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Question-Answering-Generation-Choices

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In 1933 an unknown American called Clarence Nash went to see the film-maker Walter Disney. He had an unusual voice and he wanted to work in Disney's cartoon film for children. When Walter Disney heard Nash's voice, he said, "Stop! That's our duck!" The duck was the now-famous Donald Duck, who first appeared in 1934 in the film, The Wise Little Hen. Donald lived in an old houseboat and worn his sailor jacket and hat. Later that year he became a star after an eight minute Mickey Mouse film. The cinema audiences liked him because he was lazy and greedy, and because he lost his temper very easily. And they loved his voice when he became angry with Mickey's eight nephews. Soon Donald was more popular than Mickey Mouse himself, probably because he wasn't a goody-goody, like Mickey. In the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, Donald and his friends Mickey, Goofy and Pluto made hundreds of Disney cartoons. He also made educational film about the place of the USA in the world, and safety in the home. Then in 1966 Donald Duck and his voice disappeared--there were no more new cartoons. Clarence Nash died in February, 1985. But today's Children can still see the old cartoons on the television and hear that famous voice.

Where do today's children see Donald Duck cartoons?

On television.

['In new cartoons.', 'At the cinema.', 'In the theatre.']

In the summer of 1980 a Spanish tourist, Gaspar Carner, went to Great Britain on holiday. When he was travelling in Scotland, he decided to visit Loch Ness, the famous lake where people say there is a monster. But while he was going across the lake in a boat, his bag fell into the water. In the bag were his passport, car keys, pen, and all his money. Loch Ness is 150 metres deep, so he didn't expect to see the bag again! Fourteen years later, in 1994, some scientists decided to explore the lake. They looked for the Loch Ness monster. Suddenly one of them saw something black in the water. They carefully went nearer. They thought the black thing was the monster. They went nearer and nearer. It was a bag. They took the bag out of the lake. They found that the photo on the passport was still clear. One of the scientists happened to be familiar with Gaspar Carner. So the bag was returned to him.

The reason why the lake is famous is that _ .

there may be a monster

["it's very deep", "there's a bag in it", "it's in Scotland"]

SINGAPORE — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un agreed Tuesday "to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" during a historic summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, who then unexpectedly said he was suspending military drills with South Korea. Kim's commitment to denuclearize was included in a document signed after the first-ever meeting between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader. It calls for the two countries to jointly work on efforts to build a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, to establish new U.S.-North Korea relations and to recover the remains of prisoners of war and military members missing in action. The two sides promised to hold follow-up negotiations. While the document didn't lay out a specifics regarding denuclearization, Trump said at a news conference "We're starting that process very quickly. Very, very quickly, absolutely." "We're going to denuke North Korea," Trump also told VOA contributor Greta Van Susteren, adding that U.S. troops stationed in South Korea will remain in place, but announcing one concession long-sought by North Korea not included in the document signed earlier in the day. "We are going to get out of the war games that cost so much money," he said, referring to the U.S. participation in joint military exercises with South Korea. At his news conference, Trump said the war games were expensive, provocative and inappropriate. ​Later, a Pentagon spokesman said Defense Secretary Jim Mattis was "not surprised" by Trump's concession ending the war games and had been consulted, including discussions with Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. "We welcome the outcomes," the defense spokesman said. "We support them." Trump struck an optimistic tone about his talks with Kim. "My meeting with Chairman Kim was honest, direct and productive. We got to know each other well in a very confined period of time." The U.S. leader stressed that existing U.S. sanctions will remain in place until North Korean nuclear weapons "are no longer a factor."

Where will the next summit be held?

not enough information

['North Korea', 'America', 'Singapore']

Authorities will continue to take a hard line on Internet-based rumors and punish those creating fake information, a senior official said on Thursday. Authorities have removed more than 210,000 online posts and shut down 42 websites since mid-March in their latest crackdown on online rumors, said Liu Zhengrong, a senior official with the State Internet Information Office. Fake information or rumors spread through the Internet, especially on micro blogs, have harmed social order and residents' daily lives, he said at a news briefing in Beijing. Before the crackdown, six people who allegedly fabricated rumors about "military vehicles entering Beijing" had been detained and 16 websites closed for fake online information, according to police authorities. "What we've done and will do is to make sure residents can know what they want to know, say what they think and supervise our management in a reliable and useful network environment," Liu said. Liu disagreed that the Internet can police itself against rumors, and told China Daily that some netizens can't distinguish truth from fiction, "requiring government departments and website companies to take measures". On Monday, the Internet Society of China posted a proposal calling on Internet companies and websites to strengthen self-discipline and prevent the spread of online rumors. In response, three main Internet companies in the country - Sina, Baidu and Tencent - said they will target fake information with advanced technology and invest in manpower to supervise online information. Zhao Zhiguo, deputy director of the Telecommunications Administration under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said stricter self-management of websites will help banish online rumors. "Internet companies should take legal responsibility when operating their websites. They should not become a hotbed for rumors and provide opportunities for fake information," Zhao said, adding they will launch similar crackdowns to close illegal website companies and punish those responsible. Currently, people who make or spread rumors related to terrorism and securities trading, or information affecting State security and companies' commercial reputations, will face criminal punishment. Liu Honghui, a Beijing lawyer specializing in online cases, said he welcomed the government's action to curb online rumors. "Residents used online banks to shop or book flights, which needs a safe platform without fake information," he said. Yu Guofu, another lawyer from Sheng Feng Law Firm, said the key to reducing rumors is netizens themselves. "If micro-bloggers think twice before forwarding information, rumors will decrease."

Who plays an important role in reducing Internet-based rumors?

Micro-bloggers

['Authorities', 'Internet companies', 'Police']

It was due to be delivered this afternoon between 12:30pm and 4:30pm and they were supposed to phone me half an hour or so before they were due to arrive . I work only 10 mins drive from home so the plan was to pop out and meet them and come straight back to work . As luck would have it , they phoned me at 1 pm on the dot , the start of lunch break ( just as I was about to open my tin of beans for lunch !

What is a cause of the narrator 's stress ?

Their guest is not punctual .

['They dislike driving .', 'They hate work .', 'They dislike their lunch .']

For those of us who struggle with thoughts about our size and shape, sometimes we don’t like our bodies and our behaviour very much. It seems like an impossible task to transform our self loathing into self-love, but it is possible with these five simple steps. I started to write some examples of the self loathing dialogue I occasionally have in my head and I found I couldn’t do it. It felt as wrong as criticising my closest friend. I guess it goes to prove that the shift from loathing to love is not always huge and momentous, but subtle and gradual. When I look in the mirror and see a part of my body I don’t like, I run through these five steps in my head. This following example is the kind of internal conversation I might have about my belly. 1. POSITIVE INTENT (THE GIFT) Recognise the gift your body is giving you. My belly fat is protecting and cushioning my intestines and reproductive system. By having a higher body fat percentage my hormones are functioning as they should, enabling me to have a normal transition through perimenopause. I fit my skin and the wrinkly empty skin folds are gone. 2. FORGIVENESS Acknowledge the way you have treated your body in the past. I am sorry that I have been either starving you or stuffing you with toxic food and that I have accused you of betraying me. I now realise that my body is a reflection of my thoughts and beliefs so I was hating myself. Please forgive me for treating you so badly. 3. GRATITUDE Notice the miracles your body performs even though you have abused it. I am so thankful that even though I have treated you so badly you are still healthy and functioning. I am amazed at your ability to heal a lifetime of digestive and hormonal issues within a short amount of time. Thank you for your forgiveness and that’s it’s not too late to take great care of you.

The narrator was thankful:

after she treated her body badly

['during the time she treated her body badly', 'not enough information', 'before she treated her body badly']

I loved being back up in front of a class teaching something that I love . I am even told that I was a hit with the students , not something I strive for , but always an indicator of success on some level . However while I was teaching I kept seeing more and more where God wants me to be .

Why would connecting with students be a good sign for the teacher ?

It means that they have built up a good rapport with each other .

['It means that the teacher will achieve tenure someday .', 'It means that the teacher will be in charge of the classroom .', 'None of the above choices .']

Counters for nearly all other flights were displayed , ours was missing . So we walked by the counters again and again , those showing all kinds of destinations , but not Langkawi . Finally we discovered two counters without displays and yes , we guessed correctly .

What did the narrator discover when they reach the last counters ?

The narrator discovered they had already missed their flight .

['They discovered the displays which clearly showed their flight information .', 'None of the above choices .', 'That all displays in the airport were broken , showing no flight information .']

I turned the blade and unlocked the flywheel , it will spin but will not start now . Its getting gas and fire . You can see fire off the sparkplug and there is gas on the sparkplug also . I also checked the coil wire , its good .

Is there something wrong with the car ?

The car is unable to start up

['The car is not getting gas', 'None of the above choices .', 'The spark plug is out']

You do n't have to shell out big bucks to get a better price for your home . These easy , inexpensive fixes will add value to your home without breaking the bank . Fetching top dollar for your home in today 's tough market does n't require an $ 80,000 kitchen remodel or an expensive landscape redesign . Real - estate experts say your best bet is to invest a little sweat equity into a series of small weekend jobs - $ 300 or less - that boost your home 's appeal and eliminate buyers ' biggest objections .

What is the narrator looking to invest in ?

They are looking to invest in property .

['They are looking to invest in stocks .', 'They are looking to invest in Manhattan real estate .', 'They are looking to invest in San Francisco real estate .']

Jimbob Blakey wasn't so much given birth to as clambered right out of his mother himself. He weighed in at almost thirteen pounds, came ready-fitted with a shock of fat black hair and a couple of razor teeth. Jimbob's folks loved him like most folks love their little ones, maybe more. They'd been trying so hard for a child, suffered more mid-term miscarriages than the ewes they shuttled off to market most Thursdays. They dressed him in a one-year babygro and took him home to their hill farm. They fought to get up nights and give him his milk. His teeth made breast-feeding impossible. They sat hours gazing down in his cot. They dressed him fine and took him to their church and gave their thanks. Showed him off like the proud parents they were. Others cooed and smiled. But they never asked to hold. They gave thanks the Blakeys were happy, and that the monkey-baby had not been born to them. Jimbob's folks never gave a second thought that their boy might be different. The first Spring he walked, he stomped the moors in his welly-boots helping herd the pregnant ewes down in-by. He copied his father, kicking and cuffing at the stragglers, when the flock was returned to the hills in May. As Jimbob grew, his hair became thicker, his arms longer. His head shrunk down on his shoulders. At check-ups, nurses fixed smiles and pronounced him healthy. Doctors said, 'he'll make you a strapping lad.' His mother smiled, her heart swelled. When he was three, she sent him to nursery. She wanted him to mix with other kids. To taste life off the hard hills. She said, 'it'll do him the world of good.' Jimbob hated leaving the farm. He clung to his mother. She drove away, blinking tears. On the third day, she took a phone call. 'It's Jimbob,' they said. 'He's scaring the other kids.'The truth hit Jimbob's mother like a hammer.

Who weighed almost thirteen pounds at birth?

Jimbob

['The father', 'The neighbor boy', 'not enough information']

L'HAY-LES-ROSES, France: Three teenage girls admitted starting a fire in a suburban Paris housing project over the weekend that killed 17 people, including three children, police said yesterday. A fourth girl was held yesterday morning. The fire in a 19-storey building south of Paris was the third fatal blaze in the Paris area in nine days. The death toll rose to 16 after a man died late Sunday in a hospital, where seven others were being treated for serious injuries. Three teenagers taken in for questioning on Sunday admitted having started the fire for fun, police said. Two of the suspects were 18 years old, the other was 16. Further details were not available. Witnesses claimed to have seen a group of youths who lived in the building start the fire, said Patrick Seve, mayor of the town of L'HAY-LES-ROSES, near Orly airport, where the building was located. The first is believed to have broken out in the lobby of the building before raging up a stairwell at least three floors. Some residents jumped from windows as the fire spread through the building's entrance. Authorities were investigating possible criminals in an August 26 fire that killed 14 African children and three adults in a Paris apartment building. Three days later, another fire killed seven in a building. k*s*5u Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy suggested on French television on Sunday night that copycats were at work. "Each time there is a new story, sometimes that gives ideas to people who then turn into criminals," Sarkozy said, promising severe punishment for anyone found guilty of arson .

Why did the teenagers start the fires?

They enjoyed playing with fire and not for any other reason.

['They wanted to make fun of their parents.', 'They were not satisfied with the surroundings.', 'They wanted to warm themselves.']

Americans have developed an olive oil habit. Out to dinner recently, I saw a man dipping his white bread in olive oil and then pouring it all over his salad, saying, "Wow, this is so good for me!" But is olive oil the healthiest fat? No, it's not. You might ask, doesn't it lower cholesterol ? Well, only when you substitute olive oil in equivalent amounts for butter or oils that are higher in saturated fat. Olive oil doesn't lower cholesterol; it just doesn't raise it as much. You may be better off with canola oil. The 1999 Lyon Diet Heart Study found that a Mediterranean diet significantly reduced heart attacks and premature deaths. Many people attributed this to eating a lot of olive oil. But it was increased consumption of canola oil that accounted for these improvements. Also, study participants ate more whole-grain bread, vegetables, fish and fruit, and less meat. Butter and cream were replaced with man-made butter made from canola oil, which has more healthy omega-3 fatty acids than olive oil does. Another study found that olive oil reduced blood flow by 31%. Canola oil and fish oil don't. (You want to increase blood flow to all body parts.) I like the taste of olive oil, and I use it sometimes. It's a healthier fat than many others, but it's not nearly as healthy as canola oil -- or fish oil and flaxseed oil, for that matter, which also have lots of omega-3s. And a tablespoon of any oil has 126 calories. Think about that before you pour it on.

A Mediterranean diet reduced heart attacks and premature deaths thanks to _ .

canola oil

['olive oil', 'butter', 'Bread']

In college , I learned all about media law , Southern literature and even ballroom dance ( hey , I had to fulfill that P.E. requirement somehow ) . I did not , though , learn anything about managing my money .

What may be a fact about this person ?

They did n't learn about finances in school .

['They learned about finances on their own .', 'None of the above choices .', 'They are complaining to the school system .']

