terrorist attacks abroad, most notably in Iraq. Yet far from rallying Saudis to the jihadist cause, terrorism has made them identify more closely with the state. More importantly, the violence has brought intense introspection and debate.\nLong accustomed to blaming outside influences for all ills, Saudis now accept that the fixing needs to start at home. Aside from extremism, the problems of unemployment, poverty and the abuse of human rights have moved to the top of the national agenda. Even the most absolute of previous taboos, political reform, is being widely debated. In dozens of interviews with Saudis of all stripes, one phrase kept coming up: the question is no longer whether to reform\/restructure\/change, but how fast to do it.\nThe government's answer, to date, has been slowly, and not very surely. But this survey will argue that far from being a dinosaur nation, lumbering to extinction, Saudi Arabia is capable of rapid evolution. ~ On some important issues, such as the rules governing business, it is already far down the right track. On others, such as the ways it educates its youth and excludes women, the kingdom is only just beginning to shift course.\nMost Saudis reckon it is premature to speak of democracy in their country; but there are myriad ways to emancipate citizens, from upholding the rule of law to making budgets more transparent and loosening the grip of security agencies over universities and the press. Instead of their old tactics of prevarication, slow consensus-building and co-optation, the A1 Sauds should try a new one: putting trust in their people.\u3000\u3000[438 words]","id":"1211.txt","label":3} +{"option":["interpreting the results of surveys on traffic accidents","reviewing the effectiveness of attempts to reduce drunk driving","analyzing the causes of the large number of annual traffic deaths","making an international comparison of experience with drunk driving"],"question":"The author is primarily concerned with _ .","article":"There is extraordinary exposure in the United States to the risks of injury and death from motor vehicle accidents.More than 80 percent of all households own passenger cars or light trucks and each of these is driven an average of more than 11, 000 miles each year.Almost one-half of fatally injured drivers have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC. of 0.1 percent or higher.For the average adult, over five ounces of 80 proof spirits would have to be consumed over a short period of time to attain these levels.One third of drivers who have been drinking, but fewer than 4 percent of all drivers, demonstrate these levels.1)Although less than 1 percent of drivers with BACs of 0.1 percent or more are involved in fatal crashes, the probability of their involvements is 27 times higher than for those without alcohol in their blood.There are a number of different approaches to reducing injuries in which drinking plays a role.Based on the observation that excessive consumption correlates with the total alcohol consumption of a country\u2018s population, it has been suggested that higher taxes on alcohol would reduce both.While the heaviest drinkers would be taxed the most, anyone who drinks at all would be punished by this approach.\nTo make drinking and driving a criminal offense is an approach directed only at drinking drivers.In some states, the law empowers police to request breath tests of drivers committing any traffic offense and higher BAC can be the basis for arrest.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates, however, that even with increased arrests, there are about 700 violations for every arrest.At this level there is little evidence that laws are effective ways to reduce drunk driving.In Britain, motor vehicle accidents fell 25 percent immediately following implementation of the Road Safety Act in 1967. 2) As Britishers increasingly recognized that they could drink and not be stopped, the effectiveness declined, although in the following three years the death-rate seldom reached that observed in the seven years prior to the Act.\nWhether penalties for driving with a high BAC or excessive taxation on consumption of alcoholic drinks will deter the excessive drinker responsible for most accidents is unclear.One thing is clear, however\uff1aunless we deal with automobile and highway safety and reduce accidents in which alcoholic drinking plays a role, many will continue to die.","id":"599.txt","label":1} +{"option":["changed an existing law to lower the BAC level which defined drunk driving","made it illegal for the drunk driver to drive","increased the number of drunk driving arrests","placed a tax on the sale of alcoholic drinks"],"question":"It can be inferred that the 1967 Road Safety Act in Britain _ .","article":"There is extraordinary exposure in the United States to the risks of injury and death from motor vehicle accidents.More than 80 percent of all households own passenger cars or light trucks and each of these is driven an average of more than 11, 000 miles each year.Almost one-half of fatally injured drivers have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC. of 0.1 percent or higher.For the average adult, over five ounces of 80 proof spirits would have to be consumed over a short period of time to attain these levels.One third of drivers who have been drinking, but fewer than 4 percent of all drivers, demonstrate these levels.1)Although less than 1 percent of drivers with BACs of 0.1 percent or more are involved in fatal crashes, the probability of their involvements is 27 times higher than for those without alcohol in their blood.There are a number of different approaches to reducing injuries in which drinking plays a role.Based on the observation that excessive consumption correlates with the total alcohol consumption of a country\u2018s population, it has been suggested that higher taxes on alcohol would reduce both.While the heaviest drinkers would be taxed the most, anyone who drinks at all would be punished by this approach.\nTo make drinking and driving a criminal offense is an approach directed only at drinking drivers.In some states, the law empowers police to request breath tests of drivers committing any traffic offense and higher BAC can be the basis for arrest.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates, however, that even with increased arrests, there are about 700 violations for every arrest.At this level there is little evidence that laws are effective ways to reduce drunk driving.In Britain, motor vehicle accidents fell 25 percent immediately following implementation of the Road Safety Act in 1967. 2) As Britishers increasingly recognized that they could drink and not be stopped, the effectiveness declined, although in the following three years the death-rate seldom reached that observed in the seven years prior to the Act.\nWhether penalties for driving with a high BAC or excessive taxation on consumption of alcoholic drinks will deter the excessive drinker responsible for most accidents is unclear.One thing is clear, however\uff1aunless we deal with automobile and highway safety and reduce accidents in which alcoholic drinking plays a role, many will continue to die.","id":"599.txt","label":1} +{"option":["the sale of alcoholic drinks is unreasonably high as a definition of drunk driving","penalizes the moderate drinker while allowing the heavy drinker to consume without limit","is well below the BAC of most drivers who are involved in fatal crashes","proves that a driver has consumed five ounces of 80 proof spirits over a short time"],"question":"The author implies that a BAC of 0.1 percent _ .","article":"There is extraordinary exposure in the United States to the risks of injury and death from motor vehicle accidents.More than 80 percent of all households own passenger cars or light trucks and each of these is driven an average of more than 11, 000 miles each year.Almost one-half of fatally injured drivers have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC. of 0.1 percent or higher.For the average adult, over five ounces of 80 proof spirits would have to be consumed over a short period of time to attain these levels.One third of drivers who have been drinking, but fewer than 4 percent of all drivers, demonstrate these levels.1)Although less than 1 percent of drivers with BACs of 0.1 percent or more are involved in fatal crashes, the probability of their involvements is 27 times higher than for those without alcohol in their blood.There are a number of different approaches to reducing injuries in which drinking plays a role.Based on the observation that excessive consumption correlates with the total alcohol consumption of a country\u2018s population, it has been suggested that higher taxes on alcohol would reduce both.While the heaviest drinkers would be taxed the most, anyone who drinks at all would be punished by this approach.\nTo make drinking and driving a criminal offense is an approach directed only at drinking drivers.In some states, the law empowers police to request breath tests of drivers committing any traffic offense and higher BAC can be the basis for arrest.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates, however, that even with increased arrests, there are about 700 violations for every arrest.At this level there is little evidence that laws are effective ways to reduce drunk driving.In Britain, motor vehicle accidents fell 25 percent immediately following implementation of the Road Safety Act in 1967. 2) As Britishers increasingly recognized that they could drink and not be stopped, the effectiveness declined, although in the following three years the death-rate seldom reached that observed in the seven years prior to the Act.\nWhether penalties for driving with a high BAC or excessive taxation on consumption of alcoholic drinks will deter the excessive drinker responsible for most accidents is unclear.One thing is clear, however\uff1aunless we deal with automobile and highway safety and reduce accidents in which alcoholic drinking plays a role, many will continue to die.","id":"599.txt","label":0} +{"option":["show that the problem of drunk driving is worse in Britain than in the U.S.","prove that stricter laws against drinking drivers would reduce traffic deaths","prove that a slight increase in the number of arrests of drunk drivers will not deter drunk driving","suggest that taxation of alcohol consumption may be more effective than criminal laws"],"question":"The author cites the British example in order to _ .","article":"There is extraordinary exposure in the United States to the risks of injury and death from motor vehicle accidents.More than 80 percent of all households own passenger cars or light trucks and each of these is driven an average of more than 11, 000 miles each year.Almost one-half of fatally injured drivers have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC. of 0.1 percent or higher.For the average adult, over five ounces of 80 proof spirits would have to be consumed over a short period of time to attain these levels.One third of drivers who have been drinking, but fewer than 4 percent of all drivers, demonstrate these levels.1)Although less than 1 percent of drivers with BACs of 0.1 percent or more are involved in fatal crashes, the probability of their involvements is 27 times higher than for those without alcohol in their blood.There are a number of different approaches to reducing injuries in which drinking plays a role.Based on the observation that excessive consumption correlates with the total alcohol consumption of a country\u2018s population, it has been suggested that higher taxes on alcohol would reduce both.While the heaviest drinkers would be taxed the most, anyone who drinks at all would be punished by this approach.\nTo make drinking and driving a criminal offense is an approach directed only at drinking drivers.In some states, the law empowers police to request breath tests of drivers committing any traffic offense and higher BAC can be the basis for arrest.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates, however, that even with increased arrests, there are about 700 violations for every arrest.At this level there is little evidence that laws are effective ways to reduce drunk driving.In Britain, motor vehicle accidents fell 25 percent immediately following implementation of the Road Safety Act in 1967. 2) As Britishers increasingly recognized that they could drink and not be stopped, the effectiveness declined, although in the following three years the death-rate seldom reached that observed in the seven years prior to the Act.\nWhether penalties for driving with a high BAC or excessive taxation on consumption of alcoholic drinks will deter the excessive drinker responsible for most accidents is unclear.One thing is clear, however\uff1aunless we deal with automobile and highway safety and reduce accidents in which alcoholic drinking plays a role, many will continue to die.","id":"599.txt","label":2} +{"option":["prevent","encourage","punish","threaten"],"question":"The word\" deter\" in the last paragraph probably means _ .","article":"There is extraordinary exposure in the United States to the risks of injury and death from motor vehicle accidents.More than 80 percent of all households own passenger cars or light trucks and each of these is driven an average of more than 11, 000 miles each year.Almost one-half of fatally injured drivers have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC. of 0.1 percent or higher.For the average adult, over five ounces of 80 proof spirits would have to be consumed over a short period of time to attain these levels.One third of drivers who have been drinking, but fewer than 4 percent of all drivers, demonstrate these levels.1)Although less than 1 percent of drivers with BACs of 0.1 percent or more are involved in fatal crashes, the probability of their involvements is 27 times higher than for those without alcohol in their blood.There are a number of different approaches to reducing injuries in which drinking plays a role.Based on the observation that excessive consumption correlates with the total alcohol consumption of a country\u2018s population, it has been suggested that higher taxes on alcohol would reduce both.While the heaviest drinkers would be taxed the most, anyone who drinks at all would be punished by this approach.\nTo make drinking and driving a criminal offense is an approach directed only at drinking drivers.In some states, the law empowers police to request breath tests of drivers committing any traffic offense and higher BAC can be the basis for arrest.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates, however, that even with increased arrests, there are about 700 violations for every arrest.At this level there is little evidence that laws are effective ways to reduce drunk driving.In Britain, motor vehicle accidents fell 25 percent immediately following implementation of the Road Safety Act in 1967. 2) As Britishers increasingly recognized that they could drink and not be stopped, the effectiveness declined, although in the following three years the death-rate seldom reached that observed in the seven years prior to the Act.\nWhether penalties for driving with a high BAC or excessive taxation on consumption of alcoholic drinks will deter the excessive drinker responsible for most accidents is unclear.One thing is clear, however\uff1aunless we deal with automobile and highway safety and reduce accidents in which alcoholic drinking plays a role, many will continue to die.","id":"599.txt","label":0} +{"option":["paleoecologist Glen MacDonald's argumentthat the original migration occurred much later than had previously beenbelieved","the demonstration that certain previouslyaccepted radiocarbon dates were incorrect","evidence that the continental ice beganits final retreat much later than had previously been believed","research showing that the ice-freecorridor was not as long lasting as had been widely assumed"],"question":"According to paragraph 1, the theory thatpeople first migrated to the Americans by way of an ice-free corridor wasseriously called into question by","article":"It has long been accepted that the Americas were colonized by a migration of peoples from Asia, slowly traveling across a land bridge called Beringia (now the Bering Strait between northeastern Asia and AlaskA. during the last Ice Age. The first water craft theory about this migration was that around 11,000-12,000 years ago there was an ice-free corridor stretching from eastern Beringia to the areas of North America south of the great northern glaciers. It was this midcontinental corridor between two massive ice sheets-the Laurentide to the east and the Cordilleran to the west-that enabled the southward migration. But belief in this ice-free corridor began to crumble when paleoecologist Glen MacDonald demonstrated that some of the most important radiocarbon dates used to support the existence of an ice-free corridor were incorrect. He persuasively argued that such an ice-free corridor did not exist until much later, when the continental ice began its final retreat.\nSupport is growing for the alternative theory that people using watercraft, possibly skin boats, moved southward from Beringia along the Gulf of Alaska and then southward along the Northwest coast of North America possibly as early as 16,000 years ago. This route would have enabled humans to enter southern areas of the Americas prior to the melting of the continental glaciers. Until the early 1970s,most archaeologists did not consider the coast a possible migration route into the Americas because geologists originally believed that during the last Ice Age the entire Northwest Coast was covered by glacial ice. It had been assumed that the ice extended westward from the Alaskan\/Canadian mountains to the very edge of the continental shelf, the flat, submerged part of the continent that extends into the ocean. This would have created a barrier of ice extending from the Alaska Peninsula, through the Gulf of Alaska and southward along the Northwest Coast of north America to what is today the state of washington.\nThe most influential proponent of the coastal migration route has been Canadian archaeologist Knut Fladmark. He theorized that with the use of watercraft, people gradually colonized unglaciated refuges and areas along the continental shelf exposed by the lower sea level. Fladmark's hypothesis received additional support form from the fact that the greatest diversity in native American languages occurs along the west coast of the Americas, suggesting that this region has been settled the longest.\nMore recent geologic studies documented deglaciation and the existence of ice-free areas throughout major coastal areas of British Columbia, Canada, by 13,000 years ago. Research now indicates that sizable areas of southeastern Alaska along the inner continental shelf were not covered by ice toward the end of the last Ice Age. One study suggests that except for a 250-mile coastal area between southwestern British Columbia and Washington State, the Northwest Coast of North America was largely free of ice by approximately 16,000 years ago. Vast areas along the coast may have been deglaciated beginning around 16,000 years ago, possibly providing a coastal corridor for the movement of plants, animals, and humans sometime between 13,000 and 14,000 years ago.\nThe coastal hypothesis has gained increasing support in recent years because the remains of large land animals, such as caribou and brown bears, have been found in southeastern Alaska dating between 10,000 and 12,500 years ago. This is the time period in which most scientists formerly believed the area to be inhospitable for humans. It has been suggested that if the environment were capable of supporting breeding populations of bears, there would have been enough food resources to support humans. Fladmark and other believe that the first human colonization of America occurred by boat along the Northwest Coast during the very late Ice Age, possibly as early as 14,000 years ago. The most recent geologic evidence indicates that it may have been possible for people to colonize ice-free regions along the continental shelf that were still exposed by the lower sea level between13,000 and 14,000 years ago.\nThe coastal hypothesis suggests an economy based on marine mammal hunting, saltwater fishing, shellfish gathering, and the use of watercraft. Because of the barrier of ice to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and populated areas to the north, there may have been a greater impetus for people to move in a southerly direction.","id":"981.txt","label":1} +{"option":["aggressively","inflexibly","convincingly","carefully"],"question":"The word \"persuasively\"(paragraph 1)inthe passage is closest in meaning to","article":"It has long been accepted that the Americas were colonized by a migration of peoples from Asia, slowly traveling across a land bridge called Beringia (now the Bering Strait between northeastern Asia and AlaskA. during the last Ice Age. The first water craft theory about this migration was that around 11,000-12,000 years ago there was an ice-free corridor stretching from eastern Beringia to the areas of North America south of the great northern glaciers. It was this midcontinental corridor between two massive ice sheets-the Laurentide to the east and the Cordilleran to the west-that enabled the southward migration. But belief in this ice-free corridor began to crumble when paleoecologist Glen MacDonald demonstrated that some of the most important radiocarbon dates used to support the existence of an ice-free corridor were incorrect. He persuasively argued that such an ice-free corridor did not exist until much later, when the continental ice began its final retreat.\nSupport is growing for the alternative theory that people using watercraft, possibly skin boats, moved southward from Beringia along the Gulf of Alaska and then southward along the Northwest coast of North America possibly as early as 16,000 years ago. This route would have enabled humans to enter southern areas of the Americas prior to the melting of the continental glaciers. Until the early 1970s,most archaeologists did not consider the coast a possible migration route into the Americas because geologists originally believed that during the last Ice Age the entire Northwest Coast was covered by glacial ice. It had been assumed that the ice extended westward from the Alaskan\/Canadian mountains to the very edge of the continental shelf, the flat, submerged part of the continent that extends into the ocean. This would have created a barrier of ice extending from the Alaska Peninsula, through the Gulf of Alaska and southward along the Northwest Coast of north America to what is today the state of washington.