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John Smith was a writer, who wrote detective stories for magazines , though he never dealt with criminals . One evening he could not finish an end for a story. He sat in his study , but he had no ideas. So he decided to go to the cinema.
When he came back, he found that he had had a visitor. Someone had broken into his house. The visitor had had a drink, smoked several of his cigarettes and had read his story. The visitor left him a note. "I have read your story and I don't think it is very good. Please read my suggestions and you can finish it. By the way, I am a thief. I'm not going to steal anything tonight. But if you become a successful writer, I will return."
John read the thief's suggestions. Then he sat down and wrote the rest of the story. He is still not a successful writer, and he is waiting for his "visitor" to return. Before he goes out in the evening, he always leaves a half-finished story in his study. | John would like to _ . | get more ideas from the visitor | ['have a talk with his visitor', 'make friends with the visitor', 'catch the visitor and take him to the police'] |
I remember back in the late 1970’s when I first started investing in property as a young guy, being taken to a house that felt EXTREMELY cold, strange, and rather chilling. Okay it was an older house that need some renovation work, but there was something about the place that just did not seem right.
But despite that, it was available for purchase at what seemed to be a very attractive price … always a good starting point.
Anyway, the real estate agent finished taking me around the property answering the questions that I had, and I left with a plan to do some costings before making a decision.
But something was niggling me and making me feel a little uncomfortable, so I decided to investigate the property further.
A couple of days later I was around at a friends house. He was in the Police force and as it happened he was in the same neighbourhood, I mentioned this particular property that I was looking at buying. He asked me the actual address after which he ‘kindly’ informed me that that that house had been the scene of a murder 6 months previously.
It turned out that the property had been rented to a homosexual couple and that after an argument, one had murdered the other in the bath and then proceeded to cut his head off. Apparently the head was subsequently discovered a week later in the trunk of a car that had been abandoned up by a local golf-course.
Less than impressed that the real estate agent had been less than forthcoming with me, I made the decision to not to proceed with the purchase.
As they say in the property business ‘Location, Location, Location’ is always an important factor in determining the value of a property. However despite that being a good location, it was reputation that deterred me on that occasion.
Sometimes there are situations where even the best makeover will not work. | Who showed the main character around the house? | The real estate agent | ['The homosexual couple', 'The guy on the police force', 'not enough information'] |
I know my son seems very naughty. He cannot concentrate on reading, he makes silly mistakes in his homework or often fails his exams.
Whenever such things happen, his teacher shouts,"Ask your parents to come here." And then I have to go with my tail between my legs to find out what's going on with my son and to listen to the teacher scold him.
I really feel sorry for my son's mistakes and usually feel personally responsible.
But I can't help feeling angry with him after a meeting with his teacher.
Gradually, I have realized that anger will do him no good, and that actually he needs my help.
On the other hand, I think that to educate our "little emperors ",there needs to be more understanding and cooperation between teachers and parents. | The writer's child _ . | doesn't do well in his lessons | ['is rude to others', 'is often late for school', 'is dishonest'] |
Saturday was the first day of soccer practice . We were a little weary about how it would go , because a few of Jackson 's friends took the class last year , and they all seemed to be more into chasing the birds than chasing the ball . But we banked our money on the fact that maybe three years old was a bit too young for it , so we held out until Jackson was almost four . And judging from our first outing , that was a super - smart move . | Do the parents think Jackson is mature enough to take a class meant for three year old children ? | Jackson is nearly four and the parents think he is ready . | ['The parents believe that Jackson will chase birds not the ball .', 'These parents know that Jackson is ready to chase birds .', 'The parents think , the game of soccer requires a more mature child than Jackson .'] |
My mother's shopping lists were ordered by rules known only to her. As you slid your finger down the columns of groceries and toiletries, you would invariably be stopped by something along the lines of "2dozjumHerbal Essences" or "1pepperoni TC," with the "TC" underlined twice and flanked by gnarled masses of pencil scratch-outs. When we were kids, we dreaded accompanying her to Wal-Mart, or worse, the Cosco at the edge of town, where the echoing rafters and limitless aisles seemed to mock the confusion into which we were inevitably thrown when handed torn-off fragments of the list. Of course, it was easy enough to see in hindsight that "2dozjumHerbal Essences" was merely the bastard child of two drunkenly weaving columns--we had been supposed to get two dozen jumbo eggs and a bottle of my mother's favourite brand of shampoo (ever inventive in creating proprietary abbreviations--"TC" standing for, what else, thin crust pizza--my mother scrupulously wrote out brand names in full).
It was a little like ordering chemicals for a laboratory, sans any knowledge of chemistry--or, for that matter, laboratories, although my ignorance of the distinction between baking soda and baking powder cannot be entirely the root of my confusion. Eventually I--and my siblings--learned the difference between tomato paste and tomato sauce, and could readily distinguish one brand of laundry detergent from a similarly-styled knock-off, but my shame-faced trips back to the mothercart never ceased. I would track her down, most often in the produce section--she was usually loath to trust us with the delicate task of selecting the very best fruits and vegetables--and hand her back my portion of the list, asking for an explanation. Usually it amounted to a failure of awareness on my part--get the kind of soap we always get, of course! | How long would they spend in a shop? | An hour or two | ['5 hours', 'whole day', 'not enough information'] |
Something strange was unbelievable. Take Robert for example. After the terrible car accident, his whole world had been completely dark and quiet for almost ten years. The loss of sight and hearing made him try many times to put end to his life.
His family especially his wife did their best to tend and comfort him. By and by he finally regained the courage to live on.
On a hot summer afternoon he was taking a walk with a stick near his house when a thunderstorm started suddenly. He stood under a large tree in order not to get himself wet. Unfortunately he was struck down to the ground by a lightning. The witnesses thought him dead but he woke up some 20 minutes later lying face down in muddy water below the tree. He felt that he was trembling badly, but when he opened his eyes ,he didn't dare to believe that he saw a plough( )lying near the wall. When Mrs Edwards came running up to him, she shouted their neighbours for help. And he saw her and heard her voice for the first time in nearly ten years.
The news of Robert's regaining his sight and hearing quickly spread in his area. And many doctors came to prove the truth of the news. Most of them said that he gained sight and hearing again obviously from the knock of lightning; none of them could give convincing reasons, however. The only reasonable explanation given by one doctor was that, since Edwards lost his sight and hearing as a result of sudden shock in a terrible accident, perhaps the only way for them to regain was by another sudden shock. | What was Edwards doing when he was struck by the lightning? | Hiding from the rain under a tree. | ['Driving a car.', 'Taking a walk', 'lying on the ground'] |
It was a week before Christmas, but things were far from cheery. Our task was to deliver as many boxes of food as possible to those in need in Camden, New Jersey. There were no Christmas carolers walking these streets that were lined with boarded-up houses and broken windows. Mothers kept their children close as they hurried down the streets. It was mid-afternoon, but even the bright sun couldn't warm this place.
Red tickets in the windows marked which houses we were to visit. Our white truck stopped in front of one townhouse and our group knocked on the door. In our arms were boxes filled with ham, bread and other essentials to make the perfect Christmas dinner. Four small faces glanced through the curtains and one exhausted mom answered the door. She seemed embarrassed to be caught in her nightgown with undone hair. She was in her mid-20s, but her rough skin and tired eyes added years.
"Sacred Heart food delivery service," I smiled. "Where can we put this for you?"
She pointed and as we entered the house, I noticed the conditions they lived in. The children climbed around, wearing only diapers . There were no carpets, only cold concrete beneath our feet. There was no Christmas tree or decorations. My heart sank. It was so cold, and I found it hard to believe that this was reality for this family. We set the boxes down and the mother grabbed my hand.
"You don't know how much of a blessing this is to me and my family," she said, crying. _ I opened my arms and gave her a hug.
"Happy holidays!" I replied before I headed out the door. I realized how warm I felt inside.
This was unlike anything I had ever experienced. We cannot help what family we are born into, but we can help each other. | By saying "We are just getting by", the woman meant _ . | they were living a very poor life | ['they were waiting for help', 'they were looking for food and clothing', 'they were going to move away'] |
This week has been a heck of a lot better than last week . Actually , it 's been the best week I ' ve had in ages . On Tuesday I went into town with Debbie , mostly charity shop shoping , bought pretty much a whole outfit . I wore the top / dress thing that I bought then on Wednesday when I went into London with Drew . | What might be concluded about where I live ? | I might not live in London . | ['i might not live in a busy town .', 'I might not live in the outskirts of a town .', 'I might not live in a town with a charity shop .'] |
How to Study Smarter, Not Harder
Here are some of our favorite study tips that will help any student study smarter, not harder:
Recite As You Study
Reciting--saying things out loud should first take place as you read through each paragraph or section. Test yourself. This will help you to understand as well as learn faster because it is more active than reading or listening. It will also help you to notice your mistakes and the topics you have trouble understanding.
Take Fuller Notes
Notes should be in your own words, brief and clear. They should be tidy and easy to read. Writing notes will help you better than just underlining as you read, since it forces you to rewrite ideas in your own words.
Study the Middle
The best time to review is soon after you've learned something. You are more likely to remember the material at the beginning and the end of the lesson, so make sure you focus on the middle when you review.
Sleep On It
Study before going to bed, unless you are very tired. It's easier to remember material you've just learned after sleeping than after an equal period of daytime activity, because your brain continues to think even after you've fallen asleep.
Combine Memory and Understanding
There are two ways to remember: by memorizing and by understanding. Multiplication tables, telephone numbers, and math formulas are better learned by rote. Ideas are best learned by understanding.
The more ways you have to think about an idea, the more meaning it will have; the more meaningful the learning, the better you can remember it. Pay attention to similarities in ideas and concepts, and then try to understand how they fit in with things you already know. Never be satisfied with anything less than a completely clear understanding of what you are reading. If you are not able to follow the thought, go back to the place where you first got confused and try again. | The writer advises you to _ as it is easier for you to remember material. | study before going to sleep | ['study after a period of activity', 'do some exercise after studying', 'study as soon as you get up'] |
I am exhausted . I think I ' m going to finish reading a Warren Ellis novel , try to nap , and consider a smartphone . Does anyone around here use a Blackberry or a Palm ? I want something like a wee computer . | What is something I like to do even when I 'm exhausted ? | I like to read a little before going to sleep . | ['None of the above choices .', 'I like to make to - do lists on my smartphone .', 'I like to get online and post on my blog .'] |
I was just starting to build the new Intra - Office System . We would communicate better , share information instantaneously , stop errors before they became nightmares . The Site Manager was far too out of her element and was too busy working her political agenda ( and other things ) to work on needed infrastructure . | Why does the narrator not seem to like the manager ? | They felt they have an ulterior motive . | ['They felt they made too many errors .', 'They felt they refused to allow errors .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
The Colonel asks Ashenden a good many questions and then suggested that he had particular qualifications for the Secret Service. Ashenden knew several European languages and the fact that he was a writer provided excellent cover: on the pretext that he was writing a book he could, without attracting attention, visit any neutral country.
It was while they were discussing this point that the Colonel said, "You know you might get material that would be very useful to you in your work. I'll tell you an incident that occurred only recently. Very dramatic. A foreign government minister went down to a Mediterranean resort to recover from a cold and he had some very important documents with him that he kept in a dispatch case . A day or two after he arrived, he picked up a beautiful blonde at some restaurant or other, and he got very friendly with her. He took her back to his hotel, and when he came to himself in the morning, the lady and the dispatch-case had disappeared. They had one or two drinks up in his room and his theory is that when his back was turned the woman slipped a drug in his glass.
"Do you mean to say that happened the other day?" said Ashenden.
"The week before last."
"Impossible," cried Ashenden. "Why! We've been putting that incident on the stage for sixty years, we've written it in a thousand novels. Do you mean to say that life has only just caught up with us?"
"Well, I can guarantee the truth of the story." said the Colonel, "And believe me, the government has been put to no end of trouble by the loss of the documents."
"Well sir, if you can't do better than that in the Secret Service," sighed Ashenden, " I'm afraid that as a source of inspiration to the writer of fiction, it's washout." | According to the Colonel the incident happened _ . | two weeks before | ['a few days before', 'a few weeks before', 'sixty years before'] |
Yeesh , it took me a week to post this dinner I made last weekend ! I woulda done it earlier , I swear , but these photos are pretty bad . I was too busy enjoying a perfect day to bother with things like Sensitivity and Exposure . | What does the narrator have much pride about ? | A big meal they made . | ['None of the above choices .', 'A documentary about Northern Exposure they made .', 'A lunch they made .'] |
Contestants from around the world met in Pomona, California, this month to test their skills at things like driving a car, walking down stairs, and opening doors. Sounds easy, right? But the competitors weren't people--they were robots!
The bots were participating in the final round of the US's DARPA(Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) Robotics Challenge. This event, which took place on June 5-6, tested robots on how well they could respond during a disaster and the winning team finally took home a $2 million grand prize.
The DARPA challenge was created after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. An earthquake caused a tsunami, which damaged a nuclear power plant. Workers at the plant needed to shut off an important valve , but it was too dangerous for humans to reach it. The US scientists at DARPA wondered whether the disaster could have been avoided if a robot had been sent to do _ . So they set up the robotics competition.
Turning a valve was just one task a robot might have to perform when entering a disaster zone. In addition to doing this, robots participating in the challenge had to navigate a course containing several other tasks: driving and exiting a vehicle, opening a door, walking over or clearing objects, cutting a hole in a wall, plus climbing a flight of stairs.
Teams had to complete the challenge in one hour, and points were awarded based on how quickly the robots completed a task. They didn't have to attempt all the tasks. To make things even more realistic, challenge organizers caused short computer-system blackouts that prevented robots and the human operators controlling them from communicating. That means teams had to program their robots to be partially autonomous . Robots also couldn't be attached to anything that could keep them from falling down, which happened a lot. | What is the text mainly about? | A robotics competition. | ['A nuclear disaster.', 'A research program.', 'A scientific organization.'] |
Sam Berns wasn't like any other boy. He was 17 and he had an aging disease known as progeria.
"Even though I have many difficulties in my life, I don't want people to feel bad for me," Sam said during a TED talk.
Progeria affects approximately one in every 4 million to 8 million newborns. Right now, there are only about 200 children living with it worldwide. The genetic change tied to _ causes those with the disease to produce the protein progerin, which blocks normal cell function.
His view on life is extremely inspiring. He had to face challenges no one else could even dream of. As children with progeria age rapidly, they suffer from a loss of body fat and hair and an inability to gain weight. That didn't keep Sam down, though.