In his lowest days when few people bought his records, Taiwan singer Steve Chou lived alone in Canada and did little. One day, he passed by a local CD store and heard a song that greatly attracted him. "My heart tells me that music is the thing I truly want to do, not for fame or money," Chou said. That's how we luckily have such a music genius, who has since then composed lots of hits for the pop music charts . "Sometimes we need to get close to nature to look deeply into our souls and see what we really want to follow," he said. Recently he has made public his latest work Lovers Genesis. In this album he explores human relationships in the Internet age."Technology itself is a good thing, but it depends on how you're going to use it,"is Chou's advice to teenagers. Chou often gets his music ideas from trips. He has traveled to many places around the world and believes that learning a country's language is the fastest way of experiencing the culture behind it. Chou has worked hard on learning English to push forward his music career. He has flown to the UK to attend months-long English training schools three times. There he lives with local families and practices daily conversations. "So I could easily read the English instructions on recording machines and communicate with the local music producers," said Chou, "The music reviews of the US or British singers that I appreciate could help me learn and grow with them."

Why has Chou flown to the UK to learn English?

Because he thinks it will be helpful for his music career.

['Because he wants to live in the UK.', 'Because his record company asks him to.', 'Because he wants to sell his album in the UK.']

My favourite quilt is always on my bed. Even in warm weather. It is not a large quilt but very beautiful: made up of many brightly color1ed woolen squares of every imaginable color1--red, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, cream. From the start, I loved this quilt. Just to look at it is to feel comforted. How many years have passed since my mother gave the quilt to me and my husband Ray Smith? I can only guess: thirty years? thirty-five? The beautiful little quilt in all the color1s of the rainbow has followed me from one house to another. The same bed, in different bedrooms in different houses in different periods of my life. In this most recent period, the quilt is laid on my bed in a house in Princeton, New Jersey, into which I moved in 2009. My mother visited this house. When she'd visited Ray and me in my former home, less than five minutes from this house, Mom had always helped out in the garden; we would garden together, and we would prepare meals together, while my father, a gifted amateur pianist, played my piano in the living room. Whenever my parents came to visit us, my mother would bring gifts for us: mostly items she had knitted, or sewn. For years, I wore dresses and jackets my mother had sewn. There is nothing so comforting as wearing clothes your mother has sewn or knitted for you. In February 2008 when my husband was in hospital, and after he died unexpectedly a week later, often I lay in bed too exhausted to move, beneath the rainbow-color1ed quilt. The bed became my shelter, and my "nest". My mother's quilt made me realize how love lasts in the most comforting way. We desire comfort, but comfort can come to us from only a few sources. I know that I have been very fortunate. I never stop giving thanks to my wonderful parents who gave me their love, for this quilt on my bed, as special and beautiful in 2013 as it was in the late 1970s.

The author's favourite quilt _ .

is a color1ful one

['is made of cotton', 'has accompanied her for more than 40 years', 'always reminds her of Ray Smith']

Creating a self portrait is not your typical selfie! When I taught in the traditional classroom, creating self portraits was something I had students do whether they were four or nine. In fact, I’d have them draw one on the first day of school and one toward the end of the year and to see the change over time was always so interesting. At least once during the year, likely toward the beginning, I would center a lesson around self portraits. In younger classes, there would be more than one. Creating a self portrait teaches students to be aware of themselves. Where is her head in relation to her body? Where are her feet in relation to her legs? It also teaches children spatial awareness. Where should he begin…with his feet or with his head? Where on the paper should his head be placed? How far down should his arms go? How can his whole body fit on a single piece of paper? A Lesson on Creating Self Portraits Whether you are in a classroom, or teaching a child at home, here is a simple lesson on creating self portraits geared toward young children, anywhere from age 2 through age 6. Keep in mind that their final product will show various levels of writing development, depending on what stage of writing they are in. (Basically, a two-year-old’s drawing should look very different than that of a five-year-old.) The teacher will need to model how to draw a self portrait. Gather the children around an easel or board and clip a paper to it. Narrate the process as you walk through the steps. “I am going to draw a picture of myself. I am going to start with my head.” Use your hands to show your actual head on yourself so students are aware of what you talking about. The visuals also help English Language Learners (if you’re teaching in an English speaking classroom.) and build vocabulary for all students.

The author draws their head and uses what color for their hair?

not enough information

['Black', 'Brunette', 'Blond']

His reply that he 'd simply wanted to join the fun set her mouth in a thin , angry line , and he winced as she pulled the bandage taut around him .

Why might he be getting bandages put on him ?

None of the above choices .

['He must have tried to join the fun injuring himself .', 'He must have tried to injure himself to have fun .', 'he must have had fun trying to injure himself .']

Due to the recession -- and with food prices so high -- I can not afford to eat out as often . Most of the time ( and I mean like 4 out of 5 days at work ) my lunches consist of a romaine lettuce salad with egg whites or grilled chicken , peas , broccoli , corn , edamame ( when they have it ) , walnuts and .... black beans . Truth be told , I could probably eat this every day and not get tired of it . And it costs around just $ 6 .

What may be your reason for eating out less ?

Meal expenses have risen .

['Egg whites are rising in price .', 'None of the above choices .', 'I personally have economic issues .']

Diet Coke, diet Pepsi, diet pills, no-fat diet, vegetable diet... We are surrounded by the word "diet" everywhere we look and listen. We have so easily been attracted by the promise and potential of diet products that we have stopped thinking about what diet products are doing to us. We are paying for products that harm us psychologically and physically. Diet products significantly weaken us psychologically. On one level, we are not allowing our brain to admit that our weight problems lie not in actually losing the weight, but in controlling the consumption of fatty, high-calorie, unhealthy foods. Diet products allow us to jump over the thinking stage and go straight for the scale instead. All we have to do is to swallow or recognize the word "diet" in food labels. On another level, diet products have greater psychological effects. Every time we have a zero-calorie drink, we are telling ourselves without our awareness that we don't have to work to get results. Diet products make people believe that _ , and that life can be without resistance and struggle. The danger of diet products lies not only in the psychological effects they have on us, but also in the physical harm that they cause. Diet foods can indirectly harm our bodies because consuming them instead of healthy foods means we are preventing our bodies from having basic nutrients . Diet foods and diet pills contain zero calorie only because the diet industry has created chemicals to produce these wonder products. Diet products may not be nutritional, and the chemical that go into diet products are potentially dangerous. Now that we are aware of the effects that diet products have on us, it is time to seriously think about buying them. Losing weight lies in the power of minds, not in the power of chemicals. Once we realize this, we will be much better able to resist diet products, and therefore prevent the psychological harm that comes from using them .

Diet products indirectly harm people physically because such products _ .

lack basic nutrients

['are over-consumed', 'are short of chemicals', 'provide too much energy']

Baby girls make their way to dolls as soon as they can crawl,while boys will head for the toy cars,a study has shown.The findings,the first to show consistent differences in very young babies,suggest there is a biological basis to their preferences. Psychologists Dr Brenda Todd from City University London carried out an experiment involving 90babies aged nine months to 36months.They were allowed to choose from seven toys.Some were boys'toys-a car,a digger,a ball and a blue teddy.The rest were girls'toys:a pink teddy,a doll and a cooking set.They were placed a meter away from the toys,and could pick whichever toy they liked.Their choice and the amount of time they spent playing with each toy were recorded. Of the youngest children (nine to 14months),girls spent much longer playing with the doll than boys,and boys spent much more time with the car and ball than the girls did.Among the two-and three-year-olds,girls spent 50percent of the time playing with the doll while only two boys briefly touched it.The boys spent almost 90percent of their time playing with cars,which the girls barely touched.There was no link between the parents'view on which toys were more appropriate for boys or girls,and the children's choice. Dr Brenda Todd said:"Children of this age are already exposed to much socialization.Boys may be given'toys that go'while girls get toys they can care for,which may help shape their preference.But these findings agree with the former idea that children show natural interests in particular kinds of toys.There could be a biological basis for their choices.Males through evolution have been adapted to prefer moving objects,probably through hunting instincts ,while girls prefer warmer color1s such as pink,the color1 of a newborn baby."

Both baby boys and baby girls like to play with according to the study.

a teddy

['a ball', 'a car', 'a doll']

China has now mapped out plans for its next four launches in the Shenzhou program on the next flight. But one conclusion seems to have escaped most reports in the aerospace media. The flight of Shenzhou 7 could be timed to coincide with the Beijing Olympics. Plans for the 2008 Summer Olympics call for the events to be held between the 8th and 24th of August. It's reasonable to expect that China will use the event to promote its achievements before the world, and human spaceflight is China's most significant recent breakthrough. Shenzhou 7, China's next manned space mission, was originally advertised for 2007. This fit into the pattern of staging a two-year gap between crewed Shenzhou missions, which have previously launched in 2003 and 2005. But Chinese media statements have recently _ this to 2008. Chinese media have reported that while the overall program is going well, more time is needed to work on the spacesuit that will be used on this flight to stage China's first spacewalk. It's possible that Chinese engineers want to make best preparations for this complex mission. China could intend to carry out the mission of Shenzhou 7 just as media attention is focused on the lead-up to the Olympics. The crew of the flight, and possibly China's other flown astronauts, could then take part in the opening ceremony. China has previously feted her space travellers in great celebrations, such as the Hong Kong event that saw Yang Liwei singing with actor Jacky Chan. China has also suggested that the activity will be carried out by a single astronaut, and has indicated that half an hour is a rough estimate of the planned time for the spacewalk. China is apparently following suit, probably for the same reasons of conservative mission planning and safety.

Which one of the following is WRONG according to this passage?

Two Chinese astronauts walked in space in 2003.

['China sent its first manned spacecraft in October of 2003.', 'Chinese engineers want to make more preparations for Shenzhou 7.', "The spacesuit for the flight of Shenzhou 7 hasn't been prepared well."]

Baekeland and Hartmann report that the " short sleepers" had been more or less average in their sleep needs until the men were in their teens. But at about age 15 0r so, the men voluntarily began cutting down their nightly sleep time because of pressures from school, work, and other activities. These men tended to regard their nightly periods of unconsciousness as bothersome interruptions in their daily routines. In general, these "short sleepers" appeared ambitious, active, energetic and cheerful. They stuck to their opinions, and were very sure about their job choices..They often held several jobs at once, or worked full-or part-time while going to school. And many of them had a strong urge to appear "normal" or " acceptable" to their friends and colleagues. When asked to remember their dreams, the " short sleepers" did poorly. More than this, they seemed to prefer not remembering. Similarly, their usual way of dealing with psychological problems was not to admit that the problem existed, and then to keep busy in the hope that the trouble would go away. The sleep patterns of the " short sleepers" were similar to, but less extreme than, sleep patterns shown by many mental patients categorized as manic . The "long sleepers" were quite different indeed. Baekeland and Hanmann report that these young men have been lengthy sleepers since childhood. They seemed to enjoy their sleep, protected it, and were quite concemed when sometimes they didn't have their desired 9 hours of nightly bed rest. They tended to remember their dreams much better than the " short sleepers". Many of the "long sleepers" were shy, anxious, quiet, nervous, passive, mildly depressed, and unsure of themselves ( particularly in social situations) . Several openly stated that sleep was an escape from their daily problems.

Many "short sleepers" are likely to hold the view that _ .

sleep is not so important as their daily activities

['sleep is a good way to escape from the reality', 'sleep affects their judgment on some important things', 'sleep is the best way to deal with psychological troubles']

About twenty of us had been fortunate enough to receive invitations to a film-studio to take part in a crowd-scene. Although our "act" would last only for a short time, we could see quite a number of interesting things. We all stood at the far end of the studio as workmen prepared the scene, setting up trees at the edge of a winding path. Very soon, bright lights were turned on and the big movie-camera was wheeled into position. The director shouted something to the camera operator and then went to speak to the two famous actors nearby. Since it was hot in the studio, it came as a surprise to us to see one of the actors put on a heavy overcoat and start walking along the path. A big fan began blowing tiny white feathers down on him, and soon the trees were covered in "snow". Two more fans were turned on, and a "strong wind" blew through the trees. The picture looked so real that it made us feel cold. The next scene was a complete contrast . The way it was filmed was quite unusual. Pictures in front taken on an island in the Pacific were shown on a glass screen . An actor and actress stood of the scene so that they looked as if they were at the water's edge on an island. By a simple trick like this, palm trees, sandy beaches, and blue, clear skies had been brought into the studio! Since it was our turn next, we were left wondering what scene would be prepared for us. For a full three minutes in our lives we would be experiencing the excitement of being film "stars"!

Who is the author?

A crowd-scene actor.

['A cameraman.', 'A film director.', 'A workman for scene setting.']

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered a thinly veiled criticism of China, even while insisting on closer relations with Beijing, during a speech Friday in Singapore. Speaking at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue defense conference, Modi called for the Indo-Pacific region to embrace freedom of navigation, territorial integrity, and respect for all nations, regardless of their size. "We will promote a democratic and rules-based international order in which all nations, small and large, count as equal and sovereign," the Indian prime minister said. "We will work with others to keep our seas, space and airways free and open." While those comments did not specifically mention China, Modi's remarks are seen as a reference to Beijing's increasingly assertive behavior toward its smaller neighbors in disputed areas of the South China Sea. Modi also implicitly criticized the United States. He slammed growing protectionism, presumably a reference to recent tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. He also said nations should keep their commitments — a possible reference to Trump's decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal. India has grown close with the U.S., especially as China projects its growing military power beyond its shores. The U.S.-India relationship, Modi said, "has resumed new significance in the changing world." An important aspect of that partnership is "a shared vision of an open, stable, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific," he added. For decades, India has embraced a non-aligned status, which means it does not choose sides between world powers. In keeping with that position, Modi warned against a "return to great power rivalries." The Indian prime minister also insisted that "Asia and the world will have a better future when India and China work together in trust and confidence, sensitive to each other's interests." India is the world's largest democracy. It has the world's seventh-largest economy. Within a decade, it is expected to pass China to become the world's most populous country.

Who spoke at the Shangri-La Dialogue defense conference veiling criticism of China?