\nThe most influential proponent of the coastal migration route has been Canadian archaeologist Knut Fladmark. He theorized that with the use of watercraft, people gradually colonized unglaciated refuges and areas along the continental shelf exposed by the lower sea level. Fladmark's hypothesis received additional support form from the fact that the greatest diversity in native American languages occurs along the west coast of the Americas, suggesting that this region has been settled the longest.\nMore recent geologic studies documented deglaciation and the existence of ice-free areas throughout major coastal areas of British Columbia, Canada, by 13,000 years ago. Research now indicates that sizable areas of southeastern Alaska along the inner continental shelf were not covered by ice toward the end of the last Ice Age. One study suggests that except for a 250-mile coastal area between southwestern British Columbia and Washington State, the Northwest Coast of North America was largely free of ice by approximately 16,000 years ago. Vast areas along the coast may have been deglaciated beginning around 16,000 years ago, possibly providing a coastal corridor for the movement of plants, animals, and humans sometime between 13,000 and 14,000 years ago.\nThe coastal hypothesis has gained increasing support in recent years because the remains of large land animals, such as caribou and brown bears, have been found in southeastern Alaska dating between 10,000 and 12,500 years ago. This is the time period in which most scientists formerly believed the area to be inhospitable for humans. It has been suggested that if the environment were capable of supporting breeding populations of bears, there would have been enough food resources to support humans. Fladmark and other believe that the first human colonization of America occurred by boat along the Northwest Coast during the very late Ice Age, possibly as early as 14,000 years ago. The most recent geologic evidence indicates that it may have been possible for people to colonize ice-free regions along the continental shelf that were still exposed by the lower sea level between13,000 and 14,000 years ago.\nThe coastal hypothesis suggests an economy based on marine mammal hunting, saltwater fishing, shellfish gathering, and the use of watercraft. Because of the barrier of ice to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and populated areas to the north, there may have been a greater impetus for people to move in a southerly direction.","id":"981.txt","label":2} +{"option":["discuss why the theory was rapidlyaccepted but then rejected","present the evidence on which the theorywas based","cite evidence that now shows that thetheory is incorrect","explain why the theory was not initiallyconsidered plausible"],"question":"Paragraph 2 begins by presenting a theoryand then goes on to","article":"It has long been accepted that the Americas were colonized by a migration of peoples from Asia, slowly traveling across a land bridge called Beringia (now the Bering Strait between northeastern Asia and AlaskA. during the last Ice Age. The first water craft theory about this migration was that around 11,000-12,000 years ago there was an ice-free corridor stretching from eastern Beringia to the areas of North America south of the great northern glaciers. It was this midcontinental corridor between two massive ice sheets-the Laurentide to the east and the Cordilleran to the west-that enabled the southward migration. But belief in this ice-free corridor began to crumble when paleoecologist Glen MacDonald demonstrated that some of the most important radiocarbon dates used to support the existence of an ice-free corridor were incorrect. He persuasively argued that such an ice-free corridor did not exist until much later, when the continental ice began its final retreat.\nSupport is growing for the alternative theory that people using watercraft, possibly skin boats, moved southward from Beringia along the Gulf of Alaska and then southward along the Northwest coast of North America possibly as early as 16,000 years ago. This route would have enabled humans to enter southern areas of the Americas prior to the melting of the continental glaciers. Until the early 1970s,most archaeologists did not consider the coast a possible migration route into the Americas because geologists originally believed that during the last Ice Age the entire Northwest Coast was covered by glacial ice. It had been assumed that the ice extended westward from the Alaskan\/Canadian mountains to the very edge of the continental shelf, the flat, submerged part of the continent that extends into the ocean. This would have created a barrier of ice extending from the Alaska Peninsula, through the Gulf of Alaska and southward along the Northwest Coast of north America to what is today the state of washington.\nThe most influential proponent of the coastal migration route has been Canadian archaeologist Knut Fladmark. He theorized that with the use of watercraft, people gradually colonized unglaciated refuges and areas along the continental shelf exposed by the lower sea level. Fladmark's hypothesis received additional support form from the fact that the greatest diversity in native American languages occurs along the west coast of the Americas, suggesting that this region has been settled the longest.\nMore recent geologic studies documented deglaciation and the existence of ice-free areas throughout major coastal areas of British Columbia, Canada, by 13,000 years ago. Research now indicates that sizable areas of southeastern Alaska along the inner continental shelf were not covered by ice toward the end of the last Ice Age. One study suggests that except for a 250-mile coastal area between southwestern British Columbia and Washington State, the Northwest Coast of North America was largely free of ice by approximately 16,000 years ago. Vast areas along the coast may have been deglaciated beginning around 16,000 years ago, possibly providing a coastal corridor for the movement of plants, animals, and humans sometime between 13,000 and 14,000 years ago.\nThe coastal hypothesis has gained increasing support in recent years because the remains of large land animals, such as caribou and brown bears, have been found in southeastern Alaska dating between 10,000 and 12,500 years ago. This is the time period in which most scientists formerly believed the area to be inhospitable for humans. It has been suggested that if the environment were capable of supporting breeding populations of bears, there would have been enough food resources to support humans. Fladmark and other believe that the first human colonization of America occurred by boat along the Northwest Coast during the very late Ice Age, possibly as early as 14,000 years ago. The most recent geologic evidence indicates that it may have been possible for people to colonize ice-free regions along the continental shelf that were still exposed by the lower sea level between13,000 and 14,000 years ago.\nThe coastal hypothesis suggests an economy based on marine mammal hunting, saltwater fishing, shellfish gathering, and the use of watercraft. Because of the barrier of ice to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and populated areas to the north, there may have been a greater impetus for people to move in a southerly direction.","id":"981.txt","label":3} +{"option":["before","immediately after","during","in spite of"],"question":"The phrase \"prior to\"(Paragraph 2)isclosest in meaning to","article":"It has long been accepted that the Americas were colonized by a migration of peoples from Asia, slowly traveling across a land bridge called Beringia (now the Bering Strait between northeastern Asia and AlaskA. during the last Ice Age. The first water craft theory about this migration was that around 11,000-12,000 years ago there was an ice-free corridor stretching from eastern Beringia to the areas of North America south of the great northern glaciers. It was this midcontinental corridor between two massive ice sheets-the Laurentide to the east and the Cordilleran to the west-that enabled the southward migration. But belief in this ice-free corridor began to crumble when paleoecologist Glen MacDonald demonstrated that some of the most important radiocarbon dates used to support the existence of an ice-free corridor were incorrect. He persuasively argued that such an ice-free corridor did not exist until much later, when the continental ice began its final retreat.\nSupport is growing for the alternative theory that people using watercraft, possibly skin boats, moved southward from Beringia along the Gulf of Alaska and then southward along the Northwest coast of North America possibly as early as 16,000 years ago. This route would have enabled humans to enter southern areas of the Americas prior to the melting of the continental glaciers. Until the early 1970s,most archaeologists did not consider the coast a possible migration route into the Americas because geologists originally believed that during the last Ice Age the entire Northwest Coast was covered by glacial ice. It had been assumed that the ice extended westward from the Alaskan\/Canadian mountains to the very edge of the continental shelf, the flat, submerged part of the continent that extends into the ocean. This would have created a barrier of ice extending from the Alaska Peninsula, through the Gulf of Alaska and southward along the Northwest Coast of north America to what is today the state of washington.\nThe most influential proponent of the coastal migration route has been Canadian archaeologist Knut Fladmark. He theorized that with the use of watercraft, people gradually colonized unglaciated refuges and areas along the continental shelf exposed by the lower sea level. Fladmark's hypothesis received additional support form from the fact that the greatest diversity in native American languages occurs along the west coast of the Americas, suggesting that this region has been settled the longest.\nMore recent geologic studies documented deglaciation and the existence of ice-free areas throughout major coastal areas of British Columbia, Canada, by 13,000 years ago. Research now indicates that sizable areas of southeastern Alaska along the inner continental shelf were not covered by ice toward the end of the last Ice Age. One study suggests that except for a 250-mile coastal area between southwestern British Columbia and Washington State, the Northwest Coast of North America was largely free of ice by approximately 16,000 years ago. Vast areas along the coast may have been deglaciated beginning around 16,000 years ago, possibly providing a coastal corridor for the movement of plants, animals, and humans sometime between 13,000 and 14,000 years ago.\nThe coastal hypothesis has gained increasing support in recent years because the remains of large land animals, such as caribou and brown bears, have been found in southeastern Alaska dating between 10,000 and 12,500 years ago. This is the time period in which most scientists formerly believed the area to be inhospitable for humans. It has been suggested that if the environment were capable of supporting breeding populations of bears, there would have been enough food resources to support humans. Fladmark and other believe that the first human colonization of America occurred by boat along the Northwest Coast during the very late Ice Age, possibly as early as 14,000 years ago. The most recent geologic evidence indicates that it may have been possible for people to colonize ice-free regions along the continental shelf that were still exposed by the lower sea level between13,000 and 14,000 years ago.\nThe coastal hypothesis suggests an economy based on marine mammal hunting, saltwater fishing, shellfish gathering, and the use of watercraft. Because of the barrier of ice to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and populated areas to the north, there may have been a greater impetus for people to move in a southerly direction.","id":"981.txt","label":0} +{"option":["They could not have sailed directly fromBeringia to Alaska and then southward because, it was thought, glacial icecovered the entire coastal region.","They were not aware that the climatewould continue to become milder.","They would have had no interest inmigrating southward from Beringia until after the continental glaciers hadbegun to melt.","They lacked the navigational skills andappropriate boats needed long-distance trips."],"question":"Paragraph 2 supports the idea that,before the 1970s, most archaeologists held which of the following views aboutthe earliest people to reach the Americas?","article":"It has long been accepted that the Americas were colonized by a migration of peoples from Asia, slowly traveling across a land bridge called Beringia (now the Bering Strait between northeastern Asia and AlaskA. during the last Ice Age. The first water craft theory about this migration was that around 11,000-12,000 years ago there was an ice-free corridor stretching from eastern Beringia to the areas of North America south of the great northern glaciers. It was this midcontinental corridor between two massive ice sheets-the Laurentide to the east and the Cordilleran to the west-that enabled the southward migration. But belief in this ice-free corridor began to crumble when paleoecologist Glen MacDonald demonstrated that some of the most important radiocarbon dates used to support the existence of an ice-free corridor were incorrect. He persuasively argued that such an ice-free corridor did not exist until much later, when the continental ice began its final retreat.\nSupport is growing for the alternative theory that people using watercraft, possibly skin boats, moved southward from Beringia along the Gulf of Alaska and then southward along the Northwest coast of North America possibly as early as 16,000 years ago. This route would have enabled humans to enter southern areas of the Americas prior to the melting of the continental glaciers. Until the early 1970s,most archaeologists did not consider the coast a possible migration route into the Americas because geologists originally believed that during the last Ice Age the entire Northwest Coast was covered by glacial ice. It had been assumed that the ice extended westward from the Alaskan\/Canadian mountains to the very edge of the continental shelf, the flat, submerged part of the continent that extends into the ocean. This would have created a barrier of ice extending from the Alaska Peninsula, through the Gulf of Alaska and southward along the Northwest Coast of north America to what is today the state of washington.\nThe most influential proponent of the coastal migration route has been Canadian archaeologist Knut Fladmark. He theorized that with the use of watercraft, people gradually colonized unglaciated refuges and areas along the continental shelf exposed by the lower sea level. Fladmark's hypothesis received additional support form from the fact that the greatest diversity in native American languages occurs along the west coast of the Americas, suggesting that this region has been settled the longest.\nMore recent geologic studies documented deglaciation and the existence of ice-free areas throughout major coastal areas of British Columbia, Canada, by 13,000 years ago. Research now indicates that sizable areas of southeastern Alaska along the inner continental shelf were not covered by ice toward the end of the last Ice Age. One study suggests that except for a 250-mile coastal area between southwestern British Columbia and Washington State, the Northwest Coast of North America was largely free of ice by approximately 16,000 years ago. Vast areas along the coast may have been deglaciated beginning around 16,000 years ago, possibly providing a coastal corridor for the movement of plants, animals, and humans sometime between 13,000 and 14,000 years ago.\nThe coastal hypothesis has gained increasing support in recent years because the remains of large land animals, such as caribou and brown bears, have been found in southeastern Alaska dating between 10,000 and 12,500 years ago. This is the time period in which most scientists formerly believed the area to be inhospitable for humans. It has been suggested that if the environment were capable of supporting breeding populations of bears, there would have been enough food resources to support humans. Fladmark and other believe that the first human colonization of America occurred by boat along the Northwest Coast during the very late Ice Age, possibly as early as 14,000 years ago. The most recent geologic evidence indicates that it may have been possible for people to colonize ice-free regions along the continental shelf that were still exposed by the lower sea level between13,000 and 14,000 years ago.\nThe coastal hypothesis suggests an economy based on marine mammal hunting, saltwater fishing, shellfish gathering, and the use of watercraft. Because of the barrier of ice to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and populated areas to the north, there may have been a greater impetus for people to move in a southerly direction.","id":"981.txt","label":0} +{"option":["indicate that a number of recent geologicstudies seem to provide support for the coastal hypothesis","indicate that coastal and inlandmigrations may have happened simultaneously","explain why humans may have reachedAmerica's northwest coast before animals and plants did","show that the coastal hypothesis mayexplain how people first reached Alaska but it cannot explain how peoplereached areas like modern British Columbia and Washington State"],"question":"The author's purposein paragraph 4 is to","article":"It has long been accepted that the Americas were colonized by a migration of peoples from Asia, slowly traveling across a land bridge called Beringia (now the Bering Strait between northeastern Asia and AlaskA. during the last Ice Age. The first water craft theory about this migration was that around 11,000-12,000 years ago there was an ice-free corridor stretching from eastern Beringia to the areas of North America south of the great northern glaciers. It was this midcontinental corridor between two massive ice sheets-the Laurentide to the east and the Cordilleran to the west-that enabled the southward migration. But belief in this ice-free corridor began to crumble when paleoecologist Glen MacDonald demonstrated that some of the most important radiocarbon dates used to support the existence of an ice-free corridor were incorrect. He persuasively argued that such an ice-free corridor did not exist until much later, when the continental ice began its final retreat.\nSupport is growing for the alternative theory that people using watercraft, possibly skin boats, moved southward from Beringia along the Gulf of Alaska and then southward along the Northwest coast of North America possibly as early as 16,000 years ago. This route would have enabled humans to enter southern areas of the Americas prior to the melting of the continental glaciers. Until the early 1970s,most archaeologists did not consider the coast a possible migration route into the Americas because geologists originally believed that during the last Ice Age the entire Northwest Coast was covered by glacial ice. It had been assumed that the ice extended westward from the Alaskan\/Canadian mountains to the very edge of the continental shelf, the flat, submerged part of the continent that extends into the ocean. This would have created a barrier of ice extending from the Alaska Peninsula, through the Gulf of Alaska and southward along the Northwest Coast of north America to what is today the state of washington.\nThe most influential proponent of the coastal migration route has been Canadian archaeologist Knut Fladmark. He theorized that with the use of watercraft, people gradually colonized unglaciated refuges and areas along the continental shelf exposed by the lower sea level. Fladmark's hypothesis received additional support form from the fact that the greatest diversity in native American languages occurs along the west coast of the Americas, suggesting that this region has been settled the longest.\nMore recent geologic studies documented deglaciation and the existence of ice-free areas throughout major coastal areas of British Columbia, Canada, by 13,000 years ago. Research now indicates that sizable areas of southeastern Alaska along the inner continental shelf were not covered by ice toward the end of the last Ice Age. One study suggests that except for a 250-mile coastal area between southwestern British Columbia and Washington State, the Northwest Coast of North America was largely free of ice by approximately 16,000 years ago. Vast areas along the coast may have been deglaciated beginning around 16,000 years ago, possibly providing a coastal corridor for the movement of plants, animals, and humans sometime between 13,000 and 14,000 years ago.\nThe coastal hypothesis has gained increasing support in recent years because the remains of large land animals, such as caribou and brown bears, have been found in southeastern Alaska dating between 10,000 and 12,500 years ago. This is the time period in which most scientists formerly believed the area to be inhospitable for humans. It has been suggested that if the environment were capable of supporting breeding populations of bears, there would have been enough food resources to support humans. Fladmark and other believe that the first human colonization of America occurred by boat along the Northwest Coast during the very late Ice Age, possibly as early as 14,000 years ago. The most recent geologic evidence indicates that it may have been possible for people to colonize ice-free regions along the continental shelf that were still exposed by the lower sea level between13,000 and 14,000 years ago.