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Tired as all hell . So we stayed in , watched Terminator : Sarah Conner chronicles , and worked on mini / face - masks / etc . Sunday was a bit busier . We went down to Moms house , played a little pool ( I watched Judge Dredd ... I do nt know why ) and then went to the family BBQ . It was a great time . | What happened after you went to mom 's house ? | We played a game of billiards . | ['We watched terminator .', 'We ended up staying in .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
Tayka Hotel de Sal
Where:Tahua, Bolivia
How much:about $95 a night
Why it's cool:You've stayed at hotels made of brick or wood, but salt? That's something few can claim. Tayka Hotel de Sal is made totally of salt--including the beds (though you'll sleep on regular mattresses and blankets). The hotel sits on the Salar de Uyuni, a prehistoric driedup lake that's the world's biggest salt flat. Builders use the salt from the 4,633squaremile flat to make the bricks, and glue them together with a paste of wet salt that hardens when it dries. When rain starts to dissolve the hotel, the owners just mix up more salt paste to strengthen the bricks.
Green Magic Nature Resort
Where: Vythiri, India
How much: about $240 a night
Why it's cool: Riding a pulleyoperated lift 86 feet to your treetop room is just the start of your adventure. As you look out of your open window--there is no glass--you watch monkeys and birds in the rain forest canopy. Later you might test your fear of heights by crossing the handmade rope bridge to the main part of the hotel. You don't even have to come down for breakfast--the hotel will send it up on the pulleydrawn "elevator".
Dog Bark Park Inn B&B
Where: Cottonwood, Idaho
How much: $92 a night
Why it's cool: This doghouse isn't just for the family pet. Sweet Willy is a 30foottall dog with guest rooms in his belly. Climb the wooden stairs beside his hind leg to enter the door in his side. You can relax in the main bedroom, go up a few steps to the loft in Willy's head, or hang out inside his nose.
Gamirasu Cave Hotel
Where: Ayvali, Turkey
How much: between $130 and $475 a night
Why it's cool: Experience what it was like 5,000 years ago, when people lived in these mountain caves formed by volcanic ash. But your stay will be much more modern. Bathrooms and electricity provide what you expect from a modern hotel, and the white volcanic ash, called tufa, keeps the rooms cool, about 65degFin summer. | Which of the following about Tayka Hotel de Sal is TRUE? | It is located on an old lake. | ['The hotel is the cheapest among the four hotels.', 'Everything in the hotel is made of salt.', 'Rain has no effect on the hotel.'] |
So far it sucks . But I ' ve never tried it before , so it 'll take some getting used to . Not that I use it frequently . Or plan on using it frequently . | Why would the narrator be so down on this item ? | The narrator feels they are not skilled enough at it . | ['None of the above choices .', 'The narrator feels it is of low quality .', 'The narrator feels it is not good enough .'] |
This is a matter of great urgency which is why we contact you direct . We need a blank check . We need the funds as quickly as possible . We can not directly transfer these funds in the names of our close friends because we are constantly under surveillance . | Why is the speaker under surveillance ? | This is a ruse to convince the listener to fall for a scam . | ['None of the above choices .', 'Because they are a political prisoner .', 'Because they are wanted by the local police .'] |
SEOUL — North Korea shut down its Punggye-ri nuclear test site on Thursday to demonstrate its commitment to denuclearization in advance of the planned U.S.-North Korea summit. The development came hours before President Donald Trump called off the highly anticipated meeting.
The South Korean government welcomed the North's unilateral nuclear concession to help facilitate a broader agreement with the United States to completely end its nuclear weapons program in exchange for ending punishing sanctions and security guarantees.
"We are hoping that this action will become the opportunity for complete denuclearization in the future," South Korea Foreign Ministry spokesman Noh Kyu-duk said.
However, while the closure of the nuclear test complex is a significant symbolic gesture, analysts are skeptical it will seriously inhibit the Kim Jong Un government's ability to carry out further nuclear tests in the future.
"That renders the test site unusable, but not forever and it's not like North Korea has a shortage of mountains or people to make new tunnels," said Jeffrey Lewis, the director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in California, during an interview with Vice News.
North Korea conducted all six of its nuclear tests at the Punggye-ri underground site that includes at least two extensive tunnel systems, according the 38 North website that monitors the North's nuclear activities. Each nuclear test conducted at the site was progressively more powerful, with the first bomb detonated in 2006 producing an estimated 1-2 kiloton yield, much less powerful than the 16-kiloton bomb the United States used on Hiroshima during World War II, and the last test in 2017 producing close to a 250-kiloton yield.
There were reports that the last nuclear test in September of 2017 triggered a tunnel collapse rendering the site unusable, but analysts say there were still two other tunnels that could be used for future tests.
