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[
"many of them hope to take part",
"many of them have a new way of thinking",
"many of them are better educated",
"All of the above."
] | All of the above. | Museums have changed. They are no longer places that one "should" go but now they are places to enjoy.
At a science museum in Canada, you can feel your hair stand on end as harmless electricity passes through your body. At the Children's Museum in New York, you can play an African drum. There are no "Do Not Touch" signs in some other museums in the USA.
More and more museum directors have realized that people learn best when they can become part of what they are seeing. In many science museums, the visitors are encouraged to touch, listen, operate and experiment so as to discover scientific rules for themselves.
The purpose is not only to provide fun, but also help people feel at home in the world of science. If people don't understand science, they will be afraid of it; and if they are afraid of science, they will not make the best of it.
One cause of all these changes is the increase in wealth and spare time. Another cause is the growing number of young people in the population. Many of them are college students or college graduates. They see things in a new and different way. They want art that they can take part in. The same is true of science and history.
The old museums have been changing and the government is encouraging the building of new and modern museums. In the United States and Canada, there are more than 6,000 museums, almost twice as many as there were 25 years ago. | The growing population of young people caused the changes in museums because _ . |
[
"the law",
"self-control",
"ethical rules",
"common sense"
] | self-control | What is freedom? It seems like such a simple question. Freedom is being able to do what you want to do. Allow me to explain it.
I'm tired of working for a living. I'd rather collect taxes. So that's what I'm going to do: collect a kind of tax. You are ordered to estimate your income from the past 12 months, and write me a check for 1%. I have provided a mailing address for this purpose on my contact page ...
What? You have a problem with my plan? Oh, I see. If you have to send me a check for the tax, then I have hurt your freedom to spend that money as you see fit. We have a conflict! And our basic problem is: we cannot enjoy freedom at the same time; we must settle for a limit. But what limit?
Libertarians believe freedom should be based on self-control. They describe freedom as being able to do what you want to do as long as it doesn't influence the equal right of others to do what they want to do. That is, freedom is being able to do what you like as long as you do not harm another person's life, liberty or property.
You can build a set of legal and ethical rules on the principle of self-control, and libertarians do. Their request for self-control often becomes more important than common sense, or even freedom itself.
The definition rules out the freedom to steal, murder, and so on. Otherwise, you can do whatever you want. There is no problem until you realize that taxation is theft, that war is murder, and that national service is a form of slavery. Since only the government has a legal right to use force, libertarians focus on making the government smaller, or even going without it. The libertarians' definition of freedom is thus freedom from the government. Isn't it ridiculous? | In the opinion of libertarians, freedom is realized mainly by _ . |
[
"Pat.",
"The priest.",
"Pat's wife.",
"None of them."
] | Pat. | Pat came over from Ireland to England with his wife one year ago to find work. He got quite a good job with a building company, and as he did not drink or smoke, he saved up quite a lot of money.
His wife's parents were still in Ireland, and one day she got a telegram saying that her mother was ill, so Pat gave her some money and she went to Ireland to see her mother.
After a week, Pat wanted to write a letter to her, but he could not read or write very well, so he went to his priest and asked him to do it for him. Pat told the priest what he wanted to say, and the priest wrote it down. After a few minutes Pat stopped, and the priest said," Do you want to say more?"
"Only ," 'Please excuse the bad writing and spelling'," Pat said. | Who really made a mistake in the story? |
[
"Something serious happened to the boy's mother and sister.",
"The boy's mother and sister were dying.",
"The boy's parents had to go to accompany his sister.",
"The boy's sister had asked him for his photo."
] | Something serious happened to the boy's mother and sister. | On the last day before Christmas, I hurried to a store to buy some gifts. While looking in the toys section,. I noticed a small boy of about five years old, pressing a doll against his chest.Keeping on touching the hair of the doll, the boy murmured sadly, "I don't have enough money.What can I do?" I walked towards him and asked him curiously who he wanted to give the doll to.
" It is the doll that my sister loved most and wanted so much for this Christmas.She was so sure that Santa Claus would bring it to her." I told him that maybe Santa Claus would bring it to her after all and not to worry.However, he replied sadly, " No, Santa Claus cannot take it to where she is now.I have to give the doll to my mother so that she can give it to her when she goes there." His eyes looked so sad while saying this. " My sister has gone to be with God.Daddy says that Mommy will also join God very soon so I think that she can take the doll with her to give it to my sister." My heart nearly stopped.
The boy looked up at me and said, " I told Daddy to tell Mommy not to go yet.I asked him to wait until I come back from the store." Then, he showed me a very nice photo of him where he was laughing.He told me, " I also want Mommy to take this photo with her so that she will not forget me, I love my Mommy and I wish she didn't have to leave me but Daddy says that she has to go and join my little sister." Then he looked at the doll again quietly with sad eyes.
I quickly reached my hand into my pocket, saying, "What if we checked again, just in case, to see if you have enough money?" | What can be inferred from the story? |
[
"they are interested in it",
"they can learn better in this way",
"they always get real friends in this way",
"their parents worry about them"
] | they are interested in it | These days many students like to make friends online. Most of them think it's interesting to know an unknown person through the Internet. So, many students like to use computers to talk with those friends. And they spend too much time on it. Some of them can not do well in their school work. Their parents often don't think the children are as good as before. So many teachers and parents are worried about their children.
In fact, only very few of them can get real good friends in this way. Most of them were _ by those unseen friends. And some of the students did wrong things online. It's terrible for students to use too much time to make friends and talk online.
So we should be careful of making friends online and should not spend too much time on it. We'd better pay more attention to study. We will be really happy when we do well in school and at home. | Many students like to make friends online because _ . |
[
"In the United States, more couples are experiencing marital crises than there used to be in the 1970s.",
"The later the first marriage, the happier the marriage will be.",
"More and more people are giving birth to children without getting married.",
"More children are living in a single-parent household than there used to be."
] | The later the first marriage, the happier the marriage will be. | Americans are less inclined to get married than at any time in US history, posing social and public-policy dilemmas and the threatening to dissolve the "glue" that connects fathers to their children, experts say.
A report released by the US National Marriage Project found "a rather weakening of the institution of marriage" in America. The researchers said the prefix = st1 /USmarriage rate has never been lower, births to unmarried women have skyrocketed, the divorce rate remains high and Americans' marriages are less happy than in the past.
"There is no known society that has got along without marriage and has done a decent job in rearing and sponsoring the next generation," said Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, US National Marriage Project co-director.
The crumbling of the institution of marriage should not be viewed as a kind social trend with no costs to society at large, added the project's other co-director, David Popenoe.
US government statistics cited in the Rutgers report detail a crisis in marriage whose origins can be traced back about 40 years. The report, citing census data ,said the marriage rate has quickly reduced by a third since 1960. It said there were about 73 marriages per 1,000 unmarried women aged 15 and up in 1960. In 1996, the last year for which such figures were available, the rate was about 49 per 1,000.
Popenoe said the USmarriage rate now has dropped below a previous historic low recorded at the turn of the century. He said several factors have something to do with the trend. One is that Americans are delaying marriage until they are older.
In 1960, the median age for first marriages was 20 for women and 23 for men. In 1997, with many college-educated Americans delaying marriage until their 30s, the median age rose to 25 for women and 27 for men, the report said.
"The later the marriage, by and large, the lower the (overall) marriage rate in the long run. In other words, people delay too long and then they decide not to marry after a while," Popenoe said.
In addition, many American women, particularly black women, are giving birth and raising children without getting married.
In 1960,5.3 percent of all USbabies were born to unwed mothers, according to government statistics. In 1997,32 percent of all babies were born to unmarried women-and a startling 69 percent of black babies had unwed mothers.
The percentage of USchildren living without their father present also has ballooned. In 1960, nine percent of children lived in a single-parent household. Last year, 28 percent of all children and 55 percent of all black children lived with a single parent. Children in single-parent households overwhelmingly live with their mothers, with fathers absent. | Which of the following can NOT be inferred from the figures provided in the passage? |
[
"Beautiful creatures.",
"Pleasure and knowledge.",
"Colorful butterflies.",
"Care by the visitors."
] | Care by the visitors. | These days picture news is very popular with young people. Here are some chosen from the Internet by Jack. Read on to find out which one you like best.
SPRING is coming, together with butterflies ! On March 31,the Natural History Museum in London, UK, had a butterfly show. Children came over and played with these beautiful creatures. They also got to know how butterflies grow up. Colorful butterflies flew freely at the show. They sometimes landed on visitors. Look! A large blue butterfly sits on the nose of the girl.
Earlier in April 2014, Sanlian Taofen Bookstore became the first 24-hour bookstore in Beijing. It hopes to encourage more people to read books.
"We welcome everyone who loves to read books at any time." The general manager of the store told China Youth Daily.
Although many people can now buy books online, many readers still like the feeling in bookstores. They can touch the books and smell the print.
This year, many children in the UK will have a new language to study: Chinese.
Starting in 2014, students aged 7-11 in the UK need to study one of seven foreign languages. They can choose from French, German, Spanish, Italian, Latin, Greek and Chinese.
The British government is offering to train a group of Chinese-language teachers. They will teach Chinese to more than 3,000 primary school students.
China and the UK work together in many fields. So it's important that the future generation can speak Chinese. | What could children get from visiting the butterfly show? |
[
"culture",
"gender",
"age",
"education"
] | education | When she returned home after a year in South America, Judith Martin, a North American writer, began to have a problem. People kept interpreting her behavior as aggressive, but that was not right. Fairly soon she figured out what was happening.
When most South Americans talk to each other face-to-face, they stand closer together than North Americans do. Martin had not readjusted to North American distances. Apparently, she had forgotten about the phenomenon known as personal space -- the amount of physical distance people expect during social interaction. Everyone has expectations concerning the use of personal space, but accepted distances for that space are determined by each person's culture.
Observations about personal space began about twenty years ago. Anthropologist Edward T. Hall was a pioneer in the field. He became very interested in how interpersonal distances affected communication between people. In his book The Hidden Dimension, Hall invented the word "proxemics" to describe people's use of space as a means of communication. As Hall's book title indicates, most people are unconscious that interpersonal distances exist.
Personal space depends on invisible boundaries. Those boundaries move with people as they interact. Personal space gets larger or smaller depending on the circumstances of the social interaction at any moment. People do not like anyone to trespass on their personal space. As Cooper explains, invasions of personal space bring about negative reactions.
Researchers working with Hall's data found that accepted interpersonal distances in the United States also depend on other factors. For example, subcultures help determine expectations concerning personal space. Fisher, Bell, and Baum report that groups of Hispanic-Americans generally interact more closely within their subculture than Anglo-Americans do within theirs. They further explain that in general subcultural groups tend to interact at closer distances with members of their own subculture than with nonmembers.
Age also affects how people use personal space. Cooper reports that North American children seem unaware of boundaries for personal space until the age of four or five. As the children get older they become more aware of standards for personal space. By the time they reach puberty , they have completely adapted to their culture's standards for interpersonal distances.
Gender also influences people's use of personal space. For example, North American males' most negative reaction is reserved for anyone who enters their personal space directly in front of them. Females, on the other hand, feel most negative about approaches from the side. Also, females have smaller interpersonal distances than males do, although pairs of the same sex communicate across larger spaces than do pairs of males and females. The gender factor changes, however, in high-density situations such as crowded subways or elevators in the United States. As Maines observes, when people have some choice about where they stand or sit in crowded settings, they choose people of the same sex.
As international travel and commerce increase, intercultural contact is becoming commonplace. Soon, perhaps, cultural differences in expectations for personal space will be as familiar to everyone as are cultural differences in food and dress. Until then, people need to make a special effort to learn one another's expectations concerning personal space. Once people are sensitive to such matters, they will not go either away from or toward a person from another culture. | According to the passage, which fact makes no contribution to the decision of interpersonal distance? |
[
"be copies of the earliest printing",
"be on sale for the first time",
"never be worth very much",
"never be rare"
] | be copies of the earliest printing | In every British town, large and small, you will find shops that sell second-hand goods. Sometimes such shops deal mostly in furniture, sometimes in books, sometimes in ornaments and household goods, sometimes even in clothes.
The furniture may often be " _ ", and it may well have changed hands many times. It may also be very valuable, although the most valuable piece will usually go to the London salerooms, where one piece might well be sold for hundreds of thousands of pounds. As you look around these shops and see the polished wood of chests and tables, you cannot help thinking of those long-dead hands which polished that wood, of those now-closed eyes which once looked at these pieces with love.
The books, too, may be antique and very precious; some may be rare first printings. Often when someone dies or has to move house, his books may all be sold, so that sometimes you may find whole libraries in one shop. On the border between England and Wales, there is a town which has become a huge bookshop as well.Even the cinema and castle have been taken over, and now books have replaced sheep as the town's main trsde.
There are also much more humble shops, sometimes simply called "junk shops", where you can buy small household pieces very cheaply. Sometimes the profits from these shops go to charity. Even these pieces, though, can make you feel sad; you think of those people who once treasured them, but who have moved on, to another country or to death.
Although the British do not worship their ancestors, they do treasure the past and the things of the past. This is true of houses as well. These days no one knocks them down; they are restored until they are often better than new. In Britain, people do not buy something just because it is new. Old things are treasured for their proven worth; new things have to prove themselves before they are accepted. | Books found in second-hand book shops may _ . |
[
"Do Your Best",
"Six Ways to Feel Good about Yourself",
"It's Never Too Late to Learn",
"Always Smile to Your Life"
] | Six Ways to Feel Good about Yourself | When you are feeling unhappy or forget how great you are, these are six ways to make you feel good about yourself.
Look in the mirror and say to yourself,"I am a special person and there's no one in the world like me. I can do anything!" It may not sound so good, but it really works!
Do something nice for someone. Helping others always makes you feel good.
Smile! Be friendly to people you meet. Look for the good things in your friends and family.
Learn something new! Have you always wanted to decorate your own room or learn how to swim? Go for it! New challenges are fun and give you a sense of accomplishment when you have finished.
Read and start a diary, Turn off the TV and let your imagination fly! Write you're your thoughts, dreams or anything you want! Writing always helps to express your feelings.
Stay with your family. We all need our family time. Talk with your Mum or Dad or maybe even your cousin. | Which is the best title for the passage? |
[
"two",
"three",
"four",
"five"
] | three | One night last February, a seventeen-year-old Duffy drove home along a winding road, he saw a strange light thrown against the tree. "I knew it wasn't the moon", he said. "I drive this road all the time and I notice little things out of place."
Duffy stopped his car and got out to examine. Below him far down in the deep valley lay a broken car with its headlights on. Thirty minutes earlier, a man had driven off the edge of the road, which has no guardrail. His car fell and rolled end over end, landing on its top more than two hundred feet below.
Duffy rushed to call for help, then returned and got down to reach the injured driver. Snow covered the valley and the temperature was below freezing. After struggling back up the cliff, Duffy took off his jacket and shirt and wrapped the injured man in time, along with the blankets from his car.
Life-saving deeds are starting to become usual action for Duffy, the oldest of seven children. When he was 12, he saved his ten-year-old brother from drowning. Two years ago, his three-year-old sister ate rat poison, and Duffy cleaned out her mouth, make her drink milk to protect her stomach and called doctors.
"We have tried to teach the children good values, and it looks like we have got some reward for it." His father says. | From the above article, we can see Duffy has saved _ at least. |
[
"After receiving the medical treatment, Jobs was in good health again.",
"Tim Cook was a friend and co-worker of Jobs.",
"People will remember and honor Jobs for his influence in the technology and music industries.",
"Jobs believed that Apple would have a bright future."
] | After receiving the medical treatment, Jobs was in good health again. | A Letter from Steve Jobs
August 24, 2011
To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community,
I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.
So I resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board feels fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.
As far as my successor goes, I strongly suggest that we name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.
I believe Apple's brightest days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.
I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.
Steve
More Information:
Steve Jobs (February 24, 1955--October 5, 2011) was an American businessman, designer and inventor. He is best known as the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple Inc. Unluckily, in 2003, Jobs was diagnosed with a pancreas neuroendocrine tumor . Although the cancer was treated in the first place, he appeared thinner as his health fell. On medical leave for most of 2011, Jobs finally made a decision to resign as Apple CEO in August that year. Shortly after that, on October 5, he died. He continues to receive honors and public attention for his influence in the technology and music industries. | Which of the following statement is NOT true? |
[
"four",
"seventy-seven",
"eight",
"eighty-one"
] | seventy-seven | Cao Min couldn't believe she was experiencing exactly what she had seen years ago in the film "Titanic".
Cao and her two children from Anhui Province were traveling on board the "Liaoludu 7" on February 22. They were among the first people on the ship who were rescued by lifeboats. Cao's one-year-old son was the youngest passenger on board.
The "Liaoludu 7" was traveling in the Bohai Straits from Lvshun in Liaoning Province to the port city of Longkou in Shandong Province. It suddenly lost its power at 2:30 pm and tilted on its side. With 81 people on board, the ferry began to sink.
"I was so scared that my legs couldn't move forward. They kept shaking even when I was asked to jump onto a lifeboat," Cao recalled.
Upon receiving the mayday appeal , China Marine Search and Rescue Centre immediately informed the State Council. The center sent eight lifeboats to the fishing boats.
After more than four hours of fighting strong winds and freezing ocean water, the passengers were recovered. All but four survived. These four died after spending too long time in the freezing waters, according to a spokesperson for the Beijing-based center. | According to the passage, _ passengers on board were still alive. |
[
"Twelve.",
"Thirteen.",
"Fourteen.",
"Fifteen."
