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We chatted nicely about the state of .... um .... affairs and remembered that this lunch , simple as it is at Burger King , is one of the high points of the year for both of us . Once back at the hotel , I wandered around some more . During the convention , I guess , I do n't have much to do and I 'd never noticed that before . This time it was obvious . | What may be the reason Burger King is a high point of the year ? | They do nt have much time to go out and eat . | ['They never knew they served burgers there .', 'They are not used to eating at such a fancy place .', 'They have never eaten at any other place before .'] |
It's not often you get information about a destination from a heavy metal band, but in Debrecen, Hungary's second largest city, locals are used to having to make a noise to get heard.
Just off the historic center, Roncs bar is a pub that also hosts live music. It has the atmosphere of a student party in an old building that might soon be knocked down.
Roncs is owned by Hungary's best-known heavy metal rock band, Tankcsapda. Sometimes referred to as the "Hungarian Metallica", the band has taken a type of music that is famous worldwide and-through lyrics, album covers, and an annual New Year's party and concert-made it all about their home city.
It's perhaps fitting that Tankcsapda should be seen as ambassadors for Debrecen-the city sometimes needs loud heavy metal rock music to get noticed. "Foreigners think that Hungary is Budapest and there's nothing else," is a familiar saying on Debrecen's[:streets.
Debrecen has, at times, been more important than the current seat of power, with locals claiming it takes over in times of trouble.
That doesn't quite add up.
Debrecen survived an attack from the Mongols in the 13th century, the Black Death, 150 years of struggle against the Ottomans and numerous conflicts, and yet it[:has still only briefly been the country's capital twice. This happened for the first time after a short-lived revolution in 1849, and for a second time at the end of World War II.
Today, Debrecen may not be well known to tourists, but that only adds to the charm of this relaxed city. It's a small place; the historical center is sized for strolling and regular cafe stops. There's also a view of Debrecen's mix of architectural styles, a result of the frequent large fires that back in the 19th century led the city's
students to form one of Europe's first-ever fire brigades .
You can also see traditional _ from the rooftops, featuring Islamic star and crescent moon symbols that once advertised to Ottoman invaders that the city preferred trading to fighting.
Trade meant that Debrecen's skilled people became very successful and the city became famous for-among other things-fine foods, hats and clay pipes. In the early 19th century, 10 million clay pipes were reportedly made a year, with thousands bought for Britain's navy. | Why are locals used to having to make a noise to get heard? | Because they dislike it that the world only knows Budapest in Hungary. | ['Because they feel their city is too quiet and relaxed.', 'Because they think it helps create a powerful image of their city.', 'Because all kinds of music bars bring their city alive.'] |
I would swat him away and each time was kicking harder and harder . After I swatted him back one last time he reared up to get one huge shot in ( bigger than the one that left the brick welt ) . Well I ran for the bathroom and that s when he picked up things to throw . When i crept back in I saw that he threw two shoes at me . | What might happen next ? | I might call the police . | ['I might run to the bathroom .', 'I might throw things .', 'I might get swatted away .'] |
The article is a miserable hack - job . Todd Purdum does n't even pretend to prove anything , but uses the anti - Clinton mystique to let his readers make broad leaps from innocuous trips in planes with rich guys to ... oh , you know , do n't you ? Clinton was right - anyone who would write such a piece of crap - to say nothing of the editors who published it - is a " scumbag " . | Why does the writer believe that the author of the article is a hack job ? | Because he believes he is accusing Clinton of things without proof . | ['Because Clinton takes trips in planes with rich guys .', 'None of the above choices .', "Because he does n't like Todd Purdum on a personal level ."] |
What's On Stage
An acrobatic show:To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the China Acrobatic Troupe will present "The Soul of China", where the seemingly impossible is made real. Chills will run down your spine as you watch breathlessly as performers take their art and their bodies to the edge.
Time: 7:30 p.m., September 13-19
Place: Capital Theatre, 22 Wangfujing Dajie, Dongcheng District
Exhibitions
Joint Show: A group ink painting exhibition is running at the Huangshicheng Art Gallery in Beijing. About 50 works by 25 young artists including Ge Yun and Yu Yang are on display.
Time: 9:00 a. m.-5:00 p.m. until September 10
Place: Huangshicheng Art Gallery, 136 Nanchizi Dajie, Dongcheng District
Oil paintings:The Wanfung Art Gallery will host a joint show of oil painting by 10 young and middle-aged artists. On display are more than 30 of their latest works, which capture the wondrous variety of life in unique styles.
Time: 9:00 a.m. -4:00 p.m. until September 15
Place: 136 Nanchizi Street, Dongcheng District
Literature museum: The National Museum of Modern Chinese Literature offers an in-depth study of the evolution of Chinese contemporary literature from 1919 to 1949.
Time: 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., daily
Place: 45 Anyuan Donglu, Chaoyang District (Shaoyaoju area)
Concerts
Beijing rocks:"The Fashion Night of Chinese Rock" is set to bring rock fans out by the thousands next month. Nine Chinese rock bands will perform at the concert, including older generation bands, middle generation and some recent arrivals. The audience will be given a chance to decide what songs they want to hear, which is sure to bring a storm.
Time: September 16
Place: The Olympic Center
Belgium orchestra:La Petite Bande, the Baroque Orehestra of Belgium, will perform in Beijing at the Grand Theatre of the Cultural Palace of Nationalities as part of activities across the world in memory of the 250th anniversary of Bach's death.
Time: 7:30 p.m. September 11-14
Place: Grand Theatre of the Cultural Palace of Nationalities | Suppose it is September 14 today, how many activities can people choose to attend? | 4. | ['2.', '3.', '5.'] |
Everyone knows that regular bedtimes are important, especially for children. But a research by Yvonne Kelly of University College, London, shows that daughters, it seems, do benefit from regular bedtimes. Sons do not.
Dr Kelly and a team of colleagues examined the bedtimes and cognitive abilities of 11,178 children born in Britain between September 2000 and January 2002, who took part in a research project called the Millennium Cohort Study.
The bedtime information they used was collected during four visits interviewers made to the homes of those participating in the study. These happened when the children were nine months, three years, five years and seven years of age. Besides asking whether the children had set bedtimes on weekdays and if they always, usually, sometimes or never made them, interviewers collected information about family routines, economic circumstances and other matters--including whether children were read to before they went to sleep and whether they had a television in their bedroom. The children in question were also asked, at the ages of three, five and seven, to take standardised reading, mathematical tests, from which their IQs could be tested.
Dr Kelly's report shows that by the time children had reached the age of seven, not having had a regular bedtime did seem to affect their cognition. But that was true only if they were female. On the IQ scale, whose average value is 100 points, girls who had had regular bedtimes scored between eight and nine points more than those who did not. Boys were not completely unaffected. Irregular bedtimes left their IQs about six points below those of their contemporaries at the age of three. But the distinction disappeared by the time they were seven.
This difference between the sexes is puzzling. "I did not expect it, and more research is necessary." said Dr Kelly. | Where does this text probably come from? | A science report. | ['A science fiction.', "Children's literature.", 'An advertisement.'] |
Thank you , bridgit for getting me out of the house and out into the sunshine for a bit . But did it really * have * to be 98 degrees in my truck when I got back in it ? * whew * ! | Why did I not enjoy the heat of my truck ? | It was way too hot , and It made me sweat buckets . | ['It was not exciting enough .', 'None of the above choices .', 'I like the heat .'] |
She ordered a simply egg and bacon croissant , and tried to think of something to do today with the girls , or maybe even the whole party . Maybe she could look around town . As soon as she thought this , there it was . | What meal is the woman eating ? | She is having a nice early morning meal . | ['None of the above choices .', 'She is having lunch .', 'She is having dinner .'] |
We got all the way up to our axle and storage containers along the entire driver side . The view from the back had us tilted almost to where it looked like it would just tip over . I spent 2 hours digging out the entire driver side so that when the tow truck pulled us out they did n't scrape the undercarriage . | Why did we need to call a tow truck | We were stuck while trying to get out of the snow . | ['None of the above choices .', 'We were stuck off the freeway for 2 hours .', 'We wanted the tow truck to dig us out .'] |
"Dad! He took a book without paying!" I yelled . My father looked surprised. Before the boy could say anything, his mother grabbed his arm and shook it. "Is it true? You stole? Tell me!" Everyone was quiet. The boy began to cry, and he nodded his head. He pulled out the comic book from under his shirt. "Oh, Mr Kim. I am sorry! My Ted made a big mistake!" Mrs Diaz told my father. She tried to take the comic book, _ . "It's OK. He can keep it," my father said with a smile. "Oh, no," Mrs Diaz said. "Let me pay right now..." She dug in her purse. "How much?" "Three seventy-five."
Mrs Diaz's eyes widened, and she dug deeper. I saw her mouth make a small line. "Three seventy-five?" she asked.
"It's OK. You can pay later," my father said. "No," Mrs Diaz said. She kept looking in her purse. "I have money here." I felt bad for yelling, for I realized that Ted had tried to steal the comic book because he didn't have the money. Maybe the boy could have a job, I thought. I had an idea. "What if he worked with me?" I asked. They turned to me. I said, "He can work with me to pay for the comic book." "Good," my father said smiling at me. Mrs Diaz nodded. She turned to her son, "You hear? You will work and buy the comic book!" " Yes, Mama," Ted said, hanging his head.
As they left, Ted looked back, and though he still seemed sad, he stuck out tongue at me.
Ted has been working here for two weeks. He has paid for the comic book, but my father says he is such a good worker that he can work with me as long as he wants. We are friends now. | Where did the story most probably take place? | At a bookstore. | ['In a classroom.', 'In a supermarket.', 'At a library.'] |
More than one in eight U. S. adults finds it hard to stay away from the Internet for several days at a time and about one in eleven tries to hide his or her online habit, according to a study showed on Tuesday.
The study by researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine in California found one in eight adults admitted they needed to spend less time online, saying this showed "problematic Interact use" is present in a sizable portion of the population.
The study involved a nationwide telephone survey of 2,581 respondents in the spring and summer of 2004 with researchers then examining the data and preparing the report which appears in the October issue of CNS Spectrums.
The survey found that 68.9 percent of respondents were regular Internet users and 13.7 percent of the users found it hard to stay offline for several days at a time.
It found 12.4 percent often stayed online longer than intended, more than 12 percent said they saw a need to cut back on their Internet use, and 8.7 percent tried to conceal "non-essential "Internet use from family, friends and employers.
A smaller number, 8.2 percent, said they use the Internet to escape problems or a bad mood, while 5.9 percent felt their relationships suffered because of too much Internet use.
One report published earlier this year said that 5 percent to 10 percent of the population likely will experience Internet addiction .
It said signs include a disregard for health or appearance, lack of sleep and reducing physical activities and social communications with others, as well as dry eyes and juries of hands and fingers. | Those who try to hide their habit of addition to the Interact make up of the respondents. | 8.7% | ['12.4%', '5.9%', '13.7%'] |
It's not Christmas Day yet. But wherever I go on the streets, I see shops selling Christmas trees and all kinds of beautiful decorations, waiters wearing Christmas hats; I hear children singing Christmas songs on broadcast; I get messages of Christmas's best wishes from friends.
I just got quite confused again, since when have Chinese begun celebrating Christmas Day? What do these people celebrate it for, the birth of Chris? But we all know that most of Chinese are not Christians, they don't even know the origin of Christmas Day, and they celebrate it for no reason.
I don't celebrate Christmas Day or any other western holidays since I'm not a Christian and nor am I a westerner. I don't know what Christmas really means. Anyway I can't get reasonable answers from my friends. Some of them think they would like to just take this chance to enjoy themselves regardless of the meaning of the festival. Some of them think I'm an old-fashioned girl, a _ who doesn't appreciate the spirit of Chinese cultural tolerance and understanding of other cultures. Well, if it is about cultural tolerance, why don't we ever celebrate the month of Muharram, or festivals of colours in India, or Fiestas Patrias in Mexico?
I really appreciate cultural exchanges and communications with all nations, but I don't think this is what it's about. People are celebrating more and more western festivals while ignoring our traditional ones.
Is it part of globalization ? Do people in other non-western countries also celebrate Christmas? | We can learn from the passage that _ . | more and more Chinese people celebrate western festivals now | ['Chinese people pay enough attention to our own festivals', 'no Christmas celebration means one lacks cultural tolerance', "the writer doesn't like cultural exchanges and communications with other countries"] |
Kids don't have to pay bills,cook dinners,or manage car polls .But--just like adults--they have their share of daily demands and things that don't go smoothly.If frustrations and disappointments pile up,kids can get worried.
It's natural for all kids to worry at times,and because of personality differences,some may worry more than others.Luckily,parents can help kids manage worry and deal with everyday problems with ease.Kids who can do that develop a sense of confidence and optimism that will help them master life's challenges,big and small.
What kids worry about is often related to the age and stage they're at.Kids and preteens typically worry about things like grades,tests,their changing bodies,fitting in with friends,a goal they missed at the soccer game,or whether they'll make the team.They may worry about social troubles like cliques (,),peer pressure,or whether they'll be bullied ,laughed at,or left out.Because they're beginning to feel more a part of the larger world around them,preteens also may worry about world events or issues they hear about on the news or at school.Things like terrorism,war,pollution,global warming,endangered animals,and natural disasters can all become a source of worry. | The passage is most likely intended for _ . | parents | ['scientists', 'teachers', 'doctors'] |
I saw a really sweet incident just now . A dad was walking with his 2 year old daughter and probably 7/8 year old son when his daughter fell down and started to bawl . The dad immediately picked his daughter up and the brother picked up the sisters ' toy and kept on trying to dust it clean to give it back to his sister and stop her bawling . | What may happen if the boy does not pick up the toy ? | His father may go retrieve it . | ['Everybody may walk away without the toy .', 'His sister may quiet down much quicker .', 'I may look at him favorably .'] |
Mouth bacteria grow fast in airless conditions. Oxygen rich saliva keeps their numbers down. When we sleep, for example, the saliva stream slows, and sulfur producing bacteria gains the upper hand, producing classic "morning breath".
Alcohol drinking, too much talking, breathing through the mouth during exercise, anything that dries the mouth produces bad breath. So can stress, though it's not understood why. Some people's breath turns sour every time they go on a job interview.
Saliva flow gradually slows with age, which explains why the elderly have more bad breath trouble than younger people do. Babies, however, who make plenty of saliva and whose mouths contain ly few bacteria have characteristically sweet breath.
For most of us, the simple, dry mouth variety of bad breath is easily cured. Eating or drinking starts saliva and sweeps away many of the bacteria. Breakfast often stops morning breath.
Those with constant dry mouth find that it helps to keep gum, hard candy, or a bottle of water or juice around. Brushing the teeth wipes out dry mouth bad breath because it clears away many of the offending bacteria.