\nThe coastal hypothesis suggests an economy based on marine mammal hunting, saltwater fishing, shellfish gathering, and the use of watercraft. Because of the barrier of ice to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and populated areas to the north, there may have been a greater impetus for people to move in a southerly direction.","id":"981.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Frozen","Various","Isolated","Huge"],"question":"The word \"Vast\" in the passage(paragraph4)is closest in meaning to","article":"It has long been accepted that the Americas were colonized by a migration of peoples from Asia, slowly traveling across a land bridge called Beringia (now the Bering Strait between northeastern Asia and AlaskA. during the last Ice Age. The first water craft theory about this migration was that around 11,000-12,000 years ago there was an ice-free corridor stretching from eastern Beringia to the areas of North America south of the great northern glaciers. It was this midcontinental corridor between two massive ice sheets-the Laurentide to the east and the Cordilleran to the west-that enabled the southward migration. But belief in this ice-free corridor began to crumble when paleoecologist Glen MacDonald demonstrated that some of the most important radiocarbon dates used to support the existence of an ice-free corridor were incorrect. He persuasively argued that such an ice-free corridor did not exist until much later, when the continental ice began its final retreat.\nSupport is growing for the alternative theory that people using watercraft, possibly skin boats, moved southward from Beringia along the Gulf of Alaska and then southward along the Northwest coast of North America possibly as early as 16,000 years ago. This route would have enabled humans to enter southern areas of the Americas prior to the melting of the continental glaciers. Until the early 1970s,most archaeologists did not consider the coast a possible migration route into the Americas because geologists originally believed that during the last Ice Age the entire Northwest Coast was covered by glacial ice. It had been assumed that the ice extended westward from the Alaskan\/Canadian mountains to the very edge of the continental shelf, the flat, submerged part of the continent that extends into the ocean. This would have created a barrier of ice extending from the Alaska Peninsula, through the Gulf of Alaska and southward along the Northwest Coast of north America to what is today the state of washington.\nThe most influential proponent of the coastal migration route has been Canadian archaeologist Knut Fladmark. He theorized that with the use of watercraft, people gradually colonized unglaciated refuges and areas along the continental shelf exposed by the lower sea level. Fladmark's hypothesis received additional support form from the fact that the greatest diversity in native American languages occurs along the west coast of the Americas, suggesting that this region has been settled the longest.\nMore recent geologic studies documented deglaciation and the existence of ice-free areas throughout major coastal areas of British Columbia, Canada, by 13,000 years ago. Research now indicates that sizable areas of southeastern Alaska along the inner continental shelf were not covered by ice toward the end of the last Ice Age. One study suggests that except for a 250-mile coastal area between southwestern British Columbia and Washington State, the Northwest Coast of North America was largely free of ice by approximately 16,000 years ago. Vast areas along the coast may have been deglaciated beginning around 16,000 years ago, possibly providing a coastal corridor for the movement of plants, animals, and humans sometime between 13,000 and 14,000 years ago.\nThe coastal hypothesis has gained increasing support in recent years because the remains of large land animals, such as caribou and brown bears, have been found in southeastern Alaska dating between 10,000 and 12,500 years ago. This is the time period in which most scientists formerly believed the area to be inhospitable for humans. It has been suggested that if the environment were capable of supporting breeding populations of bears, there would have been enough food resources to support humans. Fladmark and other believe that the first human colonization of America occurred by boat along the Northwest Coast during the very late Ice Age, possibly as early as 14,000 years ago. The most recent geologic evidence indicates that it may have been possible for people to colonize ice-free regions along the continental shelf that were still exposed by the lower sea level between13,000 and 14,000 years ago.\nThe coastal hypothesis suggests an economy based on marine mammal hunting, saltwater fishing, shellfish gathering, and the use of watercraft. Because of the barrier of ice to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and populated areas to the north, there may have been a greater impetus for people to move in a southerly direction.","id":"981.txt","label":3} +{"option":["humans were changing their huntingtechniques to adapt to coastal rather than inland environments","animals had migrated from the inland tothe coasts, an indication that a midcontinent ice-free corridor was actuallyimplausible","humans probably would have been able tofind enough resources along the coastal corridor","the continental shelf was still exposedby lower sea levels during the period when the southward migration of peoplebegan"],"question":"According to paragraph 5, the discoveryof the remains of large land animals supports the coastal hypothesis byproviding evidence that","article":"It has long been accepted that the Americas were colonized by a migration of peoples from Asia, slowly traveling across a land bridge called Beringia (now the Bering Strait between northeastern Asia and AlaskA. during the last Ice Age. The first water craft theory about this migration was that around 11,000-12,000 years ago there was an ice-free corridor stretching from eastern Beringia to the areas of North America south of the great northern glaciers. It was this midcontinental corridor between two massive ice sheets-the Laurentide to the east and the Cordilleran to the west-that enabled the southward migration. But belief in this ice-free corridor began to crumble when paleoecologist Glen MacDonald demonstrated that some of the most important radiocarbon dates used to support the existence of an ice-free corridor were incorrect. He persuasively argued that such an ice-free corridor did not exist until much later, when the continental ice began its final retreat.\nSupport is growing for the alternative theory that people using watercraft, possibly skin boats, moved southward from Beringia along the Gulf of Alaska and then southward along the Northwest coast of North America possibly as early as 16,000 years ago. This route would have enabled humans to enter southern areas of the Americas prior to the melting of the continental glaciers. Until the early 1970s,most archaeologists did not consider the coast a possible migration route into the Americas because geologists originally believed that during the last Ice Age the entire Northwest Coast was covered by glacial ice. It had been assumed that the ice extended westward from the Alaskan\/Canadian mountains to the very edge of the continental shelf, the flat, submerged part of the continent that extends into the ocean. This would have created a barrier of ice extending from the Alaska Peninsula, through the Gulf of Alaska and southward along the Northwest Coast of north America to what is today the state of washington.\nThe most influential proponent of the coastal migration route has been Canadian archaeologist Knut Fladmark. He theorized that with the use of watercraft, people gradually colonized unglaciated refuges and areas along the continental shelf exposed by the lower sea level. Fladmark's hypothesis received additional support form from the fact that the greatest diversity in native American languages occurs along the west coast of the Americas, suggesting that this region has been settled the longest.\nMore recent geologic studies documented deglaciation and the existence of ice-free areas throughout major coastal areas of British Columbia, Canada, by 13,000 years ago. Research now indicates that sizable areas of southeastern Alaska along the inner continental shelf were not covered by ice toward the end of the last Ice Age. One study suggests that except for a 250-mile coastal area between southwestern British Columbia and Washington State, the Northwest Coast of North America was largely free of ice by approximately 16,000 years ago. Vast areas along the coast may have been deglaciated beginning around 16,000 years ago, possibly providing a coastal corridor for the movement of plants, animals, and humans sometime between 13,000 and 14,000 years ago.\nThe coastal hypothesis has gained increasing support in recent years because the remains of large land animals, such as caribou and brown bears, have been found in southeastern Alaska dating between 10,000 and 12,500 years ago. This is the time period in which most scientists formerly believed the area to be inhospitable for humans. It has been suggested that if the environment were capable of supporting breeding populations of bears, there would have been enough food resources to support humans. Fladmark and other believe that the first human colonization of America occurred by boat along the Northwest Coast during the very late Ice Age, possibly as early as 14,000 years ago. The most recent geologic evidence indicates that it may have been possible for people to colonize ice-free regions along the continental shelf that were still exposed by the lower sea level between13,000 and 14,000 years ago.\nThe coastal hypothesis suggests an economy based on marine mammal hunting, saltwater fishing, shellfish gathering, and the use of watercraft. Because of the barrier of ice to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and populated areas to the north, there may have been a greater impetus for people to move in a southerly direction.","id":"981.txt","label":2} +{"option":["not familiar","not suitable","not dangerous","not reachable"],"question":"The word \"inhospitable\"in thepassage(paragraph 5)is closest in meaning to","article":"It has long been accepted that the Americas were colonized by a migration of peoples from Asia, slowly traveling across a land bridge called Beringia (now the Bering Strait between northeastern Asia and AlaskA. during the last Ice Age. The first water craft theory about this migration was that around 11,000-12,000 years ago there was an ice-free corridor stretching from eastern Beringia to the areas of North America south of the great northern glaciers. It was this midcontinental corridor between two massive ice sheets-the Laurentide to the east and the Cordilleran to the west-that enabled the southward migration. But belief in this ice-free corridor began to crumble when paleoecologist Glen MacDonald demonstrated that some of the most important radiocarbon dates used to support the existence of an ice-free corridor were incorrect. He persuasively argued that such an ice-free corridor did not exist until much later, when the continental ice began its final retreat.\nSupport is growing for the alternative theory that people using watercraft, possibly skin boats, moved southward from Beringia along the Gulf of Alaska and then southward along the Northwest coast of North America possibly as early as 16,000 years ago. This route would have enabled humans to enter southern areas of the Americas prior to the melting of the continental glaciers. Until the early 1970s,most archaeologists did not consider the coast a possible migration route into the Americas because geologists originally believed that during the last Ice Age the entire Northwest Coast was covered by glacial ice. It had been assumed that the ice extended westward from the Alaskan\/Canadian mountains to the very edge of the continental shelf, the flat, submerged part of the continent that extends into the ocean. This would have created a barrier of ice extending from the Alaska Peninsula, through the Gulf of Alaska and southward along the Northwest Coast of north America to what is today the state of washington.\nThe most influential proponent of the coastal migration route has been Canadian archaeologist Knut Fladmark. He theorized that with the use of watercraft, people gradually colonized unglaciated refuges and areas along the continental shelf exposed by the lower sea level. Fladmark's hypothesis received additional support form from the fact that the greatest diversity in native American languages occurs along the west coast of the Americas, suggesting that this region has been settled the longest.\nMore recent geologic studies documented deglaciation and the existence of ice-free areas throughout major coastal areas of British Columbia, Canada, by 13,000 years ago. Research now indicates that sizable areas of southeastern Alaska along the inner continental shelf were not covered by ice toward the end of the last Ice Age. One study suggests that except for a 250-mile coastal area between southwestern British Columbia and Washington State, the Northwest Coast of North America was largely free of ice by approximately 16,000 years ago. Vast areas along the coast may have been deglaciated beginning around 16,000 years ago, possibly providing a coastal corridor for the movement of plants, animals, and humans sometime between 13,000 and 14,000 years ago.\nThe coastal hypothesis has gained increasing support in recent years because the remains of large land animals, such as caribou and brown bears, have been found in southeastern Alaska dating between 10,000 and 12,500 years ago. This is the time period in which most scientists formerly believed the area to be inhospitable for humans. It has been suggested that if the environment were capable of supporting breeding populations of bears, there would have been enough food resources to support humans. Fladmark and other believe that the first human colonization of America occurred by boat along the Northwest Coast during the very late Ice Age, possibly as early as 14,000 years ago. The most recent geologic evidence indicates that it may have been possible for people to colonize ice-free regions along the continental shelf that were still exposed by the lower sea level between13,000 and 14,000 years ago.\nThe coastal hypothesis suggests an economy based on marine mammal hunting, saltwater fishing, shellfish gathering, and the use of watercraft. Because of the barrier of ice to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and populated areas to the north, there may have been a greater impetus for people to move in a southerly direction.","id":"981.txt","label":1} +{"option":["16,000 years ago","14,000 years ago","12,500 years ago","10,000 years ago"],"question":"According to paragraph 5, the mostrecent geologic research provides support for a first colonization of Americadating as far back as","article":"It has long been accepted that the Americas were colonized by a migration of peoples from Asia, slowly traveling across a land bridge called Beringia (now the Bering Strait between northeastern Asia and AlaskA. during the last Ice Age. The first water craft theory about this migration was that around 11,000-12,000 years ago there was an ice-free corridor stretching from eastern Beringia to the areas of North America south of the great northern glaciers. It was this midcontinental corridor between two massive ice sheets-the Laurentide to the east and the Cordilleran to the west-that enabled the southward migration. But belief in this ice-free corridor began to crumble when paleoecologist Glen MacDonald demonstrated that some of the most important radiocarbon dates used to support the existence of an ice-free corridor were incorrect. He persuasively argued that such an ice-free corridor did not exist until much later, when the continental ice began its final retreat.\nSupport is growing for the alternative theory that people using watercraft, possibly skin boats, moved southward from Beringia along the Gulf of Alaska and then southward along the Northwest coast of North America possibly as early as 16,000 years ago. This route would have enabled humans to enter southern areas of the Americas prior to the melting of the continental glaciers. Until the early 1970s,most archaeologists did not consider the coast a possible migration route into the Americas because geologists originally believed that during the last Ice Age the entire Northwest Coast was covered by glacial ice. It had been assumed that the ice extended westward from the Alaskan\/Canadian mountains to the very edge of the continental shelf, the flat, submerged part of the continent that extends into the ocean. This would have created a barrier of ice extending from the Alaska Peninsula, through the Gulf of Alaska and southward along the Northwest Coast of north America to what is today the state of washington.\nThe most influential proponent of the coastal migration route has been Canadian archaeologist Knut Fladmark. He theorized that with the use of watercraft, people gradually colonized unglaciated refuges and areas along the continental shelf exposed by the lower sea level. Fladmark's hypothesis received additional support form from the fact that the greatest diversity in native American languages occurs along the west coast of the Americas, suggesting that this region has been settled the longest.\nMore recent geologic studies documented deglaciation and the existence of ice-free areas throughout major coastal areas of British Columbia, Canada, by 13,000 years ago. Research now indicates that sizable areas of southeastern Alaska along the inner continental shelf were not covered by ice toward the end of the last Ice Age. One study suggests that except for a 250-mile coastal area between southwestern British Columbia and Washington State, the Northwest Coast of North America was largely free of ice by approximately 16,000 years ago. Vast areas along the coast may have been deglaciated beginning around 16,000 years ago, possibly providing a coastal corridor for the movement of plants, animals, and humans sometime between 13,000 and 14,000 years ago.\nThe coastal hypothesis has gained increasing support in recent years because the remains of large land animals, such as caribou and brown bears, have been found in southeastern Alaska dating between 10,000 and 12,500 years ago. This is the time period in which most scientists formerly believed the area to be inhospitable for humans. It has been suggested that if the environment were capable of supporting breeding populations of bears, there would have been enough food resources to support humans. Fladmark and other believe that the first human colonization of America occurred by boat along the Northwest Coast during the very late Ice Age, possibly as early as 14,000 years ago. The most recent geologic evidence indicates that it may have been possible for people to colonize ice-free regions along the continental shelf that were still exposed by the lower sea level between13,000 and 14,000 years ago.\nThe coastal hypothesis suggests an economy based on marine mammal hunting, saltwater fishing, shellfish gathering, and the use of watercraft. Because of the barrier of ice to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and populated areas to the north, there may have been a greater impetus for people to move in a southerly direction.","id":"981.txt","label":1} +{"option":["chance","protection","possibility","incentive"],"question":"The word \"impetus\" in the passage is(paragraph6)closest in meaning to","article":"It has long been accepted that the Americas were colonized by a migration of peoples from Asia, slowly traveling across a land bridge called Beringia (now the Bering Strait between northeastern Asia and AlaskA. during the last Ice Age. The first water craft theory about this migration was that around 11,000-12,000 years ago there was an ice-free corridor stretching from eastern Beringia to the areas of North America south of the great northern glaciers. It was this midcontinental corridor between two massive ice sheets-the Laurentide to the east and the Cordilleran to the west-that enabled the southward migration. But belief in this ice-free corridor began to crumble when paleoecologist Glen MacDonald demonstrated that some of the most important radiocarbon dates used to support the existence of an ice-free corridor were incorrect. He persuasively argued that such an ice-free corridor did not exist until much later, when the continental ice began its final retreat.\nSupport is growing for the alternative theory that people using watercraft, possibly skin boats, moved southward from Beringia along the Gulf of Alaska and then southward along the Northwest coast of North America possibly as early as 16,000 years ago. This route would have enabled humans to enter southern areas of the Americas prior to the melting of the continental glaciers. Until the early 1970s,most archaeologists did not consider the coast a possible migration route into the Americas because geologists originally believed that during the last Ice Age the entire Northwest Coast was covered by glacial ice. It had been assumed that the ice extended westward from the Alaskan\/Canadian mountains to the very edge of the continental shelf, the flat, submerged part of the continent that extends into the ocean. This would have created a barrier of ice extending from the Alaska Peninsula, through the Gulf of Alaska and southward along the Northwest Coast of north America to what is today the state of washington.\nThe most influential proponent of the coastal migration route has been Canadian archaeologist Knut Fladmark. He theorized that with the use of watercraft, people gradually colonized unglaciated refuges and areas along the continental shelf exposed by the lower sea level. Fladmark's hypothesis received additional support form from the fact that the greatest diversity in native American languages occurs along the west coast of the Americas, suggesting that this region has been settled the longest.