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Simona lives in Bucharest, Romania. She is nine years old and HIV positive . When Simona's mother found out about her illness five years ago, her first reaction was to tell everyone, looking for support.
"That's when I found out who really was my friend, and who wasn't, "she said. "Quite a few people stopped visiting me and asked their children not to play with Simona any more. Because of this, quarrels began in my family with each trouble brought about by her diagnosis. My husband became more and more unfriendly toward me and toward Simona. He didn't understand how important it was for Simona to receive regular examinations by a doctor or why she needed proper treatment for her sickness."
When her mother tried to enroll Simona in a school, the teacher warned her that when other parents found out about her illness she would be shunned by the other children.
Simona's mother looked for help and found a social worker from the Community Resource Center. The social worker helped her enroll Simona in another school and provided emotional, financial, and material support for the family. Simona's parents were able to ease the tension in the family. Her mother also now attends parenting classes and support groups at the Center.
The Community Resource Center provides not only many needed resources, but also a place where women can gain skills and self-confidence. It provides children with a place where they are accepted. At the Center parents and children find a place where they can grow and find the support they need to stay together and care for each other. | [{'question': 'Many people prevented their children playing with Simona because _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['she had no true friends', 'she was a naughty girl', 'she suffered from HIV', 'she had a strange character']}, {'question': "Simona's father thought that Simona _ .", 'answer': 'A', 'options': ["shouldn't bring so much trouble to them", 'should receive examinations regularly by a doctor', "shouldn't see the doctor for her sickness", 'should be treated properly for her sickness']}, {'question': 'Which of the following is NOT true according to this passage?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Simona has been suffering from HIV for five years.', "Few people visited Simona's mother because of Simona's illness.", "Simona's mother received help from a social worker.", 'Simona was accepted immediately by the first school.']}] |
A cheap drug that can stop bleeding in people recently injured in an accident could potentially save the lives of tens of thousands worldwide, a new study says.
Researchers studied the effects of tranexamic acid , or TXA, in more than 10,000 injured people in 40 countries who received the drug within 8 hours of being injured. The study was published in the medical journalLancet.Doctors found that patients who got TXA had a 15percent lower chance of dying from _ than those who didn't get it . They also had a 10 percent lower chance of dying from any other cause, including organ failure and a head injury. The study was paid for by the British government.
The drug is commonly used in wealthy countries during elective surgeries to stop bleeding , but isn't used for accident victims. TXA is off-patent and made by many companies. It costs about $4.5 per gram, and a typical dose is two grams. It is usually given via an injection and would be relatively easy to introduce, even in poor countries, experts said.
Previous tests of the drug regarded its use in elective surgeries, such as heart operations, but this was the first study to test the drug on accident victims. Doctors were worried it might increase side effects such as blood clots in the heart and lungs, strokes, or heart attacks. There was no evidence of that in theLancet study, though the authors said it was possible they might have missed some of these incidents.
For people between 5 and 45, accidents are the second leading cause of death worldwide after AIDS, and about 600,000 injured patients bleed to death every year. Experts estimated that if TXA were readily available, between 70,000 and 100,000 lives a year could be saved. Though the drug wasn't tested on children , experts said it would almost certainly work with them as well. | [{'question': 'What can we learn about TXA from the passage?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['It can only be made in England', 'It was only used in operations before', 'It is a patented drug', 'It is mainly used in poor countries']}, {'question': 'Doctors were worried about using TXA because _', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['a lot of patients died unexpectedly after using it', 'it has no treatment effect on patients', 'it can cause blood clots or stroke', "they hadn't used it on accident victims before"]}] |
Once a general manager wanted to test his people, who had come from all over India, about their values of life. He announced that in their folders , there is PVC pouch and in it there is a seed. When they return, they must put the seed in a pot with good soil and look after it very well. He would hold a competition at the next year's seminar and the best plants would be awarded suitably.
Everyone did what was told to him. A year passed quickly. And the next year in a big hall, what a great scene! There were hundreds of pots and a great variety of plants-all except one. In this pot was soil, but no plant! The owner of the pot was standing quietly and feeling ashamed of himself.
The general manager called him on the stage. He asked him what happened and he told him the truth. He planted the seed, which he was given, and did what was to be done - but nothing happened!
The general manager declared him the winner! Everyone was shocked.
It was announced, "Gentlemen! The seeds I gave you were boiled seeds. You planted them and nothing happened! You acted smartly and used some other seeds. This man was honest to his work and therefore, he did not cheat me or himself!" | [{'question': "What's the general manager's purpose of giving a seed to each of his employees?", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['He wanted to get some beautiful plants.', "He wanted to improve his employees' planting skill", "He wanted to enrich his employees' life.", 'He wanted to know whether his employees are honest.']}, {'question': 'The man in the passage failed to get the plant because _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ["he didn't take good care of his seed", "he wasn't good at planting", "his seed wasn't as good as the other people's", 'the seed had been boiled']}, {'question': "Why was everyone shocked after they heard the general manager's declaration?", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ["They didn't understand why the man failed to get the plant.", "They didn't understand why the man was the winner.", "They didn't know why the manager gave him the best seed.", "They didn't know why they couldn't get the plants."]}, {'question': 'The author wanted to tell us the importance of _ by writing this passage.', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['being careful', 'being honest', 'knowing how to plant', 'knowing how to please the manager']}] |
Pleasant Goat, lazy Goat, Beautiful Goat and Slow Goat, which one is your favorite? The second movie of the Chinese cartoon series of Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf again achieved noticeable box office takings in china, earning more than 40 million yuan merely three days after its debut .
Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf is no doubt the most successful"China made"cartoon series recently. It is shown on TV almost every day and its core product can be seen almost in every child's goods store. It is the Chinese Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.
The cartoon series is not only welcomed by children, but is also often discussed among adult audiences. Pleasant Goat is appreciated for his courage and wisdom. While Big Big Wolf is considered a model husband though he is usually the bad guy in the story, always trying to catch goats for his wife, Big Red Wolf.
In the year of tiger. 2010, what will happen to the goats' homeland and the wolves' castle? Will Pleasant Goat break the plot of Big Big Wolf again? And will Big Big Wolf finally take his revenge as he always says when got foiled by Pleasant Goat? Going to see the movie and laughing cheerfully kids may be a good idea to start a brand new year. | [{'question': 'Pleasant Goat is liked because of his_.', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['beauty and friendliness', 'kindness and courage', 'courage and wisdom', 'beauty and wisdom']}, {'question': 'Big Big Wolf is_to goats.', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['kind', 'bad', 'friendly', 'good']}, {'question': 'according to the passage, we can infer that_.', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['in 2010 we will see the second movie of Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf', 'this cartoon is the most successful "China made"cartoon series', 'all people like to see the movie', "in 2010 it's estimated that the cartoon will earn over 40 million yuan"]}] |
Six seconds after its launch in Virginia, US, an unmanned rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS) exploded, disappointing people both on Earth and in space.
Hundreds of millions of dollars worth of cargo was destroyed in the Oct. 28 explosion due to An"equipment failure", said Orbital Sciences, the company hired by NASA for the resupply mission.
The rocket was carrying a cargo ship loaded with 2,200 kilograms of supplies such as food, tools, parts, and experiments. Roughly a third of the cargo was a series of scientific investigations. Some of them were from high school students in the US. For example, 10 students from the Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory School of Houston were conducting experiments about microgravity and put their samples on the rocket. "I know that failure is a part of science, but I really feel sorry for my students," science teacher Greg Adragna told the Houston, Chronicle .
Astronauts at the ISS felt a more urgent disappointment, however. The cargo included 617kg of food. Now they will have to rely on supplies from a Russian launch on Oct. 29.
Launched in 1998 and involving the US, Russia, Canada, Japan, and the member countries of the European Space Agency, the ISS is one of the most ambitious international collaborations in history. Currently, there are six astronauts at the station, five male and one female. Three are from Russia, two are from the US, and one is from Germany. They have lived together for about six months. The station gets regular resupplies from Earth, using unmanned spacecrafts. Food is always a big part of the supplies. Most of the food is frozen and ready to eat, and often tastes bad-somewhat like trying to eat when you have a heavy cold.
To make space life better, however, scientists have made breakthroughs. Earlier this year, Russian astronauts managed to grow a variety of crops aboard the station. Next year they are going to try to grow rice and other plants. And, as transporting water to space is expensive, astronauts are looking for ways to recycle water. "Astronauts on board the ISS already drink water distilled from sweat and urine<) ," Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported.
Is that the reason the astronauts were so disappointed not to get the water from the failed resupply mission, by any chance? | [{'question': 'What is the author-s main purpose in writing the article?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['To explain what caused the explosion of NASA-s unmanned rocket.', 'To inform us of the explosion of NASA-s unmanned rocket and its effects.', 'To tell us about astronauts lives at the International Space Station.', 'To tell us how the world reacted to the explosion of NASA-s unmanned rocket.']}, {'question': 'How did teacher Greg Adragna feel about the explosion of the rocket?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Angry.', 'Anxious.', 'Frustrated.', 'Unconcerned.']}, {'question': 'We can conclude from the article that the situation seemed _ for astronauts on board the ISS when the rocket exploded.', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['hopeless', 'interesting', 'depressing', 'dangerous']}, {'question': 'Which of the following statements is TRUE about the ISS, according to the article?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Half of the astronauts at the ISS are from the US.', 'The ISS was set up by four countries.', 'The water that astronauts at the ISS drink is mainly made by recycling.', 'Most of the food astronauts eat at the ISS is frozen and tastes bad.']}] |
A jobless man applied for the position of "office boy" at Microsoft. The HR manager interviewed him and then watched him cleaning the floor as a test.
"You are employed," he said. "Give me your e-mail address and I'll send you the application to fill in, as well as date when you may start. "
The man replied, "But I don't have a computer, neither an e-mail. "
"I'm sorry," said the HR manager. "If you don't have an e-mail, that means you do not exist. And who doesn't exist cannot have the job. "
The man left with no hope at all. He didn't know what to do, with only ten dollars in his pocket. He then decided to go to the supermarket and buy 10kg tomatoes. He then sold the tomatoes from door to door. In less than two hours, he succeeded to double his capital. He repeated the operation three times, and returned home happily with 60 dollars.
The man realized that he can survive in this way, and started to go every day earlier, and return late. Thus, his money doubled or _ every day. Shortly, he bought a cart, then a truck, and then he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles. Five years later, the man is one of the biggest food retailers in the US.
He started to plan his family's future and decided to have a life insurance. He called an insurance broker and chose a protection plan.
When the conversation was concluded the broker asked him his e-mail. The man replied, "I don't have an e-mail. "
The broker answered curiously, "You don't have an e-mail, and yet have succeeded to build an empire. Can you imagine what you could have been if you had an e-mail?" The man thought for a while and replied, "Yes, I'd be an office boy at Microsoft!" | [{'question': "Why can't the man have the job at Microsoft?", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Because he was lazy.', "Because he didn't pass the test.", "Because he didn't have an e-mail.", "Because he didn't have a computer."]}, {'question': 'According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['The man is one of the biggest food retailers in the world.', "The man didn't give up though he failed the interview.", 'He started his career by selling tomatoes in the supermarket.', 'Those who have e-mails can work at Microsoft.']}, {'question': 'The man can be described as _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['helpful and considerate', 'positive and generous', 'smart and hardworking', 'stubborn and unselfish']}, {'question': 'Which proverb can best describe the story?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Misfortune may be an actual blessing.', 'Where there is a will, there is a way.', 'Accidents will happen.', 'No pains , no gains.']}] |
No one has enough, but everyone has all there is. We each have just twenty-four hours in a day. Time is not our problems , but what we do with the limited time we have is the issue. Many people spend their days on dozens of activities , but achieve very little because they aren't concentrating on right things. The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80:20 Rule shows us that typically eighty per cent of unfocused effort generates only twenty percent of the results. The remaining eighty per cent of the results are achieved with only twenty percent of the effort . To effectively manage your time, you need to change where you are spending your time. We all have the same amount of time every day. How you spend your time is how you spend your life. Here are time management strategies, which may be helpful.
Learn to say no
Politely say no should become a habit. Saying no frees up time for the things that are most important.
Make a "to-do" list
List the tasks that need to be done in order of their importance. Save other less important things for when you have time.
Minimize interruption
Plan ahead. Think through projects. Look for ways to _ interruptions. For example, close your door, don't answer the phone or work in a different space.
Combine several activities
Try to do several activities at one time. While going to school,listen to taped notes. This allows up to an hour or two a day of good study review. While showering,make a mental list of the things. Above all,be creative,and let it work for you. | [{'question': 'According to the passage, if you want to do several things on Sunday,you should _ . .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['do them while listening to the music', 'do all of them at one time', 'do the most important one first', 'put some of them off till next Monday']}, {'question': 'What would be the best title of the passage?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Time Management', 'The Pareto Principle', 'How to Make a "To-do" List', 'Time and Habits']}] |
When people get bad toothaches, they often have to eat soft, easily chewed food. When lions get bad toothaches, they eat people? That' s the conclusion of a zoologist at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago and a dentist who works on carnivores ., Lions don't normally prey on people. Every once in a while, however, a lion will go on a human-eating diet. The most famous such tragedy happened in 1898, when two lions killed and ate 135 railway workers in prefix = st1 /Kenya.
Examining the preserved skulls of the two big cats, zoologist Bruce Patterson and dentist Ellis Neiburger found that both animals had been suffering from several dental and |aw problems. One lion had three missing teeth and a loose, unsteady lower canine that was probably useless. Canines are pointed teeth that hunting animals use for gripping and piercing prey ) .The two lions might have been so badly disabled that they couldn't bite down forcefully, say the researchers. Consequently, the lions might have abandoned their normal, more difficult prey and turned to humans. "Humans are easy preys, " said Patterson. "We're very slow, we don't hear very well, and we don* t see very well in the darkness. "
The research calls their idea the Infirmity Theory. It was inspired partly by the work of Jim Corbett, a tiger hunter in Indiain the 1930s. Corbett was regularly called in to hunt tigers that had been dining on Indian villagers. Time after time, Patterson discovered that the killer tigers were suffering from some ill-healthy conditions. | [{'question': 'The original aim of the study is to look for _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['ways of protecting wild animals', 'ways of treating toothaches of lions', 'when and where lions eat people', 'reasons for some lions eating people']}, {'question': "The reason why lions don't normally prey on people is _ .", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['that they like wild preys better', 'they just hunt for prey at night,', 'that humans are difficult to catch', 'not mentioned in the passage']}, {'question': 'The best title of the passage could be _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['A Zoologist And a Dentist', 'Why Do Some Wild Animals Eat People', 'A Discovery of the Skulls of Lions', 'How Can Health Influence Eating Habits']}] |
A father with Parkinson's disease was arrested as he watched the Olympic cycling road race because he failed to smile or look as if he was enjoying himself.
Mark Worsfold, a martial arts trainer and former soldier, claims that he was thrown to the floor and handcuffed just as cyclists passed by. His worried wife Nicola only found out he was being held after she reported him missing when he did not turn up for their daughter's ninth birthday party. The 54-year-old man had his fingerprints, DNA and _ taken before being questioned about why he did not appear to be enjoying the event on July 28. Police said Mr. Worsfold, who was held for over five hours, was arrested because of his manner, his state of dress and his being too near to the course. A spokesman added that the arrest was necessary to avoid a breach of the peace because he was standing near a group of protesters .
But Mr. Worsfold, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2010, said that one of the symptoms of the disease is muscle rigidity, which can cause his face to become expressionless. "I was sitting minding my own business", he told a local newspaper. "Before I knew anything the police grabbed me off this seven-foot wall, threw me to the floor and handcuffed me, so all I saw of the cycle race was between the feet of people from the pavement. It could have been done better. I was arrested for not smiling. I have Parkinson's disease. "
Mr. Worsfold has since asked for a letter of not being guilty from police. The officers who made the arrest have apologized to him. | [{'question': 'Which statement is TRUE according to the passage?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ["Worsfold's wife was immediately informed of his being arrested by the police.", 'Worsfold was arrested because he was extremely dangerous.', 'Worsfold enjoyed the cycle race though he saw it between the feet of people from the pavement.', 'Worsfold was arrested because of his clothes as well as his facial expression.']}, {'question': 'What can we infer from the passage?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ["The officers must have been punished for Worsfold' arrest.", 'Worsfold has an expressionless face and probably looks strong.', "The officers apologized to Worsfold after one day's arrest.", "Worsfold was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease four years ago."]}] |
Never before in Chinese history has a documentary film aroused so much public enthusiasm. Everybody is talking about a new 7-part documentary called A Bite of China which was recently broadcast late at night on CCTV I. The documentary describes various _ across the vast Chinese culinary landscape.
According to Taobao, China's biggest online retail website, just five days after the series began to air, nearly 6 million people went to the site in search of various local specialties, particularly those mentioned in the documentary. More than 7.2 million deals were concluded. A ham producer from Yunnan Province saw his sales grow 17-fold in five days.
However, one can't help but believe that the documentary's popularity is probably linked to the endless stream of terrible food security issues that have emerged in recent years. In one well-received article, a netizen wrote, "I wonder how many felt so empty-hearted and sighed after watching the film. Blue-vitriol watered chive, formaldehyde sprayed cabbage, Sudan Red colored salty eggs, restaurants using gutter oil. The list is long..."
A varied and ancient food culture that is famous world-wide and which should have made the Chinese proud ends like this: one can only sigh. Food is the most vital thing in people's lives. Yet China's food industry is a typical description of "bad money driving out the good".The market is huge while the cost of faking and cheating is so low for unscrupulous businessmen; and the punishment is too light. Take the milk industry as an example. Although Sanlu, the company that sold the melamine-adulterated milk powder, was punished, thousands of other dairies didn't work hard to improve the quality. In order to allow national brands to survive, Chinese authorities are happy to loosen their regulations.
As the documentary shows, people are attracted not to gourmet items like matsutake, a species of rare mushroom grown naturally in remote forests, but to common Chinese dishes like barley, lotus root or tofu. They are what meet our basic needs. This explains why people are so excited about A Bite of China---it is a reminder that there is still a world out there where food is excellent and people have dignity. | [{'question': 'We can infer from what a netizen wrote in one well -received article that _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['none of the television viewers have a knowledge of the Chinese food culture', 'there is a huge contrast between the ancient food culture and the reality', 'the price of food is too high for many common people', 'the documentary was made by a world-famous Chinese director']}, {'question': "According to the passage, China's food industry is full of faking and cheating because _ .", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['there are still so many poor people at the present time', "the punishment for unscrupulous businessmen isn't serious enough", 'the Chinese government encourages it to do so', 'the food technology is not so advanced as in developed countries']}] |
Tom appeared on the sidewalk with a bucket of whitewash and a long-handled brush. He stopped by the fence in front of the house where he lived with his aunt Polly. He looked at it, and all joy left him. The fence was long and high. He put the brush into the whitewash and moved it along the top of the fence. He repeated the operation. He felt he could not continue and sat down.
He knew that his friends would arrive soon with all kinds of interesting plans for the day. They would walk past him and laugh. They would make jokes about his having to work on a beautiful summer Saturday. The thought burned him like fire.
He put his hand into his pockets and took out all that he owned. Perhaps he could find some way to pay someone to do the whitewashing for him. But there was nothing of value in his pockets --nothing that could buy even half an hour of freedom. So he put the bits of toys back into his pockets and gave up the idea
At this dark and hopeless moment, a wonderful idea came to him. It filled his mind with a great, bright light. Calmly he picked up the brush and started again to whitewash.
While Tom was working, Ben Rogers appeared. Ben was eating an apple as he walked along the street. As he walked along, he was making noises like the sound of a riverboat. First he shouted loudly, like a boat captain. Then he said "Ding-Dong-Dong", "Ding-Dong-Dong" again and again, like the bell of a riverboat. And he made other strange noises. When he came close to Tom, he stopped.
Tom went on whitewashing. He did not look at Ben. Ben stared a moment and then said: "Hello! I'm going swimming, but you can't go, can you?"
No answer. Tom moved his brush carefully along the fence and looked at the result with the eye of an artist. Ben came nearer. Tom's mouth watered for the apple, but he kept on working.
Ben said, "Hello, old fellow, you've got to work, hey?"
Tom turned suddenly and said, "Why, it's you, Ben! I wasn't noticing."
"Say --I'm going swimming. Don't you wish you could? But of course you'd rather work -- wouldn't you? Of course you would."
Tom looked at the boy a bit, and said "What do you call work?"
"Why, isn't that work?"
Tom went back to his whitewashing, and answered carelessly.
"Well, maybe it is, and maybe it isn't. All I know is, it suits Tom Sawyer."
"Oh come, now, you don't mean to say that you like it?"
The brush continued to move.
"Like it? Well, I don't see why I shouldn't like it. Does a boy get a chance to whitewash a fence every day?"
Ben stopped eating his apple. Tom moved his brush back and forth, stepped back to look at the result, added a touch here and there, and stepped back again. Ben watched every move and got more and more interested. Soon he said,
"Say, Tom, let me whitewash a little."
Tom thought for a moment, was about to agree; but he changed his mind.
"No --no --it won't do, Ben. You see, Aunt Polly wants this fence to be perfect. It has got to be done very carefully. I don't think there is one boy in a thousand, maybe two thousand, that can do it well enough."
"No --is that so? Oh come, now --let me just try. Only just a little." "Ben, I'd like to, but if it isn't done right, I'm afraid Aunt Polly ... "
"Oh, I'll be careful. Now let me try. Say --I'll give you the core of my apple."
"Well, here --No, Ben, now don't. I'm afraid ..."
"I'll give you all of it."
Tom gave up the brush with unwillingness on his face, but joy in his heart. And while Ben worked at the fence in the hot sun, Tom sat under a tree, eating the apple, and planning how to get more help. There were enough boys. Each one came to laugh, but remained to whitewash. By the time Ben was tired, Tom sold the next chance to Billy for a kite; and when Billy was tired, Johnny bought in for a dead rat --and so on, hour after hour. And when the middle of the afternoon came, Tom had won many treasures.
And he had not worked. He had had a nice idle time all the time, with plenty of company -and the fence had been whitewashed three times. If he hadn't run out of whitewash, Tom would have owned everything belonging to his friends.
He had discovered a great law of human action, namely, that in order to make a man or a boy want a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to get. | [{'question': 'How many characters are mentioned in this story?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['7', '6', '5', '4']}, {'question': 'Why did Tom take all his bits of toys out of his pockets?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Because he is tired and wanted to play with his toys.', 'Because he wanted to throw his toys away.', 'Because he wanted to know if he could buy help with his toys.', 'Because he wanted to give his toys to his friends.']}, {'question': 'Tom was about to agree to let Ben whitewash when he changed his mind because _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Tom wanted to do the whitewashing by himself', 'Tom was afraid Ben would do the whitewashing better.', 'Tom was unwilling to let Ben do the whitewashing', 'Tom planned to make Ben give up his apple first']}, {'question': 'We can learn from the passage that _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Tom was good at whitewashing the fence, so he looked at the result of his work with the eye of an artist.', 'Tom was unwilling to whitewash the fence, but he managed to let other boys do it for him', 'Tom had a lot of friends who are ready to help others.', 'Tom was interested in whitewashing the fence.']}, {'question': 'What made Ben Rogers eagerly gave up his apple and offer to brush the fence for Tom?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ["His curiosity about Tom's brushing job.", 'His warm heart and kindness to friends.', "Tom's threat.", "Aunt Polly's idea."]}, {'question': 'Which of the following is the most suitable title for this passage?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Tom And His Fellows', 'The Happy Whitewasher', 'Whitewashing A Fence', 'How To Make The Things Difficult To Get']}] |
"Make-A-Wish" is one of the world's most well-known charities . It makes wishes come true for childrenwho have serious illnesses. It gives them hope and joy and helps them forget about their health problems and have fun.
It all started in 1980 in Phoenix, Arizona. Christopher was a 7-year-old boy who was very sick. He always dreamed ofbecoming a police officer. Tommy Austin and Ron Cox, two police officers, made his wish come true. They gaveChristopher a tour of the city in a police helicopter and made a real police uniform for him.
There are four kinds of wishes children usually have:
I wish to go. Children usually want to travel or go to a concert, a game or a park.
I wish to meet. Children sometimes want to meet their favourite actors, singers or
players.
I wish to be. Some children wish to become actors, singers or police officers.
I wish to have. They often want to have a computer, a game, a bike or many other things.