"All in all, I don't waste energy feeling bad for myself," Sam said. "I surround myself with people that I want to be with. And I keep moving forward."
This boy from Boston was so amazing, famous people and athletes wanted to take him under their own. Last Saturday night could have been an amazing moment for Sam. One of his favorite teams, the New England Patriots, wanted to make him their honorary captain during a playoff game.
Instead, it just was't meant to be. Sam passed away before he had a chance to stand next to his team, so they held a moment of silence before the game for him.
Sam's unbelievable view on life, and his deep effect on others, is hard to forget. He was presented with so many challenges in life but he wasn't afraid to face them. Be more like Sam, this wonderful teen. Surround yourself with positive people, love them and move forward. | What is the main purpose of this passage? | To encourage readers to live a positive life. | ['To praise Sam Berns for his hardwork.', 'To show how famous Sam Berns was.', 'To show how Sam Berns dealt with challenges.'] |
We got to the back end of the neighborhood and found the little trail we had seen once before ( you know the one I mean Jean ) so we decided to see where it went . I do n't know how far we went but it was a lovely trail through the woods . At many times the trail followed a fence around some beautiful farm land . We would have gone farther but we came across some compound shooters and figured wandering in the woods with hunters around would n't be such a great idea . | Why did the speaker and their friends decide to follow the little trail , and to see where it went ? | They are a naturally curious bunch and enjoy the opportunity to explore new areas | ['They were running from a wild boar and the trail seemed a good place to evade it', 'Jean had lost her phone on the trail and they were hoping to recover it for her', 'None of the above choices .'] |
Just four days until we leave for Norway ! Because the Viking Queen is getting married next week , I had to spend a large chunk of my weekend in malls looking for something classy to wear . I enjoy shopping for clothes about as much as I enjoy menstrual cramps . Lucky for me , I got to experience both of these things at the same time over the weekend . | What may be a fact about their situation ? | They are not a fan of shopping . | ['None of the above choices .', 'They are going to get married .', 'They love to shop for clothes .'] |
The surgeon who had delivered my son by C-section an hour earlier stepping back from the table, and saying, “We're done, people. Good job, everyone!”
That hour had been hell for everyone in the room, save only my little boy, sleeping peacefully in the warming crib, and his mother, who was just stirring from the general that had put her under about 55 minutes earlier. I had come within a few minutes, maybe seconds, of raising my boy as a single parent. Her OB/GYN had fought valliently to keep my family together, and won. Everyone who'd been awake knew exactly how close run a thing it had been. Mr. Murphy had been hanging around the whole time, and neither Doc nor mom was catching a whole lot of breaks that evening. But Doc only needed one, and he made full use thereof.
One thing for all new dad's whose wives have had previous abdominal surgery. You never want to hear the muttered words, “Creative anatomy on the way out”, when somebody has your wife’s belly open. Those are about the worst words in the world, because they mean Doc's gotta put stuff to right in there, and he might not have what he'd like in order to get it done.
But when he stands back, after the sponge count had to be done twice, and the tool count is right, and the belly is stapled closed, and everyone in the room is still breathing… Just let it be known that the roving nurse has extra sponges for dad's nose.
Oh yeah, and the neonatal nurses don't expect dad to change that first diaper. Maconium is nasty shit. Litterally. But I was happy to do it while talking to his groggy mom. | What happened before the doctor congratulated everyone? | They just successfully completed a C-section. | ['The wife and baby survived.', 'The pregnant woman survived the C-section.', 'not enough information'] |
darnok and I are doing some renovation work to our living room today and tomorrow . This morning , we moved all of the furniture out of the room and started ripping out baseboards . Within 4 hours , the doorbell rang . It was a family of four , asking if we were planning on renting the place out . | What may have been my response to the family ? | None of the above choices . | ['No we are not renting out our furniture .', 'No we are not renovating .', 'No we are ripping out our baseboards .'] |
Dear Betty,
My roommate's family wants me to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with them in their home. I accepted the invitation, and I'm excited about going, but I'm a little nervous about it, too. The social customs in my country are different from those here, so I'm a little worried about making mistakes.
Should I bring a gift, such as candy or flowers? Should I arrive on time or a little late? At the dinner table, how can I know which fork or knife to use? How can I let the family know that I'm thankful for their kindness?
Yours,
Knowing Nothing
Dear Knowing Nothing,
It's a good idea to bring a gift when you go to a dinner party. Flowers are always welcome, or you can bring a bottle of wine if you know the family drink it.
You should arrive on time or five to ten minutes late. Don't get there early. If you are going to be more than fifteen minutes late, you should call and tell them.
Try to relax at the dinner table. If you don't know how to use the right fork, knife or spoon, just watch the other guests, and follow them. If you still have no idea of what to do, don't be shy about asking the person next to you; it's better to ask them than to be silently uncomfortable and nervous.
If you like the food, say so. Of course, you'll thank the host and hostess for the meal and for their kindness. It's also a good idea to send a card to thank them the day after.
Yours,
Betty | Betty does NOT advise Knowing Nothing to _ . | keep silent at table | ['relax at the dinner table', 'watch the other guests', 'ask the person beside him'] |
NASA-s New Horizons probe flew by Pluto this morning, sending back history's first up-close looks at the vast freezing-cold world. Closest approach came at 7:49 a.m. EDT. To celebrate, NASA gave out the latest photo of Pluto. It showed a reddish world with an amazing heart-shaped feature on its surface.
After today's close encounter, all the nine solar system's traditionally recognized planets have now been visited by a spaceship-a huge project begun in 1962 when NASA's Mariner 2 probe flew past Venus, a planet in the solar system. More than l,200 scientists, NASA guests and important persons, including 200 reporters, watched the flyby live at New Horizons' mission control center.
That close encounter has been a long time coming. The$723 million New Horizons mission launched in January 2006 but began taking shape in 1989. "New Horizons is'a capstone mission'," Glen Fountain, mission project manager told Space, com. "It is the first completion of the observations of our solar system. It-s giving us a new idea about how we human beings fit into the universe."
New Horizons "faced a crazy number of challenges," Stern, a driving force behind New Horizons said, "So many people stuck with this for so long. They got knocked down; they stood up. They got knocked down again; they stood up again."
In a coincidence, today's close approach falls on the 50th anniversary of the first flyby of Mars, another planet, which was completed by NASA-s Mariner 4 spaceship.
There are no longer nine officially recognized planets, of course. The International Astronomical Union regarded Pluto as "a dwarf planet" in 2006 in a decision that remains controversial today. | Which is the best title for the passage? | A Close Approach to Pluto | ['A New Horizons Probe', "NASA's Huge Project", 'Pluto,a Controversial Planet'] |
He wrote that the "human mind is capable of excitement without the application of gross and violent stimulants ". And it appears that simply reading those words by William Wordsworth proves his point.
Researchers at the University of Liverpool found the works of Shakespeare and Wordsworth and the like had a beneficial effect on the mind, lifting the readers' spirits by catching their attention and leading to moments of self-reflection.
Using equipment, they examined the brain activity of volunteers as they read pieces of classical English literature both in their original form and in a more simplified, modern translation.
And, according to the Sunday Telegraph, the experiment showed the more "challenging" works set off far more electrical activity in the brain than the ordinary versions.
The research also found poetry, in particular, increased activity in the right hemisphere of the brain, an area concerned with "autobiographical memory", which helped the reader to reflect on and reevaluate their own experiences in light of what they had read. The academics said this meant the classics were more useful than self-help books.
The brain responses of 30 volunteers was monitored in the first part of the research as they read Shakespeare in its original and "modern" form.
In one example, volunteers read a line from King Lear, "A father and a gracious aged man: him have you madded ", before reading the simpler "A father and a gracious aged man: him you have enraged ".
Shakespeare's use of the adjective "mad" as a verb caused a higher level of brain activity than the straightforward translation.
"Reading classics is not just a matter of style. It is a matter of deep versions of experience that promotes the cognitive ability," said Prof Davis, who will present the findings at the North of England education conference in Sheffield this week. | Which of the following sets off the most electrical activity in the brain? | Reading Shakespeare's sonnets in Middle English. | ['Reading nursery rhymes.', 'Reading self-help books.', 'Reading adapted version of King Lear.'] |
Thank you for the a2a! I have a habit of making mental errors; some funny, some not. This one just happens to be funny.
We had “open critiques” in art school. The idea was A- to point out how we could do it better, and B- to toughen us up for the advertising world. It’s brutal, cruel, and cutthroat, and get ready for your stupid clients to ruin your tasteful design and fuck it all kinds of up to put a picture of their ugly-ass crotch dropping on there, or a huge starburst that says “SALE SALE SALE!”. You had to learn not to care, and do your fulfilling artwork on the side. It’s just a job; nothing personal.
We were in the middle of a critique, and it was turning ugly. The only time our professor would jump in was if it turned personal. It had. He laid back and let us fight it out, until someone told the girl we were critiquing that “with your taste from growing up in a trailer park, looks like you’ll be working for the Auto Trader” (a shitty, newsprint magazine that people sell used cars in- the worst of the worst design jobs).
Before our professor could comment, I blurted out “For fuck’s sake, Mom….” I was about to say “tell them to break it the fuck up!” until the laughter started. Then I realized I’d called my professor, who had an MFA and spent 20 years in advertising at Saatchi and Saatchi, “Mom”.
He responded with such amazing, quick wit; “Ms. Hood, I admire your devotion to your mother; just remember she stays home while you come to class.”
I caught hell for it that entire semester. Luckily, we (almost) all had pretty tough skins, so it was amusing, even to our somewhat staid professor. He wrote on my end of semester assessment “Respectfully, Not Your Mom.”
I still keep that assessment to remind me to wear life like a loose garment. We all say stupid shit sometimes; just laugh at yourself and enjoy the silly moment. | When does the student graduate art school? | About a year later | ['About 10 years later', 'not enough information', 'About 30 years later'] |
The new iPhone 3G should please everyone . Its look and feel are only slightly improved, but a faster network loads Web pages more quickly , true GPS functionality allows it to easily find places nearby , and the new $199 price(down from $400) makes it an affordable luxury.
Before deciding whether to buy, however , make sure you can actually take advantage of the iPhone 3G's high-speed data network. 3G stands for third-generation , which in non-geek speak translates to Web pages and mail messages that, ideally, load about three times faster than on the original iPhone. Even better, 3G coverage enables you to make a phone call and surf the Web at the same time . That's great, if you live or work in a place where the 3G network of AT&T (the sole wireless carrier of the iPhone) is active. That's not so great in cities like New York where AT&T's cellular coverage is awful. As one of my colleagues in New York City, who bought the original iPhone , commented , "It's just a toy . You can't make phone calls on it, so I carry my Verizon phone with me all the time."
The real fun begins when you tap on the icon called "Apple Store" and start browsing the hundreds of add-on applications that have been developed just for the iPhone. You will find tons of games (I like JirboBreak , a free game inspired by the Atari classic Breakout ) and mobile version of popular websites like Pandora , Facebook , MySpace and the New York Times . Most apps will cost you , but the vast majority are $9.99 or less. The apps work on the old iPhone too, but you'll enjoy them a lot more on the iPhone 3G because many of the programs , including Yelp(local business reviews ), Whrrl (mobile social networking) and UrbanSpoon(restaurant reviews), use you exact location --- provided by the iPhone 3G's GPS chip --- to make recommendations. The apps also load much faster over the 3G network. | . From the passage we know that the attitude of the author toward iPhone 3G is _ . | appreciate | ['doubtful', 'optimistic', 'pessimistic'] |
Dogs have an understanding of fair play and become angry if they feel that another dog is getting a better deal, a new study has found.
The study looked at how dogs react when a companion is rewarded for the same trick in an unequal way. Friederike Range, a researcher at the University of Vienna in Austria, and her colleagues did a series of experiments with dogs who knew how to respond to the command "give the paw ". The dogs were normally happy to repeatedly give the paw, whether they got a reward or not. But that changed if they saw that another dog was being rewarded with a piece of food, while they received nothing.
"We found that the dogs hesitated significantly longer when obeying the command to give the paw," the researchers write. The unrewarded dogs eventually stopped cooperating.
Scientists have long known that humans pay close attention to inequity. But researchers always assumed that animals didn't share the trait. "The argument was that this is a uniquely human phenomenon," says Frans de Waal, a professor of psychology at Emory University in Atlanta.
That changed in 2003 when he and a colleague did a study on monkeys. The monkeys had to hand a small rock to researchers to get a piece of cucumber in return. They were happy to do this. But if they saw that another monkey was getting a more delicious reward, a grape, for doing the same job, they would throw away the food and rock, and at some point just stopped performing.
In that experiment, the monkeys considered the fairness of two different types of payment. But when Range and her colleagues did a similar study with their trained dogs, testing to see if dogs would become upset if they only got dark bread when other dogs received sausage, they found that as long as the dogs got some kind of food payment, even if it wasn't the most delicious kind, the animals would play along. | What is the main idea of the passage? | Dogs have a sense of fairness. | ['Animals have various ways to show their anger.', 'Dogs are less intelligent than monkeys.', 'Most animals want to be rewarded equally.'] |
Kids at the Interlake School Division were the first Canadian students to take part in a program to send experiments to the International Space Station.(ISS).
Jordan Schott and three other sixth grade students came up with the idea to test royal jelly in space . Their experiment came very close to be tested on the space station. "We were seeing if we could send it to space, and if it would lose its nutritional value" faster and or slower, "said Schott. Schott is one of the 18 students in the Space Knights Club at Woodlands Elementary School, part of the Interlake School Division. Over 450 students from the Division took part in the program.
"I thought we were just students and we couldn't do much in the way of that. It's a way to communicate with people up there ," said Braeden Clark, a seventh grade student who is also in the club.
The astronauts shared what they learned with their school with a full day of activities all about science and space.
Teacher Maria Nickel is the organizer of the club. She said the day was great for students to learn what they could do. "Space is one of those great things that get kids excited, but it also gives them the chance to do so much. They can be an astronaut; they can be an engineer, "She said.
The day was held in honour of Chris Hadfield, a Canadian astronaut now in the Internal Space Station. "It gives kids someone more to look up to. Here's a real hero to look up to who's doing it all, doing it through education," said Nickel.
Jordan Schott thinks it's really cool. "To me it seems so cool how people can go up to space, and science is something I've always liked," She said. Schott says she wants to follow in the footsteps of Hadfield and be an astronaut when she gets older.