Surprisingly, one thing that rarely works is mouthwash. The liquid can mask bad breath smell with its own smell, but the effect lasts no more than an hour. Some mouthwashes claim to kill the bacteria responsible for bad breath. The trouble is, they don't necessarily reach all offending germs. Most bacteria are well protected from mouthwash under thick layers of mucus . If the mouthwash contains alcohol--as most do--it can worsen the problem by drying out the mouth. | According to the passage, alcohol has something to do with bad breath mainly because _ . | it affects the normal flow of saliva | ['it keeps offending bacteria from reproducing', 'its smell adds to bad breath', 'it kills some helpful bacteria'] |
So . I ' ve been pretty busy lately , and my activities have been ... cramped , since the headlights on Jackie 's car have stopped working . Until I fix them ( next week dude I totally swear ) I ca n't really go places after dark . It 's like having a curfew all over again , except I do n't have to furiously start riding my bike home at 11:59 or whatever . Anyway . | What may happen before getting the car headlights fixed ? | I will have to stay home and have friends come over at night . | ['I will save money to fix the headlights .', 'None of the above choices .', 'I will go driving at night anyways .'] |
In the shadow of the Seattle Space Needle, almost alien crystalline forms wrap their deft tendrils through the Chihuly Garden and Glass.
Every single petal, bowl, stem and branch of cascading glass has been handblown under the guidance of Washington State native Dale Chihuly (in fact he grew up in nearby Tacoma), and we couldn’t quite believe our eyes.
Having discovered this exhibit through the magic of Jaime’s instagram (she’s a self-named Angloyankophile who grew up in Seattle before moving to London) I knew we would have to visit.
My photos don’t do the undulating forms any kind of justice; but they might just convey the incredible scale of the exhibition.
I’d always been curious to learn more about Chihuly, after being introduced to his incredible sculpture suspended over the V&A Museum information desk, a glowing confection of green and white glass whisps.
In 1968, after receiving a Fulbright Fellowship, he went to work at the Venini glass factory in Venice, observing the team approach to blowing glass, which is critical to the way he works today. In 1971, Chihuly cofounded Pilchuck Glass School in Washington State. With this international glass center, Chihuly has led the avant-garde in the development of glass as a fine art.
His work is included in more than 200 museum collections worldwide. He has been the recipient of many awards, including twelve honorary doctorates and two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts. He has also lost an eye to his passion, and now mostly directs the sculpture design and assembly.
It was truly amazing.
In 1999, Chihuly started an ambitious exhibition, Chihuly in the Light of Jerusalem; where more than 1 million visitors attended the Tower of David Museum to view his installations. In 2001, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London curated the exhibition Chihuly at the V&A. Chihuly’s lifelong fascination for glasshouses has grown into a series of exhibitions within botanical settings. | How long has Chiculy been creating sculptures for | Several decades | ['not enough information', 'Since he lost his eye in an accident', 'Since 2001'] |
Well . Last night I got home from work and took a shower . After my shower , I talked to my parents for a while just updating them on my day and stuff . A while later my sister and her boyfriend got to the house and we ate . While in the room finishing dinner I got a call from my girl Michelle . | What likely happened before this person got home ? | They were probably driving home from work | ['They might have been taking a shower', 'They were probably at home getting ready for work', 'They might have been eating dinner with their sister'] |
In 2012, I had just recovered from a serious illness when I received an invitation to a writer's conference in Orlando, Florida. My family and friends persuaded me that a holiday might be just what the doctor ordered, so off I went.
Arriving in the Sunshine State was not easy, but I managed to catch a taxi to the hotel. The next morning, I caught another taxi to do some shopping. Later I went to a cafe to buy some lunch, but having my sandwich and drink in my hands, I saw that all the tables were occupied . Then I heard a friendly voice saying, "You can share my table."
I thankfully sat down with the smiling elderly lady and we shared a happy lunch together. As the meal drew to a close she asked how long I would be in Orlando. I had already told her that I hadn't hired a car, and hadn't realized how costly taking taxis would be. After a while she said, "My dear, don't use any more taxis. It would be my pleasure to drive you wherever you wish."
I told her that I couldn't put her to that trouble, but she insisted. She took details of where I was staying and the next morning she drove me to Disney World. She took me through the park's gates and spent some time with me before leaving me to explore alone. At the end of the day, she returned to take me back to my hotel. The next few days, she drove me around Orlando's tourist areas. I offered her money but she refused to take any.
When we had lunch on my last day, I thanked her for her kindness. I'll never forget that wonderful lady who filled my holiday in Florida with wonderful memories. | We can infer from the text that the elderly lady is _ . | kind-hearted | ['good-looking', 'well-known', 'hard-working'] |
Crosstalk ,a traditional form of comic storytelling,is making a comeback in China's tea houses and theaters.
Audiences can laugh the night away every Saturday at the Qianxiangyi Teahouse in Tianjin,entertained by the apprentices of Hou Baolin,Ma Sanli or Yin Shoushan--all leading crosstalk artists of years past--for only 20 yuan($2.40).
The success in Tianjin has also caused the rejuvenation of crosstalk in Beijing and other places.
Although the art form originated in Beijing in the Qing Dynasty(1644-1911),Tianjin became a place where rising stars formed their styles and new pieces were tried out.The city was well--known nationwide for the quality of its crosstalk performances.
Known in Chinese as xiangsheng(1iterally,"face and voice"),crosstalk was the predominant form of comedy throughout most of the 20th century.In the old days in Tianjin and elsewhere,temple fairs and markets were the main places for crosstalkers to perform,although they occasionally also appeared in teahouses or theaters.
Crosstalk pieces draw on every aspect of Chinese culture,from history and folk tales to social issues of the time.Although there're hundreds of traditional pieces,they're constantly rewritten to suit the times and the audience, while new works are written as well.It's one of the features that have made crosstalk a
public art form throughout its history.
"Crosstalk was in the doldrums with competition from other art forms,especially TV,"said Wang Xiaochun,headmaster of the Northern Storytelling Arts School of China(NSAS)."But it has regained its status with crosstalk fans,especially young people,growing aware of its rare qualities."
"More and more students are coming to NSAS to study crosstalk,including some girl students,"said Wang, "They're sure that crosstalk will have a strong market." | According to the text, crosstalk is so popular throughout its history because _ . | it is constantly changed and renewed | ['it is often performed at temple fairs', 'it is different from other arts', 'it is comic and humourous'] |
I still remember that day when my mother realized that finally I had matured and was no longer a child.
It was the month of December and my parents were not at home. It was very cold and I was thinking of doing something that can raise my body temperature . Well, now I think I should have chosen doing exercise over porn .
The mood was set, wi-fi speed was good and Google search was working. It took me half an hour to select a porn video. After selecting the video I downloaded it .
WTF where are my earphones. Took 15 minutes to locate my earphones. The movie began and just after 5 seconds the door bell rang and this was where I got screwed when I forgot to minimize the movie.
My parents were back home and I was back to my studies and just forgot about the movie.
Now I have a habit that while I am studying I keep the phone in the next room.
My mother was in the same room where the phone was. Now comes the worst part when my phone received a whatsapp message and my mother saw that message was dropped. Without giving any damm to my privacy she opened the phone and it was my bad luck that there was no screen lock.
The movie automatically started and after 5 seconds she took the phone to my dad she said “This is what he is doing when he's alone”
My parents called me what is this ??
I said it's a video message from the company and it starts automatically. I have nothing to do with that stuff and suddenly my dad said yes he is right, it's a video from the company and asked me to delete the video.
My dad saved me because he already knew that I watched that kind of stuff.
From that day on, I never download the movies but I watch them online, I just hate the buffering part . | After the phone message, the mom probably | Agrees with the Dad | ['Still thinks he is up to something bad', 'Dislikes his friend', 'not enough information'] |
I had mentioned my call from Omaha in my previous entry and I finally got a hold of the HR lady who was trying to reach me . Like I had expected , it was far from a solid offer , rather just seeing if I was still interested in positions . Still it was the first real bite I ' ve gotten from the line I had sunk in that pond and its not like I have a whole lot of options , so I said I was still interested . | What is the reason the HR Lady in Omaha was trying to reach me ? | She was a human resources person and wanted to help me get a job . | ['She was a long lost college friend .', 'The woman was a representative from Mutual of Omaha and wanted to talk to me about insurance .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
I told my co - worker Kevin about a dream I had last night where someone ironed all of my t - shirts . He told me to visit this site . | What type of site might this be ? | This might be a site dedicated to interpreting dreams . | ['This might be a site dedicated to buying irons .', 'This might be a site dedicated to interpreting shirts .', 'This might be a site dedicated to ironing shirts .'] |
It happened 2 months ago . She went WAY over her texting and minutes and then they got in a big fight about it and she gave him attitude and I guess he was drunk and that made him furious . And he spanked her on the bare bottom for a long time and hit her with a switch a bunch of times and then with a wooden spoon and a metal soup ladel too and then he made her do corner time for a while before he let her get dressed again . That has to be seual abuse , or physical maybe ? | What has led the speaker to question this relationship and consider labeling it abusive ? | They are genuinely concerned for their friend and are unsettled by the news of this altercation | ["They do n't care for the woman , but they enjoy stirring up drama and prying into other 's business", 'None of the above choices .', 'The speaker is jealous of the woman and wants to date the man , so they are slandering them'] |
Have you ever been bitten? Of course you have. You are surrounded by living things which might, or do, bite. Even when you rest your head on your pillow, bedbugs are probably nibbling away at you. They live happily inside most pillows.
Take a walk outside and you are a target for "man's best friend. " Hundreds of dog-bite victims visit US emergency rooms daily. Many bites are terrible. To avoid the dogs in your neighborhood, you might want to hike into the desert or the woods. There, you run the risk of bites from rattlesnakes, scorpions, and blood-sucking ticks. Not to mention bears, wolves, coyotes, and mountain lions.
Speaking of housing, watch out when you touch the corner of your house or garage. Shy but deadly, the black widow spider and the brown recluse spider make themselves comfortable in quiet areas of your closets or garage. One bite from either of them can make you very sick; occasionally, people die from such bites. Unfortunately, many people fear all spiders, not just the few dangerous ones. They squash them or run from them at first sight, not realizing that most spiders are actually beneficial to man.
If you're concerned about bites, don't forget about rabid animal bites. Any warm-blooded animal can get infected with rabies. Although humans in the US rarely get attacked by rabid animals, the disease is painful and dangerous. You will most likely die if you are not treated properly within 48 hours of being bitten. | In the author's opinion, _ . | One should treat rabid animal bites properly within 2 days. | ['No matter what kind of animal bites you, there is no danger at all.', 'Humans in the US can be bitten by rabid animals frequently.', 'Hundreds of rabid animal-bite people visit emergency room daily in the US.'] |
QUEBEC CITY, CANADA — On the eve of the G-7 summit in Canada, the U.S. president lashed out at host Justin Trudeau and the White House announced Donald Trump would skip some of the sessions.
In two tweets Thursday evening, Trump accused the Canadian prime minister, as well as French President Emmanuel Macron, of “charging the U.S. massive tariffs” and creating “non-monetary barriers.”
Trump also said Trudeau was being “indignant” about the cross-border trade relationship. Later Thursday night, Trump took to Twitter again to urge the European Union and Canada to “Take down your tariffs & barriers or we will more than match you!”
Trump’s tweets came after Macron threatened to exclude the United States from the G-7 final statement to be issued in the mountainous tourism destination of Charlevoix.
In his own tweets in French and English, Macron stated that while Trump “may not mind being isolated” the other six leaders meeting in Canada would also not mind signing an agreement among themselves.
“American jobs are on the line because of his actions and because of his administration,” Trudeau said at a joint news conference with Macron earlier in the day in Ottawa. “When we can underscore this, and we see that there’s a lot of pressure within the U.S., perhaps he will revise his position.”
“A trade war doesn’t spare anyone,” Macron said. “It will start to hurt American workers. The cost of raw materials will rise and industry will become less competitive.”
After the contentious salvos on social media and the Trudeau-Macron news conference, the White House announced Trump would depart the summit at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, following the session on women’s empowerment.
"The president will travel directly to Singapore from Canada in anticipation of his upcoming meeting with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un Tuesday. G-7 sherpa and deputy assistant to the president for international economic affairs Everett Eissenstat will represent the United States for the remaining G-7 sessions," White House Press Secretary SarahSanders said in a statement.
Even before these developments, it had become clear that this would be one of the more contentious G-7 meetings in memory. | When did Trump urge the European Union and Canada to remove tariffs? | After Emmanuel Macron threatened to exclude the US from the G-7 final statement. | ['Before meeting Justin Trudeau', 'After meeting Justin Trudeau', 'not enough information'] |
When humans and nature go head to head, nature often ends up losing. Rivers get polluted. Trees are knocked down. Natural resources are exhausted. That's what makes the Galapagos Islands so special--it's one of he few places on the Earth that nature can truly call its own.
For people used to having wild animals run at the scent of humans, a visit to the Galapagos is a real eye-opening experience. Over 1,600 km west of Ecuador, the islands are home to a unique variety of animals that have absolutely no fear of people. Visitors can play on the beach with sea lions and giant sea turtles, swim with dolphins and whales, and get close enough to the penguins to count the eggs in their nests.
The islands were declared a national park over 40 years ago, and the number of human visitors is tightly limited to avoid damaging he environment or putting stress on the animal. Tourists have to pay a $100 daily visitors fee, and can't step off the boat unless accompanied by an official guide. Once on the islands, you have to stay on the trail , but that seldom presents a problem: the animals are so curious about people that they'll usually come up to say hello.
"It's a little like being in a zoo," said one traveler. "But instead of us looking at the animals, the animals, the animals are looking at us."
Aside from the wildlife, one of the island' more unusual features is its post office. You can send postcards for free, but the problem is that there's no postman to collect them. Instead, travelers pick up mail addressed to people who live near them back home, and then hand-deliver the postcards when their trip is finished. | On the Galapagos Islands the mail is delivered by _ . | the tourists | ['the government', 'the post office', 'the guides'] |
I went online to check if my pay was in my bank account . To my amazement I discovered that not only had I been paid, a company I'd never worked for had also paid me! I know I'd have been beside myself if my own salary was not in my account, so I tried to get the money back to the right person. Easier said than done.
The bank couldn't help as it "wasn't a bank problem." The human-resource department at the company that paid me was unable to help as I didn't have enough details. I rang the bank again. Thankfully I had a sympathetic call operator who gave me a name, so I again rang the company "Daniel" worked for.
I expected the bank would get in touch with me to arrange to take the money from my account and repay Daniel. I heard nothing for a month and the money remained in my account when Daniel called, explaining he'd tried to get back his money but had been unsuccessful as neither the bank nor his company felt it was their error. He had rung to ask if I could speak to the bank, but after chatting for a few minutes we realized we could probably fix this problem ourselves.
We decided I would take the money from my account and he would pick it up from me. Due to my busy job I was unable to meet Daniel personally but he left me a lovely bottle of wine in exchange for what was rightfully his. I never had any intention of keeping Daniel's pay but red tape made it difficult to do the right thing. It all came down to two people being able to do what a huge bank and a large company couldn't do -- admit a mistake had occurred and fix it. | From the passage we can infer that _ . | some large organizations usually have troublesome official rules | ['the bank could solve the problem soon and easily with the red tape', "Daniel didn't know the error before he contacted the author", 'the company gave the wrong account to the bank'] |
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. | Beasley's trip to North Korea restricted territory probably lasted | A few hours | ['A few years', 'not enough information', 'A few months'] |
Napoleon, as a character in Tolstoy's War and Peace, is more than once described as having "fat little hands". Nor does he "sit well or firmly on the horse". He is said to be "undersized", with "short legs" and a "round stomach". The issue here is not the accuracy of Tolstoy's description-it seems not that far off from historical accounts but his choice of facts: other things that could be said of the man are not said. We are meant to understand the difference of a warring commander in the body of a fat little Frenchman. Tolstoy's Napoleon could be any man wandering in the streets and putting a little of powdered tobacco up his nose-and that is the point.