Let'shope more wishes will come true in the future. People who work in the charity always try for the best. Almost25 ,000 Volunteers help, work or give money. Will you be one of them? | [{'question': '"Make-A-Wish" is a charity to help _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['sick children', 'serious officers', 'famous actors', 'popular singers']}, {'question': 'What did the two police officers do for Christopher?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['They gave him a computer.', 'They gave him a tour of the city.', 'They took him to a concert.', 'They took him to the hospital.']}, {'question': 'Which kind of wishes does Christopher have?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['I wish to go.', 'I wish to meet.', 'I wish to be.', 'I wish to have.']}, {'question': 'Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Sick children just wish to get well.', 'Christopher and Tommy are two officers.', 'A few people are working for "Make-A-Wish".', '"Make-A-Wish" has a history of over 30 years.']}] |
Nowadays more and more people are talking about genetically modified foods ( GM foods). GM foods develop from genetically modified organisms , which have had specific changes introduced into their DNA by genetic engineering techniques. These techniques are much more precise where an organism is exposed to chemicals to create a nonspecific but stable change. For many people, the hightech production raises all kinds of environmental, ethical, health and safety problems. Particularly in countries with long farming traditions, the idea seems against nature.
In fact, GM foods are already very much a part of our lives. They were first put on the market in 1996. A third of the corn and more than half the cotton grown in the U. S. last year was the product of biotechnology, according to the Department of Agriculture. More than 65 million acres of genetically modified crops will be planted in the US this year. _ .
However, like any new product entering the food chain, GM foods must be subjected to careful testing. In wealthy countries, the debate about biotech is not so fierce by the fact that they have a large number of foods to choose from, and a supply that goes beyond the needs. In developing countries desperate to feed fastgrowing and underfed populations, the matter is simpler and much more urgent: do the benefits of biotech outweigh the risks?
The statistics on population growth and hunger are disturbing. Last year the world's population reached 6 billion. The UN states that nearly 800 million people around the world are unhealthy. About 400 million women of childbearing age don' t have enough iron, which means their babies are exposed to various birth defeats.As many as 100 million children suffer from vitamin A deficiency, a leading cause of blindness.
How can biotech help? Genetic engineering is widely used to produce plants and animals with better nutritional values. Biotechnologists have developed genetically modified rice and they are working on other kinds of nutritionally improved crops. Biotech can also improve farming productivity in places where food shortages are caused by crop damage attributable to drought, poor soil and crop viruses. | [{'question': 'The passage mainly talks about _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ["the world's food problem", 'the development in biotech', 'the genetically modified foods', 'the way to solve food shortages']}, {'question': 'According to the passage, GM foods _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['will replace naturally grown foods', 'are far better than naturally grown foods', 'may help to solve the problem of poor nutrition', 'can cause serious trouble in developing countries']}, {'question': "What's the writer's attitude towards GM foods?", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Enthusiastic.', 'Cautious.', 'Disapproving.', 'Unbelievable.']}] |
Facebook users may feel socially successful in the web world but they are more likely to perform poorly in exams. The majority of students who use Facebook every day are doing badly compared with those who don't. About 83% of British 16 to 24-year-old people are using social networking site such as Facebook and MySpace, to keep in touch with friends and organize their social activities.
"Our study shows people who spend more time on Facebook spend less time studying," said Aryn Karpinski, a researcher. "Every generation has its distractions , but I think Facebook is a unique phenomenon." Karpinski and a colleague questioned 219 US undergraduates and graduates about their study and general Internet use, as well as their specific use of Facebook. They found 65% of Facebook users accessed their account daily, checking it several times to see if they had received new messages. The amount of time spent on Facebook at each log-in varied from just a few minutes to more than an hour.
Some UK students have already realized the potential danger. Daisy Jones, 21, an undergraduate, realized the time she was spending on Facebook was threatening her grades, urging her to deactivate her account, "I was in the library and tried to write a 2,000-word essay when I realized my Facebook habit had got out of hand," she said. "I couldn't resist going online, when thinking about it. Before you know it , a couple of minutes have turned into a couple of hours and you haven't written a word."
Jones is among the few to have realized the risks. 79% of the users, however, believed the time they spent on the site had no impact on their work. The CEO of Facebook said, "There is also academic research that shows the benefits of services like Facebook. It's in the hands of students to decide how to spend their time." | [{'question': 'Facebook users check their account frequently to _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['spend less time on study', "make sure new messages aren't missed", 'practise specific use of Facebook', 'accumulate amount of time spent on Facebook.']}, {'question': 'Why did Daisy Jones deactivate her account?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['She was warned about the risk of using Facebook.', 'Spending much time on Facebook affected her study', 'She wanted to write a long article in the library.', 'There was something wrong with her eyes.']}, {'question': "What's the best title of the passage ?", 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Facebook fans do worse in exams', 'Social networking sites and their fans', 'Facebook helps organize social activities', 'How to use social networking sites correctly.']}] |
One day a father and his rich family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose to show him how poor people can be.
They spent a day and a night on the farm of a very poor family. When they got back from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"
"Very good, Dad!"
"Did you see how poor people can be?" the father asked.
"Yeah!"
"And what did you learn?"
The son answered, "I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden; they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lamps in the garden; they have the stars. Our patio reaches to the front yard; they have a whole horizon."
When the little boy finished, his father was speechless.
The son added, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are!"
Isn't it true that it all depends on the way you look at things? If you have love, friends, family, health, good humor and a positive attitude towards life, you've got everything!
You can't buy any of these things. You may have all the material possessions you can imagine, provision for the future, etc. But if you are poor of spirit, you have nothing!
"Command those who are rich in the things of this life not to be proud, but to place their hope, not in such an uncertain thing as riches, but in God, who generously gives us everything for our enjoyment." | [{'question': "The son's father and family went to the country to_.", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['see beautiful scenery', 'see poor people there', 'see some children', 'see a long river there']}, {'question': 'The son saw the following things EXCEPT_.', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['a creek', 'a lamp', 'some stars', 'a horizon']}, {'question': 'After the boy finished his words, his father was_.', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['happy', 'satisfied', 'annoyed', 'embarrassed']}, {'question': "What's the best title of the passage?", 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['How rich are we?', 'How poor are we?', 'How happy are we?', 'How sad are we?']}] |
Do you want to be a successful person? Would you like to know how successful people usually think and what drives them? Here I am going to tell you the key to success that successful people share.
First of all, successful people never blame someone or something outside of themselves for their failure to move ahead. They realize that their future lies in their own hands. They understand that they can't control things in life, such as nature, the past and other people. At the same time, they are well aware that they can control their own thoughts and actions. They take responsibility for their life.
Perhaps what most separates successful people from others is that they live life "on purpose" --- they are doing what they believe they are put here to do. In their opinion, having a purpose in their life is the most important element that enables them to deal with things around them. They hold the view that when they live their life "on purpose", their main concern is to do the job right. They live what they do. People want to do business with them because of their commitment. To live their life "on purpose", successful people find a cause they believe in and create a business around it.
Besides, they never give up easily. Once they have set up goals in their life, they are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. To achievers always bear in mind what they don't have forever. Rather than see this as negative or depressing, they would use the knowledge to _ themselves on and go after what they want energetically and passionately.
So keep in mind what successful people always hold to be true so that you will have a clear idea of what you should do to be successful in life. | [{'question': 'According to the passage, to be successful, _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['you should set up a realistic goal', 'you should know your strengths and weaknesses', "you shouldn't blame others for your failure", "you shouldn't waste time"]}, {'question': 'Which is NOT the key to success that successful people share?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Taking responsibility for their life.', 'Never giving up easily.', 'Having a goal in life.', 'Controlling things in life.']}, {'question': "The author's purpose in writing this passage is to _ .", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['explain the exact meaning of success', 'share the key to success with readers', 'tell his experience of achieving success', 'encourage readers to learn from failure']}] |
Many years ago, when I was fresh out of school and working in Denver, I was driving to my parents' home in Missouri for Christmas. I stopped at a gas station about 50 miles from Oklahoma City, where I was planning to stop and visit a friend. While I was standing in line at the cash register , I said hello to an older couple who were also paying for gas.
I took off, but had gone only a few miles when black smoke poured from the back of my car. I stopped and wondered what I should do. A car pulled up behind me. It was the couple I had spoken to at the gas station. They said they would take me to my friend's We chatted on the way into the city, and when I got out of the car, the husband gave me his business card.
I wrote him and his wife a thank-you note for helping me. Soon afterward, I received a Christmas present from them. Their note that came with it said that helping me had made their holidays meaningful.
Years later, I drove to a meeting in a nearby town in the morning. In late afternoon I returned to my car and found that I'd left the lights on all day, and the battery was dead. Then I noticed that the Friendly Ford dealership - a shop selling cars - was right next door. I walked over and found two salesmen in the showroom.
"Just how friendly is Friendly Ford?" I asked and explained my trouble. They quickly drove a pickup truck to my car and started it. They would accept no payment, so when I got home, I wrote them a note to say thanks. I received a letter back from one of the salesmen. No one had ever taken the time to write him and say thank you, and it meant a lot, he said.
"Thank you" - two powerful words. They're easy to say and mean so much. | [{'question': 'The author planned to stop at Oklahoma City _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['to visit a friend', 'to see his parents', 'to pay at the cash register', 'to have more gas for his car']}, {'question': 'What happened when the author found smoke coming out of his car?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['He had it pulled back to the gas station.', 'The couple sent him a business card.', 'The couple offered to help him.', 'He called his friend for help.']}, {'question': "The battery of the author's car was dead because _ .", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['something went wrong with the lights', 'the meeting lasted a whole day', 'he forgot to turn off the lights', 'he drove too long a distance']}, {'question': 'By telling his own experiences, the author tries to show _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['how to write a thank-you letter', 'how to deal with car problems', 'the kind-heartedness of older people', 'the importance of expressing thanks']}] |
In the market of luxury brands, Chinese consumers are only second to the Japanese in the world.
Across the globe it's clear that the young generation are increasingly relying on expensive brands for their self-image.
Personally I am a fashion-lover, at least in spirit. I love to look at clothes and shoes. But I don't understand why people spend large amounts of money on designer labels. Certainly, young people, whether in China or elsewhere, should be building their self-confidence in other ways. When a young woman shows off a handbag worth two months' salary, that's a scary thing.
What are the psychological factors forcing young people to take on debt for designer items?
The desire to say, "Hey, look at me. I'm wealthy. I have social status."
Scientists have found the acquisition of luxury brands doesn't lead to happiness. Study after study has shown that, although we are born to desire material possessions, when we get them, we don't suddenly become "happy people".
In fact, a series of studies by Leaf Van Boven at the University of Colorado, US, have shown that individuals who invest in travel and other experiences get more pleasure than those who invest in material things. That's because experiences are more easily combined into a person's identity. If I travel to Yunnan, that adventure affects how I think. My memories entertain my friends and colleagues. It follows, then, that investing in experiences improves my chances for successful social relationships.
Moreover, as Van Boven has observed, young people who pursue happiness through "things" are liked less by others than young people who seek happiness through experiences.
This research is pretty solid, but I suspect it won't persuade young people not to desire a style. It's natural to want to express yourself through your appearance. So my advice is, create a look that isn't tied to a designer label.
You don't have to _ to send a message about who you are. Take a trip. Go out into the world. Then come back and confidently create your own signature look. | [{'question': 'This passage is written here in order to _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['encourage young people to travel', 'persuade young people to seek experience happiness', 'report the result of a series of researches', 'advise young people to save money']}, {'question': 'The author finds it hard to understand _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['why people like to look at clothes and shoes', 'why Chinese consume so many luxury brands', 'why young people build their self-image through clothes', 'why people spend so much money on designer labels']}, {'question': 'The author believes that young people would borrow money for luxury brands psychologically to _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['show off', 'improve appearance', 'build up confidence', 'make others jealous']}] |
Lonely Planet Publications is the largest guidebook publisher in the world. With over 650 titles sold in 118 countries, it annually sells six million copies, giving guidance to travelers in locations worldwide.
Tony Wheeler and his wife Maureen Wheeler were the founders of Lonely Planet Publications and its first writers. They put together Lonely Planet's first publication- Across Asia on the Cheap. Originally from Australia, the couple had decided to travel from Europe back home to Australia overland-going through the countries of Iran,
Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, and South-East Asia, to eventually reach Australia. Tourist facilitres were limited in these countries, so if travelers wanted to go there, they had to eat and sleep locally. Many of these travelers were young and adventurous, but they didn't have much money, so going local was the only way that they could afford to travel across Asia. Frustrated that there was no guidebook to give budget travelers information on accommodations, food, and transport in these regions, the Wheelers decided to write a guidebook themselves. Full of humor and strong opinions, the book became famous among backpackers-budget travelers-as the chief travel guide for Asia. It made enough money for the Wheelers to travel more and finance their second book about traveling in Southeast Asia on a Shoestring.
This second book became even more popular and acquired readership outside of Australia in North America, Europe, and New Zealand. Sales developed so well that the Wheelers were able to open up a publishing house in Australia, and eventually opened up offices in the United States and Europe. Because the guidebooks were based off contributing writer's experiences, material was fresh and up to date. As more and more books were written, the series finally came to cover every country in the world. | [{'question': 'What is the passage mainly about?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['How the Lonely Planet Publications developed.', 'How to have a trip in an economical way.', 'The Wheelers liked traveling around the world.', 'The Wheelers wrote two books about traveling.']}, {'question': 'The Wheelers wrote Across Asia on the Cheap because _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['they thought they could make a lot of money', 'the Australian government asked them to', 'there was no guidebook like it on the market', 'it was their job while they were traveling']}, {'question': 'It can be concluded that the Wheelers _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['have only written two books about cheap traveling', 'advocated the idea of traveling more with less money', 'eventually made their company from bad to worse', 'support other travelers to start a publishing house']}] |
Many people turn to doctors or self-help books, but they ignore a powerful thing that could help them fight illness: their friends.
Researchers are only now starting to pay attention to the importance of friendship in health. A 10-year Australian study found that old People with a large circle of friends. A large 2007 study showed an increase of nearly 60 percent in the risk for obesity among people whose friends gained weight. And last year, Harvard researchers reported that strong social ties could improve brain health as we age.
" _ ," said Rebecca, a professor at the University of North Carolina. " _ . "
While many friendship studies are about the close relationships of women, some research shows that it can do good to men too. In a six-year study of 736 middle-aged men, having friendships reduces the risk of heart attack. Only smoking was as important a risk factor as having little social support.
Exactly why friendship has such a big effect isn't entirely clear. While friends can send a sick person to the hospital or pick up medicine, the advantages go well beyond physical help. Friendship clearly has a big psychological effect. "People with stronger friendships feel like there is someone they can turn to," said Karen, a doctor. "The message of these studies is that friends make your life better. " | [{'question': 'The author mentioned smoking in the text to discuss _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['the cause of heart attack.', 'the risk of having no friends.', 'smoking is bad for men.', "friends' influence on habits."]}] |
An air of anxious uncertainty spread throughout the small Indian camp as the sun dawned that morning. Some braves gathered beside a smoking campfire. Murmuring sounds could be heard as they talked quietly. Women nervously performed their domestic tasks, preparing a small meal. Several sad, old men sat mute, their morale very low.
The camp was pitched at the edge of a deep valley--so deep that one could barely see the calm water at the bottom. The Indians had been taken by surprise and were surrounded and attacked by enemy forces. They fought bravely, but they were degraded by defeat. Their homes were destroyed. Those who had survived had been pursued by the enemy. The chase had lasted for days. Persuaded by their leaders to press on, they had made a wrong turn. Their _ journey ended at the edge of a valley--a desperate situation. Before them was a great hole in the earth. Behind them was the enemy. No wonder they were frozen with fear. Where could they go?
Just when no choice seemed available to them, several young braves ran into camp. With great excitement they reported seeing a stone bridge across the valley, just a short distance from camp. Most of the tribe discounted this wild story. However, a few hurried to the spot to see for themselves. Seeing was believing! Indeed there was a stone bridge, great enough to accommodate many people and their horses. Without hesitation the people gathered up their children and the belongings they had and hurried across the bridge.
Enemy braves watched from a nearby cliff. It was obvious that the Great Spirit was on the side of the defeated. The enemy did not follow. Safe on the other side of the valley, the wanderers thanked the Great Spirit for providing the vital link. They had escaped their enemies.
For hundreds of miles around, Indian people heard about the miraculous stone bridge. From this incident it was clear that the Great Spirit defends weak people. Many came from near and far to see the magnificent stone bridge. You, too, can see this bridge and even ride across it in a car--in southwestern Virginia. | [{'question': 'Faced with the desperate situation, some Indians in the camp _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['tried to persuade their leaders to give in to the enemies.', 'were still as cheerful as before.', 'still remained fearless and loyal to their leaders.', 'were in very low spirits.']}, {'question': 'When some young braves reported seeing a stone bridge across the valley, most of the Indians in the camp _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['felt much relieved at the report.', 'were excited by the report.', "didn't trust the report.", 'believed the report.']}, {'question': 'When the enemy braves saw the stone bridge they _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['proposed a truce with the defeated Indians.', 'hesitated for a while and continued to pursue the defeated Indians across it.', 'were frozen with fear and escaped from the scene.', 'stopped pursuing the defeated Indians.']}, {'question': 'Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Both the defeated Indians and their enemies believed the bridge was provided by the Great Spirit.', 'The stone bridge is no longer in existence.', 'The defeated Indians had been pursued by the enemy for several days.', 'The Indians in the camp were in a serious situation because they took a wrong course.']}] |
Spring is here and so is the cycling season. Here are some tips on how to do it safely and comfortably.
Watch your feet--Pushing with the wrong part of the foot can raise your risk of developing a painful injury of the heel and arch , says Rob Werstine, a sports physiotherapist and board member of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association. You should push with the ball of your foot, he says.
Layer up--While it's still cool, wear layers of clothing, with clothing close to the body that breathes and outer layers that do not absorb water. Go for bright colors that increase your visibility .
Be reasonable--If you are just starting out and aren't in good shape, don't sign up for a 50-kilometre ride. And while cycling is great exercise for people who want to get into shape, if your doctor advises you not to do tiring exercise, cycling shouldn't be your starting position, Werstine says. Walk to begin getting into shape and then graduate to cycling.
Fix the fit--If you develop lower back pain or numbness in your hands and fingers from cycling, it could be your bike isn't adjusted properly for your height. A good cycle shop can help you find the right height for the seat and handlebars, but if you have continuing problems, consider consulting a bike fit physiotherapist, Werstine says.
Be mindful--You have to pay attention on the roads to vehicles, other cyclists and pedestrians .Consider taking a cycling safety course to practise your skills. Or do some reading about how to avoid dangerous cycling situations. bicyclesafe.com, for instance, lists 10 types of car-bike accidents and how to avoid them. | [{'question': 'Which part of the foot should one use when cycling?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['The heel.', 'The arch.', 'The ball.', 'The toes.']}] |
China's former volleyball star Lang Ping has been invited to coach the US women's national team for the Beijing 2008 Olympics. But China's sports media said the offer would be difficult to accept.
Lang, who is presently coaching a club team in Italy's professional volleyball league, told sina.com that she was considering the offer by the US Volleyball Association.
"Right now I'm still considering their offer but I will answer them soon,"Lang said. "If I don't take the job, I have to give them enough time to find someone else."
Lang, 45,won Olympic gold in 1984. She later coached the Chinese women to silver at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and the 1998 World Championships.
She has also coached at New Mexico University in the United States where her daughter was born and lives.
The reaction in the Chinese media to Lang's job offer was swift and strong. Many say that if she takes the job it would be a direct challenge to China's goal of winning the women's volleyball medal at the Beijing Games.
"As an unusual player and a spiritual leader of Chinese volleyball, Lang Ping's influence over China far exceeds that of an ordinary player," says the China Olympic Committee website.
"If Lang stands with the opponents during women's volleyball matches, you can rest assured that this will be difficult to accept for the new Chinese players, difficult for coach Chen Zhonghe, who was once her assistant, and difficult for all Chinese watching on television," the site continued.(AGENCIES Feb 9,2005) | [{'question': 'According to this passage, Lang Ping is _ at present.', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['a volleyball player', 'a club coach', 'an unusual player', 'an assistant']}, {'question': 'Form the text, we can learn _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Lang Ping has accepted the offer', 'Chen Zhonghe has got into trouble', 'all of the Chinese media support Lang Ping', 'Lang Ping is thinking the US offer over']}, {'question': "According to the text, if Lang Ping stands with the opponents during women's volleyball matches, who will most probably have trouble?", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['The Chinese audience.', "Our women's volleyball team.", 'Beijing 2008 Olympics.', 'Chinese former players.']}, {'question': 'When reporting the news, the author seemed to be a little _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['angry', 'surprised', 'shocked', 'worried']}] |
Rob Coulter worked in the wild of South Africa. He knew the animals, insects, and reptiles of Africa very well. Rob knew them so well that he became careless.
One night, while camping alone, Rob reached out to pick up a large piece of wood and felt something bite his arm. Rob didn't think much about it. But a little later, his arm began to ache. When he looked closely at it, he immediately saw two teeth marks in the skin of his arm. He realized that a poisonous snake had bitten him. His pulse became rapid.
Rob's mind raced as he thought about what he had to do to survive. Rob knew that he should remain calm, stay still, keep the injured arm below the level of his heart and avoid eating or drinking anything, especially anything with alcohol in it. He also knew that cutting the wound to suck the poison out was a bad idea.
He used his two-way radio to call for help. As he waited, he washed the bite with soap and water. To help slow the spread of the venom , he wrapped a bandage two inches above the bite and made it loose enough to slip a finger under it so that it would not cut off the flow of blood. Then, after about half an hour, his friend Mike arrived. Mike took Rob to the local hospital, where Rob was given antivenin--an antidote for snake venom.
Rob still enjoys camping, but he is now very careful not to disturb snakes. | [{'question': 'Where is the passage most likely to have been taken from?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['A news report.', 'A book review.', 'A lesson plan.', 'A travel magazine.']}, {'question': 'How did Rob realize that he had been bitten by a snake?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['His pulse became rapid.', 'His arms began to ache.', 'Teeth marks appeared in his arm.', 'His skin immediately turned dark.']}, {'question': 'How can we deal with snake wounds according to the passage?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ["Stay calm and don't move.", 'Run for help as fast as possible.', 'Drink alcohol to stop the poison.', 'Cut the wound and suck the poison out.']}] |
Amazingly, US crime figures have been falling for 20 years now. Of course, the big question is, why? And can any lessons be learnt?
One reason could be the fall in the demand for the drug crack. During the 1980s, drug-related crimes soared, mostly caused by desperate crack users. However, according to professor Blumstein, co-author of The Crime Drop in America, news of the dangers of crack use caused its decrease and led to a fall in the number of drug-related crimes.
Some say that the adoption of a zero-tolerance policy in many cities has helped lead to a fall in crime. In New York City, for example, mayor Rudy Giuliani imposed strict and automatic punishments for all crimes, including minor offences such as graffiti and littering. Many believe this has had a very strong deterrent effect.
Another reason could be smarter policing strategies. Anti-theft measures and educating the community about car theft has helped see a drop in crimes in many areas. Also, the use of crime mapping schemes that can discover identify crime peaks in different parts of the city has helped police target hotspots.
Another reason could be that more criminals are now behind bars. Sociologist John Conklin (from Tufts University) says a significant factor behind the fall in crime in the 1990s is the simple fact that many criminals are in jail. In his book Why Crime Rages Fell, he says sentencing was merciful in the 1960s and 1970s, when crime rose. But then more prisons were built and more offenders were imprisoned.
Some have linked the fall in violent crime to a decline in children's exposure to lead in petrol. Jessica Wolpaw Reyes says, "Even low to moderate levels of exposure can lead to behavioral problems, reduced IQ, hyperactivity and youth crimes. You can link the decline in lead between 1975 and 1985 to a decline in violent crime 20 years later."
Others say that the drop in crime has something to do with birth rates. According to statistics, birth rates peaked between 1957 and 1961, and the proportion of men in the US in their late teens and early 20s (the so-called "criminal age") was highest in the late 70s and early 80s. However, as time went on, the proportion of people in this age group decreased.
Others claim that videogames have helped. A recent study has suggested that these games are keeping young people off the streets and therefore away from crime. Advocates of this argue that any effects the games may have in encouraging violent behavior is _ by the fact that the games keep potential criminals indoors and in front of the television.
Some argue that the widespread use of camera phones makes some criminals think twice before committing a crime and getting filmed doing it. Also, many believe that the mass use of CCTV has also had an effect.
Finally, some say that petty theft just isn't worth it any more. The resale value of second-hand goods such as televisions, cameras or clothes is now so low (or even non-existent) that most people see no point in stealing.
So, what do you think? | [{'question': 'By writing this article, the writer intends to tell us _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['the amazing fact that US crime figures are going down', 'the recent statistics showing that crime rates are falling in the US', 'the answers to the question why US crime figures are falling', 'the special policies adopted by the US police that help a drop in crime']}, {'question': '"Why Crime Rates Fell" is mentioned in the article to tell readers that _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['drug crack can be extremely dangerous', 'crime mapping schemes help the police discover criminals', 'criminals should be strictly sentenced', "children shouldn't be allowed to contact lead"]}, {'question': 'The sixth reason mentioned in the article implies that _ tend to commit crimes.', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['children', 'young people', 'the poor', 'crime victims']}] |
Some children are natural-born bosses. They have a strong need to make decisions, manage their environment, and lead rather than follow. Stephen Jackson, a Year One student, "operates under the theory of what's mine is mine and what's yours is mine," says his mother. "The other day I bought two new Star Wars light sabers . Later, I saw Stephen with the two new ones while his brother was using the beat-up ones. "
"Examine the extended family, and you'll probably find a bossy grandparent, aunt, uncle or cousin in every generation. It's an inheritable trait," says Russell Barkley, a professor at the Medical University of South Carolina. Other children who may not be particularly bossy can gradually gain dominance when they sense their parents are weak, hesitant, or in disagreement with each other.