] | Twelve. | Hello! Nice to meet you. Now let me introduce myself to you. My name is Mary. I'm 12 years old. I'm from Canada and I speak English. I'm a tall girl. I have long brown hair and big blue eyes. I like _ a lot. I often sing songs with my friends in my free time. I have a happy family. There are four people in my family. They are my mom, my dad, my sister and me. I like China very much and I want to visit Beijing, but I can't speak Chinese at all.
I hope to be your friend, then we can help each other with English and Chinese.
,. | How old is Mary? |
[
"The History of Olympic Games.",
"Two Firsts about 2012 London Olympics",
"2012 London Olympics --- Eco-Conscious Games",
"2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Olympics"
] | Two Firsts about 2012 London Olympics | $? While the 2008 Olympics were the first to be broadcast entirely in HD, the 2012 Olympics are the first to broadcast in HD as well as 3D. Sean Taylor, a spokesperson for Panasonic - provider of some of the technologies - said it effectively, "Each Games, from a technology perspective, tries to have a first. London will be the first HD and 3D Games." The games were first televised in Berlin in 1936 and played on big screens about the city. Then came the first games to enter households (strictly in London that is) in 1948, followed by the first internationally televised games during the 1960 Olympics in Rome. And ever since, that feeling of physically standing in the crowd and watching these mighty contestants has only gotten clearer, more defined. Now, they more literally than ever actually compete in your living room.
SS A _ is presented as the London games celebrate both the Industrial Revolution (a.k.a. the birth of pollution) and a spirit of committed environmentalism; London will be the first to actively measure its own carbon footprint during these games, designing a stadium and accommodations that cut-back on negative emissions when at all possible. They are also shooting for a world record via the "Javelin," designed specifically to keep as many exhaust pipes at bay as humanly possible. | What can be the best title for the text? |
[
"It's more difficult to create a new thought than to use it in practice.",
"To find a new thought will clearly lead to the production of a new thing.",
"A man with an excellent ability of practice can easily become an inventor.",
"One may come up with a new thought,but can not put it into practice."
] | One may come up with a new thought,but can not put it into practice. | According to the dictionary definition of 'create',ordinary people are creative every day. To create means to bring into being,to cause to exist something each of us does daily. We are creative whenever we look at or think about something in a new way.
First,this includes an awareness of our surroundings. It means using all of our senses to become aware of our world. This may be as simple as being aware of color1 and texture ,as well as taste, when we plan a meal. Above all,it is the ability to notice things that others might miss.
A second part of creativity is an ability to see relationships among things. If we believe the expression,there is nothing new under the sun,the creativity is remaking or recombining the old in new ways. For example,we might do this by finding a more effective way to study or a better way to arrange our furniture,or we might make a new combination of camera lenses and filters to create an unusual photograph.
A third part of creativity is the courage and drive to make use of our new ideas,to ask for them to achieve some new results. To think up a new idea is one thing;to put the idea to work is another. These three parts of creativity are included in all the great works of geniuses,but they are also included in many of our day to day activities. | What does the author think about the relationship between a new thought and its being put into practice? |
[
"its jaws",
"its liver",
"shark fins",
"shark teeth"
] | shark teeth | Sharks are among the oldest animals on Earth. There are hundreds of kinds of sharks. Most are about two meters long. The dogfish shark, however, is less than twenty centimeters in length. A shark has an extremely good sense of smell. It can find small amounts of matters in water, such as blood, body liquids and chemicals produced by animals. These powerful senses help sharks find their food. Sharks eat fish, other sharks, and plants that live in the ocean.
Sharks grow slowly. About forty percent of all sharks lay eggs. The others give birth to live young. Some sharks carry their young inside their bodies as humans do. Some sharks are not able to reproduce until they are twenty years old. Most reproduce only every two years. And they give birth to fewer than ten young sharks. For this reason, over-fishing of sharks is of special danger to the future of the animal.
Sharks are important for the world's oceans. They eat injured and diseased fish. Their hunting activities mean that the numbers of other fish in ocean waters do not become too large. This protects the plants and other forms of life that exist in the oceans.
People hunt sharks for sport, food, medicine and their skin. Experts say the international market for some kinds of sharks has increased because many parts of a shark are valuable.Collectors pay thousands of dollars for the jaws of a shark. Shark liver oil is a popular source of Vitamin A. The skin of a shark can be used like leather.
In Asia, people enjoy a kind of soup made from shark fins. Experts say a fisherman can earn a lot of money for even one kilogram of shark fins. Sharks are among the oldest animals on Earth, but some sharks are in danger of disappearing from Earth. If too many sharks in one area are killed, that group of sharks may never return to normal population levels. | According to the passage, many parts of a shark are valuable EXCEPT _ . |
[
"35days",
"5months",
"8months",
"12months"
] | 5months | Animal moms are great moms. You might be surprised at some of these moms.
Octopuses
The octopus mother lays about 50,000 eggs. For about 300 days, she stays with the eggs, cleans them and protects them. She does not leave to feed. However, this animal mom dies as soon as the eggs are hatched .
Crocodiles
A crocodile mother puts a lot of time and effort into raising her babies.
She starts by building a nest which she guards for over two months! When the eggs are ready to hatch, the young crocs call out to their mother, who digs them out and helps them hatch. She then carries them in her mouth down to the water, where she will guard them for several more weeks or months until thy learn to hunt on their own.
Bats
Bats become moms by hanging head up in a cave, giving birth. Catching the youngsters before it can fall to the ground below, she puts it in a pouch .Bat moms may carry babies with them when feeding for the first few days. As the little bats get bigger and heavier, moms help them hang on the wall of their caves and return to feed them. It continues for about three weeks, until the babies are grown up and able to fly on their own.
Koalas
The animal mom gives birth after pregnancy of only 35 days. The hairless baby climbs into its mother's pouch and lives there for another five months. When the little koala is between five and eight months old, it leaves the pouch for short periods of time but returns for safety. Once it is too big to return to the pouch, it will climb onto its mother's back and ride there until it is about 12 moths old. | How long does a young koala usually stay in its mother's pouch at least? |
[
"the television programs have a great influence on UK tweenagers",
"UK tweenagers benefit a lot from the television programs",
"the Hannah Montana television show appeals to a lot of old viewers",
"it is wise to encourage kids to be like adults at such a young age"
] | the television programs have a great influence on UK tweenagers | Have you heard of the term "tweenager" ? It's a new word being used in the UK to describe children at about 10-12 years old.Why are the media suddenly referring to kids in this way?
Well , more and more companies are beginning to create products and services for tweenagers.The Disney company sells the Hannah Montana television show,music,films and products to tweenagers and their parents.You can get everything from branded lunchboxes and cellphones,to fan magazines and clothing.The High School Musical series of films is also intended for a tweenage audience.So,it's all about sales,which tells us tweenagers must have more money,freedom and influence upon their parents than _ have ever had before.
Most children in the UK today get more pocket money than kids did a decade ago.In spite of the credit trouble, parents have more money to give than previously, since parents are having fewer children on average than in the past. addition, divorce rate in the UK is continually rising and In the parents spend less time with their children than they used to.So,many parents are under constant pressure from commercial marketers and the requests of their children.
You may wonder how tweenagers have more freedom than previous generations.Well,UK children today are very good at using media and computers.A lot of them have a television,if not a computer,in their bedrooms.They have access to much more information about life and the world.They may have experienced a lot in life as well,since 25% of UK children live in single -parent families.People now say that"kids are getting older younger" .With such sophistication at such a young age,it's no wonder that tweenagers are able to influence their parents.
UK tweenagers never used to be worried about spending money on fashionable clothes. That's changed.Now,they are concerned about the fashions and their images.In a world of television programs that promise overnight success and fame at a young age,some people think it' s very important to look fashionable. Such ideas are also promoted by both Hannah Montana story, in which a tweenage girl suddenly becomes a world-famous pop star,and the High School Musical story,in which tweenagers go through various auditions for musicals and talent shows. | We can make a conclusion that _ . |
[
"Batman has the longest running time",
"One can buy tickets in advance for all the films",
"You'd better not take your children with you to see Dick Tracy",
"While watching Batman one can enjoy pizza at 7:30 pm."
] | You'd better not take your children with you to see Dick Tracy | H.T.B. Arts Center
FILM Tickets PS2.50 / PS 1.50. Performances at 8 pm unless started otherwise.
WILD AT HEART 127mins.
Wen 6-Fri8 February
Director: David Lynch
Starring: Nicholas Cage, Laura Dern, Willam Dafoe. A first-class film. Cage and his girlfriend Dean are on the run through the dangerous Deep South. They are hiding from gunmen who have been hired to kill Cage by Dean's mother. Victims, yes--but they also have fun. It's wild at heart, strange on top. Funny, frightening and brilliant.
DICK TRACY 113mins
Mon 11-Sat16 February 6pm
Tickets on sale 5-6 pm
Director: Warren Beatty
Starring: Warren Beatty , Madonna The famous detective tries to stop Big Boy and the Blank from taking over the city. A colorful and exciting film. Some parts are frightening, so think twice about taking children.
BATMAN 126mins
Mon11-Sat16 February 8.30pm
Tickets on sale 7.30-8.30pm
PIZZA PLUS offer 6-7pm
Director: Tim Burton
Starring: Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson. A few essential questions must be asked...Is Batman a mad hero? Why does Bruce Wayne spend millions dressing up as a bat? Has Nicholson's Joker stolen the whole movie? Great action and excellent acting, especially by Nicholson. | According to the text, we can learn that _ . |
[
"give advice on health",
"introduce new ways of body-building",
"ask you to go to the center",
"introduce ways to lose weight"
] | ask you to go to the center | With a busy life and job, pressure can make you look tired and aged. KissiHealth-BeautyCentergives classes, makes training plans according to your physical conditions, and sets up an individual file. All these things will help you to get to know your body and the way to keep it fit.
1) BODY-BUILDING
Imported gym equipment will help you build up your body's muscles, making you look full of energy and strength.
2) GYMNASTIC EXERCISES
A bright and large exercise room with excellent equipment and music will give your body a chance to enjoy movement with rhythm.
3) SPECIAL "LAZY-BONE"FITNESSCENTER
"Lazy-bone" fitness equipment is the first bodyshaping set of seven beds in Houston. Designed according to human anatomic and kinematic theory, the seven special beds will help you to exercise your waist, abdomen , hips or legs. In the relaxing hours you may try them to strengthen your muscles and lose weight.
*Tuition: "Lazy-bone" fitness card, 1000 dollars /month (gymnastic classes included).
*Open Time: 10:30 a.m. --10:30 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
*Tel: 59185700
*Address: 16 Johnson Street,Houston | The purpose of this passage is to _ . |
[
"Because it found a different world",
"Because it wanted to look for a better piece",
"Because it wanted to enjoy the world as before",
"Because it felt tired."
] | Because it wanted to enjoy the world as before | Once a circle lost a piece of its own. The circle wanted to be whole, so it went around looking for its missing piece. But because it was incomplete ,it could only roll very slowly. It enjoyed the flowers and the sunshine along the way. It talked with insects . It found lots of different pieces, but none of them fitted. So it left them all by the side of the road and kept on looking for the missing piece. Then one day the circle found a piece that fitted perfectly, it put the missing piece into itself. It could be whole, with nothing missing. It was so happy and began to roll. Now that it was a perfect circle, it could roll very fast, too fast to see flowers or talk to insects. It realized how different the world was when it rolled so quickly. It felt so sad that it stopped, left the piece it found by the side of the road and rolled away slowly.
Sometimes, we are perfect when we lose something. A man who has everything is a poor man in some ways. He will never have hopes, dreams or something better.
We couldn't be perfect, but we must be brave enough to love, kind enough to share happiness with others and clever enough to know there is enough love around us. | why did the circle stop when it rolled quickly? |
[
"it arrives on time",
"it is not always full",
"it travels faster",
"it has fewer seats on it"
] | it is not always full | Dear Sir,
I have to travel every day from Souk Road to the airport. Two buses travel along their route : the number 49 and number 16. But by the time the number 16 bus reaches Souk Road it is always full, so I can't get on it. I have to wait for the number 49, because sometimes there are empty seats on it.
The timetable says that there are buses from Souk Road to the airport every ten minutes. If this is so, why do I have to wait half an hour for a bus nearly every day?
The regulations say that if there are empty seats on a bus, the bus must stop at every stop where people are waiting. Why do the half-empty buses go straight past me when I am standing at the bus stop?
The regulations say that no bus may carry more than 40 seated passengers and 20 standing passengers. Yesterday I was the first to get off the bus when it reached the airport. I counted the other passengers as they got off. There were 129 of them.
It is clear that our bus companies break the regulations and think little of their passengers. Can nothing be done to make your service better?
Yours
Tired passenger | The writer has to take Bus No.49 because _ . |
[
"Because truth will destroy others.",
"Because British people are very considerate.",
"Because it's easier for others to understand lies.",
"Because lies were harmless."
] | Because British people are very considerate. | Britain's most popular lie has been disclosed, with one in four people admitting using "sorry I had no signal" when returning a missed mobile phone call, a survey found.
Researchers found the average Briton tells on average four lies every day or almost 1500 every year. Almost one in six men admitted they were most likely to lie to their wife or girlfriend, on average at least twice a day. The most popular lie was saying you had no mobile phone signal, with one in four people admitting regularly using the little white lie. It usually came after they hit the "ignore" button when their mobile rang.
Three quarters of people think women are better liars. The research found 46 per cent of girls have been caught lying, compared to 58 of men.
The second most common _ is "I haven't got any cash on me" when asked for money by beggars and Big Issue sellers. "Nothing's wrong - I'm fine" came third followed by "You look lovely" and "Nice to see you".
Modern technology turned out to have contributed to many lies with "I didn't get your text" in 18th, "Our server was down" in 20th and "My battery died" in 26th place. Other lies to make the top ten included "I'll give you a ring", "We're just good friends" and "We'll have to meet up soon". "I'm on my way" and "No, your bum doesn't look big in that" completed the top ten.
In many cases perhaps it is better to delight someone with a fib than destroy someone with the truth, according to a spokesman for OnePoll, which carried out the research of 4,300 adults. He added: 'As a nation we just like trying to be nice and not upsetting people. Often little white lies can cover what we actually want to say. Most of these were considered completely harmless. ' | Why do British people like telling lies, according to the spokesman for One Poll? |
[
"Because they were short of time.",
"Because they were wearing flip-flops.",
"Because Josh kept warning them not to go any further.",
"Because the flood prevented them from going forward."
] | Because the flood prevented them from going forward. | When was the last time you saw three men running down a forest trail in the rain wearing flip-flops ?That's what my friend Brandon, Josh and I were doing last autumn. We were looking for a waterfall .We didn't have much time to get to the waterfall and back, so we were running. We were wearing flip-flops to prevent our shoes getting dirty.
It was raining, but lightly. It kept us cool as we climbed over giant stones and through a shallow stream. We followed red arrows and crossed that stream several times, walking on toward the promised waterfall. Time was not on our side, however, and we were forced to turn around. As we started back, we looked at the shallow stream we had just crossed. Where did this rushing river come from? That was when we realized a flash flood was around!
In the few minutes the water rose at a fast speed. Now there were no big stones to be seen-only what looked like lumps covered with rushing water. We had no choice but to move our way back carefully in the rushing water -in flip-flops. We had crossed the stream not once or twice, but six times in search of a waterfall that we never even reached!
With most of the crossings, we needed each other's help if we didn't want to be washed away by water. Wet all over, we felt relaxed after we made the last crossing.
"My dad always told me to keep off a river when travelling in the rain." Josh said as we hurried back down the path.
"Why didn't you tell us that earlier?" I laughed.
"Would it have made a difference?" came the reply.
He had a point. | Why didn't they find the waterfall in the end? |
[
"The Mysterious Brain",
"The Ability to Forget",
"Memory Reduction",
"Mental Performance"
] | Memory Reduction | It is common for older people to forget things. Now an American study has found that memory starts to fail when we are young adults. People younger than thirty years of age usually do not know that they are starting to forget information. But scientists from the University of Michigan say the loss of memory has usually already started.
Researchers say people do not observe this slow reduction in mental ability until the loss affects their everyday activities.
Denise Park led the new study. She directs the Centre for Aging and Cognition at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. Her team studied more than 350 men and women between the ages of twenty and ninety years. The study identified people in their middle twenties with memory problems.
She says young adults do not know they are forgetting things because their brains have more information than they need.
But she says that people in their twenties and thirties are losing memory at the same rate as people in their sixties and seventies.
Ms. Park says people between the ages of sixty and seventy may note the decrease in their mental abilities. They begin to observe that they are having more trouble remembering and learning new information.
The study found that older adults are more likely to remember false information as being true. For example, they remembered false medical claims as being true. Younger people remembered hearing the information. But they were more likely to remember that it was false.
Ms. Park is now using modern imaging equipment to study what happens in the brains of people of different ages. She is studying what parts of the brain older adults use for different activities compared to younger adults. Ms. Park says mental performance is a direct result of brain activity and brain structure. She says keeping the brain active is important. She hopes future studies will identify ways to improve the operation of our aging minds. | Which of the following is a suitable title for the passage? |
[
"84 hours",
"86 hours",
"90 hours",
"96 hours"
] | 84 hours | Once a group of 17-year-old schoolboys decided to break the world basketball marathon record. They wanted to play for 90 hours ,breaking the record by adding 6 hours . Each team had 9 players, with 5 at a time. The boys decided each person would play 21.5 hours and then rest for 2 hours. Then they started at 6 o'clock in the evening.