\nMore recent geologic studies documented deglaciation and the existence of ice-free areas throughout major coastal areas of British Columbia, Canada, by 13,000 years ago. Research now indicates that sizable areas of southeastern Alaska along the inner continental shelf were not covered by ice toward the end of the last Ice Age. One study suggests that except for a 250-mile coastal area between southwestern British Columbia and Washington State, the Northwest Coast of North America was largely free of ice by approximately 16,000 years ago. Vast areas along the coast may have been deglaciated beginning around 16,000 years ago, possibly providing a coastal corridor for the movement of plants, animals, and humans sometime between 13,000 and 14,000 years ago.\nThe coastal hypothesis has gained increasing support in recent years because the remains of large land animals, such as caribou and brown bears, have been found in southeastern Alaska dating between 10,000 and 12,500 years ago. This is the time period in which most scientists formerly believed the area to be inhospitable for humans. It has been suggested that if the environment were capable of supporting breeding populations of bears, there would have been enough food resources to support humans. Fladmark and other believe that the first human colonization of America occurred by boat along the Northwest Coast during the very late Ice Age, possibly as early as 14,000 years ago. The most recent geologic evidence indicates that it may have been possible for people to colonize ice-free regions along the continental shelf that were still exposed by the lower sea level between13,000 and 14,000 years ago.\nThe coastal hypothesis suggests an economy based on marine mammal hunting, saltwater fishing, shellfish gathering, and the use of watercraft. Because of the barrier of ice to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and populated areas to the north, there may have been a greater impetus for people to move in a southerly direction.","id":"981.txt","label":3} +{"option":["the objection to euthanasia is slow to come in other countries","physicians and citizens share the same view on euthanasia","changing technology is chiefly responsible for the hasty passage of the law","it takes time to realize the significance of the law's passage"],"question":"From the second paragraph we learn that \t.","article":"It was 3:45 in the morning when the vote was finally taken. After six months of arguing and final 16 hours of hot parliamentary debates, Australia's Northern Territory became the first legal authority in the world to allow doctors to take the lives of incurably ill patients who wish to die. The measure passed by the convincing vote of 15 to 10. Almost immediately word flashed on the Internet and was picked up, half a world away, by John Hofsess, executive director of the Right to Die Society of Canada. He sent it on via the group's on-line service, Death NET. Says Hofsess: \"We posted bulletins all day long, because of course this isn't just something that happened in Australia. It's world history.\"\nThe full import may take a while to sink in. The NT Rights of the Terminally Ill law has left physicians and citizens alike trying to deal with its moral and practical implications. Some have breathed sighs of relief, others, including churches, right-to-life groups and the Australian Medical Association, bitterly attacked the bill and the haste of its passage. But the tide is unlikely to turn back. In Australia -- where an aging population, life-extending technology and changing community attitudes have all played their part -- other states are going to consider making a similar law to deal with euthanasia. In the US and Canada, where the right-to-die movement is gathering strength, observers are waiting for the dominoes to start falling.\nUnder the new Northern Territory law, an adult patient can request death -- probably by a deadly injection or pill -- to put an end to suffering. The patient must be diagnosed as terminally ill by two doctors. After a \"cooling off\" period of seven days, the patient can sign a certificate of request. After 48 hours the wish for death can be met. For Lloyd Nickson, a 54-year-old Darwin resident suffering from lung cancer, the NT Rights of Terminally Ill law means he can get on with living without the haunting fear of his suffering: a terrifying death from his breathing condition. \"I'm not afraid of dying from a spiritual point of view, but what I was afraid of was how I'd go, because I've watched people die in the hospital fighting for oxygen and clawing at their masks,\" he says.","id":"1138.txt","label":3} +{"option":["observers are taking a wait-and-see attitude towards the future of euthanasia","similar bills are likely to be passed in the US, Canada and other countries","observers are waiting to see the result of the game of dominoes","the effect-taking process of the passed bill may finally come to a stop"],"question":"When the author says that observers are waiting for the dominoes to start falling, he means.","article":"It was 3:45 in the morning when the vote was finally taken. After six months of arguing and final 16 hours of hot parliamentary debates, Australia's Northern Territory became the first legal authority in the world to allow doctors to take the lives of incurably ill patients who wish to die. The measure passed by the convincing vote of 15 to 10. Almost immediately word flashed on the Internet and was picked up, half a world away, by John Hofsess, executive director of the Right to Die Society of Canada. He sent it on via the group's on-line service, Death NET. Says Hofsess: \"We posted bulletins all day long, because of course this isn't just something that happened in Australia. It's world history.\"\nThe full import may take a while to sink in. The NT Rights of the Terminally Ill law has left physicians and citizens alike trying to deal with its moral and practical implications. Some have breathed sighs of relief, others, including churches, right-to-life groups and the Australian Medical Association, bitterly attacked the bill and the haste of its passage. But the tide is unlikely to turn back. In Australia -- where an aging population, life-extending technology and changing community attitudes have all played their part -- other states are going to consider making a similar law to deal with euthanasia. In the US and Canada, where the right-to-die movement is gathering strength, observers are waiting for the dominoes to start falling.\nUnder the new Northern Territory law, an adult patient can request death -- probably by a deadly injection or pill -- to put an end to suffering. The patient must be diagnosed as terminally ill by two doctors. After a \"cooling off\" period of seven days, the patient can sign a certificate of request. After 48 hours the wish for death can be met. For Lloyd Nickson, a 54-year-old Darwin resident suffering from lung cancer, the NT Rights of Terminally Ill law means he can get on with living without the haunting fear of his suffering: a terrifying death from his breathing condition. \"I'm not afraid of dying from a spiritual point of view, but what I was afraid of was how I'd go, because I've watched people die in the hospital fighting for oxygen and clawing at their masks,\" he says.","id":"1138.txt","label":1} +{"option":["face his death with calm characteristic of euthanasia","experience the suffering of a lung cancer patient","have an intense fear of terrible suffering","undergo a cooling off period of seven days"],"question":"When Lloyd Nickson dies, he will \t.","article":"It was 3:45 in the morning when the vote was finally taken. After six months of arguing and final 16 hours of hot parliamentary debates, Australia's Northern Territory became the first legal authority in the world to allow doctors to take the lives of incurably ill patients who wish to die. The measure passed by the convincing vote of 15 to 10. Almost immediately word flashed on the Internet and was picked up, half a world away, by John Hofsess, executive director of the Right to Die Society of Canada. He sent it on via the group's on-line service, Death NET. Says Hofsess: \"We posted bulletins all day long, because of course this isn't just something that happened in Australia. It's world history.\"\nThe full import may take a while to sink in. The NT Rights of the Terminally Ill law has left physicians and citizens alike trying to deal with its moral and practical implications. Some have breathed sighs of relief, others, including churches, right-to-life groups and the Australian Medical Association, bitterly attacked the bill and the haste of its passage. But the tide is unlikely to turn back. In Australia -- where an aging population, life-extending technology and changing community attitudes have all played their part -- other states are going to consider making a similar law to deal with euthanasia. In the US and Canada, where the right-to-die movement is gathering strength, observers are waiting for the dominoes to start falling.\nUnder the new Northern Territory law, an adult patient can request death -- probably by a deadly injection or pill -- to put an end to suffering. The patient must be diagnosed as terminally ill by two doctors. After a \"cooling off\" period of seven days, the patient can sign a certificate of request. After 48 hours the wish for death can be met. For Lloyd Nickson, a 54-year-old Darwin resident suffering from lung cancer, the NT Rights of Terminally Ill law means he can get on with living without the haunting fear of his suffering: a terrifying death from his breathing condition. \"I'm not afraid of dying from a spiritual point of view, but what I was afraid of was how I'd go, because I've watched people die in the hospital fighting for oxygen and clawing at their masks,\" he says.","id":"1138.txt","label":0} +{"option":["opposition","suspicion","approval","indifference"],"question":"The author's attitude towards euthanasia seems to be that of \t.","article":"It was 3:45 in the morning when the vote was finally taken. After six months of arguing and final 16 hours of hot parliamentary debates, Australia's Northern Territory became the first legal authority in the world to allow doctors to take the lives of incurably ill patients who wish to die. The measure passed by the convincing vote of 15 to 10. Almost immediately word flashed on the Internet and was picked up, half a world away, by John Hofsess, executive director of the Right to Die Society of Canada. He sent it on via the group's on-line service, Death NET. Says Hofsess: \"We posted bulletins all day long, because of course this isn't just something that happened in Australia. It's world history.\"\nThe full import may take a while to sink in. The NT Rights of the Terminally Ill law has left physicians and citizens alike trying to deal with its moral and practical implications. Some have breathed sighs of relief, others, including churches, right-to-life groups and the Australian Medical Association, bitterly attacked the bill and the haste of its passage. But the tide is unlikely to turn back. In Australia -- where an aging population, life-extending technology and changing community attitudes have all played their part -- other states are going to consider making a similar law to deal with euthanasia. In the US and Canada, where the right-to-die movement is gathering strength, observers are waiting for the dominoes to start falling.\nUnder the new Northern Territory law, an adult patient can request death -- probably by a deadly injection or pill -- to put an end to suffering. The patient must be diagnosed as terminally ill by two doctors. After a \"cooling off\" period of seven days, the patient can sign a certificate of request. After 48 hours the wish for death can be met. For Lloyd Nickson, a 54-year-old Darwin resident suffering from lung cancer, the NT Rights of Terminally Ill law means he can get on with living without the haunting fear of his suffering: a terrifying death from his breathing condition. \"I'm not afraid of dying from a spiritual point of view, but what I was afraid of was how I'd go, because I've watched people die in the hospital fighting for oxygen and clawing at their masks,\" he says.","id":"1138.txt","label":2} +{"option":["Illinois","Pennsylvania","New Jersey","Washington"],"question":"The author mentions people dying of air pollution in _ .","article":"The dark smoke that comes out of stacks or from a burning dump contains tiny bits of solid or liquid matter. The smoke also contains many gases, most of which cannot be seen. Altogether, they make up the serious problems of air pollution. In so many places it keeps us from seeing the sun, irritates our eyes, causes us to cough, and makes us ill.\nAir pollution can spread from city to city. It even spreads from one country to another. Some northern European countries have had \" black snow\" from pollutants that have traveled through the air from other countries and have fallen with the snow. So air pollution is really a global problem.\nAir pollution can kill babies, older people, and those who have respiratory diseases. In London, in 1952, four thousand people died in one week as a result of a serious air-pollution episode. In 1948, in the small town of Donora, Pennsylvania, twenty people died in a four-day period of bad air pollution.\nAt levels often found in cities, air pollution increases the risks of certain lung disease, such as emphysema, bronchitis, and asthma. Of course, smoking and other factors help to cause these illnesses, too, but these cases have increased greatly during recent years as air pollution has become worse. Air pollution can cause both airplane and auto accidents because it cuts down visibility. There are other possible health dangers from air pollution that we don't know much about. For example, scientists are trying to find out whether chemicals that reach us from the air may cause changes in our cells.\nThese changes might cause babies to be born with serious birth defects. Scientists are trying to learn how all the many chemicals we are apt to take into our bodies from air, food, and even medicines act together to affect our health and the way our bodies work. That is another reason why it is so important to begin to control pollution now instead of waiting until we learn all the answers.\nAir pollution costs us a lot of money. It soils and corrodes our buildings. It damages farm crops and forests. It has a destructive effect on our works of art. The cost of all this damage to our government is astronomical. It would be much more worthwhile, both for us and for the environment, to spend our tax dollars on air pollution control.","id":"729.txt","label":1} +{"option":["pilots become ill","visibility is reduced","engines fail","the air is too hot"],"question":"Air pollution causes airplane accidents because _ .","article":"The dark smoke that comes out of stacks or from a burning dump contains tiny bits of solid or liquid matter. The smoke also contains many gases, most of which cannot be seen. Altogether, they make up the serious problems of air pollution. In so many places it keeps us from seeing the sun, irritates our eyes, causes us to cough, and makes us ill.\nAir pollution can spread from city to city. It even spreads from one country to another. Some northern European countries have had \" black snow\" from pollutants that have traveled through the air from other countries and have fallen with the snow. So air pollution is really a global problem.\nAir pollution can kill babies, older people, and those who have respiratory diseases. In London, in 1952, four thousand people died in one week as a result of a serious air-pollution episode. In 1948, in the small town of Donora, Pennsylvania, twenty people died in a four-day period of bad air pollution.\nAt levels often found in cities, air pollution increases the risks of certain lung disease, such as emphysema, bronchitis, and asthma. Of course, smoking and other factors help to cause these illnesses, too, but these cases have increased greatly during recent years as air pollution has become worse. Air pollution can cause both airplane and auto accidents because it cuts down visibility. There are other possible health dangers from air pollution that we don't know much about. For example, scientists are trying to find out whether chemicals that reach us from the air may cause changes in our cells.\nThese changes might cause babies to be born with serious birth defects. Scientists are trying to learn how all the many chemicals we are apt to take into our bodies from air, food, and even medicines act together to affect our health and the way our bodies work. That is another reason why it is so important to begin to control pollution now instead of waiting until we learn all the answers.\nAir pollution costs us a lot of money. It soils and corrodes our buildings. It damages farm crops and forests. It has a destructive effect on our works of art. The cost of all this damage to our government is astronomical. It would be much more worthwhile, both for us and for the environment, to spend our tax dollars on air pollution control.","id":"729.txt","label":1} +{"option":["intelligence levels","antisocial behavior","birth defects","divorce percentage"],"question":"Scientists are trying to find a link between pollution and _ .","article":"The dark smoke that comes out of stacks or from a burning dump contains tiny bits of solid or liquid matter. The smoke also contains many gases, most of which cannot be seen. Altogether, they make up the serious problems of air pollution. In so many places it keeps us from seeing the sun, irritates our eyes, causes us to cough, and makes us ill.\nAir pollution can spread from city to city. It even spreads from one country to another. Some northern European countries have had \" black snow\" from pollutants that have traveled through the air from other countries and have fallen with the snow. So air pollution is really a global problem.\nAir pollution can kill babies, older people, and those who have respiratory diseases. In London, in 1952, four thousand people died in one week as a result of a serious air-pollution episode. In 1948, in the small town of Donora, Pennsylvania, twenty people died in a four-day period of bad air pollution.\nAt levels often found in cities, air pollution increases the risks of certain lung disease, such as emphysema, bronchitis, and asthma. Of course, smoking and other factors help to cause these illnesses, too, but these cases have increased greatly during recent years as air pollution has become worse. Air pollution can cause both airplane and auto accidents because it cuts down visibility. There are other possible health dangers from air pollution that we don't know much about. For example, scientists are trying to find out whether chemicals that reach us from the air may cause changes in our cells.\nThese changes might cause babies to be born with serious birth defects. Scientists are trying to learn how all the many chemicals we are apt to take into our bodies from air, food, and even medicines act together to affect our health and the way our bodies work. That is another reason why it is so important to begin to control pollution now instead of waiting until we learn all the answers.\nAir pollution costs us a lot of money. It soils and corrodes our buildings. It damages farm crops and forests. It has a destructive effect on our works of art. The cost of all this damage to our government is astronomical. It would be much more worthwhile, both for us and for the environment, to spend our tax dollars on air pollution control.","id":"729.txt","label":2} +{"option":["all of the effects of pollution on the human body","how pollution can be controlled successfully","when the atmosphere first became polluted","how to wash the black snow clean"],"question":"Scientists have not yet determined _ .","article":"The dark smoke that comes out of stacks or from a burning dump contains tiny bits of solid or liquid matter. The smoke also contains many gases, most of which cannot be seen. Altogether, they make up the serious problems of air pollution. In so many places it keeps us from seeing the sun, irritates our eyes, causes us to cough, and makes us ill.\nAir pollution can spread from city to city. It even spreads from one country to another. Some northern European countries have had \" black snow\" from pollutants that have traveled through the air from other countries and have fallen with the snow. So air pollution is really a global problem.\nAir pollution can kill babies, older people, and those who have respiratory diseases. In London, in 1952, four thousand people died in one week as a result of a serious air-pollution episode. In 1948, in the small town of Donora, Pennsylvania, twenty people died in a four-day period of bad air pollution.\nAt levels often found in cities, air pollution increases the risks of certain lung disease, such as emphysema, bronchitis, and asthma. Of course, smoking and other factors help to cause these illnesses, too, but these cases have increased greatly during recent years as air pollution has become worse. Air pollution can cause both airplane and auto accidents because it cuts down visibility. There are other possible health dangers from air pollution that we don't know much about. For example, scientists are trying to find out whether chemicals that reach us from the air may cause changes in our cells.\nThese changes might cause babies to be born with serious birth defects. Scientists are trying to learn how all the many chemicals we are apt to take into our bodies from air, food, and even medicines act together to affect our health and the way our bodies work. That is another reason why it is so important to begin to control pollution now instead of waiting until we learn all the answers.\nAir pollution costs us a lot of money. It soils and corrodes our buildings. It damages farm crops and forests. It has a destructive effect on our works of art. The cost of all this damage to our government is astronomical. It would be much more worthwhile, both for us and for the environment, to spend our tax dollars on air pollution control.","id":"729.txt","label":0} +{"option":["civilization may be doomed if pollution is not controlled","pollution is more serious in Europe than it is in America","most people do not know that pollution is a serious problem","black snow is not so serious compared with white snow pollution"],"question":"We can conclude that _ .","article":"The dark smoke that comes out of stacks or from a burning dump contains tiny bits of solid or liquid matter. The smoke also contains many gases, most of which cannot be seen. Altogether, they make up the serious problems of air pollution. In so many places it keeps us from seeing the sun, irritates our eyes, causes us to cough, and makes us ill.