It is a way the novelist uses to show the moral nature of a character. And it turns out that, as Tolstoy has it, Napoleon is a crazy man. In a scene in Book Three of War and Peace, the wars having reached the critical year of 1812,Napoleon receives a representative from the Tsar ,who has come with peace terms. Napoleon is very angry: doesn't he have more army? He, not the Tsar, is the one to make the terms. He will destroy all of Europe if his army is stopped. "That is what you will have gained by engaging me in the war!" he shouts. And then, Tolstoy writes, Napoleon "walked silently several times up and down the room, his fat shoulders moving quickly".
Still later, after reviewing his army amid cheering crowds, Napoleon invites the shaken Russian to dinner. "He raised his hand to the Russian's face," Tolstoy writes, and "taking him by the ear pulled it gently. . . ". To have one's ear pulled by the Emperor was considered the greatest honor and mark of favor at the French court. "Well, well, why don't you say anything?" said he, as if it was ridiculous in his presence to respect any one but himself, Napoleon.
Tolstoy did his research, but the composition is his own. | What does the last sentence of the passage imply? | A writer doesn't have to be faithful to his findings. | ['A writer may write about a hero in his own way.', 'A writer may not be responsible for what he writes.', 'A writer has hardly any freedom to show his feelings.'] |
I moved my cats into the main part of the house , and did n't let them into the master bedroom . After a day they were totally comfortable with the new place . Then the next day we moved my boyfriend 's cat into the master bedroom and gave him a day or two to get used to it . He was howling and meowing , and I was shocked when my cats did n't care at all . | Why are the cats initially uncomfortable with their domicile ? | None of the above choices . | ['They are near a predator .', 'They are near violent humans .', 'They are near barking dogs .'] |
Years back, following a transition inside a large company where many people got fired and moved around, the decision was made to give the remaining people more work. Now, let me pause here, when I say, “more work” did not mean more of the existing work they already did. “More work” did not mean work of what they already knew, or signed up for when they were hired.
More work meant incorporating a completely different role. For me, I’m a programmer. And “management” decided they wanted programmers to also do BA work. Now, mind you, nowhere on my employment contract does it state I’d have to take a BA role. And nowhere on my employment contract did it state taking a BA role would also require me doing all of my programming work.
So, after being pushed a few times to attend BA meetings, I got fed up. So I pulled my manager into a meeting and explained this to him. I said, you have two choices:
I do two roles, BA and programmer, and I get a new salary to account for the role. When he asked how much, I said, take my salary and multiply by 1.6.
Option 2, I go back to programming, and you never pull me into a meeting again on BA work. It’s not what you hired me for, and it’s not what you pay me for.
When my boss replied, “Our company is not in the position to pay for two roles”, I told him, then it sounds like Option 2. And by the way, I don’t ever want to have this discussion again. If you want Superman performance, you cannot pay Clark Kent wages.
1 year passed and I was never bothered again about BA roles.
Takeaways: Middle managers are one step above one-celled organisms. They can, and will try to get you to do non-role work, with no intention of ever paying you more. They key is to cut it off at the pass. | Who wanted be compencated for an extra load of work? | The narrator | ['The manager', 'The CEO', 'not enough information'] |
Today, paper-making is a big business. But it is still possible to make paper by hand, since the steps are the same as using big machines.
You should use paper with small amounts of printing. Old envelopes are good for this reason. Colored paper also can be used, as well as small amounts of newspaper. Small pieces of rags or cloth can be added. These should be cut into pieces about five centimeters by five centimeters.
Everything is placed in a container, covered with water and brought to a boil. It is mixed for about two hours with some common chemicals and then allowed to cool. Then it is left until most of the water dries up. The substance left, called pulp , can be stored until you are ready to make paper.
When you are ready, the pulp is mixed with water again. Then the pulp is poured into a mold. The mold is made of small squares of wire that hold the shape and thickness of the paper. To help dry the paper, the mold lets the water flow through the small wire squares.
After several more drying steps, the paper is carefully lifted back from the mold. It is now strong enough to be touched.
The paper is smoothed and pressed to remove trapped air. You can use a common electric iron used for pressing clothes. | When the paper is lifted from the mold, it is time to _ . | make it smooth | ['make it strong', 'decorate it', 'use an iron'] |
There are two kinds of physical activity which require special training. The first demands exact careful movements of the muscles. This kind of activity must be strictly controlled because even a slight movement in the wrong direction will lead a mistake. To type quickly, for example, a person needs training; the slightest movement of a finger in the wrong direction may cause a spelling mistake. A dancer who has to dance on the point of her shoes or turn around on one foot must be trained for a long period of time before she can sense her own center and balance herself. You may have seen a girl walking on a rope across an empty space, which, too, requires a lot of practice.
The second kind of physical activity needs greater strength or extra effort. Most of us get tired if we try to run half a mile without stopping, but a specially-trained person can do this without much effort. Three years ago, some scientists carried out experiments, which produced meaningful and unexpected results. They wanted to find out whether a certain amount of physical exercise would injure those suffering from heart problems. They selected some male patients and trained them in continuous bicycle riding. They were surprised to find that the harmful effect of given amount of physical effort was actually less on the hearts of these trained patients than on those of the patients who were not similarly trained. This is important because it shows that regular physical exercise enables us to make better use of the oxygen we breathe in and that this training, in fact, reduces the amount of work our hearts do. Many tasks which are hard for untrained people are not hard at all for trained people. | What must a dancer do before she can balance herself? | She must receive long-time training. | ['She must dance on the point of her shoes.', 'She must turn around on one foot.', 'She must perform again and again.'] |
The Internet has greatly changed the way people communicate. But some teachers think the changes are not all for the better.
Eleanor Johnson, an English professor, thinks that text messaging has made students believe that it is far more acceptable than it actually is to just make terrible spelling and grammatical errors. And she says her students over the past several years have increasingly used less formal English in their writing. Words and phrases like "guy" and "you know" now appear in research papers.
Professor Johnson supposes there is a strong relationship between the rise of informal online communication and an increase in writing mistakes. But she says there may not be much scientific information, at least not yet.
David Crystal, a British linguist , says the actively changing nature of the Internet makes it difficult to keep up-to-date in studying its effects. But he believes its influence on language is small. The main effect of the Internet on language is the way it has added to the expressive richness of language, providing language with a new set of communicative tools that haven't existed in the past.
Erin Jansen is founder of NetLingo.com, an online dictionary of the Internet and text messaging terms. She says the new technology has not changed existing language but has greatly added to its vocabulary. Basically it's freedom of expression.
And what about those teachers who find these new kinds of mistakes in spelling and grammar in their students' work? What is her message to them?
Erin Jansen said, "I am always on the students' side and won't get angry or upset about that. If it's helping the kids write more or communicate more, that's great. That's what teachers and educators want--to get kids communicating."
But Erin Jansen and David Crystal agree with Eleanor Johnson on at least one thing. Teachers need to make sure students understand the uses and rules of language. | David Crystal and Erin Jansen share the view that the Internet _ . | makes language richer in expression | ['has changed our language system', 'has influenced our language greatly', 'makes language harder to understand'] |
I went to the doctors and yeh , it 's tonsilitis . But she 's worried about Glandular Fever too . Fucking great . A week before uni . My mum could n't give me a lift home but I happened to see Gaz in his car in the carpark and asked him for a lift . He was okay , quiet , polite . But disinterested . | What advice did the doctor give the patient after he gave her the diagnosis ? | He suggested she take her antibiotics and get lots of rest . | ['He gave her mum the instructions for her prescription .', 'None of the above choices .', 'That her mum take her home , and put her right to bed .'] |
It did n't last long , maybe one whole minute , but it was a start . He had n't thrown up in 4 hours . I was timing it . Everything was down to hours and minutes now . | What might be the reason for his situation . | He had gotten the flu . | ['He finished a light exercise .', 'None of the above choices .', 'He ate a probiotic .'] |
WHITE HOUSE — White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, who was asked to leave a Virginia restaurant days ago, told reporters on Monday that "calls for harassment and a push for any Trump supporter to avoid the public is unacceptable."
She was referring to comments from Congresswoman Maxine Waters, who previously has called for President Donald Trump's impeachment. Waters told supporters, "If you see anybody from that cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd. And you push back on them, and you tell them they're not welcome anymore, anywhere."
The most prominent Democrat in the House of Representatives, however, disagreed with Walters.
"Trump's daily lack of civility has provoked responses that are predictable but unacceptable," Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi said on Twitter on Monday. "As we go forward, we must conduct elections in a way that achieves unity from sea to shining sea."
Pelosi's tweet included a link to a CNN story about Waters encouraging harassment of Trump administration officials.
Trump also responded to Water's remarks, saying on Twitter that the congresswoman — whom he referred to as an "extraordinarily low IQ person" — had called for his supporters to be harassed. In the social media message, the president concluded, "Be careful what you wish for Max!"
Last week, protesters yelled at Department of Homeland Security chief Kirstjen Nielsen at an upscale Mexican restaurant near the White House. Earlier, Nielsen publicly defended the policy of separating children from parents who were apprehended for illegally entering the U.S., a policy the president has since reversed.
Trump policy adviser Stephen Miller, also an immigration hard-liner, was called a "fascist" while dining at a Mexican cantina in a neighborhood in the District of Columbia.
The incident involving Sanders took place Friday night at the Red Hen restaurant in Lexington, Virginia, 300 kilometers south of the U.S. capital.
"I explained that the restaurant has certain standards that I feel it has to uphold, such as honesty, and compassion and cooperation," owner Stephanie Wilkinson told The Washington Post, adding she believed Sanders works for an "inhumane and unethical" administration. | How does Wilkinson feel about the Trump administration? | not enough information | ['she is indifferent', 'she loves it', 'She dislikes it strongly'] |
He 'll be fine , but this is bad . I mean , he 's still out , but this is NOT a Patrick move , so me and Pete are freaked out . Pete especially . He 's possibly out for Travis 's blood for not crawling back to Patrick in the first place so it never got this bad . | Why is this " NOT a Patrick move " ? | This is out of the ordinary for Patrick . | ["This is n't the way Patrick moves things around normally .", 'Patrick is NOT changing residences .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
CANYOUIMAGINEHOWHARDITWOULDBETOREADSENTENCESLIKETHIS? Every one of us gets so used to punctuation marks that not many of us give them a second thought. Actually, the ancient Greeks wrote this way. The lack of punctuation marks probably didn't bother good readers, though. As they read, they just put pauses where they fit best. Also at this time, sentences switched directions. A sentence read from left to right. The next one read right to left, and then left to right again, etc. The ancient Romans sometimes punctuated like this: They * put * something * that * can * separate * words * in * a * sentence. The word punctuation actually comes from this idea and the Latin word punctum, which means a dot.
When the 5thcentury arrived, there were just two punctuation marks: spaces and points. The spaces separated words while the points showed pauses in reading. Then in the 13thcentury, a printer named Aldus Manutius tried to standardize punctuation. He always used a period for a complete stop at the end of a sentence. He used a slash (/) to indicate a short pause. Over time, that slash was shortened and curled, and it became the modern comma .
Since that time, other marks have enlarged the punctuation family. The exclamation mark comes from the Latin word io. It means "exclamation of joy." The question mark originally started out as the Latin word questio, meaning question. Eventually, scholars put it at the end of a sentence to show a question.
Punctuation even keeps changing nowadays. New marks are coming into existence, and old punctuation marks are used in new ways. Take for example the "interrobang". This 1962 invention combines the question mark and exclamation mark for times when writers want both. For example, "She did what?" or "How much did you pay for that dress?" Obviously, the interrobang is not widely used or recognized yet, but its invention shows that English is not yet finished with its punctuation. | The passage is developed _ . | by time | ['by space', 'by comparison', 'by importance'] |
SINGAPORE — Envoys from the United States and North Korea are holding talks to iron out any last-minute differences before Tuesday's historic summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters that veteran diplomat Sung Kim is leading the U.S. delegation in a working group meeting Monday at the city-state's Ritz Carlton hotel. The North Korea side is being led by Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui.
Monday's meeting is apparently aimed at narrowing the gap between the U.S. and North Korea over the demand for North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.
President Trump expressed confidence about his meeting upon his arrival in Singapore Sunday, telling reporters after stepping down from Air Force One that he his feeling "very good" about Tuesday's summit.
Ahead of his arrival, Trump acknowledged he is heading into “unknown territory” for the meeting Tuesday.
In response to a question from VOA News just before heading to Asia from the Group of Seven summit in Canada, Trump said “I really feel confident” about the unprecedented encounter between a sitting American president and a member of the family dynasty which has maintained iron-fist control over one of the world’s most reclusive countries for three generations.
Trump added that he believes Kim, half the age of the American president, “wants to do something great for his people.” But Trump cautioned that Kim “won’t have that opportunity again” if the talks do not go well -- describing this opportunity for diplomacy with the United States as a “one-time shot.”
Trump and others in his government have said advancement has been made on obtaining a commitment from Kim to give up all his nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missiles. Progress could lead to a peace treaty and formally end a state of war on the Korean peninsula, which has persisted for nearly 70 years.
Whether such a deal can be done, Trump declared on Saturday, is something he will know almost from the moment they meet. | When will the meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un take place? | On Tuesday, after delegates from the U.S. and North Korea iron out any last-minute differences. | ['not enough information', 'During the Group of Seven summit in Canada.', 'On Sunday when Donald Trump arrives in Singapore.'] |
May I come in ? " Still no answer . But sometimes patients are n't able to speak , so I peeked into the room . Mrs. Fortner was sound asleep . | Which of the following could be the narrators vocation ? | The narrator is a doctor . | ['None of the above choices .', 'The narrator puts people to sleep .', 'The narrator answers the door .'] |
To which he responded , you did great ! ! That does n't mean that all are mature and will fertilize but are we ever glad that he underestimated ! ! We should find out tomorrow how many were mature and then how many fertilized . | Why is the narrator appearing so eager ? | They find out if their plants grew . | ['They find out if their kids matured .', 'None of the above choices .', 'They find out if their children matures .'] |
Robert Fredy was general manager of a large hotel in Ashbury park. New Jersey. One cold day two years ago when he stopped his car at a traffic light, Stephen Pear man, an out-of-work taxi and truck driver, walked up to Fredy's car hoping to earn some change by washing his windshield.Like many motorists who try to keep the beggars off, Fredy turned on the wipers to show he wasn't interested.
Pearman put his head close to the window."Come on, mister.Give me a chance.I need a job," he said.Something in Stephen Pearman's voice moved Robert Fredy.In the seconds before traffic started moving again, Fredy handed a business card and told him to call if he was serious.
"My friends told me he was just pulling my leg, "said Pearman."But I said, " No, he's a
businessman.I need to give it a shot."
Two days later,29-year-old Pearman appeared in the manager's office of the big hotel.Fredy gave him a job and housing and lent him pocket money while training him.
Today, Pearman works full time setting up the hotel's dining halls for business meetings.In the past two years, he has found a flat, married and repaid Fredy's loans.
"Mr.Fredy gave me a second chance, "says Pearman, " And I took advantage of it.I could have just come here a while, eaten up and left.But there is no future in washing windshields."