One of the winning experiments in the competition was produced by students from Argyle, Manitoba. It will travel to the space station in the fall of 2013. | What do we know Jordan Schott? | She respects Chris Hadfield very much | ['She is seventh grader', 'She dreams of being an engineer', "She didn't like science when she was young"] |
I was 18 when Tim and I began to date. Shy and quiet, I'd met his parents once before but hadn't ventured to say more than " Hello". This particular evening, however, we were taking them out to dinner for their anniversary and I wanted to make a good impression.
Tim and his parents arrived and I was out the door in a flash. My good impression began with " punctual". I sat in the backseat beside Tim nervously watching his father's eyes glance into the rearview mirror to examine me.
Tim and his parents had already decided on their favorite Mexican restaurant and that was fine with me; the dim lighting would hide the rising flush of my cheeks, and if anyone noticed, I could blame it on the peppers. With proper table manners I managed to survive halfway through dinner without making any unforgivable mistakes. However, in the midst of conversation I reached for my iced tea, raised the glass to my lips and very quickly discovered I had picked up the wrong glass.
I quickly lowered the glass and set it back but it was too late; I had burnt my eyebrows, the hair in my nose, and curl over my forehead! I looked up slowly, praying no one had seen me, but all eyes at the table had seen and each face stared at me in shocked silence. Excusing myself, I ran to the restroom.
I would have hidden there forever but I'd barely gotten in the door when Tim's mother arrived. " Ah, honey," she said, holding out her arms to me. " Everything will be just fine."
Tim and I eventually married. We had a small ceremony and a family reception afterwards held at the very restaurant where this incident occurred. This time, however, I didn't drink any candles... only a Margarita ; they were served in different glasses. | What would be the best title of the passage? | Please Don't Drink the Candles | ["Please Don't Light the Candles", 'Please Behave Yourself', 'You Can Never Make a First Impression for a Second Time'] |
I have another guest post for you today. This one comes from Selina from Beautystorm. Beautystorm are proudly the cheapest stockists of Dermalogica products in Australia and provide online skin consultations with their in house Skincare Therapists. Selina will be giving us advice on how to repair sun damaged skin. Whilst we are blessed to be living in such a sun drenched country, here in Australia, as a consequence the majority of us will have sun damaged skin. Here are Selina's tips to repair some of the damage:
The severe, Australian suncauses a multitude of cases of serious skin damage every year. However, there are ways, to repair rough, dry, wrinkled skin that may also suffer from redness and brown spots.
The very first step to reverse some of that skin damage is some gentle cleansing. Never wash the face with an ordinary bar of soap. This will make the situation worse and cause severe dry skin.
In order to wash the sun-damaged skin effectively without causing further injury, use a gentle exfoliating facial cleanser. This will remove, not only dirt and oil, but also the top layer of dead skin cells, providing a nice glow. This will reveal fresh skin cells ready for treatment.
After cleansing the skin, follow with a mud mask or a facial mask made specifically for skin that’s been damaged by the sun. The purpose of a mask is to draw out impurities in the skin while adding key ingredients like moisturisers and minerals back into the skin.
After gently rinsing the purifying mask, a lotion, cream or serum containing key ingredients should be applied to the skin. The difference between the three is that a lotion is best for daytime use, worn under makeup or for those prone to breakouts. Creams are considered heavier and best used at night or for those with dry skin. Serums are usually highly concentrated formulas that can be used day or night, but a little goes a long way. Those with the most severe sun damaged skin should use them. | Why does Selina recommend using gentle cleansers over soap? | because soap can be too drying and harsh for sun damaged skin | ['because she likes cleansers more', 'not enough information', 'because she likes oils in cleansers'] |
He did n't love waiting his turn , but he loved everything else . The other kids were starting to wilt about five frames in , but he never gave up . I might like bowling too if I could have bumpers up . They also had this really cool ramp that the kids used to roll the ball down the lanes . | Why would I like bowling with bumpers ? | None of the above choices . | ['Bumpers - would mean I bring in bumper cars and play in the lanes .', 'Bumpers is a game like billards .', 'Bumpers is a game like curling on ice .'] |
By the way , Fallon 's favorite song seemed to be " Come Dancing . " So the music was pretty great but I ' m sure I ' m not the only one who missed Dave Davies . The kid on guitar was competent but early in the show , I told my buddy Randy Dry from Sirius and PolyGram that his distortion sounded like it came from Guitar Center and not from throwing the amp down the stairs or cutting the speaker cone like Dave 's did . When they played " You Really Got Me , " my fears were confirmed . | What type of hobby does the narrator and their friends have ? | They like music . | ['They like going to stores .', 'None of the above choices .', 'They like listening to records of stand up artists .'] |
The way to teach the kids to take good care of pets
The best way to teach your child how to be responsible pet caregivers is to be on yourself. This should start before you even get a pet--make sure you have realistic expectations about pet ownership. And take steps to select the right animal at the right time.
As soon as you bring a pet in, set up and enforce rules regarding proper pet care. For example, tell your child not to pull the animal's tail, ears, or other body parts, and insist they never tease(,), hit, or chase it. Teach the child how to properly pick up, hold, and pat the animal. These simple lessons are essential to helping the kid become a responsible caretaker.
Although a certain pet-care activity must be handled by an adult, you can still include your child by explaining why and what you're doing. For example, when you take your pet to the veterinarian to be spayed or neutered, explain to your child how the operation not only reduces pet overpopulation but can also make it healthier, calmer, and more affectionate.
Also involve your child in a pet-training activity, which not only make your pet a more well-mannered family member, but teach your child humane treatment and effective communication.
Ultimately, your child will learn how to treat animals--and people--by watching how you treat the family pet. And they'll pay close attention to how you react when a pet scratches the furniture, barks excessively, or soils in the house. Frustrating as these problems are, "getting rid of" the pet isn't just unfair to the pet and your child, but it also sends the wrong message about commitment, trust, and responsibility. When faced with pet problems, get to the root of the problem. Often a veterinarian, animal shelter professional, or dog trainer can help you resolve pet issues so you can keep the whole family together. | According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE? | Pets may cause some frustrating problems. | ['Children can play rough with pets.', 'Pets can seldom become well-mannered.', 'Parents should take all pet-care activities.'] |
As your charming child changes into a rebellious teenager, take a deep breath and have a good look at the situation before you throw up your arms in anger or distress. Your teen takes a vital step towards adulthood by way of fighting against your rules, regulations and attitudes. Moving beyond their previous dependence on parents, teachers and other adults, teens learn to make decisions, understand the consequences of their behavior and get ready to take on adult responsibilities.
The growing need for independence sits at the heart of teenage rebellion. Many teens prefer to use peers as role models and often begin to question the reasoning behind home and school boundaries as they step closer to adulthood. The physical changes involved in adolescence coincide with(...) emotional, intellectual and moral growth, points out Kids Health---all of these can affect teenagers strongly and leave them feeling at a loss and stressed. They test different types of behavior, and it's through this testing and boundary pushing that they learn what works and what does not from their own successes and mistakes.
Changes to a teenager's hair and clothing emphasize her growing independent tastes and highlight her _ a group of friends. Her opinions may begin to differ from yours as she develops her own values, leading to potential conflicts on subjects ranging from television programs to world affairs. A teen may break family rules regarding chores, loud music and schoolwork and find herself facing unwelcome punishment as a result. These acts of rebellion normally occur from time to time rather than continuously. They give teenagers the chance to see the results of their decisions for themselves and learn when rebellion may be a mistake.
Unhealthy patterns of rebellion can include acts of rebellion that increase in frequency. Violent bursts of anger, physically and emotional destructive behavior and offensive language may indicate that your teen feels bitter hatred towards adults and authority and needs help in navigating those feelings. Watch for falling grades, frequent truancy from school or sudden changes to friendship, as these could indicate a variety of problems, including drug, alcohol or tobacco abuse. | A rebellious teenager has the following characteristics EXCEPT _ . | dependence on parents | ['disobeying rules and regulations', 'making his own decisions', 'preparing to undertake adult duties'] |
And that very time whereby I made Ding burst into laughter during Chinese lessons . Hmmm ... it was nice making fun of people n class because of their different appearances and characters in class . We were whack by the Chinese HOD teacher because Ding suddenly burst out into a HUGE , really HUGE roar of laughter . Worst of all , the class was super quiet during the peropd because the MASTER was in town . Well .. we were punished together . | What may happen after their actions ? | They will get in trouble with their instructor . | ['They will continue to cause trouble in class .', 'They will find another instructor .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
Harriet Tubman was an AfricanAmerican woman who fought against slavery. She was born in 1820. She helped many people escape from slavery through the Underground Railroad. It was an organized effort to help slaves from the southern states to areas that banned slavery.
Slaves could be sold freely. Families were often separated. Harriet married a free black man named John Tubman in 1844, yet she remained a slave. In 1849, the farmer who owned her died. Then she ran to the home of a white woman who had offered to help her.
This woman told her how to reach another home where she could hide. Harriet Tubman went from place to place in this way. This was how the Underground Railroad operated. Finally,she went into the northern state of Pennsylvania. During the next ten years,she led an expanded Underground Railroad,and helped 300 slaves escape.
Harriet Tubman found another way to fight against slavery during the Civil War. She went into the southern states to spy for the North. After the Civil War,Harriet Tubman settled in New York State. She gave speeches to raise money for better education for black Americans, worked for women's rights and sought help for older adults who had been slaves.
Harriet Tubman died in 1913.By that time, she had been recognized as an American heroine . | What does the passage mainly tell us? | Harriet's fight against slavery. | ['The Underground Railroad.', 'The history of American slavery.', "Harriet's hard life and bravery."] |
If you ' ve got a Michael 's or a Hobby Lobby from Satan , you might want to print out a coupon and go check them out this week . Hobby Lobby had their alphabet stamp sets for 50 % off . All the wood - mounted stamps , in fact , I think . | How many arts and craft stores does Satan own ? | Satan does not own any craft stores , this person feels that Hobby Lobby is somehow a bad place . | ['None of the above choices .', "Just one , coupons for 50 % off pave the way to Satan 's lair , known as Hobby Lobby .", 'Wood mounted alphabet stamps are the work of the Devil , all Hobby Lobbies are owned by Satan .'] |
In 1812, in a village near Paris, France, a little boy had a terrible accident. He hit himself in the eye with one of his father's sharp tools, and became blind. His name was Louis Braille, and he was only four years old.
He was a clever little boy, and he soon learned to "see" without his eyes. He touched things, or smelled them, or tasted them. His family described things to him. Although he couldn't see people's faces, he learned to recognize their voices.
After his seventh birthday, Louis went to the little school in the village. But there weren't any books for him. His classmates read his lessons to him and his sisters helped him with his homework. He learned his lessons well, but he couldn't learn to read or write.
In 1819, the village priest told Louis Braille's story to the director of a famous school for blind boys. At this school, boys learned math, grammar, geography, history, and music. And they learned to read!
Louis went to the school in Paris in February, 1819. He loved his classes and received high grades. He learned to play the piano and to knit hats and sweaters. And he learned to read -- with his fingers!
The raised-print letters in the books at school stood up from the surface of the paper. Louis could feel them with his fingers. He was able to recognize some of them easily, but some of them were difficult. The letters had to be very large, and sometimes there were only a few letters on a page. The books were huge and heavy. And they were expensive. There were only fourteen books in the school library!
Louis read the three or four books for his class again and again. He tried to think of a better way to make books for blind people. He experimented with new alphabets.
After about three years, Louis invented a system of raised dots. The other students thought Louis's system was wonderful. They were able to read it easily, and they learned to write, too.
Today, there are thousands of Braille books for blind people.
Louis Braille was only fifteen years old when he invented his wonderful system! | The main idea of this passage is that _ . | he invented a system of raised dots to make books easier for blind people to read | ['Louis was a good student at the school in Paris', 'he learned to "see" with the help of books', 'there are thousands of Braille books for blind people'] |
Charles Dickens (1812-1870), the great nineteenth century English novelist, was born near Portsmouth. His father ran heavily into debt and when he was twelve, he had to go and work in a factory for making boot polish. The only formal education he received was a two-year schooling at a school for poor children. In fact, he had to teach himself all he knew. He worked for a time as junior clerk in a lawyer's office. After that, he worked as a reporter in the law courts, and later in parliament, for London newspapers. His career as a writer of fiction began in 1833 with short stories and essays in periodicals, and in 1837 his comic novel The Pickwick Papers made him the most popular author at his time in England.
He was a great observer of people and their places because he was attracted by life and conditions in mid-nineteenth century London. He wrote 19 novels all his life and in many of them, Dickens gave a realistic picture of all classes of England society, showing deep sympathy for the poor and unfortunate, exposing the injustice and inhumanity of the bourgeoisie .
Many of his novels like Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Nicholas Nickleby, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities and so on drew attention to the unsatisfactory social conditions that existed in England over a hundred years ago.
Dickens criticized capitalist society from the point of view of bourgeois humanism. He wished to see improvement in the living conditions of the poor, but failed to find any effective means to achieve that end. | Which of the following novel made Dickens the most popular writer at his time in England? | The Pickwick Papers | ['Oliver Twist', 'A Tale of Two Cities', 'Great Expectations'] |
It happened in one of those color1ful Danish inns which offer service specially for tourists and where English is spoken. I was with my father on a business-and-pleasure trip, and in our leisure hours we were having a wonderful time.
"I wish Mother were here, " I said.
"If your mother had come with us, " said Father, "it would have been wonderful to show her around." He had visited Denmark when he was a young man. I asked him, "How long is it since you were here?"
"Oh, about thirty years. I remember being in this very inn, by the way." He looked around, remembering. "Those were pleasant and enjoyable days..." He stopped suddenly, and I saw that his face was pale. I followed his eyes and looked across the room to a woman who was setting drinks before some customers. She might have been pretty once but now she was fat and her hair was untidy. "Do you know her?" I asked.
"I did once," he said.
The woman came to our table. "Drinks?" she asked.
"We'll have beer," I said. She nodded and went away.
"I couldn't believe it! How she has changed! Thank heaven she didn't recognize me," father said in a low voice, mopping his face with a handkerchief. "I knew her before I met your mother," he went on. "I was a student, on a tour. She was a lovely young girl, very graceful. I fell madly in love with her, and she with me."
"Does Mother know about her?" I said suddenly, without thinking. "Of course," Father said gently. He looked at me a little anxiously. I felt embarrassed for him.