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

['not enough information', 'Donald Trump', 'Bill Clinton']

The U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan dropped more bombs during the first quarter of 2018 than it has in the same period in any of the last 15 years, according to Pentagon data. The increased bombing is the latest evidence the 17-year-old war in Afghanistan is significantly intensifying since U.S. President Donald Trump announced his new military strategy for the country in August. Coalition planes dropped 1,186 weapons on Afghanistan during the first three months of 2018, according to figures released by U.S. Air Forces Central Command. The previous record (1,083) was set during the height of the war in 2011. The U.S. has not released 2001 to 2003 airstrike data. Those figures do not include activity by the Afghan Air Force (AAF), which has stepped up its aerial bombardment since gaining the ability to conduct airstrikes two years ago. The AAF carries out between 4 to 12 airstrikes every day, according to the Afghan Ministry of Defense. If recent trends are any indication, 2018 is likely to get even more violent. Fighting traditionally picks up during the warmer months, and the coalition has expanded its bombing campaign against the Islamic State group, as well as narcotic labs and other Taliban revenue sources. But there is little indication the expanded airstrikes are helping end the conflict, says Thomas Johnson, an Afghanistan specialist who teaches national security affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. "It's basically a tactic of desperation," said Johnson, author of Taliban Narratives: The Use of Power and Stories in the Afghanistan Conflict. "There's never been an insurgency in history that's been defeated purely through air power." Even high-level U.S. military officials concede the conflict remains a stalemate. According to the latest U.S. military estimate, the Afghan government controls 56 percent of Afghanistan's districts, with insurgents controlling or contesting the rest. Insurgent attacks also have continued. Nearly 60 people died Sunday when an Islamic State suicide bomber attacked an election identification card distribution center in Kabul. The Taliban has also rejected October's scheduled parliamentary elections as "fake," and stage-managed by "foreign occupation" forces.

Who thinks the airstrikes on Afghanistan aren't necessarily helping?

Johnson

['not enough information', 'Smith', 'Jackson']

If you touch your finger to a hot stove, you know it's going to hurt. However, if you convince yourself beforehand that the pain won't be so bad, you might not suffer as much. According to a recent study, the part of your brain that reacts to severe pain is largely the same part that reacts to expectation of pain. Researchers in this study worked with 10 volunteers, aged 24 to 46. Each volunteer wore a device that gave out 20-second-long pulses of heat to the right leg. There were three levels of heat, producing mild, moderate, or strong pain. During training, the volunteers would first hear a tone, followed by a period of silence, and then feel a heat pulse. They then learned to associate the length of the silent pause with the intensity of the upcoming heat pulse. The longer the pause, the stronger the heat pulse would be, causing more severe pain. A day or two later, the real experiment began. The researchers found that the parts of the brain involved in learning, memory, emotion, and touch became more active as the volunteers expected higher levels of pain. These were mainly the same areas that became active when participants actually felt pain. Interestingly, when the volunteers expected only mild or moderate pain but experienced severe pain, they reported feeling 28 percent less pain than when they expected severe pain and actually got it. The new study emphasizes that pain has both physical and psychological elements. Understanding how pain works in the mind and brain could eventually give doctors tools for helping people cope with painful medical treatments.

What is the main idea of the passage?

Our reaction to pain is closely related to our expectation of pain.

['We should learn to be sensitive to pain.', 'Our feeling of pain is decided by our environment.', 'How people feel pain remains unknown to scientists.']

Scientists recently found three animal species living two miles below the surface of the Mediterranean Sea, where the super-salty waters don't have oxygen . They're multicellular , which means their bodies have many cells. They each are as small as a large grain of sand. But they are animals. The most exciting thing about these creatures, say the scientists, is that they obviously don't need oxygen to live. What biologists know about life so far is that only single-celled living things can live in places that have no oxygen, and that multicellular organisms can visit these places, but not live there. These newly found creatures could _ . Finding animals down there was so surprising that the scientists couldn't believe it. At first, "we thought they were dead bodies," Roberto Danovaro, a scientist at the Polytechnic University of Marche in Ancona, Italy, told Science News. To find out whether the animals could actually live there Danovaro and his colleagues brought up more samples from the ocean floor. Studying the animals in the new samples showed that they appeared to be alive. The researchers did more tests, and found that some of the animals had eggs--which suggests they were reproducing . Also in the samples were old skins, suggesting that the animals had lived there long enough to grow. Finally, pictures taken showed that the insides of the animals appear to be adapted to live in an environment that has no oxygen. These clues suggest the animals don't need oxygen, but the evidence is indirect, which means that scientists still have not observed how the animals live without oxygen. This means more studies are needed, but the scientists think they're on the right track. And if they're right, biologists will need to rethink what they know about where animals live.

More studies are needed to prove _ .

how the newly found animals live without oxygen

['where single-celled animals can live', 'whether the multicellular creatures can live underwater', 'why the super-salty waters have no oxygen']

It sounds like a pretty cool job . I did not get to spend a lot of time with Heather , but since she is going to be in my wedding , we will get to talk more in a month . HolyCrapIGetMarriedInAMonth!Scary . Here are pictures from our trip . Heather & SeanThe wedding was on a farm . I liked the pig . I dragged everyone to the San Diego beach .

What is the reason for this celebration ?

Two souls are uniting themselves through the sacred tradition of matrimony .

['The is a big anniversary party coming up and celebration is due', 'None of the above choices .', 'There is a party to celebrate five years of marriage .']

The cold wind cut through my enthusiasm as a tourist in Washington D.C., so I entered the nearest restaurant for warmth. I ordered a hot cup of coffee, and began observing people. Some people were having dinner in the great hall, which made me consider an early dinner. At that time, I observed a man seated nearby and, from his eager eyes, I realized that he noticed the delicious food. His tired body and worn clothes shouted, "Homeless, homeless!" I wondered how long it had been since he had eaten. I expected him to approach me for a handout . He never did. A silent war broke out in my head --one side was telling me to mind my own business, and the other was urging me to offer him the food. While my inner debate moved on, a well-dressed young couple walked up to him. "Excuse me, sir," the husband began. "We just finished eating, and our appetites weren't as big as we thought. We hate to waste good food. Can you help us out and put this to use?" He gave the man some food. "Thank you. Merry Christmas!" the man replied. The man carefully watched his new food, and was about to drink the soup and eat the food seriously. Something that happened next shocked me. An old man, with pants, an old jacket and open shoes, entered the hall and walked to our direction. The man who was just offered the food saw the situation. Setting aside his meal, he stood up and guided the old man to the table. Then he put his worn jacket over the old man's shoulders. "Hi, my name's Jack," he said, "and one kind person brought me this meal. I just finished eating and hate to waste good food. Can you help me out?" The old man answered gratefully, "Sure, but only if you go halfway with me on that sandwich." I left the restaurant that day feeling warmer than I had ever thought possible.

What can be the best title for the text?

Drawn to the Warmth

["The Couple's Kindness", 'A Delicious Dinner', 'A Homeless Man']

Procter and Gamble(P&G)has announced that it'll enlarge its household products empire by combining with Gillette. The deal is expected to close this autumn because it should get permission from US Antitrust Regulators ,P&G said in a statement. P&G is to gain all of Gillette's business, including its producing and technical equipment. It will add a product variety popular with men. P&G said it expected the combination to bring in totaling US $14--16 billion. But it also said it was planning to cut the combined workforce of 140,000 by about 6,000 or four percent. P&G is based inprefix = st1 /Cincinnati,Ohio,US. It has about 110,000 employees in almost 80 countries. Its brands include Tide laundry detergent and Head&Shoulders shampoo. Gillette is famous all over the world for its shaving products. It's based in Boston,Massachusetts,USand has 32 factories in 14 countries. P&G ranks No. 1 in the world in its household and personal furnishing parts and the company had US$ 5.8 billion in profits in 2004. Gillette ranks No.5 and has a market capitalization of US$ 45.5 billion. This combination of two best of their class, at a time when they are both operating from a position of strength, is a special opportunity, and the combination is going to create the greatest consumer products company in the world. It's a dream deal.

Which of the following is most likely to happen after the combination.

P&G will produce what attracts men.

['P&G will be shut off this autumn.', "Only Gillette's employees will be fired.", 'Both of the two companies will be the best.']

Now let's talk about doing well by doing good--many people who have ever been volunteers for the community find their place in relative jobs or even make their way to be corporate leaders. Consider the case of Kimberly Mulcahy. Throughout her career, Mulcahy has actively volunteered in her community, profession and industry. Though she put in long hours as Vice President at a Fortune 500 company, she also found time to professional and community organizations. Then last year, the unexpected thing happened. The company where she'd worked for more than 20 years was bought out and she was laid off. On hearing the news, those who she served were quick not only to offer her support--but actual jobs! In the end, Mulcahy was hired by a PR agency--she used to work as a director of her industry association. And she brought with her several accounts based on relationships she had formed through volunteering. Volunteering was a godsend to Todd, who has been a mid-level manager at the same company for many years. After he was out of work, he felt old and disappointed. But Todd knew he needed a change. Todd became involved in community service. He joined his town's volunteer fire department and was soon appointed to the finance committee. Sometimes volunteering helps you bring passion to your work, other times it can turn your life's passion into your work. Cape Cod Baseball League President Judy Scarafile is a registered pharmacist whose love of the game led her to volunteered as league publicist , secretary and deputy commissioner woman to hold the top post. Whether you are to enter the workforce, build your resume, or follow your passion, volunteering is good for the soul and the career.

Which of the following is NOT true about Mulcahy according to the passage?

Mulcahy becomes a famous football player.

['Mulcahy put in long hours as Vice President at a Fortune 500 company.', 'Mulcahy brought with her several accounts based on relationships she had formed through volunteering.', 'Mulcahy was hired by a PR agency.']

However there are around 5 questions which seemed to be ridiculous to me . Thank god Plants were barely touched , if at all . If I had one piece of advice it is to know something about everything , rather than details . Destroyer helped me out by exposing me to random knowledge , so I would recommend it .

What is the reason that " 5 questions which seemed to be ridiculous to me " ?

It means the questions were erroneous or not covered in the material .

['The questions were captchas .', 'The questions were actual sorts of jokes to make one laugh .', 'None of the above choices .']

At an early meeting of the British Sociological Association’s “Activism in Sociology Forum” members met to discuss how we might play a more campaigning role in the world outside the academy. Pragmatically, academics tend to work long hours. We are faced with multiple and competing demands: teaching, administration, publishing, marketing, research, grant-bidding, and so on. The REF has ramped up the requirement to demonstrate the efficacy of our research in “the real world” (our impact upon society, economy, and culture rather than upon knowledge per se, or upon the academic discipline). Maybe here – I suggested, as my contribution to the meeting – was a chance for those of us interested in progressing social justice to lever officially sanctioned space, in our busy day-to-day lives, to do more of this sort of work? Maybe we should welcome the REF impact agenda? I learned afterwards that eminent British sociologists, whom I respect enormously, regarded such a viewpoint as “naïve” and “embarrassing”. Indeed, critics interpret REF as just one mode of the heightened, neoliberal, managerial control that is degrading academic life and infesting universities. So, how should we think about the REF impact agenda? Because of its obvious connections with social improvement and reform through policy action, social policy is regarded as one disciplinary area that is well-placed to meet and benefit from the impact agenda. Yet there has been surprisingly little concerted discussion amongst scholars about REF and impact. This is despite the fact that many millions of pounds of public funding accrue to the proposed or claimed impact of research (with monies channelled through research councils to individual projects or via regular, six-yearly centralised assessments of the quality of research in university departments). In addition, there is substantial funding directed toward the “impact industry”; the consultants, think tanks, PR firms, funding schemes, new software programmes, impact managers, specialist impact case study authors, etc., that have become embedded in the academy.

Who are faced with multiple and competing demands?

academics

['not enough information', 'PR firms', 'eminent British sociologists']

It is one of the most annoying words in the English language and it seems there is no escaping it. The word "huh?" is in worldwide use, a study found. Researchers discovered that languages spoken in countries from Ghana and Laos to Iceland and Italy all include "huh?", or something that sounds very like it. They said that while the study may sound silly, the word is an absolutely necessary part of speech. Without it and similar words, it would be impossible to show that we haven't heard or understood what had been said and this would lead to constant misunderstandings. But while other words used in the same context, such as "sorry" or "what", vary widely across languages, "huh?" remains unchanged. The Dutch researchers carefully studied ten languages from around the world, including Siwu, which is spoken in Ghana, and an Australian Aboriginal language, as well as Italian, Spanish, Dutch and Mandarin Chinese. They analysed tapes of recorded conversations for words that sounded like "huh?" and were used to request that whatever had just been said be repeated. All contained a version of "huh?". The word was also found in another 21 languages. While there were subtle differences in each country, all sounded basically the same. This is surprising because normally unrelated languages will use very different words to describe the same thing. For instance, the Japanese for "dog" is "inu", while the French is "chien". It is thought that languages around the world have developed their own version of "huh?" because the sound is quick and simple to form, as well as being easily understood. The researchers, said that it might seem unimportant to carry out scientific research into a word like "huh?" but in fact this little word is an essential tool in human communication. They also have an answer for those who claim that "huh?" isn't a word. They say that it qualifies because of the small differences in its pronunciation in different languages. It also can be considered a word because it's something we learn to say, rather than a grunt or cry that we are born knowing how to make.

According to researchers, "huh?" should be considered a word rather than a sound because _ .

it is something humans learn to say

['it is listed in most dictionaries', 'there is a clear and consistent spelling of the word', 'there is a big difference in the way it pronounces in different languages']

WHITE HOUSE — A day after U.S. President Donald Trump reversed a policy of separating migrant families at the U.S.-Mexico border, the House of Representatives is set to vote Thursday on a pair of immigration bills that address the separations as well as other issues that have divided the country’s major political parties. The outcome of the votes is uncertain. One measure is more hard-line, while the other represents a compromise between the Republican Party’s conservative and moderate wings. The compromise bill includes a provision requiring children and their parents to be detained together if they cross the border illegally. It would also provide $25 billion in funding for Trump’s much-promised border wall, change the existing visa lottery into a merit-based system and provide a path to citizenship for the young undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children. Republicans hold a majority in both houses of Congress. Party leaders, including President Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan, have lobbied lawmakers this week in hopes of securing their support for the legislation. “We can enforce our immigration laws without breaking families apart,” Ryan said Wednesday before Trump announced he would sign an executive order to end breaking up families. The president’s policy retreat followed a withering attack by Republican and Democratic officials who characterized the family separations as inhumane. The actions left parents with little or no information about where their children were being taken or when or how they would be reunited. “It’s about keeping families together while at the same time making sure that we have a very powerful, very strong border,” Trump said as he signed the document just before departing the White House for a political rally in the state of Minnesota. Later, at the political rally, the president defended his position saying the executive order he signed hours earlier would not weaken his border strategy: “The border is going to be just as tough as it’s been” despite the executive order, he said. Trump’s executive order went into effect immediately when he signed it, according to Gene Hamilton, counselor to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. However, he added, there will be an “implementation phase that follows.”

What did the executive order signed by the president do?