Whether it's inborn nature or developed character at work, too much control in the hands of the young isn't healthy for children or the family, Fear is at the root of a lot of bossy behavior, says family psychologist John Taylor. Children, he says in his book From Defiance to Cooperation, "have secret feelings of weakness" and "a desire to feel safe. " It's the parents' role to provide that protection.
When a "boss child" doesn't learn limits at home, the stage is set for a host of troubles outside the family. The overly willful and unbending child may have trouble obeying teachers or coaches, for example, or trouble keeping friends. It can be pretty lonely as the top dog if no one likes your bossy ways.
"I see more and more parents giving up their power," says Barkley, who has studied bossy behavior for more than 30 years. "They bend too far because they don't want to be as strict as their own parents were. But they also feel less confident about their parenting skills. Their kids, in turn, feel more anxious. " | [{'question': 'Bossy children like Stephen Jackson _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['make good decisions', 'show self-centeredness', 'lack care from others', 'have little sense of fear']}, {'question': 'The study on bossy behavior implies that parents _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['should give more power to their children', 'should be strict with their children', 'should not be so anxious about their children', 'should not set limits for their children']}, {'question': 'What is the passage mainly about?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['How bossy behavior can be controlled.', 'How we can get along with bossy children.', "What leads to children's bossy behavior.", 'What effect bossy behavior brings about.']}] |
Water is the most common substance found on the earth, but less than 1% of the earth's water is suitable for drinking. More than 1,000,000,000 people around the world survive on just over 1 galon of water a day. Probebly more than 3,000,000,000 people may suffer from not having enough water by the year 2025. You are considered lucky if you live in a country where you can drink water out of your kitchen tap or bathroom tap. People in some countries have to pay for drinking water at home. So clean water is one of our most valuabe natural resources .
In fact, peole waste so much clean water today. In factories lots of water is wasted. At home many people are not taking showers but still baths, and many are brushing their teeth with the tap turned on. Children are no longer taught how to save water....
You can save clean water in many ways. For example, if you keep gold fish, the tank water excellent for graden plants. And when you wash a milk bottle, pour the water on your house plants. Putting a brick or a water into your toilet tank many help use less water, saving many gallons over a long time.
Using rainwater is another simple way to save clean water. You can use rainwater to wash your hands after gardening, _ the toilet, and wash your car, your pet, your driveway when they are dirty.
For the same reason, people in Malaysia are encourageed to use rainwater. If one has a house with a small garden, he would buy a huge plastic tank to keep rainwater for their daily life. | [{'question': 'We can learn from the passage _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ["when man can't live without water", 'where there is no water resource', 'why there is less water on the earth', 'how important it is to save water']}, {'question': 'According to the passage, one of the ways to save water is _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['to stop keeping gold fish', 'to pay much for drinking water', 'to use it in a clever way', 'to educate those who waste water']}, {'question': 'People are ecouraged to use rainwater _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['so that is can make our life easier', 'so that clean water can be kept for other uses', 'because is it free and easy to get', 'because there is no claen water left for them']}] |
Farmer Joe was in his cart when he was hit by a truck. He decided his injuries from the accident were serious enough to take the trucking company to court. In court the trucking company's lawyer was questioning farmer Joe. "Didn't you say, at the scene of the accident, 'I'm fine'?" said the lawyer.
Farmer Joe responded, "Well, I'll tell you what happened. I had just loaded my favorite donkey Bessie into the...."
"I didn't ask for any details," the lawyer interrupted, "just answer the question. Didn't you say, at the scene of the accident, 'I'm fine'?"
Farmer Joe said, "Well I had just got Bessie into the cart and I was driving down the road...."
The lawyer interrupted again and said, "Judge, I am trying to establish the fact that, at the scene of the accident, this man told the highway policeman on the scene that he was just fine. Now several weeks after the accident he is trying to sue my client. I believe he is a cheat. Please tell him to simply answer the question."
By this time the Judge was fairly interested in Farmer Joe's answer and said to the lawyer, "I'd like to hear what he has to say about his favorite donkey Bessie."
Joe thanked the Judge and continued, "Well, as I was saying, I had just loaded Bessie, my favorite donkey, into the cart and was driving her down the highway when this huge semi-truck ran into the stop sign and hit my cart right in the side. I was thrown into one ditch and Bessie was thrown into the other."
"I was badly hurt and wasn't able to move. However, I could hear old Bessie moaning and groaning . I knew she was in terrible shape just by her groans. Shortly after the accident a highway policeman came on the scene. He could hear Bessie moaning and groaning so he went over to her. After he looked at her, he took out his gun and shot her between the eyes. Then the policeman came across the road with his gun in his hand and looked at me. He said, 'Your donkey was in such bad shape, so I had to shoot her. How are you feeling?" | [{'question': "The trucking company's lawyer insisted Farmer Joe answer his question _ .", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ["because he wasn't sure whether Farmer Joe was hurt in the accident", 'so as to prove that Farmer Joe was a man who could not tell right from wrong', 'because he believed the answer should be in his favor', 'because he believed Farmer Joe could not remember what he had said at the scene']}, {'question': 'Which of the following statements is TRUE, according to the passage?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Farmer Joe tried to cover the fact in the court but no one would believe him.', 'Farmer Joe couldn\'t have said "I\' m fine" at the scene of the accident.', 'Farmer Joe couldn\'t remember whether he had said "I\'m fine" at the scene of the accident.', 'Farmer Joe did say "I\'m fine" at the scene of the accident.']}, {'question': 'According to the passage, why did the policeman shot the donkey?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Because he wanted Farmer Joe to keep silent about the accident.', 'Because he thought it was the best way to stop the donkey from suffering.', "Because the donkey's groaning was too loud.", 'Because he wanted to make Farmer Joe feel better.']}] |
The Internet has led to a huge increase in credit-card fraud.Your card information can even be on sale on an illegal website.Websites offering cheap goods and services should be regarded with care.Online shoppers who enter their credit-card information may never receive the goods they thought they had bought.
The thieves then go shopping with your card number--or sell the information over the Internet.Computer hackers have broken down security system, raising questions about the safety of card holder information.
Several months ago, 25,000 customers of a CD universe, an online music retailer , were not lucky.Their names, addresses and credit-card numbers were posted on a Website after the retailer refused to pay $ 157,828 to get back the information.Credit-card firms are now fighting against online fraud.Master-card is working on plans for web-only credit-cards, with a lower credit limit.The card can be used only for shopping online.However, there are a few simple steps you can take to keep from being cheated.
Ask about your credit-card firm's online rules: under British law, card holders are responsible for the first $ 78 of any fraudulent spending.And shop only at secure sites: send your credit-card information only if the website offers advanced security system.If the security is in place, a letter will appear in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen.The website address may also start with https://--the extra "s" stands for security.If in doubt, give your credit-card information over the telephone.
Keep your password safe: most online sites require a user name and password before placing an order.Treat your password with care. | [{'question': 'According to this passage most people worry about shopping on the Internet because _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['a great number of stolen credit-cards are sold on the Internet every day', 'fraud on the Internet happens very often', 'many Websites break down every day', 'there are too many illegal Websites on the Internet']}, {'question': 'Thieves usually get the information of the credit-card _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['because many customers lost their cards', 'by paying money for people working in the information companies', 'because of the carelessness of the customers', 'by stealing the information from Websites']}, {'question': 'If the passwords of your credit-cards are not properly kept, _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['the bank and the shop will suffer great losses', 'you will not be able to get back your information', 'you might suffer great losses', 'the bank will answer for your loss']}, {'question': "What's the best title of the passage?", 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['How to Beat Online Credit-card Thieves', 'How to Shop on the Internet', 'Never Use Credit-card Without an Advanced Compute', 'Why Thieves Steal Credit-card Information']}] |
If women are mercilessly exploited year after year, they have only themselves to blame. Because they tremble at the thought of being seen in public in clothes that are out of fashion, they are always taken advantage of by the designers and the big stores. Clothes which have been worn only a few times have to be put aside because of the change of fashion. When you come to think of it, only a woman is capable of standing in front of a wardrobe packed full of clothes and announcing sadly that she has nothing to wear.
Changing fashions are nothing more than the intentional creation of waste. Many women spend vast sums of money each year to replace clothes that have hardly been worn. Women who cannot afford to throw away clothing in this way, waste hours of their time altering the dresses they have. Skirts are lengthened or shortened; neck-lines are lowered or raised, and soon.
No one can claim that the fashion industry contributes anything really important to society. Fashion designers are rarely concerned with vital things like warmth, comfort and durability. They are only interested in outward appearance and they take advantage of the fact that women will put up with any amount of discomfort, as long as they look right. There can hardly be a man who hasn't at some time in his life smiled at the sight of a woman shaking in a thin dress on a winter day, or delicately picking her way through deep snow in high-heeled shoes.
When comparing men and women in the matter of fashion, _ . Does the constantly changing fashion of women's clothes, one wonders, reflect basic qualities of instability? Men are too clever to let themselves be cheated by fashion designers. Do their unchanged styles of dress reflect basic qualities of stability and reliability? That is for you to decide. | [{'question': 'According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Fashion designs should not be encouraged since they are only welcomed by women.', "The constant changes in women's clothing reflect their strength of character.", 'The fashion industry makes an important contribution to society.', 'New fashions in clothing are created for the commercial exploitation of women.']}, {'question': 'By saying "the conclusions to be drawn are obvious", the writer means that _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ["women's inconstancy in their choice of clothing is often laughed at", 'women are better able to put up with discomfort', 'men are also exploited greatly by fashion designers', 'men are more reasonable in the matter of fashion']}] |
Money spent on advertising is money spent as well as any I know of.It serves directly to assist a rapid distribution of goods at reasonable prices, thereby establishing a firm home market and so making it possible to provide for export at competitive prices.By drawing attention to new ideas it helps enormously to raise standards of living.By helping to increase demand it ensures an increased need for labour, and is therefore an effective way to fight unemployment.It lowers the costs of many services: without advertisements your daily newspaper would cost four times as much, the price of your television license would need to be doubled, and travel by bus or tube would cost 20 per cent more.
And perhaps most important of all, advertising provides a guarantee of reasonable value in the products and services you buy.Apart from the fact that twenty-seven acts of Parliament govern the terms of advertising, no regular advertiser dare promote a product that fails to live up to the promise of his advertisements.He might fool some people for a little while through misleading advertising.He will not do so for long, for mercifully the public has the good sense not to buy the low-quality article more than once.If you see an article consistently advertised, it is the surest proof I know that the article does what is claimed for it, and that it represents good value.
What' s more, advertising does more for the material benefit of the community than any other force I can think of.
There is one more point I feel I ought to touch on.Recently I heard a well-known television personality declare that he was against advertising because it persuades rather than informs.He was drawing excessively fine distinctions course advertising seeks to persuade.
If its message were restricted merely to information, which would be difficult to achieve, for even a detail such as the choice of the colour of a shirt is subtly persuasive, advertising would be so boring that no one would pay any attention.But perhaps that is what the well-known television personality wants. | [{'question': 'By the first sentence of the passage the author means that _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['he understands the cost of advertising well', 'advertising costs money like everything else', 'it is worthwhile to spend money on advertising', 'everyone knows advertising is money consuming']}, {'question': 'The author thinks that the well-known TV personality _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['forces his own views on the public', 'holds one-sided views on advertising', "can't tell persuasion from information", "is interested in nothing but the buyers' attention"]}, {'question': 'Which of the following opinions does the author probably accept?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['There is nothing wrong with advertising in persuading buyers.', 'Advertising can prevent low-quality articles from entering markets.', 'Advertising informs people of new ideas rather than wins them over.', 'Buyers are not interested in getting information from advertisements.']}, {'question': 'What is the passage mainly about?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Advertising and promotion.', 'Informative function of advertising.', 'Advantages and disadvantages of advertising.', 'Benefits of advertising and its characteristics.']}] |
1234 PENS is your No. 1 source for promotional pens, advertising pens, and logo pens. We have been in business since 1976, so you can be confident that you're dealing with a trusted name in the industry.
Everyone loves a free pen, and by providing your customers with a pen featuring your company name, logo, or message, you can be sure that your company name will always be on their mind! Our custom imprinting service comes at no extra charge, so the price you see is the price you pay for the personalized pens.
Do you need pens fast? In a rush for trade shows or a corporate events? Try our 48-hour promotional pens rush service free of charge. We present you with many styles and types of printed pen. Let us know which promotional pen you like and within 48 hours you will have the pens.
Want to use the traditional method of promotional pens to reach out to customers, but don't want to cause more damage to the environment? 1234 PENS now offers eco-friendly advertising pens to suit any company's promotional needs. 1234 PENS can confidently offer products which are made from eco-friendly materials, including paper, cardboard, cornstarch, pine, bamboo and even recycled plastic water bottles. 1234 PENS offers a selection of eco-friendly retractable and stick-type ballpoint pens, mechanical pencils and highlighters, all for less than $2. 00 each. Imprinting of logos and corporate information is available in sixteen different color1s. Each pen has the universal recycling symbol printed on it, showing clients the company's commitment to the environment.
Feel free to call us at 8447367 or email us info@1234PENS. com if you have any question. | [{'question': 'What do we know about 1234 PENS?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['It has a history of over 30 years.', 'It has built up a large pen market.', 'It has its name printed on each pen.', 'It charges a low price for extra service.']}, {'question': 'What is special about the pens produced in 1234 PENS?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['They are designed in 16 styles.', 'They come in 48 different color1s.', 'Their material is less harmful to the earth.', 'Their price is much lower in the pen market.']}, {'question': 'The main purpose of the passage is to .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['persuade people to order the products', 'explain the process of making logo pens', 'show people how to choose different pens', 'introduce the different services of 1234 PENS']}] |
Life is full of sweet surprises for Chinese pop singer Edell.
She majored in design in a Canadian college. But when she was looking for a job after graduation, she found herself rising as a star in singing. Then she became a hostess on TV. "These are roles I never expected to take," she said.
Edell is open to every possibility in life, not afraid to try new things. She says that every day she tries to get herself ready to take any chance that occurs in life.
"My mom told me chance only rewards those with a prepared mind," she said. "So I've tried to explore my potential talents. Thus I won't be at a loss when the right opportunity comes up."
Edell learned ballet in her childhood until she broke her back in practice. She then fell in love with music.
Like many girls of her age, she has a rich collection of CDs. But she never dreamed of being a singer. One day she was noticed by a talent scout . she gave a try and succeeded! And that's not the end of the story.
Once she was invited to be the hostess of the Asian MTV Awards in Thailand. Though she has never had any experience, she accepted the invitation. "At least I could make a trip to the foreign country," she said. Upon arrival at the ceremony, she had to read through a 91-page English biography of every guest. She studied it so much that she could recite all the details in it.
It helped her greatly. She greeted those strange faces she had never seen before and talked with them like an old friend. She did a great job. The MTV channel was so satisfied that they offered her a job as a TV hostess."Try to get yourself well-prepared in life," she said. "In the meantime, try to live your life with brains." | [{'question': 'What is the best title of the passage?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Learn from Edell', 'Prepare for your chances', 'Try to be a singer', 'Do learn English well']}, {'question': "The writer mentioned Edell's mother to tell us _ .", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['her chances were given by her mother', 'her mother had great influence on her', 'she could do nothing without her mother', 'all her success belonged to her mother']}, {'question': 'What does the underline word "It" refer to?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Studying the English biography hard.', 'The 91-page English biography.', 'The ceremony of the Asian MTV Awards.', 'The MTV channel.']}, {'question': "What is Edell's strongest character?", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Liking to remember things.', 'Liking to help others.', 'Liking to think of problems differently.', 'Liking to try new things.']}] |
I'm usually fairly skeptical about any research that concludes that people are either happier or unhappier or more or less certain of themselves than they were 50 years ago. While any of these statements might be true, they are practically impossible to prove scientifically. Still, I was struck by a report which concluded that today's children are significantly more anxious than children in the 1950s. In fact, the analysis showed, normal children aged 9 to 17 exhibit a higher level of anxiety today than children who were treated for mental illness 50 years ago.
Why are America's kids so stressed? The report cites two main causes: increasing physical isolation brought on by high divorce rates and less involvement in community, among other things and a growing perception that the world is a more dangerous place.
Considering that we can't turn the clock back, adults can still do plenty to help the next generation.
At the top of the list is nurturing a better appreciation of the limits of individualism. No child is an island. Strengthening social ties helps build communities and protect individuals against stress.
To help kids build stronger connections with others, you can pull the plug on TVs and computers. Your family will thank you later. They will have more time for facetoface relationships, and they will get more sleep.
Limit the amount of virtual violence your children are exposed to. It's not just video games and movies; children see a lot of murder and crime on the local news.
Keep your expectations for your children reasonable. Many highly successful people never attended Harvard or Yale.
Make exercise part of your daily routine. It will help you cope with your own anxieties and provide a good model for your kids. Sometimes anxiety is unavoidable. But it doesn't have to ruin your life. | [{'question': 'According to the analysis, compared with normal children today, children treated as mentally ill 50 years ago _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['probably suffered less from anxiety', 'were considered less individualistic', 'were less isolated physically', 'were probably less selfcentered']}, {'question': "The author thinks that the conclusions of any research about people's state of mind are _ .", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['illogical', 'confusing', 'surprising', 'questionable']}, {'question': 'Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['To children, anxiety is completely avoidable.', 'TV and computer play an important role in isolating children from the real world.', "Exercise does not help to lessen children's anxiety.", 'Sometimes local news about crime and murder also affects children a little.']}, {'question': 'The first and most important thing parents should do to help their children is _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['to lower their expectations for them', 'to set a good model for them to follow', 'to get them more involved socially', 'to improve them with a safer environment']}] |
Onceupon a time there was a wise man that used to go to the sea to do his writing. Hehad a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.One day he waswalking along the shore. As he looked down at the beach, he saw a human figuremoving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought that someone woulddance on the beach. So he began to walk faster to catch up. As he got closer, hesaw that it was a young man and the young man wasn't dancing, but instead he wasreaching down to the shore, picking up something and throwing itinto the ocean. As he got closer, he called out, "Good morning! What are youdoing?''
Theyoung man paused, looked up and replied, "Throwingstarfishes in theocean."
"I guess I should have asked, why are you throwing starfishes in the ocean?"
"The sun is up and the tide is going out.And if I don't throw them in, they'll die".
"But, young man, don't you realize thatthere are miles and miles of beach and starfishes all along it. You can'tpossibly make a difference!"
Theyoung man listened politely. Then he bent down, picked another starfish andthrew it into the sea, and said, "It made a difference for that one."Thereis _ in each and every one of us. We have all beengifted with the ability to make a difference. And if we can know that gift, wewill gain through the strength of our vision of the power toshape the future.
We musteach find our starfish. And if we throw our starfish wisely and well, the worldwill be better. | [{'question': 'One day, the wise man saw a young man _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['dancing along the beach', 'walking with a dancer', 'picking up starfish for sale', 'trying to save as many starfishes as possible']}, {'question': 'The writer told this story to show us _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['how and where we can write a good article', 'everyone can do something for the future', 'wise men are sometimes stupid', 'young men are in fact wiser than old people']}] |
Anyone who doubts that children are born with a healthy amount of ambition need spend only a few minutes with a baby eagerly learning to walk. No matter how many times the little ones stumble in their first efforts, most keep on trying, determined to master their amazing new skill. It is only several years later, many psychologists and teachers agree, that a good number of kids seem to lose their natural drive to succeed. For the parents of such kids, whose own ambition is often tied to their children's success, it can be a painful experience.
Figuring out why _ is the first step. Assuming that a kid doesn't suffer from a learning disability, or isn't involved in some family crisis at home, many educators attribute a sudden lack of motivation to a fear of failure or classmate pressure. "Everything is within the kids' control; their intelligence is changeable," says Lisa Blackwell, a research scientist at Columbia University. "More than any teacher or workshop," Blackwell says, "parents can play a key role in conveying this message to their children by praising their effort, and progress rather than emphasizing their 'smartness' or praising high performance alone. Most importantly, parents should let their kids know that mistakes are a part of learning."
Some experts say our education system, with its strong emphasis on testing and separation of students into different levels of ability, also bears blame for the disappearance of drive in some kids. "These programs shut down the motivation of all kids who aren't considered gifted and talented. They destroy their confidence," says Jeff Howard, a social psychologist. Howard and other educators say it's important to expose kids to a world beyond homework and tests, through volunteer work, sports, hobbies and other extracurriculum activities.
"The problem of the issue is that many students experience education as irrelevant to their life goals and ambitions," says Michael Nakkual, a Harvard education professor. The key to getting kids to aim higher at school is to free them of the idea that class work is irrelevant, to show them how doing well at school can actually help them fulfill their dreams beyond it. They need to understand that you have to learn to walk before you can run. | [{'question': 'According to the passage, the parents of kids with no ambition _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ["don't do a very good job teaching them to walk", 'are to blame if the kids do poorly in school', 'feel pain because ambitions are connected to their success', 'should take part in extra-curriculum activities with kids']}, {'question': 'All the following can contribute to a sudden lack of ambition EXCEPT _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['learning disability', 'classmate pressure', 'emphasis on testing', 'extracurricular activities']}, {'question': 'What is the most important thing for parents in motivating their kids?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ["By punishing kids who don't display ambition.", 'By emphasizing smartness and high performance.', 'By telling kids that mistakes are a part of learning.', 'By praising the effort and progress they have made.']}, {'question': 'We can infer from the passage that _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['children who have lost their ambition will never succeed in life', "school performance has much to do with students' later success", 'both the parents and the school are to blame for the lost ambition', 'younger kids learning to walk are more ambitious than older ones']}] |
When I was 16 years old and in foster care in Tennessee, people told me I was unadoptable. But I desperately wanted a family. I sought the help of a judge, even the commissioner of the Department of Children's Services, and was adopted just a week before my 18th birthday.
We have a lot to be grateful for and this holiday season let's not forget about the more than 415,000 youth in foster care especially older youth. These youth are the most likely to get overlooked for adoption, but they shouldn't be. They need and deserve a family just as much as young children do. Making an older youth a part of your family can bring just as much a joy as adopting a baby or a younger child--without all the diapers and potty training.
My adoption was life changing and probably the best thing that ever happened to me. I still remember the first gift my parents gave to me. It was a Mickey Mouse key chain with a key to their home. They told me that no matter what happened they would always love me and I'd always have a place to come home to. This is our 17th Thanksgiving together...
My first Thanksgiving with my family was a little overwhelming with lots of extended family including grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. However, it's when I realized that I would never have to spend another holiday alone and that was truly an amazing feeling.
I was always eager to spend time with my little sister, Beth. She was six when I joined the family. My dad always says he knew we were really sisters, and I was no longer a guest in the house when Beth and I had our first fight. Today, she's one of my best friends, and I'm her biggest cheerleader.
There were also bittersweet Thanksgivings. One we spent in my mom's hospital room. It was there that she helped me plan my wedding but passed away three weeks before the ceremony. My dad walked me down the aisle, and my sister was my maid of honor. Because of our bond, we were able to support each other through that challenging time and that's what family is for--the good and bad times.
It's nice having my dad and sister to share holidays and special occasions. But they're even more important when it comes to the little things--like having someone to share my bad day with, celebrate my promotion at work, or help me think through a difficult decision. It's in these moments that I just can't imagine being alone in the world.
I'm so glad that I didn't listen to those people who said I was unadoptable, I'd never find a family, and that I was putting myself out there for rejection. It's a risk for older foster youth to consider adoption. _ But it's a risk they should take because life doesn't end at 18. It's really just beginning.
If you know someone who might consider adopting an older teen, please share my story -- and have him or her think of my family. They didn't get to see my first steps or watch me be a pilgrim in my second grade Thanksgiving play. But they taught me so many things about life, and were there to watch me walk across the stage when I graduated from college and law school and accompanied me to the White House last year as I was honored for my work helping foster youth.