\nAir pollution can spread from city to city. It even spreads from one country to another. Some northern European countries have had \" black snow\" from pollutants that have traveled through the air from other countries and have fallen with the snow. So air pollution is really a global problem.\nAir pollution can kill babies, older people, and those who have respiratory diseases. In London, in 1952, four thousand people died in one week as a result of a serious air-pollution episode. In 1948, in the small town of Donora, Pennsylvania, twenty people died in a four-day period of bad air pollution.\nAt levels often found in cities, air pollution increases the risks of certain lung disease, such as emphysema, bronchitis, and asthma. Of course, smoking and other factors help to cause these illnesses, too, but these cases have increased greatly during recent years as air pollution has become worse. Air pollution can cause both airplane and auto accidents because it cuts down visibility. There are other possible health dangers from air pollution that we don't know much about. For example, scientists are trying to find out whether chemicals that reach us from the air may cause changes in our cells.\nThese changes might cause babies to be born with serious birth defects. Scientists are trying to learn how all the many chemicals we are apt to take into our bodies from air, food, and even medicines act together to affect our health and the way our bodies work. That is another reason why it is so important to begin to control pollution now instead of waiting until we learn all the answers.\nAir pollution costs us a lot of money. It soils and corrodes our buildings. It damages farm crops and forests. It has a destructive effect on our works of art. The cost of all this damage to our government is astronomical. It would be much more worthwhile, both for us and for the environment, to spend our tax dollars on air pollution control.","id":"729.txt","label":0} +{"option":["more emotional","more objective","less energetic","less strategic"],"question":"According to Nancy Koehn, office language has become ______.","article":"Even in traditional offices, \"the lingua franca of corporate America has gotten much more emotional and much more right-brained than it was 20 years ago,\" said Harvard Business School professor Nancy Koehn. She started spinning off examples. \"If you and I parachuted back to Fortune 500 companies in 1990, we would see much less frequent use of terms like journey, mission, passion. There were goals, there were strategies, there were objectives, but we didn't talk about energy; we didn't talk about passion.\"\nKoehn pointed out that this new era of corporate vocabulary is very \"team\"-oriented - and not by coincidence. \"Let's not forget sports - in male-dominated corporate America, it's still a big deal. It's not explicitly conscious; it's the idea that I'm a coach, and you're my team, and we're in this together. There are lots and lots of CEOs in very different companies, but most think of themselves as coaches and this is their team and they want to win.\"\nThese terms are also intended to infuse work with meaning - and, as Khurana points out, increase allegiance to the firm. \"You have the importation of terminology that historically used to be associated with non-profit organizations and religious organizations: terms like vision, values, passion, and purpose,\" said Khurana.\nThis new focus on personal fulfillment can help keep employees motivated amid increasingly loud debates over work-life balance. The \"mommy wars\" of the 1990s are still going on today, prompting arguments about why women still can't have it all and books like Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In, whose title has become a buzzword in its own right. Terms like unplug, offline, life-hack, bandwidth, and capacity are all about setting boundaries between the office and the home. But if your work is your \"passion,\" you'll be more likely to devote yourself to it, even if that means going home for dinner and then working long after the kids are in bed.\nBut this seems to be the irony of office speak: Everyone makes fun of it, but managers love it, companies depend on it, and regular people willingly absorb it. As Nunberg once said, \"You can get people to think it's nonsense at the same time that you buy into it.\" In a workplace that's fundamentally indifferent to your life and its meaning, office speak can help you figure out how you relate to your work - and how your work defines who you are.","id":"4231.txt","label":0} +{"option":["historical incidents","gender difference","sports culture","athletic executives"],"question":"\"Team\"-oriented corporate vocabulary is closely related to ______.","article":"Even in traditional offices, \"the lingua franca of corporate America has gotten much more emotional and much more right-brained than it was 20 years ago,\" said Harvard Business School professor Nancy Koehn. She started spinning off examples. \"If you and I parachuted back to Fortune 500 companies in 1990, we would see much less frequent use of terms like journey, mission, passion. There were goals, there were strategies, there were objectives, but we didn't talk about energy; we didn't talk about passion.\"\nKoehn pointed out that this new era of corporate vocabulary is very \"team\"-oriented - and not by coincidence. \"Let's not forget sports - in male-dominated corporate America, it's still a big deal. It's not explicitly conscious; it's the idea that I'm a coach, and you're my team, and we're in this together. There are lots and lots of CEOs in very different companies, but most think of themselves as coaches and this is their team and they want to win.\"\nThese terms are also intended to infuse work with meaning - and, as Khurana points out, increase allegiance to the firm. \"You have the importation of terminology that historically used to be associated with non-profit organizations and religious organizations: terms like vision, values, passion, and purpose,\" said Khurana.\nThis new focus on personal fulfillment can help keep employees motivated amid increasingly loud debates over work-life balance. The \"mommy wars\" of the 1990s are still going on today, prompting arguments about why women still can't have it all and books like Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In, whose title has become a buzzword in its own right. Terms like unplug, offline, life-hack, bandwidth, and capacity are all about setting boundaries between the office and the home. But if your work is your \"passion,\" you'll be more likely to devote yourself to it, even if that means going home for dinner and then working long after the kids are in bed.\nBut this seems to be the irony of office speak: Everyone makes fun of it, but managers love it, companies depend on it, and regular people willingly absorb it. As Nunberg once said, \"You can get people to think it's nonsense at the same time that you buy into it.\" In a workplace that's fundamentally indifferent to your life and its meaning, office speak can help you figure out how you relate to your work - and how your work defines who you are.","id":"4231.txt","label":2} +{"option":["revive historical terms","promote company image","foster corporate cooperation","strengthen employee loyalty"],"question":"Khurana believes that the importation of terminology aims to ______.","article":"Even in traditional offices, \"the lingua franca of corporate America has gotten much more emotional and much more right-brained than it was 20 years ago,\" said Harvard Business School professor Nancy Koehn. She started spinning off examples. \"If you and I parachuted back to Fortune 500 companies in 1990, we would see much less frequent use of terms like journey, mission, passion. There were goals, there were strategies, there were objectives, but we didn't talk about energy; we didn't talk about passion.\"\nKoehn pointed out that this new era of corporate vocabulary is very \"team\"-oriented - and not by coincidence. \"Let's not forget sports - in male-dominated corporate America, it's still a big deal. It's not explicitly conscious; it's the idea that I'm a coach, and you're my team, and we're in this together. There are lots and lots of CEOs in very different companies, but most think of themselves as coaches and this is their team and they want to win.\"\nThese terms are also intended to infuse work with meaning - and, as Khurana points out, increase allegiance to the firm. \"You have the importation of terminology that historically used to be associated with non-profit organizations and religious organizations: terms like vision, values, passion, and purpose,\" said Khurana.\nThis new focus on personal fulfillment can help keep employees motivated amid increasingly loud debates over work-life balance. The \"mommy wars\" of the 1990s are still going on today, prompting arguments about why women still can't have it all and books like Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In, whose title has become a buzzword in its own right. Terms like unplug, offline, life-hack, bandwidth, and capacity are all about setting boundaries between the office and the home. But if your work is your \"passion,\" you'll be more likely to devote yourself to it, even if that means going home for dinner and then working long after the kids are in bed.\nBut this seems to be the irony of office speak: Everyone makes fun of it, but managers love it, companies depend on it, and regular people willingly absorb it. As Nunberg once said, \"You can get people to think it's nonsense at the same time that you buy into it.\" In a workplace that's fundamentally indifferent to your life and its meaning, office speak can help you figure out how you relate to your work - and how your work defines who you are.","id":"4231.txt","label":3} +{"option":["voices for working women","appeals to passionate workaholics","triggers debates among mommies","praises motivated employees"],"question":"It can be inferred that Lean In ______.","article":"Even in traditional offices, \"the lingua franca of corporate America has gotten much more emotional and much more right-brained than it was 20 years ago,\" said Harvard Business School professor Nancy Koehn. She started spinning off examples. \"If you and I parachuted back to Fortune 500 companies in 1990, we would see much less frequent use of terms like journey, mission, passion. There were goals, there were strategies, there were objectives, but we didn't talk about energy; we didn't talk about passion.\"\nKoehn pointed out that this new era of corporate vocabulary is very \"team\"-oriented - and not by coincidence. \"Let's not forget sports - in male-dominated corporate America, it's still a big deal. It's not explicitly conscious; it's the idea that I'm a coach, and you're my team, and we're in this together. There are lots and lots of CEOs in very different companies, but most think of themselves as coaches and this is their team and they want to win.\"\nThese terms are also intended to infuse work with meaning - and, as Khurana points out, increase allegiance to the firm. \"You have the importation of terminology that historically used to be associated with non-profit organizations and religious organizations: terms like vision, values, passion, and purpose,\" said Khurana.\nThis new focus on personal fulfillment can help keep employees motivated amid increasingly loud debates over work-life balance. The \"mommy wars\" of the 1990s are still going on today, prompting arguments about why women still can't have it all and books like Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In, whose title has become a buzzword in its own right. Terms like unplug, offline, life-hack, bandwidth, and capacity are all about setting boundaries between the office and the home. But if your work is your \"passion,\" you'll be more likely to devote yourself to it, even if that means going home for dinner and then working long after the kids are in bed.\nBut this seems to be the irony of office speak: Everyone makes fun of it, but managers love it, companies depend on it, and regular people willingly absorb it. As Nunberg once said, \"You can get people to think it's nonsense at the same time that you buy into it.\" In a workplace that's fundamentally indifferent to your life and its meaning, office speak can help you figure out how you relate to your work - and how your work defines who you are.","id":"4231.txt","label":0} +{"option":["Managers admire it but avoid it.","Linguists believe it to be nonsense.","Companies find it to be fundamental.","Regular people mock it but accept it."],"question":"Which of the following statements is true about office speak?","article":"Even in traditional offices, \"the lingua franca of corporate America has gotten much more emotional and much more right-brained than it was 20 years ago,\" said Harvard Business School professor Nancy Koehn. She started spinning off examples. \"If you and I parachuted back to Fortune 500 companies in 1990, we would see much less frequent use of terms like journey, mission, passion. There were goals, there were strategies, there were objectives, but we didn't talk about energy; we didn't talk about passion.\"\nKoehn pointed out that this new era of corporate vocabulary is very \"team\"-oriented - and not by coincidence. \"Let's not forget sports - in male-dominated corporate America, it's still a big deal. It's not explicitly conscious; it's the idea that I'm a coach, and you're my team, and we're in this together. There are lots and lots of CEOs in very different companies, but most think of themselves as coaches and this is their team and they want to win.\"\nThese terms are also intended to infuse work with meaning - and, as Khurana points out, increase allegiance to the firm. \"You have the importation of terminology that historically used to be associated with non-profit organizations and religious organizations: terms like vision, values, passion, and purpose,\" said Khurana.\nThis new focus on personal fulfillment can help keep employees motivated amid increasingly loud debates over work-life balance. The \"mommy wars\" of the 1990s are still going on today, prompting arguments about why women still can't have it all and books like Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In, whose title has become a buzzword in its own right. Terms like unplug, offline, life-hack, bandwidth, and capacity are all about setting boundaries between the office and the home. But if your work is your \"passion,\" you'll be more likely to devote yourself to it, even if that means going home for dinner and then working long after the kids are in bed.\nBut this seems to be the irony of office speak: Everyone makes fun of it, but managers love it, companies depend on it, and regular people willingly absorb it. As Nunberg once said, \"You can get people to think it's nonsense at the same time that you buy into it.\" In a workplace that's fundamentally indifferent to your life and its meaning, office speak can help you figure out how you relate to your work - and how your work defines who you are.","id":"4231.txt","label":3} +{"option":["Children do find lots of fun in many mindlessactivities.","Rebecca is much too occupied to enjoy herleisure time.","Rebecca draws on a lot of online materials forher writing.","A lot of distractions compete for Children'stime nowadays."],"question":"What do we learn from the first paragraph?","article":"In this age of Internet chat, video games and reality television, there is no short age of mindless activities to keep a child occupied. Yet, despite the competition,my 8-year-old daughter Rebecca wants to spend her leisure timewriting shortstories. She wants to enter one of her stories into a writing contest, a competitionshe won last year.\nAs awriter I know about winning contest, and about losing them. I know what it islike to work hard on astory only to receive a rejection slip from thepublisher. I also know the pressures of trying to live up to a reputationcreatedby previous victories. What if she doesn't win the contest again? That's thestrange thing about being aparent. So many of our own past scars and dashedhopes can surface.\nArevelation came last week when I asked her, \"Don't you want to win again?\" \"No,\" she replied, \"I\u3000just want to tell the story of an angel going to first grade.\"\nI hadjust spent weeks correcting her stores as she spontaneously( )told them. Telling myself that Iwas merely an experienced writerguiding the young writer across the hall, I offered suggestions forcharacters,conflicts and endings for her tales. The story about a fearful angelstarting first grade was quickly \"guided\" by meinto the tale of alittle girl with a wild imagination taking her first music lesson. I had turnedher contest into mycontest without even realizing it.\nStayingback and giving kids space to grow is not as easy as it looks. Because I knowvery little about farmanimals who use tools or angels who go to first grade, Ihad to accept the fact that I was coopting mydaughter'sexperience.\nWhilestepping back was difficult for me, it was certainly a good first step that Iwill quickly follow with moresteps, putting myself far enough away to give herroom but close enough to help if asked. All the while I will bereminding myselfthat children need room to experiment, grow and find their own voices.","id":"900.txt","label":3} +{"option":["She did not quite live up to her reputation as awriter.","Her way to success was full of pains andfrustrations.","She was constantly under pressure of writingmore.","Most of her stories had been rejected bypublishers."],"question":"What did the author say about her own writingexperience?","article":"In this age of Internet chat, video games and reality television, there is no short age of mindless activities to keep a child occupied. Yet, despite the competition,my 8-year-old daughter Rebecca wants to spend her leisure timewriting shortstories. She wants to enter one of her stories into a writing contest, a competitionshe won last year.\nAs awriter I know about winning contest, and about losing them. I know what it islike to work hard on astory only to receive a rejection slip from thepublisher. I also know the pressures of trying to live up to a reputationcreatedby previous victories. What if she doesn't win the contest again? That's thestrange thing about being aparent. So many of our own past scars and dashedhopes can surface.\nArevelation came last week when I asked her, \"Don't you want to win again?\" \"No,\" she replied, \"I\u3000just want to tell the story of an angel going to first grade.\"\nI hadjust spent weeks correcting her stores as she spontaneously( )told them. Telling myself that Iwas merely an experienced writerguiding the young writer across the hall, I offered suggestions forcharacters,conflicts and endings for her tales. The story about a fearful angelstarting first grade was quickly \"guided\" by meinto the tale of alittle girl with a wild imagination taking her first music lesson. I had turnedher contest into mycontest without even realizing it.\nStayingback and giving kids space to grow is not as easy as it looks. Because I knowvery little about farmanimals who use tools or angels who go to first grade, Ihad to accept the fact that I was coopting mydaughter'sexperience.\nWhilestepping back was difficult for me, it was certainly a good first step that Iwill quickly follow with moresteps, putting myself far enough away to give herroom but close enough to help if asked. All the while I will bereminding myselfthat children need room to experiment, grow and find their own voices.","id":"900.txt","label":1} +{"option":["She believed she possessed real talent forwriting.","She was sure of winning with her mother's help.","She wanted to share her stories with readers.","She had won a prize in the previous contest."],"question":"Why did Rebecca want to enter this year'swriting contest?","article":"In this age of Internet chat, video games and reality television, there is no short age of mindless activities to keep a child occupied. Yet, despite the competition,my 8-year-old daughter Rebecca wants to spend her leisure timewriting shortstories. She wants to enter one of her stories into a writing contest, a competitionshe won last year.\nAs awriter I know about winning contest, and about losing them. I know what it islike to work hard on astory only to receive a rejection slip from thepublisher. I also know the pressures of trying to live up to a reputationcreatedby previous victories. What if she doesn't win the contest again? That's thestrange thing about being aparent. So many of our own past scars and dashedhopes can surface.\nArevelation came last week when I asked her, \"Don't you want to win again?\" \"No,\" she replied, \"I\u3000just want to tell the story of an angel going to first grade.\"\nI hadjust spent weeks correcting her stores as she spontaneously( )told them. Telling myself that Iwas merely an experienced writerguiding the young writer across the hall, I offered suggestions forcharacters,conflicts and endings for her tales. The story about a fearful angelstarting first grade was quickly \"guided\" by meinto the tale of alittle girl with a wild imagination taking her first music lesson. I had turnedher contest into mycontest without even realizing it.\nStayingback and giving kids space to grow is not as easy as it looks. Because I knowvery little about farmanimals who use tools or angels who go to first grade, Ihad to accept the fact that I was coopting mydaughter'sexperience.