I said, "Dad, you don't have to..."
"Your mother would tell you if she were here. I don't want you wondering about this. I was a foreigner to her family. I was dependent on my father. If she had married me, she wouldn't have had any prospects . So her father objected to our romance. When I wrote to my father that I wanted to get married he cut off my allowance . And I had to go home. But I met the girl once more, and told her I would return to America, borrow enough money to get married and come back for her in a few months."
"We know," he continued, "that her father might stop and seize our letter, so we agreed that I would simply mail her a slip of paper with a date on it, the time she was to meet me at a certain place; then we'd get married. Well, I went home, got the loan and sent her the date. She received the note. She wrote me: 'I'll be there.' But she wasn't. Then I found that she had been married about two weeks before, to a local innkeeper. She hadn't waited."
Then my father said, "Thank God she didn't. I went home, met your mother, and we've been completely happy. We often joke about that youthful love romance. I suggest that one day you write a story about it."
The woman appeared with our beer.
"You are from America? "she asked me. "Yes," I said. She smiled happily, "A wonderful country, America."
"Yes, a lot of your countrymen have gone there. Did you ever think of it?"
"Not me. Not now," she said. "I thought so one time, a long time ago. But I stayed here. It's much better here."
We drank our beer and left. Outside I said, "Father, just how did you write that date on which she was to meet you."
He stopped, took out an envelope and wrote on it. "Like this," he said. "12/11/13, which was, of course, December 11, 1913."
"No!" I _ . "It isn't in Denmark or any European country. Over here they write the day first, then the month. So that date wouldn't be December 11 but the 12thof November!"
Father passed his hand over his face. "So she was there!" he sighed, "and it was because I didn't show up that she got married." He was silent a while. "Well," he said, "I hope she's happy. She seems to be."
As we continued walking I said, "It's a lucky thing it happened that way. You wouldn't have met Mother."
He put his arm around my shoulders, looked at me with a heartwarming smile, and said, "I was doubly lucky, young fellow, for otherwise I wouldn't have met you, either!" | The woman's father objected to her romance because the young man _ . | was an American and needed support | ["was a rich man's son", 'would take his daughter away', "couldn't speak Danish"] |
Has Tiger Mom gone soft? One year after the release of her book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, Amy Chua is back in the spotlight, reflecting on how overnight infamy affected her life, her family and her parenting.
"I have changed a lot," she told the Huffington Post. "In October, we had 30 kids at our house! We have hosted parties with lots of food and music."
Last January, the Wall Street Journal published an excerpt from Chua's book with the headline "Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior". In the excerpt, Chua described how her daughters were never allowed to have sleepovers , appear in school plays, or earn any grade lower than an A. Chua, an author and professor at Yale Law School, spent much of 2011 on the defensive. In fact, many of her interviews seemed to lend fuel to her critics' fire.
Now, with the book out in paperback, she said, "I put passages in the book and used very harsh words that I regret. Everybody has those moments you wish you could take back."
For those who still read Battle Hymn as an advice guide, Chua argues that so-called tiger parenting should be employed mainly during a child's early years, ideally between the ages of 5 and 12. These "super-strict parenting tactics" are not meant for all ages. Remaining strict after middle school makes you a helicopter parent, according to Chua. And she is quick to point out how different that is from being a tiger mom.
"By the time kids get to high school, helicopter parents are hiring all these tutors, carrying their kids' sports bags. I never checked older daughter Sophia's papers because I knew she knew how to sit down and focus," Chua said.
As for younger daughter Lulu, 15, the rebel for whom the book was written, Chua has really backed off. Instead of forcing Lulu to practise violin for hours a day--the source of their biggest fights, Chua "let her give that up". "My compromise is that I'm going to still be as strict academically, but in exchange she has a lot of social freedom. Lulu has had four sleepovers in the last two months!" Chua said. Chua predicts she'll only get more easygoing with age. | Lulu quarreled with her mother mainly over _ . | how long she practiced the violin | ['whether she could do well at school', 'when she could have sleepovers', 'what should be written in the book'] |
Nancy Tillman's wonderful On the Night You Were Born is one of my very favorite books. Its celebration of the uniqueness of each and every child told in lyrical language makes it the gift I choose most often for expectant or adoptive parents. I also read it regularly with my grandchildren and talk with them about how special they are.
Tillman feels that the most important message for children to receive is simply, "You are loved." And it's that message that is the focus of this, her newest book, Wherever You Are: My Love Will Find You. Once again, it is her turn of phrase that most fascinates me: In the green of the grass ... in the smell of the sea ... in the clouds floating by ... at the top of a tree ... in the sound crickets make at the end of the day ... "You are loved. You are loved. You are loved," they all say. Phrases encourage children to grow, to try new things, to "march to the front" of their "own parade" and assures them that, no matter how far they go or what they do, they will be loved.
Though the words alone would convince me to buy, share and recommend this book, Tillman is also a gifted artist and her lovely work makes this book a visual treasure as well. Through the pages, a child rides hippos, splashes in the surf with elephants, plays hide and seek with rabbits, shares a trampoline with a kangaroo and enjoys some quiet time with a pair of pandas. My favorite drawing has the child walking away along a wide path that runs between trees covered in mist. In all of the drawings, swirls of sparkling lights wrap around the child--the love that will always be with him/her.
I've read On the Night You Were Born dozens of times and with every single reading, I am incredibly touched. Wherever You Are: My Love Will Find You creates the same feeling of wonder, peace and happiness in me. It's a keep-forever book and I'm so happy to have it in my collection to share with the children I love most. | The purpose of this passage is to _ . | recommend Tillman's new book--Wherever You Are: My Love Will Find You | ["encourage people to buy Nancy Tillman's books for their children", 'advocate the theme of love among family members', 'Let children know they are loved and educate them to love others'] |
The U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan dropped more bombs during the first quarter of 2018 than it has in the same period in any of the last 15 years, according to Pentagon data.
The increased bombing is the latest evidence the 17-year-old war in Afghanistan is significantly intensifying since U.S. President Donald Trump announced his new military strategy for the country in August.
Coalition planes dropped 1,186 weapons on Afghanistan during the first three months of 2018, according to figures released by U.S. Air Forces Central Command. The previous record (1,083) was set during the height of the war in 2011. The U.S. has not released 2001 to 2003 airstrike data.
Those figures do not include activity by the Afghan Air Force (AAF), which has stepped up its aerial bombardment since gaining the ability to conduct airstrikes two years ago. The AAF carries out between 4 to 12 airstrikes every day, according to the Afghan Ministry of Defense.
If recent trends are any indication, 2018 is likely to get even more violent. Fighting traditionally picks up during the warmer months, and the coalition has expanded its bombing campaign against the Islamic State group, as well as narcotic labs and other Taliban revenue sources.
But there is little indication the expanded airstrikes are helping end the conflict, says Thomas Johnson, an Afghanistan specialist who teaches national security affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.
"It's basically a tactic of desperation," said Johnson, author of Taliban Narratives: The Use of Power and Stories in the Afghanistan Conflict. "There's never been an insurgency in history that's been defeated purely through air power."
Even high-level U.S. military officials concede the conflict remains a stalemate. According to the latest U.S. military estimate, the Afghan government controls 56 percent of Afghanistan's districts, with insurgents controlling or contesting the rest.
Insurgent attacks also have continued. Nearly 60 people died Sunday when an Islamic State suicide bomber attacked an election identification card distribution center in Kabul. The Taliban has also rejected October's scheduled parliamentary elections as "fake," and stage-managed by "foreign occupation" forces. | When did the war in Afghanistan begin? | seventeen years ago | ['15 years ago', 'not enough information', 'eighteen years ago'] |
Sometimes you may have a strong desire to do something strange or terrible. However, chances are that you don't act on your impulse , but let it pass instead. You know that to take the action is wrong in some way and that other people will not accept your behavior.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the phenomenon of _ behavior is how it can change over the years, how certain behavior and attitudes once considered taboo can become perfectly acceptable and natural at another point in time. Topics such as death, for example, were once considered so upsetting that it was a taboo to even talk about them. Now with the publication of important books such asOn Death and DyingandLearning to Say Goodbye, people have become more aware of the importance of expressing feelings about death and, as a result, are more willing to talk about this taboo subject.
One of the newest taboos is the topic of fat. Unlike many other taboos, fat is a topic that people talk about constantly. It's not taboo to talk about fat; it's taboo to be fat. The _ is thin, not fat. In the work world, most companies prefer youthful-looking, slim manager to sell their image as well as their products to the public. The thin look is associated with youth, vigor, and success. The fat person, on the other hand, is thought of as lazy and lacking in energy, self-discipline and self-respect. After all, how can people permit themselves to become fat? In an image-conscious society, thin is ''in", fat is "out".
It' s not surprising that millions of people have become obsessed with staying slim and "in shape". The pursuit of a youthful physical appearance is not, however, the only reason for people's obsession with diet and exercise. Recent research has shown the importance of diet and exercise for personal health. As in most technologically developed nations, the life-style of people has changed since last century. Modern machines do all the physical labor. Cars and buses transport us quickly from point to point. As a result of inactivity and disuse, people's bodies can easily become weak. In an effort to avoid such a fate , millions of people are spending more of their time exercising. Parks are filled with joggers and bicyclists, and many companies are providing special exercise equipment for their employees to use during the work day. | What does the word "taboo'' refer to in the passage? | Behavior considered unacceptable to the society. | ['An unfavorable impression left on other people.', 'A strong desire to do something strange or terrible.', 'A crime committed on impulse.'] |
We had known for along time that flowers of different plants open and close at different time of day. Yet no one really understands why flowers open and close like this at special time. The question is not as simple as we might think, as recent experiments have shown. In one experiment, flowers were kept in constant darkness. We might expect that the flowers ,without any information about the time of the day, did not open as they usually do. In fact, they continue to open at their usual time. This shows that they have some special ways of knowing the time. Their sense time does not depend on information from the outside world. It is inside them: a kind of "inner clock". This discovery may not seem to be very important. However, it is later found that not just plants but animals have this "inner clock" which control the working of their bodies and influences their activities. Human beings, then, are also influenced by it. Whether we wish or not, it _ such things in our life as our need for sleep or need for food. | Before the experiment arrived at a conclusion ,people had thought that the flowers would _ . | never open in constant darkness | ['change their usual time to open', 'open ahead of the time as they usually did', 'continue to open at usual time'] |
Spontaneity is not an adjective that I would generally use to describe myself . I like to plan . But I had myself a bout of spontaneity this weekend . The Creation Stargate convention was in Chicago this weekend . | What did I do that is normally not part of my personality . | I made last minute plans to do something fun which is normally out of character . | ['I planed to be spontaneous this weekend at a convention in Chicago .', 'I went to the Create Stargate convention to describe my spontaneity', 'I planned a fun trip to the Creation Stargate convention for the weekend .'] |
Writing being largely a self-taught occupation, texts on how to get about it -though great in number- seldom are of much use.
You try, and fail. Then try again. Until at last, if you have some gift for it, the failures become less frequent, or at any rate less apparantly.
It is this ability to cover up one's defects that is finally regarded as accomplishment or achievement.
Along the way there are the discouragements of unkind criticism, outright rejection, troublesome insecurity and irregular inability to meet debts.
It is uncommon, therefore, to come across a book containing advice of much practical value for anyone toying with the dangerous idea of staring on a writing life.
A friend recently lent me such a book, however - one I wish I'd had the luck to read years ago, and which I would recommend to any young person devoted to making a career of words. It is the autobiography of the English novelist Anthony Trollope, first published in 1883, the year after his death.
Needing some means to support himself, Trollope at age 19 worked as a junior clerk in the British postal service. He was at his desk at 5:30 each morning to write for three hours. And he remained in the mail service 33 years, long after reputation and prosperity had come to him.
Now, what of his advice in his works?
1. For safety's sake, arm yourself with some other skills, some other line of work to fall back on . That way, failure at writing, though the disappointment may appear, will not mean ruin.
2. Do not depend too much on inspiration. Writing is a craft, which Trollope compared to the craft of shoemaking. The shoemaker who has just turned out one pair of his work sets to work immediately on the next pair.
3. Have a story to tell, but, more important than that, people with characters who will speak and move as living creatures in the reader's mind. Without memorable characters, story alone is nothing.
4. Meet your deadlines. Life is endlessly "painful and troublesome" for writers who can't finish their work on time.
5. Do not be carried away by praise. And, above all, do not be injured by criticism.
6. Understand the risks of writing for a living. "The career, when successful, is pleasant enough certainly; but when unsuccessful, it is of all careers the most painful." | This passage mainly discusses _ . | sound advice provided in Anthony. Trollope's autobiography | ['the difficulties and risks of making a career of words', 'the uselessness of instructions contained in writing guidebooks', 'the autobiography of the 19th century English novelist Anthony Trollope'] |
Of all the things we eat and drink, water is the most important. Not all people realize this, but it is quite true. The human body can live without food for a long time, but two or three days without water usually result in death.
Many people do not understand how much water the human body needs, but many people do not drink enough, especially in the hot weather. Most people drink when they are thirsty but often need more water after exercises.
65 to 70 percent of the human body is water. Water is important in several different ways. Most people need five to seven liters of water every day, but we needn't drink this amount because a lot comes from the food we have. If we don't have enough water, however, we will feel tired and many become ill. Do you know what the best drink is? Yes, you are right. Cool water! | How much water are there in the human body? _ | About three fourths of the human body is water. | ['Nearly a half of the human body is water.', 'Less than a half of the human body is water.', 'Almost one fourth of the human body is water.'] |
The day was like any other day in his life. Tom walked past the shop on the street corner. He stopped to look at the front row of shoes, and he felt happy to see that the pair of shoes he wanted very much was still there. Looking down at his old shoes, he felt sorry for himself. He really wanted to have them for his birthday.
He sadly walked away and thought how to tell his mother about it. He knew very well she had little money. He decided not to go home at once, as he looked sad and his mother would notice it. So he went to the park and sat on the grass. There he saw a boy moving a wheelchair with his hands. Tom looked at him and was surprised to see that the boy had no feet. He looked at his own feet. "It's much better to be without shoes than without feet. "he thought. There was no reason for him to feel so sorry and sad. He went away and smiled, thinking he was happier. | We can learn from the story that Tom _ . | loved his mother very much | ['liked new shoes very much', "didn't want to stay at home", 'had no feet'] |
Old age may not sound exciting.But recent findings offer good news for older pepole and for people worried about getting older.