Ordinarily, Fredy keeps away from the street people."But Pearman seemed so honest and open, asking for a chance rather than just money," Fredy says, "I don't hand my business card to just anybody.But I'm glad I did in this case." | Pearman is now_. | full - time employed at the hotel | ["in charge of Fredy's loans", 'still washing car windshields', 'arranging dinner parties for the hotel'] |
The water they use comes from an underground aquifer , but they are contemplating how they might tap into the settlement water and promote natural foods . Schoolchildren visit the garden and some of its produce ends up on tables at community functions but , members said , more needs to be done to take full advantage of the water . " When we lost that water , we lost generations of farming , " said Janet Haskie , a community gardener . " Then people had the attitude like , ' They owe us . | What happened after the community lost its water ? | Generations of farming were lost | ["It did n't rain for months", 'Nothing grew again', 'There was a drought'] |
SEOUL — North Korea’s recent threat to pull out of the upcoming nuclear summit with the U.S. has added new urgency to South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s visit to Washington next Tuesday.
President Moon has played a key role in facilitating the meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump scheduled to be held in Singapore June 12.
At the recent inter-Korean summit Moon got Kim to affirm a broad commitment to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons and that opened the door for Trump and Kim to negotiate a more detailed agreement to end North Korea’s nuclear program.
However, uncompromising positions recently voiced by U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton demanding the North’s unilateral disarmament, and by North Korea in response canceling further talks with the South and threatening to pull out of the U.S.-North Korea summit, have put the prospects for continued diplomatic progress in jeopardy.
President Trump has tried to reassure the North Korean leadership that a nuclear deal would not weaken the Kim government, but would bolster it.
“He'd be in his country, he'd be running his country. His country would be very rich.” Trump said Thursday while meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in the White House.
President Moon, who will meet with Trump in Washington on Tuesday, has said he will try to moderate differences between the U.S. and North Korea over how to achieve denuclearization, while also giving the Kim government the security guarantees and sanctions relief it wants.
But the convergence of interests that have brought Moon, Trump and Kim to all agree to give diplomacy a chance seems to be diverging over how to bridge the gap between the U.S. demand for complete denuclearization prior to offering any concessions, and the North’s insistence on a step by step process that would ease sanctions early on for incremental measures, such as giving up some nuclear material and allowing in outside inspectors. | What is probably true about Trump? | he thinks Kim Jong Un should comply | ['not enough information', 'he thinks this decision will help with diplomacy', 'he thinks President Moon can help'] |
In today's China, exchanges between Chinese and English-speakers are increasingly frequent. English skills are important to Chinese if China wishes to play a stronger role on the world stage. However, the general English level of the Chinese people is on the decline.
China's ranking in the 2015 EF English Proficiency Index dropped 10 drops. The Middle Kingdom was ranked 47th out of 70 countries rated, and is now _ several Latin American countries. The report triggered widespread discussion in China: in an increasingly international nation, why is the peoples' level of English getting worse?
A decline in the English level of the Chinese people is no accident. With China's exam-based education system, worsening English is inevitable. English education in China is too focused on grammar and ignored oral practice. This results in students that are often too scared to speak, for fear of making a mistake. Exam-based courses make it so students merely learn for the test, not learn the language.
In Latin America, nations do not have a rigorous exam system for English, but focus on promoting the language itself. Such programs that promote English include Chile's "English Opens Doors" program, Panama's "Panama Bilingual Education Program," and Mexico's "10 Million People Plan." Brazil, which also has a government program, is ranked first in the region for English.
The Chinese government should first think about how to reduce the amount of pressure on students taking exams in order to promote change in the current system of rote English education. This is the most important step.
Everyone has been recently focused on overseas returnees. The number of Chinese studying abroad has rapidly multiplied in past years. At the same time, the number of overseas returnees is increasing as well. The job market is also increasingly competitive for them and it is often more difficult for returnees to find a suitable job than it is for domestic graduates.
Difficulties and pressure in the job market for overseas returnees deters a number of Chinese from studying abroad. As a result, the number of Chinese with high-level English, carefully perfected abroad, has been reduced. This could be a major reason for why English is getting worse overall in China.
While China's overall level of English has declined, it has not affected China's huge emphasis on English education and training. China remains one of the nations that is most committed to the study of English. | What measure can help improve English level of Chinese people? | Focusing more on expressive abilities and less on grammatical exams. | ['Stopping testing English in the educational examination system.', 'Reducing the amount of pressure on students studying English.', 'Encouraging more students to study in Latin American countries.'] |
About five states in Nigeria will experience a total eclipse of the sun on March 29, 2006, according to a forecast by the Ministry of Science and Technology this week.
An eclipse occurs in one of two ways: when the moon passes between the earth and the sun so that all or part of the sun cannot be seen for a time, or when the earth passes between the moon and the sun so that you cannot see all or part of the moon for a time. The first case is a solar eclipse or eclipse of the sun, which occurs as the earth enters the shadow of the moon. The second describes a lunar eclipse or eclipse of the moon, which happens when the moon enters the shadow of the earth.
More than 60 percent of Nigerians are uneducated, and eclipses in some parts of the country in the past have caused commotions in which people have been killed and property destroyed. Some Nigerians believe an eclipse is punishment from the gods for evil doing.
The March 29th eclipse would be the fifth in prefix = st1 /Nigeria's history, and it is expected to last for 30 minutes -- 9:15AM to 9:45AM, according to the official prediction.Nigeriawitnessed eclipses in 1898, 1947, 1959, and 2001.
The shadows in an eclipse have a central dark part called umbra, and a less dark external section called penumbra. In the umbra, all the sun's light is cut off, and this is called total eclipse; while in the penumbra, only a part of the light from the sun is cut off from the moon, and it is called partial eclipse.
Five Nigerian states -- Oyo, Kwara,Niger, Zamfara, and Katsina -- are expected to have total eclipse, while other parts of the country will experience partial eclipse. | This passage is mainly written to _ . | provide information on a coming eclipse of the sun in Nigeria | ['predict a eclipse of the sun in Nigeria', 'compare a eclipse of the sun with a eclipse of the moon', 'show that people in Nigeriareceive little education'] |
When American soldiers return home from war with disabilities, they often suffer twice -- first from their combat injuries, next from the humiliation of government dependency.
Wounded veterans learn they have two basic choices: They can receive almost $3,000 a month in disability benefits along with medical care and access to other various welfare programs, or they can try to find a job. Especially in this economy, it's no wonder that many find that first option hard to turn down.
Mark Duggan, an economics professor at Stanford University, reports that enrollment in U.S.veterans' disability programs rose from 2.3 million in 2001 to 3.9 million in 2014. The percentage of veterans receiving benefits doubled, from 8.9% in 2001 to 18% in 2014. Disability services for veterans now consume $59 billion.
In the 1980s and 1990s, male veterans were more likely to be in the labor force than nonveterans. But since 2000, that has changed dramatically. Now there is a 4% gap between veteran and nonveteran labor participation, with veteran participation lower.
Navy SEAL Eric Greitens, founder of The Mission Continues, explains how soldiers who served their country are transformed into welfare receivers who live off their country.
"When veterans come home from war they are going through a tremendous change in identity,"he says."Then the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, and others, encourage them to view themselves as disabled."By the time they come to Greitens' non-profit organization,"We meet a number of veterans who see themselves as charity cases and are not sure anymore what they have to contribute."
There are also more practical factors driving the disability boom. One is the expansion of qualification criteria. In 2000, for instance, type 2 diabetes was added as a disability because of evidence linking exposure to Agent Orange with the onset of the disease. Heart disease has also been added to the list.
Another possible factor is that younger veterans seem less against welfare than their parents' generation. Veterans who have served since the 1990s are much more likely to sign up for disability than their older counterparts; 1 in 4 younger veterans is on disability versus just 1 in 7 of those over age 54.
We shouldn't go back to the bad old days when veterans were afraid to admit weakness. But Lt.Col.Daniel Gade is one of many veterans who think our disability system is harmful, psychologically, to former soldiers. Gade lost his leg in combat in 2005 and now teaches at West Point. He recently gave a talk to disabled veterans at Ft. Carson, in which he urged them to rejoin the workforce.
"People who stay home because they are getting paid enough to get by on disability are worse off,"he warned."They are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol. They are more likely to live alone."
What a waste of human potential, especially since most veterans on disability still have their prime working years ahead of them when they're discharged .
We could solve this problem by changing the way we view -- and label -- veterans with disabilities. As Gade noted in a recent article,"Veterans should be viewed as resources, not as damaged goods."He recommended that"efforts to help veterans should begin by recognizing their abilities rather than focusing only on their disabilities, and should serve the ultimate aim of moving wounded soldiers to real self-sufficiency."
On a more practical note, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs could reallocate resources to spend more on job training and less on disability. Current placement programs are sadly inadequate.
We are good at sending soldiers off to war. Yet when these young men and women return home, they are essentially told,"We'll give you enough for a reasonably comfortable life, but we won't help you find a job."
It is unreasonable that we are condemning thousands of young veterans who served their country to life on the dole rather than enabling them to reenter the workforce with the necessary accommodations. | What did veterans use to do in the 1980s and 1990s? | Be a main labor resource. | ['Refuse to find jobs.', 'Have much trouble finding jobs.', 'Receive many disability benefits.'] |
You either have it , or you don't -a sense of direction ,that is .But why is it that some people could find their way across the Sahara without a map ,while others can lose themselves in the next street?
Scientists say we're all born with a sense of direction ,but it is not property understood how it works .One theory is that people with a good sense of direction have simply worked harder at developing it. Research being carried out atprefix = st1 /LiverpoolUniversitysupports this idea and suggests that if we don't use it. we lose it .
"Children as young as seven have the ability to find their way around." says Jim Martland .Research Director of the project . "However if they are not allowed out alone or are taken everywhere by car ,they never develop the skills"
Jim Martland also emphasizes that young people should be taught certain skills to improve their sense of direction .He makes the following suggestions.
*If you are using a map ,turn it so it relates to the way you are facing.
*If you leave your bike in a strange place ,put it near something like a big stone or a tree.
Note landmarks on the route as you go away from your bike .When you return ,go back
along the same route
*Simplify the way of finding your direction by using lines such as streets in a town,streams ,or walls in the countryside to guide you .Count your steps so that you know how far you have gone and note any landmarks such as tower blocks or hills which can help to find out where you are.
Now you need never get lost again! | If you leave your bike in a strange place ,you should_. | remember something easily recognizable on the route | ['tie it to a tree so as to prevent it from being stolen', 'draw a map of the route to help remember where it is', 'avoid taking the same route when you come back in it'] |
Another slap hit his face ( this time the opposite cheek to avoid bruising ) and he let out a choked sob . " I said do n't fucking talk to me like that . " Riku growled threateningly , shoving his fingers in and out of him faster . He took care in not hitting his prostate because he knew deep down Yura was enjoying every fucking minute of it . | Where are the fingers sliding in and out of ? | A man 's butt | ['None of the above choices .', "a woman 's vagina", "a man 's mouth"] |
Relax. He is the same little boy you loved yesterday. I smiled trying to hold back the tears. "No, he isn't. Yesterday I dreamed he would be an astronaut. Today I am hoping he will learn to talk."
It was like some sort of cosmic joke. I could still recall the day that determined my fate. It was October in Ottawa and the summer breezes had given way to the autumn rainfall of leaves. The snow would begin soon. The crispness of coming frost was in the air. My casually mentioning Wyatt's behavior to Dr. Martin aroused his worries. He started asking me questions about Wyatt's activities speech pattern and emotions. I still see clearly in my mind the cleanness of the room and all its belongings when the doctor turned to me and said, "He almost sounds autistic ."
I couldn't face that picture in my mind. I had to run to get away from this all too painful place that was reminding me of what was to be my child's life-being strange.
I could not remember how many times I told myself, "This is normal. He is a little boy who is not talking yet," when my asking questions met with his blank-eyed response in a restaurant; how many times I would tell myself, "He loves to play on his own for hours at a time and he never gets into trouble," when Wyatt was playing games that no one else could imagine, let alone join in while other boys in the park were playing together or in small groups played around a sand pail or toy truck. My life was changing direction. So was Wyatt's.
I started to hide Wyatt from my friends and neighbor especially from a good friend. It was too painful to let others know about my boy acting strange.
It was a Thursday afternoon and I found one half of a great pair of kitchen scissors was missing. They were unbelievably sharp and could be taken apart so they could be washed or the blades sharpened. I knew Wyatt had taken the missing blade.
"Wyatt," I began as patiently as I could, "Do you see this?" I held up the blade. "Do you know what this is?"
Wyatt put a bunch of Fruit Loops in his mouth. No response.
"Wyatt!" I forced eye contact with him. "Where are the other scissors? See these." I showed him the half pair.
He smiled big. Ate Fruit Loops. Turned the TV on and off. Still no response.
I didn't know what to do. It was really hard. "Wyatt," I tried once more, "Mommy wants these scissors. Can you go get them for Mommy? It will make Mommy so happy if you bring me the scissors."
"Watch Spongebob." Wyatt asked as he slid down from his kitchen stool and ran off, leaving me shaking my head and wondering in exactly which way this situation was going to end badly.
Five minutes later, I turned my head to see Wyatt coming downstairs, his favorite doll in one hand, the missing half pair of kitchen scissors in the other. I immediately ran over and took it from him.
"Wyatt!" I hugged him. "Thank you for bringing me the scissors! Good job! You did it! These scissors need to stay in the kitchen. These are Mommy's scissors!"
Wyatt laughed, looked at me straight in the eye and said, "Mommy so happy!"
I came close to tears. A realization dawned on me that he was the best gift I had ever gotten even though he was not as normal as other children. And why did I hide him from others as if he were some dark and terrible secret. No! He was my pride. It was a long, hard battle to get him to this point, expressing his wants and needs without turning to violence in embarrassment. With love and patience I have found the beautiful, happy boy who would teach me more about life.
And that is the solution. | From the first part of the story we can get to know that the son's problem was _ to the mother. | a heavy blow | ['a white lie', 'an unforgettable lesson', 'a ridiculous experience'] |
U.S. President Donald Trump has blocked the release of a Democratic rebuttal to a Republican memo alleging FBI abuses of power during an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
In a letter released Friday, White House counsel Don McGahn said Trump had decided not to declassify the Democratic memo “because the memorandum contains numerous properly classified and especially sensitive passages.”
The president himself expounded on that explanation Saturday on Twitter.
"The Democrats sent a very political and long response memo which they knew, because of sources and methods (and more), would have to be heavily redacted, whereupon they would blame the White House for lack of transparency. Told them to re-do and send back in proper form!"
Rep. Steny Hoyer, the No. 2-ranking Democrat in the House, released a statement late Friday saying, “It is deeply disturbing that President Trump has blocked the release” of the Democrat-written memo. He said that after Trump on Feb. 2 released “a one-sided, misleading memo written by Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee, it is only appropriate that Americans see all the facts.”
McGahn’s letter to House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes asked for revisions in the document before it could be released.
Nunes released a statement late Friday, saying, “I had warned that the Democratic memo contains many sources and methods ... it’s no surprise that these agencies recommended against publishing the memo without redactions.”
McGahn’s statement said because of the “public interest in transparency in these unprecedented circumstances, the president has directed that Justice Department personnel be available to give technical assistance to the committee” in its efforts to revise the document.