The first night was very hard for the players. When it was their turn to rest, they were too excited to fall asleep at once. On the second night,they fell asleep as soon as they stopped.Some of them had trouble with their feet and hands, but the only serious problem was a psychological one. Each boy was thinking: Why am I doing this? How can I play any longer? After the third night, the players knew they could finish the 90 hours. The basketball on the fourth nigth was very slow. But in the final hours, the players got better. For the last few minutes,
How happy everyone was! | Before this basketball marathon, the world record was _ . |
[
"left the cookout early",
"probably did not enjoy the cookout",
"never wears blue jeans",
"complained her friend to have invited her to such a party"
] | probably did not enjoy the cookout | One day this same friend invited me to a party . It was not a real party , it was some kind of informal get-together . Since it was summertime he had a cookout where most of his American friends and s were known to me , but there were others I had never met before .
It was the most embarrassing party for me when I noticed that everyone was wearing jeans and simple T-shirts for the day , while I arrived in proper dress with my shoes and my hair all fixed for a fancy party . It was hard to explain my embarrassment to the other guests . When one of them turned around and said "What nice clothes ! What's the occasion ?" I felt my face burning hot with embarrassment . I did not answer at all . Many times I thought about going home and changing , but I knew that they would notice . It would be even worse for me , because I knew they would quickly think that I felt out of place . So I wanted to pretend that I was okay . | It can be inferred from the story that the author _ . |
[
"the use of water",
"how to use some expressions about water",
"expressions about water and their meanings",
"expressions with negative meaning"
] | expressions about water and their meanings | Expressions about water are almost as common as water itself. But many of the expressions using water have unpleasant meanings.
The expression "to be in hot water" is one of them. It is a very old expression. "Hot water" was used 500 years ago to mean being in trouble. One story says it got that meaning from the custom of throwing extremely hot water down on enemies attacking a castle.
That no longer happens. But we still get in "hot water".When we are in "hot water", we are in trouble. It can be any kind of trouble--serious or not so serious. A person who breaks a law can be in hot water with the police. A young boy can be in hot water with his mother. if he walks in the house with dirty shoes.
Being in "deep water" is almost the same as being in hot water. When you are in deep water, you are in a difficult position. Imagine a person who cannot swim being thrown in water over his head.
You are in deep water when you are facing a problem that you do not have the ability to solve. The problem is too deep. You can be in deep water, for example, if you invest in stocks without knowing anything about the stock market.
"To keep your head above water" is a colorful expression that means staying out of debt. A company seeks to keep its head above water during economic hard times. A man who loses his job tries to keep his head above water until he finds a new job.
"Water over the dam" is another expression about a past event. It is something that is finished. It cannot be changed. The expression comes from the idea that water that has flowed over a dam cannot be brought back again. | This passage is written mainly to tell us _ . |
[
"She plans to post Sam's photo on Reddit on the Internet.",
"She plans to post pictures to Sam's account every day.",
"She plans to buy more cats.",
"She plans to sell Sam products."
] | She plans to sell Sam products. | A cat with his own Facebook page and Instagram account is taking the Internet by storm thanks to his expressive eyebrows. Curious-looking Sam has racked up 150,000 Instagram followers and 530,000 likes on Facebook since bursting onto the scene in 2012.
Owner Amanda Collado, 26, from New York, has been handling the large amount of requests from fans and media for the past three years. She said, "There have definitely been situations where I have had to ignore friends, family or work to take the time to do Sam's posts or answer emails on his behalf. Everyone gets a little annoyed when I'm on my phone and not paying attention to them. I never thought Sam would be so popular."
Amanda's mum, Ivette Rodriguez, noticed the abandoned cat outside her home one evening.
Ivette said, "I saw a little niche next to the house and there was a cat in there. He willingly gave himself up to me--I guess he was so tired of being outside."
Amanda created an Instagram account for Sam after a friend pointed out his expressive brows. She said, "I didn't notice his eyebrows initially."
"He had about 800 followers at first--but in February someone posted his photo on Reddit and he blew up overnight--I woke up with 1600 followers. From there we made a Facebook and all other social media accounts."
Amanda posts pictures to Sam's account every two days, but spends most of her day keeping up with all of his fans. But the effort she puts into her pet's social media has paid off--and she has bigger plans for Sam's future, including merchandise .
"Right now we're trying to share him in a free way. Eventually we'll sell Sam merchandise, because I know many people do like having cute little mugs, Sam mugs, or posters, T-shirts." | What does Amanda plan to do about Sam? |
[
"They ate up all their bananas.",
"They sold out all their bananas.",
"They went home without selling any bananas.",
"They sent all their bananas to passers-by for free."
] | They went home without selling any bananas. | I had managed to sell all my papers and was coming home in the snow. It was that strange hour in New York when the workers were walking towards home in the evening. I recognized my father near Cooper Union, a frozen figure in an old overcoat standing by a banana cart . He looked so lonely; tears came to my eyes. Then he saw me, and his face lit with his sad, beautiful smile.
"Arch," he said, "so you have sold your papers! Come and eat a banana."
He offered me one, but I refused it. I felt it important that my father sell his bananas, not give them away. He thought I was shy, and joked with me, and made me eat the banana. It smelled of wet snow.
"You haven't sold many bananas today, Dad," I said.
"What can I do? No one seems to want them," Dad said.
It was true. The crowds pushed home; the sky darkened over the New York buildings; the tall street lamps were lit; street cars and bikes went by. Nobody and nothing in the great city stopped for my father's bananas.
"I ought to yell ," said my father sadly. "I ought to make a big noise like other peddlers , but it makes my throat sore. Anyway, I'm ashamed of yelling; it makes me feel like a fool."
I had eaten one of his bananas. A voice deep down told me that I ought to pay for it somehow. I must remain here and help my father.
"I'll yell for you, Dad," I volunteered.
"Arch, no," he said, "go home; you have worked enough today. Just tell momma I'll be late."
But I yelled and yelled. My father, standing by, spoke words of praise, and said I was a wonderful yeller. However, nobody else paid attention; nobody listened and came to buy our bananas.
My father tried to stop me at last. He said, "That was wonderful yelling, Arch. But it's just we are unlucky today! Let's go home."
I insisted on keeping up my yells. But at last my father persuaded me to leave with him. | What happened to the father and the son at last? |
[
"women are more likely to suffer SAD than men",
"SAD is a reaction to the lack of sunlight in winter",
"scientists are still unclear about the cause of SAD",
"all living things have a biological clock related to electric light"
] | scientists are still unclear about the cause of SAD | Don't you find that it is getting increasingly darker every day when you wake up for school ? As winter comes ,days become shorter while the nights become longer ,In the past people slept more in winter ,but in modern times we just use more electric light instead of sunlight to continue our normal routines .
But scientific research is finding that manhandling of electric light is making us sick .
Electric light is fooling the body's biological clock into releasing awaking hormones ( )at the wrong times ,scientists say .This might be leading to seasonal fatigue and depression .
Much more than mental health is at stake ,Recent scientific studies have found that women who work at night ,have higher chances of getting breast-cancer .
"Electric lights are wonderful ,but as with a lot of other things ,we really mess ,things up "said David Avery ,a psychiatrist ." Our ancestors evolved in a very regular light -dark cycle ,and our bodies just work better that way ."
Researchers have known for a long time that all living things have a biological clock that is linked to light ,Being of the natural day-night cycle can cause fatigue ,mood change and depression ,This is known as seasonal affective disorder ,or SAD.
Scientists disagree on the cause of SAD ,Some say it is caused by winter's late sunrises , others blame the early sunsets .
However ,they all agree the perfect solution to SAD is to give up artificial light ,It will quickly bring someone into a cycle of long ,restful nights and easy awakenings at dawn .
But realistically most people need to use electric light in their everyday life . Ironically the next best solution is to use more bright lights to reset the body's biological clock .
By getting bright light first thing in the morning it simulates an earlier dawn and shifts the body clock forward ,according to Alfred Lewy ,a psychiatrist at Oregon Health & Science University .
A 2005 study done by the American Psychiatric Association showed that daily exposure to bright light was about as effective as medicine used to treat several forms of depression . | It can be inferred from the text that _ |
[
"people's working time",
"people's living place",
"people's diet and lifestyle",
"people's nationalities"
] | people's diet and lifestyle | That"Monday morning feeling"could be a crushing pain in the chest which leaves you sweating and gasping for breath. Recent research from Germany and Italy shows that heart attacks are more common on Monday mornings and doctors blame the stress of returning to work after the weekend break.
The risk of having a heart attack on any given day should be one in seven, but a six-year study helped by researchers at the Free University of Berlin of more than 2, 600 Germans showed that the average person had a 20 percent higher chance of having a heart attack on a Monday than on any other day.
Working Germans are particularly not protected against attack, with a 33 percent higher risk at the beginning of the working week. Non-workers, by comparison, appear to be no more at risk on a Monday than any other day.
A study of 11, 000 Italians proved 8 a. m. on a Monday morning as the most stressful time for the heart, and both studies showed that Sunday is the least stressful day, with fewest heart attacks in both countries.
The finding could lead to a better understanding of what is the immediate cause of heart attacks, according to Dr Stefan Willich of the Free University. "We know a lot about long-term risk factors such as smoking and cholesterol but we don't know what actually causes heart attacks, so we can't give clear advice on how to prevent them, "he said.
Monday mornings have a double helping of stress for the working body as it makes a rapid change from sleep to activity, and from the relaxing weekend to the pressures of work.
"When people get up, their blood pressure and heart rate go up and there are hormonal changes in their bodies, "Willich explained. "All these things can have an unfavorable effect in the blood system and increase the risk of a clot which will cause a heart attack."
"When people return to work after a weekend off, the pace of their life changes. They have a higher workload, more stress, more anger and more physical activities,"said Willich. | To protect people from a heart attack, doctors have paid much attention to _ . |
[
"Rich and powerful",
"Peaceful and attractive",
"Modern and open",
"Greedy and aggressive"
] | Peaceful and attractive | The Pacific island nation of Nauru used to be a beautiful place.Now it is an ecological disaster area.Nauru's heartbreaking story could have one good consequence -- other countries might learn from its mistakes.
For thousands of years, Polynesian people lived in the remote island of Nauru, far from western civilization.The first European to arrive was John Fearn in 1798.He was the British captain of the Hunter, a whaling ship.He called the island Pleasant Island.
However, because it was very remote, Nauru had little communication with Europeans at first.The whaling ships and other traders began to visit, bringing guns and alcohol.These elements destroyed the social balance of the twelve family groups on the island.A ten-year civil war started, which reduced the population from 1,400 to 900.
Nauru's real troubles began in 1899 when a British mining company discovered phosphate on the island.In fact, it found that the island of Nauru was nearly all phosphate, which was a very important fertilizer for farming.The company began mining the phosphate.
A phosphate mine is not a hole in the ground; it is a strip mine.When a company strip-mines, it removes the top layer of soil.Then it takes away the material it wants.Strip mining totally destroys the land.Gradually, the lovely island of Nauru started to look like the moon.
In 1968, Nauru became one of the richest countries in the world.Every year the government received millions and millions of dollars for its phosphate.
Unfortunately, the leaders invested the money unwisely and lost millions of dollars.In addition, they used millions more dollars for personal expenses.Soon people realized that they had a terrible problem -- their phosphate was running out.Ninety percent of their island was destroyed and they had nothing.By 2000, Nauru was financially ruined.Experts say that it would take approximately $433,600,000 and more than 20 years to repair the island.This will probably never happen. | What was Nauru like before the Europeans came? |
[
"Because there is some food in my hand.",
"Because the bird eats some food.",
"Because the bird likes food.",
"Because the bird eats good food."
] | Because there is some food in my hand. | There is a big tree in front of my house. A black bird lives in the tree. Every day I take some food to the tree. The bird sees me and comes down. The food is in my hand. The bird comes to my hand and eats it. After that it goes back to the tree.
I give some food to the bird every day. And so the bird knows me. I like the bird and the bird likes me. We are good friends. | Why does the bird come down? |
[
"Because they don't like the working surroundings at home.",
"Because they like to be nurses and live abroad.",
"Because they can make much more money abroad.",
"Because the government hospitals at home never value them."
] | Because they can make much more money abroad. | About 6,000doctors in theprefix = st1 /Philippinesare studying to become nurses so they can find higher-paying jobs abroad, Health Secretary Francisco Duque says.
This was up from 2,000 doctors who studied to become nurses last year, Duque said.
The exodus of doctors and nurses had created a "threatening situation for our health care system" and a task force had been established to examine the potential impact, he said.
The team was working on a bill which would require doctors to practice in thePhilippinesfor at least three to four years before they were able to work abroad.
"I think the problem really is the migration of doctors. We have so many nurses now, more than enough to fill up(vacancies). But our doctors are leaving," Duque said.
A study by the University of thePhilippineshad found that between 2000to 2003 more than 50,000 Filipino nurses went abroad to work. A doctor working in a government hospital in thePhilippinesearns only about 25,000 pesos(446 dollars) a month. A doctor could earn around 8,000dollars a month while working as a nurse overseas. Even lawyers, accountants and engineers are enrolling to brain as nurses.
Filipino nurses are in demand in Europe, the United States, the Middle East and even closer to home, such as in Singapore and Japan.
However, Health officials have warned the country faces a "medical apocalypse" if it continues to lose its health professionals to jobs abroad. | According to the passage, why do so many doctors leave to work abroad as nurses? |
[
"He uses high technology to make perfumes.",
"He likes plays, storms and animals.",
"He is a businessman who makes memories.",
"He is a musician interested in smells and memories."
] | He uses high technology to make perfumes. | Have you ever remembered something with your nose? Maybe the smell of hot dogs makes you think of being at a baseball game. Or the smell of barbequed meat reminds you of a night around a fire. Scientists know that smells can make people think of powerful memories. Wouldn't it be great to somehow save those memories?
_ is exactly what Mark Crames, a businessman making perfumes , is trying to do. His company, Demeter Fragrance, makes more than 200 kinds of perfumes. "Imagine every smell in the world as a musical note," Crames said. "We try to join those notes to make a piece of beautiful music." He has made many perfumes and he got the idea from plays, storms and even animals.
Everyday smells mean different things to different people. "A perfume called Poison Ivy might make you think of sadness or surprise," Crames says. "But it could make another person think of a great time at summer camp."
Crames produces perfumes using a high-tech method called headspace technology. This month, Crames is making scent for Tootsie Roll and Junior Mints. Not every smell can be easily copied. "One of our most needed perfumes is a little dog's breath," he says. "But it is so chemically complicated that it's very hard to get."
What scent would you like to bottle? A zoo? Or grandma's old house? Crames may be able to help you bring back your memories, so all you have to do is have a smell when you want to remember. | What can we know about Mark Crames? |
[
"If you spend more time recovering, the incident will be more likely to influence you.",
"If you spend more time recovering, you. are tess likely to perform to your personal best.",
"As for sportsman, the faster they can forget a lost chance, the worse their performance will be.",
"We can't reduce the time spent in recovery in a day, for it's a step-by-step process."
] | As for sportsman, the faster they can forget a lost chance, the worse their performance will be. | What is your recovery rate? How long does it take you to recover from actions and behaviors that up- set you? Minutes? Hours? Days? Weeks? The longer it takes you to recover, the more influence that inci- dent has on your actions, and the less able you are to perform to your personal best.
You are well aware that the faster you let go of an issue that upsets you, the faster you return to an _ the healthier you willbe. The best example of this behavior is found with professional sports- people. They know that the faster they can forget an incident or missed opportunity and get on with the game, the better their performance. Imagine yourself to be an actor in a play on the stage. Your aim is toplay your part to the best of your ability. You have been given a script and at the end of each sen- tence is a full stop. Each time you get to the end of the sentence you start a new one and although the next sentence is related to the last, it is not affected by it. Your job is to deliver each sentence to the best of your ability.
Don't live your life in the past! Learn to live in the present, to overcome the past. Stop the past from influencing your daily life. Don't allow thoughts of the past to reduce your personal best. Stop the past from troubling your life. Learn to recover quickly.
Remember: Rome wasn't built in a day. Reflect on your recovery rate each day. Every day before you go to bed, look at your progress. This is a success. You are taking control of your life. Remember this is a step-by-step process. You are undertaking real change here. Your aim: reduce the time spent in recovery. | According to the text, which of the following statements is NOT true? |
[
"Asking for a job",
"Self-appraisal",
"The lady and the boy",
"The boy and the store owner"
] | Self-appraisal | A little boy went to a telephone booth at the cash counter of a store and made a phone call. The store owner looked at him and listened to the conversation.
Boy: "Lady, can you give me the job of cutting your lawn ?"
Woman (at the other end of the phone line): "No, thank you. I already have someone to cut my lawn."
Boy: "Lady, I will cut your lawn for half the price the person who cuts your lawn now."
Woman: "I'm very satisfied with the person who cuts my lawn."
Boy (with more perseverance ) : "Lady, I'll even sweep the floor and the stairs of your house for free."[:Zxxk.Com]
Woman: "No, thank you."
With a smile on his face, the little boy hung up the phone. The store owner, who was listening to all this, walked over to the boy.
Store owner: "Son... I like your attitude . I like that positive spirit and would like to offer you a job."
Boy: "No, thanks."
Store owner: "But you were really asking for one."