Researches found that people become happier and experience less worry after they reach the age of fifty.In fact,they say by the age of eighty--five,people are happier with their life than they were when they were eighteen years old.
The findings came from a survey of more than 340,000 adults in the United States.The Gallup Organization questioned them by telephone in 2008.At that time,the people were between the ages of eighteen and eighty--five.The searches asked questions about emotions like happiness,sadness and worry.They also asked about mental or emotional stress.
Arthur Stone in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Stony Brook University in New York led the study.His team found that levels of stress were highest among adults between the ages of twenty--two and twenty--five.The findings showed that stress levels dropped sharply after people reached their fifties.Happiness was highest among the youngest adults and those in their early seventies.The people least likely to report feeling negative emotions were those in their seventies and eighties.
The study also showed that men and women had similar emotional patterns as they grew older.Hower,women at all ages reported more sadness,stress and worry than men.Researchers say they do not know why happiness increases as people get older.One theory is that,as people grow older,they grow more thankful for what they have and have better control of their emotion .They also spend less time thinking about bad experiences.
The researchers also considered possible influences like having young children,being unemployed or being single.But they found that influences like these did not affect the levels of happiness and well--being related to age. | Which is the best title for the passage? | For Lots of people,Getting Older Means Getting Happy | ['No Worrying about Getting Older', 'Older Men are Happier than Older Women', 'The Factors Affecting the Happiness of Old people'] |
This was probably one of my favorite races to date . It was in this small community outside the north entrance to Yellowstone . It was a first annual fundraiser for the local grade school and there was only like 59 runners . I knew like 30 of them so it was great to be in that atmosphere surrounded by friends . | How might this person be described as ? | They are a runner . | ['None of the above choices .', 'They are a fast runner .', 'They are a good runner .'] |
It 's been a rough couple of days . At least the worst crap 's over with , hnn ? There 's the bakufu , yeah , but that only means I got ta lay low for a while . Uh ... might be a good idea ... if you want to stay at the hut , I 'll make myself a camp in the woods for now . | Why is the narrator so downtrodden in this narrative ? | The narrator is upset about conditions outside their hut . | ['None of the above choices .', 'The narrator is upset about conditions at their boat .', 'The narrator is upset about conditions at their cottage .'] |
She came in 2nd . Yeah hon ! ! ! There is a pic of Cathy and Chuck Adams as well . Cathy did the Sprint event and Chuck was part of a team . | What will happen to Cathy after the sprint ? | Cathy will look for food and rest . | ['Cathy will look for a nice nap .', 'Cathy will look to run again .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
Hundreds of years ago, a Roman army came north from England to make war on Scotland. The Scots, a brave people, love their country. They fought hard to drive the enemy out of Scotland. But there were too many of the Romans. It looked as if the Romans would win.
One night, the leader of the Scots marched his soldiers to the top of a hill. "We will rest here tonight, my men," he said, "Tomorrow we will fight one more battle. We must win, or we will die."
They were all very tired. So they ate their supper quickly and fell asleep. There were four guards on duty, but they were very tired, too, and one by one, they fell asleep.
The Romans were not asleep. Quickly they gathered at the foot of the hill. Slowly they went up the hill. Closer they came to the sleeping Scots. They were almost at the top. A few minutes more the war would be over. Suddenly, one of them put his foot on a thistle . He cried out and his sudden cry woke the Scots. In a minute they were on their feet and ready for a battle. The fighting was hard, but it did not last long. The Scots wiped out the Romans and saved Scotland.
The thistle is not a beautiful plant. It has sharp needles all over it. Few people liked it. But the people of Scotland liked it so much that they made it their national flower. | Hundreds of years ago, the Romans _ . | came to the north Scotland from England to make war on Scotland | ['came from the north through England to make war on Scotland', 'came from the north of England to fight the Scots', 'came to the north from the south of Britain to fight the Scots'] |
The cost of raising a child has hit an all-time high, according to a new report, putting pressure on families already dealing with cuts to child benefit.
Figures from the insurance company LV's annual Cost of a Child Report show that the cost of bringing a child up to the age of 21 has reached $222, 458 -- more than $4,000 higher than last year and up$82,000 on ten years ago. The company estimates that this is set to reach $350,000 by 2023 if costs continue to increase at the same rate.
The report will be a further blow for hard-working families as cash-strapped parents continue to struggle with rising household bills, wage freezes and cuts to child benefit. The right to receive the payments, worth $20.30 a week for the first child and $13.40 further children, was removed earlier this month from households with one earner on a salary of more than $60,000 and reduced for families where one member is paid more than $50,000.
The research published today shows costs have risen in all areas over the last decade, except for clothing, with education seeing the biggest increase. As a result, more than three-quarters of parents have been forced to make ends meet. According to LV, more than four in ten are reining in spending on luxuries such as holidays, a third are also cutting back how much they spend on essentials such as food.
Education remains the biggest expense for parents. The cost of education, including uniforms, after school clubs and university costs, has shot up from $32,593 to $72,832 per child in the last ten years.
Childcare costs have also rocketed, up from $39,613 in 2003 to $63,738 today. | According to the passage the cost of raising a child to the age of 21 ten years ago was _ . | $140,458 | ['$222,458', '$218,458', '$82,000'] |
YES ! Perhaps I shall be most feared someday . And 2 teammates said they were nominating me for team captain at the end of the season ! ! And our announcer says he 'd vote me most improved . | How is the narrator viewed among peers ? | He is a leader . | ['He is viewed with suspicion .', 'He is hated by the captain .', 'He is viewed poorly by teammates .'] |
SHE dresses in saggy pants and is crazy about the pop star, Rain. Bin Xue is in love with South Korean culture. The 19-year-old from Sichuan Province feels a strong connection with the neighbouring country.
"The two nations have a long history of friendship and there are many similarities between them," she said. "But Koreans are iron-willed, and we could learn this quality from them."
Bin is not the only Chinese deeply affected by Korean culture. A recent survey shows that most Chinese teenagers think highly of their eastern neighbour.
However, Koreans do not view the Chinese in the same good light. In a recent survey, only 5.5 per cent of Korean teens thought the Chinese people friendly.
The survey among high school students in China, Japan, South Korea and the United States, was conducted in 156 high schools. More than 7,000 teenagers were questioned on success, family, their self-identity , as well as their opinions about the world at large.
Results showed that most Korean teens gave a low score to the Chinese for patriotism , responsibility and honesty. In their eyes, Chinese people are not hard-working and don't obey the rules.
"The result is surprising, but it does reflect a real information gap between teenagers in the two countries," said Lei Li, a psychology professor from the Capital Normal University.
Experts say that Chinese students' positive feelings about South Korea were a result of the booming popularity of Korean pop music. Korean movies and TV series have flooded China. And 73 per cent of the Chinese respondents said they watched Korean TV serials and cartoons.
On the other hand, Lei added, Korean teenagers don't have much access to China. The survey found that only 6.7 per cent of Korean students have ever read Chinese books or news magazines or watch Chinese TV programmes.1
Professor Lei thinks that Chinese teens should give themselves a better basis for appreciating the cultures of their neighbours. It's not enough to simply enjoy their music, TV and fashion sense. "The survey shows that Chinese teens should make friends with their foreign peers . They shouldn't judge other countries by their media alone," said Lei.
Luo Xi'er, 17, from Hunan Province, hopes Chinese people can improve their image. "In my opinion, it is the bad behaviour of Chinese tourists which has destroyed our image abroad," she said.
The girl has read several online articles in which Koreans put Chinese tourists' bad manners under the spotlight. "I would like to go to South Korea some day and show them that most Chinese are good-mannered." | Most Chinese teenagers think highly of South Korea because _ . | all of the above | ['they are crazy about pop stars in South Korea', 'Korean people have certain qualities they respect', 'there are many similarities between China and South Korea'] |
The Road Trip of Your Life You see life as a journey to be shared with others . Kinship and sharing are very important to you . You live a life of leisure . You take your time in every aspect of life and enjoy it to the fullest . You do n't like a lot of risk or randomness in your life . You prefer to stick with what 's known , even if it 's a bit boring . You are able to find a fairly healthy balance between work and play . | What kind of person are you ? | I am a generous person . | ['I am very spontaneous .', 'I like a lot of randomness .', 'I take a lot of risks .'] |
GREENWICH--Recently, a group of concerned Greenwich residents gathered to discuss how they could help those who may be alone during the holiday season.Armed with plenty of ideas and a sincere desire to do good, this group now refers to themselves as "A Random Act of Kindness".As members of this group, we are to put together a Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving Day that will provide a free meal to those who are alone or can't provide for themselves.This task will require many resources to make it successful.We are gathering a small army of volunteers to devote their time to helping prepare, cook, serve, clean, organize and promote this event.We hope that you can help us.The following is what we have planned to do;
*A 2 - hour free dinner that will take place at the Greenwich VFW with 2 seatings, one from 1 p.m.to 2 p.m.and the other from 2: 30 p.m.to 3: 30 p.m.by reservation only on Thanksgiving Day.
*Amy McPhail and Julie Carroll are accepting names of volunteers as well as food donations for the cause; Amy can be contacted at 692 -7841 for donations and Julie can be contacted if you'd like to volunteer at 884 -0658.
*A bank account has been created through Glens Falls National Bank to accept money donations and checks can be made payable to "A Random Act of Kindness" and sent to Glens Falls National Bank c/o Dan Flynn.
*Ellen Pemrick ( Caterer) .Beth Anthony ( Beth's Cafe) and David Hughes (Glens Falls Hospital) will be consulted to make sure the highest quality of food can be served.
*We are looking to serve between 150 and 250 people at this event.We are serving the following: turkey gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, stuffing rolls, pumpkin pie, apple pie.Beverages will include: milk, water, coffee & apple cider.
If you are interested in donating any of the above items, please drop off your donations at the VFW in Greenwich any evening between November 14 and November 24.If you have any problems dropping any items off during that time, please contact George Perkins at either 692 -2367 or 573 -8115.Any non-perishable food donalions not used for the dinner will be donated to the local Greenwich Food Pantry.
Any help you can provide for us would be gready appreciated.Everyone's generosity to the Greenwich community and its residents is very much appreciated.Reservations for dinner are now being accepted by calling Pal Perkins at 692 -2367 until November 13. | How many people will probably be served at the Thanksgiving dinner? | 200. | ['500.', '400.', '300.'] |
But he held on for a few months before the infection finally claimed him . Such a long time , I exclaimed , trying not to think too much about what it must ' ve been like to wither away slowly on that cot and wishing only for the delirium of fever to take away the pain . She closed her eyes and nodded knowingly , mildly savoring the reaction her story has garnered . | What may have happened if this event had not happened ? | The author would n't have a story to tell . | ['The person would stay out of the hospital .', 'The person would get ill later on in life .', 'The speaker would still have that person .'] |
Green invaders are taking over America. Not invaders from space, but plants! You might not think of plants as dangerous, but in this case they are threatening nature's delicate food chain.
The invaders are plants brought here from other countries to make gardens and yards look pretty. Ever since people started to arrive on America's shores, they have carried along trees, flowers, and vegetables from other places. Now there are so many of those plants, they are crowding out the native plants that have lived here since before human settlers arrived.
And that's a problem, says Dr. Doug Tallamy. He's insect expert at the University of Delaware. He explains that almost all the plant-eating insects in the United States are specialized, which means they eat only certain plants. Monarch butterfly caterpillars ,for example, dine on milkweed. If people cut down milkweed and replace it with another plant, the butterflies will not have the food source that they need to survive.
But the trouble doesn't stop there. When insects can't get the right plants to eat and they die off, then the birds don't have enough bugs for their meals. Tallamy points out that almost all migrating birds depend on insets to feed their young.
"We cannot let the plants and animals around us disappear." says Tallamy, "The way to preserve them is to give them food to eat. But when we plant non-native plants, we are _ the food chain, because then we don't have the insects the birds need to live."
Fewer of the right plants mean fewer bugs, and fewer bugs mean fewer birds. And that's bad for the Earth, because we need a variety of living things to keep the planet healthy and beautiful.
The good news is, garden centers sell native plants. "Just Google 'native plants' and your location, and you can find out which plants really belong where you live," says Tallamy | How did green invades arrive at America? | They were brought in from foreign countries | ['They fell down from space.', "They floated to the America's shores.", 'They has lived here since human settlers arrived'] |
Today is not a good day. It is my own fault of course ~ I thought I had lost weight so I stood on the scales. Once again my number was way higher than I wanted it to be and it brought all my darkest fears to the surface once again. My mind keeps telling me, “Of course this will never work!”
I FEEL LIKE THE SPECIAL NEEDS KID IN CLASS
I no longer feel like I am part of the ‘in’ crowd. I don’t have a gang to hang out with. I feel like I have gone weird and no-one wants to play with me anymore. If I’m not blogging about how much weight I’ve lost or how I’ve fallen head first into a binge then no-one seems to care.
IT IS SO FUCKING SLOW
I have been ‘off’ diet for nearly 2 months and I am still figuring things out. I haven’t lost any weight even though my intention is to drop a few kilos. I swing from perfectly happy to confused and bewildered for no apparent reason. I just want to be fixed. I want to easily achieve my naturally slender body and I want it NOW thank you very much.
I MISS MY OLD LIFE
When I was a very small child I used to suck my thumb. Once I stopped and I got braces my mouth shape was totally different and my thumb never fit properly again. I can still remember the comforting sensation of sucking my thumb that has now is gone forever. Same thing with my old life. I miss the control, I miss the joy of a low scale number and I miss the pride in winning against all the odds. I know it is only because I forgotten the pain … but my old life was familiar and predicitable and this one isn’t.
I HAVE NOWHERE ELSE TO GO
It is clear that dieting will never be a long term solution for managing my weight as I have proven over and over again in the past 5 years, so if listening to my body doesn’t work either, then I’ll have nowhere else to go … except blobsville. I feel like this is my last chance and I’m stuffing it up. | When did the narrator feel most in control? | In their old life | ['They never felt in control', 'not enough information', 'They feel in control now'] |
Fear is an emotion like others such as happiness, anger, hurt, sadness. We need emotions to process information we receive and decide how to respond. Being afraid of fast cars, for example, is something that might protect us from harm. Being afraid of the consequence of a choice may prevent us getting into trouble.
Fears in young children commonly center on certain animals like snakes or big dogs. Fears are caused often because of experiences or ideas expressed by others, and at times, the media. Many normal fears during the early years, like men with beards, or large dogs, disappear with age. Those relating to personal failure and ridicule remain through adulthood and may need special help to overcome.