Trump had until the end of Friday to decide whether to declassify the memo, written by Democrats on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
The president last week authorized the release of the Republican version of the memo, which claimed the FBI improperly obtained a warrant to spy on Carter Page, a former Trump campaign adviser, and his connections to Russia. | How does Don McGahn feel about the memo sent by the Republicans? | He stood behind it and had no problem with it | ['He wanted to see the revisions before making any opinion', 'He was disturbed by it', 'not enough information'] |
It was just a medicine check . Donald got the second half of the spaghetti on in the morning . I got home at noon , ate lunch , then started on the meat loaf patties . I made about 30 patties , cooked them , and shrink wrapped them . In the middle of cooking the meat loaf patties , I tried calling Michael , twice , and when he did n't answer , I drove down to Cathy 's to see if he was home . It was 3:45 pm , and he was no where in sight . | What may be the reason why they are so concerned about Michael ? | He usually answers his phone and is usually home at that time . | ['None of the above choices .', "He has n't been taking his medicine .", 'He has been sick the last few days .'] |
It's axiomatic that all cultures reserve a special place for food in their daily and social lives. For something as simple as a cuppa joe, we schedule and juggle our time to meet at predetermined locations to share conversation and libation. Meals require even more effort and the social ramifications increase. One is expected to show up on time, sometimes dress to certain standards and bring one or many bottles of wine as a thoughtful gift to the hosts. And of course, the food is just an excuse to get together with friends to enjoy a meal, share stories, to discuss or seduce, to seal an agreement or act as a prelude to a severance of relations (frequently unintentionally). I was first introduced to dining for pleasure as opposed to sustenance while at the University of New Brunswick. I lived in Bridges House, one of the men's residences. The young, eager, bright-eyed students in each residence were kept more or less in check by a Don. Each residence had its share of maniacs and troublemakers who were at university to get some form of education, alcohol poisoning or a social disease; sometimes all three. The Don's job was to act as a mentor and prison warden. Imagine a building housing up to 100 young adult men. It doesn't take much to start a riot. In our case, the Don was Locutus. When we met him, he must have been in his forties but looked to us adolescents to be older than Father Time. He was immediately dubbed 'Grandpa Munster'. With the tender sensitivity of males of our age, we didn't bother to hide this from him and he took it in good humour. In point of fact, Locutus was a great Don; firm when he needed to be and understanding and helpful as appropriate. You crossed this guy at your peril, but he was generally pretty tolerant. | After the end of this story the author: | Graduated from the University of New Brunswick. | ['Graduated from Temple University.', 'Graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.', 'not enough information'] |
Mr. Hadley was my 6th grade teacher. At that time I was a short girl weighing 70 kilograms. Boys always laughed at me because of it. So I became an extremely shy young lady.
One day Mr. Hadley told us that we would be required to come to the front of the class and read the reports that we had completed.
When my turn came, I refused to stand in front of all those students and open up to their tricks. Mr. Hadley handed me my report and asked me to read it. I gave it back to him. He walked to the front and said,"Martha has a very good report here and I think everyone needs to hear her read it. If you make strange noises or make fun of her in any way, I will let you fail right here and now. OK?"
Mr. Hadley walked back to me and handed me the paper again, asking me to go to the front of the class. I walked there on legs that were shaking and I felt a rabbit in my chest. Everyone was all quiet, including those boys. I stood there trying to be calm.
Mr. Hadley walked over to me and put his arm around me,"You can do it. I have confidence in you!" His words helped me calm down. I read the report and instead of the kids laughing at me and making fun of me, they all stood up and clapped their hands.
From that day on the kids never made fun of me any more and some actually made friends with me. I continued to be quite shy all through school but I knew if I had to stand up in front of the class, I could do it. | Martha felt extremely shy because of her_. | appearance | ['study', 'age', 'beauty'] |
Language is a major problem for the European Union (EU) . The Treaty of Rome ,which created the organization that finally became the EU, stated that each country's language must be treated equally. The original six countries had only three languages between them: French, German and Dutch/Flemish. However, there are now 15 countries in the EU, with a total of 12 languages. EU documents must be translated into all these languages, and at official meetings the speeches must be translated into all the languages by interpreters.
All this translating is very expensive and time-consuming. It is said that nearly half of all employees of the EU are engaged in translating documents and speeches and nearly half of the EU's administrative costs are spent on this task. In the near future it is probable that several more countries, most of them having their own languages, will join the EU, thus making the situation even worse.
The problem is just cost; there are practical difficulties as well. With 12 languages, there are 132 possible "translation situations" that might be needed. It is often difficult to find people in the right place at the right time who can translate from, for example, Danish into Greek, or Dutch into Portuguese, at a high professional standard.
In practice the problem has been less serious by the use of English in many contacts between EU officials , since almost all of them speak some English. However, any move to reduce the number of official languages (perhaps to four or five) would be a blow to the pride of the smaller countries. Another commonly suggested solution is to make English the official language for all EU business. However, this is strongly resisted by powerful member countries like France and Germany . | What's the main purpose of this passage? | To find out a problem and show how serious it is. | ['To show that the problem cannot be solved .', 'To criticize the European Union for inefficiency .', 'To give a solution to a problem .'] |
Michele Langlois is a young Canadian who works for the police as a handwriting expert. She has helped catch many criminals by using her special skill.
When she was only fourteen, Michel was already so interested in the differences in her school friends' handwriting that she would spend hours studying them. After finishing college she went to prefix = st1 /Francefor a special two-year class to learn how to analyze handwriting at theSchoolofPolice Science. On her return, she began her work for theQuebecpolice.
Michele says that it is impossible for people to disguise their handwriting. She can discover most of what she needs to know simply by looking at the writing with her own eyes, but she also has machines that help her analyze different kinds of paper and ink. This knowledge is often of help to the police.
Michele also believes that handwriting is a good sign of the kind of person the writer is. "I wouldn't go out with a fellow if I didn't like his handwriting," she says. But she adds that she fell in love with her future husband, William Smith before she studied his handwriting. _ later proved to be all right, however. | The best title for the text would be _ . | Handwriting Reader | ['Police Science', 'Friends of Police', 'Art of Handwriting'] |
In the neighborhood of the house upon which we made an offer , the association had apparently declared Yard Sale Day , so I stopped at a few , but nobody was selling anything I wanted , except four old , stout dining room chairs we do n't have room for . I bought nothing , and returned home . I ate a big lunch . | Why would the narrator feel the need to eat a big lunch ? | The narrator was tired from looking for bargains . | ['None of the above choices .', 'The narrator was tired from depriving themselves .', 'The narrator was tired from working out .'] |
When I was entering my Sophomore year in High School, we had just moved from a single 4-way stop-sign town, to a bigger city with actual city buses! In order to get to school, I had to ride a city bus for the 1st time, without information/assistance! I barely managed to squeeze in and had to stand on the step of the packed bus on the way to school. BTW, smoking was STILL happening on these buses! I noticed every time we went around a corner, it seemed a bell would ring. I falsely assumed it meant HANG ON! So, when it was time to return home, the bus was not as crowded, and I actually was able to sit down. Again, every time we turned the corner, a bell would ring. So I held on tight! As we neared my bus stop to get off, the bus whizzed past it, without stopping! Panic began to set in quickly. I already had a very strange, long day in a new 3 story school building, and I smelled like cigarette smoke! I quickly moved to the empty seat behind the driver, and told him he didn’t stop where I needed to get off. He asked me if I rang the bell. I admitted to him, I had no knowledge of riding on a city bus. He was kind, explained to pull the bell pull 1 block prior to my stop. He explained he would circle back around and I could get off at my stop on the return trip. I was SO relieved! However, now I was 1/2 hour late getting home, especially stressed and tired from the new school and bus fiasco, AND I smelled like cigarette smoke! When I walked into my house, I was immediately confronted on why was I late, why did I smell like smoke, etc.! I burst into tears, and had to tell about my horrible day, but I didn’t get into trouble! WHEW! | What did the writer smell like? | smoke | ['not enough information', 'cologne', 'body odor'] |
The Board Meeting had come to an end. Bob started to stand up and knocked into the table, spilling his coffee over his notes. "How embarrassing! I am getting so clumsy in my old age."
Everyone had a good laugh, and soon we were all telling stories of our most embarrassing moments. It came around to Frank, who sat quietly listening to the others. Someone said, "Come on, Frank. Tell us your most embarrassing moment."
Frank laughed and began to tell us of his childhood. "I grew up in San Pedro. My Dad was a fisherman, and he loved the sea. He had his own boat, but it was hard making a living on the sea. He worked hard and would stay out until he caught enough to feed the family. Not just enough for our family, but also for his Mom and Dad and the other kids that were still at home."
He looked at us and said, "I wish you could have met my Dad. He was a big man, and he was strong from pulling the nets and fighting the seas for his catch. When you got close to him, he smelled like the ocean. He would wear his old canvas, foul-weather coat and his bibbed overalls. His rain hat would be pulled down over his brow. No matter how much my mother washed them, they would still smell of the sea and of fish."
Frank's voice dropped a bit. "When the weather was bad he would drive me to school. He had this old truck that he used in his fishing business. That truck was older than he was. It would wheeze and rattle down the road. You could hear it coming for blocks. As he would drive toward the school, I would shrink down into the seat hoping to disappear. Half the time, he would slam to a stop and the old truck would belch a cloud of smoke. He would pull right up in front, and it seemed like everybody would be standing around and watching. Then he would lean over and give me a big kiss on the cheek and tell me to be a good boy. It was so embarrassing for me. Here, I was twelve years old, and my Dad would lean over and kiss me goodbye!"
He paused and then went on, "I remember the day I decided I was too old for a goodbye kiss. When we got to the school and came to a stop, he had his usual big smile. He started to lean toward me, but I put my hand up and said, "No, Dad." It was the first time I had ever talked to him that way, and he had this surprised look on his face. I said, "Dad, I'm too old for a goodbye kiss. I'm too old for any kind of kiss." My Dad looked at me for the longest time, and his eyes started to tear up. Then he turned and looked out of the windshield . "You're right," he said. " You are a big boy....a man. I won't kiss you anymore."
Frank got a funny look on his face, and the tears began to well up in his eyes, as he spoke. "It wasn't long after that when my Dad went to sea and never came back. It was a day when most of the fleet stayed in, but not Dad. He had a big family to feed. They found his boat adrift with its nets half in and half out. He must have gotten into a strong wind and was trying to save the nets and the floats."
I looked at Frank and saw that tears were running down his cheeks. Frank spoke again. "Guys, you don't know what I would give to have my Dad give me just one more kiss on the cheek...to feel his rough old face... to smell the ocean on him... to feel his arm around my neck. _ . If I had been a man, I would never have told my Dad I was too old for a goodbye kiss." | Which of the following may be the best title for this passage? | A Goodbye Kiss | ['The Smell of the Ocean', 'We All Need Love', "Father's Embarrassment"] |
One morning there was a massage on the answering machine from an angry customer, complaining about her lack of service----service that had been stopped because her check had bounced.
As it is my job to handle payments received, it was my duty to collect the check. As is often the case when a check bounces, I soon found that this woman's phone number was no longer in service. A check of the caller L.D told us the call had come from the manager's office of the apartment building where our customer lived. We left a message with the manager and within the hour our call was returned.
I told our customer gently, sympathetically that a check she had written had been returned for lack of funds. I told her I always want to let people know about returned checks quickly because the huge fees the bank charge can cause more checks to be returned and more fees to be charged. I told her I hope she could contact the bank and get things straightened out before her problem got worse. I also told her, gently once more, that I hated to add to her problem but she would owe us a fee because the bank charges us a fee when a check is returned.
She told me she had difficulties because of being on a fixed income and being in poor health. She told me she had no children but had raised several that belonged to her husband and after living with him thirty years he had left her for another woman.
Finally, after she had promised to pay, I told her not only do I care about her situation, but she taught me something. When a person is angry, there may be reasons you don't know about. If you don't react with anger, you may learn what the real problem is and may in some way be able to help, if only with a little sympathy. | What can we learn from the passage? | The woman had to pay the check as well as a fee for the returned check | ["The woman's husband passed away and left several children for her", 'The author will help the woman overcome her difficulties by paying for her', 'The check written by the woman had been returned because of the wrong number'] |
Two years ago, Wendy Hasnip, 47, experienced a brain injury that left her speechless for two weeks. When she finally recovered, she found herself talking with what seemed to be a French accent: "I phoned a friend the other day, and she spent the first ten minutes laughing," Hasnip said at the time. "While I have nothing against the French."
Hasnip suffered from foreign accent syndrome , a rare condition in which people find themselves speaking their own language Like someone from a foreign country. The condition usually occurs in people who have experienced a head injury or a stroke a sudden loss of consciousness, sensation, or movement caused by a blocked or broken blood vessel in the brain.
The condition was first identified during the Second World War in a Norwegian woman whose head was injured during an attack by the German military. The woman recovered but was left with a German-sounding accent, to the horror of fellow villagers who avoided her after that.
Researchers have discovered that the combined effect of the damage to several parts of the brain makes victims lengthen certain syllables, mispronounce sounds, and change,the normal pitch of their voice. Those changes in speech add up to what sounds like a foreign accent.
Another researcher, a phonetician ,says victims of the syndrome don't acquire a true foreign accent. Their strangely changed speech only resembles the foreign: accent with which it has a few sounds in common.
When an English woman named Annie recently developed foreign accent syndrome after a stroke, she spoke with what seemed to be a Scottish accent.
However, Annie's Scottish coworkers said she didn't sound at all like a Scot. | If a person suffers foreign accent syndrome _ . | his speech only has a few sounds in common with the foreign accent | ['his coworkers will be afraid of him and avoid contacting with him', 'he has more chance of suffering stroke again', "he will speak a fluent foreign language like native speakers'"] |
My decision to travel around China lay merely with my curiosity about the place. Before coming here, China seemed _ to me ----a place that expected to be hugely dissimilar from my own British culture.
After travelling from Beijing up to Xi'an, I wanted to challenge myself by choosing a smaller town----Xiahe in Gansu Province. I arrived in Lanzhou at around 5 am, but there were no buses to Xiahe. I managed to spot a policeman and attempted to explain my destination to him in simple English, praying that he would understand. I wasn't sure that he did but I just followed him anyway as I had no choice. He took me on a bus and I didn't know where I was going. Luckily, I met a student who explained to me in English that the policeman was taking me to another bus station where I could take a bus to Xiahe. During this conversation a third man said he was also a policeman and would help me buy tickets. But as he was not in uniform, I was a little doubtful. The uniformed policeman told me it was OK to go with the third man, so I got off the bus with the so-called policeman who at this point, disappeared and I was left in the middle of nowhere. I stood panicking. Around one minute later a police car came and stopped right by me. It was the un-uniformed policeman. I got into the car and he dropped me directly at the bus station, and helped me buy the ticket.
This is one of many experiences that I have had in China. I realized that however different this culture was, there was one thing that would always stand out--kindness. In the west we seem to lack the foundation of trust, yet in China it seems that there will always be someone to answer your questions and lead you the right way. | According to the text, what impressed the author deeply in China? | People's kindness. | ['Beautiful scenes.', 'Terrible transportation.', 'Troubles in small towns.'] |
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 . | Why is the narrator having to travel early before many fellow travelers ? | They have to get trained . | ['They are naturally early .', 'None of the above choices .', 'They are always early birds .'] |
Americans are less inclined to get married than at any time in US history, posing social and public-policy dilemmas and the threatening to dissolve the "glue" that connects fathers to their children, experts say.