I look forward to many more Thanksgivings with my family, and I'm eternally thankful they chose me to be a part of their family. | [{'question': "What contributes to the author's feeling that she can't imagine being alone in the world.", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ["The family's giving the author a Mickey Mouse as a gift.", "The author's spending her Thanksgiving with her extended family for 17 years.", "The mother's failing to attend the author's wedding ceremony for her severe disease.", "The family's always sharing happiness and sorrow with her."]}, {'question': 'What does adoption for older youth really mean', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['It means not living alone any longer.', 'It means being taken good care of by others.', 'It means being successful in career.', 'It means being loved and a sense of belonging.']}, {'question': "What's the author's main purpose of writing the passage", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['To express her appreciation for her family.', 'To show sympathy to the unadoptable older youth.', 'To appeal to more people to adopt the older youth.', "To persuade the readers not to believe others' words."]}] |
When Caleb Forbes got his first job at an advertising company at the age of 20, he thought he would be at the company for years. But after seven months he was bored. Soon after that, Forbes moved to London. He took four different jobs at three companies over the next five years. Forbes wanted a better job and higher pay---he was never quite satisfied.
Welcome to the world of a job hopper. Forbes's story isn't unusual these days and such frequent movement from one job to the next will become more common. The main reason: the nature of employment is changing. There are a lot more contracts and part-time jobs or flexible employment. That leads to people having a greater number of jobs. What's more, layoffs and pay freezes , among other things, have pushed people from one job to another. In some cases, a bad worldwide job market has limited opportunities for star employees, promoting them to seek new challenges at other companies.
However, employers often think that if a person jumped from his last employer after a short period, he will likely do the same again --- there is a significant financial risk in hiring someone who leaves in short order.
What's more, moving from company to company frequently doesn't mean workers are climbing the corporate ladder faster. In 2005, Monika Hamori, a professor at Spain's IE Business School, looked at CEOs at about 55 to see if those who moved around more frequently climbed the ladder faster.
She found that executives who stayed with one company became CEOs after 23 years, while executives who changed companies many times became CEOs after 26 years. One reason: workers within the same organization tend to be promoted more frequently and be offered better jobs. | [{'question': 'How did Forbes feel about his first job at first?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['It was easy.', 'It was boring.', 'It was satisfying.', 'It was dangerous.']}, {'question': 'Employers usually think those who left their former job in a short time _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['can do their new work better', 'are hard-working and easy-going', 'have more experiences', 'will quit their new job again after a short time']}, {'question': "Monika Hamori's research showed that _ .", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['old workers are more likely to move around', 'young workers are more likely to be given better jobs', 'the less someone moves around, the more he may be paid', 'the more someone moves around, the more he may be paid']}] |
Read the advertisements carefully.Then answer the questions that follow.
INTERESTED IN CHILDCARE?
Qualified person or preschool teacher needed for busy childcare center, south of the river.Full-time work guaranteed.Immediate start necessary.The candidate must be able to work as a co-operative team member.Phone 6345 2345 for an interview and fax resume to 6345 2345.
WE NEED OFFICE CLEANERS!
Three people are required for professional cleaning in the CBD area.Working hours from 5:00 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays.Approximately five hours per shift.A good record is necessary.Experience preferred.Phone 6345 7843 now.
WANT TO WORK AS A DENTAL NURSE?
This is an exciting opportunity for a qualified dental nurse with a confident and cheerful personality to work in the School Dental Health Scheme.You must be able to get along well with children because the work involves talking to groups about dental health practices.For further information, visit our website at: schooldentalservices@ gov.sg.And fax your resume to 6234 4567.
FLORIST WANTED!
Are you a creative and trained florist with at least two years of experience? Then this may be just what you are seeking.The city's leading Florist Artist Studio needs another part-time member on their wedding team.Please phone 6098 7888 now! | [{'question': 'The position of a(n) _ is a part-time job.', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['florist', 'artist', 'preschool teacher', 'dental nurse']}, {'question': 'Which of the following is the most important for the childcare job?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['The ability to work well with other people.', 'Childcare experience.', 'The ability to start work in two weeks.', 'Cooking skills.']}, {'question': 'The office cleaners will be required to work about _ hours a week.', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['15', '5', '10', '20']}] |
When, after a year of being alone on his island, Robinson Crusoe sees a footprint in the sand, the reader of Robinson Crusoe trembles. Will Crusoe find another human being to end his loneliness? Is the footprint the sign of an enemy? Since 1719, when Daniel Defoe wrote Robinson Crusoe, thousands of people who enjoy English novels have thrilled to this great adventure story. But few know how the story came to be written. Robinson Crusoe was the first English novel. Its birth brought together the misadventures of a Scotch "failure" and the untapped imagination of an aging English scribbler.
Near the end of the Seventeenth Century, the hot-tempered Alexander Selkirk was charged with bad conduct while in church. Rather than face this charge, he ran away to sea. Several years later, Selkirk found himself on the ship of an English privateer. The privateer was preying on Spanish shipping. But Selkirk quarreled bitterly with the Captain. So, when the ship came to the island of Juan Femandez in the South Seas, Selkirk asked to be put ashore. When he saw that there were no people on the island, he begged to be taken back on board. But the Captain refused--Selkirk had gone too far. Over four years later, Selkirk was rescued by another ship.
When Selkirk got back to England, the story of his life on the island fired the imagination of Daniel Defoe. Defoe had been earning a living by his pen since he was thirty. He was amazingly hard-working. He wrote a whole newspaper three times a week. He also made part of his living from politics. He supported both political parties. He told each party that it had his sole support.
Defoe's morals were weak. But he was a fine writer. He was almost sixty when, in the midst of his work in politics, he wrote Robinson Crusoe. In it, Defoe--said one critic--"forged a story, and forced it on the world for truth." The detail of Crusoe's battle for survival on a lonely island is so vivid that the reader of Robinson Crusoe accepts the product of the author's imagination for reality. Robinson Crusoe became the first of a long line of heroes and heroines that have peopled English novels since Defoe's time. | [{'question': 'Alexander Selkirk spent four years on a desert island because_.', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['he sought adventure', 'he was hot-tempered', 'he was afraid to face charges', 'his ship was wrecked']}, {'question': 'Daniel Defoe_.', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['made his living as a writer', 'got his start as a writer with the writing of Robinson Crusoe', 'was very "straight"-he was hardworking and honest', 'had little power of imagination, but succeeded with his novel because he worked hard']}, {'question': 'This passage is mainly about_.', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['how Alexander Selkirk was able to survive on the island.', 'why people enjoy English novels', 'what the footprint in the sand meant', 'how Robinson Crusoe came to be written']}, {'question': 'According to this passage , which of the following statements is not true?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Robinson Crusoe was a successful novel.', 'Even if Alexander Selkirk had not lived on the island of Juan Femande, Robinson \n Crusoe would still have been written.', 'Daniel Defoe lived partly by hard work and partly by his " wits ".', 'With the writing of Robinson Crusoe , the English novel was born.']}, {'question': "The author's attitude towards Daniel Defoe is_.", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['critical', 'supporting', 'both A and B', 'opposing']}] |
I have only once been in trouble with the law.The whole process of being arrested and taken to court was a rather unpleasant experience at the time, but it makes a good story now. What makes it rather disturbing was the arbitrary circumstances both of my arrest and my subsequent fate in court.
It happened in February about twelve years ago.I had left school a couple of months before that and was not due to go to university until the following October.I was still living at home at the time.
One morning I was in Richmond, a suburb of London near where I lived.I was looking for a temporary job so that I could save up some money to go traveling.As it was a fine day and I was in no hurry, I was taking my time, looking in shop windows, strolling in the park, and sometimes just stopping and looking around me.It must have been this obvious aimlessness that led to my downfall.
It was about half past eleven when it happened.I was just walking out of the local library, having unsuccessfully sought employment there, when I saw a man walking across the road with the obvious intention of talking to me.I thought he was going to ask me the time.Instead, he said he was a police officer and he was arresting me.At first I thought it was some kind of joke
But then another policeman appeared, this time in uniform, and I was left in no doubt.
'But what for?" I asked
'Wandering with intent to commit an arrestable offence,' he said.
'What offence?' I asked
'Theft,' he said
'Theft of what?'I asked
'Milk bottles,' he said, and with a perfectly straight face too!
'Oh,' I said.
It turned out there had been a lot of petty thefts in the area, particularly that of stealing milk bottles from doorsteps.
Then I made my big mistake.At the time I was nineteen, had long untidy hair, and regarded myself as pan of the sixties' 'youth counterculture'.As a result, I wanted to appear cool and unconcerned with the incident, so I said, 'How long have you been following me? in the most casual and conversational tone I could manage.I thus appeared to them to be quite familiar with this sort of situation, and it confirmed them in their belief that I was a thoroughly disreputable character.
A few minutes later a police car arrived.
'Get in the back,' they said.'Put your hands on the back of the front seat and don't move them.'
They got in on either side of me.It wasn't funny any more.
At the police station they questioned me for several hours.I continued to try to look worldly and familiar with the situation.When they asked me what I had been doing, I told them I'd been looking for a job.'Aha,' I could see them thinking, 'unemployed'.
Eventually, I was officially charged and told to report to Richmond Magistrates' Court the following Monday.Then they let me go.
I wanted to conduct my own defense in court, but as soon as my father found out what had happened, he hired a very good solicitor .We went along that Monday armed with all kinds of witnesses, including my English teacher from school as a character witness.But he was never called on to give evidence.My 'trial' didn't get that far.The magistrate dismissed the case after fifteen minutes.1 was free.The poor police had never stood a chance.The solicitor even succeeded in getting costs awarded against the police.
And so I do not have a criminal record.But what was most shocking at the time was the things my release from the charge so clearly depended on.I had the 'right' accent, respectable middle-class parents in court, reliable witnesses, and I could obviously afford a very good solicitor.Given the obscure nature of the charge.I feel sure that if I had come from a different background, and had really been unemployed, there is every chance that I would have been found guilty.While asking for costs to be awarded, my solicitor's case quite obviously revolved around the fact that I had a 'brilliant academic record'.
Meanwhile, just outside the courtroom, one of the policemen who had arrested me was gloomily complaining to my mother that another youngster had been turned against the police. 'You could have been a bit more helpful when we arrested you,' he said to me reproachfully .
What did he mean? Probably that I should have looked outraged and said something like, 'Look here, do you know who you're talking to? I am a highly successful student with a brilliant academic record.How dare you arrest me!' Then they, probably, would have apologized perhaps even taken off their caps, and let me on my way. | [{'question': 'The first man who came up to him was _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['a uniformed policeman', 'a policeman in plainclothes', 'not a policeman', 'a good joker']}, {'question': "The court never asked the author's English teacher to give evidence because _ .", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['the time for the trial was limited to fifteen minutes only', 'the author wanted to conduct his own defense in court', 'the case was dismissed before the trial reached that stage', 'he was found to be unqualified as a character witness']}, {'question': 'The author believes that he would most probably have been declared guilty if _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['the magistrate had been less gentle', 'he had really been out of work', 'he had been born in a lower--class family', 'both B and C']}, {'question': 'In the opinion of one of the policeman who had arrested the author, the whole thing might not have occurred if _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['he had protested strongly at the time', 'he had begged to be allowed to go home', "he hadn't wandered aimlessly", 'he had tried to look cool']}, {'question': 'We can see from the passage that the author _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['has broken the law only once', 'has never broken the law', 'has broken the law on more than one occasion', 'once broke the law without knowing it']}] |
New rules and behavior standards for the middle school students came out in March. Middle school is going to use a new way to decide who the top students are. The best students won't only have high marks. They will also be kids who don't dye their hair, smoke or drink. The following are some of the new rules.
Tell the truth. Have you ever copied others' work in an exam? Don't do it again if you did it before! That's not something an honest student should do. If you have played computer games for two hours in your room, don't tell your parents you have done your homework.
Do more at school. Good students love animals and care for other people. April is a bird-loving month in China. Did your school do anything to celebrate? If so, you should join it! In this way, you can learn more about animals and how to protect them. When more people work together, you can get more fun. Have you ever quarreled with your teammates when your basketball team lost? Only working together can make your team stronger. Be friendly to the people you are with. Try to think of others, not only yourself.
Be open to new ideas. Have you ever thought that people could live on the moon? Maybe you'll discover the truth someday. Don't look down on new ideas. Everyone's ideas are important. You should welcome them, because new ideas make life better for everyone.
Protect yourself. Has anyone ever taken money from one of your classmates? Don't let it happen to you. If you have to go home late, you should let your parents know.
Use the Internet carefully. The Internet can be very useful for our studies. But some things on the Internet aren't for kids, so try to look at Web pages that are good for you. You can use the Web for fun or homework. Can you find any good websites for children? Here are some.
http: // kids. eastday. com; http: // www. chinakids. net.com; http:// www. cycnet. com. | [{'question': 'The school new rules will help kids by telling them _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['how they can study well', 'what they should do at home', 'what is right and what is wrong', 'how they can help themselves']}, {'question': 'According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Protect yourself when you are out.', 'Tell the truth, even when you are wrong.', 'Keep some animals to protect them.', 'Use the Internet, but keep away from bad things.']}, {'question': 'The passage tells us how to _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['be top students', 'do more at school', 'care for others', 'use the Internet']}] |
Wal-Mart is not just the world's largest retailer . It's the world's largest company, which sells in three months what number-two retailer Home Depot sells in a year.
Wal-Mart exercises its power for just one purpose: to bring the lowest possible prices to its customers. At Wal-Mart, that goal is never reached. The retailer has a clear policy for suppliers: On basic products that don't change, the price Wal-Mart will pay, and will charge shoppers, must drop year after year. But what almost no one outside the world of Wal-Mart and none of its 21,000 suppliers know is the high cost of those low prices. To survive in the face of its pricing demands, makers of everything from bikes to jeans have had to close US plants in favor of obtaining products from abroad.
Indeed, the real story of Wal-Mart, the story that never gets told, is the story of the pressure the biggest retailer constantly applies to its suppliers in the name of bringing us "every day low prices".
The giant retailer' s low prices often come with a high cost. Wal-Mart' s pressure can crush the companies it does business with and force them to send jobs overseas. Are we shopping our way straight to the unemployment line? Of course, US companies have been moving jobs offshore for decades, long before Wal-Mart was a retailing power. But there is no question that the chain is helping accelerate the loss of American jobs to low-wage countries such as Thailand.
People ask, "How can it be bad for things to come into the US cheaply?" Sure, it's great to have bargains. But you can' t buy anything if you' re not employed.
There is no question that Wal-Mart's drive to squeeze out cost has benefited consumers. By now, it is accepted wisdom that Wal-Mart makes the companies it does business with more efficient and focused. Wal-Mart itself is known for continuous improvement in its ability to handle, move, and track goods. It is legendary for forcing its suppliers to redesign everything from their packaging to their computer systems. It is also legendary for quite straightforwardly telling them what it will pay for their goods. | [{'question': 'How do suppliers meet the requirements of Wal-Mart?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['To sell even more goods in three months.', 'To cut down the employment rate sharply.', 'To charge shoppers at a much higher price.', 'To run the business in a well-organized way.']}, {'question': "Wal-Mart's low price policy results in _ .", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['more high-paying jobs', 'better designed packages', 'bigger profit of its partners', 'more jobless American workers']}, {'question': 'What can we infer from the passage?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Still more quality goods will be provided.', 'The food you get at Wal-Mart costs least.', 'The value of Mal-Mart is over assessed.', 'Wal-Mart is a very demanding company.']}, {'question': "What's the best title for the passage?", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['The Fortune Wal-Mart Makes', "The Wal-Mart you don't Know", 'The Biggest Retailer--Wal-Mart', 'The Money Saving Tip in Wal-Mart']}] |
If you're a man and you're reading this, congratulations: you're a survivor. According to statistics, you're more than twice as likely to die of skin cancer than a woman, and nine times more likely to die of AIDS. Even if you make it to the end of your natural term, about 78 years for men in Australia, you'll die on average five years before a woman.
There're many reasons for this--typically, men take more risks than women and are more likely to drink and smoke--but perhaps more importantly, men don't go to the doctor.
"Men aren't seeing doctors as often as they should," says Dr. Gullotta. "This is particularly so for the over-40s, when chances of diseases are higher ."
Gullotta says a healthy man should visit the doctor every year or two. For those over 45, it should be at least once a year.
Two months ago Gullotta saw a 50-year-old man who had delayed doing anything about his smoker's cough for a year.
"When I finally saw him it had already spread and he later died from lung cancer," he says. "Earlier detection and treatment may not have cured him, but it would have prolonged his life."
According to a recent survey, 95% of women aged between 15 and early 40s see a doctor once a year, compared to 70% of men in the same age group.
"A lot of men think they're invincible ," Gullotta says. "They only come in when a friend drops dead on the golf course and they think, 'Geez, if it could happen to him, ...'"
Then there's the ostrich approach. "Some men are scared of what might be there and would rather not know," says Dr, Ross Cartmill.
"Most men get their cars serviced more often than they service their bodies," Cartmill says. He believes most diseases that commonly affect men could be found by regular check-ups.
Regular check-ups for men would put strain on the public purse, Cartmill says. "But prevention is cheaper in the long run than having to treat the diseases. Besides, the final cost is far greater; it's called premature death." | [{'question': 'Why does the author congratulate his men readers at the beginning of the passage?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['They are more likely to survive serious diseases today.', 'Their average life span has been greatly prolonged.', 'They have lived long enough to read this article.', 'They are sure to enjoy a longer and happier life.']}, {'question': 'What does Dr. Ross Cartmill mean by "the ostrich approach"? (Line 1, Para. 9)', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ["A serious attitude to one's health conditions.", 'A new way to cure certain diseases.', 'Refusal to get medical treatment for fear of the pain.', "Unwillingness to find out about one's disease because of fear."]}, {'question': "What is Cartmill's opinion of regular check-ups for men?", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['They may increase public expenses.', 'They will save money in the long run.', 'They may cause trouble for men.', 'They will enable men to live as long as women.']}] |
A person named Bernard Jackson today is a free man, but he has many bitter memories. He spent five years in prison after a jury wrongly convicted (...) him of raping two women. At Jackson's trial, although two witnesses testified that Jackson was with them in another location at the time of the crime, he was convicted anyway. Why? The jury believed the testimony of the two victims, who positively identified Jackson as the man who had attacked them. The court eventually freed Jackson after the police found the real criminal.
Many factors influence the accuracy of eyewitness testimony. For instance, witnesses sometimes see photographs of several suspects before they try to identify the person they saw in a group of people. They can become confused by seeing many photographs of similar faces. The number of people in the group, and whether it is a person or a photograph, may also affect a witness's decision. People sometimes have difficulty identifying people of other races. The questions the police ask witnesses also have an effect on them.
Many people believe that police officers are more reliable than ordinary people. Psychologists decided to test this idea, and they discovered that it is not true. Two psychologists showed a film of crimes to both police officers and civilians. The psychologists found no difference between the police and the civilians in correctly remembering the details of the crimes.
Despite all the possibilities for inaccuracy, courts cannot omit eyewitness testimony from a trial. American courts depend almost completely on eyewitness testimony to resolve court cases. Sometimes it is the only evidence to a crime, such as rape. Furthermore, eyewitness testimony is often correct. Although people do sometimes make mistakes, and convict innocent people, more importantly, eyewitness testimony has rightly convicted a larger number of guilty people.
American courts depend on the ability of the twelve jurors, and not the judges, to determine the accuracy of the witness's testimony. It is their responsibility to decide if a certain witness could actually see, hear and remember what happened. | [{'question': "Bernard Jackson was found guilty and sentenced 5 years' prison because _ .", 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['the victims insisted that he was the attacker', 'he admitted the crime of raping two women', 'the police discovered evidence leading to his guilt', "the eyewitness proved the victims' testimony"]}, {'question': "The following statements may be the reasons for why sometimes the eyewitness' testimony is not accurate EXCEPT _ .", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ["the eyewitness is confused by the police's questions", 'the eyewitness is shown photos of many similar faces', 'the eyewitness lacks the professional help from police', "the eyewitness can't identify people of other races clearly."]}, {'question': 'An inaccurate eyewitness testimony may lead to _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['the misunderstanding of the case', 'the disbelief in the court', 'the disrespect for the eyewitness', 'the conviction of an innocent person']}, {'question': 'Eyewitness testimony is important because _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['it can be relied on to detect criminals in all cases.', 'it is sometimes the only way to resolve court cases.', 'it is sometimes the only clue for police investigation.', 'it is more reliable than physical evidences to a crime.']}, {'question': 'According to the text, we can infer that _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['eyewitness testimony is valuable, though sometimes incorrect.', 'police identification is more reliable than that of the ordinary people', 'crime victims often fail to give positive identification of the suspects', 'the jury relies on the judge than the eyewitness for a decision']}] |
A survey reveals that employees in China say they are not engaged in their jobs. Judging by the survey data, many Chinese workplaces are black holes of misery and despair.
Only 6% of Chinese employees said they are "engaged" in their jobs, according to a global Gallup survey released this month. China's numbers equal the numbers out of war-weary Iraq.
Workers across all income levels and industries were surveyed by Gallup in China, defined by Gallup to mean they were "psychologically committed to their jobs and likely to be making positive contributions to their organizations".
Out of 94 countries polled, only six countries scored lower rates of job engagement than China, including Tunisia, Israel and Syria. Unsurprisingly, 0% of Syrians admitted to being engaged at work.
In a related survey, China ranked near the bottom in a poll measuring job satisfaction among 22 Asian countries. Only 49% of Chinese respondents said they were happy in their jobs.
Part of the problem, I suspect, is that very few in China have the _ to pursue a career that truly interests them.
Even university graduates often feel they have no choice but to choose the positions with the government or state-run enterprises, since those jobs are thought to be stable.
That makes those who are happy at work in China a rare find indeed. | [{'question': 'According to the author, why most Chinese dislike their jobs?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ["Because they don't take the jobs they really like", 'Because many Chinese workplaces are full of misery and despair.', 'Because they have no choice but to choose the stable jobs.', 'Because they are not psychologically committed to their jobs.']}, {'question': 'Which of the following jobs are the university graduates nowadays more likely to choose?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Lawyers', 'Civil Servants', 'self-made men', 'Doctors']}] |
"No man is an island" is a well-known line from John Donne's Devotion. It was written more than three hundred years ago. Even now people still agree with him. No one can live a completely lonely life. Without other people, life will become empty and sad. We all need to have friends.
For some of us, although making friends is not difficult, feeling shy, we may not want to make the first move. It is also difficult at times to keep the friends we already have.
There are many books about friendship, but Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People, written in 1936, is the most famous. This "how to" book about getting along with other people became a best seller. It was later put into 28 languages.
Dale Carnegie's advice seems to be simple, but can his advice help you? Do you need to change the way you act? Here is the list of advice from his book:
Be friendly and polite.
Always greet with a smile. Begin with "Excuse me" or "Would you please" when you want to ask somebody. Remember to say "Thank you" and try to be as helpful as you can.
Go out of your way to be nice.
Find some time to do special things for other people. Making some soup for a sick neighbour may seem like a little thing to you, but it will make your neighbor feel a lot better.
Remember names.
They say that the sweetest music to a person's ears is the sound of his or her own name.
Be open-minded.
Try to understand other people's ways and ideas and learn something from them.
Listen patiently.
When someone is talking to you, look at him or her, listen carefully and say something when necessary. | [{'question': 'The best title for the passage should be _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['How to Make Friends', 'A Famous Book', 'Friendship First', 'John Donne and Dale Carnegie']}, {'question': 'Some of us find it not easy to make friends because _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['we are afraid of making bad friends', 'we are shy to take the first action', 'we feel sure that we already have enough friends', "we feel worried that we won't be able to keep our friends"]}, {'question': 'We can learn from the passage that _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['John Donne learned something from Dale Carnegie', 'Friends are always friends', "Few people bought Carnegie's book", 'The writer of this passage agrees with John Donne and Dale Carnegie']}, {'question': "Which of the following is not talked about in Carnegie's book?", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Say "Excuse me" before you ask.', "Don't visit your neighbors too often.", 'Think more about others.', 'People enjoy hearing their own names.']}] |
Three-point-four billion riders on New York City subways and buses a year. This amazing number equals one-third of all mass transit trips in the United States. Ridership is at its highest in almost 60 years in almost every American city.
A commuter advocacy group, "Straphangers Campaign," attributes it to younger Americans, said Gene Russianoff.
"Millenials , those people born around the turn of the past century are much less car-oriented," he said. "They are urban. They like not owning cars, they like less responsibility and there are a lot of them."
In addition to millenials, many people believe public transit is economical and eco-friendly. In 2012 across America, people took 10.7 billion trips.
"When we talk about insurance rates going up, price of automobiles going up, then people are waking up and realizing: wait, here's this huge asset that has been _ ," said Richard Rudolph, chairman of the Rail Users Network. "Why not take advantage of this particular opportunity. It certainly makes more sense to get people out of automobiles into subways and into commuter and passenger railroads."
_ -- as passenger demand requires several major expansion projects. A new $4.5 billion subway line on New York's Second Avenue -- which was recently excavated underneath businesses and apartment houses -- will take an overload of passengers off of other subway lines. Its first phase completion is scheduled in 2016.
People who work in New York's financial district will soon be using a new transit subway transfer center. Almost all lines converge in lower Manhattan and the new center will give riders an easier way to get around the city and into New Jersey.