It ended the separation of children from their parents at the US-Mexico border

['it gave immigrants who came to the US young and undocumented a path to citizenship', 'not enough information', 'it provided $25 billion in funding for a border wall']

Once upon a time, there was a wonderful old man who loved everything on the land ---- animals and plants. One day while walking through the woods, the old man found a cocoon of a butterfly. He took it home. A few days later, a small opening appeared; he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. Then the man decided to help the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors and cut the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then came out easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, or they would be smaller. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly. What the man in his kindness and hurry did not understand was that the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening was nature's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon. Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If we were allowed to go through our life without any difficulties, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. And we could never fly.

What can we know from the passage?

It was the old man that stopped the butterfly flying.

['That old man was fond of everything except the butterfly.', 'The old man realized his mistake.', "It's not hard for the butterfly to come out of the cocoon."]

I end this small run of blog posts with the question posed by Professor Brian Boyd at the beginning of our evening: Do we want to close the achievement gap? We know we can close the gap. It’s been done or almost been done before in Scottish education, but the answers have been ignored as they pass us by. The simple clue is this: poverty is single biggest predictor of achievement, and according to research (Hammonds sic, reference required), aged 10, a child living in poverty is 60% less likely to get to university. Boyd borrowed from his own mother’s report card to ask us what kind of education we desire. Is it the academic success at all costs route, or is there another option we need to value as much, if not more? His mother’s report card, one that prevented her from becoming a secondary school pupil in Glasgow, is filled with G and FG, until the last point: Character and conduct - excellent. What kind of pupils do we want to develop in Scotland? What do we value in our assessment system? Opening up opportunity for all is a tough game to play when the examination system rewards only certain types of behaviour, few of them related to what the Curriculum for Excellence says we stand for. In his own small community in East Kilbride, three secondary schools enter a period of meltdown as the local rag sets about creating its own local league table of performance, with those three ‘teams’ in competition for the top spot (or at least not the bottom one). Therefore, we must stop basing “the gap” largely on attainment. First of all, Boyd would like us to remove the traditional, and non-sensical academic/vocational divide. Is the law or medicine degree we value not vocational? (Are all General Practitioners not Plumbers, as Dr Murray on the panel suggests?)

For how long has the writer probably studied Boyd's works:

for a year or more

['for a couple of hours', 'for a few days', 'not enough information']

HOTEL INFORMATION 3800 W. Commercial, Ft. Lauderdale, FL33309 Lowest Prices 110% Guaranteed . Room Information: Rooms are equipped with Double, Queen, or King bed (s) .smoking or non-smoking based on location and availability. Provided in each guest room is a hairdryer, coffee maker, iron, ironing board and cable TV. Check-in Time: 7:00 P. M. Hotel Amenities : Air Conditioner, Parking, 24 Hour Front Desk, Pool, Television with Cable, Coffee Maker in Room, Hairdryers Available. 625N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd, Ft. Lauderdale. FL 33304 Room Information: The oceanfront accommodations at Beach Plaza Hotel are some of the most affordable on Fort Lauderdale Beach. Each room has direct-dial telephone, cable television and daily maid service. Full kitchens available! All rooms surround the private poolside garden courtyard. Check-in Time: 7:05 P. M. Hotel Amenities: Air Conditioner, Coffee Maker in Room, 24 Hour Front Desk, Free Parking, Hairdryers Available, Pool, Television with Cable. w.w.^w.k.&s.5*u.c.#om 3711N. Ocean Blvd. Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33308 Room Information: Guest rooms include TVs, in-room movies, Internet access, in-room safes, alarm clock radios, hairdryers, refrigerators, microwaves and balconies. Check-in Time: 7:00 A. M. Hotel Amenities: Parking, Heated Pool, Cable TV and Coffee Maker in Room.

Which hotel gives a promise?

Baymont Hotel

['Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel', 'Beach Plaza Hotel', 'All the three hotels']

As I mentioned in my previous post on Sacré-Coeur, one of the other places I didn’t get a chance to see when I was in Paris last summer was the catacombs so I wanted to be sure to fit in a visit this time around. Long Queue vs Online Tickets You can either wait in line to get in or buy tickets online for specific time slots to bypass the line. Wait times can be anywhere from 30 minutes to 3+ hours and in the summer time, it’s common to wait for hours. I definitely recommend buying a ticket online. Keep in mind that they have a limited number of tickets for each time slot, so don’t wait too long to buy or you may be stuck in that loooooong line. We got quite a few less-then-friendly looks from those in the line when we bypassed the entire queue and went right in. C’est la vie (insert Gallic shrug here). For some inexplicable reason, the site says you must print your tickets if you buy them online. Given that most visitors to the catacombs are tourists with limited or no access to a printer, this seems particularly silly, but what can you do? Luckily, we were in a hotel with a small business center so we printed our tickets there. Online tickets cost quite a bit more (27€ compared to 12€ for adults and 10€ for those age 26 or under). Totally worth it if that works with your budget. Online tickets also come with an audio guide. If you buy tickets at the door, the guide is an extra 5€. It’s a nice cool 14°C (57°F) down there, a lovely break from the hot summer weather above. It is damp in places and the ground can be slippery so watch your step as you walk.

What issue did the author mention about the tickets for the catacombs?

waiting times a very long in the summer

['not enough information', "it's very damp and cool once you are in there", 'the cost of the tickets is too much money']

The number of speakers of English in Shakespeare's time is estimated to have been about five million. Today it is estimated that some 260 million people speak it as a native language, mainly in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In addition to the standard varieties of English found in these areas, there are a great many regional and social varieties of the language as well as various levels of usage that are employed both in its spoken and written forms. In fact, it is impossible to estimate the number of people in the world who have acquired an adequate working knowledge of English in addition to their own languages. The purpose for English learning and the situations in which such learning takes place are so varied that it is difficult to explain and still more difficult to judge what forms an adequate working knowledge for each situation. The main reason for the widespread demand for English is its present-day importance as a world language. Besides serving the indefinite needs of its native speakers, English is a language in which some of important works in science, technology, and other fields are being produced, and not always by native speakers. It is widely used for such purposes as meteorological and airport communications, international conferences, and the spread of information over the radio and television networks of many nations. It is a language of wider communication for a number of developing countries, especially former British colonies. Many of these countries have multilingual populations and need a language for internal communication in such matters as government, commerce, industry, law and education as well as for international communication and for entrance to the scientific and technological developments in the West.

According to the passage, what is the main reason for the widespread use of English?

It is a world language that is used for international communication.

["It was popular during Shakespeare's time.", 'It is used in former British colonies.', 'It serves the needs of its native speakers.']

Programs may already be installed on the computers at your school or university. If not, you can consider looking at catalogues to see what is available on CD-ROM. Some people question whether computers can really help you to read, any better than picking up a book. There is some justification for this, but listen to the arguments from people who believe that computers have something to offer. The first argument relates to motivation. Anything that makes you spend more time reading will be helpful, so if you are someone who likes to turn on your computer as soon as you walk into your room, then you could find yourself motivated to spend more time on your foreign-language reading if it appears on your screen. There is more to computers than motivation, though. You need to make use of all the technical possibilities, because good programs allow things to happen which are not possible with a book. This leads on to the idea of autonomy in language learning. We have already seen many times in this book that you, the language learner, will make a far bigger difference to your ultimate success than your teacher will. With a computer, you can decide how many repetitions to have and how to respond to the commands. In some programs you also shape the direction of the story you are reading by the selections you make. In other words, you don't have to move along at the pace of the rest of the class, which you may find too slow or too fast. The flip side of learner autonomy is learner misuse of programs. Some programs allow short-cuts which give you a sense of having finished, but without actually having done much learning. _ At the end of a session using well-designed materials, you should learn more than some new vocabulary and sentence patterns; you should also learn more about the reading process. As with all aspects of your language learning, you can finish your session with a critical eye to what you have learned from the program. This will include thinking about whether to repeat it or move on to another level.

From the passage we learn the author _ .

has improved reading ability helped by computers

['advises us to use computers at work.', 'persuades us to do some reading in the books', 'dislikes reading materials on the computers']

Our father suffered terribly in his quiet way and sometimes in an unguarded moment our normally stoic dad would drop his calm demeanor and his sadness would leak out through his eyes . At 22 , after a tip from a young cousin , I made a few phone calls to a college in the middle of nowhere and told a couple of lies so big even I would n't have believed them to an unsuspecting soul in the registrars office . It worked somehow and she confirmed my sister was enrolled that semester before giving me her home phone number .

Where is the narrator 's sister residing ?

She is at university .

['None of the above choices .', 'She is at her childhood home .', "She is at her father 's house ."]

There are people in Italy who can't stand soccer. Not all Canadians love hockey. A similar situation exists in America, where there are those individuals you may be one of them who frown when somebody mentions baseball. Baseball to them means boring hours watching grown men in funny tight outfits standing around in a field staring away while very little of anything happens. They tell you it's a game better suited to the 19th century, slow, quiet, and gentlemanly. These are the same people you may be one of them who love football because there's the sport that values "the hit". By contrast, baseball seems abstract, cool, silent, still. On TV the game is divided into a dozen perspectives, replays, close-ups. The geometry of the game, however, is essential to understanding it. You will view the game from one point as a painter does his subject; you may, of course, project yourself into the game. It is in this projection that the game affords so much space and time for involvement. The TV won't do it for you. Take, for example, the third baseman. You sit behind the third base and you watch him watching home plate. His legs are apart, knees flexed . His arms hang loose. He does a lot of this. The skeptic still cannot think of any other sports so still, so passive. But watch what happens every time the pitcher throws: the third baseman goes up on his toes, flexes his arms or brings the glove to a point in front of him, takes a step right or left, backward or forward, perhaps he glances across the field to check his first baseman's position. Suppose the pitch is a ball. "Nothing happened," you say. The skeptic and the innocent must play the game. And this involvement in the stands is no more intellectual than listening to music is. Watch the third baseman. Smooth the dirt in front of you with one foot; smooth the pocket in your glove; watch the eyes of the batter, the speed of the bat, the sound of ball on wood. If football is a symphony of movement and theatre, baseball is chamber music, a spacious interlocking of notes, chorus and responses.

The author admits that _ .

baseball may seem boring when watched on TV

['football is more attracting than baseball', 'baseball is more interesting than football', 'baseball is too peaceful for the young']

I asked what colour it was and he says " It was blue . " Then he says , " And you know those things ( circles his hands near his head ) that you wear when you get married ? She was wearing one of those . "

Why was she wearing what she was wearing ?

She was wearing the blue thing on her head to show that she was married .

["She was wearing it to show she 's not married .", 'None of the above choices .', "She 's wearing it to show off her independence ."]

Architecture lovers in Washington do not have to travel far to see some of the world's most famous buildings. Architect Adam Reed Tucker has recreated fifteen of them using Lego bricks. The exhibit is called "LEGO Architecture: Towering Ambition." It is at the National Building Museum in Washington until early September. Faith Lapidus has more. Lego bricks are small, color1ful plastic blocks. They can be snapped together to make any number of objects. They are popular with children of all ages around the world. Adam Reed Tucker calls himself an "architectural artist". He was a professional architect for ten years. After the terrorist attacks against the United States in two thousand one he decided to do something different. He wanted to express his feelings for the form of the skyscraper while deepening his understanding of architecture, engineering and construction. He chose to use something that most people used as children. Tucker does all his work by hand, using only pictures of the buildings. He does not use any computers or drawings to plan his buildings. While the exhibit is going on, Tucker will be working on his latest work, the White House where the American president lives. Visitors can watch him create the famous building brick by brick. After walking through Tucker's models, visitors can create their own works at the building station. They can make houses, office buildings, stores or factories. They can then place their models on a large map of a city. As more visitors come, the Lego city will grow. To many people, Legos might seem like toys for kids. But Adam Reed Tucker proves that _ . To watch another Lego artist at work, go to 51voa.com and click on Captioned Videos. Lowry Baker came from McLean, Virginia, to see the exhibit. Baker said, "When we saw the models, there were just amazing. As soon as my son got a look at all of the stations here, he wanted to start building. It's really a great set-up. It really encourages creativity on the kids' part."

Which of the following statements is NOT true about Adam Tucker?

He is not good at using computers or drawing.

['He has created his buildings all by hand.', 'He is not only an architect but also an artist.', 'He was a professional architect for 10 year.']

Self-esteem is all about how much we feel valued,accepted and thought well of by others---and how much we value,love and accept ourselves.Poeple with healthy self-esteem are able to feel good about themselves,appreciate their own worth,and take pride in their abilities,skills,and accomplishments with others,feel happier,find it easier to deal with low self-esteem may feel as if no one will like them or accept them or that they can't do well in anything. Here are some steps that may help improve your self-esteem: Try to stop Try to thinking about negative thoughts about yourself.If you're used to focusing on your shortcomings,start thinking about positive aspects of yourself that outwheigh _ .Each day,write down three things about yourself that make you happy.it is good to aim high,but your goals should be within reach.That's why you should set pratical goals and never expect the impossible.Mistakes are part of learning,so view mistakes as learning opportunities.Accept that you will make mistakes because everyone does.Also, you should recognize what you can change and what you can't.if you realize that you're unhappy with something about yourself that you can change, then start today.If it's something you can't change(like your height),then start to work toward loving yourself the way you are.Feeling like you're making a difffference and that your help is valued can do wonders to improve self-esteem.So don't hesitate to make a contribution.Help a classmate who's having trouble,help clean up your campus,or volunteer your time in some other way. Self-esteem plays a role in almost everything you do.It's never to be late to build healthy positive self-esteem.It takes some work,but healthy self-esteem is an asset you'll have for life.

What does the author mainly want to tell us in this passage?

How people can improve their self-esteem.

['Self-esteem plays an important role in life.', 'What self-esteem means', 'What people with healthy self-esteem are like.']