Boy: "No, Sir. I was just checking my performance at the job I already have. I am the one who is working for that lady I was talking to." | The best title for the story is " _ ". |
[
"they were good friends",
"he wanted to ask for some food",
"he wanted to drink with him",
"he wanted to win money"
] | he wanted to win money | Mr Baker worked in a big factory. He was busy all the time and had little time to rest. One summer, he decided to go to the sea to spend his holidays.
One afternoon, it was very hot. Mr Baker came into a restaurant, sat at a table and wanted to drink. Just then, an old man came up to him and said, "How do you do, sir?" "How do you do?" Mr Baker asked the old man to sit next to him. "Have you been here before?" "No, I haven't." "You look lonely, don't you?" said the old man. "Let's have a bet, shall we?"
It interested Mr Baker, "But what shall we bet on?" "I can bite my left eyeball," said the old man, "I can bet you five dollars."
Mr Baker didn't believe and passed $5 on the table.
The old man took out his glass eyeball, put it into his mouth and bite it. Mr Baker had to give his money.
"It doesn't matter young man," the old man said. "I'll give you a chance to win the money back. I can also bite my right eye. I'll bet you $10."
"I'm sure he's able to see. And I must win his money," he thought. So he took out ten dollars from his wallet.
But he was very surprised, the old man took out his false teeth and bit his right eye with it. Then he put the money into his pocket and went away quickly. | The old man said hello to Mr Baker because _ . |
[
"communicating well",
"dealing with criticism",
"sharing ideas",
"listening to others"
] | communicating well | Working on a team is a good thing. But it can bring you some troubles. If people on your team are not good at communicating, you may often feel terrible. To create a successful team, good communication is the most necessary part for both team members and the leader. The following are some helpful suggestions.
Don't criticize other people. When someone on your team does something wrong, don't criticize him. You can help him to find out reasons and then help him to solve the problem. Criticizing your team members too often may make them keep away from you. As a result, you may feel lonely.
Think about other people's ideas carefully. When someone tells you about his ideas, you should think about them carefully, no matter how silly they may seem. This shows you are interested in his ideas and makes him feel good.
Listen to other people actively. When someone is speaking to you, you need to listen to him actively. If you're unclear about something, you should ask him about it. By doing this you can clear up any confusion before moving on.
Share your ideas with other people. When you have a new idea, talk about it with your team members. This helps to improve the idea. Besides this, it also helps to improve your relationships between you and your team members. | For team members and the leader, _ is the most necessary part to create a successful team. |
[
"singing",
"talking",
"thinking",
"dancing"
] | thinking | I am not sure when I started listening to the radio. In the evening, I like listening to some talk programmes. The host's beautiful voice makes me relax. The host often has the same feelings as the audience about love, friendship, life and so on. I am often moved to tears. I usually go to bed at 9:30 pm and then I begin to listen to the play on the radio in bed. I can only listen to the sound, but I am always interested in guessing who they are and what they look like. I often fall asleep while listening. During lunch and supper time, I listen to the radio, too.
I like listening to music because it can make me quiet. I also like thinking about something while listening to music, for example, what I shall do tomorrow, that I have to call my family tonight and that I should send short messages to my friends on Christmas Day.
You see, radio is important in my life, like a friend. | The writer likes _ while listening to music. |
[
"a friend who lives nearby affects us most",
"one's health has nothing to do with friends",
"social connections have effects on one's life",
"a friend living faraway has the same influence as one's neighbor"
] | a friend living faraway has the same influence as one's neighbor | When one person gains weight, their close friends often follow. Researchers have just offered evidence in a study that says obesity appears to spread through society. But the findings might also offer hope.
If friends help make obesity acceptable, then they might also be influential in losing the fat. The researchers note that support groups are already an effective tool in dealing with other socially influenced problems, like alcoholism .
The findings appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. The researchers used information collected from 12,000 people. It was collected between 1972 and 2003 as part of the Framingham Heart Study.
The information was highly detailed. There was even contact information for close friends of the people in the study.
The researchers examined more than 40,000 social ties. They found a person's chances of becoming severely overweight increased by 50% if a friend had become obese.
A sister or brother of a person who became obese had a 40% increased chance of becoming obese. The risk for a wife or husband was a little less than that. Nicholas Christakis of Harvard Medical School was a lead researcher in the study. He says there is a direct causal relationship between a person getting fat and being followed in weight gain by a friend.
The study found that the sex of the friends was also an influence. In same-sex friendship, a person had a 71% increased risk of becoming obese. Men had a 44% increased risk of becoming obese after weight gain in a brother. In sisters, it was 67%.
The researchers also considered the effect of where people lived in relation to each other. James Fowler of the University of California was the other lead expert. He says a friend who lives a few hundred kilometers away has as much influence as one in the same neighborhood. He says the study demonstrates the need to consider that a major part of people's health is tied to their social connections.
Both researchers say their research shows that obesity is not just a private medical issue, but also a public health problem. | James Fowler seems to believe that _ . |
[
"Praise others.",
"Be angry.",
"Admit his mistake.",
"Stay silent."
] | Admit his mistake. | We all see and hear about extraordinary people around us and wonder why we can't be more like them. It's not the big things that make someone extraordinary. It's the small things. They become extraordinary by making a difference in someone's life. Here are some of the things extraordinary people do every day:
Praise someone. It can make the others feel great about themselves. A compliment can have a positive impact on their lives. Your team or family will love you for it.
It's OK to admit you were wrong. You will not only gain the respect of your team mates, but you will also gain credibility .
When you need help, don't be shy or stop yourself. Everyone needs a little help sometimes. When you ask for help, you receive help. You're willing to listen; you also need support at times.
When you don't understand how something works, let an expert show you. When you let someone teach you something, you are telling the person that you respect his talent, time and what he is talking about.
Sometimes it is very important to stay silent. Especially when you're angry, process your emotions, think back to what happened, and then come to a decision about how to deal with it. Before you say anything, consider others' feeling. Never be rude with words or actions. | For an extraordinary people, if he makes a mistake, what will he do? |
[
"For 5 hours.",
"For 7 hours.",
"For 10 hours.",
"For 12 hours."
] | For 7 hours. | Liverpool
Discover the best music, sport, culture ... in the UK
Liverpool MUSIC
The Beatles Story
The world-famous 1960s music group came from Liverpool. Find out about The Beatles at the Beatles Story.
Open every day except Dec. 25th and 26th.
Adult:PS15.95
Child:PS7.00
Child under five: Free Liverpool SPORT
Liverpool FC
This city loves football. Visit Anfield football stadium, home of Liverpool FC, Liverpool's favorite football club, and take a tour.
Closed on weekends.
Adult:PS15.00
Child:PS9.00
Child under five: Free
Liverpool MUSEUM
The Museum of Liverpool
Learn all about the history and culture of Liverpool.
Open daily 10:00 a.m. -- 5:00 p.m. Free! Liverpool SHOPPING
Liverpool ONE
Find the best shopping in the center of Liverpool at Liverpool ONE, a big shopping center.
Opened in 2008. More than 160 shops, restaurants and cinemas.
, | How long is the Museum of Liverpool open every day? |
[
"a letter",
"a notice",
"an e-mail",
"an ad"
] | an ad | Chinese New Year is next week in January this year. Do you need great furniture for your room? Come and buy things at our great sale at Helen's Furniture Store. Look! Here are some nice tape players in white, blue and red for mothers. We sell them for only $20. For students, we have desks and chairs for $25 a set. You can buy big tables for $50 and small tables for $40. What color do you like? Sofas in all colors are only $100 each.
One interesting thing: You can buy great vegetables here, too. The vegetables are from Yunnan and Taiwan.
Come to our store. You will like it. | This article is _ . |
[
"Snow and though.",
"Sweep and near.",
"Here and mistake.",
"Flake and know."
] | Snow and though. | Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep. | In the poem "deep" rhymes with "sleep". Which of the following rhymes with each other? |
[
"boring",
"serious",
"considerate",
"humorous"
] | humorous | Nobody likes an old poop . Developing a sense of humor is part of becoming a mature, emotionally healthy individual. Laughter is good for the soul, builds friendships and relieves stress. It serves as the glue for social situations and as an ice-breaker for sadness and boredom. If you've ever been told to "lighten up" or "chill out", you should save the blue attitude for serious situations and develop your sense of humor.
Forgive the accidental. A sudden fall is humorous not because we like to see people fall, but because it surprises. From a spilled water glass in a meeting to Aunt Rae's teeth coming off in the Thanksgiving turkey, the embarrassment of accidents can be relieved by humor and a helping hand. After making sure that nobody's hurt, forgive accidents with a chuckle rather than a scolding.
Look for the unexpected. The kid who used to look at you with his eyes closed during a test had the idea. Parents who serve green eggs and ham to their children on graduation day get the idea. Unexpected actions lighten an atmosphere and relax people.
Learn to laugh with your kids. Most of what children say and do is funny. Help them learn that accidents are sometimes funny and sometimes occasions for joining in and helping another human being. By sharing laughs and attempting to explain humor, you develop your sense of humor, as well as help kids develop their own sense of humor. | In the author's opinion, if your mother serves green eggs and hum to you on your graduation day, she is _ . |
[
"It is a government agency.",
"It only funds scientists in Antarctica.",
"It encourages the understanding of human nature.",
"It enables the mixing of science and art for the first time."
] | It is a government agency. | For as long as they can remember Jynne Martin and April Surgent had both dreamed of going to Antarctica.This winter,they each made it to the icy continent as guests of the National Science Foundation(NSF).Bm they didn't go as scientists.Martin is a poet and Surgent is an artist.They went to Antarctica as participants.in the NSF's Artists and Writers program.The NSF is thegovernment agency that funds scientific research in Antarctica.But it also makes it possible for artists,including filmmakers and musicians,to experience Antarctica and contribute their own points of view to our understanding of the continent.
The mixing of science and art in Antarctica isn't new.Some of the earliest explorersbrought along painters and photographers.Edward Wilson was a British painter,doctor,and bird expert who journeyed with RobertFalcon Soott on two separate Antamtic expeditionsmore than 100 years ago.Herbert Ponting was a photographer who also accompanied Scott on one of those expeditions.In hundreds of photos,Pontingcaptured the beauty of the continentand recorded the daily lives and heroic struggles of the explorers.
Today's scientists write articles forscientificjournals.Unlike theearly explorers'journals,scientific papers can now be very difficult for non-scientists to understand.Writers in Antarctica workto explain the research to the public.Peter Rejcek is editor,writer,and photographer for the Antarctic Sun,an onlinemagazine devoted to news about the U.S.Antarctic Program.Rejeck began his career in the Antarctic in 2003 by spending a year at the South Pole.He has returned everyyear since,interviewing,scientists about research at Palmer,McMurdo,and South Pole stations.
There are also scientists in Antarctica who work hardto explain their research to the public.Scientist Diane McKnight wrote The Lost Seal,a children's book that explains the research she and others are doing in an unusual ice-free area in Antarctica called the Dry Valleys.
Antarctica is full of stories and wonders that are scientific,historic.and personal. People such as Martin,Surgent,Rejcek,and McKnight are devoted to bringing those storiesto asmany peopleare they can."Some people are going to be scientists,some people are goingto be journalists,some people are going to be artists,but we can all work together,'saysSurgent,"tocelebrate,thisextraordinary place." | What do we know about the NSF? |
[
"prove that the partner has told a lie about working late",
"tell the parents the locations of their children after school",
"provide the friends with the most suitable pub for a drink",
"help people find what their loved ones are doing at any time"
] | tell the parents the locations of their children after school | Millions of people will be able to track each and every move by friends and family through their mobile phones,thanks to a new feature launched by Google yesterday.
The new system named "Latitude" uses a map to show exactly where a loved one is at any time, sometimes discovering their location to a few meters.Worried parents will be able to check up on where their children have got to after school, friends can meet for a quick drink if they see they are nearby and wives will be able to see if their husbands really are working late at the office.
The feature was made available immediately on millions of mobile phones that can access the web,such as the BlackBerry.Within weeks Google hopes to launch a new one that wilt also work on computers as well.
"Once you've shared your location,you can hide it from all of your friends at once,or you can turn off Google Latitude completely at any time." said a Google spokesman."You can adjust your privacy settings in Latitude so that you share as much or as little about your location as you want,with whom you want."
Google said that the company had tested the product with thousands of people to make sure that it was safe for the customers,but experts were not so sure.Simon Davies,director of Privacy International,said Latitude would open up a "privacy minefield ".
"It's about the little white lies.You might be avoiding going to work, and now your boss might be able to see that you're at Twickenham instead of at home."said Ian Angell, an information expert at the London School of Economics."You've already got mobile phone technology where husbands and wives track each other in secret.Now Google is so widely used that it will only worsen the situation." | According to Google,the new system "Latitude" can _ . |
[
"they're popular",
"they're convenient",
"they're useful",
"they're cheap"
] | they're cheap | Millions of people are using cell phones today.In many places it is actually considered unusual not to use one.In many countries,cell phones are very popular with young people.They find that the phones are more than a means of communication--having a mobile phone shows that they are cool and connected.
The explosions around the world in mobile phone use make some health professional worried.Some doctors are concerned that in the future many people may suffer health problems from the use of mobile phones.In England,there has been a serious debate about this issue.Mobile phone companies are worried about the negative publicity of such ideas.They say that there is no proof that mobile phones are bad for your health.
On the other hand,why do some medical studies show changes in the brain cells of some people who use mobile phones?Signs of change in the issues of the brain and head can be _ with modern scanning equipment.In one case,a traveling salesman had to retire at a young age because of serious memory loss.He couldn't remember even simple tasks.He would often forget the name of his own son.This man used to talk on his mobile phone for about six hours a day,every day of his working week,for a couple of years.His family doctor blamed his mobile phone use,but his employer's doctor didn't agree.
What is it that makes mobile phones potentially harmful?The answer is radiation.Hightech machines can detect very small amounts of radiation from mobile phones.Mobile phone companies agree that there is some radiation.But they say the amount is too small to worry about.
As the discussion about their safety continues,it appears that it's best to use mobile phones less often.Use your regular phone if you want to talk for a long time.Use your mobile phone only when you really need it.Mobile phones can be very useful and convenient,especially in emergencies.In the future,mobile phones may have a warning label that says they are bad for your health.So for now,it's wise not to use your mobile phone too often. | People buy cell phones for the following reasons except that _ . |
[
"They were concerned about their children.",
"They were threatened by Stanley Baldwin.",
"They were frightened by German invasion.",
"They longed to go to commonwealth nations."
] | They were concerned about their children. | In 1932 the warning of the British politician, Stanley Baldwin, that "the bomber will always get through" made a deep impression in Britain, the only state to make serious plans to evacuate civilians from large towns before the war started.
The British Government developed plans for evacuating 1 million children to the United States and Canada and other Commonwealth nations. It established the Children's Overseas Reception Board (CORB) in May 1940. After the fall of France, many people thought the war was lost and some saw this as one way of ensuring that Britain could survive even if invaded.
The Germans eventually began bombing British cities in September. Some children were evacuated by ship to British Dominions, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa. The CORB selections were not done on a first-come, first-served basis. CORB classified and prioritized the children. Charges soon appeared in the press that the well-to-do were being given priority. CORB arranged for the transportation. The Government paid the passages. Quite a number of children had already been evacuated. This tended to be children from rich families with money and overseas contacts. The British public eventually demanded the government pay so that less privileged children were also _ .
World War II occurred before the beginning of trans-Atlantic air travel. Liners were used to transport the children and this proved to be dangerous because the U-boats quickly emerged as the greatest threat. And this put the evacuee children trying to cross the Atlantic to safety in danger. Two ships carrying child evacuees were torpedoed in 1940. One was the Dutch liner Volendam with 320 children on August 30. The crew managed to get the life boats off and saved the children. They were returned to Glasgow. The other was the City of Benares, an ocean liner with 200 British and foreign civilian passengers and 93 British children with a guard of nurses, teachers, and a clergyman. It was torpedoed on September 13. The crew attempted to launch the life boats as Benares began to sink. The rough weather made this difficult, so many of the passengers in the life boats died in the extreme conditions. Only 15 children survived. Churchill, when he learned of the disaster, decided to end the overseas evacuation scheme. | What can we learn about the British people according to the passage? |
[
"represent four life attitudes.",
"represent four stages of life.",
"offer four ways to change life and mind.",
"tell us four interesting stories."
] | offer four ways to change life and mind. | The following are four books that will help you change your mind and change your life.
1) You Can Heal Your Life, Louise Hay:A groundbreaking book when it was released in 1982.It is still the book that I turn to when I have physical unrest that requires deeper understanding.Louise Hay is the pioneer in looking at the connection between the physical unrest that we have in our body and the emotional connection.At the time that she wrote the book many people scoffed at this idea,but it is now widely accepted and millions of people refer to it on a daily basis.
2) The Four Agreements,Don Miguel Ruiz:Maintaining a sense of reliability and faith is developed through understanding according to The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz written in 1997.We are faced with rules and regulations:don't do this,don't do that,watch what you are doing,be kind,loyal,faithful, etc.The four agreements represent a simple system of maintaining your own inner authority while practicing being a true person with other people.
3) Slowing Down to the Speed of Life,Richard Carlson and Joseph Bailey:This is a new one in my "bedside collection" and one that has made the biggest impact on me 1ately.Written in 1997, it is even more relevant today than it was when it was written.The idea of "slowing down'' to get there faster was extremely hard for me to understand.As a human species we seem to enjoy moving fast and expecting quick results,especially from ourselves,I should be successful now in contrast to ''in the fullness of time" when I am ready.