And, probably the most controversial and costly project is a $7 billion tunnel connection from Long Island into Manhattan's Grand Central Terminal. Trains from there will have access to New York's midtown business district.
Andrew Albert, a board member of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, said there were many other reasons the public was riding in increasing numbers.
"The system has gotten a lot more dependable. We have new cars. We have countdown clocks to tell you when the next train is coming. We have expanded facilities in places," he said.
New York's 24-hour, 7-day-a-week, transit system costs a $1.5 billion a year to maintain. It is one of the world's oldest, with its first subway line having opened in 1904. | [{'question': 'Which is Not the reason why the public is riding subways and buses in increasing numbers.', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Public transport facilities are better than before.', 'Many people believe public transit is economical and eco-friendly.', 'The system has gotten a lot more dependable.', 'It is more convenient to ride city subways and buses.']}] |
It is the goal of politicians everywhere-----how to win and keep the trust of voters.
Now researchers at the University of St Anurew's in Scotland say they may have the answer. They believe politicians could learn a lot from recent advances in science. A growing number of studies have shown that people do judge a book by its cover. Researchers say most of us make quick judgments about a person on the basis of how they look.
Studies suggest that people are less likely to trust those with particularly masculine features, such as a square jaw, small eyes or a big nose. " They are considered dominant and less trustworthy," says Ms Cornwell. "It doesn't mean that men who look more masculine are less trustworthy-----it's just our first impression." Those with less masculine features-----larger eyes, a smaller nose and thinner lips are thought to be more trustworthy.
The researchers are putting their science to the test at the Royal Society's annual summer exhibition in London. They have copied the faces of Prime Minister Tony Blair, Conservative leader Michael Howard and Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy stressing their dominant and trustworthy features. " We have used a computer program to change the shape of their faces and features. We hope it will help people to understand our work."
So should we expect to see them at the exhibition getting tips?
"I don't think it's something they will want to try," says Ms Cornwell. "It's not really possible with television. We all know what they look like." | [{'question': 'According to the passage, we know that _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['people with good facial features must be trustworthy', 'people with bad facial features could not be trustworthy', 'we should judge people by their facial features', 'facial features might give people some wrong impressions']}, {'question': 'According to Ms Cornwell, we can infer that _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['the science will give politicians great help', 'politicians could be successful with the help of the science', "politicians won't think highly of the science", 'politicians will be satisfied with the science']}, {'question': "What's the best title for the passage?", 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['How Science could Help Politicians', 'How to Win the Trust of Voters', 'The Other Sides of Politicians', 'An Important Discovery for Politicians']}] |
The SAT is one of two major tests for the entrance to American colleges and universities. The other test is called the ACT. More than 2 million students take the SAT yearly, including about 100,000 foreign students. The organization of the SAT will change the entrance test in 2016. The College Board announced that the new SAT will no longer test students on rarely used words. But it will include passages from American historical documents or from writings on freedom and human rights.
The College Board says words on the new test will be related to usage. Students will be asked to tell the meaning of words according to the context of the reading passages. Nigerian student Peace Umoru is in her first year at Howard University. She says the rarely used words are the hardest part for international students. The new test will be easier because of the reform.
Eddie West is with the College Board. He says the new test will better predict a student's performance in college. The changes are moving the test in a positive direction. The new SAT pays more attention to skills and abilities that students need to succeed. The addition of material about American historical documents could make the test harder for international students. After all, they live in different countries with different cultures. But it's a good chance for them to understand the Declaration of Independence or Martin Luther King's work, or anything else that might be tested.
Students from other countries, particularly those who did not grow up learning English, may feel it is more difficult. For them, the test is in a foreign language. But the College Board says it has formed a free, online educational service. Khan Academy will provide preparation material linked to the newly designed SAT. | [{'question': 'What will be tested in the new SAT?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['All the different meanings of a word.', 'The rare usage of the common words.', 'The difficult words for foreign students.', 'The proper meaning of the words in the passages.']}, {'question': 'The new SAT could be more difficult for international students because _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['they are short of skills and abilities', 'they often perform badly in college', 'they know nothing about American history', 'they have different cultural backgrounds']}, {'question': "What's the main idea of the text?", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['How to prepare for the new SAT.', 'The SAT will change the entrance test in 2016.', 'Advice for foreign students on passing the SAT.', 'Tests for entrance to American colleges and universities.']}] |
Love Is Just a Thread
Sometimes I really doubt whether there is love between my parents.Every day they are very busy trying to earn money to pay the high tuition for us.They don't act in the romantic ways that I read in books or I see on TV." I love you" is too luxurious for them to say .Sending flowers to each other on Valentine's Day is even more _ .My father is easy to lose his temper, especially when he's very tired from the hard work.
One day, my mother was sewing a quilt.I silently sat beside her and asked her if there was love between them." What?" she replied, still doing her work.My mother stopped her work and raised her head with surprise.She didn't answer immediately.Then she bowed her head and continued sewing the quilt.I was in a great embarrassment and I didn't know what to do.But at last I heard my mother say the following words: " Look at this thread.Sometimes it appears, but most of it disappears in the quilt.The thread really makes the quilt strong and durable.If life is a quilt, then love should be a thread.It can hardly be seen anywhere or anytime, but it's really there.Love is inside." I listened carefully but I couldn't understand her until the next spring.
My father suddenly got sick seriously.My mother had to stay with him in the hospital for a month.When they returned from the hospital, they both seemed as if they had a serious illness.Every day in the morning and dusk, my mother helped my father walk slowly on the country road.It seemed they were the most harmonious couple.There were many beautiful flowers, green grass and trees, and the sun gently glistened through the leaves.All of these made up the most beautiful picture in the world.When we were worrying about him, he said gently: " I really like walking with your mom.I like this kind of life." Reading his eyes, I know he loves my mother deeply.
Once I thought love meant flowers, gifts and sweet kisses.But from this experience, I understand that love is just a thread in the quilt of our life.Love is inside, making life strong and warm. | [{'question': 'Why does the author sometimes doubt that there is real love between her parents?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Because they are very busy earning money for the high tuition.', "Because they don't act in the romantic ways.", 'Because her father is easy to lose his temper to her mother', 'Because " I love you" is too luxurious for them to say']}, {'question': "What can we learn from her mother's answer about love?", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Love should be seen anywhere.', 'Love should be seen anytime.', 'Love should be a thread.', "Love is really existing everywhere and anytime even though we can't feel it."]}, {'question': 'What made her father change so greatly?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['The real love.', 'The thread of the quilt.', 'The beautiful scenery of the country road.', 'All the other members of the family.']}, {'question': "What's the main idea of the text?", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['We should understand our parents.', 'Love is inside, making life strong and warm.', 'Love is really very important to anyone.', 'Love should be outside, and can be seen everywhere.']}] |
First Lady Michelle Obama is a big fan of volunteering. Volunteering means working for free to help someone else. Mrs. Obama says volunteering is very important. "It should be part of everyone's life, " she says.
Many teens agree. They say that helping others feels great and makes a difference. These days, more teens volunteer than work for pay. Teens clean up parks, walk dogs at animal shelters , visit the elderly and more.
Some cities ---- including Seatle, Chicago, and Washingtong,D.C. ----require high school students to volunteer. Students must volunteer in order to graduate. The student volunteers learn new skills and help theircommunities .
Many parents _ the idea ---- they say volunteering helps teens build job skills. But most teens don't want to be forced to volunteer. They say they are busy. And they say volunteering is only fun if it's a choice.
Read both sides of thedebate and decide.
YES
* Volunteering can help teens get into college or get a job.
* Many cities and towns need help. Volunteers can help keep important programs going.
* Not all teens will volunteer if it isn't required. Schools should repuire students to do all they can to get ready for adult life.
NO
* Most teens are already very busy with classes, homework, jobs and sports. Forcing them to do more isn't fair.
* It should be up to each person. Helping out doesn't feel as good if you have to do it.
* Finding a volunteer job isn't always easy. Students shouldn't be kept from graduating because of something they can't control. | [{'question': 'The writer mentions Michelle Obama in order to _ ,', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['introduce the topic of the text', 'explain what volunteering is', 'tell what she does for the US', 'show she enjoys volunteering']}, {'question': 'According to the text, in Chicago, _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['finding a volunteer job is quite easy', 'more people would rather work for pay', 'volunteering is a must for high school students', 'college students have to volunteer before graduation']}, {'question': 'Which question does the text mainly discuss?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Is volunteering good for students?', 'What is the best time to volunteer?', 'Should students be required to volunteer?', 'Which volunteer jobs should students do?']}] |
Columbus made four voyages to the west between 1492 and 1504 in his vain search for a sea route to Asia. The mystery of why he failed to find it haunted him and filled him with sadness.
Wherever he went to Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, South America, Panama, down the coast of Central America--it was always the same story. Instead of golden palaces, there were grass huts and palm-leaf tents. Instead of silk-robed merchant princes, he found "Indians" who did not have so much as a shirt on their backs.
When Columbus explored the West Indies in 1493,he heard tales of a fierce Indian tribe who literally devoured its defeated enemies after a battle. These people were called by many names in the area, including Calina, Canima, Carib, and Caniba. Columbus recorded the name of the American natives as Canibales in Spanish, a word which came to refer, within a few years, to any eater of human flesh. In the similar fashion, the word Caribbean, a title for the sea as well as for the region, came into English.
At times Columbus knew that this new land was not China, not Japan, not the Spice Islands. He seemed to accept it as a part of the earth that the geographers of Europe had never heard of before. It was another world--and he called it exactly that--but Columbus also insisted until he died that land he had reached was an unknown part of Asia. | [{'question': 'What is the best title for this text?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Sailing to Asia', "Columbus' voyages", 'West Indies', 'Spice Islands']}, {'question': 'In the course of his four voyages, Columbus succeeded in _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['finding China and the Spice Islands', 'trading with many merchants', 'visiting several parts of Central and South America', 'sailing to Asia']}, {'question': 'Columbus thought that _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['others had sailed to Asia before him', 'it was impossible to sail to Asia', 'the land he had found was not China or Japan', 'the geographers knew about the land he had found']}, {'question': 'The text implies that _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Columbus never realized the full meaning of his discovery', 'Columbus was disappointed with his voyages', 'there was no way to reach Asia from Europe at that time', 'Columbus found exactly what he had intended to']}] |
Since my son is getting ready for first grade, I asked a friend where she shops for school supplies. For price and convenience, she had a quick answer: schoolpak.com. Parents can buy items or packaged equipment for all grades. The Generic Elementary School-pak for first through fifth graders, for example, is $23.28. (Teachers can also e-mail their grade's or school's whole list for a price on customized kits . Shipping is free for 75 or more kits)
_
Teachers thinks highly of educationalwarehouse.com for its learning tools and games--everything from puzzles and puppets to software and chalks.Classroomdirect.com has great prices on over 10.000 products and a special corner offering even deeper discounts.
Pick your lunch box
The second-most-difficult back-to-school decision, right after what to wear on the first day, is what kind of lunch box to buy. Jonas Brothers or Hannah Montana? Ariel or Elmo? Your kids can examine their (and your) lunch boxes at platesplus4kids.com andlunchboxes.com.
Trade in sports tools
My garage is a tangle of bikes and balls, sticks and clubs, so I was excited to find playitagainsports.com ---a company that helps you sell quality, name-brand sporting equipment. You'll have to visit one of its 320 stores, located in 46 states and the District of Columbia.
3 sites for saving
Feedthepig.org
Think about the savings if your kids (and you) stopped buying lunch out every day and brown-bagged it.
Goodshop.com
Support your favorite school by shopping at more than 1,000 participating shops. Up to 30 percent of every purchase is donated. And you'll find hundreds of deals and coupons .
Taxadmin.org
Click on 2009 State Sales Tax Holidays to see if your state has a tax-free shopping day. Check what's included before going to the store. | [{'question': 'The passage is mainly aimed at _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['parents', 'teachers', 'students', 'businessmen']}, {'question': "If you want to sell the bikes your children don't use, you can go to _ .", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['educationalwarehouse.com', 'playitagainsports.com', 'Feedthepig.org', 'Taxadmin.org']}, {'question': 'What does the writer think of picking a lunch box?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['It is very easy', 'It is rather hard', 'It proves interesting', 'It seems special']}, {'question': 'What can be filled in the blank in the first item?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Teachers are much wiser', 'Puzzles and puppets', 'Shops where teachers shop', 'Develop your brains']}, {'question': 'Both educationalwarehouse.com andTaxadmin.org _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['are well thought of by teachers', 'offer teaching tools', 'are tax-free', 'can save you some money']}] |
Going green seems to be a fad for a lot of people these days.Whether that is good or bad,we can't really say, but for the two of us, going green is not a fad but a life style.
On April 22,2011,we decided to be green every single day for an entire year. This meant doing 365 different things, and it also meant challenging ourselves to go green beyond the easy things. Rather than recycle and reduce our energy, we had to think of 365 diffenent things to do and this was no easy task.
With the idea of going green every single day a year,Our Greean Year started. My wife and I decided to educate people about how they could go green in their lives and hoped we could show people all green things that could be done to help the environment. We wanted to push the message that every little bit helps.
Over the course of Our Green Year, we completely changed our lifestyles. We now shop at organic stores. We consume less meat,choosing green food. We have greatly reduced our buying we don't need. We have given away half of what we owned through websites.Our home is kept clean by vinegar and lemon juice, with no chemical cleaners. We make our own butter, enjoying the smell of home-made fresh bread. In our home office anyone caught doing something ungreen might be punished.
Our minds have been changed by Our Green Year. We are grateful for the chance to have been able to go green and educate others. We believe that we do have the power to change things and help our planets. | [{'question': 'What might be the best title for the passage?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Going green', 'Protecting the planet', 'Keeping Open-Minded', 'Celebrating Our Green Year']}, {'question': 'It was difficult for the couple to live a green life for the whole year because _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['they were expected to follow the green fad', "they didn't know how to educate other people", 'they were unwilling to reduce their energy', 'they needed to perform unusual green tasks']}, {'question': 'What did the couple do over the course of Our Green Year?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['They tried to get out of their ungreen habits.', "They ignored others' ungreen behaviour.", 'They chose better chemical cleaners.', 'they sold their home-made food']}] |
2016 International Summer School
The 2016 University of Cambridge International Summer Schools will run in Cambridge from 6 July to 22 August 2016. Our programs give you the opportunity to meet award-winning lecturers, stay and dine in one of the historic Cambridge Colleges and enjoy a range of weekend excursions and social activities. To sign up for a program simply apply online, or download an application form from our website. Places on courses and in-college accommodation are limited, so we encourage applicants to apply early to avoid disappointment.
This year we will be offering specialist programs in: Ancient Empires, Literature, History, Medieval Studies and new for 2016, Creative Writing and Hanseatic League. If you are looking to study a number of different subject areas, the Interdisciplinary Summer School is ideal. It is divided into three terms, Interdisciplinary Summer School Term I, Interdisciplinary Summer School Term II and Interdisciplinary Summer School Term III, covering a wide range of subjects including politics, philosophy, economics, literature, history and international relations. You can _ one or two terms. But most students choose all the three terms.
The Cambridge English for Academic Purposes program combines a two-week intensive language course with a two-week academic program. This allows students to put into practice the language skills they have learned during the first two weeks of the program. Applicants will also have the opportunity to sign up for weekend excursions and take part in various events.
If you want to join us in 2016, please click here to download a copy of brochure . If you want to find out more information about 2016 International Summer School, you can visit www.ice.cam.ac.uk/intsummer. (CLICK HERE)
What our students say
"The entire experience was even better than I expected. I absolutely loved it." Sally, USA
"I believe that the Science International Summer School was a fulfilling experience. I think that everyone should attend this Summer School at least once in a lifetime." Dominika, Poland | [{'question': 'What should people do if they want to sign up for a program in this ad?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['They should go to Cambridge by plane.', 'They should phone Cambridge.', 'They should call for an application form.', 'They should apply for the program online.']}, {'question': 'Why are the applicants encouraged to apply early?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['The earlier they apply, the less they will pay.', 'If they apply late, they have to live out of Cambridge College.', 'There are not enough places for the courses or in-college accommodation.', 'The reason is not mentioned in the passage.']}] |
Women had a significant part to play during World War II,which was the time when women also made their own contributions.Some women's great efforts and their names have been recorded in history.Here's a look at some of the strong figures of women in World War II.
Tatiana Nikolaevna Baramzina was born in Glazov of Russia on December 12,1919.In 1943,she was sent to the Central Women's Sniper Training School and upon her graduation in April,she was further sent to the front.She managed to kill around 16 enemies in the first three months!Unfortunately,she was captured by the enemies and was killed on the fifth of July in 1944.Today,the street where she grew up has been renamed in her memory.
Anne Frank was a Germanborn Jewish girl who was wellknown for the publication of her diary that described all her experiences when the Germans occupied Holland in World War II.Anne was born on June 12,1929 and she,along with her family,went into hiding in July 1942.Two years later,her family was captured and seven months from her arrest,Anne Frank died of illness in early March 1945.
Margaret Ringenberg was born on 17 June,1921,in Indiana of America.She began her career during World War II when she became a ferry pilot for the Women Airforce Service Pilots.After that she turned a flight instructor in 1945.She even wrote her own book named Girls Can't Be Pilots.She passed away on 28 July,2008,after flying for 40,000 hours in the air.
Hannah Szenes was born on 17th July,1921 and was trained to parachute by the British army into Yugoslavia during World War II.This task was given in order to save the Jews of Hungary.Her secret mission was not revealed even when she was tortured following her arrest at the Hungarian border.Hannah Szenes had to brave immense tortures,yet she did not lose heart.She bravely battled it out and tried to sing to keep her spirits high!She also kept a record of events in her diary till 7th November,1944,when she was finally killed.
These names are just a few of the women who played a significant part in World War II.Their stories go a long way in showing the kind of lifestyles they led and their struggles and sacrifices. | [{'question': 'What is mainly discussed in the text?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Women were braver than men in World War II.', 'Women and men made equal contributions in World War II.', 'Women played a significant role in World War II.', "Women's death rate was high in World War II."]}, {'question': 'Which of the four women heroes died the youngest?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Tatiana Baramzina.', 'Anne Frank.', 'Margaret Ringenberg.', 'Hannah Szenes.']}, {'question': 'Who were killed by the enemy in the war?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Tatiana Baramzina and Anne Frank.', 'Hannah Szenes and Tatiana Baramzina.', 'Anne Frank and Margaret Ringenberg.', 'Margaret Ringenberg and Hannah Szenes.']}, {'question': 'It can be learned from the text that _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Tatiana Baramzina was once a flight instructor', 'Margaret Ringenberg was the best at writing about the war experiences', 'Anne Frank and her family were arrested by Germans in 1944', 'Hannah Szenes was arrested by Germans because of her diary']}] |
Dear Ana,
In your last letter, you told me that your boss Stephanie was probably looking for a new job and you didn't know how to tell her that you wanted to take her position if she left. Well, I'd like to tell you that there is no polite way to talk about this situation with your boss. After all, you are not one-hundred-percent sure that she is actually job-hunting. Even if you know for sure that she is, you can't, because it's not your business. Still, there are a couple of things that you can do to put yourself in a good position in case your boss does _ in the near future.
First, you can have a general conversation with her about your career plans. Say something like, "You've always been supportive of me, Stephanie, and I'd love you to give me some advice on my professional development." This will let your boss know that you're ready for a new challenge. Ask her to give you feedback about how she thinks you can improve as a future leader.
Second, ask for your manager's approval to talk with the training department about any program the company offers. There may or may not be any training, but making the request will still communicate your desire to get into a people-management role.
Third, you could say to your boss, "If there is anything you need my help with, I'd love it if you let me know. I am very interested in supporting you with anything you want to hand off."
Taking those three steps will make it clear to Stephanie that you're ready to be her No. 2.
Best regards,
Liz | [{'question': "We can infer that Ana's purpose for writing to Liz was to _ .", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['tell Liz that her boss is looking for a new job', "ask Liz if she has the ability to take her boss's position", 'ask Liz for advice on how to find a much better job', 'seek advice on how to make her boss know she wants her position']}, {'question': "Which of the following didn't Liz ask Ana to do?", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['To let her manager know her desire for training.', 'To ask her boss if she needs any help from her.', 'To ask her boss for advice on her career plans.', 'To find out who is also trying to get that position.']}, {'question': "We can learn from Liz's reply that _ .", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Ana has never talked about her career plans before', 'Ana is very sad to see her boss go as she has helped her a lot', "Ana's boss Stephanie may not be looking for a new job", "there are some training courses in Ana's company now"]}, {'question': 'According to Liz, if your boss is leaving for another job, you can _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['ask your manager to give the position to you', 'write to let him know you want his position', 'let him know you want his position indirectly', 'write a letter to your best friend for advice']}] |
The atmosphere and oceans are not the only parts of the environment being damaged. Rain forests are being quickly destroyed as well, and their survival is questionable. E.O. Wilson, a biologist at Harvard, called the depletion of rain forest areas "the greatest extinction since the end of the age of dinosaurs".
Unlike some environmental issues, rain forest depletion has fortunately received significant public and media attention. Despite the opposition to the cutting down of rain forests, the problem continues. Every year, Brazil chops down an area of forest the size of the state of Nebraska. In addition to the Amazon's rain forests, many other forests are being cut down as well. In Indonesia, Zaire, Papua-new Geinea, Malaysia, Burma, the Philippines, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, and Venezuela, rain forests that were once great have been lost.
According to some estimates, 50 million acres of rain forests are cut down every year. The United Nations says the figure is closer to 17 million acres. The World Wildlife Fund says every minute, 25 to 50 acres are cut or burned to the ground.
The world's growing population has been a primary reason of rain forest destruction. More people need land to live on and wood products to consume. Limiting population growth may be the first in a series of steps that would limit the destruction of the rain forests. | [{'question': 'In the opinion of the author, _ are being destroyed terribly at present.', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['the rain forests', 'the oceans', 'the atmosphere', 'all the above']}, {'question': 'Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ["The author thought the oceans' survival is questionable.", 'Luckily, people and mass media all paid special attention to the depletion of rain forest.', 'People have stopped cutting down rain forests because of the opposition of most people.', 'The United Nations says about 50 million acres of rain forests are cut down every year.']}, {'question': 'This passage mainly tells us _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['that limiting population growth is the primary step to solve all the environment problems.', 'a serious fact that the rain forests are being destroyed every year, and the reason for that.', 'about 25- 50 million acres of rain forests are destroyed each year.', 'the growing population is not the real cause of the environment problem.']}] |
We know that the earth has become warmer over the last century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a group established by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Program, reports that the average surface temperature of the earth has increased during the twentieth century by 0.6deg _ 0.2degC.(The _ 0.2degC means that the increase might be as small as 0.4degC or as great as 0.8degC). This may seem like a small shift, but although regional and short--term temperatures do fluctuate over a wide range, global temperatures are generally quite stable. In fact, the difference between today's average global temperature and the average global temperature during the last Ice Age is only about 5 degrees C. Indeed, it's warmer today around the world than at any time during the past 1,000years, and the warmest years of the previous century have occurred within the past decade.
We also know that human activities--primarily the burning of fossil fuels--have increased the greenhouse gas content of the earth's atmosphere significantly over the same period. Carbon dioxide is one of the most important greenhouse gases, which trap heat near the planet's surface.
The vast majority of climate researchers agree with these overall findings. The scientific disagreements that do still exist primarily concern detailed aspects of the processes that make up these largely accepted general themes.
You can think of this website as a window into the world of scientific research. In this primer, you'll find a general discussion of the physical processes underlying the earth's climate, an outline of the kinds of data that may shed light on how the climate is changing--and the role of human activity in these changes--and a description a some of the questions and uncertainties that researchers continue to explore. This primer is organized into four interconnected sections: the Atmosphere; the Hydrosphere ; the Cryosphere ; and the Biosphere . | [{'question': 'We know from the text that "IPCC" _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['engages in the climate and changes about the earth.', 'is a group by scientists who like to walk around the moon', 'works in the World Meteorological Organization', 'often greets the passers-by from the outer space']}, {'question': 'We know from the text that carbon dioxide _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['is one of the most important greenhouse gases', 'has fossil fuels', "traps cold near the planet's surface", 'exist in human activities']}, {'question': 'What would be the best title for this text?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['What Are the Scientific Disagreements', 'You Can Think of This Website', 'What Do We Know about Global Climate Change?', 'The Vast Majority of Climate Researchers']}] |
Conventional wisdom is a major barrier to innovation that threatens the survival of companies everywhere.It's based on the assumption that old ideas will always work,so they shouldn't be challenged. While this may be a valid assumption in situations that don't change,it's unlikely to hold true in a changing situation.In today's rapid changing global environment,old methods often don't work,and stubbornly using them can lead to major problems.