Yes, absolutely. And if you are experiencing that right now, I’m so sorry for you, but it gets better. Hear me out. I was once dating this girl from college who showed genuine interest in me and for that and many other reasons, I really liked her. Well, you could say I loved her. We had been together for a week. One day, we went on a trip. It was all fun and games and laughing. I had the best time of my life. We were walking on the beach of a lake during sunset. We were talking and suddenly, I felt her tone getting more and more depressed. At some point, she concluded that “we need to take a break.” Trying to understand her arguments for that, the break turned into a breakup. Now, one-week-into-a-relationship-with-awesome-girl me couldn’t handle this sudden change of affairs. I spent weeks reliving this day, especially the conversation on the beach, and trying to figure out where it went wrong. I even got into an episode of mania. Having to see her every day in college was torture. It was probably the worst breakup in my life. I seriously considered transferring to another university. Several weeks into the breakup, I decided, with the aid of my friends, that I have to move on. To be honest, I relapsed a lot. One time, I actually sat down with her and said I still have feelings for her. What really helped me to get out of this was the thing I hated the most at that time: taking a break. I avoided her, in real life and on social media, and eventually, I forgot that she even existed. I developed new hobbies and made new friends. Now, I healed properly and we’re back to being friends (Yes, it’s possible to stay friends with your ex). It was a bad experience to live through indeed, but it really changed me into a more stable, more productive person. In a way, I’m thankful to this girl for who I am today. Stay strong!

Where was the author during the trip?

On a beach.

['On a boat.', 'In a forest.', 'not enough information']

The Saturday Evening Post 2015 Great American Fiction Contest is underway! In its nearly three centuries of existence, The Saturday Evening Post , a bimonthly magazine, has published short fiction by a who's who of American authors including F.Scott Fitzgerald, William Faulkner, Anne Tyler, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.Ray Bradbury, Louis L'Amour, Sinclair Lewis, Jack London, and Edgar Allan Poe. You have the opportunity to join our excellent line - up by entering The Saturday Evening Post's Third Annual Create American Fiction Contest. The winning story will be published in the Jan/Feb 2015 edition of The Saturday Evening Post, and the author will receive a $ 500 payment.Five runners - up will each receive a $ 100 cash payment and will also have their stories published online. Submission Guidelines * Stories must be between l,500 and 5,000 words in length. * All stories must be submitted by the author, and previously unpublished(not including personal websites and blogs). * No extreme profanity or graphic sex scenes. * All stories must be submitted online in Microsoft Word format with the author's name, address, telephone number, and email address on the first page. *Entries should be character or plot - driven pieces in any genre of fiction. *Think local.The Post has historically played a role in defining what it means to be an American.Your story should in some way touch upon the publication' s mission: Celebrating; America, past, present, and future. * There is a $ 10 entry fee, which helps cover a portion of the cost of operating the contest. * All entries must be received electronically by July l, 2014. Click here to view the winners of the 2014 Great American Fiction Contest Click here to view the winners of the 2013 Great American Fiction Contest

We can learn from the passage, The Saturday Evening Post

came into being as early as the 18th century

['has played an important part in American history', 'is a magazine published every month', 'holds the contest every two years']

In my early 20s, I was a one-on-one aide for a couple of teenagers with cerebral palsy. With the first one, I was hired by and worked for the family. I picked the teen up from school every day and took care of him until he was in bed for the night. When he passed away, I took a job with the local school district. My client at the school had spastic quadriplegia. He could talk and was actually very smart, but he had no control over his arms or legs. He couldn’t walk. He was never going to walk. The law requires that special education students be put in the least restrictive classroom environment possible. Since this kid was smart and could communicate well, and wasn’t a discipline problem, he had all regular classes. His only accommodation was a one-on-one aide (me), and he was allowed to be late to classes without consequence because we sometimes had to stop in a special room, get him out of his chair, and stretch his legs a little. Basically ten minutes of physical therapy, two or three times per day. Anyway, since this kid was legally required to take all the classes a normal student his age would take, he had to take Physical Education (gym). And, legally, his aide (me) had to accommodate his participation in every class as much as possible, including gym. Most gym classes began with the students doing laps around the track, then participating in a team sport. He couldn’t do the team sport, but, according to the lawyers involved, he should participate in the “laps around the track” part of gym. So I had to push this kid in a wheelchair around the track for about 15 minutes each day, until the other kids were all done and off doing the next activity. Then he and I were able to leave gym class and go do some physical therapy in his own little room just for that. Because, you know… lawyers and rules.

The narrator believes that the rules for his client:

Are flawed and lack any sense of reason.

['Are understandable and typical for these types of cases.', 'Are well-thought out and aid the client well.', 'not enough information']

A boy was born to a couple after eleven years of marriage. They were a loving couple and loved the boy very much. When the boy was around two years old, one morning the husband saw a medicine bottle open. He was late for work so he asked the wife to cap the bottle and keep it in the cupboard. The mother, preoccupied in the kitchen, totally forgot the matter. The boy saw the bottle and playfully went to the bottle and, fascinated with its color, drank it all. It happened to be a poisonous medicine meant for adults in small dosages . When the child fell down, the mother hurried him to the hospital, where he died. The mother was shocked. She was terrified how to face her husband. When the father came to the hospital and saw the dead child, he looked at his wife and uttered just four words. The husband just said 'I am with you, Darling'. The husband's totally unexpected reaction is active behavior. The child is dead. He can never be brought back to life. There is no point in finding fault with the mother. Besides, if he had taken time to keep the bottle away, this would not have happened. No point in attaching blame. She had also lost her only child. What she needed at that moment was comfort and sympathy from the husband. That is what he gave her. If everyone can look at life with this kind of viewpoint, there would be much fewer problems in the world. Take off all your envies, unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears and you will find things are actually not as difficult as you think. Sometimes we spend time asking who is responsible or whom to blame, whether in a relationship, in a job or with the people we know. By this way we miss out some warmth in human relationship.

What do we know about the bottle? _ .

It appeared like a nice drink

['It contained poison only for adults', 'It was kept in the kitchen', 'It was broken by the child']

Few of us haven't read Cinderella , the story of a young woman living in poverty who meets the prince of her dreams. Some might not want to admit it, but there is a hidden Cinderella in everyone's heart--we all wish we could achieve recognition or success after a period of obscurity . Mary Santiago has that secret dream, too. Her story is featured in Another Cinderella Story, a film set in a US high school. Mary is shy but loves to dance. Compared with other girls, she is invisible. However, her world changes completely when a famous teenager pop singer, Joey Parker, appears. Joey is everything the rest of the boys in her class are not--kind, handsome and desirable. Mary and Joey's paths cross at a ball. They meet and fall in love with each other. But when Mary has to rush back home, she leaves behind her MP3 player, which becomes the only clue Joey has to find the girl of his dreams. Of course, there is a wicked stepmother, who turns out to be Dominique Blatt and she takes in Mary after her dancer mother dies. Dominique treats Mary like a maid and does everything she can to make sure Mary doesn't get into the top dance school. Her two daughters are equally determined to stop Joey falling for Mary, even if that means embarrassing her. The story, though it mostly follows Cinderella, does add a few modern day twists to the classic fairy tale. Refreshingly, the film, unlike many high school films, does not focus on looks, although the actors are all beautiful. There is also a lot less materialism in Another Cinderella Story than in many similar movies. "The movie takes the Cinderella fairytale as its jumping off point," writes movie critic Amber Wilkinson, "The focus is firmly on following your dream."

The passage is mainly about _ .

a review about a film

['an introduction to a novel', 'a passage about dreams', 'an advertisement of Cinderella']

A growing number of health, hunger, and sustainable agriculture groups today announced plans for Food Day-a nationwide campaign to change the way Americans eat and think about food.Food Day will encourage people around the country to sponsor or participate in activities that encourage Americans to "eat real" and support healthy, affordable food grown in a sustainable, humane way. Organizers hope Food Day will inspire Americans to hold thousands of events in schools, college campuses, houses of worship and even in private homes aimed at fixing America's food system.A Food Day event could be as small as a parent organizing a vegetable identification contest at a kindergarten class-or as massive as a rally in a city park, with entertainment and healthy food.Health departments, city councils and other policy makers could use Food Day to launch campaigns, hold hearings, or otherwise address communities food problems. The campaign will advocate progress toward five central goals: *Reducing diet-related disease by promoting healthy foods.The American diet is too low in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and too high in fatty meat, soft drinks and salty packaged and restaurant foods-contributing to hundreds of thousands of premature deaths each year. *Supporting sustainable farms and stopping subsidies to agribusiness.Billions of federal dollars a year would be better spent helping environmentally conscious family farmers than hugeagribusiness operations. *Expanding access to food and alleviating hunger.Far too many Americans don't know where their next meal is coming from, or have access to fresh produce in their neighborhood. *Reforming factory farms to protect animals and the environment.Farming of animals can and should be done without cruelty, and without degrading the quality of life. *Curbing junk-food marketing to kids.Food companies should not be targeting children with foods that promote tooth decay, obesity and other health problems.

We can infer from the text that _ .

Food Day can be an opportunity to solve food problems.

['Food Day will not help preserve natural resources.', 'Food Day has so far achieved all the central goals.', 'there are different ideas and views about Food Day.']

Once there was a man who lied to eat mangoes. One day he decided to get the sweetest mango from the very top of the tree. Mangoes which are exposed to the sun the most are the sweetest. So he climbed up to the top, where the branches were thin. He managed to pick up a few sweet reddish fruits, but, in an attempt to climb down, he slipped and started falling towards the ground. Fortunately, he caught the branch as he was falling and remained helplessly hanging on the tree. Then he started to call nearby villagers for help. They immediately came with a ladder and sticks, but could do little to help him. Then after some time one calm and thoughtful person arrived - a well-known sage who lived in a simple hut nearby. People were very curious to see what he would do, as he was famous in solving many people's problems in the area and sometimes very complicated ones. He was silent for a minute and then picked up a stone and threw it at the hanging man. Everybody was surprised. The hanging mango lover started to shout: What are you doing?! Are you crazy? Do you want me to break my neck?" The sage was silent. Then he took another stone and threw it at the man. The man was very angry: "If I could just come down, I would show you!" That's what everybody wanted - that he came down. But how? Now everybody was tense, as to what would happen next! Some wanted to chastise the sage, but they didn't. The sage picked another stone and threw it again at the man, even more forcefully. Now the man on the tree was enraged and developed a great determination to come down and take revenge. He then used all his skill and strength and somehow reached the branches which were safe to start going down. And he made it! Everybody was amazed. However, the rescued man found the sage gone. He stood there, realizing that the man really sed him because he induced him to try his best and save himself. "I should be thankful and not angry."

What does the story imply?

Wisdom does count.

["Anger saves one's life.", 'Skill and strength count.', 'Anger is the biggest enemy.']

Large areas of the Amazon rainforest were grassland until just 2,000 years ago when it has been found. Researchers say the find gives new light on the Amazon's history - and show it was a savannah rather than the high forest it is today. They believe much of the area was grassland until a natural shift to a wetter climate about 2,000 years ago let the rainforests form, according to a study that challenges common belief that the world's biggest tropical forest is far older. The arrival of European diseases after Columbus crossed the Atlantic in 1492 may also have sped up the growth of forests by killing the local people farming the region, the scientists wrote in the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). "The dominant ecosystem was more like a savannah than the rainforest we see today," John Carson, lead author at the University of Reading in England, said of the findings about the southern Amazon. The scientists said that a shift toward wetter conditions, perhaps caused by natural shifts in the Earth's orbit around the sun, led to growth of more trees starting about 2,000 years ago. The "findings suggest that rather than being rainforest hunter-gatherers, or large-scale forest clearers, the people of the Amazon from 2,500 to 500 years ago were farmers," the University of Reading said in a statement. Carson said that perhaps a fifth of the Amazon basin, in the south, may have been savannah until the shift, with forests covering the rest. In one lake, Laguna Granja, rainforest plants only took over from grass as the main sources of sediments about 500 years old, suggesting a link to the arrival of Europeans. And understanding the forest could help solve puzzles about climate change. The Amazon rainforest affects climate change because trees soak up heat-trapping carbon dioxide as they grow and release it when they rot or are burnt. Brazil has sharply slowed deforestation rates in recent years.

Brazil slows deforestation rate because Brazil .

intends to help prevent global warming

['wants to have more land for farming', 'wants to turn the rainforest into savannah', 'attempts to understand what causes climate change']

This weekend was the first time I ever saw someone djing a party without using headphones . My immediate reaction was " oh how fun " , which I am still suprised about . I tend to be a grump about all things dj related since I am " no longer in that game " and/or stereotypically jaded . When I saw the whole software based djing w/o headphones in action though , I could n't help but think of it sort of like a fun video game that all your friends could dance to .

What may be the reason for them being out of the game ?

They do n't have time for it .

['None of the above choices .', "They do n't like it anymore .", "They did n't want it enough ."]

"People should have one meat-free day a week if they want to make a personal and effective sacrifice that would help deal with climate change," the world's leading authority on global warming has told The Observer. Dr Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said that people should then go on to reduce their meat consumption even further. Pachauri, who was re-elected the panel's chairman for a second six-year term last week, said diet change was important because of the huge greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental problems associated with raising cattle and other animals. "It was relatively easy to change eating habits compared to changing means of transport," he said. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation has estimated that meat production accounts for nearly a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. These are produced during the production. For example, ruminants , particularly cows, give off a gas called methane, which is 23 times more effective as a global warming agent than CO2. Pachauri can expect some opposite responses from the food industry to his advice, though last night he was given unexpected support by Masterchef presenter and restaurateur John Torode. "I have a little bit and enjoy it," said Torode. "Too much for any person is bad. But there's a bigger issue here: where the meat comes from. If we all bought British and stopped buying imported food, we'd save a huge amount of carbon emissions." Professor Robert Watson, the chief scientific adviser for the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, said government could help educate people about the benefits of eating less meat, but it should not regulate. "Eating less meat would help, there's no question about that," Watson said. However, Chris Lamb, head of marketing for pig industry group BPEX, said the meat industry had been unfairly targeted and was working hard to find out which activities had the biggest environmental impact and reduce them. "Some ideas were contradictory," he said. "For example, one solution to emissions from cattle and other animals was to keep them indoors, but this would damage animal welfare. Climate change is a very young science and our view is there are a lot of simple solutions being proposed."