Earlier this year North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country no longer needed to conduct tests, because it had completed its goal of developing nuclear weapons. | After the end of this article, Kim Jong Un probably is | still testing weapons | ['looking to remove sanctions', 'not enough information', 'considering disarming completely'] |
Posted : August 23 , 2008 Date : September 14 , 2007 Time : Approx : 5:00 p.m. Location of Sighting : Burnaby BC third floor balcony . Number of witnesses : 1 Number of objects : 7 Shape of objects : Disc shape . Full Description of event / sighting : 5:00 pm on September 14th , 2007 I was out on my 3rd floor balcony talking to a friend on the phone . | What may happen at the date of the event ? | There was a crime committed . | ['There was a festival at Burnbay .', 'None of the above choices .', 'There was an exhibition .'] |
I went camping a lot as a kid , and those are some of my fondest memories . The kids had fun , though were a bit on the freaking - out - and - whining - side . Oliver was having trouble walking in the sand , and was stumbling everywhere . When he was n't falling , he wanted to touch the fire or the barbeque . | Who is speaking ? | A Mother | ['A Grandchild', 'None of the above choices .', 'A Child'] |
Yeah , a ladies piece , one of them holdout pistols , but still I was pretty sure she had n't had it earlier . We really needed to talk . Of course we did n't get the chance as they hustled us a block away to an old warehouse and no one would have seen anything , or at least be willing to admit they had . We were in trouble . There were more thugs at the warehouse , but that did n't really change things . | Who is the narrator interacting with in the passage ? | Gangsters | ['Warehouse workers', 'None of the above choices .', 'Ladies'] |
Each and every year , there 's an increasing number of people looking for easy way to lose weight . In United States alone , more than 70,000,000 people have been trying to find a working way on this . One of the weight loss methods which could be said easy is taking weight loss pills . | In the US , how many people are trying to lose weight according to the passage ? | over 50 million | ['a few million', 'None of the above choices .', 'under 60 million'] |
method hand lotion ? ( I even brought in some old school method signature scent ( otherwise known as sweet water , at least it smells exactly the same to me ) hand lotion from their first lotions line WAY back when , and let a female co - worker put it in the women 's bathroom . So I guess it 's still there , do n't really have a way to find out . I also brought in some lavender hand lotion from the same line , and left it on my desk for a while . | Why do you suppose I left the lavender lotion on my desk for awhile ? | To use myself , and to share with other co workers who might want to try it out . | ['Because I wanted my co - worker to put it in the bathroom .', 'Because I wanted to use it when the lotion in the bathroom was gone .', 'Because i wanted to use it while I was at my old school .'] |
How long ago was it…? It was a long time is all I know. For my birthday, my parents took me and my brother out of school on the day before my birthday and we took a train.
(Funny interjection, my mom was caught on the wrong side of the station so she ran across the rails and was pulled up by my dad a couple minutes before the train came.)
It was a night train, so we had our own room where my brother and I claimed the top as our territory.
(Look at my younger self’s squinty eyes… They are staring into your soul)
Anyways, it was morning by the time we arrived at where I would spend my birthday. Vienna, Austria.
I quickly got off the train in excitement taking in the view of the station like it was first time I had seen anything. We exited the station and took the trolley to get to our hotel. For breakfast, we had delicious, regional delicacies (among other things). They looked similar to crepes, but all I know is that it had a German name that I can’t remember.
After we got situated in our hotel, we immediately headed off for the Mozart Plaza/Park.
My family and I also visited other monuments that day:
By the end of the day, our legs were worn out. We had rode so many trolleys and walked so much that I’m pretty sure that any longer and we would’ve collapsed on the spot. The bed never felt so good.
The following days we went to Austrian Castle, Ice Cave, and more buildings and such. The trip overall made this birthday the most memorable and the best thus far.
Bonus: We missed our night train back because of daylight saving hours. The trip back was definitely hectic, but adventurous. | After the end of the story, how did the child remember his trip years later? | favorably | ['not enough information', 'horribly', 'anxiously'] |
Growing up in the 1950s, I was a 10-year-old risk-taker who caused his mom lots of stress.
Once I got into my aunt's car so I could pretend to be a race car driver and accidentally knocked the parking gear stick off. The car rolled down the driveway as fast as it could go, crossed the road and finally stopped up against my neighbor's curb . I thought it was fun, but Mom didn't think so. Normally I would see a spanking coming, but this time I lucked out. I guess she was glad I was all right.
I enjoyed watching The Adventures of Superman on television so much that I wanted to fly just like him. One day I got into the closet and picked one of Mom's best pillowcases . I went out onto the front yard and tied the case around my neck, pretending it was a cape. Then, standing on the side of the porch , which was about 7 feet high, I jumped. The spanking my mother gave me didn't hurt as much as my scraped knees.
But the worst thing I ever did happened when I tried to impress the new girl across the street. She was incredibly cute, so I went over and introduced myself.
After I told her my name, she said she wanted to show me something she had found. We went into her backyard, and in the knot of the biggest and oldest tree was a beehive. She said she liked honey and asked me how to get it out.
"We could stand watch, and when they leave the hive, we can reach in and take the honey," I suggested.
A large group of the bees flew away, so I moved closer to the hive. I was brave and maybe just a little crazy. I managed to take a little bit of honey when a bee rested on my arm. I killed the bee, and then it seemed like thousands of bees flew toward me. My new friend screamed and ran.
I ran as fast as I could across her yard and up the long hill to my front door. I never looked back. The sound of the bees behind me told me the coast wasn't clear. When the group of bees attacked, I screamed for my mom.