4) The Game of Life and How to Play it,Florence Scovel-Shinn:A classic book that was first published in 1925 and remains one of my favorite books of all time.Scovel-Shinn understood the power of our words to express either our deepest desires or our most horrible nightmares.
So where does this leave you? The way I see it is if you want to "Heal Your Life" then you had better learn how to play "The Game of Life" by learning how to "Slow Down to the Speed of Life" and keep the "Four Agreements",the Solutions may not be easy to do but it is simple.In fact, most solutions are pretty simple,and it is us humans that want to complicate it. | In the author's opinion,the four books _ . |
[
"Obama's father was very black while his mother very white",
"Obama's materal grandparents lived in Honolulu of Indonesia",
"Obama wanted to be president because he liked making people happy",
"Obama's classmates thought he was mature for his age as a high school student"
] | Obama's materal grandparents lived in Honolulu of Indonesia | Throughout his early years, Obama was known at home and at school as "Barry". Obama's parents met while both were attending the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where his father was enrolled as a foreign student. They separated when he was two years old and later divorced . His father received Master's degree in Economics from Harvard University, then returned to Kenya, where he became a finance minister before dying in an automobile accident in 1982. His mother married another foreign student, Lolo Soetoro, and the family moved to Soetoro's home country of Indonesia in 1967. Obama attended local schools in Jakarta, from age 6 to 10, where classes were taught in the Indonesian language.
During his time in Indonesia, he first attended St. Francis Assist Catholic school for almost three years. When Obama was in third grade he wrote an essay saying that he wanted to be president. His teacher later said that his reason for becoming president was that he wanted to make everybody happy.
Obama returned to Honolulu to live with his materal grandparents while attending Punahou School, a private college elementary school, from the fifth grade until his graduation in 1979. Obama's mother, Ann, died of cancer a few months after the publication of his 1995 memoir , Dreams from My Father.
In the memoir, Obama describes his experiences growing up in his mother's middle class family. Of his early childhood, Obama writes, "That my father looked nothing like the people around me---that he was black as pitch , my mother white as milk ."
Some of his fellow students at Punahou School later told the Honolulu Star--Bulletin that Obama was mature for his age as a high school student and that he sometimes attended parties and other events in order to connect with African American college students and military service people. | Which of the following is NOT true? |
[
"Only $12 is to be paid for 24 issues of the magazine",
"Readers can get a free offer of the magazine any time of the year",
"Readers from all over the world can enjoy the free offer",
"Readers can communicate face to face with child experts on the Internet"
] | Only $12 is to be paid for 24 issues of the magazine | Get a FREE YEAR! Order NOW and get a FREE YEAR of Parents(r) magazine! That's 2 full years (24 issues) for the regular 1-year rate - just $12. But HURRY, this offer won't last! (U.S. orders only, please.)
Every issue of PARENTS is filled with practical advice from leading doctors and child experts ... toys and games that develop reader-tested products and more!
100% Money-Back Guarantee: You must be pleased, or you may cancel any time during the life of your subscription and get all your money back - no questions asked. Parents(r) Magazine is published 12 times per year. Savings are based on $12.00 annual subscription rate. State taxes may apply to your order.
E-mail address required to access your account and member benefits online. We will not share your e-mail address with anyone. Click here: www.parents.com/privacy to view our privacy policy. | Which of the following is true according to the ad? |
[
"Because Reddy was trying to get him.",
"Because it was cold outside.",
"Because his grandfather would help him dig a large hole.",
"Because the Old Orchard was not so safe as this hole."
] | Because Reddy was trying to get him. | "As sure as you're alive now, Peter Rabbit, some day I will catch you," shouted Reddy Fox, as he put his black nose in the hole between the roots of the Big Hickory-tree which grows close to the Smiling Pool. "It is lucky for you that you were not one jump farther away from this hole."
Peter, safe inside that hole, didn't have a word to say, or, if he did, he didn't have breath enough to say it. It was quite true that if he had been one jump farther from that hole, Reddy Fox would have caught him. As it was, the hairs on Peter's funny white tail actually had tickled Reddy's back as Peter ran wildly through the root-bound entrance to that hole. It had been the narrowest escape Peter had had for a long, long time. You see, Reddy Fox had surprised Peter eating sweet clover on the bank of the Smiling Pond, and it had been a lucky thing for Peter that hole, dug long ago by Johnny Chuck's grandfather, had been right where it was. Also, it was a lucky thing that old Mr. Chuck had been wise enough to make the entrance between the roots of that tree in such a way that it could not be dug any larger.
Reddy Fox was too shrewd to waste any time trying to dig it larger. He knew there wasn't room enough for him to get between those roots. So, after trying to make Peter as uncomfortable as possible by telling him what he, Reddy, would do to him when he did catch him, Reddy walked across the Green Meadows. Peter remained where he was for a long time. When he was quite sure that it was safe to do so, he crawled out and hurried to the Old Orchard. He felt that that would be the safest place for him, because there were ever so many hiding places in the old stone wall along the edge of it. | Why did Peter Rabbit wait so long before leaving? |
[
"there was not enough whiskey for Henry",
"he didn't want me to get drunk",
"that glass of whiskey was drugged",
"it was for Henry's wife"
] | that glass of whiskey was drugged | When I was young, I went looking for gold in California. I never found enough to make a rich strike. But I did discover a beautiful part of the country called Stanislau. Like Heaven on Earth, it had bright green hills and deep forests where soft winds touched the trees. By the time I arrived, the charming paradise had been deserted because miners' good luck didn't last.
Then, I realized I was not alone after all.
A man was smiling at me as he stood in front of his little house. Its front yard was full of blue and yellow flowers. White curtains hung from the windows and floated in the soft summer wind.
Still smiling, the man invited me inside. My spirit seemed to come to life again. I saw a bright rug on the shining wooden floor. And on little tables there were seashells, books and china vases full of flowers. A woman had made this house into a home. The joy in my heart showed on my face. The man read my thoughts. "All her work." He said affectionately, "Nothing here hasn't felt the touch of her hand."
One picture on the wall was not hanging straight. He went to fix it. He stepped back several times to make sure the picture was straight. Then he gave it a gentle touch. "She always does that," he explained, "It is like the finishing pat a mother gives her child's hair after she has brushed it. I don't know why I do it. I just do it."
As he talked, I went to a little black-walnut shelf that held a small picture of the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. There was a sweetness and softness in the woman's expression. The man stared at the picture. "Nineteen her last birthday. That was the day we married. When you see her...ah, just wait until you meet her!" "Where is she now?" I asked. "Oh, she is away visiting her parents. This is Wednesday," he said slowly. "She will be back on Saturday, in the evening."
That night, I stayed. The man told me his name was Henry.
Thursday evening we had two visitors, Tom and Joe. "We just drop over to ask when little madam is coming home. Any news from her?" "Oh yes," the man replied. "A letter." He took a yellowed letter out of his wallet and read it. It was full of loving messages. While reading, he glimpsed his friends and cried out, "Oh no, you are doing it again, Tom! Take your hands away and let me see your eyes. I'm going to tell her this time!" "No, you mustn't do that, Henry," the grey-haired miner said. "I am getting old. And any little sorrow makes me cry. Lord, we miss her so."
Saturday finally came.
I was glad to see his two friends, Tom and Joe, with guitars, coming down the road as the sun began to set. They put the flowers they brought in vases and began to play some fast and lively songs.
Henry's friends kept giving him glasses of whiskey. When I reached for one of the two remaining glasses, Tom stopped my arm. "Drop that! Take the other." he whispered. I did so. Henry was served last. He had hardly swallowed his drink when the clock struck midnight. His face grew paler and paler. "Boys," he said, "I am sick with fear. Help! I want to lie down." Henry was asleep almost before the words were out of his mouth.
In a moment, those handy men had his clothes off and tucked him into his bed. They seemed to be getting ready to leave. So I said, "Please don't go, gentlemen. She won't know me. I am a stranger." They glanced at each other. Then Joe said, "She? Poor thing, she's been dead nineteen years!" "Dead?" I whispered. "That or worse." he said.
"She went to see her folks half a year after she got married. On her way back, on a Saturday evening in June, when she was almost here, the Indians captured her. She's never been heard of since. Henry _ . He thinks she is still alive. When June comes, he thinks she has gone on her trip to see her parents. Then he begins to wait for her to come back. We drop in here, three days before she's due, to encourage him up and listen to him read the letter. On Saturday we all come and get everything ready for a dance. We've done it for nineteen years. The first Saturday there were twenty-seven of us, but only two now. We drug him to sleep through the night. Then he's all right for another year."
The two old men opened the door and disappeared into the darkness of Stanislau. | Tom stopped my reaching for whiskey because _ . |
[
"Politicians like lotteries because they don't have to pay extra tax.",
"The popularity of lotteries in America actually is social progress.",
"Some critics don't like lotteries because many poor people waste their money on them.",
"People love the lottery because it is a stock market."
] | Some critics don't like lotteries because many poor people waste their money on them. | Thousands of people began pouring into Pennsylvania from other states. They wanted to buy lottery tickets. The tickets cost only $0.9 each. But that small spending could bring them a reward of $90 million. That was the second largest lottery jackpot in history.
More than 87 million tickets were bought for the Pennsylvania lottery drawing. Those who bought tickets had to choose seven numbers from 1 to 80. The chance of winning was one in 9.6 million. But that little chance certainly didn't affect ticket sales. In the last few days before the drawing, tickets were selling at the unbelievable rate of 500 per second.
Experts say many people buy lottery tickets because they just want to have a piece of the action. Others say the lottery is a stock market for poor people. It allows them to dream about wealth they'll probably never have.
But many people believe lotteries are no better than legalized gambling. Some critics note that most people who play are poor and may not be able to afford the tickets. There are also many addicts who take the game seriously. They may pour their life savings into lottery tickets. Some clubs have been formed to help them kick the habit.
Politicians like lotteries because they provide money that would otherwise have to come from new taxes. The profits from lotteries are usually used to pay for education or programs for senior citizens. But critics say this arrangement just allows states to legalize vice , under the name of social progress.
No matter whether you regard state lotteries right or not, you cannot refuse to accept their extreme popularity with many Americans. | Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? |
[
"Nancy Tillman's book On the Night You Were Born encourages children to try new things.",
"The most important focus of Tillman's books is for children to know they are loved.",
"The writer considers Tillman a gifted artist for her vivid use of words and rich imagination.",
"The writer has bought and read both of Tillman's books mentioned in this passage."
] | Nancy Tillman's book On the Night You Were Born encourages children to try new things. | Nancy Tillman's wonderful On the Night You Were Born is one of my very favorite books. Its celebration of the uniqueness of each and every child told in lyrical language makes it the gift I choose most often for expectant or adoptive parents. I also read it regularly with my grandchildren and talk with them about how special they are.
Tillman feels that the most important message for children to receive is simply, "You are loved." And it's that message that is the focus of this, her newest book, Wherever You Are: My Love Will Find You. Once again, it is her turn of phrase that most fascinates me: In the green of the grass ... in the smell of the sea ... in the clouds floating by ... at the top of a tree ... in the sound crickets make at the end of the day ... "You are loved. You are loved. You are loved," they all say. Phrases encourage children to grow, to try new things, to "march to the front" of their "own parade" and assures them that, no matter how far they go or what they do, they will be loved.
Though the words alone would convince me to buy, share and recommend this book, Tillman is also a gifted artist and her lovely work makes this book a visual treasure as well. Through the pages, a child rides hippos, splashes in the surf with elephants, plays hide and seek with rabbits, shares a trampoline with a kangaroo and enjoys some quiet time with a pair of pandas. My favorite drawing has the child walking away along a wide path that runs between trees covered in mist. In all of the drawings, swirls of sparkling lights wrap around the child--the love that will always be with him/her.
I've read On the Night You Were Born dozens of times and with every single reading, I am incredibly touched. Wherever You Are: My Love Will Find You creates the same feeling of wonder, peace and happiness in me. It's a keep-forever book and I'm so happy to have it in my collection to share with the children I love most. | Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage? |
[
"To give advice on how to run a school",
"To tell students how to be top ones",
"To advise students how to be good persons",
"To give information about how to be a good teacher"
] | To tell students how to be top ones | Huangshi will have new rules about behaviour standards for middle school students very soon. Middle Schools are going to use a new way to decide who the top students are. The best students won't only have high marks. The new rules will be used first in No. 2 Middle School of Huangshi in September 2015. The following are some of the new rules.
Tell the truth Have you ever cheated in an exam, for example, copying answers from a book or looking at other students' answers? Don't do it again! That's not something honest students should do.
Do more at school Good students don't only think of themselves, but they also care for other people and the surrounding. Look at the people around you; do they need help? Give a hand to whoever is in need. You are in a big family! Pay attention to the environment. Wherever possible, do something to protect the earth we live on.
Be open to new ideas Have you ever thought people may live on the moon or travel in space? Having new ideas means possible inventions and discoveries.
Protect yourself Has a thief ever broken into your classroom and taken your money from your schoolbag? Don't let it happen again. And if you have to go back home late, you should let your parents know.
Use the Internet carefully The Internet can be very useful for your study. But some things on the Internet aren't good for kids, so try to look at the good Web pages, which you can use for fun or homework. | What's the purpose of the passage? |
[
"is full of foreign terms",
"is too difficult to understand",
"is stranger than other amusements",
"is exciting to both players and listeners"
] | is exciting to both players and listeners | Hearing live music is one of the most pleasurable experiences available to human beings. The music sounds great, but it sounds greater when you get to watch the musicians as they create it. No matter what kind of music you love, try listening to it live.
This guide focuses on classical music, a tradition that _ before recordings, radio, and the Internet, back when all music was live music. In those days live human beings performed for other live human beings, with everybody together in the same room. When heard in this way, classical music can have a special excitement. Hearing classical music in a concert can leave you feeling refreshed and energized. It can be fun. It can be romantic. It can be spiritual.
Classical music concerts can seem like snobby affairs full of foreign terms and unusual behavior. It can be hard to understand what's going on. It can be hard to know how to act. But don't worry. Concerts are no stranger than any other amusement, and the rules of behavior are much simpler and easier to understand than the stock market, football, or system software upgrades.
If you haven't been to a live concert before, or if you've been confused by concerts, this guide will explain, so you can relax and enjoy the music. | The author considers that live classical music _ . |
[
"the hacker phenomenon exists only at university computing rooms",
"it is not very easy for the \"hackers\" to find friends or jobs",
"university computing rooms are expecting outstanding programmers out of the \"hackers\"",
"the hacker phenomenon is partly due to the lack of the computing rooms"
] | it is not very easy for the "hackers" to find friends or jobs | It is 4 o'clock in the early morning. Everything but the computing room on the campus of the university appears as quiet and misty as the mysterious hell. In the computing room, 30 students with sleepy eyes, sit still at their desk, beating the dirty and worn keys. Staring at the colorful screen, they tap continuously for hours. For the other parts in the world, it might be in the middle of the night, nevertheless here time represents nothing. It is an entirely enclosed field. These young computer "hackers" are tracing a sort of stimulus , a drive so exciting and absorbing that it ignores nearly anything else in their lives and becomes the focus of their being. They are addicted computer programmers. Some of these students have been glued to the console for no less than twenty hours even with no break for meals or rest. Some have been sleeping on sofas and chairs in the computing room, trying to struggle for a few moments' rest but hating to get too far away from their addicted machines.
It is not necessary for most of these students to be at the computing room in the middle of the night. What they are working belong to no assignments. They remain there because they desire to be -- they can not resist the attraction of the computers.
Furthermore, they are in groups instead of being alone. There are hackers at computing rooms all over the country. In the unimaginable way, they focus on nothing but computer. They escape from schooling and live beyond friendship; they might have difficulty being employed, choosing to travel from one computing room to another. They may even give up personal health.
"There is one hacker in my memory. We actually had to lift him away from his chair to feed him and arrange him to rest and sleep. We truly worried about his health," says a computing science professor at California University.
Professors of computer science are nowadays paying more attention to this hacker phenomenon and are on the watch for future hackers and more and more severe computer addicts. They believe firmly that hackers are not simply resulted from the close relationship with a machine. It is the result of social relationship with the attractive thinking machines, which are becoming nearly universal. | It can be reasonably inferred from the passage that _ . |
[
"lose weight",
"get a good result in their work",
"gain weight",
"not be hungry at all."
] | lose weight | Will it matter if you don't have your breakfast? A short time ago, a test was given in the United States. People of different ages, from 12 to 83, were asked to have a test. During the test, these people were given all kinds of breakfasts, and sometimes they got no breakfast at all. Scientists wanted to see how well their bodies worked when they had different kinds of breakfasts.
The rules show that if a person eats a right breakfast, he or she will work better than if he or she has no breakfast. If a student has fruit , eggs, bread and milk before going to school ,he or she will learn more quickly and listen more carefully in class.
The result is opposite to what some people think. Having no breakfast will not help them lose weight. This is because they are so hungry at noon that eat too much for lunch. They will gain weight instead of losing it. You will lose weight if you reduce your other meals. | According to the passage, some people think without breakfast they will _ |
[
"It will result in an increase in trade between China and ASEAN countries.",
"In might cause the prices of ASEAN products to fall.",
"It may greatly benefit the Chinese customers.",
"It won't bring any benefits to producers of ASEAN countries."
] | It won't bring any benefits to producers of ASEAN countries. | Beijing's markets will soon be flooded with more and cheaper colorful fruit such as orange, mangos and green durian all year round.