It is implied in the passage that _ .

we must do our duty to save the earth

['we should try to keep away from cattle', 'ruminants should not be left outdoors', 'the meat industry will soon close down']

People celebrate birthdays in almost every country on earth. And they celebrate them in many different ways. In China and in Japan, for example, the arrival of New Year is more important than a person's birthday. So everyone adds a year to celebrate their ages on New Year's Day, instead of on their birthdays, In Brazil, the special birthday food isn't cake, but special candles. In China, it's long noodles--for long life. In Iceland, people have pancakes with candies rolled inside them on birthdays. In Britain, a birthday is an all-day celebration. At school, the birthday child is lifted up and "bumped" by his classmates. This means the child is lifted by the feet and arms and bumped to the ground, once for each year once for good growth. In Israel, the same custom is followed, except the birthday person is lifted and lowered while sitting in a chair. In Holland, children not only get presents, but also give things out. They give cakes, cookies and candles to their classmates and teachers on their birthdays. In Mexico, it's good luck to give birthday greetings as early in the day as possible. So it's usual for the birthday child to be woken up at midnight by fiends singing birthday songs. In India, birthday celebrations also begin before dawn. Prayers and blessings must be said before morning comes. In Thailand, two tall candles are lighted the night before the birthday. One is as tall as the birthday person. If it goes out early, it's bad luck. Another customs of Thailand is that they buy live fish and birds for the birthday person and then the birthday person frees the animals, and it brings good luck. In Nigeria, people in a certain age group celebrate their birthdays together, on a certain day. In many countries birthday customs are changing. Old customs are giving way to western style of birthdays, with candle topped cakes. But one thing never changes--birthdays are special days for everyone!

According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

In Holland people give presents to unbirthday persons on their birthdays.

['In Thailand people give fish and birds to the birthday person as presents.', 'In Nigeria people who were born in the same period may celebrate their birthdays on the same day.', 'In Thailand a candle will be lighted on the birthday night.']

I know that I like the school district better then the one they left , all in all a much better neighborhood for little Ava to grow up in . I got a phone call from my buddy Jim wondering if I had smoked the fish we caught last weekend . Like I said I have been busy , it seems that he is a little worried that he may not get his share , he may have reason to worry based on history . I have told him that he wants to make sure that he gets some of the fish he had better be there when I pull it out of the smoker . I have been known to consume a lot of fish in the time it takes to come out of the smoker to a plastic bag .

What may be the reason why Jim called about fish ?

Because they went fishing together .

['None of the above choices .', 'Because they went to the aquarium .', 'Because they bragged about their catch .']

Our cat , Pumpkinhead , died this morning . Sara woke this morning at 4:22 and heard a deep quacking type sound and some moaning . She woke me up and we began searching the house . We found Pumpkinhead in the closet in the boys ' room . He appeared to have already passed away .

What was the likely age range for Pumpkinhead ?

old

['young', 'very young', 'None of the above choices .']

I have been working out with a personal trainer since May and have not seen any major changes in my body . I am getting sick and tired of working so hard and not getting anything out of it so I have decided to take some drastic measures . The biggest problem I have is that I do n't eat right so I have decided to go on a nutrition program like Jenny Craig . I thought that I would never need to do anything like that because I always viewed things like this as made for lazy and very obese people .

What change is the narrator making to their routine ?

Their switching up food intake .

['Their increasing workouts .', 'None of the above choices .', 'Their upping exercise .']

A nobleman and a merchant once met in an inn. For their lunch they both ordered soup. When it was brought, the nobleman took a spoonful, but the soup was so hot that he burned his mouth and tears came to his eyes. The merchant asked him why he was weeping. The nobleman was ashamed to admit that he had burned his mouth and answered, "Sir, I once had a brother who committed a great crime, for which he was hanged. I was thinking of his death, and that made me weep." The merchant believed this story and began to eat his soup. He too burned his mouth, so that he had tears in his eyes. The nobleman noticed it and asked the merchant, "Sir, why do you weep?" The merchant, who now saw that the nobleman had deceived him, answered, "My lord(="master)," I am weeping because you were not hanged together with your brother."

It is probable that the nobleman _ .

had no brother who was hanged

['had never eaten soup', 'knew the soup was too hot', 'had a very good brother']

Training and prep for summer camp are starting tomorrow ( Tuesday , July 1 ) and the first of four groups of campers will descend on us bright and early on Monday , July 7 . Look for a few posts this week detailing my trip to Kenting . First up , though , is the post I promised about street art in Tainan . This is me , fresh off the train in Tainan , at the Tainan Visitor Information Center .

How many day will there be of training and prep before the kids arrive ?

There will be 6 days of training and prep before kids arrive .

['There is a week of prep before the kids arrive .', 'There is a week of training before the kids arrive .', 'There is 7 days of training and prep before the kids arrive .']

Well we're not married (yet), but one time my boyfriend playfully spanked me. Hard. I know he didn't mean to hurt me, but I was mad about it all. Day. Long. I just couldn't get over the fact that he technically hit me! I started to consider things like, “Is he really sorry?” “Will he do it again?” “Should I leave him?” And gave myself reasons like “He didn't mean to!” “He's been apologizing all day!” “He was just playing!” “He meant to have fun, He's sorry!” Yet countered it with one simple statement, “Yeah that's what all abused women say.” In the end, I felt the question that should determine whether or not I should leave is: “If I stop talking to him tomorrow and can never see him or speak to him again, will I be okay with that?” and the answer was “No”, so obviously I shouldn't leave him. He is very well aware that I was considering leaving him, (I have a very strict 0 tolerance policy of abuse in my relationships, as I was abused terribly growing up,) and he still apologizes to this day, but he has certainly made it a point to never do that again. I definitely trust him, and he actually was being playful, but otherwise that has been the only “real” hitch we have come across. I mean, we argue, but that's only when either of us are mad, and it's usually over small stupid stuff. Like, really stupid stuff. We argued over traffic signs before, LOL. It always leads to me saying the argument is completely retarded and we drop it and just cuddle or something. Really not worth getting worked up about. Edit: Fixed some typos. I'm on my phone so my thumbs can't quite reach LOL.

How long do you think the writer was considering leaving her boyfriend?

A few days.

['Three years.', 'not enough information', 'A few seconds.']

Very few people speaked English good , and of all places , in an isolated gas station ? I had noticed this man just sitting there in the gas station ( there were some tables and some chairs ) . When we walked in he was just sitting there . But then here he just launches out in perfect English .

What 's a possible reason very few people spoke English good ?

Because the writer was n't in an English speaking country .

['Because a man was sitting there in the gas station .', 'None of the above choices .', 'Because the writer was in an isolated gas station .']

As a funny student, Brian loved watching comedies best and hoped to become a comedy actor one day. When he heard about the talent show to be held at this school, Brian decided to take part in it. He had never acted in public before, and he was very excited. But some students laughed at him. "You are not funny but silly," Ken, one of his classmates, said to his face. "No one will like what you do," another boy also said to him, loudly. Brian couldn't understand why they were so unkind to him. For a moment, he thought about giving up the show. But he remembered how much his friends liked his jokes, and also his teachers said he was very funny. So he decided to prepare for the show. Brian did a great job at the talent show. Everyone loved his performance , and he won the first prize! His teachers and friends were proud of him. Even so, Ken told Brian that he was not funny, and that he would never be successful. Brian didn't understand why Ken said so, but he realized that it had nothing to do with him. He confidently continued to work towards his dream. As the years went on, Brian met more people like Ken. "You'll do a terrible job," they said to him. Luckily, most people encouraged him and some helped him to become even funnier. He got a lot of chances to perform in movies. He was even invited to appear on television. His fans thanked him because his comedies made them feel good when they were unhappy. Now Brian is a big comedy star! He is doing what he loves best. He never feels worried like those unkind people, and he laughs all day long!

What was Brian's wish as a student?

To be a comedy actor.

['To go to a famous university.', 'To take part in a talent show.', 'To make more new friends.']

This person that was normally a lot like Paula Deen ( the way she talks , the way she cooks , & the way she moves her hands ) was in the process of having a nervous breakdown . The worst part of it was , she refused any & all help when it came to visiting the doctor and/or considering taking some medication to " calm her nerves " . This woman was off her rocker , looney ! My sister had warned me : she even told me about the crazy arse crap that the step - mother was saying .

Why did some people stay away from the woman mentioned ?

She was unhinged .

['She was mean .', 'She was violent and throwing things .', 'None of the above choices .']

We were very tensed up while watching it . And at the last score , Korea served wrongly , and Singapore got into the finals . YEAH ! ! ! xD Too bad , Cg went to the toilet .

Which of the following is true of the narrator ?

They have a friend to watch with .

['They are from Korea .', 'They went to the toilet .', 'None of the above choices .']

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has unveiled a far-reaching list of demands for any new nuclear deal with Iran, and threatened economy-crushing sanctions if Tehran does not change its behavior. The 12-point list of demands came in a Monday speech at the conservative Heritage Foundation that laid out the Trump administration's strategy after pulling out of the Iran nuclear agreement earlier this month. Under any new deal, Pompeo insisted, Iran must indefinitely abandon nuclear weapons work and provide United Nations inspectors access to sites anywhere in the country.He said Tehran must also end its proliferation of ballistic missiles and stop its "destabilizing activities" across the Middle East. If Iran does not change course, the U.S. "will apply unprecedented financial pressure," Pompeo warned. "These will be the strongest sanctions in history by the time we are done," said Pompeo. "The [Iranian] regime has been fighting all over the Middle East for years. After our sanctions come into full force, it will be battling to keep its economy alive." Iran's President Hassan Rouhani dismissed the threats. "Who are you to decide for Iran and the world?" Rouhani said in a statement published by Iranian state media on Monday. "The world today does not accept that the United States decides for the world. Countries have their independence." The Trump administration has vowed to reimpose sanctions that were lifted as part of the 2015 nuclear agreement, which was signed between Iran, the United States, and several European countries, as well as Russia and China. Washington has also imposed additional sanctions. European countries are holding talks with Iran to try to salvage the deal. But it's not clear whether the effort can succeed. On Sunday, Iran's foreign minister, Javad Zarif, said the European Union's "political will is not enough to preserve the deal.” EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini reacted to Pompeo's speech Monday by saying there is "no alternative" to the existing agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and that European nations are already using sanctions to pressure Iran to change its behavior.

Who demanded that Iran end its proliferation of ballistic missiles?

Mike Pompeo

['Donald Trump', 'Hassan Rouhani', 'not enough information']

We talked about why we motioned to the middle of our palms for Jesus , and Savannah told me that the first time she heard that story , it was so scary . We had a great discussion about how wonderful Jesus was to die on the cross for us . She said that she ca n't wait to see Him in heaven and tell Him thank you and how much she loves Him .

Based on the conversation described , what is probably true of the author 's and Savannah 's religion or religious beliefs ?

Savannah and the author share similar religious idelogies

['None of the above choices .', 'The author and Savannah used to practice the same religion at some point .', "Savannah and the author are not certain of what each other 's religious beliefs are ."]

Researchers have announced the result of two studies on the health effects of the drug aspirin.One study shows aspirin can sharply reduce the chance that a healthy, older man will suffer from a heart attack. The study offered two new results from earlier findings, It said taking one aspirin pili every other day helped only healthy men over the age of fifty.It also said aspirin gave the greatest protection against heart attacks to men with low blood cholesterol levels. Earlier in the United States began a major aspirin study in the early 1980s.It included 22,000 healthy men doctors.Ail were between the ages of forty and eighty-four.More than 11,000 of the doctors took a harmless pill that contained no drug.The men did not know which kind of pill they were taking. The doctors who took aspirin suffered 44% fewer heart attacks than those taking the harmless pill.139 men who took aspirin suffered from heart attacks.Ten of them died.239 men who did not take aspirin suffered from heart attacks.Twenty-six of them died. The researchers said the doctors' study provides clear proof that taking aspirin can prevent a first heart attack in healthy, older men.They said, however, the result does not mean every man over the mage of fifty should take aspirin.They said aspirin couldn't help men who do not eat healthy foods, who smoke cigarettes and who are fat.The researchers said men who think they wou3d be helped by taking aspirin should talk with their doctors first.

Aspirin can help those who _ .

are older and healthy

['know how to keep fit', 'are fat and smoke cigarettes', 'are suffering from heart attack']

Most people think about donating blood. However. Very few actuallv do it. Even the most consistent ones donate an average of just three to four times during their lifetime. Now the officials in Sweden are trying to change the trend with the help of modern-day technology. The encouragement to donate again begins shortly after the donor leaves the clinic when he/she receives a "thank you" text. Though that certainly helps them feel appreciated, what is even more pleasing is the text they receive each time their blood is used to help someone in need. Karolina Wiberg, manager of the Stockholm blood service, believes this small gesture not only results in repeat donors, but helps bring in new ones. The program that was started in Stockholm has received such positive feedback that it is now being rolled out across the country. However, Swedish officials are not stopping there. They are also encouraging local clinics to publish the exact levels of the different blood groups they have at any given time on their websites. This allows potential donors to realize that their blood can make a difference in saving someone ' s life. While all these outreach programs are great, busy citizens, even the ones with the best intentions have to be occasionally reminded. In order to jog their memories, officials ask people for authorization to send them text, Facebook, and e-mail reminders. Though that may sound disturbing, the citizens do not seem to mind, given that the messages are light-hearted and fun-things like "We won't give up until you bleed." Though Sweden is currently the only country using modern technology to urge more donations, don't be surprised if more join in, especially if the Nordic country's blood banks start to overflow!

Why is another text sent to blood donors after a "thank you" one?

To inform them their blood is used.

['To ask them for authorization.', "To remind them to donate blood immediately. '", 'To tell them the levels of blood groups.']

From Art to Zoo, the Smithsonian, the world's largest museum and research complex, has something to interest kids and students of all ages. Plan ahead online with The Official Kids Guide to the Smithsonian Institution - an interactive guidebook just for kids. The Last American Dinosaurs: Discovering a Lost World November 25, 2014 - 2018 Museum: Natural History Museum Location: 2nd Floor, West Explore how we learn about past ecosystems and organisms through the study of their fossils and find what goes into making a large-scale fossil exhibition. Watch fossils being prepared in a working fossil preparation lab. As We Grow: Traditions, Toys, Games August 22, 2012 - Indefinitely Museum: American Indian Museum Location: 1st Floor, near Imaginations Activity Center All children play. Native American children play like any others, but their toys and games are more than playthings. They are ways of learning about the lives of grown men and women and ways of learning the traditions of their families and their people. The toys, games, and clothing come from all over North, Central, and South America, representing many tribes and many time periods. The First Ladies November 19, 2011 - Indefinitely Museum: American History Museum Location: 3rd Floor, Rose Gallery On view are more than two dozen gowns, including those worn by Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, Barbara Bush, Nancy Reagan, and Jacqueline Kennedy. Four cases provide in-depth looks at Mary Todd Lincoln, Edith Roosevelt, and Lady Bird Johnson and their contributions to their husband's presidential administrations. Apollo to the Moon July 1, 1976 - Permanent Museum: Air and Space Museum Location: 2nd Floor, East Wing This gallery traces NASA's manned space program beginning with Project Mercury's Freedom 7 (1961); then the Gemini Project (1965 - 66); followed by the Apollo Program (1967 - 1972), with Apollo 17 as the last manned exploration of the moon.