Most people seem to agree with conventional wisdom because it gives one a false sense of security.If everyone else believes it,then it must be true.Individuals who use conventional wisdom are certain that they are right,and being right is good. They want to continue using old ideas rather than take risks with changes that might not work.In 1977,Ken Olsen,co-founder and CEO of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC),stated "There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home." Despite being a dominant leader in the computer industry,DEC no longer exists.
People seem to forget that since innovation is a change,there can be no innovation without change.Unfortunately,conventional wisdom prevents leaders,followers and companies from changing and therefore innovating.If companies don't innovate,but their competitors do,the future is likely to be problematic. Breaking from conventional wisdom has led to many of the most innovative companies and products in history across many industries,so it has a powerful effect on business success.
Ted Turner (founder of CNN) knew little,if anything,about the news business,but he knew it was inconvenient to watch news only at the dinner hour,as was common before CNN.Turner's solution was to create a cable channel dedicated to news 24 hours a day.The news establishment reflected conventional wisdom at the time,and predicted his idea would fail because no one wanted to watch the news all day.However,it doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that viewers don't have to watch the news all day for the CNN to work.Viewers just have to watch when they want to get information.Due to conventional thinking,the critics failed to recognize the opportunity that was clear to Ted. They assumed that only what was familiar to them could work in the future.
Conventional wisdom prevents creativity,flexibility and risk-taking,so unconventional leaders enthusiastically break from it.To survive,thrive and maintain competitive advantage,companies must be flexible when reacting to change. | [{'question': 'DEC has disappeared probably because _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ["the consumers didn't like its products", 'the leaders lacked the sense of security', 'the CEO stuck to the conventional ideas', 'the employees took many risks with changes']}, {'question': 'The founding of CNN is used as an example to prove _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['missing opportunities could lead to failure', 'changing could contribute to business success', 'watching news at the dinner hour is convenient', 'conventional wisdom influences business success']}, {'question': 'The passage is mainly written to tell us that _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['old methods are changing with time', 'opportunities lead to business success', 'conventional wisdom limits innovation', 'successful companies need wise leaders']}] |
Postcards to myself
In 50 years of traveling Colin McCorpuodale has visited every country in the world, except three.And everywhere he goes,he sends himself a postcard.He always chooses a postcard with a beautiful view,and sticks on an interesting stamp.Usually he writes just a short message to himself.His latest one,from the Malians island,read Good fishing.
On a wall in his home in London there is a large map of the world.There are hundreds of little red pins stuck in it."It's good to get a pin in the map," says Mr.McCorquodale, "but I follow the rules.I'm allowed to stick one in only if I've been in a place for more than 24 hours."
Naturally,Mr.McCorpuodale has his favorite places.New Zealand he describes as"wonderful".In Europe,he says,"Italy is a favorite place.But in Italy tourists are worried that they will get ripped off because people there often charge too much for something."Of China he says,"This is one country in the world which is completely different.There is no European influence".
Wherever he goes,Mr.McCorpuodale takes with him a photo of his wife,a candle,a torch,a shirt with a secret pocket, and a pen for writing his postcards.
So why does he do it? For the postcards or the travel? Mr.McCorpuodale laughs."I do it for the journey,"he says."I get a kick out of traveling,and all the planning." | [{'question': 'What is written on his latest postcard?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['A favorite place', 'Malians island', 'Good fishing', 'A beautiful view']}, {'question': 'Tourists in Italy are often _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['beaten', 'helped', 'encouraged', 'cheated']}, {'question': 'From the passage we know that Mr.McCorpuodale _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['has visited all the countries in the world', 'has only three favorite places', 'takes his wife with him wherever he goes', 'gets a lot of pleasure from traveling and the planning for it']}] |
When I left my bag on a train, I lost my most precious possession, a small framed photograph of my great grandparents, Emily and Gordon Baker. The frame was made of silver, with an elegant flower design in one corner. The photograph was taken in March 1939 on their wedding day. Emily looked very happy, and Gordon looked rather alarmed. A few months later, he was killed in action in North Africa. I received the photograph when my aunt Mabel died.
I'm a student at Edinburgh University and I live in an old Edwardian house. At the end of last term, I packed a large bag and a small bag and set off for London, where I was planning to catch the Eurostar train to Paris. Minutes after getting off the train at Kings Cross Station, I realized that I'd left the small bag in the overhead luggage rack. I ran back to the train, but it had already left the platform.
This all happened several months ago, and I had become resigned to the loss of my most precious possession. Then last week, something extraordinary happened. I logged onto the site Bay and looked for a silver photo frame and I found it ! The photo of my great grandparents was on Bay !
I called the person who was advertising it. He was a little suspicious at first, and told me that he had bought it from a stall at an antique market. After we talked for a while, he asked if there was any way I could prove it was mine. All I could think of was that the photo was taken in March 1939. He opened the frame and made sure that this date was written by hand on the back of the photograph.
"It ' s definitely yours. " he said. "Come and get it ! "
5(11) | [{'question': "The author's most precious possession was _ .", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['A wedding photo in a silver frame taken in North Africa', 'A pretty family portrait in a silver frame taken in 1939', 'A special photo of his great grandparents in a silver frame', 'A common photograph of his grandparents taken by Mabel']}, {'question': 'Which of the statement about the author is not wrong?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['He left the photo on a train and never got it back.', 'He put the photo in a small bag and left it on a train.', 'He left the photo on the Eurostar and ran back to get it.', 'He left the photo at his old Edwardian house in Edinburgh']}, {'question': "The man advertising the frame proved it was the author's _ .", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['by calling the seller up immediately', 'according to the price of the silver frame', "by the author's explanation about the photo", 'by the date written on the back of the photo']}, {'question': 'It can be inferred that the author felt _ when he found the silver photo on Bay.', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['nervous', 'excited', 'disappointed', 'worried']}] |
Ban Fur? Then Why Not Leather?
Much to the displeasure of some local businesses, the City Council in West Hollywood, California, voted without opposition last week to ban the sale of fur products. Should laws be involved in this issue? Is it unfair to ban sales of fur, but not sales of leather and hides ?
Animals Do Not Have Rights
By Tibor R. Machan
My view is that animals do not have basic rights. It is a matter of ethics and not of the laws of human societies. If animals had such rights as human beings do, they would have to be held responsible for killing fellow animals in the wild. That way of thinking about animals makes a category mistake. Using animals, including their fur or organs, to improve people's lives is acceptable.
A Small Step Against Cruelty
By Kate Carter
Both fur and leather are the skins of dead animals. Why should we think that the lovable furry ones deserve more of a life than the less pleasing ones? Some say leather is less cruel because it's a byproduct of the meat industry. But this isn't really true. Some cheap leather may be a byproduct of the meat industry, but often it's the other way round. In South Africa, where there is a developing market for ostrich farms, the skins account for roughly 80 percent of the slaughtered birds' value, a mere 20 percent of which comes from the meat.
"Who" Are You Wearing?
By Marc Bekoff
West Hollywood's ban is a move in the right direction. However, we must work to ban the sales of leather and hides, too. Furs come from animals who are attacked to become clothing, while some leather and hides come from slaughterhouse animals. We must remember that when people choose to wear fur, leather and hides, they are wearing formering conscious beings. So it's a matter of who they are wearing, not what they are wearing because these animals must be referred to as who and not what or that. | [{'question': 'What is the passage mainly about?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ["West Hollywood's ban on fur products.", 'Differences between fur and leather sales.', "The government's role in protecting animals.", 'The ecological imbalance in West Hollywood.']}, {'question': 'Tibor R. Machan seems to believe that _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['laws should be passed to protect animals', 'humans are respornsible for killing animals', 'it is not reasonable to use animals to improve life', "animals and humans aren't supposed to share equal rights"]}, {'question': "What is Kate Carter's opinion about wearing fur and wearing leather?", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Both are decided by the meat industry.', 'There is little distinction between them.', 'Wearing fur is generally more acceptable.', 'Wearing leather is cheaper than wearing fur.']}, {'question': "What is Marc Bekoff's attitude towards sales of fur?", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Sympathetic.', 'Careless.', 'Tolerant.', 'Opposed.']}] |
About ten years ago, a young and very successful businessman named Josh was traveling down a Chicago neighborhood street. He was going a bit too fast in his shiny, black, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE, which was only two months old.
He was watching for kids rushing out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no child came out, but a brick sailed out and - WHUMP! - it hit the Jaguar's shiny black side door! SCREECH ... ! ! ! ! Immediately Josh stopped the car, jumped out, seized the kid and pushed him up against a parked car. He shouted at the kid, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing?!" "That's my new Jaguar, that brick you threw is gonna cost you a lot of money. Why did you throw it?"
"Please, mister, please...I'm sorry! I didn't know what else to do!" begged the youngster. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop!" tears were streaming down the boy's face as he pointed around the parked car. "It's my brother, mister," he said. "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up. " Sobbing, the boy asked the businessman, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me. "
Moved by the words, the young businessman lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapers and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be OK. He then watched the younger brother push him down the sidewalk toward their home.
It was a long walk back to the black, shining, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE -- a long and slow walk. Josh never did fix the side door of his Jaguar. He kept the dent to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at him to get his attention. Feel for the bricks of life coming you. | [{'question': "The boy threw a brick at the businessman's car because _ .", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['he wanted to ask for some money', 'he wanted to get help from the driver', 'the businessman drove at a high speed', 'he hated the brand-new car very much']}, {'question': 'What can we learn from the passage?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Josh would accept the money from the kids.', "The two kids were Josh's neighbors.", "Josh's new car broke down easily.", 'Josh was a kind-hearted man.']}, {'question': 'According to the passage, the last sentence means _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['trying to be more understanding seeing others in trouble', 'trying to get ready for the trouble in your future life', 'driving fast in a neighborhood street is dangerous', 'protecting oneself from being hurt']}] |
*200 dead as Brazilian plane crashes in Sao Paulo
Up to 200 people were dead after a passenger plane with 176 people aboard slid off the runway on landing and hit a fuel storage tank at Sao Paulo's Congonhas airport on Tuesday.
Brazilian airline TAM said that 170 passengers and 6 crew were aboard the Airbus A320 flying from Porto Alegre in southern Brazil to Sao Paulo when it lost control on landing and slid off the wet runway.
Brazilian news agency Folha reported up to 200 people were dead, including some victims on the ground.
* _
Two people were killed Saturday in two separate plane crashes in the United States, media reports said.
In Dayton, Ohio, a plane crashed on a runway of the Dayton International Airport while performing during the Vectren Dayton Air Show. The pilot, Jim LeRoy, was taken to Miami Valley Hospital and was announced dead. The air show was canceled.
Also on the same day, two single-engine war planes at an experimental air show collided in Wisconsin while landing, killing one of the pilots and injuring the other.
*All 114 aboard Kenya plane killed
A Kenya Airways plane that crashed after takeoff in Cameroon with 114 people on board is largely submerged in a swamp and there is no chance of survivors, Cameroon 's civil protection service said on Monday
The Boeing 737-800 had taken off from Douala and its wreckage was found just 12 miles from the town. The plane fell head first. But the cause of the crash remained unclear.
Among the passengers were Associated Press reporter Anthony Mitchella and an executivefrom the South African cell phone giant MTN. Five Chinese passengers were also killed in the crash . | [{'question': 'The Brazilian plane crash caused extra deaths mainly because _', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['.it skidded off the wet runway.', 'the runway. was very short', 'it hit a fuel storage tank', 'its pilot was inexperienced']}, {'question': 'The proper title for News 2 would be _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Two pilots killed in plane crashes in US', 'The tragedies of the air show', 'Who is to blame for the plane crashes?', 'Big losses can result from small things']}, {'question': 'Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE as for the Kenya plane crash?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['The plane crashed after the plane took off.', 'The cause of the crash was under examination', '114 passengers on board were killed including an African', 'The place where the plane crashed led to many more deaths']}, {'question': 'It can be inferred from the three news that _', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['whenthe Airbus A320 landed, it was likely to be raining heavily', 'during the Vectren Dayton Air Show , the pilot, Jim LeRoy died on the scene', 'The place where the Boeing 737-800 crashed was just 12 miles from the town', 'Five Chinese passengers were victims of the Kenya plane crash']}] |
City Varieties
The Headrow, Leeds. Tel. 430808
Oct 10-11 only A Night at the Varieties.All the fun of an old music hall with Barry Cryer, Duggle Brown, 6 dancers, Mystina, Jon Barker, Anne Dural and the Tony Harrison Trio. Laugh again at the old jokes and listen to your favourite songs.
Performances: 8 pm nightly.
Admission: L5; under 16 or over 60: L4.
York Theatre Royal
prefix = st1 /St Leonard's Place, York. Tel. 223568
Sept 23- Oct 17 Groping for Words-- a comedy by Sue Townsend. Best known for her Adrian Mole Diaries, Townsend now writes about an evening class, which two men and a woman attend. A gentle comedy.
Admission: First night, Mon: L2; Tues- Fri: L3.25 - 5.50; Sat: L3.50 - 5.75.
Halifax Playhouse
King's Cross Street, Halifax. Tel. 365998
Oct 10-17 On Golden Pondby Ernest Thompson. This is a magical comedy about real people. A beautifully produced, well-acted play for everyone. Don't miss it.
Performances: 7:30 pm.
Admission: L2. Mon: 2 seats for the price of one.
Grand Theatre
Oxford Street, Leeds. Tel. 502116
Restaurant and Cafe
Oct 1-17 The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13. Sue Townsend's musical play, based on her best-selling book.
Performances: Evenings 7:45. October 10-17, at 2:30 pm. No Monday performances.
Admission: Tues-Thurs: L2- 5; Fri & Sat: L2- 6. | [{'question': 'Which theatre offers the cheapest seat?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Halifax Playhouse.', 'City Varieties.', 'Grand Theatre.', 'York Theatre Royal.']}, {'question': 'If you want to see a play with old jokes and songs, which phone number will you ring to book a seat?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['502116', '223568', '365998', '430808']}, {'question': 'We may learn from the text that Sue Townsend is _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['a writer', 'an actress', 'a musician', 'a director']}] |
There have been many great inventions, which have changed the way we live. The first great invention was one that is still very important today---the wheel. This made it easier to carry heavy things to travel long distances. For hundreds of years there were few inventions that have made as much effect as the wheel. There was little unknown land left in the world. People didn't have to explore much any more. They began to work to make life better instead.
In the second half of the 19th century many great inventions were made. Among them were the camera, the electric light and the radio. These all became a big part of our life today. The first part of the 20th century saw more great inventions. The helicopter in 1909. Sound movies in 1926. The computer in 1928, and jet planes in 1930. This was also a time when a new material was made. Nylon came out in 1935. It changed the kind of clothes people wear. The middle part of the 20th brought new ways to help people get over diseases. They worked very well. They made people healthier and let them live long lives. By the 1960s most people could expect to live to be at least 60. By this time most people had a very good life. Of course new inventions continued to be made. But man now had a wish to explore again. The world is known to man but the stars are not yet. Man began looking for ways to go into space. Russia made the first step. Then the United States took a step. Since then other countries, including China and Japan, have made their steps into space. | [{'question': 'The first great invention ever known was _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['the camera', 'the wheel', 'the electric light', 'the radio']}, {'question': 'Which of the following was turned out nearly at the same time with the jet plane?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['The radio.', 'The camera.', 'Nylon.', 'The helicopter.']}, {'question': 'This passage talks mainly about _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ["how inventions affect people's life", 'when electric light was invented', 'which country made the first step into space', 'why cars were very important']}, {'question': "We can safely come to the conclusion that people's life will be made even better through _ .", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['new discoveries', 'greater inventions', 'better ways to get over diseases.', 'all of above']}] |
"Thanks for coming," Everett said, shaking hands with Mr. Hanson, the town councilor .
"I'm curious about the ideas in your letter." Mr. Hanson nodded toward the parking lot near where they stood. "Please tell me more."
Everett took a deep breath. "Ever since the school closed two years ago, this area has become worse. But if we clean up the litter and repair the fence, it will be a great place for a skateboard park." Mr. Hanson scanned the broken concrete, nodding. "The old school is being adapted to a community arts centre. This area could become a vital part of the neighbourhood again."
"Here's a picture of a skateboard park in another town. Look how busy it is." Everett was relieved that the community representative seemed receptive to the idea. Mr. Hanson studied the photograph, and then asked, "If town council provides the money, how will you and your friends contribute?" Everett felt optimistic now. "We'll help design and build the ramps . More experienced boarders could give lessons to raise money!" Everett's voice was enthusiastic.
However, Mr. Hanson said, "We'll still need parking spaces, and the neighbours will not like late-night noise. They might worry about the crime of deliberately damaging public property and...."
"The skateboard park would use only the back corner, which isn't near any houses. Since young people already hang out here, why not give them something fun and physically active to do in their free time?" The lines over Mr. Hanson's forehead unwrinkled , and Everett's hopes rose again. "If everyone works together," Everett thought, "maybe this idea will become reality." | [{'question': 'Where were Everett and Mr. Hanson talking?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['In the city hall.', 'Outside a park.', 'Near the parking lot.', 'In the art centre.']}, {'question': 'Everett was trying to persuade Mr. Hanson to _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['beautify the neighbourhood', 'provide money for a skateboard park', 'build an art centre for children', 'cut the area of the parking lot']}, {'question': "How did Mr. Hanson finally feel about Everett's suggestion?", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Curious.', 'Hopeful.', 'Receptive.', 'Enthusiastic.']}] |
Two things changed my life: my mother and a white plastic bike basket. I have thought long and hard about it and it's true. I would be a different person if my mom hadn't turned a silly bicycle accessory into a life lesson I carry with me today.
My mother and father were united in their way of raising children, but it mostly fell to my mother to actually carry it out. Looking back, I honestly don't know how she did it. Managing the family budget must have been a very hard task., but she made it look effortless. If we complained about not having what another kid did, we'd hear something like, "I don't care what so -and -so got for his birthday, you are not getting a TV in your room a car for your birthday a lsvish sweet 16 party." We had to earn our allowance by doing chores around the house. I can stil l remember how long it took to polish the legs of our coffee table.My brothers can no doubt remember hours spent cleaning the house .Like the two little girls growing up at the White House,we made our own beds (no one left the house unitil that was done)and picked up after ourselves.We had to keep track of our belongings ,and if something was lost ,it was not replaced.
It was summer and ,one day ,my mother drove me to the bike shop to get a tire fixed---and there it was in the window, White, shiny, plastic and decorated with flowers ,the basket winked at me and I knew ----I knew---I had to have it.
"It's beautiful," my mother said when I pointed it out to her,"What a neat basket."
I tried to hold off at first ,I played it cool for a short while. But then I guess I couldn't at and it any longer:"Mom, please can I please ,please get it? I 'll do extra chores for as long as you say, I'll do anything ,but I need that basket,I love that basket.Please ,Mom .Please?"
I was desperate.
"You know," she said ,gently rubbing my back while we both stared at what I believes was the coolest thing ever," If you save up you could buy this yourself."
"By the time I make enough it'll bu gone!"
"Maybe Roger here could hold it for you," she smiled at Roger ,the bike guy.
"He can't hold it for that long ,Mom .Someone else will buy it .Please, Mom,Please?"
"There might be another way," she said.
And so our paying plan unfolded. My mother bought the beautiful basket and put it safely in some hiding place I couldn't find. Each week I eagerly counted my growing saving increased by extra work here and there (washing the car ,helping my mother make dinner, delivering or collecting things on my bike that already looked _ without the basket in front).And then ,weeks later ,I counted ,re-counted and jumped for joy. Oh ,happy day ! I made it! I finally had the exact amount we'd agreed upon....
Days later the unthinkable happened. A neighborhood girl I'd played with millions of times appeared with the exact same basket fixed to her shiny ,new bike that already had all the bells and whistles. I rode hard and fast home to tell my mother about this disaster. This horrible turn of events.
And then came the lesson . I've taken with me through my life:"Honey, Your basket is extra-special," Mom said, gently wiping away my hot tears."Your basket is special because you paid for it yourself." | [{'question': 'When the author saw the basket in the window,she _', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['fell in love with it', 'stared at her mother', 'recognized it at once', 'went up to the bike guy']}, {'question': 'Why did the author say many "please" to her mother?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['She longed to do extra work.', 'She was eager to have the basket.', 'She felt tired after standing too long.', 'She wanted to be polite to her mother.']}, {'question': 'To the author, it seemed to be a horrible turn of events that', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['something spoiled her paying plan', 'the basket cost more than she had saved', 'a neighborhood girl had bought a new bike', 'someone else had got a basket of the same kind']}, {'question': 'What is the life lesson the author learned from her mother?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Save money for a rainy day', 'Good advice is beyond all price.', 'Earn your bread with your sweat', 'God helps those who help themselves']}] |
Sports, drama, and a variety of organizations keep students busy during high school. Where do they find the money to do these things? Not everyone gets it from Mommy and Daddy. Most have to pay for these activities. Some adults question if high school students should have jobs.
Some people worry that teens with after-school jobs will struggle to find time for homework. Actually, the responsibility of having a job helps teens prioritize their time. Many jobs take only a couple of hour shifts on weeknights. According to a survey, 86 percent of high school students have an after-school, weekend or summer job and students who work between 10 and 20 hours per week during the school year have statistically higher grades-point averages than those who do not work at all. Those who work in high school are more likely to work in college, and financing their college education is a top reason for undergraduates to look for employment. Instead of considering jobs a barrier, employment should be looked at as real-world education.
Other people think that work adds too much stress, which may be somewhat true, but regardless of having a job or not, there is always going to be stress. Better to learn how to deal with busy schedules in a controlled environment like high school than to be out on your own and alone, experiencing stress for the first time. I personally would be more concerned for the teenager who has to become independent without having any familiarity with working.
The biggest reason teens should be allowed to work is that it is a healthy way of earning money. My dad told me, "Having a job is a good way to save up for things you are going to need or want to do. You get a lot more out of things if you are financially responsible for them." Kids need the freedom to choose how to spend their money. The sooner they have an income, the sooner they can learn how to use money wisely. If they are not allowed to work in high school, they may run into trouble in the future. | [{'question': "According to the survey, compared with those who don't work, teens with after-school jobs are _ .", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['more likely to go to college', 'usually doing better at school', 'more willing to pay for their education', 'able to find a better job after graduation']}, {'question': 'Who does the author worry about most?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Teens who have trouble in balancing their study and work', 'Teens who will face much stress when working part-time.', 'Teens who have to learn to take responsibility for themselves.', 'Teens who have to be independent without any work experience.']}, {'question': "The author's father advised him to _ .", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['learn how to use money wisely', 'earn money to get what he wants', 'work hard to have a bright future', 'take part in after-school activities']}, {'question': "The author's attitude towards teens having after-school jobs is _ .", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['cautious', 'unconcerned', 'supportive', 'negative']}] |
Most people know that awkward feeling when you step into an elevator with other people and try not to make eye contact.
But new research suggests it may be down to a subconscious power struggle being played out as you make your way up or down.
A study found that people decide where they stand based on a micro social grading, established within seconds of entering the lift.
Rebekah Rousi, a Ph.D. student in cognitive science, conducted an study of elevator behaviour in two of the tallest office buildings in Adelaide, Australia.
As part of her research, she took a total of 30 lift rides in the two buildings, and discovered there was an established order to where people tended stand.
In a blog, she writes that more senior men seemed to direct themselves towards the back of the elevator cabins.
She said: 'In front of them were younger men, and in front of them were women of all ages.'
She also noticed there was a difference in where people directed their stare half way through the ride.
Men watched the monitors , looked in the side mirrors (in one building) to see themselves, and in the door mirrors (of the other building) to also watch others.
'Women would watch the monitors and avoid eye contact with other users (unless in conversation) and the mirrors,' she writes.
The student concluded it could be that people who are shyer stand toward the front, where they can't see other passengers, whereas brave people stand in the back, where they have a view of everyone else. | [{'question': 'According to Rebekah Rousi, senior men intend to stand _ of the elevator cabins.', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['in the front', 'in the middle', 'near the side mirrors', 'at the back']}, {'question': 'Why do women choose to stand in the front?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Because they are too shy to make eye contact with others.', 'Because they can have a view of everyone else.', 'Because they want to show their power.', 'Because they want to watch the monitors.']}] |
Immigration is the act of coming to a foreign country to live. The act of leaving one's country to settle in another is called emigration. Immigrants who flee their country because of persecution, war, or such disasters as famines or epidemics are known as refugees or displaced persons. Most people find it very hard to pull up roots in their native land and move to a strange country. But throughout history, countless millions of people have done so. The heaviest immigration worldwide took place from the early 1800's to the Great Depression, the economic hard times of the 1930's. In that period, about 60 million people moved to a new land. Most came from Europe. More than half immigrated to the United States. Other destinations included Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Today, the availability of fast, safe, and cheap transportation helps make migration easier. Asia is replacing Europe as the major immigrant-sending area. The United States remains the chief receiving nation.
People abandon their homeland and move to another country for various reasons.