Thanks to a new free trade agreement signed last Monday between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN),more and more tropical Southeast Asian fruit will enter the country.
The agreement means that from July 1,2005, China and ASEAN countries will begin to cut tariffs. There are about 7,000 products included in the cuts. As global communication develops, countries are trading more and more goods with each other. When products are sold across national borders, countries put a tax on them. This type of tax is called a tariff. Just like removing an obstacle from the path of these goods, the reduction of tariffs will encourage trade between China and ASEAN countries. It means more products and lower prices.
The agreement will bring real benefits for Chinese customers, said a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman. "In the Beijing markets you will easily find more tropical fruit like durian, which used to very, very, very expensive. Now they will be cheaper." The current tariff rate on durian is 22 per cent but will fall to zero in 2005.
In the first 10 months of this year China did US$84.6 billion of trade with ASEAN countries. Experts believe this may reach US$100 billion next year. Founded in 1967, ASEAN now includes Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Brunei, Viet Nam, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos. | Which of the following statements about the agreement is NOT true? |
[
"they ate everything they found",
"they usually had a good appetite",
"they released a lot of methane",
"there were too many dinosaurs on earth"
] | they released a lot of methane | Around 200 million years ago, the earth was 18 degrees warmer than it is now. That might be a bit hot for humans, but it was just right for the giant dinosaurs that wandered about the earth during the Mesozoic era. A new study found that planteating dinosaurs may have contributed to the warming of the earthby releasing significant amounts of methane .
The study, published in science journal Current Biology, focused on sauropods, longnecked herbivores that munched on the top of trees. They were the largest of the dinosaurs; food broke down in their stomachs for long periods of time. The researchers estimate that a sauropoda released 2,675 liters of methane per day--adding up to a large amount of the greenhouse gas being pumped from dinosaur's gut into the atmosphere.
Plant eaters naturally release methane as part of their digestive process. The larger the animal, the more methane it produces. Methane, a greenhouse gas, traps heat and remains in the atmosphere for approximately 915 years, which warms the atmosphere.
Today, some animals, such as cattle, goats and sheep, produce large amounts of methane as a byproduct to their food digestion. Methane is also released from human--influenced sources such as landfill, agricultural activities, coal mining and other industrial practices--which all contribute to today's climate change, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The researchers estimate that earth's sauropods would have produced about 520 million tons of methane per year--similar to the total amount of methane produced today by natural and manmade sources. However, the researchers warn that their numbers are estimates based on multiple assumptions about the digestive systems and populations of dinosaurs.
The author of the study David Wilkinson says the emission of methane from dinosaurs would have been just one of the causes of warm climate during the Mesozoic era. Other causes include gases produced from volcanoes, swamps, shallow seas and so on. Still, Wilkinson says," The amount of methane from dinosaurs is large enough to have a measurable effect." | Scientists think dinosaurs may have led to the global warming because _ . |
[
"Parents",
"Teachers",
"Friends",
"Classmates"
] | Friends | During adolescence , peers play a large part in a young person's life and typically replace family as the center of a teen's social activities. Some kids give in to peer pressure because they want to be liked or because they worry that other kids may make fun of them if they don't go along with the group. Others may go along because they are curious to try something new that others are doing. The idea that "everyone's doing it" may influence some kids to leave their better judgment, or their common sense, behind.
As children grow, develop, and move into early adolescence, contacts with one's peers and the attraction of peer identification increases. As pre-adolescents begin rapid physical, emotional and social changes, they begin to question adult standards and the need for parental guidance. They find it good to turn for advice to friends who understand-- friends who are in the same position themselves. By trying new things and testing their ideas with their peers, there is less fear of being laughed at.
There are two levels of peer pressure. The first is in the large group: for most teens a school or a youth group are examples. This is the situation that gets the most attention. The second is in the close relationship with one or several best friends. This is the situation that is sometimes _ . The large group puts a general pressure on its members. It sets the standard for clothing, music, entertainment, and "political correctness". The pressure can be avoided by keeping quiet or by putting on the appearance of agreement. | When in pre-adolescence, who may children ask for suggestions? |
[
"quite warm;little hot",
"quite cold;very hot",
"comfortably warm;rather hot",
"a little cold;rather hot"
] | comfortably warm;rather hot | The United States has many different kinds of climate .On the west coast ,the temperature changes very little between summer and winter,but the north central states have a very different kind of climate.In these states,people wear light clothes during the summer,and they need heavy wool or fur clothes in winter.
In the southwest,the climate is quite warm during the winter,but hot in summer.
In the eastern part of the United States,summer temperatures are very different from winter temperatures.Summers are usually hot,and winters are usually cold.Spring temperatures are comfortably warm,and autumn temperatures are quite cool.
Years ago,people in the cold areas of the United States did not often get vegetables and fresh fruits during the winter.Today trucks and trains carry fruits and vegetables very quickly to all parts of the United States.In this way,Americans"send their climate"to people in other states. | The climate in the southwest is _ during the winter,but _ in summer. |
[
"was a national hero",
"wanted to go to Hollywood",
"had many troubles",
"was interested in making movies"
] | was interested in making movies | The Legend of Bruce Lee was a very popular TV play. The surprising life of Brue Lee came to the small screen in the play. The play followed the 32 vears of Bruce Lee's life, from his hard young age to his experience in the U.S.A. and his movie-making life.
Lee was born in San Francisco, California, and grew up in Hong Kong. He loved his motherland China and Chinese kung fu. His Hong Kong and Hollywood films were quite different from the traditional kung fu films. He started a new kung fu film age. Because of his films, the west began to show great interest in Chinese culture. He affected Chinese kung fu and Chinese kung fu films in Hong Kong and the rest of the world. Lee showed Chinese national pride( )in his movies. | According to this article, we know young Bruce _ . |
[
"Supportive.",
"Pessimistic.",
"Doubtful.",
"Worried."
] | Supportive. | School districts are turning to high-tech solutions-from fingerprint scans to electronic cards - to track kids on school buses and keep them from getting off at the wrong stops. A fingerprint scanning system, approved this month for testing at the Desert Sands district, northeast of San Diego. Students will be scanned as they get on and off the bus.
"Kids get lost. It happens in every school district, every year," says John DeVries, president of Global Biometrics Security, which developed the Biometric Observation Security System (BOSS) that's being tested. It happened Oct. 13 when a Prince George's County (Md.) school employee took a 5-year-old student to the wrong bus and the student got off several blocks from home.
With BOSS, students' fingerprints are scanned and sent to a database. When they get off, they provide a "check out" print. An alarm sounds if the child tries to get off at the wrong place. The fingerprints are not stored, DeVries says. They are converted into a series of numbers that cannot be used to re-create the print, he says.
Margaret Gomez of Palm Springs, Calif., whose daughter, then 6, was let off a bus about a mile from her home three years ago, supports the idea. "Anything is better than what they have in place now."
Other tracking systems include the ZPass from Seattle-based Zonar Systems, which uses a programmed card carried by students or tied to a backpack. It is in about 30 districts, including North Kansas City Schools and Illinois School District 128 in Palos Heights, company executive Chris Oliver says.
Paul Stephens, of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse in San Diego, says tracking students is reasonable, but the data could fall into unauthorized hands. "What if a child predator was able to get access to this?" he says. | What is Margaret Gomez's attitude toward the new solution? |
[
"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"
] | by the date written on the back of the photo | 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) | The man advertising the frame proved it was the author's _ . |
[
"is like themselves",
"has a sense of humor",
"is open-minded",
"lives an exciting life"
] | is like themselves | 1Have you ever wondered what goes through your mind when you choose where to sit in a new classroom? Or in a waiting room full of strangers? Or on a bus? Researchers have found out some interesting facts.
2Girls sit by girls and boys sit by boys.Adults sit together and young people choose another young person to sit near.But it goes further than this.We even choose to sit near someone who looks like us.People with glasses are more likely to sit near other people with glasses.People with long hair sit closer to other people with long hair.
3We seem to believe that people with similar habits or hobbies will share similar experiences and we are more likely to be accepted by people like ourselves, or even, we think we may be safer with people who look like us.Sometimes that' s true but it's a pity if we always stay with the same people, the same group.The danger in always staying in our comfort zone is that we just recycle the same opinions, the same tastes and the same ideas.We lose the chance to learn something new, find out interesting things, hear funny stories and discover differences.
4When we always stay with the same people, how can we break down the barriers which prevent us from getting to know people with different ideas? And how can we avoid the ignorance ? If you want to live in a society that opens to changes, new things and different opinions, be the cat among the pigeons .
5Move out of your comfort zone.Go and sit next to someone different.And don't just sit there in silence.Say hello.Ask a question.Start a conversation.That's how we make friends.That's how we learn about people.That's how we open our minds to new ideas.That's how we live an exciting life. | From the passage, we know that people prefer sitting by someone who _ . |
[
"listening to music",
"visiting his friends",
"walking in the garden",
"swimming"
] | swimming | The summer vacation is over. It's true that time flies.
In the vacation, the weather was very hot, but I enjoyed myself.
I did my homework in the morning. I got up at 6:30a.m. and took a walk in the garden for half an hour. After breakfast I began reading English and Chinese and did some math exercises. It usually took me three hours or more. I worked quite hard and I made great progress .
I spent the afternoon outside. I went swimming and it was fun. I would not go home until it was about five or six o'clock. Sometimes my friends came to see me and we spent some time listening to music.
In this way I spent my vacation happily. I not only studied hard, but also became a good swimmer. Now I'm in good health and high spirits . | The writer spent most of the afternoon _ . |
[
"Christmas' Eve",
"Christmas Day",
"New Year's Eve",
"New Year's Day"
] | New Year's Eve | Before Christmas Mr Smith broke his right leg and had to stay in hospital. When he was there, he always asked his doctor when he could go home. He didn't like to spend Christmas in hospital. Though the doctor did his best, Mr Smith didn't get better. So on Christmas Day he was still in hospital. He spent a bad day in bed thinking that he missed a lot of fun on such a happy day.
The next day the doctor told him that he might be well enough to leave hospital in time for the New Year. Mr Smith was very happy to think that he would spend New Year's Day outside hospital. Soon Mr Smith left hospital and on New Year's Eve he went to a party. He enjoyed himself there. But he drank too much. On his way home that night, he had a fall and broke his left leg. What a unlucky man he was! | He had a good time on _ . |
[
"four years old",
"six years old",
"eight years old",
"nine years old"
] | nine years old | My nine-year-old daughter, Maria, is in Year Four. Every evening we get into homework battles . Three afternoons a week, she has activities(netball, singing) after school and by the time we get home early, we argue about whether she should do her homework right after school, or if she should have some time to rest and play first. When Maria at last sits down to do her homework, she seems to want me there helping all the time, I do want to help her, but I'm sure that she is going to need to be able to do it on her own. And in fact, most of the time, I have other things I need to be doing. It seems that children these days have much more homework than we did, and some of it is really beyond their abilities . As you can see, I'm really worried about homework and I really don't know what I should do. Any ideas? | The woman's daughter is _ . |
[
"1980",
"1984",
"2001",
"2010"
] | 1984 | You've heard of 3D printing from newspaper and TV programs. It can "print" in plastic, metal, nylon, and over a hundred other materials. 3D printing technology has been around since the 1980s, it was not widely used until the early 2010s. The first working 3D printer was created in 1984 by Chuck Hull.
3D printers use many different types of technologies, but they all share one thing in common: they create a three-dimensional object by building it layer , by continuing layer, until the whole object is completed. Imagine a baker lay down each layer one at a time until the whole cake is formed. 3D printing is somewhat similar, but just a bit stricter. How can 3D printers work so well? The most important thing-a program, a 3D printer also needs to have instructions for what to print from a computer. It needs a file as well. The file which is a Computer Aided Design (CAD) paper is created with the use of a 3D modeling program. The program creates a paper that is sent to the 3D printer. Along the way, software pieces the design into hundreds, or more likely thousands of layers. The 3D printer builds up one layer at a time, from the bottom to the top, until the object is done.
3D printings can be used for making many kinds of things such as machine parts, daily life objects, even human organs using a person's own cells.
Nowadays, Marc. Dillon founds a project which deals with many world famous paintings like Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, Van Gogh's Sunflower with 3D technology. This project helps the blind people enjoy the fantastic art through touching. In order to provide a good user experience, these 3D paintings have special instruments which can tell people what they touch. | The first working 3D printer was created in _ . |
[
"Because you will impress your teacher most this way.",
"Because other students will admire you.",
"Because it means that you will enjoy school and learn more.",
"Because your parents will feel happy if you do so."
] | Because it means that you will enjoy school and learn more. | Your schooldays should be some of the best and happiest days of your life. How can you gain the most from them, and ensure you do not waste this wonderful opportunity to learn?
Be positive about school. Don't say things are difficult or boring. Be interested in school-life and your school subjects. Join lots of activities. Be quick to put your hand up. Go round the school with a big smile.
Expect to work. School is not a holiday camp. If you are not working, you are not learning, and you are wasting your time at school. Teachers cannot make everything enjoyable.
Keep fit. If you do not eat a good breakfast, you will be thinking about food in class. If you go to bed late and do not have enough sleep, you will be sleepy in class. Play some sports to keep your body strong.
Do today's work today. Do not say you will do things tomorrow. If you get behind the class, it is very difficult to get back in front. You cannot finish a race if you rest all the time.
Don't be too disappointed if things sometimes go badly. Everyone fails some tests, loses some matches and has bad days. Friends are not always perfect, and they sometimes say and do unpleasant things. Don't let small problems seem very big and important.
Talk about problems. Sometimes they are only the result of misunderstanding. Don't be too embarrasssed to ask for help. You are young. No one thinks you can do everything.
Plan your time. Don't waste life lying in bed on Saturday morning. Go and play a sport, learn the piano, work on a project, read a book, practise English, or help someone with problems. There are always a lot of things to do.
Set targets. If your last grade was a D, work for a C. try to make progress bit by bit. Think of small targets: "I will speak in class four times this week", "I will finish my project on Wednesday" or "I will get two more marks this week".
Follow our advice, and have a happy school-life! | Why do you think the writer thinks it is good to put up your hand in class? |
[
"3rd and 8th",
"5th and 10th",
"4th and 9th",
"5th and 12th"
] | 4th and 9th | Britain's most popular lie has been disclosed, with one in four people admitting using "Sorry I had no signal" when returning a missed mobile phone call, a survey found.
Researchers found the average Briton tells on average four lies every day or almost 1500 every year. Almost one in six men admitted they were most likely to lie to their wife or girlfriend, on average at least twice a day. The most popular lie was saying you had no mobile phone signal, with one in four people admitting regularly using the little white lie. It usually came after they hit the "ignore" button when their mobile rang.
Three quarters of people think women are better liars. The research found 46 per cent of girls have been caught lying, compared to 58 of men.
The second most common fib is "I haven't got any cash on me" when asked for money by tramps , beggars and Big Issue sellers. "Nothing's wrong - I'm fine" came third followed by "You look lovely" and "Nice to see you".
Modern technology turned out to have contributed to many lies with "I didn't get your text" in 18th, "Our server was down" in 20th and "My battery died" in 26th place.
Other lies to make the top ten included "I'll give you a ring", "We're just good friends" and "We'll have to meet up soon". "I'm on my way" and "No, your bum doesn't look big in that" completed the top ten.
Men tell the most fibs, coming out with five every day compared to women who lie just three times.
In many cases perhaps it is better to flatter with a fib than destroy someone with the truth, according to a spokesman for OnePoll, which carried out the research of 4,300 adults. | "You look lovely" and "I'm on my way" rank _ on the popular-lie list. |
[
"Copperfield has never been to Beijing.",
"Copperfield once flew over the Statue of Liberty.",
"Copperfield is also a famous singer.",
"Copperfield also dances in his shows."
] | Copperfield also dances in his shows. | Choose the best answer (,):
David Copperfield is one of the world's most famous magicians . He became the youngest member of the Society of American Magicians when he was 12. Now he is famous all over the world. In 1983, he made the Statue of Liberty in New York disappear for a few minutes. In 1986, Copperfield first came to China. He walked through the Great Wall in Beijing! During his second visit in 2002, lots of Chinese people were lucky enough to enjoy his shows.
Copperfield's shows are not just magic. He also dances and does lots of interesting things to make his fans happy. He even asks his fans to help him do tricks ! One of Copperfield's greatest tricks is flying. In his shows in China, he even made some fans fly around the theatre! In another trick, an electric saw cut Copperfield's body into two halves. Copperfield's magic is different each time. What do you think he will do next time? It will be fun to wait and see! | Which of the following sentences is TRUE? |
[
"The cost she will spend.",
"The thoughts from people about the environment.",
"Something harmful in her pigments.",
"Pressure from environmental specialists."
] | Something harmful in her pigments. | Do you like painting? Have you ever seen a painting in a tree hole? Now you can see many paintings in tree holes on a road in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province. What's up?
These paintings are painted by Wang Yue, 23, a college student at Dalian Polytechnic University. Wang describes her tree hole paintings as "a beautiful journey" through which she adds fun to her hometown.
"When I saw that the trees by the roadside had lost all their leaves, the ugly tree holes became obvious ," she said.
"I thought if I could paint some interesting scenes in these holes they might add some color to the city. "
But Wang was worried that the pigments in her watercolors could hurt the trees. After asking environmental specialists and getting permission from city officials, Wang gathered her color palette , brushes and other things to get to work.