The purpose of the text is to _ .

introduce some museum exhibitions

['promote some scientific projects', 'highlight some children activities', 'release some entertainment videos']

Every so often I see a scenario play out that I find rather disappointing. It works like this: someone posts a topic to their blog that is critical or controversial. This person can either be a community member, commentator, employee or otherwise; it doesn’t matter who the person is. Then what happens is a series of comments are posted to that blog entry from readers that are critical of the post, thus challenging the author on their views. The author then either deletes the blog entry or disables the comments based on the feedback. In other words, a viewpoint is shared, an invitation for comment is provided, but that invitation is then revoked when the author of the blog post is dissatisfied with the response from their readers. I have seen this happen countless times over the years and I don’t like this. I believe we should all be accountable for our words. Our words have the ability to inspire, to entertain, to challenge, but to also hurt. Actions have consequences, and so do words. As such, when I see someone openly share their thoughts on their blog and invite their readers to provide comments, I see that as a wonderful demonstration of accountability and engagement; debate is a beautiful thing when executed with politeness and respect. To then close that door, seemingly because people disagree with you, is in my mind the equivalent of walking out of a room in the middle of a debate. The excuse when folks are criticized of this behavior is typically “it is my blog and I can run it how I like“. This is true: it is your blog, and you can run it how you like, but the true measure of a person is not just in what they say, but also in the conversation and discourse that follows.

Who is the author?

not enough information

['a blog reader', 'a critic', 'a blog writer']

Welcome to the future. It's year 2050 and Scotland is now powered completely by"clean"energy. Homes have entire roofs made of solar materials, rooms are kept warm by wallpaper, and people go to and from work in electric and hydrogen( ) cars. Oil is still being found in the North Sea, but it's not now only used to keep aircraft flying. And a new 500---mile underwater link with Iceland has been built to catch heat from the hot springs. There's still a role for king coal--but _ are now environment---friendly. People will be able to import the electricity they need and export any excess they make through rooftop windmills . New technology will store electricity better and provide it on demand. Heat exchangers will provide heating and hot water. Harmful carbon dioxide waste is being piped offshore to St Fergus and from there into some of the remaining oil--producing fields to be stored safely without entering the atmosphere. Gas remains the preferred energy source of industry and is now shipped in liquid form. But hydrogen is imported through pipelines from France and from a geothermal plant in Iceland. Hydrogen--fuelled cars have become popular. Electric bikes are common in cities using the new urban two--wheel network. Electric vehicles have become common, and their performances have been improved because of the developments in electrical drive technology like high--temperature super conducting motors. Many people leave their vehicles in a giant park where they can be recharged from the national electrical system . Oilseed rape is widely grown to fuel some motors .

Which sources of energy play a more important role in people's daily life in the future ?

Solar energy and wind

['Oil and coal', 'Hydrogen and gas', 'Electricity and gas']

I had the joy, absolute joy, of observing an ER nurse just about lose it and the poor pompous MD (who had left the room) was still clueless. I was in the ER with my dad and my sister. It was late. Dad had taken a tumble, hit his head and because he was on a blood thinner, he had to be checked out at the ER. This ER was in the same hospital we always went to. As we completed the history etc. I noted “stroke effecting speech.” They had a complete synopsis of dad’s history which I gave them as we checked in. Dad is getting tired and his speech was getting more slurred. My Dad was in work clothes. I was in something pretty casual and my sister was in the same clothes (business attire) that she had put on at 6 a.m. I am sure we looked pretty ragged. In waltzes Dr. Hotshot. He looks around and asks my sister and I who we are. My sister introduced us making sure to introduce me as “Dr. Lea (I think that was the first, last, and only time she called me ‘Dr.”). He then turns to my dad and asked what happened. Knowing how difficult it is to understand Dad, I start to answer. My bad. The doctor abruptly stops me and says, “I didn’t ask you. I want him to tell me.” In hindsight, I realize he wanted to hear dad’s speech as a part of his assessment. Dad begins. His speech is slow and very very slurred. Dr. Hotshot looks totally befuddled. Dad had gotten out about 3 sentences out when Dr. Hotshot stops him and abruptly asks, “Does he always talk like that?” My sister, without missing a beat, replies, “No, sometimes he speaks French.” As I am trying to not swallow my head to keep from laughing, I notice the nurse in the room has buried her mouth in her shoulder. Dr. Hotshot exits. A scan shows no damage. And, for the record, Dad never did learn to speak French.

What type of Dr is Dr Lea

not enough information

['a DC', 'a PhD', 'an MD']

I tried again .... Nothing . CRAP ! So now I decide then i move the steering wheel and it locks and i had the key still in the ignition and it kinda stuck a little .

Who is the narrator likely to call next after this event ?

The narrator will call a repair shop .

['The narrator will call a barber .', 'The narrator will call a hospital .', 'The narrator will call a friend .']

Redwood trees are the tallest plants on the earth,reaching heights of up to 100 meters.They are also known for their longevity,typically 500 to 1000 years,but sometimes more than 2000 years.A hundred million years ago,in the age of dinosaurs,redwoods were common in the forests of a much more moist and tropical North America.As the climate became drier and colder,they declined to a narrow strip along the Pacific coast of Northern Califomia. The trunk of redwood trees is very strong and usually forms a single straight column.It is covered with a soft bark.This bark can be pretty thick,well over two feet in the more mature trees.It gives the older trees a certain kind of protection from insects,but the main benefit is that it keeps the center of the tree harmless from moderate forest fires because of its thickness.This fire resistant quality explains why the giant redwood grows to live that long.While most other types of trees are destroyed by forest fires,the giant redwood actually prospers because of them. Moderate fires will clear the ground of competing plant life,and the rising heat dries and opens the ripe fruit of the redwood,releasing many thousands of seeds onto the ground below. New trees are often produced from shoots,little baby trees,which form at the base of the trunk.These shoots grow slowly,fed by the root system of the "mother'' tree.When the main tree dies,the shoots are then free to grow as full trees,forming a "fairy ring" of trees around the original tree.These trees,in turn,may give rise to more shoots,and the cycle continues.

Why do redwood trees grow to live that long according to the passage?

They are more resistant to fire damage than other trees.

['They have heavy and straight tree trunks.', 'They are properly watered and catered to.', 'They produce many young trees to maintain their life cycle.']

After a busy day of work and play, the body needs to rest. Sleep is necessary for good health. During this time, the body recovers from the activities of the previous day. The rest that you get while sleeping enables your body to prepare itself for the next day. There are four levels of sleep, each being a little deeper than the one before. As you sleep, your muscles relax little by little. Your heart beats more slowly, and your brain slows down. After you reach the fourth level, your body shifts back and forth from one level of sleep to the other. Although your mind slows down, from time to time you will dream. Scientists who study sleep state that when dreaming occurs, your eyeballs begin to move more quickly (Although your eyelids are closed). This stage of sleep is called REM, which stands for rapid eye movement. If you have trouble falling asleep, some people recommend breathing very deeply. Other people believe that drinking warm milk will help make you _ There is also an old suggestion the counting sheep will put you to sleep!

The average number of hours of sleep that an adult needs is _ .

not described here

['approximately six hours', 'around ten hours', 'about eight hours']

After this fall , I wo n't care anymore , but right now , they 're really getting to me . I do n't want to tell him how badly they 're hurting me , because he should know . I just want to cry every time he says something like that to me . He 's so immature and he always compares me to other people , most of whom he 's never met .

Who is it the narrator is likely talking about ?

someone she 's dating

['a teacher', 'an ex boyfriend', 'None of the above choices .']

Today we started the day walking through the historic streets of Williamsburg , stopping to take pictures and look at the animals . With Julia as our guide today , we visited the post office , the printing press , the magazine , the courthouse , the prison , the cabinet maker , and the Governors Palace . Whew ! !

What may be the reason for their trip to Williamsburg ?

None of the above choices .

['They went there to take photos of animals .', 'They are a local of the Williamsburg area .', 'They enjoy looking at animals .']

SEOUL — The head of the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) on Tuesday said the North Korean leadership is hopeful that following a possible denuclearization deal, the international community will increase humanitarian aid for millions of people in the country who are living in poverty and suffering from malnutrition. “There is a tremendous sense of optimism by the leadership, by the people I met with, in the hopes that they will be turning a new chapter in their history, a new page,” said David Beasley, the Executive Director of the WFP during a briefing in Seoul. The WFP director visited North Korea for four days last week, spending two days in Pyongyang and two visiting rural areas outside the capital. Beasley said he was given “remarkable” access during his visit to the restrictive state where contact with foreigners is tightly controlled. Government minders also accompanied him during his visit. Beasley, a former governor of the U.S. state of South Carolina, was nominated to head the WFP last year by U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley, who is also a former South Carolina governor. With the upcoming summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un now scheduled to be held in Singapore on June 12, there are increased expectations that an agreement will be reached to dismantle the North’s nuclear, missile and chemical weapons programs that threaten the U.S. and its allies. Details over the scope and timing of the denuclearization process must still be worked out, but the North Korean leader has indicated he wants to resolve the dispute to focus on improving the economic conditions of the country. Ending the severe U.S. led sanctions banning 90% of North Korean trade that were imposed for the North’s repeated nuclear and missile tests, would open the door to increased economic investment and cooperation. Humanitarian assistance has been exempted from the economic sanctions, but Beasely said import restrictions has made it more complicated to bring in aid, and made potential donors reluctant to contribute for fear of inadvertently violating sanctions.

What is probably true of Kim Jong Un?

He may dismantle his nuclear arsenal

['He likes Trump', 'He likes Beasley', 'not enough information']

No one can believe that the over 6 300-kilometer long Great Wall might disappear some day.Believe it or not,the Great Wall is being destroyed by people.Less than 20 percent of the Great Wall built in the Ming Dynasty is still perfect,but about 80 percent is in danger.The Great Wall can be called "great" mostly because of its amazing length.But we should realize that the length was made up of one brick at a time.If we do nothing to save the Great Wall,it will become a series of separate wasteland rather than a historic site. The Great Wall is actually a series of walls built and rebuilt by different dynasties over the past 2 000 years.It began in the rule of China's first emperor,Qin Shihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221 BC~206 BC),and lasted into the Ming Dynasty.The parts built before the Ming Dynasty have nearly disappeared.People are familiar with sections such as Badaling in Beijing and Jiayuguan Pass in Gansu because they have been open to tourists for many years.But those sections far away from the public eyes have been almost forgotten. Few local people knew the 3-meter-high walls made of earth and stones beside them are part of the Great Wall.The lack of knowledge is considered as one of the main reasons behind human. The bricks on the Great Wall are carried off by countryside people to build their houses,sheep corral and pigsties .Some were taken away to build roads.Bricks carved with people's names are put away as remembrance.Rubbish is spread over the battlements .The bricks can be sold for 15 yuan per tractor load.Those who destroyed and are destroying the Great Wall know its name,but are not clear about its cultural meaning.It will take a long time to let them know this.The local farmers not only carried off the body of the Wall but dug out the entire base. It is necessary to protect the Great Wall.First of all,the officials should be aware of theimportance of the Great Wall.Young Chinese should know more about the nation's great civilization and learn to love it.

The main reason for which the Great Wall can be called"great"is _ .

it was very long

['it was made by brick', 'it was very wide', 'it had a long history']

Valencia is in the east part of Spain . It has a port on the sea, two miles away on the coast. It is the capital of a province that is also named Valencia. The city is a market centre for what is produced by the land around the city. Most of the city's money is made from farming. It is also a busy business city, with ships, railways, clothes and machine factories. Valencia has an old part with white buildings, colored roofs, and narrow streets. The modern part has long, wide streets and new buildings. Valencia is well known for its parks and gardens. It has many old churches and museums. The University in the centre of the city was built in the 13th century. The city of Valencia has been known since the 2nd century. In the 8th century it was the capital of Spain. There is also an important city in Venezuela named Valencia.

When was Valencia the most important city in Spain?

8th century.

['2nd century.', '13th century.', '20th century.']

The research tenure - track is , I ' ve heard , pretty much more of the same , and for essentially crap pay . Unless you 're very much invested in what you research - and , beyond the dissertation , I ' m not - I do n't know that it 's worth it . But there are other things - academic translation , non - tenure track teaching , teaching overseas , study abroad / area studies advising - for which a PhD might come in handy .

Where is the author looking to get a job ?

A university .

['A library .', 'A laboratory .', 'None of the above choices .']

A campaign is being launched to encourage children to _ 30 minutes of screen time a day to head for the great outdoors. The newly formed Wild Network--a collaboration of nearly 400 organizations--is attempting to attract youngsters away from television and computer screen and to fields, woods and parks. Members of the network include the National Trust, RSPB, Play England and the NHS. Organizers say it is the UK's biggest ever campaign to reconnect children with nature and outdoor play, and claim it could help improve fitness, mental alertness and general wellbeing. A documentary film, Project Wild Thing, will forecast the launch at more than 50 cinemas across the UK from Friday. It looks at the increasing link between children and nature. Andy Simpson, chairman of the Wild Network, said, "The tragic truth is that kids have lost touch with nature and the outdoors in just one generation. Time spent outdoors is down, roaming ranges have fallen largely, activity levels are declining and the ability to identify common species has been lost." Suggestions of how to get more time in nature include collecting conkers , camping or snail racing, and observing autumn colour on trees. From January, the network will aim to make suggestions to politicians on how government can do more to get children muddy and bright-eyed. This is not the first time the message of less screen, more play has been brought up. Children in the 1980s were requested to do the same by the BBC TV series Why Don't You, which somewhat confusingly called on its viewers to "switch off your TV set and go to do something less boring instead".

For what purpose is the Wild Network organized?

To encourage children to participate in outdoor activities.

['To make children read more books.', 'To help children distinguish the natural world.', 'To get children out of too much homework from school.']

! So now I ' m really behind in school , which is just lovely . But it wo n't be that bad . I do n't feel that stressed right now , although I felt on the verge of a nervous breakdown earlier . I guess I did n't realize how much better it would make me feel if Gieske let me take the Euro test on We d instead of tomorrow .

What was the cause of the narrator 's panic attack ?

It was a school exam .

['None of the above choices .', 'It was an angry spouse .', 'It was the crash of the Euro .']