\nWhilestepping back was difficult for me, it was certainly a good first step that Iwill quickly follow with moresteps, putting myself far enough away to give herroom but close enough to help if asked. All the while I will bereminding myselfthat children need room to experiment, grow and find their own voices.","id":"900.txt","label":2} +{"option":["she believed she had the knowledge andexperience to offer guidance","she did not want to disappoint Rebecca whoneeded her help so much","she wanted to help Rebecca realize her dream ofbecoming a writer","she was afraid Rebecca's imagination might runwild while writing"],"question":"The author took great pains to refine herdaughter's stories because _","article":"In this age of Internet chat, video games and reality television, there is no short age of mindless activities to keep a child occupied. Yet, despite the competition,my 8-year-old daughter Rebecca wants to spend her leisure timewriting shortstories. She wants to enter one of her stories into a writing contest, a competitionshe won last year.\nAs awriter I know about winning contest, and about losing them. I know what it islike to work hard on astory only to receive a rejection slip from thepublisher. I also know the pressures of trying to live up to a reputationcreatedby previous victories. What if she doesn't win the contest again? That's thestrange thing about being aparent. So many of our own past scars and dashedhopes can surface.\nArevelation came last week when I asked her, \"Don't you want to win again?\" \"No,\" she replied, \"I\u3000just want to tell the story of an angel going to first grade.\"\nI hadjust spent weeks correcting her stores as she spontaneously( )told them. Telling myself that Iwas merely an experienced writerguiding the young writer across the hall, I offered suggestions forcharacters,conflicts and endings for her tales. The story about a fearful angelstarting first grade was quickly \"guided\" by meinto the tale of alittle girl with a wild imagination taking her first music lesson. I had turnedher contest into mycontest without even realizing it.\nStayingback and giving kids space to grow is not as easy as it looks. Because I knowvery little about farmanimals who use tools or angels who go to first grade, Ihad to accept the fact that I was coopting mydaughter'sexperience.\nWhilestepping back was difficult for me, it was certainly a good first step that Iwill quickly follow with moresteps, putting myself far enough away to give herroom but close enough to help if asked. All the while I will bereminding myselfthat children need room to experiment, grow and find their own voices.","id":"900.txt","label":0} +{"option":["A writing career, though attractive, is not forevery child to pursue.","Children should be allowed freedom to growthrough experience.","Parents should keep an eye on the activitiestheir kids engage in.","Children should be given every chance to voicetheir opinions."],"question":"What's the author's advice for parents?","article":"In this age of Internet chat, video games and reality television, there is no short age of mindless activities to keep a child occupied. Yet, despite the competition,my 8-year-old daughter Rebecca wants to spend her leisure timewriting shortstories. She wants to enter one of her stories into a writing contest, a competitionshe won last year.\nAs awriter I know about winning contest, and about losing them. I know what it islike to work hard on astory only to receive a rejection slip from thepublisher. I also know the pressures of trying to live up to a reputationcreatedby previous victories. What if she doesn't win the contest again? That's thestrange thing about being aparent. So many of our own past scars and dashedhopes can surface.\nArevelation came last week when I asked her, \"Don't you want to win again?\" \"No,\" she replied, \"I\u3000just want to tell the story of an angel going to first grade.\"\nI hadjust spent weeks correcting her stores as she spontaneously( )told them. Telling myself that Iwas merely an experienced writerguiding the young writer across the hall, I offered suggestions forcharacters,conflicts and endings for her tales. The story about a fearful angelstarting first grade was quickly \"guided\" by meinto the tale of alittle girl with a wild imagination taking her first music lesson. I had turnedher contest into mycontest without even realizing it.\nStayingback and giving kids space to grow is not as easy as it looks. Because I knowvery little about farmanimals who use tools or angels who go to first grade, Ihad to accept the fact that I was coopting mydaughter'sexperience.\nWhilestepping back was difficult for me, it was certainly a good first step that Iwill quickly follow with moresteps, putting myself far enough away to give herroom but close enough to help if asked. All the while I will bereminding myselfthat children need room to experiment, grow and find their own voices.","id":"900.txt","label":1} +{"option":["the safety net they used to enjoy has disappeared.","their chances of being laid off have greatly increased.","they are more vulnerable to changes in family economics.","they are deprived of unemployment or disability insurance."],"question":"Today's double-income families are at greater financial risk in that","article":"During the past generation, the American middle-class family that once could count on hard work and fair play to keep itself financially secure had been transformed by economic risk and new realities. Now a pink slip, a bad diagnosis, or a disappearing spouse can reduce a family from solidly middle class to newly poor in a few months.\nIn just one generation, millions of mothers have gone to work, transforming basic family economics. Scholars, policymakers, and critics of all stripes have debated the social implications of these changes, but few have looked at the side effect: family risk has risen as well. Today's families have budgeted to the limits of their new two-paycheck status. As a result, they have lost the parachute they once had in times of financial setback - a back-up earner (usually Mom) who could go into the workforce if the primary earner got laid off or fell sick. This \"added-worker effect\" could support the safety net offered by unemployment insurance or disability insurance to help families weather bad times. But today, a disruption to family fortunes can no longer be made up with extra income from an otherwise-stay-at-home partner.\nDuring the same period, families have been asked to absorb much more risk in their retirement income. Steelworkers, airline employees, and now those in the auto industry are joining millions of families who must worry about interest rates, stock market fluctuation, and the harsh reality that they may outlive their retirement money. For much of the past year, President Bush campaigned to move Social Security to a saving-account model, with retirees trading much or all of their guaranteed payments for payments depending on investment returns. For younger families, the picture is not any better. Both the absolute cost of healthcare and the share of it borne by families have risen - and newly fashionable health-savings plans are spreading from legislative halls to Wal-Mart workers, with much higher deductibles and a large new dose of investment risk for families' future healthcare. Even demographics are working against the middle class family, as the odds of having a weak elderly parent - and all the attendant need for physical and financial assistance - have jumped eightfold in just one generation.\nFrom the middle-class family perspective, much of this, understandably, looks far less like an opportunity to exercise more financial responsibility, and a good deal more like a frightening acceleration of the wholesale shift of financial risk onto their already overburdened shoulders. The financial fallout has begun, and the political fallout may not be far behind.","id":"2786.txt","label":2} +{"option":["a higher sense of security.","less secured payments.","less chance to invest.","a guaranteed future."],"question":"As a result of President Bush's reform, retired people may have","article":"During the past generation, the American middle-class family that once could count on hard work and fair play to keep itself financially secure had been transformed by economic risk and new realities. Now a pink slip, a bad diagnosis, or a disappearing spouse can reduce a family from solidly middle class to newly poor in a few months.\nIn just one generation, millions of mothers have gone to work, transforming basic family economics. Scholars, policymakers, and critics of all stripes have debated the social implications of these changes, but few have looked at the side effect: family risk has risen as well. Today's families have budgeted to the limits of their new two-paycheck status. As a result, they have lost the parachute they once had in times of financial setback - a back-up earner (usually Mom) who could go into the workforce if the primary earner got laid off or fell sick. This \"added-worker effect\" could support the safety net offered by unemployment insurance or disability insurance to help families weather bad times. But today, a disruption to family fortunes can no longer be made up with extra income from an otherwise-stay-at-home partner.\nDuring the same period, families have been asked to absorb much more risk in their retirement income. Steelworkers, airline employees, and now those in the auto industry are joining millions of families who must worry about interest rates, stock market fluctuation, and the harsh reality that they may outlive their retirement money. For much of the past year, President Bush campaigned to move Social Security to a saving-account model, with retirees trading much or all of their guaranteed payments for payments depending on investment returns. For younger families, the picture is not any better. Both the absolute cost of healthcare and the share of it borne by families have risen - and newly fashionable health-savings plans are spreading from legislative halls to Wal-Mart workers, with much higher deductibles and a large new dose of investment risk for families' future healthcare. Even demographics are working against the middle class family, as the odds of having a weak elderly parent - and all the attendant need for physical and financial assistance - have jumped eightfold in just one generation.\nFrom the middle-class family perspective, much of this, understandably, looks far less like an opportunity to exercise more financial responsibility, and a good deal more like a frightening acceleration of the wholesale shift of financial risk onto their already overburdened shoulders. The financial fallout has begun, and the political fallout may not be far behind.","id":"2786.txt","label":1} +{"option":["help reduce the cost of healthcare.","popularize among the middle class.","compensate for the reduced pensions.","increase the families' investment risk."],"question":"According to the author, health-savings plans will","article":"During the past generation, the American middle-class family that once could count on hard work and fair play to keep itself financially secure had been transformed by economic risk and new realities. Now a pink slip, a bad diagnosis, or a disappearing spouse can reduce a family from solidly middle class to newly poor in a few months.\nIn just one generation, millions of mothers have gone to work, transforming basic family economics. Scholars, policymakers, and critics of all stripes have debated the social implications of these changes, but few have looked at the side effect: family risk has risen as well. Today's families have budgeted to the limits of their new two-paycheck status. As a result, they have lost the parachute they once had in times of financial setback - a back-up earner (usually Mom) who could go into the workforce if the primary earner got laid off or fell sick. This \"added-worker effect\" could support the safety net offered by unemployment insurance or disability insurance to help families weather bad times. But today, a disruption to family fortunes can no longer be made up with extra income from an otherwise-stay-at-home partner.\nDuring the same period, families have been asked to absorb much more risk in their retirement income. Steelworkers, airline employees, and now those in the auto industry are joining millions of families who must worry about interest rates, stock market fluctuation, and the harsh reality that they may outlive their retirement money. For much of the past year, President Bush campaigned to move Social Security to a saving-account model, with retirees trading much or all of their guaranteed payments for payments depending on investment returns. For younger families, the picture is not any better. Both the absolute cost of healthcare and the share of it borne by families have risen - and newly fashionable health-savings plans are spreading from legislative halls to Wal-Mart workers, with much higher deductibles and a large new dose of investment risk for families' future healthcare. Even demographics are working against the middle class family, as the odds of having a weak elderly parent - and all the attendant need for physical and financial assistance - have jumped eightfold in just one generation.\nFrom the middle-class family perspective, much of this, understandably, looks far less like an opportunity to exercise more financial responsibility, and a good deal more like a frightening acceleration of the wholesale shift of financial risk onto their already overburdened shoulders. The financial fallout has begun, and the political fallout may not be far behind.","id":"2786.txt","label":3} +{"option":["financial risks tend to outweigh political risks.","the middle class may face greater political challenges.","financial problems may bring about political problems.","financial responsibility is an indicator of political status."],"question":"It can be inferred from the last paragraph that","article":"During the past generation, the American middle-class family that once could count on hard work and fair play to keep itself financially secure had been transformed by economic risk and new realities. Now a pink slip, a bad diagnosis, or a disappearing spouse can reduce a family from solidly middle class to newly poor in a few months.\nIn just one generation, millions of mothers have gone to work, transforming basic family economics. Scholars, policymakers, and critics of all stripes have debated the social implications of these changes, but few have looked at the side effect: family risk has risen as well. Today's families have budgeted to the limits of their new two-paycheck status. As a result, they have lost the parachute they once had in times of financial setback - a back-up earner (usually Mom) who could go into the workforce if the primary earner got laid off or fell sick. This \"added-worker effect\" could support the safety net offered by unemployment insurance or disability insurance to help families weather bad times. But today, a disruption to family fortunes can no longer be made up with extra income from an otherwise-stay-at-home partner.\nDuring the same period, families have been asked to absorb much more risk in their retirement income. Steelworkers, airline employees, and now those in the auto industry are joining millions of families who must worry about interest rates, stock market fluctuation, and the harsh reality that they may outlive their retirement money. For much of the past year, President Bush campaigned to move Social Security to a saving-account model, with retirees trading much or all of their guaranteed payments for payments depending on investment returns. For younger families, the picture is not any better. Both the absolute cost of healthcare and the share of it borne by families have risen - and newly fashionable health-savings plans are spreading from legislative halls to Wal-Mart workers, with much higher deductibles and a large new dose of investment risk for families' future healthcare. Even demographics are working against the middle class family, as the odds of having a weak elderly parent - and all the attendant need for physical and financial assistance - have jumped eightfold in just one generation.\nFrom the middle-class family perspective, much of this, understandably, looks far less like an opportunity to exercise more financial responsibility, and a good deal more like a frightening acceleration of the wholesale shift of financial risk onto their already overburdened shoulders. The financial fallout has begun, and the political fallout may not be far behind.","id":"2786.txt","label":2} +{"option":["The Middle Class on the Alert","The Middle Class on the Cliff","The Middle Class in Conflict","The Middle Class in Ruins"],"question":"Which of the following is the best title for this text?","article":"During the past generation, the American middle-class family that once could count on hard work and fair play to keep itself financially secure had been transformed by economic risk and new realities. Now a pink slip, a bad diagnosis, or a disappearing spouse can reduce a family from solidly middle class to newly poor in a few months.\nIn just one generation, millions of mothers have gone to work, transforming basic family economics. Scholars, policymakers, and critics of all stripes have debated the social implications of these changes, but few have looked at the side effect: family risk has risen as well. Today's families have budgeted to the limits of their new two-paycheck status. As a result, they have lost the parachute they once had in times of financial setback - a back-up earner (usually Mom) who could go into the workforce if the primary earner got laid off or fell sick. This \"added-worker effect\" could support the safety net offered by unemployment insurance or disability insurance to help families weather bad times. But today, a disruption to family fortunes can no longer be made up with extra income from an otherwise-stay-at-home partner.\nDuring the same period, families have been asked to absorb much more risk in their retirement income. Steelworkers, airline employees, and now those in the auto industry are joining millions of families who must worry about interest rates, stock market fluctuation, and the harsh reality that they may outlive their retirement money. For much of the past year, President Bush campaigned to move Social Security to a saving-account model, with retirees trading much or all of their guaranteed payments for payments depending on investment returns. For younger families, the picture is not any better. Both the absolute cost of healthcare and the share of it borne by families have risen - and newly fashionable health-savings plans are spreading from legislative halls to Wal-Mart workers, with much higher deductibles and a large new dose of investment risk for families' future healthcare. Even demographics are working against the middle class family, as the odds of having a weak elderly parent - and all the attendant need for physical and financial assistance - have jumped eightfold in just one generation.\nFrom the middle-class family perspective, much of this, understandably, looks far less like an opportunity to exercise more financial responsibility, and a good deal more like a frightening acceleration of the wholesale shift of financial risk onto their already overburdened shoulders. The financial fallout has begun, and the political fallout may not be far behind.","id":"2786.txt","label":1} +{"option":["To climb up to remove the spikes.","To climb it twice","To do 5,000 pull-ups up the rope.","To lock the rope in place."],"question":"Which of the following was a challenge for Corbett in climbing Half Dome?","article":"They are the sort of friends who are so close they trust each other with their lives. If one falls, the other is there to catch him.\nThey are Wellman, whose legs were permanently injured nine years ago in a rock-climbing accident, and Corbett, an experienced rock climber. Together, they climbed up Half Dome, the famous 2,000-foot rock in the Yosemite National Park, through one of the most difficult routes.\nDuring the climb, Corbett took the lead, hit in the metal spikesthat guided the ropes and climbed up. Then, after Wellman pulled himself up the rope, Corbett went down to remove the spikes and climbed up again. This process was repeated time and again, inch by inch, for 13 days. Wellman's job was not easy either. He got himself up the rope through upper body strength alone.\nIn all, Wellman figured that he had done 5,000 pull-ups up the rope on the climb.\nHowever, when the two men first met, they never talked about climbing. \"He knew that was how I got injured.\" Wellman said. Until one day Wellman decided that he wanted to climb again and they started training.\nTheir climb of Half Dome was not all smooth. At one point, pieces of rock gave way, and Corbett dropped down quickly. Wellman locked their rope in place, stopping the fall at 20 feet. His quick action probably saved his friend's life.\n\"Your partner can save your life - you can save your partner's life,\" Wellman said as the pair received congratulations from friends. \"There are real close ties.\"","id":"2606.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Corbett was poorly trained.","Wellman had lost interest in climbing.","Corbett didn't want to hurt Wellman.","Wellman hadn't decided whether to climb again."],"question":"Why did the two men never talk about climbing when they first met?","article":"They are the sort of friends who are so close they trust each other with their lives. If one falls, the other is there to catch him.\nThey are Wellman, whose legs were permanently injured nine years ago in a rock-climbing accident, and Corbett, an experienced rock climber. Together, they climbed up Half Dome, the famous 2,000-foot rock in the Yosemite National Park, through one of the most difficult routes.\nDuring the climb, Corbett took the lead, hit in the metal spikesthat guided the ropes and climbed up. Then, after Wellman pulled himself up the rope, Corbett went down to remove the spikes and climbed up again. This process was repeated time and again, inch by inch, for 13 days. Wellman's job was not easy either. He got himself up the rope through upper body strength alone.\nIn all, Wellman figured that he had done 5,000 pull-ups up the rope on the climb.\nHowever, when the two men first met, they never talked about climbing. \"He knew that was how I got injured.\" Wellman said. Until one day Wellman decided that he wanted to climb again and they started training.\nTheir climb of Half Dome was not all smooth. At one point, pieces of rock gave way, and Corbett dropped down quickly. Wellman locked their rope in place, stopping the fall at 20 feet. His quick action probably saved his friend's life.