The main reason for immigration has long been economic opportunity----the desire for better land or a better job. During the 1800's, for example, the rich prairie land of the United States attracted many European farmers. Today, professional people commonly emigrate because of better opportunities elsewhere. Such emigration has sometimes been called brain drain. Many doctors and nurses and numerous engineers and scientists have moved to the United States.
Religious persecution has led many people to move to a new land for the freedom to practice their faith. Such immigrants include Jews expelled from England in the 1200's.
Wars, revolutions, and political unrest have driven innumerable people to find new homes. In the 1990's alone, millions of refugees fled from warfare in Afghanistan, Iraq, Liberia, Iran, Uganda, Southeastern Asia, and Central America.
Some immigrants were brought to a new land against their will. From the 1500's to the 1800's Europeans shipped black Africans to the Western Hemisphere as slaves. The United Kingdom transported prisoners to Australia from the late 1700s to the 1860s to relieve over crowding in British jails. Before that time, the United Kingdom sent prisoners to the American colonies.
Immigrants have made enormous contributions to the culture and economy of such nations as Australia, Canada, New Zealand the United States. But their accomplishments have been made with great difficulty. At times, the United States, like many receiving countries, has restricted immigration to maintain a more homogeneous society in which all the people share the same ethnic, geographic, and cultural background. Although some immigration laws have been relaxed, many new comers of different backgrounds still face challenges in gaining acceptance. | [{'question': 'Most Immigrants to the United States in the nineteenth century came from _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Europe', 'Asia', 'Australia', 'South Africa']}, {'question': 'There are altogether _ reasons of immigration listed in the passage.', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['2', '3', '4', '5']}, {'question': 'The main reason for immigration is _ according to the passage.', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['slavery trade', 'religious persecution', 'economic opportunity', 'political unrest']}] |
"Humans have a code of ethics ," says Marc Bekoff, an animal behavior expert at the University of Colorado. " If I don't play in a certain way, you won't play with me. Some animals have the same code."
Scientists recently discovered that animals that live in groups, such as elephants, foxes, and wolves, are especially likely to follow rules. If they don't, and each does its own thing, the group might break apart. Group members would be forced to live alone. Then they'd have a harder time hunting and raising their young.
That's probably why a traveling wolf pack stopped and waited to let its slowly moving leader catch up. Similar social ties may have caused a captive elephant to save her friend from drowning. Selfish reasons certainly motivated the male fox, who wanted to keep playing.
Sometimes, though, animals go out of their way to do what's right, even when there's nothing in it for them. Nobody knows why. " It might simply feel good to be kind, just as it does for humans," says Bekoff.
If your friend wasn't nice to you, what would you do? Maybe you would just walk away. That's exactly what a wild red fox did when she was play-boxing with another fox. The larger fox, a male, began pushing too hard. The little female didn't like fighting. She ran away quickly.
" He still wanted to play," says Marc Bekoff. So the male fox ran after his playmate, bowed down, and rolled over. His body language meant, " Don't leave, I'll play nicely." The female gave him another chance, and the male wrestled more gently this time. | [{'question': 'Some animals living in groups are similar to humans in _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['feeling good about going out of their way', 'playing with each other', 'raising their young', 'following certain rules']}, {'question': 'Why are animals who live in groups especially likely to follow rules?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Because they can make an easier living in that way.', 'Because they can have a harder time hunting in that way.', 'Because they can keep playing with each other.', 'Because they can save their friends from danger.']}, {'question': 'It can be learned from the passage that _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['following rules makes it easy for animals to seek for mates', 'some animals like to follow the examples of human beings', 'some animals also have a code of ethics like human beings', 'following rules is common behavior of all animals']}, {'question': "What's the main idea of the passage?", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Humans have a code of ethics like some animals.', 'Animals will follow certain rules in their group like humans.', "Scientists have made a great discovery about animals' behaviour.", "Animals go out of their way to do what's right."]}] |
On a hot summer day, a soft drink can really take away your thirst. At home, at school, in the park or at the movies---you can find one almost anywhere.
Carbonated
You can see bubbles in these! Of all soft drinks sold, about 75 percent are carbonated . But be careful, carbonated soft drinks have lots of sugar and caffeine . Caffeine is not very good for you in the summer because it takes water out of your body. And the sugar can make you overweight if you drink too much.
Fruit juice
There are different kinds of juice. One kind is made only from fresh fruit. This kind of fruit juice may not taste sweet enough for some people, but it is nutritious . Another kind of fruit juice tastes good but has lots of sugar in it. Many young people buy this kind because the advertisements are good. It is bad for your teeth and bones to drink lots of this.
Energy drinks
These kinds of drinks have caffeine and things that make people get excited in them. They are sometimes called "party drinks". Doctors say that if you drink too much of this kind, you may have a heart attack.
Bottled water
We have lots of different kinds of bottled water, such as mineral water, purified water and distilled water . They are clean and easy to drink. But it is best not to drink very cold water. It may make your stomach feel bad.
Sports drinks
Most of these have funny names like "Scream " and "G-Vital ". They have lots of vitamins and minerals in them. After you play sports, you may want to drink one of these.
But if you just spend your summer holiday sitting around watching TV, you won't need them at all! | [{'question': 'Which two types of drinks may make you overweight?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Carbonated and fruit juice.', 'Energy drinks and sports drinks.', 'Carbonated and energy drinks.', 'Fruit juice and bottled water.']}, {'question': 'Which one may lead to your heart disease?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Carbonated.', 'Fruit juice.', 'Energy drinks.', 'Sports drinks']}, {'question': 'After sports, you have sports drinks because _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['they can take away your thirst', "they can put back minerals you've lost in sweat", 'they have funny names that sound very exciting', 'they have no sugar']}, {'question': 'The writer wrote this passage to _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['warn us to keep away from soft drinks', 'teach us some useful ways of keeping healthy', 'tell us how to choose a good one from all kinds of drinks', 'make the advertisements for soft drinks']}] |
Zoe, Damacela, 19, didn't have nice clothes when she was young. It wasn't easy for Zoe's hard-working single mother to make ends meet. They moved in and out of homeless shelters.
Everything changed for Zoe in grade nine. At that time, she heard about a sewing class at her school. She signed up and couldn't wait to turn her designs into clothes. The color of the first dress she made was white-black strips. Soon the clothes she wore were all made by her. Other girls at school loved her designs too. They asked her if they could buy dresses from her. Zoe sold her first dress for $13. Unfortunately, it cost her $25 to make the dress. "I had the creativity in designs," says Zoe. "But I really had no idea about business."
Zoe kept selling the clothes she designed. Her business was booming, and even the girls who had ever teased her became her customers. In the eleventh grade, Zoe took a business class. She learned how to price her clothes so that she could be sure to make a fair profit.
Her business teacher suggested she take part in a contest for teenaged entrepreneurs . The contest was for teens from all over the United States. Zoe sent in her business plan, which explained how she planned to make her company grow. She won the second prize in the end. Zoe 's success became a news item. Supermodel Tyra Banks heard about it and she invited Zoe to take part in her TV show. "Being recognized I felt really unreal,"says Zoe. Zoe has advice for teens who want to start their own business. "If you really work hard on it, you will be able to make it happen," she says. "If I can do it, anyone else can." | [{'question': 'We can learn that _ when she was in grade nine.', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Zoe had no interest in designing clothes', 'Zoe seldom wore her self-made clothes', "Zoe didn' t know how to make money", 'Zoe attended a business course']}, {'question': 'After winning the contest, Zoe _', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['considered it a reward', 'expected to be known', 'was proud of her own gift', 'could hardly believe it']}, {'question': 'Zoe advised the teens _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['to make efforts to achieve their dreams', 'to design and make their own clothes', 'to try every means to become famous', 'to do whatever they would like to']}, {'question': 'What is the main idea of the passage?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['How Zoe learned to design clothes.', 'A poor girl achieved success in business.', 'How Zoe got a prize in a contest.', 'A poor girl was invited to a TV show.']}] |
I was on vacation, and in my mind, vacation does not mean setting my hotel room alarm clock for 6 am. But when you're in Aruba and hoping to reserve a beachside palapa , that's exactly what you do.
Tourists begin lining up at the crack of dawn to secure these umbrella-like wood structures that are covered with dried and woven palm leaves. They then place towels on chairs and call them theirs for the day, whether they remain there or not. I knew nothing of _ on my first day in Aruba. I saw an empty chair covered with a towel and took it. It was a big mistake.
For many visitors, a week bathing in the sun is the only activity they wish to pursue. It sounded good to my girlfriend, Barbara, and me after Boston's awful winter. Six more inches of snow was predicted on the day we left. The sun, the sand, and the beach seemed just about right.
Aruba's slogan is "One Happy Island", and it doesn't take long to understand why. Aruba is said to be on "island time". Translation: No one is in a rush to do anything. When in Aruba, you go with the flow, however slow and lazy that might be.
Cooling trade winds, white sandy beaches, turquoise waters, and dazzling sunsets are all good reasons to visit. But this 20-mile island offers more than lazy days walking on the beach. There is amazing night life, casinos, golf, scuba diving , fine dining, shopping, and a great national park.
But our first day was spent as you'd expect, swimming in the sea and enjoying cool drinks. Our drink of choice quickly became the Coco Loco. It's as refreshing as it sounds. | [{'question': 'Tourists get up at 6 am because they _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['want to see the sunrise early', 'need to check out early', 'want to have fun longer', 'need to reserve a beachside palapa']}, {'question': 'What did the author do on his first day there ?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['He went shopping.', 'He swam in the sea.', 'He went scuba diving.', 'He visited a national park.']}] |
In 1969 I was a young girl working in Toronto. I was from a small town in Ontario and had just moved to the big city about three months earlier. It was one week before Christmas and I was going home on the last streetcar of the evening.
I remember looking at my paycheque and asking myself how it was going to endure. At that time in my life I hardly had enough money to exist on. Bread for supper and oatmeal for breakfast was the only way I kept hunger at bay.
I got off the streetcar and started walking up the street, when I suddenly noticed a man was running after me. I stopped, turned around, seeing that he was black. I _ , "What do you want?" The man answered in a soft voice, "I am returning your wallet. You left it on the streetcar seat."
Because of that man's thoughtfulness, I was allowed the comfort of going home by bus for the summer holidays. Otherwise, I would have stayed alone in my small room with a hog plate.
I have never been so ashamed of myself, and that poor, kind man had to walk, who knows how far, home.
I recognized immediately that this was wrong of me and it changed my ways forever. | [{'question': 'Why was the black man running after the writer?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['To rob her.', 'To scare her.', 'To make friends with her.', 'To return her wallet.']}, {'question': 'What is the writer trying to tell her readers?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Never judge people by their appearance.', 'She had been struggling to her success.', 'She had changed a lot since that night.', 'Being kind to strangers will pay back.']}] |
The college entrance exam is not only a big challenge for Chinese high school students, but also a very important exam in the lives of South Korean students.
Although the long, cold winter has already started in South Korea, the annual national exams have made the atmosphere very heated.
More than 675,000 South Korean high school graduates took the college entrance exam last Wednesday. They usually take exams in Korean, maths, sociology , history and foreign languages.
Officially there is one college place for every 1.33 students. But because all the students want to go to the top universities in the country, the competition can reach one place for 10 students. The students want to attend these colleges for both their famous names and better job opportunities.
Because students face fierce competition, they have to study very hard to realize their dreams. Park Seung said he and his classmates often go to school before 7:30 a.m. After school has finished at 6:30 p.m., most of them go to the library to continue their study instead of returning home. Since many libraries in South Korea are open 24 hours a day, they often stay long into the night. Many of the Senior 3 students only sleep for three to four hours a day. "I feel a lot of pressure, but I have to study very hard in order to make my dream come true. This is my lifetime goal and it will be a turning point in my life which could decide my future," Park said.
The exam day is a very serious day for the whole of South Korea. Vehicles are not allowed within a 200-metre radius of all the test sites to make sure the students have quiet surroundings. Tooting of horns is forbidden, even airplanes are ordered to avoid landing and take-off near the test sites during listening comprehension test hours.
Students are told their scores in December before they apply for college. This is followed by face-to-face oral tests. There are public and private universities in South Korea. Many private universities are well-known, but their fees can be 18, 000 yuan each term. This has made a lot of students think again. | [{'question': 'What do we know about South Korean annual national exams?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Senior 3 students have to compete fiercely because there is only one place for 10 students.', 'Senior 3 students have to stay long into night at school.', "Many of the Senior 3 students can't have enough sleep.", 'Airplanes are ordered to avoid landing and take-off during national exams.']}, {'question': 'We can infer that there are almost _ college places for high school graduates.', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['675, 000', '507, 520', '500, 000', '600, 000']}, {'question': 'The students want to study in top colleges mainly because _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['they can succeed more easily in future', 'they can learn more', 'they can make more money', 'it is interesting to study there']}, {'question': 'Before students are allowed to colleges _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['they will be interviewed', 'they will ask questions of colleges', 'they will not be tested any more', 'first they will pay all the education fee at all']}] |
Narasimha Das is on his way to feed 169,379 hungry children. Das is in charge of a kitchen in Vrindaban. The town is about a three-hour drive from India's capital, New Delhi. Das gets to work at 3:00 a.m. Thirty workers are already working to make tens of thousands of rounds of bread. It will be brought to 1,516 schools in and around Vrindaban.
A Growing Problem
Going to school is difficult for more than 13 million children in India. They must go to work instead, or go hungry. That's why India began the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, the largest school-lunch program in the world. A free lunch encourages children to come to school and gives them the energy they need for learning. The program began in the 1960s.
The kitchen in Vrindaban is run by the Akshaya Patra Foundation. It is one of the lunch program's biggest partners. "Just $11.50 can feed one child for an entire year," said Madhu Sridhar, president of the Akshaya Patra Foundation.
Lunch Is Served!
The Akshaya Patra food truck arrives at Gopalgarh Primary School. Since the program started, the number of underweight children has gone down. The children get foods they need -- as long as they finish what's on their plates. | [{'question': 'The kitchen in Vrindaban supplies food to _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['the poor', 'the old', 'college students', 'school children']}, {'question': 'Why is it difficult for children to go to school in India?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Because there are not enough teachers.', 'Because there are not enough schools.', 'Because they have to work to make money.', 'Because their parents refuse to send them to school.']}, {'question': 'Which of the following about the Mid-Day Meal Scheme is NOT true?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['It is run by Narasimha Das.', 'It has been carried out for about 50 years.', 'It is to encourage children to go to school.', 'It is the largest school-lunch program in the world.']}] |
One day about 30 years ago, a 2 year-old Chinese boy in Shenyang was watching a Tom and Jerry cartoon on TV. Tom the cat began to play the piano. The music was to beautiful that the boy fell in love with it at once. This little boy was Lang Lang - one of today's great pianists.
Lang Lang began to play the piano at 3. By the age of 5, the had won fist place in Shenyang's piano competition and performed his first public recital . People were shocked by his perfect performance and thought he was a real talent. From that time on, playing on the global stage became the dream of Lang Lang and his parents.
To help him much closer to his dream, when Lang was 9, his father quit his job and went with Lang to Beijing to help his son study piano. There, Lang did not receive the praise that he had received at home, and he experienced the hardest time of his life. "I was kicked out of the class by my piano teacher six months later. It totally destroyed my piano dream," Lang said in an interview. Hearing of his son's failure, Lang's father was so angry and upset that told Lang Lang to go back to Shenyang. Feeling hopeless and in pain, Lang tried to damage his fingers. He hated piano!
Luckily, another teacher noticed Lang's sadness and encouraged him. Success came soon. Lang's breakthrough came at age 17, when he gained worldwide fame at a well-known concert in 1999 in Chicago, US. | [{'question': 'When did Lang Lang perform his first public recital?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['In 1989', 'In 1987', 'In 1999', 'In 1990']}, {'question': 'When did Lang Lang and his father come to Beijing?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['To hold more concerts', 'To perform on the global stage', 'To find a good job', 'To realize his dream']}, {'question': 'What happened to Lang Lang when he was in Bejing?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['He got more praises from others', 'He damaged his hands.', 'He had difficulty in making progress', 'He lost his talent in piano']}] |
Taiwanese fishing boats that sailed to the Diaoyu Islands to protest Japan's "purchase" of part of the islands completed their voyage Tuesday morning and have set sail for home.
Local media reported that the boats finished their protest at 9:15 a.m. and are expected to return to a port in northeast Taiwan's Yilan county at noon Wednesday.
Although the boats originally numbered 75,they were joined at sea by other boats from different parts of Taiwan, raising the total number to about 100 vessels. Organizers said the voyage was made to protect Taiwanese fishing rights in nearby waters and to protest Japan's "purchase" of part of the Diaoyu Islands.
The Japanese government announced a plan to "purchase" part of the islands earlier this month despite repeated protests from the Chinese government. The action aroused demonstrations across China as well as consumers' boycott of Japanese products in recent weeks. Local authorities in Taiwan have also protested the move.
"Japan's purchase and nationalization of China's Diaoyu Islands are putting China-Japan economic and trade ties at risk due to man-made factors." An official spokesman from Beijing warned .
China-Japan economic and trade relations was back on track in 1952 when the two countries signed their first non-governmental trade agreement. Currently, China has been Japan's largest trade partner since 2007 while Japan is China's fourth largest trade partner, after the EU, U.S. and the ASEAN. Meanwhile, China is the biggest destination for Japanese exports and biggest source of imports. In the first half of 2012, Japan's exports to China totaled 73.54 billion U.S. dollars, down 6.2 percent from the same period last year, while its import from China was 91.29 billion U.S. dollars, up 7 percent from the same period last year.
Now, China-Japan economic and trade relations are at a crossroads. Negotiation could be the way out of the rift. | [{'question': 'Why are China-Japan economic and trade relations at a crossroads?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Because Taiwan fishing boats sailed to the island to protest Japan.', 'Because Taiwanese are deprived of their fishing right.', "Because Japan is not China's largest trade partner.", "Because Japan announced to purchase China's Diaoyu Islands."]}, {'question': 'We can infer from the passage that _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['About 100 boats joined the original team later.', 'Negotiation will bring both countries out of the conflict.', "Japan's exports to China totaled 78 billion U.S. dollars in 2011.", 'Japan\'s "purchase" has cast a shadow on China-Japan export and import.']}, {'question': 'What is the main idea of this passage?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ["Japan declared to purchase China's Diaoyu Islands.", "Japan's purchase of Diaoyu Islands aroused nationwide protest.", 'The Diaoyu Islands belong to China!', "China plays an important part in Japan's economy development."]}] |
Security Services advise that there have been robberies reported in the East Oxford area, carried out by a group and involving threats of and showing of a knife.The victims have all been young males of student age and appearance who have been walking alone between 7 pm and the early hours of the morning.Some of the victims have been followed from the O2 and the Regal Hotel.
The Crime Prevention Advisor offers the following advice:
*If possible walk home in a group, not on your own.If someone tries to take something from you by force, it may be best to give it to them, this way it will avoid you getting injured.
*If someone tries to follow you, make for a public place, such as a shop or a restaurant or walk towards other people.Make lots of noise and use your personal alarm to shock the person and use this opportunity to make your escape.If you need to use your mobile phone on route go into a shop or stand with your back to a shop window and constantly survey the area around you.Keep the conversation short and to the point and try not to be too obvious doing it.
*Walk with confidence and look as though you're on a mission.Keep your head up and while you should look ahead to avoid unnecessary conflicts, such as a group of young men a-head of you, you should also be aware of everything around you.Whenever possible use well lit and busy streets and definitely avoid alleyways, wasteland and other quiet short cuts.
If you have any information relating to these crimes, please call Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 or call Thames Valley Police on 101 for non-emergency reporting. | [{'question': 'What is mainly described in the text?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['A kind of security service.', 'How to prevent the crime.', 'How to fight for the crime.', 'Safety on the streets at nights.']}, {'question': 'The O2 is the name of _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['a gas', 'a stadium', 'a city', 'a magazine']}, {'question': 'Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Call Thames Valley Police on 101 when reporting an emergency.', 'The victims are all young students walking home alone at night.', 'Better give what you take to robbers when robbed of something.', "Choose quiet short cuts and you'll avoid being robbed successfully."]}, {'question': 'Where does this text probably come from?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Traffic regulations.', 'An advertisement.', 'A news report.', 'A university website.']}] |
My father never wanted his children to know what he did for a living.Dad worked in Plant C.Lying beside lake Erie, it saw him in at sunrise and out at nightfall.Sometimes my mother would take my siblings and me to the public beach in our hometown of Ashtabula.she'd gather us round.and point to the smokestacks, coughing clouds into the sky.
"Wave to daddy!" she'd shout. Four little hands would shoot into the air. I never knew what Dad did in Plant C, but during 34 years of hard work, he had surgery on his shoulder and hand. At 48, he had his first heart attack. He retired in 1993, right after the last kid graduated from college.But the damage was done.A few years later, the next heart attack killed him.
I saw my dad in Plant C only once, when l took dinner to him. That night, I looked at my father, covered in sweat and coal, and for the first time I knew why he was so often angry for no reason
Recently my father' s friend, Toby Workman, walked me there.I knew my father never wanted me to see it.At every station, he described the job and the danger.It was like listening to a foreign language.I walked past many DANGER signs.Toby put his hand on my shoulder. "Look," he said, "you need to understand something.Your dad was a maintenance mechanic.He worked the most dangerous job.If something broke, he fixed it. "
A few days later, my daughter graduated from college.I gave her the hard hat Toby handed to me as I left, and this note: " Whenever you feel something difficult, put this on, Look in the mirror, and remember your roots. " | [{'question': "Which of the following is TRUE of the facts about the author's father?", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ["He didn't suffer a heart attack until he retired", 'He worked in Plant C for 48 years in all.', 'He was satisfied with his job.', 'He always faced danger while working.']}, {'question': "When Toby Workman described the author' s father' s job, the author _ .", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['felt familiar with the job', 'felt much puzzled', 'wanted to learn a foreign language', 'decided to do the same work']}, {'question': 'The author gave her daughter the hat to hope that her daughter cold _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['remember her grandfather', 'overcome all difficulties by wearing it', 'get encouraged by her grandfather', "follow her grandfather' s work"]}] |
November not only marks the publication of Toni Morrison's eagerly anticipated eighth novel, Love, but it is also the tenth anniversary of her Nobel Prize for Literature. Morrison is the first black woman to receive a Nobel, and so honored before her in literature are only two black men:Wole Soyinka, the Nigerian playwright, poet and novelist, in 1986; and Derek Walcott, the Caribbean-born poet, in 1992. But Morrison is also the first and only American-born Nobel prizewinner for literature since 1962, the year novelist John Steinbeck received the award.
Like Song of Solomon, Love is a multigenerational story, revealing the personal and communal Legacy of an outstanding black family. As Morrison scholars will tell you, Love is the third volume of a literary master's trilogy investigating the many complexities of love. This trilogy began with Beloved(1988), which deals with a black mother's love under slavery and in freedom. Jazzy(1993), the second volume, tells a story of romantic love in 1920s Harlem. This latest novel looks back from the 1970s to the 1940s and 50s.
The emotional center of Love is Bill Cosey, the former owner and host of the shabby Cosey's Hotel and Resort in Silk, North Carolina, described in the novel as "the best and best-known vacation sport for colored folk on the East Coast." We get to know Cosey through the memories of five women who survive and love him: his granddaughter, his widow, two former employees, and a homeless young girl.
The latest novel, Love, had been described in the promotional material from her publisher as "Morrison's most accessible work since Song of Solomon." This comparison to her third novel, published in 1977, was an effective selling point. | [{'question': 'What would be the best title for the text?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ["Toni Morrison's latest novels", 'Toni Morrison and her trilogy', 'Toni Morrison and her novel Love', 'Toni Morrison, the Nobel prizewinner']}, {'question': 'What can we learn about John Steinbeck?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['He was a black writer.', 'He was born in America.', 'He received the Nobel Prize after Morrison', 'He was the first American novelist to win a Nobel']}, {'question': 'The similarity between Love and Song of Solomon is that they both _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['belong to the same trilogy together with Beloved', 'concern families of more than one generation', 'deal with life of blacks under slavery', 'investigate life in 1920s Harlem']}, {'question': 'The novel Love mainly describes _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['the best-known vacation spot for blacks', 'the life of an outstanding black family under slavery', 'the miserable experience of the five women in Harlem', 'the memories of five women about Bill Cosey']}] |
Dear residents of Molten,
We can't keep silent in the current wild situation when prices for all existing products are skyrocketing unbelievably. The enormous figures on price tags for food products have caused a real panic. We've perfectly realized that, and that's why we have kept bread prices affordable for all this time.
At the moment all our reserves are exhausted. Stocks of bread-baking ingredients such as flour, sugar, butter and the like are running out. To buy what we need at reasonable prices is virtually impossible today.
However, we all need bread every day, which means we will be forced to buy everything we need at much higher prices.
The cost of bread closely depends on ingredients. Another financial crisis has led to a 300-percent increase of prices for butter, vegetable oil and others as of September 1. All these prices continue to grow every hour.