Children's fears are often _ , but that doesn't mean they should be ignored. They need to be recognized and accepted as real for that child. Only when we help children understand their fears can they grow normally in their ability to deal with them.
Research shows that as a child grows up, the center of his fears changes a lot. Things like divorce, a teacher who "shouted at me", people with guns, bullies, big boys, or "making fun of me" top the list of childhood fears.
We can not always prevent these experiences from happening, but it's essential that children be allowed to freely express their emotions without judgment. Sympathy and a caring listener will help ease the pain of these fears. Read books and stories to your child about children who have experienced similar fears. This helps children talk about their fears and find ways to cope. With all emotions, fears become less of a problem for children as they gain self-confidence and they find that fear is normal and can be dealt with. | What's the best title for this passage? | Children's Fears | ["How to Overcome Children's Fears", "The kind of Children's Fears", 'The Bad Effects of Fears'] |
WHITE HOUSE — "The United States will not be a migrant camp and it will not be a refugee holding facility," President Donald Trump vowed Monday amid growing outrage over his administration forcibly separating children from parents at the U.S. border with Mexico.
Trump, speaking in the White House East Room during a National Space Council meeting, warned that "what's happening in Europe … we can't allow that to happen to the United States — not on my watch."
Earlier in the day, on the Twitter social media platform, the president inaccurately linked migration in Germany to a rising crime rate. In actuality, the latest German government statistics show reported crimes at the lowest level in 30 years.
Tough border enforcement in the U.S. has led to the family breakups, with nearly 2,000 children being sent to mass detention centers or foster care from mid-April to the end of May, according to government officials.
The regular White House briefing was delayed several times Monday amid the furor as officials huddled with Trump in the West Wing.
Press Secretary Sarah Sanders finally introduced Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen after 5 p.m., and she defended the administration's "zero-tolerance" policy that is breaking up families at the southwestern U.S. border.
Nielsen forcefully pushed back at the negative media coverage, asserting that what U.S. authorities are doing is properly enforcing the law.
"What has changed is that we no longer exempt entire classes of people who break the law," she said.
Asked about critics accusing the administration of using children as "pawns" to demand legislative actions from Congress, the DHS secretary replied, "I say that is a very cowardly response," adding it is clearly within Congress' power "to make the laws and change the laws. They should do so."
Trump's Republican party controls both chambers in Congress, and the family border policies were set by his administration.
In a tweet displaying photographs of a detention facility, showing children sleeping on mats with foil blankets, Democrat Senator Tim Kaine wrote: "The real Trump Hotel." | What led to family breakups in the U.S. in the article? | tough border enforcement | ['divorce', 'loss of jobs', 'not enough information'] |
A total of 1900 copies were issued . Fukudome is not a subject on the Autographed Rookie Card checklist nor was he ever solicited as one . " If all this is true , then it begs these questions : If Topps never had intended to include an autographed KosFu BowChro card , why did they produce a card that appears to have every intention of being autographed by KosFu ? And why did this card magically appear in packs of BowChro ? | Why was n't Fukudome on the card list ? | Topps did not put him there . | ['They put KosFu there instead .', 'Because he was replaced by the KosFu BowChro card .', 'There was no one on the on the Autographed Rookie Card checklist .'] |
A man walks into a doctor's office. He has a cucumber up his nose, a carrot in his left ear and a banana in his right ear. "What's the matter with me?" he asks the doctor. The doctor replies, "You're not eating properly."
This is a popular joke among British schoolchildren. It reflects Britain's famous _ and satirical way of seeing the funny side of life. This unique sense of humor is often cited as one of Britain's defining national characteristics.
"The famous British sense of humor has long been our most cherished national characteristic," says the British journalist Leo Mckinstry. "We have valued it above historic military victories and great works of literature, above our rich scenic landscape and our talent for invention."
The British sense of humor differs from other countries because it is generally more negative. When it comes to making the British laugh, there is nothing more effective than a socially inappropriate joke.
Popular British comedy shows such as Fawlty Towers, Blackadder and The office are full of sarcasm , teasing and self-deprecation . It reflects the culture where mocking, moaning and ridicule is part of everyday life.
While most Britons don't take these jokes too seriously, foreigners are often puzzled by them. A recent survey found that most foreigners who visited Britain found that the British are "arrogant, unfriendly and have almost no sense of humor".
Do foreigners not understand British humor or are the British just not as funny as they think they are? Mckinstry certainly thinks the British are funny. "Accusing the British of having no sense of humor is like telling Rolls-Royce that its cars are down-market." he says. | Which of the following are NOT the characteristics of British humor? | Encouraging and gentle | ['Dry and satirical', 'Negative and mocking', 'Clever and witty'] |
Convenient location 5 minutes from Washington , D. C. and one block to Crystal City METRO , Cryastal City Underground. Alexandria. Free Parking, free Deluxe Continental Breakfast and complimentary Hotel Shuttle Service to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
14000 Jefferson Davis Hwy ( endurance onS. Eads St)
Phone (703) 979 - 3722
DAYS INN ARLINGTON
Days Inn Arlingtonis located two miles from the Pentagon , Lincoln Memorial . There is a restaurant which serves American style food , plus two meeting rooms and an outdoor pool. Complimentary shuttle service runs to the Rosslyn Metro Station. Complimentary parking is avail-
able on the property . An experienced staff welcomes out guests.
Phone (703) 525 -0300
THE HIGHLANDER MOTORINN
Comfortable rooms at moderate rates . Convenient location only minutes away from Washingtonarea attraction. Near VA Square METRO Station and Ballston Commons Shopping Mall . Free continental breakfast, free parking.
Phone (703) 524 -4300
HYATT REGENCYCRYSTALCITY
Conveniently located next to Washington National Airport and two miles from Washington D.C.Complimentary Shuttle to and from NationalAirport, metro, local restaurants and shop-ping. Experience a view to remember at out rooftop restaurants "Chesapeake Grill. " Call for Reservations.
Phone (073) 418 -12341 (800) 233 -1234 | Steven loves the idea of having delicious meal while enjoying the night view of Washington D. C. He will probably reserve a room by calling _ . | (073) 418 -12341 | ['(703) 524 -4300', '(703) 525 -0300', '(703) 979 -3722'] |
They had similar physical features : the same green eyes and the same raven colored hair . They had similar quirks : their facial expressions and other such mannerisms . But Michael was well - mannered . Michael had a formal side . | Why may Michael be so well - mannered ? | His parents raised him to have a more formal side . | ['None of the above choices .', 'His parents never taught him manners .', 'His parents let him run wild as a child .'] |
Every day, 340 million people speak it. One billion people are learning it and it is said that by 2050, half of the world's population will be using it. What are we talking about? That is the global language--English.
The English language started in Britain in the 5th century. It is a mixed language. It was built up when German. Scandinavian and French invaders settled in England and created a common language for communication.
Today it is the official language of the UK, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and Ireland as well as many islands in the Caribbean. Many other countries and regions use it for politics and business, for example, India. Pakistan, Nigeria and the Philippines. English is also one of the official languages of Hong Kong.
But global advertising and pop music mean that in most countries, you will see or hear some English. Thanks to McDonalds, we all know about "burgers". "fries" and "milkshakes". Songs by Madonna, Britney Spears and Celine Dion are in English. We can sing along, even if we do not understand what we are singing!
English is a messy language. Every year, dictionaries include new words that talk about popular culture, for example, computer-related words such as "blogging", "download" and "chartroom". Also included are words that teenagers use. Who does not know "cool", "OK" and "hello"? Other languages also influence English. Many English words come from French. Words like "cafe" and expressions like "c'est la vie" (that is life) are all part of the English language. On the other hand, the French language includes English words like "le weekend" and "le camping". German words are also part of English. Words like "kindergarten" come from the German language.
Recently, British people have become interested in "yoga". But the word comes from an ancient Hindu language in India. | The English language has a history of _ . | over 1500 years | ['over 2000 years', 'over 500 years', 'over 1000 years'] |
I bought the new jay - z song swagga like us and it plays fine on itunes but when i add it to my iphone it does n't play . ( it says its playing but there 's no sound ) So i thought something might be wrong with my uploading so i put other songs on there and it worked fine its just that one song . I thought it might have been because it had explicit lyrics , but i turned the explicit block on my phone off and still does n't work . | What type of genre of music is the narrator interested in ? | They like hip hop . | ['They like pop music .', 'They like rock music .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
I had to stop the car once because it was threatening to overheat . Pondered returning to the popular trailhead , but decided I wanted to do the hike I came there for , so with trepidation , continued on . Luckily , the road improved within a half - mile . The hike was fabulous . Sometimes when winding through the forest , it seems surreal , it 's so beautiful . | What may be the reason for their hike obstacles ? | The roads were not good quality . | ['They had gotten caught in bad weather .', 'None of the above choices .', 'They were having troubles with the weather .'] |
He quietly places his keys in their bowl on the counter , and grabs a beer from the fridge . He looks at the sky , and then the clock , and decides that it may rain , the clouds are darker than they should be at 7 pm . He tiptoed over to the sofa , and squatted down on his heels not far from Calleigh 's head . Her breathing was a little too irregular for her to be really asleep . | Where was Calleigh 's head when he tiptoed to it | On the couch armrest | ['On the chair backrest', 'On the floor', 'None of the above choices .'] |
"Tell me again how you learned to ride a horse," I would ask my father when I was a little girl in Denmark. I was no more than four years old--too little to learn to ride a horse by myself. But I liked to hear my father tell his story. And then he would begin.
"When I was a little boy, as little as you are now," he would say, "I wanted to ride the horses. But I was too small to mount a horse. So I would slip into my father's stables to be with the horses and admire them. Such big, powerful animals they were!
"The gentle workhorses stood quietly in their stalls, eating their hay. I would climb up the side of one of the stalls and slide over onto the horse's back.
"Then I would hold its mane and imagine us running quickly over the grasslands, down to the shore, and even into the sea.
"When I grew tall enough to mount a horse," he said, "my wish came true."
"You swim with the horses now," I said. "You even swim with Fiery. And he has spirit!"
Everybody knew about Fiery, the great black male horse with the fierce temper, and how he behaved when he first came to the stables. He raised itself on its back legs with the front legs in the air. He snorted and kicked. He rolled his eyes. And everyone was afraid of him. Everyone, except my father.
I wanted to hear more. "Now tell me how you made Fiery your friend," I begged. This was my favorite story.
"Well, little Else," my father went on, "I just talked to him. I talked as a friend. You must talk to a horse like Fiery.
"I'd say, 'No, little horse. No, my friend. You can't run free. You must learn to let me ride you.'
"And soon Fiery began to listen. He knew from my voice that I would be his friend."
So Fiery let my father teach him to carry a rider. Then Fiery would take my father across the soft green grasslands or even into the lively waters of the northern sea. I loved to see Father riding Fiery without a saddle into the sea. There they swam, Father and Fiery, out in the cold, clear water.
Often I would watch them from the shore, holding tight to my mother's hand. They swam so bravely. I was so proud of them!
Then Father and Fiery would come splashing out of the water and run along the shore toward us. They made a fine stop--just in time!
Fiery towered over us. He tossed his head and shook sea water from his shining black coat.
Father was laughing and patting Fiery's neck.
And I was making a wish.
I wished that someday I could have a horse, too . . . but a smaller one! | What does Else learn from her father's story? | How to make friends with a horse. | ['How to train a workhorse.', 'How to swim with a horse.', 'How to ride a horse without a saddle.'] |
Huckleberry Finn,the great character from the Mark Twain book,did not like school.He
preferred floating down the Mississippi River on a raft and looking for adventure.That's why
generations of schoolboys have loved reading Huckleberry Finn:they feel the same way about[
school as he did.
For many boys,being forced to sit all day in a school room is like being punished for a crime they did not commit.There are endless hours of boredom spent learning things they have no interest in.That's why many boys do poorly in school and many give up on education altogether.
Ironically ,the whole idea for schools was invented for boys.If a boy wanted to grow up to be a useful man,he had to be educated.By and by,people realized that educating girls was a good idea,too.And,ironically again,it was discovered that the school
system suits girls just fine;so fine that girls now do much better than boys in school.
No one really knows why that is.Some say that girls mature quicker than boys and adapt better to school life.Some also say that the school system and the curriculum have changed to encourage girls but _ .
Educators are now trying to find ways to get boys to be more successful in school.There are
suggestions to separate the sexes and teach boys separately.There are also suggestions to change[
the curriculum to make it more interesting for boys.
Whatever the changes are,boys still will be boys,and dreams of floating down the Mississippi River will always be an attractive choice to just sitting in a classroom. | Huckleberry Finn is _ . | a character in a book | ["a boy of Mark Twain's", 'an American writer', "a river's name"] |
If you turned on the TV towards the end of 2002 you could have been forgiven for thinking that Britain had gone absolutely horseshit mental. Every week, it seemed, another pretty young girl from a nice family, who was happy and popular and always did well at school, was being kidnapped or murdered by what the Sun newspaper cheerfully termed 'evil paedo scum'. Naming and shaming was as popular a feature in the Murdoch press as Page Three girls and discounted holidays to Butlin's.
Of course you can't blame parents for wanting to keep their children safe; that's pretty much the job description of a parent. And, on the face of it, the tabloids were doing a public service in warning us about the paedophile menace lurking in our midst. The problem came when it turned out that a huge number of these concerned tabloid-reading parents were also absolute fucking morons. For every story of an actual sex offender being driven from their house by a baying mob there was one like that of Dr Yvette Cloete, a doctor at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport, South Wales, who returned home from work to find that a group of 'concerned parents' had daubed the word 'paedo' on her front door in bright red paint.
Dr Cloete was a consultant paediatrician. Easy mistake. If you're an absolute fucking moron.
And so it was that one hung-over morning, after reading yet another story about vigilantes who had threatened to stone Maxine Carr, the girlfriend of Soham killer Ian Huntley, to death during her high-profile trial for perverting the course of justice, I decided to set up a website parodying this collective national madness.