"Painting on a tree hole is not as easy as painting on a canvas . I had to think about the shapes and sizes of the tree holes and adjust my designs accordingly," she said. "Before I began, I also had to clean off the dust from the tree holes first."
"I was glad to let people see life's beauty. I hope more artists can join me in painting the tree holes," Wang said. | What does Wang Yue worry about before she begins her tree hole painting? |
[
"(A)A woman weighs the positive and negative aspects of accepting a new job.",
"(B)A woman does not correct a stranger who mistakes her for someone else.",
"(C)A woman impersonates someone else to seek revenge on an acquaintance.",
"(D)A woman takes an immediate dislike to her new employer."
] | (B)A woman does not correct a stranger who mistakes her for someone else. | Lady Carlotta stepped out on to the platform of the small wayside station and took a turn or two up and down its uninteresting length, to kill time till the train should be pleased to proceed on its way. Then,in the roadway beyond, she saw a horse struggling with a more than ample load, and a carter of the sort that seems to bear a sullen hatred against the animal that helps him to earn a living. Lady Carlotta promptly betook her to the roadway, and put rather a 10 different complexion on the struggle. Certain of her acquaintances were wont to give her plentiful admonition as to the undesirability of interfering on behalf of a distressed animal, such interference being "none of her business." Only once had she put the 1 doctrine of non-interference into practice, when one of its most eloquent exponents had been besieged for nearly three hours in a small and extremely uncomfortable may-tree by an angry boar-pig, while Lady Carlotta, on the other side of the fence, had20 proceeded with the water-colour sketch she was engaged on, and refused to interfere between the boar and his prisoner. It is to be feared that she lost the friendship of the ultimately rescued lady. On this occasion she merely lost the train, which gave way to 25 the first sign of impatience it had shown throughout the journey, and steamed off without her. She bore the desertion with philosophical indifference; her friends and relations were thoroughly well used to the fact of her luggage arriving without her.30 She wired a vague non-committal message to her destination to say that she was coming on "by another train." Before she had time to think what her next move might be she was confronted by an imposingly attired lady, who seemed to be taking a 35 prolonged mental inventory of her clothes and looks."You must be Miss Hope, the governess I've come to meet," said the apparition, in a tone that admitted of very little argument."Very well, if I must I must," said Lady Carlotta to 40 herself with dangerous meekness."I am Mrs. Quabarl," continued the lady; "and where, pray, is your luggage?""It's gone astray," said the alleged governess, falling in with the excellent rule of life that the absent 45 are always to blame; the luggage had, in point of fact, behaved with perfect correctitude. "I've just telegraphed about it," she added, with a nearer approach to truth."How provoking," said Mrs. Quabarl; "these 50 railway companies are so careless. However, my maid can lend you things for the night," and she led the way to her car.During the drive to the Quabarl mansion Lady Carlotta was impressively introduced to the 55 nature of the charge that had been thrust upon her; she learned that Claude and Wilfrid were delicate, sensitive young people, that Irene had the artistic temperament highly developed, and that Viola was something or other else of a mould equally60 commonplace among children of that class and type in the twentieth century."I wish them not only to be TAUGHT," said Mrs. Quabarl, "but INTERESTED in what they learn. In their history lessons, for instance, you must try to65 make them feel that they are being introduced to the life-stories of men and women who really lived, not merely committing a mass of names and dates to memory. French, of course, I shall expect you to talk at meal-times several days in the week."70 "I shall talk French four days of the week and Russian in the remaining three.""Russian? My dear Miss Hope, no one in the house speaks or understands Russian.""That will not embarrass me in the least," said 75 Lady Carlotta coldly.Mrs. Quabarl, to use a colloquial expression, was knocked off her perch. She was one of those imperfectly self-assured individuals who are magnificent and autocratic as long as they are not80 seriously opposed. The least show of unexpected resistance goes a long way towards rendering them cowed and apologetic. When the new governess failed to express wondering admiration of the large newly-purchased and expensive car, and lightly85 alluded to the superior advantages of one or two makes which had just been put on the market, the discomfiture of her patroness became almost abject. Her feelings were those which might have animated a general of ancient warfaring days, on beholding his 90 heaviest battle-elephant ignominiously driven off the field by slingers and javelin throwers. | Which choice best summarizes the passage? |
[
"asking her mother for help",
"doing everything by herself",
"talking with her mother often",
"inviting her friends to her house"
] | doing everything by herself | What will you do when you have something difficult to do? I used to ask my mother for help. But she always said, "Do it yourself, dear." or "God helps those who help themselves , girl." I was not glad at all. I thought she was the laziest mother in the world.
For example, one day, I decided to invite some friends to my home. My bedroom was not in order. Books were everywhere. And I didn't make the bed. I asked my mother to help me to clean it, but she still said, "Do it yourself, girl."
Because of my"lazy mother", I have to wash my clothes and clean my room. I have to help my parents do some housework. I even have to go to the dentist by myself. It is really hard for me to do everything well, but I have learned a lot.
As time goes by, I come to understand my mother. She makes me clever and active! What a great mother! | The writer has learned a lot by _ . |
[
"videos.",
"music.",
"pictures.",
"secrets."
] | secrets. | Do you know the phrase "Weibo Addicts" ? Do you write a Weibo? If you don't, you are "out"!
Weibo means microblog. People may spend much time writing a blog, but it takes a little time to write a microblog. Why? Because every message on a microblog is less than 140 words.
Microblog started in the USA. It came to China in 2009 and it grows very fast. In 2011, the number of Chinese micro-bloggers grew to 300 million. People write microblogs for many reasons. For many microblog users, it is a great way of learning the freshest news, talking with friends and sharing different kinds of information, including news, everyday life, pictures, music, videos and so on.
It is easy and fast to send a message on a microblog. However, this can also bring problems and even panic . For example, when the big earthquake and tsunami hit Japan in March, 2011, messages like "Salt can help people fight radiation " were hot on microblogs. Then a crazy buying of salt followed. Later people knew it was just a rumor .
In a word, microblog plays a new part in the life of Chinese people. | People usually don't share their _ on Weibo? |
[
"He and his friends were playing outside the building.",
"He was helping the police hand out the photos of the missing girl.",
"He and his friends were helping his neighbor moving a couch.",
"He and his friends were having a cycling race."
] | He and his friends were helping his neighbor moving a couch. | Five-year-old Jocelyn Rojas spent all day playing happily with her friends outside her grandmother's apartment building. Her mom, Jaimee, kept her eye on the little girl from a window. At about 4 p.m., Jocelyn walked around the corner of the building to get her bicycle. However, half an hour later, she disappeared. Jaimee called 911.
A short time later, police officers and firefighters crowded inthe area, blocking streets and searching the neighborhood. Officers handed out photos of the girl wearing thick-framed glasses.
Temar Boggs, 15, a school athlete in track, was with some friends moving a couch into the apartment of his elderly neighbor when one officer approached him and asked if he'd seen Jocelyn. Unfortunately, none of them had seen her. A little bit later, Temar and his friends went to check out the situation. By 6:30 p.m., Jocelyn had been missing for more than two hours, and the search team was worried that the sun would set before she was found.
Just at that moment, Temar felt an intense emotion that he was going to find her. He and his friend Chris Garcia, 13, rode alongside, simply keeping a sharp eye out as they circled around. Then Temar spotted a car circling around, as if the driver were unfamiliar with the neighborhood. Temar cycled close and made eye contact with the man behind the wheel, an older guy wearing a red-and-white striped shirt, and saw a tiny blond girl in the passenger seat. Temar instantly realized it must be the missing girl.
The boys cycled after the car, but the driver kept moving, winding his way through the neighborhood.
Finally, the driver had to park the car ahead of them and pushed open the passenger-side door. A girl slipped out of the car. It was Jocelyn. Temar got off his bike, and carried her to the police. The kidnapper sped away.
A police report later identified the man as a 63-ycar-old sex offender. He is still _ .
Neil Harkins, chief of the Manheim Police Department, says "The boys' heroics are 'something we don't normally hear about.' It is a very brave thing for young boys to do that." But when asked, Temar, now a tenth-grade student at Lucy Laney High School, says "I didn't do it for attention. I just wanted to help." | What was Temar doing when the police were searching for Jocelyn? |
[
"whether her students could tell which was faster, electricity or sound waves",
"whether her students could hear from 20 metres away",
"whether she could call her sister in Washington",
"whether her sister could hear her in Washington"
] | whether her students could tell which was faster, electricity or sound waves | Miss. Green taught Physics in a London school. Last month she explained to one of her classes about sound, and she decided to test them to see how well she did in her work. She said to them, "Now, I have a sister in Washington. If I was calling her on the telephone, and at the same time you were 20 metres away, and listened to me from the other side of the street, who would hear what I said earlier, my sister or you? And why?" The cleverest boy answered at once, "Your sister, Miss. Green, because electricity travels faster than sound waves."
"That's very good." Miss. Green said. But then one of the girls put up her hand. Miss. Green said, "Yes, Betty?""I don't think so," Betty said. "Your sister would hear you earlier because when it's eleven o'clock here, it's six o'clock in Washington." | She wanted to know _ . |
[
"She knew the car drivers well.",
"She wanted to show kindness.",
"She hoped to please others.",
"She had seven tickets."
] | She wanted to show kindness. | It was a cold winter day. A woman drove up to the Rainbow Bridge tollbooth . "I'm paying for myself, and for the six cars behind me," she said with a smile, handing over seven tickets. One after another, the next six drivers arriving at the tollbooth were informed, "Some lady up ahead already paid your fare."
It turned out that the woman, Natalie Smith, had read something on a friend's refrigerator: "Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty." The phrase impressed her so much that she copied it down.
Judy Foreman spotted the same phrase on a warehouse wall far away from home. When it stayed on her mind for days, she gave up and drove all the way back to copy it down. "I thought it was beautiful," she said, explaining why she'd taken to writing it at the bottom of all her letters, "like a message from above." Her husband, Frank, liked the phrase so much that he put it up on the classroom wall for his students, one of whom was the daughter of Alice Johnson, a local news reporter. Alice put it in the newspaper, admitting that though she liked it, she didn't know where it came from or what it really meant.
Two days later, Alice got a call from Anne Herbert, a woman living in Marin. It was in a restaurant that Anne wrote the phrase down on a piece of paper, after turning it around in her mind for days.
"Here's the idea," Anne says. "Anything you think there should be more of, do it randomly." Her fantasies include painting the classrooms of shabby schools, leaving hot meals on kitchen tables in the poor part of town, and giving money secretly to a proud old lady. Anne says, " _ ."
The acts of random kindness spread. If you were one of those drivers who found your fare paid, who knows what you might have been inspired to do for someone else later. Like all great events, kindness begins slowly, with every single act. Let it be yours! | Why did Natalie Smith pay for the six cars behind her? |
[
"The Erie Canal connected Lake Erie with the Hudson River.",
"Economists are of the opinion that places where farming is done are good for making raw materials into finished goods.",
"Wagons drawn by horses and oxen soon proved to be better and cheaper than canal transportation.",
"The seaports usually have less population but more business."
] | The Erie Canal connected Lake Erie with the Hudson River. | In the 18th century, New York was smaller than Philadelphia and Boston. Today it is the largest city in America. How can the change in its size and importance be explained?
To answer this question we must consider certain facts about geography, history, and economics. Together these three will explain the huge growth of America's most famous city.
The map of the Northeast shows that the four areas with the largest populations in this region are around seaports. At these points materials from across the sea enter the United States, and the products of the land are sent there for export across the sea.
We know that places where transportation lines meet are good places for making raw materials into finished goods. That is why seaports often have cities nearby. But cities like New York needed more than their geographical location in order to become great industrial centers. Their development did not happen simply by chance.www.zxxk.com
About 1815, when many Americans from the east had already moved toward the west, transportation routes from the seaports to the central regions of the country began to be a serious problem. The slow wagons of that time, usually drawn by horses, were too expensive for moving heavy freight very far. In New York State a canal seemed the best answer to the transportation problem. From the eastern end of Lake Erie all the way across the state to the Hudson River there is a long strip of low land. Here the Erie Canal was built, and after several years of work it was completed in 1825.
The canal produced an immediate effect. Freight costs were cut to about one tenth of what they had been. New York City, which had been smaller than Philadelphia and Boston, quickly became the leading city of the coast. In the years that followed, transportation routes on the Great Lakes were joined to routes on the Mississippi River. Then New York City became the end point of a great inland shipping system that started from the Atlantic Ocean far up the western branches of the Mississippi. | According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE? |
[
"It was painted by her most talented student.",
"The painting can be worth a lot of money.",
"The art value of the painting is immeasurable .",
"The painting encourages her to advance ."
] | The painting encourages her to advance . | About twenty years ago I had the pleasure of teaching a disabled young woman. Not only was she good at math and science, but she was also extremely talented in art. She could draw and paint beautifully. When Audrey graduated from university she got two degrees, one in fine arts and one in chemistry. Not too many people do well in two such different areas of study.
Just before her high school graduation, Audrey gave me a wonderful gift. It was a watercolor1 painting of a mother and her baby. A tear fell from the mother's eye as she looked lovingly at her child. Beneath the painting Audrey had written these words: "The deep love from Mother, through me, touches another." What a beautiful gift! I had the piece of art framed(...) and hung in my office.
Years passed with many moves from one office to another and I lost the painting. Last year, after about eight years of not knowing where it was, I received a phone from a former colleague who said she had something of mine. It was the picture Audrey had painted for me 18 years ealier. When cleaning out a storage room she had discovered my gift.
I was struck that the precious gift came back. I knew Audrey very well. When she was four years old Audrey had a serious disease. What's worse, her father left the house. It was her mother who brought her up with much trouble. She survived the disease but was disabled.
To any other it is just a painting, but to me it shows how a mother's love has helped develop a talent and how its power pushes me ahead. | Why does the author value the painting so much? |
[
"The teacher went over to Douglas' desk and talked to him.",
"Different people show their thanksgiving in different ways.",
"The teacher often took Douglas by the hand after class while having a class break.",
"Most of the students were drawing the pictures of flowers or tables with food."
] | Different people show their thanksgiving in different ways. | On Thanksgiving Day, a teacher asked her class of firstgraders to draw a picture of something they were thankful for. She thought that these children from poor families actually had little to be thankful for. And she found most of them drawing pictures of flowers or tables with food. The teacher was very surprised to see the picture Douglas handed in. It's a hand,a simple hand.
But whose hand? The class were very interested in the strange picture. "I think it must be the hand of God that brings us food," said one child, "A farmer's," said another, "Because he grows beautiful flowers. " Finally when the others were at work ,the teacher went over to Douglas' desk and asked whose hand it was. "It's your hand, Teacher," he said quietly and shyly.
She remembered that she had often taken Douglas, a dirty lonely child, by the hand while having a class break. She often did that with the children. But it meant so much to Douglas. Perhaps this is everyone's thanksgiving,not for the material things we get,but for the chance,in whatever small way, to give to others. | According to the passage, which of the following is an opinion,but not a fact? |
[
"was helpful to his neighbor",
"did a smart thing",
"was honest",
"made a mistake"
] | made a mistake | Years ago while lying in my hammock and drinking JD from the bottle, I noticed my dog dragging something under the fence.Upon inspection, to my disappointment, I realized it was the next door neighbor' s 10 - year - old daughter' s rabbit.For years I had watched her come home from school and head straight out to its cage, free it and play with it in the yard.I knew that day would be no different and fearing for our dog, I had to think fast.
The rabbit was quite dirty, as if it had put up quite a struggle, so I washed it, combed it with the dog brush and blew it dry with the leaf blower.Upon finishing its grooming I jumped the fence and replaced it back in its cage hoping its death would be written off as "natural caused".
Back to the hammock and JD.Within the hour the neighbor' s Volvo palled in as usual and out popped the little girl, and as usual she headed straight for the cage.Only this time she stopped about six feet away and screamed: " D - A - D - D - Y!!!"
Her father, panic stricken, stood looking at the cage.Being the good neighbor that I am, I rushed to fence and asked if there was anything I could do.
Her father less than calmly shouted, "What kind of sick individual would dig up a little girl's rabbit and put it back in its cage?" | According to the story, the writer _ . |
[
"reducing the death rates of cancer patients.",
"curing patients suffering from malaria.",
"declining the infection rates of diseases.",
"preventing people from being infected with malaria."
] | curing patients suffering from malaria. | The landmark success of herbal expert Tu Youyou, the first Chinese woman national to win a Nobel prize in science, hasaroused an extreme sense of national pride and hopes on the future of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Tu, born in 1930, shared the 2015 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine with Irish-born William Campbell and Japan's Satoshi Omura for her discoveries concerning a therapy against malaria.
She discovered Artemisinin , a drug that has significantly reduced thedeath rates for patients suffering from malaria . "Artemisinin is a gift for the world people from the traditional Chinese medicine. It is of great importance for curing malaria and other infectious diseases and for protecting the health of the world people," Tu said in Beijing. "The discovery of Artemisinin is a successful example of collective research on traditional Chinese medicine. The prize winning is an honor for China's science cause and traditional Chinese medicine in their course of reaching out to the world."
"Tu's winning the prize indicates China's prosperity and progress in scientific and technological field, marks a great contribution of traditional Chinese medicine to the cause of human health, and show cases China's growing strengths and rising international standing," Premier Li Keqiang said in a congratulatory letter Monday evening.