We have to take any possible measures which will help Figaro contain the growth of prices for its products. Despite of our SOS signal, no measures have been taken as yet. We have found ourselves in the same situation as any of you. We see the situation changing steadily for the worse. We will not cope with that alone.
Because of this, Figaro came to the critical point where it is necessary to raise prices of its products. We see one recourse (way): raise the bread price minimally and cancel our free plastic bag service. But what is next? This is the concern of all the 700 employees and the board of Figaro.
Every extra cent in the cost of bread upsets you and us very much. Making our sincere apologies for a forced increase of the bread price, we hope for your understanding and support. Today and tomorrow we are with you, as usual.
The staff and board of Figaro | [{'question': 'Figaro is _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['a farm', 'a bakery', 'a businessman', 'a government department']}, {'question': 'In this open letter Figaro explains to the people of Molten that _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['they can no longer supply bread', 'the price of bread will be three times as high', 'they need their help in holding down prices', 'it will have to close down']}, {'question': 'A possible solution to the crisis, what Figaro suggests is _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['to use ingredients of a lower quality and lower energy prices', 'to use shopping bags less', 'to urge people to eat less bread', 'to have the bread price raised to a certain level']}, {'question': 'We can infer from the passage that _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['bread may end up as an article that many people can no longer afford', 'the local people have responded positively to recent SOS messages from Figaro', 'bread may become less tasty in recent months', 'the government has a tradition of helping out local businesses in difficult times']}] |
Your children's teacher will be providing extra time for test preparation. This school year's test will be held on January 8 and 9. The test preparation time is open to all students, and we strongly encourage your children to attend.
This year we are changing the time for our test preparation: it will be on Thursday mornings from 8:10 to 8:50. This helps children who ride the bus and cannot stay for the after-school period. It also helps avoid conflicts with after-school activities.
Danielle and Marina will be working with the recent new test takers 6 days on the following Thursdays: 15th, Nov; 29th, Nov; 6th, Dec; 13th, Dec.; 20th, Dec. and 3rd, Jan.
Besides the test preparation lectures on these dates, teachers are already putting test preparation into their usual courses. We are finding that we can help our students to be both skillful and whole-hearted readers and test takers -- after all, we all know that the best test preparation is good reading and writing training.
What can you do at home? Again, the best and most effective test preparation for the ELA test is reading and more reading. The research is quite clear -- students who do well in the tests are those who are good readers. Reading not only builds reading ability, it also helps build confidence -- important for successful test taking! But do discourage your children from spending too much time on books that are too hard or even a bit too hard. Children best develop comprehension skills when they are reading books just right for them (too easy doesn't hurt here either).
Finally, on Friday, December 7, we will have a morning lecture on the ELA. Please pay attention! | [{'question': 'The text is mainly about _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['how teachers will provide more time for test preparation', 'the reason why time for test preparation will be changed', 'how teachers have put test preparation into their usual courses', 'test preparation information that parents should know about']}, {'question': 'The time for test preparation has been changed to _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['make it more convenient for the students to attend', 'help the new test-takers have more time to read', 'avoid disagreement in time between different years of students', 'avoid conflicts between preparation time and the usual courses']}, {'question': 'From the passage, we know that _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Danielle will help students prepare for different tests', 'the school year test will be on a Tuesday', 'all the children must take part in the test preparation', 'the students can learn how to write well in the test preparation']}, {'question': 'Parents should _ at home.', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['prepare good meals for their children', 'read more books with their children', 'ask their children not to spend too much time on reading', 'encourage their children to read more books fit for them']}, {'question': 'Why did the school encourage all the students to take part in the test preparation?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Test preparation is what they always do.', 'The students will learn what will be included in the final exam.', 'Test preparation helps students to be more interested in reading and confident.', 'The test is a long way off and there are better things to do.']}] |
On October 12, 1989, some Chinese scientists were working at the computers to look for information they needed. Suddenly they saw a lot of very bright spots crossing the computers's screens. At the same time the computers were working much slower. To find out what was happening they stopped their work to check some parts of the computers. To their horror, they found out that most of their stored information was got rid of by computer viruses ! Obviously all these computers had been infected by computer viruses.
It is said that the computer viruses were made by a group of young men fond of playing tricks. They all had excellent education. They created the viruses just to show their intelligence . These kinds of computer viruses are named Jerusalem Viruses. These viruses can stay in computers for a long time. When the time comes they will attack the computers by lowering the functions , damaging their normal programs or even getting rid of all the information.
We now come to know that Jerusalem Viruses often attack computers on Fridays and that they are spreading to a lot of computers. Among the countries that suffered computer viruses last year are Britain, Australia, Switzerland and the U.S. But fill now , how to get rid of the terrible viruses remains a problem. | [{'question': 'The group of young men created the virus to _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['damage the computers', 'test their ability', 'tell the world that they were intelligent', 'play a trick on operators of the computers']}, {'question': 'According to the passage, computer viruses seem to _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['have been in nature for years', 'exist in any computers', 'be difficult to get rid of at present', 'be able to be got rid of in the near future']}, {'question': 'The most serious damage caused by the viruses is that _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ["the computer's functions are lowered", 'the normal programs are damaged', 'all the information stored in the computers is gone', 'the computers infected by the viruses can no longer be used']}] |
Nick Vujicic was born with no arms or legs, but he doesn't let this stop him.
The brave 26-year-old man plays football and golf, and swims, in spite of the fact that he has no arms or legs.
Nick has a small foot on his left side, which helps him balance and makes him able to kick. He uses his one foot to type, write with a pen and pick things up.
"I call it my chicken drumstick ," joked Nick, who was born in Melbourne, Australia, but now lives in Los Angeles. "I'd be lost without it. When I get in the water I float because 80 percent of my body is lungs and my drumstick acts as a propeller ."
"He's very modest, but he gets marriage proposals from women all the time," said Nick's friend Steve Appel.
"He would love to get married and start a family, but he's waiting for the right girl to come along."
When Nick was born his father was so shocked that he left the hospital room. His _ mother couldn't bring herself to hold him until he was four months old.
His disability came without any medical explanation, which was a rare case. Nick and his parents spent many years asking why this cruel trick would happen to them.
"My mother was a nurse and she did everything right during pregnancy but she still blamed herself," he said.
"It was so hard for them, but right from the start they did their best to make me independent. My dad put me in the water at 18 months and gave me the courage to learn how to swim." | [{'question': 'We can learn from the text that Nick _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['has a poor sense of balance', 'understands his mother very well', 'considers his small foot ugly', 'is disappointed with his health condition']}, {'question': 'What can we learn from what Steve Appel said?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Nick Vujicic is serious about his marriage.', 'Nick Vujicic is not popular with women.', 'Nick Vujicic is afraid of starting a family.', 'Nick Vujicic is not willing to get married.']}, {'question': 'Which of the following statements is TRUE?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ["Nick's parents couldn't afford the hospital bill.", 'Nick is living in Melbourne, Australia now.', "Nick's father was to blame for his disability.", 'Nick learned to be independent at a young age.']}] |
Is it possible to persuade mankind to live without war? War is an ancient institution,-which has existed for at least six thousand years.It was always bad and usually foolish, but in the past human race managed to live with it.Modern inventiveness has changed this.Either man will end war, or war will end man.For the present, it is nuclear weapons that cause the most serious danger, but bacteriological or chemical weapons may, before Iong, offer an even greater threat.If we succeed in ending nuclear weapons, our work will not be done.It will never be done until we have succeeded in ending war.To do _ , we need to persuade mankind to look upon international questions in a new way, not as contests of force, in which the victory goes to the side which is most skillful in kiting people, but by agreement with principles of law.It is not easy to, change very old mental habits, but this is what must be attempted.
There are those who say that the adoption of this or that ideology(,)would prevent war.I believe this to be a big error.All ideologies are based upon dogmatic statements that are, at best, doubtful, and at worst, totally false.Their adherents (,) believe in them so fanatically
that they are willing to go to war in support of them.
The movement of world opinion during the past few years has been very largely such as we can welcome.It has become a commonplace that nuclear war must be avoided.Of course very difficult problems remain in the world, but the spirit in which they are being approached is a better one than it was some years ago.It has begun to be thought, even by the powerful men who decide whether we shall live or die, that negotiations should reach agreements even if both sides do not find these agreements wholly satisfactory.It has begun to be understood that the important conflict nowadays is not between different countries, but between man and the atom bomb. | [{'question': 'In the sentence "To do this, we need to persuade mankind" (Para l), "this" refers to _', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['abolish war', 'improve weapons', 'solve international problems', 'live a peaceful life']}] |
Most people consider skydiving a product of the 20th century, but its history actually goes further back than that. The Chinese attempted to parachute in the 10th century, a thousand years before we did. The Chinese did what we would today call base diving; that is, they jumped off a place that would allow them to float from a height to the ground.
The first person to attempt to parachute was a Frenchman named Jacques Garnerin. He jumped from his hot-air balloon at the end of the 18th century and did tricks on the way down and _ the crowds by landing safely on the ground. At the end of the 19th century, Kathie Paulus, a brave German woman, became famous for her skydiving skills.
Once the airplane was invented, skydiving took on a whole new form. The airplane made it possible to dive from greater heights at greater speeds, allowing for more range in the movements in the air. A woman named Tiny Broadwick became the first woman to jump from a plane in 1913 and dive free fall in 1914.
Skydiving was not called skydiving until the middle of the 1950s, when Ronald Young invented the word. It had been called parachuting before this and was mainly used by the military to land troops in inland locations, or for pilots to jump out of their planes when necessary. Once World War I was over, parachuting became a sport, which we now call skydiving.
After World War II, this activity became more a hobby than a military action. Soldiers were trained in parachuting and enjoyed the thrill so much that they continued on for fun. From this, teams and competitions were formed. Skydiving schools appeared in the late 1950s and now it is a recognized extreme sport enjoyed by many. | [{'question': 'Who was the first woman to jump from a plane?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Jacques Garnerin.', 'Kathie Paulus.', 'Tiny Broadwick.', 'Ronald Young.']}, {'question': 'Which of the following is TRUE?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['The Chinese attempted different skydiving skills in the 10th century.', 'Skydiving became popular after the airplane was invented.', 'The word skydiving was first used in a military action.', 'There were no skydiving schools until the late 1950s.']}, {'question': 'What can we infer from the passage?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Skydiving is not a military action any more.', 'Kathie Paulus is famous for her skydiving skills.', 'The first person who parachuted was from Germany.', 'The history of skydiving is longer than that of parachuting.']}, {'question': 'What would be the best title for this text?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['The history of skydiving', 'The popularity of skydiving', 'What is skydiving?', 'Why is skydiving an extreme sport?']}] |
One day a student went to see his teacher. He had been given an important position and now was coming to say goodbye to his teacher. The old man asked him how he would live among high officials. The student answered, " I will be all right. I have prepared a hundred high hats, one for each official I will meet. I am sure I will succeed." The teacher got angry on hearing this. "What?" he cried. "Is this what ten years of my teaching has made of you? Nothing but flatterer ?" "Excuse me, honored master," the student rose to his feet and apologized hurriedly. "But you have always been absorbed in your studies and don't know how vulgar the world has come to be. There are few men in the world who are above flatterers like you." "There is something true in what you said," the teacher nodded, smiling with one of the student's "high hats" on. | [{'question': 'The student came to say goodbye to his teacher because _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['he had got hundred hats to sell', 'he had got a fairly high position in society', 'he wanted to see his parents in his home town', 'he moved away to another city']}, {'question': 'The student would live among high officials by _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['selling hats to them', 'making a hundred hats for them', 'flattering them', 'serving them']}, {'question': 'The teacher was angry with _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['himself', 'the society', 'his student', 'high officials']}, {'question': 'The phrase "rose to his feet" means _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['stood up', 'kicked with his feet', 'became quite excited', 'raised his feet']}, {'question': 'The teacher _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['liked to be flattered as well', 'really knew nothing about the vulgar world', 'was in need of a high hat', 'was satisfied with the new hat']}] |
Have you ever tried broccoli ice cream? That's what Oliver serves his customers in the new movie Oliver's Organic Ice Cream.
The one-minute film was created by kids. A film is a movie. The young students learned their moviemaking skills at the Jacob Burns Film Center. The center is in Pleasantville, New York. Kids who go there learn how to make movies and music videos.
The character Oliver and his treats are animated. In an animated movie, objects, such as ice cream and paper dolls, appear to be alive or moving.
Animated movies are made up of hundreds of pictures. It takes 15 pictures to make just one second of film. To make a movie that lasts one minute, students need to take about 900 frames. A frame is a picture.
Animation expert Joe Summerhays teaches kids the steps to shoot a movie. He says what they learn behind the scenes, however, also counts. Students create their films in small groups. They have to agree on every decision.
" The benefit of the class is less animation and more problem-solving," Summerhays said. "It's all about teamwork."
About 4,000 kids have made movies at the Jacob Burns Film Center. Mikey Price, 11, of Briarcliff Manor, New York, is one of them. "I'm actually making a real movie," he said. "It's an adventure." | [{'question': 'We can infer that Oliver is probably a(n) _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['moviemaker', 'movie character', 'farmer', 'animation expert']}, {'question': 'What is the most important thing students learn by making a movie?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['The steps to shoot a movie.', 'The skills in drawing pictures.', 'The way of working with others.', 'The importance of animation.']}, {'question': 'If Jim wants to make a 5 minutes animated movie, he needs to take about _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['10 pictures', '15 pictures', '900 pictures', '4500 pictures']}, {'question': 'What would be the best title for the passage?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Movie magic', 'Organic ice cream', 'Jacob Burns Film Center', 'One-minute film']}] |
NEW ORLEANS --A two-story, 1,500-ton and 16,000-square foot school built in 1879 is being moved about 300 yards to make way for the new University Medical Center in MidCity.
The school' s relocation is marked as the largest structure ever to be moved in Louisiana and one of the top-ten heaviest in America.Officials originally had planned to _ the McDonogh No.11 School, but agreed to move the historic building at the city's request.
The school is being moved on a platform of steel beams put under the schoolhouse floor, then set on 38 remote-controlled power dollies made mobile by 300 tires.The school is creeping forward on a short stay that will take about two days to move it about 300 yards.
State officials said the operation shows how closely the state and city leaders are working topreserve history.
" We' re looking to the future and building for the future, and building something new.We're also honoring the past and trying to save something historic," said Michael Diresto with the Division of Administration for the state of Louisiana.
Christian Cancienne, president and CEO of Orleans Shoring, said the feat of this endeavor is something a person rarely sees.
"When we heard about the opportunity to move a building this size, we knew that there was never a building moved this size in the state of Louisiana," he said."We knew that because of the oak trees and neutral ground and the narrow streets, we may never get the opportunity in our hometown again to do something like this.
Cancienne said the cost of the huge project weighs in at $350,000, but he' s not making any profit from the move.Cancienne said his team wanted to do the project for free because of the once in a lifetime opportunity."When my guys heard that this opportunity was here, they said, 'Let' s do it for free.We got to get it.No one else can do it.' And, so, we said let's just cover our cost so we bid it at $ 350,000."
Cancienne' s company is used to moving homes across the city, but is happy to partake in the monumental task of moving a historic landmark.The building won' t remain at its current destination on Banks Street, though.It will eventually move to its permanent location once that has been determined. | [{'question': 'The purpose of the school relocation is _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['to show the generosity of the city government', 'to form a bigger education company', 'to leave room for a new project', 'to build a new museum for education']}, {'question': 'Cancienne and his team made no money from the project because _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ["it' s a chance for them to do something for the state", 'the company is famous for doing volunteer work', 'the state is short of money to cover the cost', "it' s easy for them to complete the project"]}] |
An old friend from California called from the airport to tell me that he had arrived. I was not able to leave the office, but I had made plans for his arrival. After explaining where my new house was, I told him that I had left the key under the doormat . Since I knew it would be pretty late before I could get home, I suggested that he make himself at home and help himself to anything that was in the refrigerator .
Two hours later my friend phoned me from the house. At the moment, he said, he was listening to some of my records after having had a delicious meal. Now, he said, he was drinking a glass of orange juice. When I asked him if he had had any difficulty finding the house, he answered that the only problem was that he had not been able to find the key under the doormat, but luckily, the living room window by the apple tree had been left open and he had climbed in through the window. I listened to all this in great surprise. There is no apple tree outside my window, but there is one by the living room window of my next door neighbor's house! | [{'question': 'An old friend of mine called _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['to tell me to meet him at the airport', 'to tell me about his arrival', 'to ask me to leave the office', 'to ask me to make plans for his arrival']}, {'question': 'My friend climbed into the room because _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['there was an apple tree outside', 'the living room window was left open', 'he had difficulty opening the door', "he hadn't found the key"]}, {'question': 'My friend telephoned me two hours later _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['from my home', 'at the airport', 'in his office', "from my neighbor's house"]}] |
One of my wonderful memories is about a Chrismas gift . Unlike other gifts,it came
Wrap .
On September 11th ,1958,Mum gave birth to Richard. After she brought him home from hospital,she put him in my lap ,saying,"I promised you a gift ,and here it is." What an honor!I Turned four a month earlier and none of my friends had such a baby doll of their own.I played with It day and night .Isang to it .I told it stories .I told it over and over how much I loved it!
One morning ,however,I found its bed empty. My doll was gone! Icried for it.Mum and Told me that the poor little thing bad been sent to a hospital. It had a fever. For several days I Heard Mum and Dad whispering such words as "hopeless","pitiful",and "dying",which sounded Ominous.
Chistmas was coming . "Don't expect any present this year ,"Dad said ,pointing at the socks I hung in the living room ."If your baby brother lives ,that'll be Christmas engouh." As he spoke ,his eyes filled with tears .I'd never seen him cry before .
The phone rang early on Christmas moning . Dad jumped out of bed to answer it From my bedroom I heard him say ,"What? He's all rght?" He hung up and shouted upstairs ."The hospital said we can bring Richard home !"
"Thank God !" I heard Mum cry .
From the upstairs window,I watched my parents rush out to the car. I had never seen them happy.And I was also full of joy.What a wonderful day!My baby doll would be home.I downstairs. My sccks still hung there flat.But I knew they were not empty; they were filled w love! | [{'question': 'Which word can best describe the feeling of the father when Christrmas was coming?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Excitement.', 'Happiness.', 'Sadness.', 'Disappointment.']}] |
Think of London and you're likely to think of the city's famous bright red double-deckers buses. Think of Thailand's capital city, Bangkok, and the noisy tuk-tuk ( ) may come to mind. Picture the American city of San Francisco and you might see the city's trolleybuses.
Imagining what these cities would look like without their red buses, tuk-tuks or trolleybuses is difficult. They are symbols of these cities that make them different from anywhere else in the world. However, these city symbols, which are so loved by tourists, are not always so well loved by their city leaders. City leaders want what is best for their city, which often means the most modern transport.
In Thailand, Bangkok city authorities have forbidden new tuk-tuks because they consider them noisy and polluting. However, the ban has largely been unsuccessful, as it has not changed Thai people's preference for the inexpensive tuk-tuks over taxis.
In London, the city's first ever mayor got rid of the red double-decker buses, which he thought were old-fashioned, by selling them to other countries. His plan worked, but Londoners were upset to lose the charming old buses they believed represented the best of their city. They made their upset felt, when the major came up for re-election last year. Most Londoners voted for his competitor who promised to bring the bus back. Now an improved version of the double--decker bus will hit London's streets in 2012..
As for San Francisco, several trolleybuses remain in use but mainly as tourist attractions. They are too slow to be used for anything other than scenic trips.
City transport symbols may have a place in their city people's hearts, but it seems they are increasingly out of step with the modern world. As Londoners have proved, their continued life depends on people's willingness to fight for their survival. | [{'question': "Bangkok's ban on tul-tuks is unsuccessful due to _ .", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ["people's unawareness of environmental protection", "tourists' preference for tuk-tuks over taxis", 'the lack of severe punishment for violation', "Locals' willingness to take the tuk-tuks"]}, {'question': 'The London double-decker bus is returning mainly because _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['it is an improved version', 'the new mayor also loves it', 'it is popular with tourists', 'Londoners fought for it']}, {'question': 'We can conclude from reading the passage that _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['tourist cities will lose their charm if their old transport symbols disappear', 'a modern city should get rid of inefficient old transport', 'old city transport symbols now face the problem of survival', 'the writer is in favor of keeping the old city transport symbols']}] |
Do you love Beats headphones, True Religion jeans, and UGG shoes? These are some of the most popular brands around. They are also expensive. But some experts say they are not much better than cheaper brands.
For example, Jim Wilcox works for Consumer Reports. He tested all kinds of headphones. He says that $80 Koss Pro headphones provide basically the same quality and comfort as Beats. So why do people pay twice or even 10 times as much for the hottest brands?
Experts say it's because fashionable, expensive brands send a message. Brands say "I belong" or "I can afford it."
Some people think that expensive brand names are worth the price. They say that some designer clothes really are top quality and that they last longer than cheaper brands. Some teenagers choose to wear popular brands because these brands make them feel good about themselves.
Alexandra Allam, 17, likes to buy brand-name products. "I'd rather spend the extra money to get something I know I'll be satisfied with," she says. Her friend Emmy Swan agrees, saying "As long as you can afford it, it seems reasonable to buy what you want." But not all teenagers agree. "Spending hundreds of dollars for designer sunglasses is stupid and unreasonable," says Daniel Steinbrecher, 16. "It's fake happiness."
People who are against wearing expensive brand names say that many designer brands aren't any better. "It's wasteful to buy things just because they are popular," says Edmund Williams, 15. "You'll feel better if you buy things because you like them. If you have extra money to spend, it would be better to give it to people in need." | [{'question': "The example of Jim's report wants to tell us _ .", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['popular brands make people comfortable', 'Koss Pro headphones are better than Beats', 'the hottest brands are of the highest quality', 'less-known brands may offer the same quality as name brands']}, {'question': 'Who have the same opinion on expensive brands?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Alexandra & Daniel', 'Emmy & Edmund.', 'Emmy & Alexandra.', 'Daniel & Emmy.']}, {'question': 'What does Edmund think of expensive brands?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['They are not worth the price.', 'They make him feel confident.', 'They need to improve their quality.', 'They pay too much attention to personal likes.']}, {'question': 'The text is mainly about _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['how to buy things reasonably', 'the competition between brands', 'the different values of teenagers', 'whether expensive brands are worth high prices']}] |
There is an English saying: "Laughter is best medicine." Until recently, few people took the saying seriously. Now, however, doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body. They have found that laughter really can improve people's health.
Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their heart, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercises. It increases blood pressure, the heart beating and breathing. It also works several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach, and even the feet. If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial.
Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effect of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programs. The group that tolerated the pain for the longest time was the groups which listened to a funny program. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemicals in the brain which _ both stress and pain.
As a result of these discoveries, some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics, in which they help to improve their patients' condition by encouraging them to laugh. They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those who are caused by laughter. | [{'question': 'The main idea of the passage is _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['laughter and physical exercises have similar effects.', 'smile can produce the same effects as laughter', 'pain can be reduced by laughter', 'laughter is best medicine']}, {'question': 'Doctors hold laughter clinics _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['to give better condition to their patients', "in order to improve patients' health", 'to make patients smile all the time', 'to prove smile and laughter have the same effect']}] |
Scientists are developing the next generation of robot-driven cars and predict they could be carrying humans around by the year 2030.
The first wave of intelligent robot cars, capable of understanding and reacting to the world around them, will be tested this November in a competition run by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
Scientists are developing vehicles which will not only be driven by robots independently, but will be able to operate in a complicated city environment. "In the past it was _ for a vehicle just to perceive the environment," said Sebastian Thrun, a professor at Stanford University.
"The new challenge will be to understand the environment. The robot must be able to recognize another car, to understand that it is moving and that it will interact with it as it gets closer." Stanford's entrant "Junior" is a changed 2006 Volkswagen Passat whose steering, throttle and brakes all have been modified by engineers.
Lasers fitted on the car bumpers, radar and global positioning systems feed data into the on-board computer to determine its location and position. Thrun predicted that advances in artificial intelligence would lead to driverless cars on the roads by 2030.
"Today they can drive about 100 miles, by 2010 I expect this to go 1,000 miles, by 2020 up to a million miles," he said. "By 2030 you'll be able to see them on the highway, with driving reliability that will beat humans."
"We believe this technology will affect all of us. It is going to have enormous significance for people who can't drive because of disabilities or because they are ill or impaired." Thrun said he believed robot-driven vehicles would be deployed in war zones before they were seen in everyday civilian environments. | [{'question': 'Compared with the old robot-driven cars, the new ones _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['can understand orders from humans', 'can perceive the environment dearly', 'are modified to be completely computer-controllable', 'not only can understand the environment but also can react to it']}, {'question': 'According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true about "Junior"?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Some of its parts have been modified by engineers.', 'It is controlled by a robot or a computer.', 'It was invented by Sebastian Thrun.', 'It is valuable.']}] |