The result of two or three hours of hung-over labour was thinkofthechildren.co.uk, a spoof campaign site which claimed to offer a handy online guide for crazy vigilantes of all stripes to co-ordinate their crazy vigilante efforts. Although there are a few parts of the site I'm still a bit proud of, the majority of it was, I freely admit, satire of the lowest order. | Where were the accounts of kidnapped or murdered girls published? | The Sun. | ['The newspaper.', 'Page Three.', 'not enough information'] |
My mind is racing with thoughts of what is next , what do I need to get busy doing but the last thought is always the low time . Everything is our world is so rush rush that we forget the small stuff . We no longer take the time to take a pen and paper and write someone a letter . We now email ! | What is the person feeling ? | Nostalgia for an older time | ['Much too rushed to be happy', 'anger that they have too much to do', 'None of the above choices .'] |
Michael stays home on workdays. He plugs into his personal computer terminal in order to connect with the office. After work, he puts on his headphones, watches a movie on his home video recorder, or plays baseball on the computer. On many days, Michael doesn't talk to any other human beings, and he doesn't see any people except the ones on television. _ The inventions of modern technology seem to be cutting us off from contact with our fellow human beings.
The world of business is one area in which technology is separating us. Experts say, for example, that many people will soon be able to work at home. With access to a large central computer, employees such as office clerks, insurance agents, and accountants could do their jobs at display terminals in their own homes. They would never have to actually see the people they're dealing with. In addition, the way employees are paid will change. Workers' salaries will be automatically paid into their bank accounts, making paper checks unnecessary. No workers will stand in line to receive their pay or cash their checks. Personal banking will change, too. Customers will deal with machines to put in or take out money from their accounts.
Another area that technology is changing is entertainment. Music, for instance, was once a group experience. People listened to music at concert halls or in small social gatherings. For many people now, however, music is an individual experience. Walking along the street or sitting in their living rooms, they wear headphones to build a wall of music around them. Movie entertainment is changing, too. Movies used to be social events. Now, fewer people are going out to see a movie. Many more are choosing to wait for a film to appear on television or are borrowing videotapes to watch at home. Instead of laughing with others, viewers watch movies in their own living looms. | Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage? | One can borrow books from libraries at home. | ['Clerks will be able to work at home.', 'One can play baseball on the computer.', 'One can listen to music without disturbing others.'] |
Last month we spent a few wonderful days visiting our friends Rosa and Massimo who live just outside of Trento. It was our third visit to the area (on one of them I snapped up this recipe for persimmon cake), so I feel it’s about time to share some our favourite things that we’ve been shown by locals.
Trento is only a four hour drive from Florence — passing Bologna and Verona on the way, which could make very good pit stops if you feel the need to, FYI — yet it feels a world away in terms of the landscape and the food, from the golden, rolling hills of Tuscany. Cue towering mountains harbouring mushrooms and berries, lush valleys and turquoise lakes, vines grown on pergolas, enormous plates of sauerkraut and polenta in abundant portions, delicious wines and rustic cakes with German names.
Trento is the capital of Trentino, an unusual region of Italy because its official languages are Italian and German and it is actually made up of two self-governing provinces and is known as Trentino-Alto Adige or Trentino-Sudtirol. Confused? Since the eighth century, it has been part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and only a century ago did it become Italian. It is squeezed between Lombardy and the Veneto to the west and southeast and to the north lies Austria and Switzerland. So it is no surprise that many of the food influences come from its neighbours — particularly the northern ones.
Eating in the region means eating heartily, even in the summer sunshine, we enjoyed abundant portions of canederli (large rustic dumplings made of bread, herbs and meat, ham or cheese in broth), masses of soft, creamy polenta with thinly sliced roast pork or sausage ragu and slow-cooked beans or thick venison steaks, sauerkraut and gnocchi (sometimes made of out of polenta). I think one waiter was highly disappointed that we weren’t able to finish our gargantuan plates one hot day on a mountain with a view of the Dolomites. Somehow there was always room for dessert, though — adopted from German and Austrian specialties, you can find cakes like black forest, schwarzplententorte (buckwheat cake, the recipe is below), sachertorte and linzertorte, often lathered with homemade, forest-picked berry jam and whipped cream. | How long was the author's dinner in the region of Trento? | about an hour | ['about 2 hours', 'not enough information', 'about 4 hours'] |
“Teachers like to agree with each other, when we talk about learning. It’s hard to change that, when the model we have wanted to make work has nonetheless been failing for 40 years.” Professor Brian Boyd
No area has remained up there in the contentiousness charts in Scotland as the notion of business and education working together to do something better for our young people.
Most schools do not ‘partner’ with colleges or universities. Instead, they are production facilities for undergraduates and college entrants. Fewer are set up to systematically provide apprenticeship opportunities as well as learning. At NoTosh, we’ve been working on a few, nascent projects to change the attitudes of schools from being these production facilities into something more of a life support - what metrics of success might we use if schools judged their success on the results of their alumni, five, ten or twenty years down the line, much like universities do?
City of Glasgow College have partnered with Newlands Junior College (NJC) to make the experience of a day in college more than what, in other circumstances, is too often perceived as a day off from school. The Junior College is called this, and not a school, for that very reason, to mark it out as a stepping stone between school and full-blown college. NoTosh helped last August to provoke the team around their thoughts of what 'unschool' might look like.
The College was backed and founded by Jim McColl, one of Scotland’s top business people.
In the future, suggests, McColl, might be be possible to take funding of learning out of its pre-existing silos, particularly for this group of students, about 60 in every city at these ages, who just need a different approach to the traditional comprehensive approach? A crossover funding model that helps learning happen in both ‘school’ or Junior College and college or university might be interesting. In fact, some of the world’s top universities are thinking of such models for their own students: Stanford’s 2025 project talks about the Open Loop, where learning and work happen over far more than the usual four year degree, offering students a chance to grow through not just learning, but contributing to society through their work, too. | What does Professor Brian Boyd probably think about schools partnering with colleges or universities in apprenticeships? | Boyd probably is very supportive | ['Boyd is probably adamantly against', 'Boyd is probably not supportive', 'not enough information'] |
I ' m so tired . Law school is exhausting . I feel guilty because I drove to campus today for the first time ( I ' ve been on the bus ) and paid the $ 7 to park in the garage . | What may be a fact about this person ? | They are working hard towards their degree . | ['They have been in school for a long time .', 'None of the above choices .', 'They are studying to become a court judge .'] |
Although coyotes eat lots of rodents , they also prey on blacktail fawns during springtime . They do have an effect upon the deer population . However , it is debatable whether shooting a single coyote has any impact at all upon the deer population . If one could effectively manage the coyote population , then shooting coyotes might be meaningful . | Why do coyotes choose to also prey on blacktail fawns ? | They are wild animals , motivated solely by hunger , and will prey on anything that offers the calories they require to thrive | ['None of the above choices .', 'They are systematically trying to eradicate the deer population because they want to have a stronghold on the land', 'They have grown tried of eating only rodents , and are trying to add spice to their diet by moving on to deer'] |
When important events are happening around the world, most people turn to traditional media sources, such as CNN and BBC for the news. However, during the war in Iraq in 2003, many people followed the war from the point of view of an unknown Iraqi citizen who called himself "Salam Pax", which means peace.
Salam Pax wrote a diary about everyday life in Baghdad during the war, and posted it on his website. Pax's online diary was a kind of website known as a "blog". Blogs are online diaries, usually kept by individuals, but sometimes by companies and other groups of people. They become the fastest growing type of website on the Internet.
A blog differs from a traditional website in several ways. Most importantly, it is updated much more regularly. Many blogs are updated every day, and some are updated several times a day. Also, most blogs use special software or websites, which can help ordinary people easily set up and start writing their own blogs.
There are many different kinds of blogs. The most popular type is an online diary of links where the blog writer surfs the Internet and then posts links to sites or news articles that they find interesting, with a few comments about each one. Other types are personal diaries, where the writer talks about their life and feelings. Sometimes these blogs can be very personal.
There is another kind of blogging, called "moblogging", short for "mobile blogging". Mobloggers use mobile phones with cameras to take photos, which are posted instantly to the Internet. The use of mobile phones in this way made the headlines in Singapore when a high school student posted a movie he had taken of a teacher shouting at another student on the Internet. Many people were shocked by what the student did, and wanted phones with cameras to be banned from schools.
Many people think that as blogs become common, news reporting will rely less on big media companies, and more on ordinary people posting news to the Internet. They think that then the news will be less like a lecture, and more like a conversation, where any one can join in. | Which of the following can be the best title of the passage? | A New Type of Media | ['The History of the Internet', 'The War in Iraq', 'The Increase of Using Computers'] |
Canada is a very large country.It is bigger than China.China is the third largest country in the world.Canada is the second largest.It has an area of nearly 10 million sq. km. Canada has a very long coastline.To the west is the Pacific Ocean.To the east is the Atlantic Ocean.The Arctic Ocean is in the north.There are very many islands off the Pacific coast and off the Arctic coast.The biggest one in the west is Vancouver Island.In the east there is New Foundland,and in the Arctic Ocean the biggest islands are Baffin Island and Victoria Island.(Greenland is not part of Canada.It is a part of Denmark,a country in northern Europe.)
Canada has a long border with the U.S.A.in the south.In the northwest Canada borders on the American"State of Alaska".Canada is a northern country.The Arctic Circle is (Latitude 16degN) passes through the northern part.In the south,half of the border with the U.S.A. follows line of latitude 49degN. | What ocean is in the north of Canada? | The Arctic Ocean. | ['The Pacific Ocean.', 'The Atlantic Ocean.', 'The Indian Ocean.'] |
it 's way too much pressure and it 's not healthy and i have no reason to subject myself to that.and today , on my last day in town . i ca n't go do the things i need to do because my mom took her car , figuring i did n't need it since it was my last day in town . ..... would n't that mean i DO need it even more so ? | What may be the reason I need the car ? | To get stuff for my trip home . | ['To get a new dog .', 'None of the above choices .', 'To drive around going nowhere .'] |
My first memory of cooking was with my grandmother, Rosemary, in Sydney. She taught me how to make scrambled eggs on her electric stovetop, the kind with the coiled heating elements, in her small, linoleum-lined kitchen with cupboards that stuck a little when they closed. She was not an exceptional cook — I can remember plenty of bland and overcooked vegetables and custard made with powder to pour into pre-bought pie cases with tinned pineapple, her specialty — but she worked hard to put a balanced, home-cooked meal on the table three times a day, every day.
The eldest of eight children, she dropped out of school during the Depression to help her single mother look after her siblings and work as a seamstress at David Jones. When the Second World War broke out and she was engaged to my grandfather, Aubrey, she started working on war-torn planes (“sometimes looking as if a steam roller has gone over them,” she said) as a sheet metal worker, putting them back together, when many of the men who used to do this work were off fighting the war. She said it was just like dressmaking, only using different materials.
She had a twinkle in her eye and a distinct laugh that can really only be described as a cackle. She was a strong, incredibly smart woman with a fighter spirit who led her female co-workers out on the airport tarmac one day on a strike to earn equal wages to men. I am so proud that her story is taught as part of the Australian primary school curriculum.
Her dream was to have a home with that electric stove. In 1943 when she was 28 she was interviewed for Australian Women’s Weekly magazine for an article on women in men’s jobs during the war, where there is a photo of her that is etched in my memory, dressed in white, wearing a white bandana tied in a knot at the top of her dark curls, a plane behind her. | When did the grandmother drop out of school? | during the great depression | ['not enough information', 'before the great depression', 'after the great depression'] |
This entry is about a dream ( nightmare ? ) I had last weekend : I dreamt I was called back for Reservist in - camp training . And one of the training exercises we had to do was knife - throwing . Not knife - throwing as in throwing knives as a target , but rather throwing knives to one another as if we were throwing frisbees . | What might this nightmare say about this person ? | They had bad experiences as a reservist | ['None of the above choices .', 'They had to do training exercises', 'They were throwing knives'] |
The jungle is dark and lonely with tall trees everywhere . So it 's going to be hard finding my brother and sister . That 's not the last of my problems because the tracks ends hear because of all the trees . | What is the last of the narrator 's problem ? | The narrator does n't know the way after the path ends . | ['The jungle is dark and the trees are tall .', 'The narrators brother and sister are missing .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
The behavior is repetitive and alarming . He squeezed things about 60 times during the 15 minute visit . She wants him in with an occupational therapist as soon as possible so that we can start working on his behaviors before he hits that magical age where it could ( and would ) become a social handicap . | Why may the child be forced into therapy ? | To prevent behavioral ticks from becoming habit . | ['He keeps counting to 60 as if he is OCD .', 'He struck a child 60 times .', 'He needs to stop hitting his parent .'] |
7 ways a government shutdown will affect your daily life
(CNN) -- Democrats and Republicans were unable to resolve their differences over Obamacare and now the government is shut down. The two previous shutdowns -- 1995 and early 1996 -- cost the country $1.4 billion. But what will the shutdown mean for you? Here are 7 ways the government shutdown will affect you.
7. Vacation all I ever wanted: Need to get away? Well, you can't. At least not to national parks. Or to national zoos. Or to national museums. They'll be closed. Were you thinking more along the lines of a trip to France? If you don't already have a passport, you might not get your blue book in time. The last time the government shut down, 200,000 applications for passports went unprocessed.
6. If you drive a car, I'll tax the street: You may be thinking, "No functioning government, no need to pay taxes." Think again. The Man would continue to collect taxes. U.S. bonds would still be issued. And other essential banking functions will go on.
5. Wait a minute, Mr. Postman: You know that whole "Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night" thing? Apparently, the U.S. Postal Service works through shutdowns as well. Sorry, you won't catch a break from the junk mail.
4. I want a new drug: Oh, the irony . Republicans still want to _ delay or otherwise withdraw gradually at Obamacare in exchange for funding the government. But the health care act at the center of this storm would continue its process during a shutdown. That is because its funds aren't dependent on the congressional budget process.
3. Pass the ammunition : Not so fast. A shutdown would affect the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Translation: That gun permit you wanted processed won't happen anytime soon if this goes on for a while.
2. Money (that's what I want): Well, if you owned a small business and needed a loan from the government, you would have to wait, depending on how long this lasts. If you were planning to buy a house and needed a federal loan, you would have to wait.
1. I'm proud to be an American: Perhaps the biggest hit would be to the collective psyche . America is the largest economy in the world and a beacon for how democracy ought to work. A recent CNN Research Corporation found that 51% would blame Republicans for the shutdown. The United States has operated without a budget since 2009 and has avoided a government shutdown with last-minute deals. Not only did the government run out of money on Tuesday, but the nation is set to hit its borrowing limit and potentially default on its debt in mid-October. Together, they serve as a double whammy . | According to the essay, what led to the shutdown of the American government? | The American government ran out of money and may fail in repaying its debts. | ['The government of America ran out of money.', 'The government of America is on debts.', 'America is set to hit the borrowing limit of its debts.'] |
Juliette Murray was, like me, a kid at school who got 5 “A”s, which in the West of Scotland put a certain degree of pressure on one’s shoulders to study either medicine or law. I studied European Law, and became a teacher - that's what a European Law degree does to you. She studied medicine and is today a practicing doctor, but the education bug is firmly rooted in what she chose to do next.