A report released by the US National Marriage Project found "a rather weakening of the institution of marriage" in America. The researchers said the prefix = st1 /USmarriage rate has never been lower, births to unmarried women have skyrocketed, the divorce rate remains high and Americans' marriages are less happy than in the past.
"There is no known society that has got along without marriage and has done a decent job in rearing and sponsoring the next generation," said Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, US National Marriage Project co-director.
The crumbling of the institution of marriage should not be viewed as a kind social trend with no costs to society at large, added the project's other co-director, David Popenoe.
US government statistics cited in the Rutgers report detail a crisis in marriage whose origins can be traced back about 40 years. The report, citing census data ,said the marriage rate has quickly reduced by a third since 1960. It said there were about 73 marriages per 1,000 unmarried women aged 15 and up in 1960. In 1996, the last year for which such figures were available, the rate was about 49 per 1,000.
Popenoe said the USmarriage rate now has dropped below a previous historic low recorded at the turn of the century. He said several factors have something to do with the trend. One is that Americans are delaying marriage until they are older.
In 1960, the median age for first marriages was 20 for women and 23 for men. In 1997, with many college-educated Americans delaying marriage until their 30s, the median age rose to 25 for women and 27 for men, the report said.
"The later the marriage, by and large, the lower the (overall) marriage rate in the long run. In other words, people delay too long and then they decide not to marry after a while," Popenoe said.
In addition, many American women, particularly black women, are giving birth and raising children without getting married.
In 1960,5.3 percent of all USbabies were born to unwed mothers, according to government statistics. In 1997,32 percent of all babies were born to unmarried women-and a startling 69 percent of black babies had unwed mothers.
The percentage of USchildren living without their father present also has ballooned. In 1960, nine percent of children lived in a single-parent household. Last year, 28 percent of all children and 55 percent of all black children lived with a single parent. Children in single-parent households overwhelmingly live with their mothers, with fathers absent. | Which of the following can NOT be inferred from the figures provided in the passage? | The later the first marriage, the happier the marriage will be. | ['In the United States, more couples are experiencing marital crises than there used to be in the 1970s.', 'More and more people are giving birth to children without getting married.', 'More children are living in a single-parent household than there used to be.'] |
i made everything private because it did nt fit . i m trying too hard to be like n^1 and that s already very obvious . it frustrates me to be unable to speak for myself or recognize my own way of speaking . its almost contridictory , saying this , because i do recognize my own way of speaking , i just heavily admire the style and reasoning behind it . | Why has the narrator made their information private ? | The narrator is insecure over the quality . | ['None of the above choices .', 'The narrator is a recluse .', 'The narrator is a homebody .'] |
Testing has taken the place of teaching in most public schools. Pretests, drills, tests, and retests. They know that the best way to read a textbook is to look at the questions at the end of the chapter and then read the text quickly for the answers. I believe that my daughter Erica, who gets excellent marks, has never read a chapter of any of her school textbooks all the way through. And teachers are often heard to say proudly and openly that they teach to the test.
Teaching to the test is a curious phenomenon . Instead of deciding what skills students ought to learn, helping students learn them, and then using some methods of assessment to discover whether students have mastered the skills, teachers are encouraged to teach the students in the opposite way. First one looks at a test. Then one chooses the skills needed not to master reading, but to do well in the test. Finally, the test skills are taught.
The ability to read or write might suggest the ability to do reasonably well on standardized tests. However, neither reading nor writing develops simply through being taught to take tests. We must be careful to avoid mistaking preparations for a test of a skill with the acquisition of that skill. Too many discussions of basic skills make this misunderstanding because people are tested rather than concerned with the nature and quality of what is taught.
Recently, many schools have faced what could be called the crisis of comprehension or, in simple words, the phenomenon of students with grammar skills still being unable to understand what they read. These students are quite good at test taking and filling in workbooks. However, they have little or no experience reading or thinking, and talking about what they read. They know the details but can't see or understand the whole. They are taught to be so concerned with grades that they have no time to think about meaning, and reread things if necessary. | The author mentions Erica's performance in her study in order to show _ . | the improper way of teaching | ['her cleverness in test taking', 'the good way to take tests', 'the best way to read textbooks'] |
Register in person, by phone 264-8833, or by mail. Use form given.
178 IN Winchester St., Chicago
Basic Photography This is an eight-hour course for beginners who want to learn how to use a 35mm camera. The teacher will cover such areas as kinds of film, light and lenses . Bring your own 35mm camera to class. Course charge: $50.Jan. 10,12,17,19, Tues & Thurs. 6:00-8:00 pm. Marianne Adams is a professional photographer whose photographs appear in many magazines.
Understanding Computers This twelve-hour course is for people who do not know much about computers, but need to learn about them. You will learn what computers are, what they can and can't do, and how to use them. Course charge: $75. Equipment charge: $10. Jan.14, 21, 28, Sats. 7:00-10:30pm. Joseph Saimders is Professor of Computer Science at New Urban University. He has over twelve years of experience in the computer field.
Stop Smoking Do you want to stop smoking? Have you already tried to stop and failed? Now it's the time to stop smoking using the latest methods. You can stop smoking, and this twelve-hour course will help you do it. Course charge: $30. Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25, Wedns. 4:00-7:00pm. Dr John Goode is a practicing psychologist who has helped hundreds of people stop smoking.
Typing This course on week-days is for those who want to learn to type, as well as those who want to improve their typing. You are tested in the first class and practice at one of eight different skill levels. This allows you to learn at your own speed. Each program lasts 20 hours. Bring your own paper. Course charge: $125. Material charge: $25. Two hours each evening for two weeks. New classes begin every two weeks. This course is taught by a number of business education teachers who have successfully taught typing courses before.
Oil painting Oil paint is easy to use once you learn the basics. When you enroll at this oil painting course, you will learn to draw and learn to paint using many oil painting techniques under complete guidance and instruction. Together with the teacher's knowledge and your passion-we'll unlock your creativity and develop your potential! Course charge: $35. Jan. 5, 12, 19, 26, Thurs. 2:00-5:00 pm. Ralf Ericssion has taught beginners to masters and he has learned that everything builds on just a few basic concepts that he will show you here.
Singing This course shows you how to deliver an accomplished vocal performance on stage and in the studio. Develop your vocal talents with professional warm-up routines and learn vocal techniques to gain confidence in your performance. You'll learn to perform classic songs before exploring your own songwriting ideas with a tutor. And finally you'll get the chance to record in a professional studio. Singing tuition may be in groups or one-to-one. We have Choral singing, Gospel singing, Folk singing and many other styles of song. All styles are welcome and no previous experience is required. Please read on for course contents and reviews from our students. Course charge: $90. Jan. 10, 12, 17, 19, Tues. & Thurs. 5:30-8:30pm. Peter Syrus is a Grammy award winning tutor. | If you want to take the oil painting course, you should _ . | have free time in the afternoon of every Thursday in January | ['know that oil painting is not so easy to learn', 'master some basic oil painting techniques beforehand', 'contact the teacher Ralf Erission for your enrollment'] |
Some teachers are unforgettable. They lead by example and never lose their smile. They change lives. Eileen Madden is one of them.
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"It's a joy to get up early every morning to be the first one here," say the 55-year-old Holy Ghost School third grade teacher. Madden arrives shortly after 6 am to prepare her classroom and work on the school breakfast program.
"My family all went to St. Teresa's School," she says. "I always said, 'One day, I'm going to come back and get one of those big desks.'"
With a watchful eye always on the lookout for "one of those big desks", Madden returned to St. Teresa after graduating from college and taught second grade at the Olneyville neighborhood elementary school until it was burnt in a fire in 1990 and had to be closed. Madden then went to Holy Ghost School where she started as a second-grade teacher and then moved up one grade level.
"I take care of setting up and serving breakfast," she says. "In winter it is still dark when I arrive here." Madden praises Holy Ghost School Principal Carol Soltys and the school's workers for their continued support. "It's a family," she said.
Her class is small this year with 15 students, including some from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Haiti, Guatemala, Nigeria and Ghana. Madden admits that she's encouraged by her former students, now grown-ups, who want their own children to enjoy a similar experience in a safe, good environment. "They tell others, 'I send my child to Eileen Madden's School, '" she adds. | What does Eileen Madden most probably think of the workers of Holy Ghost School? | Kind and helpful. | ['Lazy but kind', 'Careful but helpless', 'Hard to get along with'] |
Crossing Texas and Mexico, the Big Bend region is high in biodiversity . It's a place so _ that if something doesn't bite, stick, or sting, it's probably a rock.
You know you have arrived in the heart of the Chihuahuan Desert when it feels as if you have fallen off the edge of the earth and into the rabbit hole. Nothing is as it appears. Moths are the size of birds. Are those twin pillars of black rock (a landmark known as Mule Ear Peaks) ten miles (16 kilometers) away or fifty (80 kilometers)? Visibility reaches more than a hundred miles on a clear day, and since there are few roads or buildings to use as milestones, distance is difficult to judge.
This is a place where water runs uphill, where rainbows have to wait for rain. The line between myth and reality is unclear. Stare long enough at the Chisos Mountains or the Sierra del Carmen, the two mountain ranges, known as sky islands, which lie on the land, and they rise and float above the plain.
The vast Chihuahuan Desert is a land of no people. There is always the chance you'll die of thirst. The "You Can Die"possibilities are endless, and keep some visitors -- 350,000 a year to Big Bend National Park, built in 1944 -- from coming back. Those who do return are left to think of the remarkable courage of the brave few who have managed to survive in this terrible environment. | Why do the twin pillars of black rock seem ten or fifty miles away? | It is difficult to judge the distance, with few milestones. | ['They were put so far away.', 'They lie across the Chihuahuan Desert.', 'One lies in the Chisos Mountains, the other in the Sierra del Carmen.'] |
A few years ago I was given the opportunity to ride a Campagnolo equipped bicycle owned by my boss at the shop I was working at . I had always been drawn to Campy equipment due to , in my opinion , it 's superior aesthetics at the time . I took a quick spin on that bike and was instantly sold on the crisp shifting and superior ergonomics of the shifters and consequently vowed that my next bike would be Campagnolo equipped . | What does the narrator hope to someday own ? | A Campagnolo bicycle | ['None of the above choices .', 'A Campagnolo automobile', 'A Campagnolo motorcycle'] |
"How do you account for your remarkable achievements in life?" Queen Victoria of England asked Helen Keller. "How do you explain the fact that even though you were both blind and deaf, you were able to achieve so much?"
Ms. Keller's answer is a tribute to her dedicated teacher. "If it had not been for Anne Sullivan, the name of Helen Keller would have remained unknown."
According to speaker Zig Ziglar, "Little Annie" Sullivan, as she was called when she was young, was no stranger to hardship. She was almost sightless herself (due to a childhood fever) and was, at one time, diagnosed as hopelessly "insane" by her by caregivers. She was locked in the basement of a mental institution outside of Boston. On occasion, Little Annie would violently attack anyone who came near. Most of the time she generally ignored everyone in her presence.
An elderly nurse believed there was hope, however, and she made it her mission to show love to the child. Every day she visited Little Annie. For the most part, the child did not acknowledge the nurse's presence, but she still continued to visit. The kind woman left cookies for her and spoke words of love and encouragement. She believed Little Annie could recover, if only she were shown love.
Eventually, doctors noticed a change in the girl. Where they once witnessed anger and hostility , they now noted an emerging gentleness and love. They moved her upstairs where she continued to improve. Then the day finally came when this seemingly "hopeless" child was released.
Anne Sullivan grew into a young woman with a desire to help others as she, herself, was helped by the kindly nurse. It was she who saw the great potential in Helen Keller. She loved her, disciplined her, played with her, pushed her and worked with her until the flickering candle that was her life became a beacon of light to the world. Anne Sullivan worked wonders in Helen's life, but it was a loving nurse who first believed in Little Annie and lovingly transformed an uncommunicative child into a _ teacher.
"If it had not been for Anne Sullivan, the name of Helen Keller would have remained unknown." But if it had not been for a kind and dedicated nurse, the name of Anne Sullivan would have remained unknown. And so it goes. Just how far back does the chain of redemption extend? And how for forward will it lead?
Those you have sought to reach, whether they be in your family or elsewhere, are part of a chain of love that can extend through the generations. Your influence on their lives, whether or not you see results, is immeasurable. Your legacy of dedicated kindness and caring can transform lost and hopeless lives for years to come. | Which of the following words can describe the elderly nurse? | optimistic and loving | ['kind and stubborn', 'persistent and dull', 'courageous and talkative'] |
Jon's back ached. Frost had come early this year and the ground broke like stone. Jon had spent eight seasons breaking this ground to plant spring's crops and every year it got harder. Sweat beaded on his brow and he felt his cotton shirt stick to his skin under his coat. Jon took off his soft-brimmed hat and wiped his forehead. He examined the hat as he let his breath return.
The hat had kept the burning sun and beating rain off his head for as long as Jon owned the farm. He wore it every day. It had been a gift given to him on the day he married Alasandra but he could not remember who gave it to him. Jon put it back on his head and pushed the tiller deep into the stubborn earth.
Daven ran over the hill and down the cart path leading to their small cobblestone house. The boy had only left a short while ago and he held no sack with the bread and cheese his mother had told him to buy. Jon furrowed his brow. The boy continued to run and soon the wind carried his cry to his father's ears.
"Papa! A carriage is coming! Two horses!"
Jon's furrowed brow remained. Surely the boy meant a cart from a neighboring farm. No carriage made it out this far.
"It's from the city! A soldier drives it!"
Jon felt ice water flow over him. He turned to the house.
"Sandra! Get the musket out of the pantry!"
Jon saw his wife's face appear at one foggy window. Jon gestured wildly at her.
"Get it!"
They were too late. As Daven reached Jon, the black carriage already approached. A single figure sat on the bench, guiding the two brown horses down Jon's path. | At the end of this text what is the relationship between Jon and the single figure? | bad | ['they are good friends', 'brothers', 'not enough information'] |
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Theatrical Release Date: July 1, 2011
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director: Michael Bay
Genre : Action--Adventure--Sequel-- Sci-Fi-- 3D
The Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, are back in action, taking on the evil Deceptions. The Autobots and Deceptions become involved in a dangerous space race. The Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft on the Moon and must race against the Deceptions to find its secrets, which could turn the tide in the Transformers' final battle. Shockwave, a longtime "Transformers" character, rules Cybertron while the Autobots and Deceptions battle it out on Earth.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II
Theatrical Release Date: July 15, 2011
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: David Yates
Genre: Action--Adventure--Sequel--Fantasy--3D
In part II, the battle between the good and evil forces of the Wizarding world evolves into an all-out war. This final adventure continues Harry, Ron, and Hermione's attempt to find and destroy Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes. Harry Potter is called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice to bring an end to his nemesis.
Winnie the Pooh
Theatrical Release Date: July 15, 2011
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Director: Don Hall, Stephen J. Anderson
Genre: Sequel--Family Animation
Winnie the Pooh is a 2011 American traditionally animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Based upon the characters of the children's books Winnie-the-Pooh, The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne and Return to the Hundred Acre Wood by David Benedictus, the film features two previously unadapted stories from the original books.
In the movie, Owl sends the whole gang to save Christopher Robin from an imaginary bad character, and it turns out to be a very busy day for Winnie the Pooh who simply set out to find some honey. | Who might be most interested in the Movie Express of Winnie the Pooh? | Families with children. | ['Would-be parents.', "Writers of children's books.", 'Honey lovers.'] |
Even before my father left us, my mother had to go back to work to support our family. Once I came out of the kitchen, complaining, "Mom, I can't peel(......) potatoes. I have only one hand."