\n\"Your partner can save your life - you can save your partner's life,\" Wellman said as the pair received congratulations from friends. \"There are real close ties.\"","id":"2606.txt","label":2} +{"option":["He climbed Half Dome by himself.","He was disabled in a traffic accident.","He stopped rock-climbing for some time.","He was saved by Corbett during the climb."],"question":"What do we know about Wellman?","article":"They are the sort of friends who are so close they trust each other with their lives. If one falls, the other is there to catch him.\nThey are Wellman, whose legs were permanently injured nine years ago in a rock-climbing accident, and Corbett, an experienced rock climber. Together, they climbed up Half Dome, the famous 2,000-foot rock in the Yosemite National Park, through one of the most difficult routes.\nDuring the climb, Corbett took the lead, hit in the metal spikesthat guided the ropes and climbed up. Then, after Wellman pulled himself up the rope, Corbett went down to remove the spikes and climbed up again. This process was repeated time and again, inch by inch, for 13 days. Wellman's job was not easy either. He got himself up the rope through upper body strength alone.\nIn all, Wellman figured that he had done 5,000 pull-ups up the rope on the climb.\nHowever, when the two men first met, they never talked about climbing. \"He knew that was how I got injured.\" Wellman said. Until one day Wellman decided that he wanted to climb again and they started training.\nTheir climb of Half Dome was not all smooth. At one point, pieces of rock gave way, and Corbett dropped down quickly. Wellman locked their rope in place, stopping the fall at 20 feet. His quick action probably saved his friend's life.\n\"Your partner can save your life - you can save your partner's life,\" Wellman said as the pair received congratulations from friends. \"There are real close ties.\"","id":"2606.txt","label":2} +{"option":["two heads are better than one","friendship is precious in life","the disabled should never give up","a man can be destroyed but cannot be defeated"],"question":"The main idea of the text is that _ .","article":"They are the sort of friends who are so close they trust each other with their lives. If one falls, the other is there to catch him.\nThey are Wellman, whose legs were permanently injured nine years ago in a rock-climbing accident, and Corbett, an experienced rock climber. Together, they climbed up Half Dome, the famous 2,000-foot rock in the Yosemite National Park, through one of the most difficult routes.\nDuring the climb, Corbett took the lead, hit in the metal spikesthat guided the ropes and climbed up. Then, after Wellman pulled himself up the rope, Corbett went down to remove the spikes and climbed up again. This process was repeated time and again, inch by inch, for 13 days. Wellman's job was not easy either. He got himself up the rope through upper body strength alone.\nIn all, Wellman figured that he had done 5,000 pull-ups up the rope on the climb.\nHowever, when the two men first met, they never talked about climbing. \"He knew that was how I got injured.\" Wellman said. Until one day Wellman decided that he wanted to climb again and they started training.\nTheir climb of Half Dome was not all smooth. At one point, pieces of rock gave way, and Corbett dropped down quickly. Wellman locked their rope in place, stopping the fall at 20 feet. His quick action probably saved his friend's life.\n\"Your partner can save your life - you can save your partner's life,\" Wellman said as the pair received congratulations from friends. \"There are real close ties.\"","id":"2606.txt","label":1} +{"option":["the most influential watercolor painters in the mid-1800's","efforts to organize watercolor painters in New York City during the mid-1800's","a famous exhibition of watercolor paintings in New York City in the mid-1800's","styles of watercolor painting in New York City during the mid-1800's"],"question":"This passage is mainly about","article":"The year 1850 may be considered the beginning of a new epoch in America art, with respect to the development of watercolor painting. In December of that year, a group of thirty artists gathered in the studio of John Falconer in New York City and drafted both a constitution and bylaws, establishing The Society for the Promotion of Painting in Water Color. In addition to securing an exhibition space in the Library Society building in lower Manhattan, the society founded a small school for the instruction of watercolor painting. Periodic exhibitions of the members' paintings also included works by noted English artists of the day, borrowed from embryonic private collections in the city. The society's activities also included organized sketching excursions along the Hudson River. Its major public exposure came in 1853, when the society presented works by its members in the \"Industry of All Nations\" section of the Crystal Palace Exposition in New York.\nThe society did not prosper, however, and by the time of its annual meeting in 1854 membership had fallen to twenty-one. The group gave up its quarters in the Library Society building and returned to Falconer's studio, where it broke up amid dissension. No further attempt to formally organize the growing numbers of watercolor painters in New York City was made for more than a decade. During that decade, though, Henry Warren's Painting in Water Color was published in New York City in 1856 - the book was a considerable improvement over the only other manual of instruction existing at the time, Elements of Graphic Art, by Archibald Roberson, published in 1802 and by the 1850's long out of print.\nIn 1866 the National Academy of Design was host to an exhibition of watercolor painting in its elaborate neo-Venetian Gothic building on Twenty-Third Street in New York City. The exhibit was sponsored by an independent group called The Artists Fund Society. Within a few months of this event, forty-two prominent artists living in and near New York City founded The American Society of Painters in Water Colors.","id":"1837.txt","label":1} +{"option":["a group of artists established a watercolor painting society","watercolor painting was first introduced to New York City","John Falconer established his studio for watercolor painters","The first book on watercolor painting was published"],"question":"The year 1850 was significant in the history of watercolor painting mainly because","article":"The year 1850 may be considered the beginning of a new epoch in America art, with respect to the development of watercolor painting. In December of that year, a group of thirty artists gathered in the studio of John Falconer in New York City and drafted both a constitution and bylaws, establishing The Society for the Promotion of Painting in Water Color. In addition to securing an exhibition space in the Library Society building in lower Manhattan, the society founded a small school for the instruction of watercolor painting. Periodic exhibitions of the members' paintings also included works by noted English artists of the day, borrowed from embryonic private collections in the city. The society's activities also included organized sketching excursions along the Hudson River. Its major public exposure came in 1853, when the society presented works by its members in the \"Industry of All Nations\" section of the Crystal Palace Exposition in New York.\nThe society did not prosper, however, and by the time of its annual meeting in 1854 membership had fallen to twenty-one. The group gave up its quarters in the Library Society building and returned to Falconer's studio, where it broke up amid dissension. No further attempt to formally organize the growing numbers of watercolor painters in New York City was made for more than a decade. During that decade, though, Henry Warren's Painting in Water Color was published in New York City in 1856 - the book was a considerable improvement over the only other manual of instruction existing at the time, Elements of Graphic Art, by Archibald Roberson, published in 1802 and by the 1850's long out of print.\nIn 1866 the National Academy of Design was host to an exhibition of watercolor painting in its elaborate neo-Venetian Gothic building on Twenty-Third Street in New York City. The exhibit was sponsored by an independent group called The Artists Fund Society. Within a few months of this event, forty-two prominent artists living in and near New York City founded The American Society of Painters in Water Colors.","id":"1837.txt","label":0} +{"option":["locking","creating","constructing","acquiring"],"question":"The word \"securing\" in line 5 is closest in meaning to","article":"The year 1850 may be considered the beginning of a new epoch in America art, with respect to the development of watercolor painting. In December of that year, a group of thirty artists gathered in the studio of John Falconer in New York City and drafted both a constitution and bylaws, establishing The Society for the Promotion of Painting in Water Color. In addition to securing an exhibition space in the Library Society building in lower Manhattan, the society founded a small school for the instruction of watercolor painting. Periodic exhibitions of the members' paintings also included works by noted English artists of the day, borrowed from embryonic private collections in the city. The society's activities also included organized sketching excursions along the Hudson River. Its major public exposure came in 1853, when the society presented works by its members in the \"Industry of All Nations\" section of the Crystal Palace Exposition in New York.\nThe society did not prosper, however, and by the time of its annual meeting in 1854 membership had fallen to twenty-one. The group gave up its quarters in the Library Society building and returned to Falconer's studio, where it broke up amid dissension. No further attempt to formally organize the growing numbers of watercolor painters in New York City was made for more than a decade. During that decade, though, Henry Warren's Painting in Water Color was published in New York City in 1856 - the book was a considerable improvement over the only other manual of instruction existing at the time, Elements of Graphic Art, by Archibald Roberson, published in 1802 and by the 1850's long out of print.\nIn 1866 the National Academy of Design was host to an exhibition of watercolor painting in its elaborate neo-Venetian Gothic building on Twenty-Third Street in New York City. The exhibit was sponsored by an independent group called The Artists Fund Society. Within a few months of this event, forty-two prominent artists living in and near New York City founded The American Society of Painters in Water Colors.","id":"1837.txt","label":3} +{"option":["The society exhibited paintings in lower Manhattan.","Instruction in watercolor painting was offered by members of the society","The society exhibited only the paintings of its members.","Scenes of the Hudson River appeared often in the work of society members."],"question":"All of the following can be inferred about the Society for the promotion of Painting in Watercolor EXCEPT:","article":"The year 1850 may be considered the beginning of a new epoch in America art, with respect to the development of watercolor painting. In December of that year, a group of thirty artists gathered in the studio of John Falconer in New York City and drafted both a constitution and bylaws, establishing The Society for the Promotion of Painting in Water Color. In addition to securing an exhibition space in the Library Society building in lower Manhattan, the society founded a small school for the instruction of watercolor painting. Periodic exhibitions of the members' paintings also included works by noted English artists of the day, borrowed from embryonic private collections in the city. The society's activities also included organized sketching excursions along the Hudson River. Its major public exposure came in 1853, when the society presented works by its members in the \"Industry of All Nations\" section of the Crystal Palace Exposition in New York.\nThe society did not prosper, however, and by the time of its annual meeting in 1854 membership had fallen to twenty-one. The group gave up its quarters in the Library Society building and returned to Falconer's studio, where it broke up amid dissension. No further attempt to formally organize the growing numbers of watercolor painters in New York City was made for more than a decade. During that decade, though, Henry Warren's Painting in Water Color was published in New York City in 1856 - the book was a considerable improvement over the only other manual of instruction existing at the time, Elements of Graphic Art, by Archibald Roberson, published in 1802 and by the 1850's long out of print.\nIn 1866 the National Academy of Design was host to an exhibition of watercolor painting in its elaborate neo-Venetian Gothic building on Twenty-Third Street in New York City. The exhibit was sponsored by an independent group called The Artists Fund Society. Within a few months of this event, forty-two prominent artists living in and near New York City founded The American Society of Painters in Water Colors.","id":"1837.txt","label":2} +{"option":["It resulted in a dramatic increase in the popularity of painting with watercolor.","It was the first time an exhibition was funded by a private source.","It was the first important exhibition of the society's work.","It resulted in a large increase in the membership of the society."],"question":"The exhibition at the Crystal Palace of the works of the Society for the Promotion of Painting in Watercolor was significant for which of the following reasons?","article":"The year 1850 may be considered the beginning of a new epoch in America art, with respect to the development of watercolor painting. In December of that year, a group of thirty artists gathered in the studio of John Falconer in New York City and drafted both a constitution and bylaws, establishing The Society for the Promotion of Painting in Water Color. In addition to securing an exhibition space in the Library Society building in lower Manhattan, the society founded a small school for the instruction of watercolor painting. Periodic exhibitions of the members' paintings also included works by noted English artists of the day, borrowed from embryonic private collections in the city. The society's activities also included organized sketching excursions along the Hudson River. Its major public exposure came in 1853, when the society presented works by its members in the \"Industry of All Nations\" section of the Crystal Palace Exposition in New York.\nThe society did not prosper, however, and by the time of its annual meeting in 1854 membership had fallen to twenty-one. The group gave up its quarters in the Library Society building and returned to Falconer's studio, where it broke up amid dissension. No further attempt to formally organize the growing numbers of watercolor painters in New York City was made for more than a decade. During that decade, though, Henry Warren's Painting in Water Color was published in New York City in 1856 - the book was a considerable improvement over the only other manual of instruction existing at the time, Elements of Graphic Art, by Archibald Roberson, published in 1802 and by the 1850's long out of print.\nIn 1866 the National Academy of Design was host to an exhibition of watercolor painting in its elaborate neo-Venetian Gothic building on Twenty-Third Street in New York City. The exhibit was sponsored by an independent group called The Artists Fund Society. Within a few months of this event, forty-two prominent artists living in and near New York City founded The American Society of Painters in Water Colors.","id":"1837.txt","label":2} +{"option":["time","group","building","studio"],"question":"The word \"it\" in line 15 refers to","article":"The year 1850 may be considered the beginning of a new epoch in America art, with respect to the development of watercolor painting. In December of that year, a group of thirty artists gathered in the studio of John Falconer in New York City and drafted both a constitution and bylaws, establishing The Society for the Promotion of Painting in Water Color. In addition to securing an exhibition space in the Library Society building in lower Manhattan, the society founded a small school for the instruction of watercolor painting. Periodic exhibitions of the members' paintings also included works by noted English artists of the day, borrowed from embryonic private collections in the city. The society's activities also included organized sketching excursions along the Hudson River. Its major public exposure came in 1853, when the society presented works by its members in the \"Industry of All Nations\" section of the Crystal Palace Exposition in New York.\nThe society did not prosper, however, and by the time of its annual meeting in 1854 membership had fallen to twenty-one. The group gave up its quarters in the Library Society building and returned to Falconer's studio, where it broke up amid dissension. No further attempt to formally organize the growing numbers of watercolor painters in New York City was made for more than a decade. During that decade, though, Henry Warren's Painting in Water Color was published in New York City in 1856 - the book was a considerable improvement over the only other manual of instruction existing at the time, Elements of Graphic Art, by Archibald Roberson, published in 1802 and by the 1850's long out of print.\nIn 1866 the National Academy of Design was host to an exhibition of watercolor painting in its elaborate neo-Venetian Gothic building on Twenty-Third Street in New York City. The exhibit was sponsored by an independent group called The Artists Fund Society. Within a few months of this event, forty-two prominent artists living in and near New York City founded The American Society of Painters in Water Colors.","id":"1837.txt","label":1} +{"option":["They increased in number despite a lack of formal organization.","They were unable to exhibit their paintings because of the lack of exhibition space.","The Artists Fund Society helped them to form The American Society of Painters in Water Colors.","They formed a new society because they were not allowed to join groups run by other kinds of artists."],"question":"Which of the following is true of watercolor painters in New York City in the late 1850's?","article":"The year 1850 may be considered the beginning of a new epoch in America art, with respect to the development of watercolor painting. In December of that year, a group of thirty artists gathered in the studio of John Falconer in New York City and drafted both a constitution and bylaws, establishing The Society for the Promotion of Painting in Water Color. In addition to securing an exhibition space in the Library Society building in lower Manhattan, the society founded a small school for the instruction of watercolor painting. Periodic exhibitions of the members' paintings also included works by noted English artists of the day, borrowed from embryonic private collections in the city. The society's activities also included organized sketching excursions along the Hudson River. Its major public exposure came in 1853, when the society presented works by its members in the \"Industry of All Nations\" section of the Crystal Palace Exposition in New York.\nThe society did not prosper, however, and by the time of its annual meeting in 1854 membership had fallen to twenty-one. The group gave up its quarters in the Library Society building and returned to Falconer's studio, where it broke up amid dissension. No further attempt to formally organize the growing numbers of watercolor painters in New York City was made for more than a decade. During that decade, though, Henry Warren's Painting in Water Color was published in New York City in 1856 - the book was a considerable improvement over the only other manual of instruction existing at the time, Elements of Graphic Art, by Archibald Roberson, published in 1802 and by the 1850's long out of print.\nIn 1866 the National Academy of Design was host to an exhibition of watercolor painting in its elaborate neo-Venetian Gothic building on Twenty-Third Street in New York City. The exhibit was sponsored by an independent group called The Artists Fund Society. Within a few months of this event, forty-two prominent artists living in and near New York City founded The American Society of Painters in Water Colors.","id":"1837.txt","label":0} +{"option":["received an important reward","was the only textbook published that taught painting","was much better than an earlier published fundamental of instruction","attracted the interest of art collectors"],"question":"Henry Warren's Painting in Water Color was important to artists because it","article":"The year 1850 may be considered the beginning of a new epoch in America art, with respect to the development of watercolor painting. In December of that year, a group of thirty artists gathered in the studio of John Falconer in New York City and drafted both a constitution and bylaws, establishing The Society for the Promotion of Painting in Water Color. In addition to securing an exhibition space in the Library Society building in lower Manhattan, the society founded a small school for the instruction of watercolor painting. Periodic exhibitions of the members' paintings also included works by noted English artists of the day, borrowed from embryonic private collections in the city. The society's activities also included organized sketching excursions along the Hudson River. Its major public exposure came in 1853, when the society presented works by its members in the \"Industry of All Nations\" section of the Crystal Palace Exposition in New York.\nThe society did not prosper, however, and by the time of its annual meeting in 1854 membership had fallen to twenty-one. The group gave up its quarters in the Library Society building and returned to Falconer's studio, where it broke up amid dissension. No further attempt to formally organize the growing numbers of watercolor painters in New York City was made for more than a decade. During that decade, though, Henry Warren's Painting in Water Color was published in New York City in 1856 - the book was a considerable improvement over the only other manual of instruction existing at the time, Elements of Graphic Art, by Archibald Roberson, published in 1802 and by the 1850's long out of print.