Murray noticed that, particularly in her local area, fewer students were applying to study medicine than the population number would suggest should. Not only that, nationally the number of medical students dropping out after beginning their course of study is increasing. She wondered if we might we persuade a more representative cross section of the community to become doctors.
She set about improving the opportunities for local youngsters, aged 14/5, at the time of their work experience choices. Existing work experience for those who want to gain an insight into the world of medical doctors is a sanitised course in an educational skills centre, where bored teenagers endlessly take each other’s blood pressure. They have more chance of a realistic insight by breaking their arm and turning up to Accident and Emergency. As any dad-to-be donning surgical greens knows, getting into an operating theatre is where a passion for surgery will be born or, in my case, definitely put to one side as a career option. So, the question became: how might we offer a more realistic experience of what being a doctor, surgeon or other medical profession feels like?
Starting with her local hospital, Wishaw General in NHS Lanarkshire, she set about overcoming what she describes as a “culture of obstacles”. Two years later, though, and students are indeed undertaking real life surgery work experience, experiencing a live operation theatre and seeing the pressure of the job first hand. | Why did Juliette start the program | Students in her area were not applying to study medicine | ['not enough information', 'Students in her area were not applying to study law', 'Students in her area were not applying to study theatre'] |
As academic work is becoming arguably more precarious and competitive, shorter contracts are becoming the norm, and the number of people completing PhDs in the UK is increasing, the risks associated with researching academia are high. This post discusses and explores my experiences of being a PhD student researching women’s lived experiences of research evaluation in the UK, and my thoughts on and experiences of interviewing very senior and esteemed academics as a junior researcher.
My PhD study explored research evaluation in the form of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) – a weighty force in UK academia – the outcomes of which, I argue, hold the potential to alter the course of an academic career considerably, as well as playing a role in the type of work that some academics do, particularly given the REF impact agenda.
There is currently an international trend towards research evaluation with programmes such as the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA), the Performance-Based Research fund in New Zealand (PBRF), and equivalents in countries including Denmark, Switzerland and the Netherlands. What is clear is that there is not enough qualitative, exploratory research into the effects of research evaluation on academic careers, especially for women, and so my PhD study was born. My findings suggest that research evaluation in the UK actively contributes to the continuance of gender inequality regimes in the academy, and that the ability to negotiate managerial control and be politically savvy is increasingly important in the academic world.
Before embarking on my PhD, I was acutely aware of the sensitivity of my research, as well as my own positionality with regards to my participants. Reflection is and was an important element in the research process for me, as it allowed me to reflect on the effects of the self on the research process and, ultimately, also on the data, as well as the various power dynamics discernible during interviews for my study. I was continually taken aback by participants’ generosity and kindness towards me, with many offers of help for proofreading, general career tips, and encouragement. There was a shared understanding of, and empathy with, the difficulties of the PhD process, and not only was this helpful to me as a scholar, but also as an individual. | What is probably true about the author? | they are liberal | ["they don't follow politics", 'they are conservative', 'not enough information'] |
Tsunami is a natural disaster, which is a Japanese word that means "sea wave". A tsunami is a huge sea wave that forms mainly in the Pacific Ocean area. People die and property is destroyed when a tsunami hits land. What causes these dangerous sea waves? Sometimes, tsunamis are caused when earthquakes take place underwater. Then, water begins to move up and down from the top of the ocean right down to the bottom. Waves begin to form, and each wave is called a tsunami.
A tsunami is less than one meter high and can move at a speed of almost 800 kilometers per hour while it is far out in the ocean. But the tsunami rises much higher and moves more slowly as it comes closer to land.
The weather bureau warns people over the radio and television when a tsunami is heading for land. These warnings have helped save many lives. | According to this passage, _ . | the warning from the weather bureau can help people save their lives | ["a tsunami can't cause lots of trouble", 'people can save their lives when a tsunami is coming', 'no one can escape when a tsunami is coming'] |
Magic is believed to have begun with the Egyptians, in 1700 BC. A magician named Dedi of Dedsnefu was reported to have performed for the pharaoh, or the king. He was also known to have entertained the slaves who built the pyramids. The "Cups and Balls" trick which he was particularly good at is still performed by magicians all over the world today.
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also fascinated by the idea of magic. Actually, one of their main interests was the art of deception . This explains why at that time the priests even built magic devices into their temples. These devices made it possible for doors to open by themselves and wine to flow magically out of statues' mouths. This was done mainly to convince people that the priests were powerful.
Magic, however, was not well accepted before the 1800s. Magicians were thought of as freaks and were only allowed to perform in a circus . It was in the 19th century that the magician Robert Houdin came along and changed people's views and attitudes about magic. It was also because of Robert Houdin that many magicians were able to add Dr. or MD to their names. Today magicians try hard to find new ways to show their practiced skills. Magic is now entertainment for families all over the world. | What would be the best title for the passage? | The History of Magic | ['Magical Tricks', 'Magic as Entertainment', 'A Great Magician'] |
Thanks for the A2A Josh:
Tough one to reduce to just a single incident but I’ll try.
I grew up in North Central Indiana, about 50 miles south of South Bend. It was common to have frequent snow accumulation in the winter and blustery, freezing temps. It seems like this was particularly true during my childhood in the 70’s and 80’s.
My family was blue collar through and through. We lived in the heartland in a town of just a few hundred with a sawmill and an on again off again gas station as our only two businesses.
My dad worked in a factory for roughly 45 years. He apparently started that job right out of high school. My mom was an incredibly hard worker and Still is to this day. She did factory work, restaurant management and everything in between.
It was this Protestant work ethic that led to one of the frequent tasks that my brother and I had to do which was not fun but ultimately was a very good deed.
As I said, winters were often snowy and harsh. So my mom would make my brother and me shovel driveways and sidewalks for a couple of elderly residents. We did this of course, after we did our own driveway.
Some people had motorized snowblowers but we did not. Standard snow shovels were our tools.
I remember us whining about the chore, wishing we could just play in the snow or get out of it altogether.
I don’t remember being overly conscious of the relief this provided for our elderly neighbors. I just remember that Mom would be disappointed if we didn’t do a good job.
Later in life I would have great appreciation for the things required of me by my parents. Factory work and summer farm jobs helped us learn the value of hard work and would set us on a road to appreciation of future job opportunities that were less taxing.
I still remember hating shoveling snow. But I’m forever grateful that I did it. | How long did the author live in Indiana? | For his childhood | ['Just a few months', 'not enough information', 'His entire life until present day'] |
so this week i tried out a recipe i got through one of those nifty email recipe swaps . the kind that is sort of like a chain letter where you forward a recipe on and then get a bunch more back . my husband loves steak ( shocking , i know ) and so do i. this seemed like a pretty easy dinner paired up with some baked potatos , steamed broccoli w / lemon butter and rolls . | What may happen before the enjoyable dinner ? | I got a recipe for it using an email scheme . | ['I ordered the ingredients using email .', 'None of the above choices .', 'My husband barbecued the steaks .'] |
Most kids hate to see their summer end, perhaps none more than the Murset children. This summer, the Murset family decided to travel across the country to help families in need, which proved to be a wonderful experience.
People. comreported that Gregg Murset and his wife, Kami, decided to take their six children, ranging from 7 to 16 years old, from their home in Phoenix, Arizona, across the country to spend 20 days on the road to help 25 families in need. "I told the kids and my wife over breakfast that I wanted to do this," Gregg Murset, 40, told People. com. "They all looked at me like I was crazy," he said, "but when we started to read the stories of people we were going to help, their attitudes completely changed."
Through Gregg's company, he was able to be matched with groups such as Autism Speaks, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and others that connected the Mursets to families with children who have cancer and other serious illnesses.
"When you have a kid who is struggling, the last thing you're thinking of is cleaning the house," says Gregg.
The family traveled to many cities in their journey, including Albuquerque, Denver, Kansas City, Chicago, and Buffalo. The trip covered 6,500 miles. "It's been amazing to watch my own children open their eyes and see that the world is bigger than they think," he said. "Even the little kids are learning from this experience."
And the families they've helped feel blessed to have met them. "They showed up at 8 a.m. and we had a list of things we needed help with," said Jim Spencer, a 61-year-old father in Warren, Michigan, whose 12-year-old daughter, Lexi, was diagnosed with cancer a couple of years ago.
The Mursets also used their travels as an opportunity to visit areas they had never been to, including the Statue of Liberty. But for Gregg, the main purpose of the trip was to teach his children to show concern for the happiness of other people rather than for themselves.
"There is nothing wrong with your kid getting off the sofa, doing some work and sweating," said Gregg. "It's good for the kid and it's good for the soul." | How did the kids feel when Gregg Murset first told the family about his plan? | Amazed. | ['Excited.', 'Disappointed.', 'Worried.'] |
The older the history the more I like it and seem to retain it . So this class is a struggle . I was going to drop it , but then I thought about all the other classes that I HAVE to take and do n't want to , if I ca n't get through this class then I might as well give up now . Cause Math is gon na suck so hard it 's not even funny ! | What may be the reason for dropping it ? | I struggle with numbers . | ['I have other classes and other activities .', 'None of the above choices .', 'I will read and study more about Math'] |
I felt a little embarrassed because whenever my mother comes to visit , she brings drama , complaining , and an all - around bad attitude with her . Mimi , on the other hand , was kinda and giving . She went on and on about how much she liked the house and she and D.H. paid for lots of expensive dinners and were totally up for anything we suggested . I think the behavior that stood out the most was Mimi 's lack of complaining though . | Why is the narrator anxious amid a visit from their mother ? | Their mom always complains . | ['Their mom always fights with Mimi .', 'None of the above choices .', 'Their mom is very uncool .'] |
Madonna and Child - Crayon on Paper - Campbell Neil - 1965 I ' ve probably studied this piece of art more than any other . I was about seven when my parents acquired and placed it in the living room of the home I grew up in . The artist , Campbell Neil , was a family friend and my father 's insurance agent . | How long has this piece of art been in our family ? | It 's been there for a long time . | ["It 's been there for only a little while .", 'None of the above choices .', "It has n't been there for long ."] |
Young women are more adventurous than young men when traveling abroad in gap years. One in three female backpackers visits more than three countries during a year out and travels alone, according to new research.
By contrast, the majority of their male counterparts visit only one country and tend to travel in groups, says a survey by the Gap Year company, which provides information and services for students considering taking a year out.
More women than men say that their prime reason for taking time off is to see the world and experience different cultures. Men were more likely to rank "having fun" higher on their list of priorities. Women were more likely to value the challenge of a foreign trip, and many cited reasons such as learning a language and meeting new people.
The more adventurous gap years taken by women seem to work to their benefit: more than three quarters of those surveyed reported increased confidence, self-reliance and independence, whereas only half of the men had that experience.
The research also showed that women were more likely to do voluntary work while traveling, with more than one in ten helping with teaching or development projects. One of the reasons given for this is a wish to see the country in an authentic light.
A greater proportion of women than men faced objections or criticism from their families over their gap-year plans. Among the men surveyed, lack of money was the main barrier to travel.
Carolyn Martin, a doctor from London, was a typically confident female traveler.
Starting in Cape Town, she traveled around southern Africa and Australia with a string of unusual and sometimes dangerous jobs.
"I had one job chasing elephants off the runway in Africa by banging a stick against a pan," she recalled. "It was OK but one day I did get chased by one."
She said that she had traveled alone because "you meet more people". | By referring to "gap year" the writer means _ . | a year off between high school and college for certain purposes | ['a gap you come across after leaving high school', 'a time when you are caught in a dilemma between work and study', 'a period before you find a job upon your graduation from college'] |
The police do many things for us. They help keep our things and us safe. They help keep cars moving safely. They take care of people who are hurt. Then they see these people get to a doctor.
The police go around town to see that everything is all right. They get around town in many ways. Some of them walk or go by car. In some big cities,some of the police ride on horses. It is strange to see these animals in the street.
As they go around town,the police help people. Sometimes they find lost children. They take the children home. If the police see a fight,they put an end to it right away. Sometimes people will ask the police how to get to a place in town. The police can always tell the people which way to go. They know all the streets and roads well.
Some police stand at crossings. They tell the cars when to go and when to stop. They make sure that the cars do not go too fast. They help children cross the street. They also help people who can't walk too well.
Without the police,our streets would not be safe. Cars might go too fast and hurt people. Lost people might never be found. The police do a good job. We need them. And we should thank them for a job well done. | 25. How do some of the police get around in some big cities? | On horses. | ['By taxi.', 'By bus.', 'On bikes.'] |
He wrote that the "human mind is capable of excitement without the application of gross and violent stimulants ". And it appears that simply reading those words by William Wordsworth proves his point.
Researchers at the University of Liverpool found the works of Shakespeare and Wordsworth and the like had a beneficial effect on the mind, lifting the readers' spirits by catching their attention and leading to moments of self-reflection.
Using equipment, they examined the brain activity of volunteers as they read pieces of classical English literature both in their original form and in a more simplified, modern translation.
And, according to the Sunday Telegraph, the experiment showed the more "challenging" works set off far more electrical activity in the brain than the ordinary versions.
The research also found poetry, in particular, increased activity in the right hemisphere of the brain, an area concerned with "autobiographical memory", which helped the reader to reflect on and reevaluate their own experiences in light of what they had read. The academics said this meant the classics were more useful than self-help books.
The brain responses of 30 volunteers was monitored in the first part of the research as they read Shakespeare in its original and "modern" form.
In one example, volunteers read a line from King Lear, "A father and a gracious aged man: him have you madded ", before reading the simpler "A father and a gracious aged man: him you have enraged ".
Shakespeare's use of the adjective "mad" as a verb caused a higher level of brain activity than the straightforward translation.
"Reading classics is not just a matter of style. It is a matter of deep versions of experience that promotes the cognitive ability," said Prof Davis, who will present the findings at the North of England education conference in Sheffield this week. | According to the researchers at the University of Liverpool, reading classical works can benefit readers in _ . | helping them think about themselves carefully | ['helping relieve their pressure', 'helping them focus more on their work', 'helping keep their spirits up for a whole day'] |