Mom never looked up from sewing. "You get yourself into that kitchen and peel those potatoes," she told me. "And don't ever use that as an excuse for anything again!"
In the second grade, our teacher lined up my class on the playground and had each of us race across the monkey bars, swinging from one high steel rod to the next. When it was my turn, I shook my head. Some kids behind me laughed, and I went home crying.
That night I told Mom about it. She hugged me, and I saw her "we'll see about that" look. The next afternoon, she took me back to school. At the deserted playground, Mom looked carefully at the bars.
"Now, pull up with your right arm," she advised. She stood by as I struggled to lift myself with my right hand until I could hook the bar with my other elbow . Day after day we practiced, and she praised me for every rung I reached. I'll never forget the next time, crossing the rungs, I looked down at the kids who were standing with their mouths open.
One night, after a dance at my new junior high, I lay in bed sobbing. I could hear Mom come into my room. "Mom," I said, weeping, "none of the boys would dance with me."
For a long time, I didn't hear anything. Then she said, "Oh, honey, someday you'll be beating those boys off with a bat." Her voice was faint. I peeked out from my covers to see tears running down her cheeks. Then I knew how much she suffered on my behalf . She had never let me see her tears. | What does the sentence "I saw her 'we'll see about that' look" imply ? | Mom believed every aim could be achieved if you stuck to it. | ['The race across monkey bars was not difficult enough for a child to give up.', 'Mom was determined to prove she herself was better than the teacher.', 'What the child had said brought Mom great attraction and curiosity.'] |
American culture is unique because it is formed and developed under certain conditions. The major factors contributing to the making of this new nation and the forming of a new culture are the hard environment, ethnic diversity (;) and plural religion, which is quite different from other nations in the world. What is more, these elements are still influencing the American culture.
The early immigrants who were English Puritans settled down in northeast part of America from 1607 to 1892. Frontiers were pushed further west. The frontiersmen looked for a land of rich resources and a land of promise, opportunity and freedom. Actually they looked for a better life. So individualism , self-reliance, and equality of opportunity have perhaps been the values most closely associated with the frontier heritage of America.
In history, people from different countries in the world rushed to America three times. They brought their own culture to America and later on, different cultures were mixed together. Thus the unique American culture was formed, a common cultural life with commonly shared values.
The fundamental American belief in individual freedom and the fight of individuals to practice their own religion is at the center of religious experience in the United States. The great diversity of ethnic backgrounds has produced religious pluralism ; almost all of the religions of the world are now practiced in the United States.
Nowadays, we can see the continual influence of the three elements in the current American society. American family is typically parents and their unmarried children. Middle-aged and elderly people generally do not live with their married children. The people in America have a very strong desire to start a new life in a new place. Quite a number of people change residences every year. The average American moves fourteen times in his lifetime. | What's the author's attitude towards American culture? | He just states the facts. | ['He is critical of it.', 'He admires it very much.', 'He looks down upon it.'] |
In recent years, a growing body of research has shown that our appetite and food intake are influenced by a large number of factors besides our biological need for energy, including our eating environment and our perception of the food in front of us.
Studies have shown. for instance. that eating in front of the TV (or a similar distraction) can increase both hunger and the amount of food consumed. Even simple visual cues( ). like plate size and lighting, have been shown to affect portion size and consumption.
A new study suggested that our shot-term memory also may play a role in appetite. Several hours after a meal, people's hunger levels were predicted not by how much they'd eaten but rather by how much food they'd seen in front of them --- in other words, how much they remembered eating.
This difference suggests the memory of our previous meal may have a bigger influence on our appetite than the actual size of the meal. says Jeffrey M . Brunstrom , a professor of experimental psychology at the University of Bristol.
"Hunger isn't. controlled solely by the physical characteristics of a recent meal. We have identified an independent role for memory for that meal." Brunstrom says. "This shows that the relationship between hunger and food intake is more complex than we thought."
These findings echo earlier research that suggests our perception of food can sometimes trick our body's response to the food itself. In a 2011 study, for instance, people who drank the same 380-calorie milkshake on two separate occasions produced different levels of hunger-related hormones, depending on whether the shake's label said it contained 620 0r 140 calories. Moreover, the participants reported feeling more full when they thought they'd consumed a higher-calorie shake.
What does this means for our eating habits? Although it hardly seems practical to trick ourselves in to eating less, the new findings do highlight the benefits of focusing on our food avoiding TV and multitasking while eating.
The so-called mindful-eating strategies can fight distractions and help us control our appetite, Brunstrom says. | What would happen at meal time if you remembered eating a lot in the previous meal? | You would not feel so hungry. | ['You would probably be more picky about food.', 'You would not feel like eating the same food.', 'You would have a good appetite.'] |
Use the spoon to cut the tomatoes in half and stir well and bring to a boil . Add the yogurt , stir and add the chicken and stir well . Bring back to a boil , stir , and then cover and turn down to a simmer and cook about an hour or until the chicken is tender . Stir in the garam masala and cook a bit longer . | What might the person do before this event . | Pick up supplies at the market . | ['Ordered chicken masala from the menu .', 'They had already filled up on yogurt and tomatoes .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
I had a big case of birthday blues yesterday , did n't want to celebrateat all , but I must admit I enjoyed my phone bleeping constantly . Andthe evening actually turned out to be fun . I ended up having a teawith a friend at Noobai after work , and on our way there we hadpassed this sushi restaurant where you pay 10 euros and can it all youwant . And I had felt like sushi for ages , so we eventually had dinnerthere . | What are Birthday Blues ? | It means you are feeling older and unloved and do n't want to think about getting older . | ['It means you want blue clothes', 'You want to have someone sing happy birthday in Chicago Blues style', 'It means you have a case of craving blue birthday cake .'] |
Here is a true story about a famous man who worked in the White House and a criminal. They once faced the same thing: their mother gave them apples when they were young.
The criminal said: one day, my mother brought some apples and asked my brother and me: "Which do you want?" "The reddest and biggest one," my little brother said. My mother stared at him and said to him angrily: "You should learn to give the good things to others; you shouldn't always think of yourself." Seeing this, I suddenly changed my idea and then said to my mother: "Mum, please give me the smaller one and give the bigger one to my little brother." Hearing my words, my mother was very happy. She kissed me on my face and gave the reddest and biggest apple to me as a prize. From then on, I learned to tell lies, fight, steal and rob. In order to get what I wanted, I played hard. As a result, I was sent into prison.
The famous man from the White House said: One day, my mother brought some apples. She said to my brother and me: "You all want the reddest and biggest one, right? Well, let's have a competition. Now I divide the grassland in front of the gate into two and I will give one to each of you and you must shear it well. And I will give the reddest and biggest apple to him who does it the most quickly and best."
After the competition, I won and I got the biggest apple. In our family, as long as you want to get the best things, you must take part in competition. I think it is fair. No matter what you want, you must pay lots of efforts. | The writer tells the story by _ . | making a comparison between two men | ['organizing it in the order of time', 'providing some scientific information', 'describing it in the order of space'] |
A woman in Santa Fe, New Mexico, left her home early to go to work on a Thursday morning, but after twenty minutes' drive her car suddenly broke down. Fortunately, at that moment, a kind man named Jackson Auk coming, helped her pull the car over, but when he opened the hood of the car he didn't find a dead battery. Instead, he found a living snake, 9 - foot, 20 - pound, "It was looking right at me. It flicked its little tongue, and I was a little frightened "Jackson Ault said.
So Ault and the woman called the local police to get help. The first officer on the scene didn't know how to control the snake like most people and was not brave at that moment. But then the police - Lt. Louis Carlos showed up and the story suddenly became much less frightening and more delightful.
"Cool, I wanted to hold it!" Carlos told a local TV reporter about his reaction to seeing the snake. "It was easy for me to go there, pick it up, hold it and let the snake feel the warmth of my hands and my body."
After comforting the snake, Carlos called Animals Control Service, which brought the snake to the Santa Fe Animal Shelter.
One people from the center said the snake was not dangerous and it was like a pet that wanted to escape from its owner's home. It was also just a baby, only halfway toward her estimated adult length. They said it almost certainly crawled on the top of the car's engine to seek warmth and shelter.
"We had a lot of fun with it today - everyone there wanted to challenge their courage and handle the snake," people could read these words on the Santa Fe Animal Shelter's Facebook page.
In fact, not everyone thought that way. "I was hesitant to open my own hood even though that sounds ridiculous," Ault said. | Jackson Auh thought at first that the woman's car _ . | had had a battery problem | ['had been short of gas', 'had had an engine problem', 'had been damaged by a snake'] |
Planning for the weather
No matter what time of year you vacation in San Diego, be sure to bring a light jacket or sweater and bring shorts. During our summer months, we have warm days but cool evenings, especially if you are near the ocean. Those cool evenings can feel cold and fresh if you are visiting from someplace that is typically hot and damp all summer. And during our winter months, we can have days that reach 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius). In fact, our winter months are the sunniest months of the year along the San Diego coast.
How to get around San Diego
Deciding whether you need to rent a car for your visit to San Diego? If you are planning to visit attractions in and around downtown San Diego, including SeaWorld, San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, Old Town, Coronado, and the Gaslamp Quarter, all of these attractions can be readily accessed by public transportation assuming the hotel or place you are staying in is close to a bus or trolley stop. Tour guests comment on how easy it is to use our transportation system, how clean it is, and the low cost for a one-day or multi-day pass that works on both buses and trolleys. However, if you are going to visit attractions further away from downtown San Diego such as the Safari Park or Legoland or if you want to visit our local mountains or desert, we recommend a car rental.
How to make time for all the things to do
Our final tip for now is to plan ahead. Unlike most cities where there may be a few concentrated tourist areas and it's easy to find things as you go, San Diego offers hundreds of attractions and guests tell us they are overwhelmed and certainly didn't plan enough time once they find how much there is to do in San Diego.
Many guests visit San Diego as part of an extended trip that includes San Francisco and Los Angeles. They often plan fewer days in San Diego because they assume it is the smallest city with the least to offer only to say they wished they had planned more days in San Diego because it offers more things to do in a much more relaxing environment. By planning ahead you can also get discounts for various attractions. For example you can save a lot of money at SeaWorld if you buy your tickets in advance online, at a visitor center or through your hotel. Another reason to plan ahead is that some attractions close early or get sold out since San Diego is a big destination for major conventions and big companies bringing in employees from around the world for special events in beautiful, sunny San Diego. | Why may some guests feel regretful when they arrive in San Diego? | Because they haven't planned enough time to visit the city. | ["Because they can't find cheap and fine hotels to stay in.", 'Because there are fewer tourist attractions than expected.', 'Because the transportation system there is unsatisfactory.'] |
The TV is always on and the staff can usually be found playing cards at a small table in the room . Typical scenes were captured by the security cameras on April the 28th and 29th . The hospital staff is seen playing cards , laughing and talking . A TV is going in the background . | What is the relevance of the details of staff playing cards and watching TV ? | It intimates that they are distracted and not spending time doing their job . | ['It offers up a record of what shows were on TV during that date .', 'None of the above choices .', 'It proves they are leading a gambling ring and betting on the patients lives .'] |
Today my job sucked . I got mauled by kids ... literally . Those little shits are lucky I love them and my job so much . I must be crazy to put up with some of the shit I do and still come back for more . | Why does the narrator have some bruises and cuts ? | The narrator was attacked by children . | ['None of the above choices .', 'The narrator was attacked by a robber .', 'The narrator was attacked by a dog .'] |
Are you reading this while sitting in an office cubicle ? If so, please take a moment and glance around you. Are there photos of your last vacation hung on the wall? One of your kid's drawings? A yellowed print of a favorite cartoon?
If so, you are doing something good for both yourself and your organization. Newly published research suggests working in an environment that offers little privacy can lead to emotional exhaustion and burnout . But personalizing one's workplace is an effective protection against such unwanted outcomes.
"Individuals may take comfort from the items with which they surround themselves at work, and these items may help employees to keep emotional energy high in the face of stresses that come from their work," writes a research team led by Gregory Laurence of the University of Michigan-Flint, Michigan, in north central U.S.
In the Journal of Environmental Psychology, Laurence and his colleagues describe a study featuring 87 white-collar employees at a large, urban university in the Midwestern United States.
Research assistants noted whether they worked in a private office (with a door that can be closed) or a cubicle. They also counted the number of items each worker had brought from home to decorate his or her workspace - a list that included photographs, posters, artworks.
Not surprisingly, Laurence and his colleagues found a connection between the amount of privacy an employee enjoys and his or her rate of burnout. "High privacy conditions tend to serve as strong protectors against unwelcome interferences and distractions ," they noted, "contributing to a work environment supporting reduced emotional exhaustion."
But this link disappeared when those employees had personalized their cubicles. Employees who had turned their workspaces into areas that reflect their interests and personalities reported the same (relatively low) level of emotional exhaustion, no matter whether they worked in an office or a cubicle.
The research confirms "the calming effect" of having your own stuff around you. So if you're feeling exhausted at work, relief could be as simple as hanging a few of your kindergartener's colorful creations on your cubicle wall. | The participant of the research _ . | may work in a private office or in a cubicle | ['come from the university of Michigan-Flint', 'all suffer high levels of emotional exhaustion', 'like personalizing their homes with little items'] |
I’ve often been asked, “What is a blog?” This is my attempt to answer that question in a simple way.
The word blog is short for web log and although the quick answer for me would be “a web journal” or “online diary,” I think blogs encompass more than that.
Blogs are platforms for people to write about pretty much anything and everything. I was first introduced to the concept when a few friends starting writing family blogs as a way to keep in touch with distant friends and relatives or keep up with documenting their lives for themselves or their children. Sort of like a modern day scrapbook or baby book.
Then, I followed a couple friends as they blogged about traveling around America. One’s purpose was to find a small town to settle in and the other’s purpose was to kill time while unemployed and waiting for a call to serve as a minister.
Now I follow all sorts of blogs. There are blogs about dogs, traveling, kids, cooking, religion, fitness, politics, crafts, parenting, writing, educating, interior design, you name it! There are even blogs about blogging!
Individuals run blogs. Groups of friends run blogs. Businesses run blogs. Religious institutions run blogs.
Blogs are a way for people to connect over certain topics and interests, socializing in the ever-growing blogosphere. Chances are, you’ve read blog posts without even realizing it. Most look like an article you’d find on any website. But blog posts typically have a personal touch.
They’re a wonderful way for people to share tips, tricks, tutorials, inspiration, and more with others.
If you want a more thorough definition of the term blog, this one is from Wikipedia.
Blogs are also a way for businesses to advertise through honest reviews and giveaways. They partner up with bloggers to spread the word about their products or services. So, some bloggers are also advertisers. | How was the writer introduced to blogs? | when friends began writing family blogs | ['when friends were distant', 'not enough information', 'when a minister was killing time'] |
Once I invited a group of friends round to my house, telling them that I was going to record their speech. I said I was interested in their regional accents, and that it would take only a few minutes. Thus, on one evening, three people turned up at my house and were shown into my front room. When they saw the room they were a bit alarmed, for it was laid out as a studio. In front of each easy chair there was a microphone at head height, with wires leading to a tape-recorder in the middle of the floor. I explained that all I wanted was for them to count from one to twenty. Then we could relax and have a drink.