In 2011, Tu became the first scientist on the mainland to win America's respected Lasker Award for her discovery of a new method to malaria treatment,which are given annually to people who have made major advances in the understanding, treatment, cure and prevention of human diseases since 1945. Graduating from the Beijing Medical College in 1955, she is chief researcher and professor at the Beijing-based China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences.
On China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo, the news has been sent by at least tens of thousands of users and received many "thumb-ups." Netizen "Xiaoxie" wrote, " Now I feel truly proud of being a medical student." | We can learn from the text that Artemisinin has a good effect on _ . |
[
"Shanghai Museum.",
"Lu Xun's Museum.",
"Shanghai Art Museum.",
"Yu Gardens."
] | Lu Xun's Museum. | While you're in Shanghai, please come and take a walk round some of our interesting places.
Shanghai Museum
You must see this beautifully designed museum. It is a wonderful place to study Chinese art and history. There are ancient treasures, fantastic Chinese sculptures, paintings from all ages and many other things for you to enjoy. Pay to enter.
Open 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.(9:00 am - 8:00 pm, Saturday)
Yu Gardens
These famous Ming gardens are often rather crowded. Don't forget to try their delicious snacks. Pay to enter. Open 8:30 am - 5:00 pm.
Lu Xun's Museum
This is a great place for book-lovers. There are photographs of the famous writer, some of his books written by hand and many letters. A very interesting place for a few hours. Very cheap.
Open 9:00 am - 4:00 pm.
Shanghai Natural History Museum
Everything is about the natural world and science. You can study dinosaurs, hundreds of animals, plants, rocks and more, and see many unusual exhibition. Very cheap.
Open 9:00 am -5:00 pm.
Shanghai Art Museum
An interesting building, once used as a race club and library. Drop in and see the latest exhibition. There are shows by painters from all over the country. The museum also encourages research into art. Pay to enter. Open 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. | Which place is open the shortest every day? |
[
"He is curious about people's personal life.",
"He is kind-hearted to animals.",
"He hates people around.",
"He likes to help poor people."
] | He is kind-hearted to animals. | How would you like an easy way to earn 2,500 dollars? All you have to do is to sit around and wait for your meals.There's catch, however.You have to stay in a chicken cage with a stranger for a whole week.There are no books or television or radio for amusement.You can't leave until the week is up.And a camera will be recording your every move.
Two people actually took the job.The idea came from Rob Thompson, a video artist.He wanted to make a film about the way animals are treated.His goal was to raise people's awareness of the living conditions of animals that are raised for food.He decided to pay $ 5000 out of his own savings to two people who were willing to lie like chicken for a week.
To Rob's surprise, quite a few people answered his advertisement.He had interviews and selected Eric, a 24-year-old restaurant worker, and Pam, a 27-year-old chemist.The plan was for them to spend seven days together in a chicken cage that was six feet long and three feet wide.A camera would record their experience, which would take place in an art museum.
The week was long and difficult.They slept on a hard wooden floor.They couldn't stand up without banging their heads.They ate vegetarian mash and drank water from a garden hosepipe .Their only privacy was a toilet surrounded by a curtain.There were no sinks, mirrors, or toothbrushes in the cage.Their only inspiration was the two framed checks that hung on the wall outside the cage.Visitors who came here were warned, "Do not food the humans."
Finally it was over, Pam and Eric emerged from their cage.They had survived the week, and they each had a $2,500 check in their hands.When Rob Thompson opened the cage, Eric came out, changed into clean clothes, and ate a chocolate bar right away."It's great to be able to stand up," he said.Pam just changed her clothes and left.After a week of visitors and reporters watching her, she didn't want to talk to anyone. | What kind of person is Rob Thompson? |
[
"The \"behavior\" of molecules.",
"Physical chemistry.",
"Biological chemistry.",
"The human body."
] | Physical chemistry. | Linus Pauling,the only person who has won two undivided Nobel Prizes,was born in Portland,Oregon. He attended Washington High School but because of an unimportant detail he did not receive his diploma until 1962,long after he had received his Bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Orgon State College in 1922. He had chosen to study his major because he could get a good job with it.
He won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1954 for his research into the nature of the chemical bond and its application to the explanation of the structure of complex substance. His interest in the "behavior" of molecules led him from physical chemistry to biological chemistry,especially of the human body. He began with proteins and their main parts,the amino acids ,which are called the"building blocks of life".In 1950,he constructed the first satisfactory model of a protein molecule,a discovery very important to the understanding of the living cell.
During World WarII,Pauling was a member of the Research Board for National Security,for which he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Merit in 1948. However,the use of the atomic bomb near the end of the war turned Pauling in a new direction. Having long worked on the structure of molecules,he took an immediate interest in the deadly effects of nuclear fallout on human molecular structures.
From then on,Pauling protested the production of the hydrogen bomb and supported the prevention of the spread of nuclear weapons. Through his efforts,The NuclearTestBan Treaty,declaring all nuclear tests to be illegal except underground ones,came into effect on October 10,1963,the same day Linus Pauling was awarded the Nobel Peace. | Which of the following things did Pauling pay much attention to at first? |
[
"Gramps",
"Toby",
"Toby's Dad",
"Toby's Mum"
] | Toby | Monday, April 17
Dear Gramps,
I was so upset last week when somebody stole my Super Racer from the park by your house. I called up the toy company but they said they have only red, blue and green racers. Dad called Cobb's Toy Store today and found out they might have purple ones. Can we go there when I come to visit you next week?You and I were only gone for a few minutes to the shop down the street to get ice-cream and cookies. Maybe the thief was watching us. Mum was surprised when I told her the racer was stolen. She said she used to leave things at the park all the time when she was young. Once she even left her bicycle for two days near the swimming pool.
Tell Grandma that I like the food she made last time. Ask Grandma if we can have pancakes with sugar for breakfast when I come this time. I have packed in my towel, comb and soap. Tell her this time I won't forget to pack in my toothbrush.
Love
Toby | This letter is written by _ . |
[
"Lingarth/Mahoe route",
"Shera Road route",
"Shore Road route",
"Spencer Street starwalkers"
] | Shera Road route | Victoria Avenue School supports the Walking School Bus initiative a safe, healthy and fun way for children to walk to and from school, guided by a registered group of parents. If you and your child would be interested in joining one of our buses we would love to hear from you.
Bell Road route
This is a morning bus with over 30 walkers! The route is as follows: Starts at 14 Bell Road, down Scherf Road, crosses Portland Road into Ingram Street, left into Spencer Street then to school. Please call Vanessa McNaught at 5234529.
Lingarth / Mahoe route
This bus runs morning and afternoon. It departs from the corner of Combes Road and Lingarth Street at 8:10 am. There are two routes-one goes along Lingarth Street and the other along Mahoe Avenue and Manawa Road at 8:25 am. The bus continues up Manawa Road, turns right into Victoria Avenue, and goes down Dragon Drive. At the end of the school day all walkers meet at the bottom of Dragon Drive, leaving school at approximately 3:10 pm. Please contact Toko Kofoed tokofoed@gmail. com.
Shore Road route
We gather together at Hapua Reserve at 8:15 am and depart at 8:20 am. We walk along Shore Road to Stirling Street and then up Stirling Street to school. Please contact Nicky Hall nicky. hall@simpsongrierson. com.
Spencer Street starwalkers
The route begins at the crossing of Aldred Road and Spencer Street leaving at 8:20 am.The bus then crosses Glenbrook Street and continues along Spencer Street reaching the school. Please contact Victoria Nicholls victorian@ pascoes. co. nz.
Shera Road route
Currently this bus is not running. Those living in Shera Road, Leys Crescent and Portland Road are welcome to register your interest in taking this bus. We hope to have the bus running in the autumn, when it will travel along Portland Road, up Ingram Street and left into Spencer Street. Pease call Vanessa McNaught at 5234529. | Part of Bell Road route is similar to _ . |
[
"comparison",
"experimenting",
"questionnaire",
"example"
] | comparison | Smoking bans in public places are linked with falls in childhood asthma attacks and preterm births , according to the biggest analysis of the influence of public smoking bans on child health. The finding should remove fears that such laws could have the opposite effect because they may lead people to smoke more at home.
Several countries, such as Japan and Australia, have tightened laws on smoking in public places over the last few years. Meanwhile, some countries, such as the Netherlands and Germany, still allow smoking in pubs and restaurants. Only about half of US states have comprehensive bans, and there are few restrictions in poorer nations.
Opponents often claim that bans could result in people smoking more at home, which would be worse for their children's health. Asthma is one of the main concerns as second-hand smoke harms children's airways in several ways.
Researchers led by Jasper Been at Maastricht University Medical Centre reviewed as many as 11 studies that examined how hospital admissions for childhood asthma and preterm births changed after smoking bans came in. The studies involved more than 2.5 million births, and nearly 250,000 hospital admissions for asthma.
The result shows that both asthma admissions and preterm birth rates fell by about 10 percent within a year after smoking restrictions were carried out. The effect on preterm births could also have been caused by pregnant women being more likely to quit or cut down following a public ban, says Been. But Been also says the studies could not completely prove that smoking bans directly caused these changes. However, as a matter of fact, because the analysis included several smoking bans introduced in different countries in different years, and most saw health improvements.
Such findings are useful for countries and states where there is ongoing debate about how strict smoking bans should be, especially as hospital care for premature babies is so expensive. This might be one of the most important things to know in order to strengthen legislation .
Other studies have shown that rates of heart attack and stroke also tend to fall after smoking bans are introduced. | In their analysis, the researchers drew their conclusion by |
[
"the suggestion on how to ease the homesickness of children",
"the tips to parents when they depart with their children",
"the tips on parents on how to communicate with their children",
"the suggestion on how to deal with the disagreement between parents and children"
] | the suggestion on how to ease the homesickness of children | My daughter Allie is leaving for college in a week. Her room is cluttered with shopping bags filled with blankets, towels, jeans, sweaters. She won't talk about going.
I say, "I'm going to miss you," and she gives me one of her looks and leaves the room. Another time I say, in a voice so friendly it surprises even me: "Do you think you'll take your posters and pictures with you, or will you get new ones at college?"
She answers, her voice filled with annoyance, "How should I know?"
My daughter is off with friends most of the time. Yesterday was the last day she'd have until Christmas with her friend Katharine, whom she's known since kindergarten. Soon, it will be her last day with Sarah, Claire, Heather... and then it will be her last day with me.
My friend Karen told me, "The August before I left for college, I screamed at my mother the whole month. Be prepared."
I stand in the kitchen, watching Allie make a glass of iced tea. Her face, once so open and trusting, is closed to me. I struggle to think of something to say to her, something meaningful and warm. I want her to know I'm excited about the college she has chosen, that I know the adventure of her life is just starting and that I am proud of her. But the look on her face is so mad that I think she might slug me if I open my mouth.
One night -- after a long period of silence between us -- I asked what I might have done or said to make her angry with me. She sighed and said, "Mom, you haven't done anything. It's fine." It is fine -- just distant.
Somehow in the past we had always found some way to connect. When Allie was a toddler , I would go to the day- care center after work. I'd find a quiet spot and she would nurse -- our eyes locked together, reconnecting with each other.
In middle school, when other mothers were already lamenting the estrangement they felt with their adolescent daughters, I hit upon a solution: rescue raids. I would show up occasionally at school, sign her out of class and take her somewhere -- out to lunch, to the movies, once for a long walk on the beach. It may sound irresponsible, but it kept us close when other mothers and daughters were floundering. We talked about everything on those outings -- outings we kept secret from family and friends.
When she started high school, I'd get up with her in the morning to make her a sandwich for lunch, and we'd silently drink a cup of tea together before the 6:40 bus came.
A couple of times during her senior year I went into her room at night, the light off, but before she went to sleep. I'd sit on the edge of her bed, and she'd tell me about problems: a teacher who lowered her grade because she was too shy to talk in class, a boy who teased her, a friend who had started smoking. Her voice, coming out of the darkness, was young and questioning.
A few days later I'd hear her on the phone, repeating some of the things I had said, things she had adopted for her own.
But now we are having two kinds of partings. I want the romanticized version, where we go to lunch and lean across the table and say how much we will miss each other. I want smiles through tears, bittersweet moments of reminiscence and the chance to offer some last bits of wisdom.
But as she prepares to depart, Allie's feelings have gone underground. When I reach to touch her arm, she pulls away. She turns down every invitation I extend. She lies on her bed, reading Emily Dickinson until I say I have always loved Emily Dickinson, and then she closes the book.
Some say the tighter your bond with your child, the greater her need to break away, to establish her own identity in the world. The more it will hurt, they say. A friend of mine who went through a difficult time with her daughter but now has become close to her again, tells me," Your daughter will be back to you."
"I don't know," I say. I sometimes feel so angry that I want to go over and shake Allie. I want to say, "Talk to me -- or you're grounded!" I feel myself wanting to say that most horrible of all mother phrases: "Think of everything I've done for you."
Late one night, as I'm getting ready for bed she comes to the bathroom door and watches me brush my teeth. For a moment, I think I must be brushing my teeth in a way she doesn't approve of. But then she says, "I want to read you something." It's a pamphlet from her college. "These are tips for parents."
I watch her face as she reads the advice aloud: "'Don't ask your child if she is homesick,' it says. 'She might feel bad the first few weeks, but don't let it worry you. This is a natural time of transition. Write her letters and call her a lot. Send a package of goodies...' "
Her voice breaks, and she comes over to me and buries her head in my shoulder. I stroke her hair, lightly, afraid she'll bolt if I say a word. We stand there together for long moments, swaying. Reconnecting.
I know it will be hard again. It's likely there will be a fight about something. But I am grateful to be standing in here at midnight, both of us tried and sad, toothpaste smeared on my chin, _ . | What Allie reads to the author is _ . |
[
"one",
"two",
"three",
"four"
] | three | London is the capital of the United Kingdom. It has about seven million people. The river Thames runs through London.
People from all over the world visit London to see Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London. There are many museums, theatres and parks in London, as well as offices and factories. London began as a Roman settlement called Londinium. The plague came to London in the 1600s, followed by the Great Fire of 1666. The city was badly bombed in World War II.
London is very slowly sinking into its foundations and the level of the river Thames is slowly rising. As a result, extra-high tides could flood a large part of London. To prevent this happening, a great barrier has been built across the Thames at Woolwich. If very high tides happen, the barrier can be raised and London will be safe. | According to the passage, from 1600 to now, _ great disasters have happened in London. |
[
"Defeating difficulties.",
"Achieving success.",
"Accepting failures.",
"Losing face."
] | Accepting failures. | When hunting for a job in a weak economy, every detail counts. It's no longer good enough to be a qualified applicant, so job clubs can be of much help.
What is a Job Club? Job connection clubs are small groups of people across prefix = st1 /Americawho meet regularly to talk about job searching and career. These clubs support the success of all members. Looking for work chances is made easier when you're not alone. Job clubs are rooted in the belief that each member has something valuable to contribute and that everyone will benefit from the advice and encouragement.http://www.ks5u.com/
Why start or join a job club? Job searching can possibly be a lonely and discouraging process, but it doesn't have to be that way. Becoming part of a local job club can offer valuable help. It may also bring a strong sense of confidence that gets you going in the right direction. When you know that your fellow members expect to hear regularly about your progress, you're more likely to have a positive attitude towards the club meeting. To support your success, the club will provide practical suggestions, including specific discussion topics to get you started and keep you encouraged along the way of overcoming the difficulties in a job hunt.
What are the topics of a job club? While the form of club activities may be the same, the varied topics of discussion mean that no two meetings are exactly alike. You'll deal with a number of matters -- where to find proper job directions and how to get your calls returned; preparing for interviews; effectively applying for the right opportunities to satisfy your desire; _ bravely and turning failure into success.
Each member will update the group on his or her progress, and you'll end each meeting with a suggestion from each member to carry out specific tasks during the week that follows. There's no shortage of topics to talk about. | Which of the following can be used to replace " _ " in the passage? |
[
"he was once very poor",
"he was once a farmer",
"he once worked in a restaurant",
"the price of food is very high"
] | he once worked in a restaurant | An average 30-year-old person who has eaten three meals a day since birth has eaten more than 30,000 meals to date. Even if you've only eaten half that much, you have to admit this: you've let some of that breakfast, lunch or dinner go to waste. And it turns out that we're all to blame for this shaming fact: 30% of all food produced in the world each year is wasted or lost. That's about 1.3 billion tons, according to a new report by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization.
That's the weight of more than 8.6 million full-grown blue whales, the largest creatures on earth. That's the weight of more than 2.3 million Airbus A380s, the largest planes in existence. That's as if each person in China, the world's most populous country with more than 1.3 billion people, had one ton mass of food they could just throw into the dustbin. It's almost _ ,isn't it?
Setting aside that big number, we find the people with the most money are the ones who waste the most. Per capita( ), European and North American countries waste between 95 and 115 kilograms of food. Sub-Saharan African, South Asian and Southeast Asian countries waste much less -- between 6 and 11 kilograms per person.
Here's another statistic: all the food that the world's richest countries waste is about equal to all the food that sub-Saharan Africa produces. The numbers: 222 million tons and 230 million tons, respectively( ). Basically, the wasted food of the rich could feed much of the African continent. And these numbers come as we've just been reporting about rising food prices around the world in the past week.
And my own personal tip: if I eat at a restaurant and can't finish it all, I ask for a doggie bag. I used to be a waiter years ago and will never forget the amounts of food I saw left on the table after the bill was paid. There's no reason to waste food. It's up to all of us to use our common sense to eat and shop just a bit more wisely. | The author gave his personal tip based on the fact that _ . |
Subsets and Splits