\nIn 1866 the National Academy of Design was host to an exhibition of watercolor painting in its elaborate neo-Venetian Gothic building on Twenty-Third Street in New York City. The exhibit was sponsored by an independent group called The Artists Fund Society. Within a few months of this event, forty-two prominent artists living in and near New York City founded The American Society of Painters in Water Colors.","id":"1837.txt","label":2} +{"option":["sensitive","great","thoughtful","planned"],"question":"The word \"considerable\" in line 19 is closest in meaning to","article":"The year 1850 may be considered the beginning of a new epoch in America art, with respect to the development of watercolor painting. In December of that year, a group of thirty artists gathered in the studio of John Falconer in New York City and drafted both a constitution and bylaws, establishing The Society for the Promotion of Painting in Water Color. In addition to securing an exhibition space in the Library Society building in lower Manhattan, the society founded a small school for the instruction of watercolor painting. Periodic exhibitions of the members' paintings also included works by noted English artists of the day, borrowed from embryonic private collections in the city. The society's activities also included organized sketching excursions along the Hudson River. Its major public exposure came in 1853, when the society presented works by its members in the \"Industry of All Nations\" section of the Crystal Palace Exposition in New York.\nThe society did not prosper, however, and by the time of its annual meeting in 1854 membership had fallen to twenty-one. The group gave up its quarters in the Library Society building and returned to Falconer's studio, where it broke up amid dissension. No further attempt to formally organize the growing numbers of watercolor painters in New York City was made for more than a decade. During that decade, though, Henry Warren's Painting in Water Color was published in New York City in 1856 - the book was a considerable improvement over the only other manual of instruction existing at the time, Elements of Graphic Art, by Archibald Roberson, published in 1802 and by the 1850's long out of print.\nIn 1866 the National Academy of Design was host to an exhibition of watercolor painting in its elaborate neo-Venetian Gothic building on Twenty-Third Street in New York City. The exhibit was sponsored by an independent group called The Artists Fund Society. Within a few months of this event, forty-two prominent artists living in and near New York City founded The American Society of Painters in Water Colors.","id":"1837.txt","label":1} +{"option":["Elements of Graphic Art was republished.","Private collections of watercolors were first publicly exhibited.","The neo-Venetian Gothic building on Twenty-Third Street in New York City was built.","The National Academy of Design held an exhibition of watercolor paintings."],"question":"The year 1866 was significant for watercolor painting for which of the following reasons?","article":"The year 1850 may be considered the beginning of a new epoch in America art, with respect to the development of watercolor painting. In December of that year, a group of thirty artists gathered in the studio of John Falconer in New York City and drafted both a constitution and bylaws, establishing The Society for the Promotion of Painting in Water Color. In addition to securing an exhibition space in the Library Society building in lower Manhattan, the society founded a small school for the instruction of watercolor painting. Periodic exhibitions of the members' paintings also included works by noted English artists of the day, borrowed from embryonic private collections in the city. The society's activities also included organized sketching excursions along the Hudson River. Its major public exposure came in 1853, when the society presented works by its members in the \"Industry of All Nations\" section of the Crystal Palace Exposition in New York.\nThe society did not prosper, however, and by the time of its annual meeting in 1854 membership had fallen to twenty-one. The group gave up its quarters in the Library Society building and returned to Falconer's studio, where it broke up amid dissension. No further attempt to formally organize the growing numbers of watercolor painters in New York City was made for more than a decade. During that decade, though, Henry Warren's Painting in Water Color was published in New York City in 1856 - the book was a considerable improvement over the only other manual of instruction existing at the time, Elements of Graphic Art, by Archibald Roberson, published in 1802 and by the 1850's long out of print.\nIn 1866 the National Academy of Design was host to an exhibition of watercolor painting in its elaborate neo-Venetian Gothic building on Twenty-Third Street in New York City. The exhibit was sponsored by an independent group called The Artists Fund Society. Within a few months of this event, forty-two prominent artists living in and near New York City founded The American Society of Painters in Water Colors.","id":"1837.txt","label":3} +{"option":["wealthy","local","famous","organized"],"question":"The word \"prominent\" in line 25 is closest in meaning to","article":"The year 1850 may be considered the beginning of a new epoch in America art, with respect to the development of watercolor painting. In December of that year, a group of thirty artists gathered in the studio of John Falconer in New York City and drafted both a constitution and bylaws, establishing The Society for the Promotion of Painting in Water Color. In addition to securing an exhibition space in the Library Society building in lower Manhattan, the society founded a small school for the instruction of watercolor painting. Periodic exhibitions of the members' paintings also included works by noted English artists of the day, borrowed from embryonic private collections in the city. The society's activities also included organized sketching excursions along the Hudson River. Its major public exposure came in 1853, when the society presented works by its members in the \"Industry of All Nations\" section of the Crystal Palace Exposition in New York.\nThe society did not prosper, however, and by the time of its annual meeting in 1854 membership had fallen to twenty-one. The group gave up its quarters in the Library Society building and returned to Falconer's studio, where it broke up amid dissension. No further attempt to formally organize the growing numbers of watercolor painters in New York City was made for more than a decade. During that decade, though, Henry Warren's Painting in Water Color was published in New York City in 1856 - the book was a considerable improvement over the only other manual of instruction existing at the time, Elements of Graphic Art, by Archibald Roberson, published in 1802 and by the 1850's long out of print.\nIn 1866 the National Academy of Design was host to an exhibition of watercolor painting in its elaborate neo-Venetian Gothic building on Twenty-Third Street in New York City. The exhibit was sponsored by an independent group called The Artists Fund Society. Within a few months of this event, forty-two prominent artists living in and near New York City founded The American Society of Painters in Water Colors.","id":"1837.txt","label":2} +{"option":["To encourage childless couples to have children.","To provide facilities and services for grandchildless parents.","To offer counseling to people on how to raise grandchildren.","To discourage people from insisting on having grandchildren."],"question":"What's the purpose of the proposed organization Planned Grandparenthood?","article":"Too many vulnerable child-free adults are being ruthlessly manipulated into parent-hood by their parents, who think that happiness among older people depends on having a grand-child to spoil. We need an organization to help beat down the persistent campaigns of grandchildless parents. It's time to establish Planned Grandparenthood, which would have many global and local benefits.\nPart of its mission would be to promote the risks and realities associated with being a grandparent. The staff would include depressed grandparents who would explain how grandkids break lamps, bite, scream and kick. Others would detail how an hour of baby-sitting often turns into a crying marathon. More grandparents would testify that they had to pay for their grandchild's expensive college education.\nPlanned grandparenthood's carefully written literature would detail all the joys of life grand-child-free a calm living room, extra money for luxuries during the golden years, etc. Potential grandparents would be reminded that, without grandchildren around, it's possible to have a conversation with your kids, who-incidentally-would have more time for their own parents.\nMeanwhile, most children are vulnerable to the enormous influence exerted by grandchildless parents aiming to persuade their kids to produce children. They will take a call from a persistent parent, even if they're loaded with works. In addition, some parents make handsome money offers payable upon the grandchild's birth. Sometimes these gifts not only cover expenses associated with the infant's birth, but extras, too, like a vacation. In any case, cash gifts can weaken the resolve of even the noblest person.\nAt Planned Grandparenthood, children targeted by their parents to reproduce could obtain non-biased information about the insanity of having their own kids. The catastrophic psychological and economic costs of childbearing would be emphasized. The symptoms of morning sickness would be listed and horrors of childbirth pictured. A monthly newsletter would contain stories about overwhelmed parents and offer guidance on how childless adults can respond to the different lobbying tactics that would-be grandparents employ.\nWhen I think about all the problems of our overpopulated world and look at our boy grabbing at the lamp by the sofa, I wish I could have turned to Planned Grandparenthood when my parents were putting the grandchild squeeze on me.\nIf I could have, I might not be in this parenthood predicament . But here's the crazy irony, I don't want my child-free life back. Dylan's too much fun.","id":"605.txt","label":3} +{"option":["show them the joys of life grandparents may have in raising grandchildren","draw attention to the troubles and difficulties grandchildren may cause","share their experience in raising grandchildren in a more scientific way","help raise funds to cover the high expense of education for grandchildren"],"question":"Planned Grandparenthood would include depressed grandparents on its staff in order to ________.","article":"Too many vulnerable child-free adults are being ruthlessly manipulated into parent-hood by their parents, who think that happiness among older people depends on having a grand-child to spoil. We need an organization to help beat down the persistent campaigns of grandchildless parents. It's time to establish Planned Grandparenthood, which would have many global and local benefits.\nPart of its mission would be to promote the risks and realities associated with being a grandparent. The staff would include depressed grandparents who would explain how grandkids break lamps, bite, scream and kick. Others would detail how an hour of baby-sitting often turns into a crying marathon. More grandparents would testify that they had to pay for their grandchild's expensive college education.\nPlanned grandparenthood's carefully written literature would detail all the joys of life grand-child-free a calm living room, extra money for luxuries during the golden years, etc. Potential grandparents would be reminded that, without grandchildren around, it's possible to have a conversation with your kids, who-incidentally-would have more time for their own parents.\nMeanwhile, most children are vulnerable to the enormous influence exerted by grandchildless parents aiming to persuade their kids to produce children. They will take a call from a persistent parent, even if they're loaded with works. In addition, some parents make handsome money offers payable upon the grandchild's birth. Sometimes these gifts not only cover expenses associated with the infant's birth, but extras, too, like a vacation. In any case, cash gifts can weaken the resolve of even the noblest person.\nAt Planned Grandparenthood, children targeted by their parents to reproduce could obtain non-biased information about the insanity of having their own kids. The catastrophic psychological and economic costs of childbearing would be emphasized. The symptoms of morning sickness would be listed and horrors of childbirth pictured. A monthly newsletter would contain stories about overwhelmed parents and offer guidance on how childless adults can respond to the different lobbying tactics that would-be grandparents employ.\nWhen I think about all the problems of our overpopulated world and look at our boy grabbing at the lamp by the sofa, I wish I could have turned to Planned Grandparenthood when my parents were putting the grandchild squeeze on me.\nIf I could have, I might not be in this parenthood predicament . But here's the crazy irony, I don't want my child-free life back. Dylan's too much fun.","id":"605.txt","label":1} +{"option":["they find it hard to resist the carrot-and-stick approach of their parents","they have learn from other parents about the joys of having children","they feel more and more lonely ad they grow older","they have found it irrational to remain childless"],"question":"According to the passage, some couples may eventually choose to have children because ________.","article":"Too many vulnerable child-free adults are being ruthlessly manipulated into parent-hood by their parents, who think that happiness among older people depends on having a grand-child to spoil. We need an organization to help beat down the persistent campaigns of grandchildless parents. It's time to establish Planned Grandparenthood, which would have many global and local benefits.\nPart of its mission would be to promote the risks and realities associated with being a grandparent. The staff would include depressed grandparents who would explain how grandkids break lamps, bite, scream and kick. Others would detail how an hour of baby-sitting often turns into a crying marathon. More grandparents would testify that they had to pay for their grandchild's expensive college education.\nPlanned grandparenthood's carefully written literature would detail all the joys of life grand-child-free a calm living room, extra money for luxuries during the golden years, etc. Potential grandparents would be reminded that, without grandchildren around, it's possible to have a conversation with your kids, who-incidentally-would have more time for their own parents.\nMeanwhile, most children are vulnerable to the enormous influence exerted by grandchildless parents aiming to persuade their kids to produce children. They will take a call from a persistent parent, even if they're loaded with works. In addition, some parents make handsome money offers payable upon the grandchild's birth. Sometimes these gifts not only cover expenses associated with the infant's birth, but extras, too, like a vacation. In any case, cash gifts can weaken the resolve of even the noblest person.\nAt Planned Grandparenthood, children targeted by their parents to reproduce could obtain non-biased information about the insanity of having their own kids. The catastrophic psychological and economic costs of childbearing would be emphasized. The symptoms of morning sickness would be listed and horrors of childbirth pictured. A monthly newsletter would contain stories about overwhelmed parents and offer guidance on how childless adults can respond to the different lobbying tactics that would-be grandparents employ.\nWhen I think about all the problems of our overpopulated world and look at our boy grabbing at the lamp by the sofa, I wish I could have turned to Planned Grandparenthood when my parents were putting the grandchild squeeze on me.\nIf I could have, I might not be in this parenthood predicament . But here's the crazy irony, I don't want my child-free life back. Dylan's too much fun.","id":"605.txt","label":0} +{"option":["her parents kept pressuring her to have a child","her parents liked to have a grandchild in their arms","her parents asked her to save for the expenses of raising a child","her parents kept blaming her for her child's bad behavior"],"question":"By saying \"... my parents were putting the grandchild squeeze on me\" (Line 2-3, Para. 6), the author means that ________.","article":"Too many vulnerable child-free adults are being ruthlessly manipulated into parent-hood by their parents, who think that happiness among older people depends on having a grand-child to spoil. We need an organization to help beat down the persistent campaigns of grandchildless parents. It's time to establish Planned Grandparenthood, which would have many global and local benefits.\nPart of its mission would be to promote the risks and realities associated with being a grandparent. The staff would include depressed grandparents who would explain how grandkids break lamps, bite, scream and kick. Others would detail how an hour of baby-sitting often turns into a crying marathon. More grandparents would testify that they had to pay for their grandchild's expensive college education.\nPlanned grandparenthood's carefully written literature would detail all the joys of life grand-child-free a calm living room, extra money for luxuries during the golden years, etc. Potential grandparents would be reminded that, without grandchildren around, it's possible to have a conversation with your kids, who-incidentally-would have more time for their own parents.\nMeanwhile, most children are vulnerable to the enormous influence exerted by grandchildless parents aiming to persuade their kids to produce children. They will take a call from a persistent parent, even if they're loaded with works. In addition, some parents make handsome money offers payable upon the grandchild's birth. Sometimes these gifts not only cover expenses associated with the infant's birth, but extras, too, like a vacation. In any case, cash gifts can weaken the resolve of even the noblest person.\nAt Planned Grandparenthood, children targeted by their parents to reproduce could obtain non-biased information about the insanity of having their own kids. The catastrophic psychological and economic costs of childbearing would be emphasized. The symptoms of morning sickness would be listed and horrors of childbirth pictured. A monthly newsletter would contain stories about overwhelmed parents and offer guidance on how childless adults can respond to the different lobbying tactics that would-be grandparents employ.\nWhen I think about all the problems of our overpopulated world and look at our boy grabbing at the lamp by the sofa, I wish I could have turned to Planned Grandparenthood when my parents were putting the grandchild squeeze on me.\nIf I could have, I might not be in this parenthood predicament . But here's the crazy irony, I don't want my child-free life back. Dylan's too much fun.","id":"605.txt","label":0} +{"option":["It does more harm than good.","It contributes to overpopulation.","It is troublesome but rewarding.","It is a psychological catastrophe."],"question":"What does the author really of the idea of having children?","article":"Too many vulnerable child-free adults are being ruthlessly manipulated into parent-hood by their parents, who think that happiness among older people depends on having a grand-child to spoil. We need an organization to help beat down the persistent campaigns of grandchildless parents. It's time to establish Planned Grandparenthood, which would have many global and local benefits.\nPart of its mission would be to promote the risks and realities associated with being a grandparent. The staff would include depressed grandparents who would explain how grandkids break lamps, bite, scream and kick. Others would detail how an hour of baby-sitting often turns into a crying marathon. More grandparents would testify that they had to pay for their grandchild's expensive college education.\nPlanned grandparenthood's carefully written literature would detail all the joys of life grand-child-free a calm living room, extra money for luxuries during the golden years, etc. Potential grandparents would be reminded that, without grandchildren around, it's possible to have a conversation with your kids, who-incidentally-would have more time for their own parents.\nMeanwhile, most children are vulnerable to the enormous influence exerted by grandchildless parents aiming to persuade their kids to produce children. They will take a call from a persistent parent, even if they're loaded with works. In addition, some parents make handsome money offers payable upon the grandchild's birth. Sometimes these gifts not only cover expenses associated with the infant's birth, but extras, too, like a vacation. In any case, cash gifts can weaken the resolve of even the noblest person.\nAt Planned Grandparenthood, children targeted by their parents to reproduce could obtain non-biased information about the insanity of having their own kids. The catastrophic psychological and economic costs of childbearing would be emphasized. The symptoms of morning sickness would be listed and horrors of childbirth pictured. A monthly newsletter would contain stories about overwhelmed parents and offer guidance on how childless adults can respond to the different lobbying tactics that would-be grandparents employ.\nWhen I think about all the problems of our overpopulated world and look at our boy grabbing at the lamp by the sofa, I wish I could have turned to Planned Grandparenthood when my parents were putting the grandchild squeeze on me.\nIf I could have, I might not be in this parenthood predicament . But here's the crazy irony, I don't want my child-free life back. Dylan's too much fun.","id":"605.txt","label":2}