I turned on the tape-recorder and each in turn seriously counted from one to twenty in their best accent. When it was over, I turned the tape-recorder off and brought round the drinks, and for the rest of the evening there was general cheerful conversation--interrupted only by the fact that I had to take a telephone call in another room, which unfortunately lasted some time.
Or at least that was how it would appear. For, of course, the microphones were not connected to the tape-recorder in the middle of the room at all but to another one, which was turning happily away in the kitchen. The participants, having seen the visible tape-recorder turned off, paid no more attention to the microphones which stayed in front of their chairs, only a few inches from their mouths, thus giving excellent sound quality. And my lengthy absence meant that I was able to obtain as natural a piece of conversation as it would be possible to find.
I should add, perhaps, that I did tell my friends what had happened to them, after the event was over, and gave them the choice of destroying the tape. None of them wanted to--though for some years afterwards it always seemed to be my round when it came to the buying of drinks. Linguistic research can be a very expensive business. | The writer asked his friends to count from one to twenty because _ . | he wanted his friends to think that was all he wanted to record | ['he wanted to record the numbers for his research', 'he wanted to find out whether the tape recorder was working', 'he wanted to make his friends relax before real recording started'] |
I wanted to tell her that she was the one thing I had hoped to see after the Ellimist had talked to me . I wanted to tell her how proud of her I was , how proud to have been her friend , her confidante . I wanted to say a lot , but my tongue was heavy and swollen . | What will happen when the narrator talks to the subject . | The narrator will have a deep conversation with her . | ['The narrator will keep it light and simple .', 'None of the above choices .', 'The narrator will talk about casual subjects with them .'] |
Heather Mills McCartney lives an admirable life, attending celebrity parties, meeting regularly with the rich and famous and doing meaningful work for charity. All who work with her admire and respect her. But Heather's life hasn't always been so easy. When Heather was only 9 years old, her mother abandoned her and her two brothers. At the age of 13, she ran away from home and ended up living on the streets in London. Eventually, however, her exceptional beauty led to a career in modeling. At that time, Heather also began helping with the war relief efforts in former Yugoslavia. Through her modeling and relief work, she soon became famous.
But in August 1993, at age 25 her life changed once again. She was crossing the street in London when a motorcycle crashed into her. She was so badly injured that the doctors had to cut off her left leg. After that, she discovered she frequently needed to change her artificial limbs. It was expensive and she felt it was a waste to just throw away the old one. It occurred to her to set up an organization that could deliver used artificial limbs to Yugoslavia and other war-torn countries. It was through her charity work that she met her husband Paul McCartney.
Throughout her life, Heather has risen above problems and focused on helping others. Her work with artificial limbs even earned her a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996. Heather's persistence and determination are what impresses anyone who knows her. Heather believes anyone can make a positive difference in the world. | This passage is mainly about _ . | Heather's contribution to the world | ["Heather's miserable life", "Heather's success in her work", "Heather's belief in life"] |
Allen : I've never been a big fan of the bears ,especially the vacation show .On my last trip to Disneyland (1999) we passed it by ,because we didn't want to spend the time on something we didn't really enjoy. If we'd known it would be closed by our next visit, I'm sure we would have watched it one more time. I was just making the point that it wasn't until Disney announced the closing that this feeling suddenly sprang up for the Country Bear show at Disneyland.
But I think the idea of keeping some attractions open forever regardless of the number of visitors it gets is a mistake .We all have great memories of the Bears ,but clearly very few kids today (or I should say families today) are making those same memories from this show . That may be a sad fact ,but it's a fact. For whatever reason, the show doesn't pull in the numbers. Isn't it right to use the Country Bear space to bring in a more popular attraction so that more kids today can make those magic memories of an attraction THEY like? Otherwise aren't we just telling kids today that they "have to" make great memories of the Bears ,when it's obvious that the kids themselves are not enjoying the Bears like we did?
Roger: I am very disappointed that they have decided to retire the Country Bear Playhouse. I remember going to the show as a child ,and still enjoyed it as a teenager, and now young adult .It is true that there aren't a lot of shows left at DL and with this one closing even less .Being at DL does require a lot of walking ,and it is nice to have a few attractions that are a place to sit and enjoy a good show. I understand that DL has to develop ,but there has to be some history to the Disneyland that Walt Disney first designed .There should be some parts of DL that just never go away ,and this is one of them . By the time I have children it looks like there won't be any attractions that I can say I went to as a child at the rate they are going.
Now the Bears are leaving .What I want to say is : stop trying to compete with everyone! DL is the best ,because of attractions like the Country Bears. If DL insists on destroying all of its magic to make way for the latest ,well ,then it might as well be just another theme park. | Where can this passage be found? | In a web discussion zone. | ['In a suggestion book.', 'In a report on the popularity of the Country Bears.', "In high school students' compositions."] |
Eating less food at night time is sensible advice for someone trying to lose weight. The reason often given is that if eat you too much food at night, the body will store all those excess kilojoules as fat because we’re inactive until the next day.
The reason sounds plausible, but if it was one hundred percent true then world hunger could be solved by just feeding people one meal at night time. What really matters is how much is eaten over days and weeks for weight gain or weight loss, not so much when it is eaten.
There is merit though in advice to eat less at night time as it can help a person to cut back on the total quantity of food eaten. Eating lots of food in the evening can also be a marker for unhealthy dietary habits, especially if much of that extra food is going to fuel couch surfing exploits.
So even though advice to eat less at night time seems logical, it hasn’t actually been well tested by science to see how effective it can be for losing weight. Filling this gap, a short-term study involving 29 healthy men looked at how 2 weeks of restricted night time eating fared against 2 weeks of ‘normal’ evening eating.
Advice on restricting night eating was very clear: avoid any food or drink containing kilojoules between the hours of 7 pm and 6 am the next morning. No other changes to the participants’ diet or lifestyle was required so each person was free to eat whatever they wished during the day time hours until early evening. Twenty seven of the twenty nine people complied with following this advice for 2 weeks as well as the 2 week control period.
Eating at night a waistline hazard
So did people eat less when restricting night time eating? Yes, equal to 1000 kilojoules (about 250 Calories) per day less than during their normal eating pattern. This small energy difference was enough to see the men lose 0.4 kg over the 2 week restriction period, and gain 0.6 kg over the 2 week control period. | What is probably true about food consumed in excess by people? | those people probably live in wealthier countries | ['those people probably have limited access to food so splurge when they can', 'not enough information', 'those people probably live in farming countries'] |
Manny had Bob Marley cranking on the stereo, his van was full of passengers, and the air conditioning was working after a long week of giving him trouble. The sun beat down on the wet-looking asphalt road that ran along the harbor, next to the concrete waterfront. It curved along in front of the brightly colored Dutch Colonial warehouses of Charlotte Amalie, which were now converted restaurants and jewel shops. Tourists in day-glo shirts and daubs of sunscreen rubbed over peeling skin crowded both sides of the waterfront road. Manny slowed somewhat, keeping an eye on them. On the sidewalk by the shops a tall black man stood by a food cart. The hand-painted wooden sign hanging from the cart's side had faded letters. The man wore a grand suit with tails, like an orchestra conductor, and a top hat perched on his shaved head. A cigar burned in his mouth. For a brief second he held Manny's attention. Then the food cart's owner stepped forward and the strangely dressed man disappeared. Manny looked at the other side of the road. A white girl with oval shaped sunglasses and pink leather pants stepped off the sidewalk into the road in front of his van. He slammed on the brakes, trying to dodge her, but the van couldn't respond that fast. Her ponytail flew up towards the windshield and her head struck the star-shaped hood ornament. She bounced along the asphalt. Manny weaved the van to a stop, with swearing from the passengers in the back. He opened the door and stepped out into the heat. Get up, stand up, the radio cried out, and that was what Manny hoped would happen. He hoped that she would at least just stir and be okay. But she just lay there. | Who is the girl? | not enough information | ['She is related to the food cart man', 'She is a student', 'She lives around that area'] |
I had n't thought about the little title of the blog I push my thoughts into . " Mike 's Space " . I looked at that the other day and felt it sucked a whole lot . " Space " has been taken over by MySpace and anything attached to social networking . | What does the narrator like to do in their spare time ? | They like to scribble down thoughts . | ['None of the above choices .', 'They like to be on social networking sites .', 'They like to hang with their friend Mike .'] |
SEOUL — The U.S. and South Korea remain united in pursing a diplomatic solution to end the North Korean nuclear threat, but their national security priorities may differ over what would be the role of the U.S. military in Korea after a denuclearization deal is reached.
“That is going to be the moment of truth, so to speak, when the United States and South Korea will have to agree on what kind of security alliance we want to maintain moving forword,” said Go Myong-Hyun, a North Korea analyst at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday revived the June 12 Singapore summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, eight days after canceling it. Trump said he was convinced of Kim’s commitment to denuclearization by the renewed diplomatic talks that included a visit to Washington by Kim Yong Chol, the North’s former intelligence chief, who carried a letter from the North Korean leader.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has been influential in facilitating the U.S.-North Korea summit, in getting Kim to agree to the broad goal of denuclearization, and in urging Trump to stay committed to the diplomatic process to resolve differences with North Korea.
President Trump seems to be leaning now towards Moon’s approach versus the more confrontational stance advocated by some of his security team in demanding that North Korea unilaterally and completely disarm before any concessions are granted.
Friday Trump downplayed expectations for a major breakthrough at the summit, saying it will be the beginning of a process. He also backed away from his “maximum pressure” approach that stressed tough sanctions and the threat of military force, focusing instead on brokering an agreement to end the North’s nuclear program for economic aid and security guarantees that could include a peace treaty to replace the armistice that ended the Korean War in 1953.
South Korean officials said there is possibility that Moon may join Trump in Singapore to help negotiate a nuclear deal with Kim, as the South Korean leader shares both Trump’s overall goals, and has developed a positive working relationship with his North Korean counterpart during their two previous summits. | Why did Trump revive the Singapore summit? | Because of Kim expressed commitment to denuclearization | ['Because Trump desired to use a "maximum pressure" approach', 'Because South Korea was interested in pursuing a diplomatic solution to denuclearization', 'not enough information'] |
Liu Xiang Will Resume Training
prefix = st1 /Athens Olympic 110m hurdle champion Liu Xiang felt so _ to return to racetrack after getting out of the great number of social activities.
Liu arrived in hometown ShanghaiWednesday night and was about toresumetraining shortly after.
"I am so exhausted from so many social activities, which made me even more tired than training," said the 21-year-old Liu, who wrote a new chapter in China's Olympic history by winning the country's first ever athletics short-distance running title in the men's 110m hurdles in Athens in August.
"I am happy that I will resume my training soon back in Shanghai," said the Shanghainative. He turned into an instant national hero with the Olympicglory(,)and one of the most popular Olympic gold medalists, taking part in scores of celebration activities since he returned to China early September.
"My regular training has been interrupted for such a long time that I think I can only run at about 13.5 seconds now," said Liu, who clocked a world record-tying time of 12.91 to clinch the title.
"I would rather forget what I have achieved in the past and try my best to realize a higher goal," he said.
Liu already missed the Berlin Golden League Series on Sunday and won't be able to catch the IAAF Grand Prix final slated for September 18-19 in Monaco.
He plans on attending an IAAF all-star tournament in Japanat the end of this month. | Which of the following is NOT wrong? | Liu Xiang has missed two races because of his social activities. | ['Liu Xiang has had a quiet life for as long as half a month.', 'Liu Xiang has made up his mind to stop his social activities.', 'Liu Xiang has deserted his present career.'] |
Ok , so Day 1 . The ride to Okayama lasted from about 9:30 - 3 , with a few stops in the middle for bathroom breaks and lunch . Once we got into the prefecture , I snapped a couple of pictures of the scenic rural Okayama landscape : Soon we arrived at the school : And students were waving to greet us : They seemed pretty excited , but I knew that they 'd probably clam up and get all shy as soon as we got in . | What will be the reaction between the visiting students and the students in Okayama ? | They will be attempting to get to know one another . | ['They will be difficult to work with .', 'None of the above choices .', "They will be acting as if they 've know each other forever ."] |
I used to work as a Certified Nurse Assistant at this rehabilitation/skilled nursing facility.
I just started my shift that afternoon, got endorsements from the previous shift, and prepared myself to meet my residents.
One of my residents that day was post-op total knee replacement. I went to her room, introduced myself as her CNA, and asked her if she needed anything before I leave her room. And then, she told me she’s having a hard time using the commode the previous nurses gave her when she was admitted to our facilty as it was very small for her given the fact that she also had a recent TKA (total knee arthroplasty). Because of this, I told her I’ll do my best to look for a commode that will fit her.
I looked in our two storage areas and fortunately, I found one that was perfect for her! Voila!
I disinfected it really well and returned to her room with her new commode. Her face immediately lighted up when she saw what I was carrying and she started tearing up! Startled by her reaction, I asked her what’s wrong and why was she crying. And then she told me she’s been asking the previous shifts for two days and no one’s bringing the right commode for her. They kept on telling they’re going to bring her a new one, but they probably ended up forgetting her request.
She was so ecstatic! I helped her try the commode and it really was perfect for her and she didn’t have a hard time using it.
She thanked me so much, and oh, it was mother’s day that day! She told me one of the most touching thing, “happy Mother’s day to your Mom and thank your Mom for me. She raised you really well.”
I had no idea a simple commode can bring so much joy to my resident. Small things really do matter! | How long has the CNA been working at that rehabilitation nursing facility? | not enough information | ['It was her first day at the job', 'She has been working there for a month', 'She has been working there for a few weeks but it was her first afternoon shift'] |
An old friend from William ( to be more specific : his best friend at elementary school when he lived in Den Helder , about 14 years ago ) became father ! Today we were invited to visit the happy parents and baby Katey . We drove 2,5 houres from Arnhem to Den Helder to go there . | What country do I probably live in ? | The Netherlands | ['None of the above choices .', 'Belgium', 'Spain'] |
During my high school years, the most important thing was what I was wearing to the Friday night dance and who I was taking. Although college was talked about, it was the least of my worries.
When I was graduating eighth grade and starting high school, my older brother was graduating twelfth grade and going onto college. For my graduation, he gave me a card in which he wrote, "Enjoy your four years..., they go by fast." I remember not believe him then, but looking back..., he was right. Those four years shaped who I was as a person, pushed me to my limit and encouraged me to become an adult.
However, I was so completely absorbed in my junior and senior years of high school, that when someone spoke of college I brushed it off. I wasn't ready to leave my comfort zone of having all of my closest friends together and knowing what every single day was going to be like . Studying was something I did only AFTER I nailed my half-time dance performance. I knew my parents wanted me to go to college, so I told them I would go to commuity college and I didn't worry about my SAT scores.
When my senior year passed and everyone graduated and went off to their own college ,I started to wish I had done the same. My friends were living away, meeting new people, discovering new places, and I was living at home and driving to and from class every day. It seemed exactly like high school. I hated it! I thought college was supposed to be different! Why didn't I take more time to research colleges and do the same? I ended up loving college and wishing I had four years to enjoy the campus atmosphere instead of two.
My advice to anyone thinking about attending college is to think about it very seriously and look into all of your choices well ahead of time. Now I have graduate and I am working full time and I would do anything to go back to my high school days for a second chance! | Why didn't the author worry about his SAT scores? | He wanted to go to community college. | ['He had a gift for dance.', 'He was well prepared for the exam.', 'He believed his brother would help him.'] |