This is a dangerous world we live in. The numbers of murders goes up every year;people are dying of cancer;more people contract HIV;more teens are using drugs;etc. You know this because you've heard all the statistics on the news. But do you really have an accurate idea what they mean? The numbers are going up, but how do they compare to the growth in population? Are more cases of these diseases being reported because of better testing techniques, or are the diseases more common? The fact is that without knowing the background, statistics mean very little. This growing trend of reporting only part of the information is becoming dangerous.For example, several years ago a high school student reported dangers of the chemical known as dihydrogen monoxide . This chemical, found in most cancerous tumors , is found in the blood of people drunk on alcohol, and causes complete physical and mental dependence for those who take the chemical even once. After reading his report, more than 75% of his Advanced Placement Chemistry class voted to forbid this dangerous chemical! Every one of the above statements is true, yet this chemical is necessary to all life on earth. The students made the mistake because they voted knowing only a few statements and statistics, rather than the chemical's full background. The point of this article is that one should be aware of what is and is not being said. When one finds a new fact or number, one should try to consider other important information before forming an opinion with only half-truths. Always remember that the author is trying to convince you of his or her own view, and will leave out information that is different to his view. For example, look again at the statistics that suggest skiing is safe. Only 32 people may die each year when skiing, while 897 die from lightning strikes, but which is really more dangerous? If you think about it, you will realize far fewer people go skiing each year than the number of people who are in danger of a lightening strike. When you think about it, skiing is more dangerous than you might at first think when looking at statistics. If we teenagers are to be left in this world, we had better be able to think critically, and form our own views, rather than be easily persuaded by another's. To be warned is to be prepared.

What is the main idea of this passage?

We should learn to think critically and look at problems from all sides.

['Some measures must be taken to protect our dangerous world.', 'The growing trend of reporting only half-truths is getting out of control.', 'Teenagers ought to improve their ability of telling right from wrong.']

Once architect Frank Lloyd Wright built a house for businessman Hibbard Johnson. One rainy evening Johnson was entertaining guests for dinner when the roof began to leak. The water leaked through directly above Johnson, dropping steadily onto his bald head. Angry, he called Wright."Frank,"he said,"you built this beautiful house for me and we enjoy it very much. But ... the roof leaks, and right now I'm with some distinguished guests and it's leaking right on top of my head."There was a pause on the line, and Frank replied,"Well, why don't you move your chair?" Just when we'd like to have everything perfect in our lives, the roof springs a leak into even the best constructed and waterproof lives. Leaks happen. We have a choice, we can sit under the leak and complain, or we can regain our joy by moving our chair -- changing our perspective. Now, some will point out that the reason they have no joy in their lives is that they don't have a reason to be joyful. They have a lot of leaks in their roof. Life seems like it's fallen apart. They aren't satisfied with their job, if they even have one. Their family has problems. Their health isn't good. Their car is under repair. They just can't see a"reason"for being joyful. It's hard to be joyful when life is going against you. It's hard to be joyful when you're struggling with troubles, or defeated by pain, or unsure of your future. But there's a problem with that approach to life. If we wait till everything turns out the way we want them to in our lives or we're not going to be joyful until all the leaks are repaired in the roof of our lives...THEN we're never going to experience joy. There's an alternative. You don't have to wait until you're happy with your life. Deep spiritual joy in your life will always bring you happiness. But the pursuit of happiness won't always bring you joy. People have a hard time understanding the difference. Worldly happiness almost always relies on some situation or event to make us feel good. If something good happens, we'll feel good, but if something bad happens, we won't. By contrast, spiritual joy doesn't depend on present situation. In fact, spiritual joy can often exist despite our circumstances. Don't let other people steal your joy. If the roof is leaking and you can't get someone to fix it right away, move your chair. Change your perspective. Lay hold of joy and take control of your circumstances, rather than swinging with your emotions and continuing to look for happiness.

What is the best title of the passage?

Why don't you move your chair?

["Isn't there a better alternative?", 'How to take hold of spiritual joy', "Don't let other people steal your joy"]

News that Microsoft made a $44.6 billion bid to buy Yahoo resulted in heated discussions made by many Internet users. Here are some responses: Diane Burke of Weeks bury, Kentucky I think it would definitely be an interesting combination. Everyone recognizes the names Yahoo and Microsoft, but everyone also says, "Did you Google it?" Such a catchphrase is going to be hard to beat. Shaun Carney of Laurelville, Ohio I think the merger will provide more competitions for Google. I don't think the merger will allow Microsoft to develop faster than Google, though. I believe the increased competition this merger brings will force Google to stay on top of its game by offering more fresh and original Internet tools and expanding on the tools it already offers. Toni Suarez of Hacienda Heights, California I view the merger as a necessary element in preventing a monopolization . Perhaps it would bring better high technology innovations to e-mail and help in researching and developing a better Internet! Rick R. of Edgewater, Florida It sounds like a disaster to me. If this were to happen, I would stop using my Yahoo e-mail account because I don't like the feeling of Microsoft spying upon my business. I will sign up for Google. Antonio Glosser of Kansas City, Missouri Right now, Yahoo offers a lot of features and tools at no cost for all different levels of Internet users. Microsoft seeks nothing but profit. Undoubtedly, they'll do nothing other than find ways to start removing Yahoo's formerly non-priced features. Microsoft's greed will ruin the great thing that Yahoo currently is.

Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

Shaun's attitude towards Google is passive.

['Toni believes the Internet will have a promising future.', 'Rick will support Google after the merger.', "Antonio is afraid that the merger will cost Yahoo's free features."]

He came up to me and , I kid you not , said , " Oh , I 'd appreciate it if you did n't tell the cops about this . " I looked him right in the eye and said , " What the hell were you thinking ? " He gave me a song and dance about how he was coming off Hook Road , and tried to cut down the access road , and the car was hard to steer , etc .

What may happen before he asks me not to tell on him to the cops ?

He was driving recklessly .

['He tells a story about how he lost control of his steering .', 'None of the above choices .', 'He looked me in the eye while driving .']

"Sometimes," he said, squatting down by the fire and holding his hands to the open flame, "I think that I hear voices from the other side." "Voices, Sartas?" someone laughed. "And what do these voices say to you, lad?" "Were they women's voices?" asked another, his leering face looming up out of the darkness and into the sallow glow of the firelight. "Perhaps some fair-haired temptress willing to relieve you of the weighty burden of your virginity." More laughter, lecherous in tone, and quickly joined by a chorus of rough and lustful glee, which in the closeness of the dark seemed almost feral and far less than mere jest and honest teasing. "I can't speak as to whether they were male or female," said Sartas, trying hard to keep the tremor of embarrassment from his voice. "But it did sound at times like laughter. Of the sort that good men share about a fire and over a meal." He assayed a grin as he cast his gaze over his colleagues. "No doubt a fiction of the sun," offered Tavarius in a commiserating tone. He sat across from the young guard, idly poking at food on the beaten metal plate that was set at his feet. He skewered a square of meat with the tip of his long knife and lifted it to his lips, holding it poised before his mouth a moment before finally clamping square, yellowed teeth about it and pulling it free with a jerk. "It wasn't the sun," Sartas retorted petulantly. Tavarius shrugged, then wiped a trail of juice from his chin with the back of one hand and said, "Be careful, lad." He waggled the blade of his knife back and forth in the young man's direction, frowning with intense sagacity. "You'd be wise to consider spending less time out there in the heat of day, tramping back and forth as though you were guarding the King's own jewels. All that sweating and panting. And for what?" He snorted and shook his head. "Such devotion may well be admirable in some quarters, boy, but you'll curry no favor here with that sort of attitude."

Travarious believes that the sun causes:

Sartas to hear voices

['The guards to laugh', 'not enough information', 'The meat square to cook']

Juliette Murray was, like me, a kid at school who got 5 “A”s, which in the West of Scotland put a certain degree of pressure on one’s shoulders to study either medicine or law. I studied European Law, and became a teacher - that's what a European Law degree does to you. She studied medicine and is today a practicing doctor, but the education bug is firmly rooted in what she chose to do next. Murray noticed that, particularly in her local area, fewer students were applying to study medicine than the population number would suggest should. Not only that, nationally the number of medical students dropping out after beginning their course of study is increasing. She wondered if we might we persuade a more representative cross section of the community to become doctors. She set about improving the opportunities for local youngsters, aged 14/5, at the time of their work experience choices. Existing work experience for those who want to gain an insight into the world of medical doctors is a sanitised course in an educational skills centre, where bored teenagers endlessly take each other’s blood pressure. They have more chance of a realistic insight by breaking their arm and turning up to Accident and Emergency. As any dad-to-be donning surgical greens knows, getting into an operating theatre is where a passion for surgery will be born or, in my case, definitely put to one side as a career option. So, the question became: how might we offer a more realistic experience of what being a doctor, surgeon or other medical profession feels like? Starting with her local hospital, Wishaw General in NHS Lanarkshire, she set about overcoming what she describes as a “culture of obstacles”. Two years later, though, and students are indeed undertaking real life surgery work experience, experiencing a live operation theatre and seeing the pressure of the job first hand.

Who started the work experience program

Juliette

['the author', 'bored teenagers', 'not enough information']

COURSE: History 101 "Instruction to American History" INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Jane Klammer OFFICE: 305 Marshall Hall OFFICE HOURS: 11:15 -12:30 M, W, F, (Monday Wednesday Friday) CLASS: 363 Marshall Hall 3:35 -5:00 T, Th (Tuesday Thursday) 10:00-11:00 M, W, F, other times by appointment TELEPHONE: 255---4786 TEXTBOOK: Green, Robert P. ,The American Tradition; Charles E. A History of the United States, Merrill Publishing Co. Columbus, Ohio 1984 which is available (that can be obtained) at the College Bookstore. COURSE REQUIREMENT: (something needed) mid-term exam: October 10 20% of the final grade final exam: December 10 40% of the final grade Term paper due: December 15 40% of the final grade Attendance is not required, but you are responsible for all the information given in the class lectures. In the lectures I will talk about the chapters in the textbook and other material that I choose to supplement the course. The exams will cover all the information. Therefore, I advise you to come to the classroom as much as possible. If you have to miss a class, be sure to get the class notes from another student. Your homework assignments are listed on the next page. You are supposed to read the chapter about which I will be lecturing before you come to class. This is to make sure that you understand as much as possible while taking notes in my lectures. Be prepared when you come to class. If there are any changes in the assigned homework, I will announce in class. The term paper is 40% of your final grade. It should not exceed15 pages. (Anyone thinking of majoring in history may write 25 pages). Before the mid-term exam you will choose the topic for your paper. Have a good term!

If a student can't see professor Klammer during the office hours, he _ .

makes an appointment with her

['sees her after class', 'calls her at home', 'asks another student']

They are a bit anal there , and do n't like people buying codeine products and try to get you to buy some alternative or go see your doctor . It 's the only thing that works on my headaches , so that 's what I buy . However , I let them talk me into buying vitamin B tablets .

Which of the following is true of the narrator ?

They are annoyed by different regulations .

['None of the above choices .', "They are a bit anal and do n't like buying codeine .", 'They are helped by vitamin tablets .']

Apparently I needed to get an application * and * a check to the woman for the apartment I saw and loved . She did not tell me this . My mother sent her some questions since she was co - signing the application , two days after I got the applcation . She was n't responded to , and when I found the woman to ask her why , it turned out she rented the apartment out . I have two and a half weeks to find an apartment and move into it .

What is the function of the first check ?

Security deposit

['Lease end agreement', 'Rent', 'Utility bill']

Mm , I ' m so full . I did n't have breakfast , but when I came home I ate ravioli and twenty one cheetos while downing it with a refreshing water bottle . After my yummy lunch , I had a sugar cookie with pink icing and multicolored sprinkle . Then for dinner , I had Ramen noodles and two tostadas .

What may be the reason I eat the foods I eat ?

I do n't like to cook for just myself so I eat foods that are fast , easy and cheap .

['I like to eat a variety of foods from all the recommended food groups .', 'I try to make the right choices when I eat so I only buy the best for my system .', 'None of the above choices .']

"Congratulations, jackass, you just got us sued." My editor, Sharon, was standing in front of my desk. She was apparently not happy. I shrugged, slouching further down in my chair, trying to hide from her gigantic crazy eyes behind my computer. It was a white laptop with a sticker that said "This Machine Kills Yuppies" slapped over the corporate logo on back. She reached out with one of her freakish man-hands and slammed the screen shut. "Let me try this again. You just got us sued six times over." Sharon Sinclair was a six-foot-tall beast of a woman with a huge mane of wiry black and gray hair pulled back in a pony tail. I had every confidence that she could tear me in two and use my bloody carcass in some kinky hedonistic lesbian cult ritual or something. So I usually tried to choose my words with the appropriate care around her. "Jesus-fucking-Christ, I haven't even had my morning coffee yet, and my head's still reeling from the Louisville Slugger that pummeled it last night. So I really don't feel like dealing with whatever annoying hormonal episode you have going on here." She glared at me silently, watching me squirm a little before asking, "Are you done?" "Probably." "Good," she said with a suppressed grin as she took a seat next to me. "Because I just let you publicly accuse the mayor and the valley's most powerful corporations of conspiring to defraud the taxpayers. So what's your plan for keeping my ass off the firing line?" I tilted back in my chair and met Sharon's gaze. "Look, we knew we'd get a strong reaction. Let them sue. We have e-mails to back us up." "These legal briefings say your e-mails were forged," she responded, waving a thick stack of papers in my face. "Of course they're gonna say that. That's why I made sure to get corroboration. Abrasax confirmed that the e-mails between Dylan Maxwell and City Hall are legit. But you know all this, so I don't know why we're wasting time going over it again."

The narrator believes that Sharon:

is intimidating for a woman

['plays with human corpses', 'has a lesbian lover', 'not enough information']

Do n't you think I would like to know too ? Or would like to come ? I ' m NEVER included in anything regarding you guys . MY AUNTS were there too , anyone ever consider asking me to come ?

What may be the reason why they are n't invited to any family events ?

Their family does n't like them .

["Their family was n't able to get in touch with them .", "Their family actually did n't have a gathering without them .", 'None of the above choices .']

I tried out for a select chorus last year , and I did n't get in . Once I got home I broke down and cried . This year I tried out for another girls a capella group ( I ' m in high school now , I was in middle school last year ) and I did n't make it again . Both years I knew I did n't have much of a chance of making it .

What could one say about the narrator 's singing ability ?

The narrator is not talented .

['None of the above choices .', 'The narrator is very talented .', 'The narrator is a great singer .']