As I reached my front door I saw her swinging a broom around me to get the bees off me. I didn't care that she landed a few hard hits on my head, I just wanted them off.
Finally I made it inside, sore from the stings and red from the broom, but I was alive thanks to my mom. My superhero. All she needed was a cape. I knew where to get her one of those. | What's the author's impression of his mother? | Strict but loving. | ['Gentle but brave.', 'Patient and tolerant.', 'Serious and reasonable.'] |
Leaving our friends , the city , the life we ' ve spent the past 7 years building will be incredibly difficult but right now we are so swamped with planning that I have n't had the time to dwell on it . We put our house on the market 4 weeks ago , sure that in this market we were in for a 6 - 9 month wait for an acceptable offer and also bracing ourselves to eat some money . Zoom ahead to a whole 3 DAYS LATER and we have not only an offer but one where we wo n't end up living in my parents basement . | What may be a fact about their situation ? | They are moving out of their home . | ['None of the above choices .', 'They are having problems selling their home .', 'They spent too much on their home .'] |
If you’ve ever seen travel photos of Venice or been to Venice yourself, you’re probably familiar with the Rialto Bridge. The Ponte di Rialto is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Venice and one of the most iconic landmarks of the Italian city. Even in 1594, when the bridge was only recently completed, a British traveler called it the “eighth wonder of the world.”
The version of the bridge that most people know was built between 1588 and 1591, but there’s been a bridge in this location since around 1180. The Rialto Bridge was the first bridge to cross the Grand Canal, and until the 1800s it remained the only bridge across Venice’s major waterway.
The Rialto district was the main commercial hub of Venice and people increasingly needed access to buy and sell goods. The first bridge built at this site was a pontoon bridge that was eventually replaced by a wooden bridge in 1264. This wooden bridge was destroyed and rebuilt several times: it burned down during an unsuccessful coup in 1310, and in 1444 collapsed under the weight of a crowd watching a boat parade during a wedding. Its last collapse came in 1524, and by then Venice decided it was time to build a more permanent and durable bridge.
Beginning in 1525, many architects submitted designs for the Rialto Bridge, but none of them was unanimously selected for the commission. The elected council overseeing the bridge’s construction deliberated and consulted several local builders to figure out how they could erect a stone bridge across the wide Grand Canal. They had a few limitations to consider: the sloped shores on either side, the need for boats to be able to pass underneath, and the practicality of having shops atop the bridge.
Andrea Palladio’s design for the Rialto Bridge, published in his architectural treatise, Quattro libri, in 1570, featured three arches that would have prevented larger boats from passing under the bridge. Although his design utilized an appealing classical aesthetic, it was rejected in favor of Antonio Da Ponte’s. | How long did it take the council to decide on a bridge design and build? | More than a Year | ['not enough information', '1 year', 'Few months'] |
A primary school in UK has banned Valentine's Day cards because of concerns that young pupils spend too much time talking about boyfriends and girlfriends.
Ashcombe Primary School in WestonSuperMare,Somerset,has told parents that cards declaring love can be"confusing" for children under the age of 11,who are still emotionally and socially developing. In this month's newsletter ,Peter Turner,the head teacher,warned that any cards found in school would be confiscated .He wrote:"We do not wish to see any Valentine's Day cards in school this year. Some children and parents encourage a lot of talk about boyfriends and girlfriends. We believe that such ideas should wait until children are mature enough emotionally and socially to understand the commitment involved in having or being a boyfriend or girlfriend."Mr.Turner said any families wanting to support the Valentine's Day idea should send cards in the post or deliver them to home addresses by hand.
His views were _ by Ruth Rice,46,who has twins Harriet and Olivia at the school. She said,"Children at that age shouldn't really be thinking about Valentine's Day,they should be concentrating on their schoolwork."They are at an age when they are impressionable and most parents including myself are with Mr.Turner. "She added that the cards cause" too much competition. If someone gets a card and another doesn't,then someone will be disappointed.
However,Rajeev Takyar,40,who has two children Jai,11,and Aryan,five,at the school,said he was "outraged".He said,"There are schools that have banned conkers and snowballs,and now Valentine's Cards."I think banning the cards stops children from having social skills. How are they going to learn about relationships otherwise?It's ridiculous. Alec Suttenwood,father of three children,said of the ban:"It's totally ridiculous. Young children just send the cards to each other as friends and to their parents. It's just a bit of harmless fun. There is no difference between this and Mother's or Father's Day." | The newsletter by Peter Turner probably appeared on _ . | February 6 | ['February 22', 'March 18', 'August 1'] |
Even the online environment that people use to communicate utilizing their avatar ( such as " Second Life " ) is claimed to be visual art as it is an ever - changing visually stimulating entity created and manipulated by the users . These are all parts of new media art . " New media art encompasses the use of digital technologies and the Internet as media , but new media art is more than these . It is both a hybrid production and an interplay between art , technology , and humans ... " ( Liao , 200 . | what may be plausible facts about New media art ? | It is an interplay between art , technology , and humans | ['It is referred to as " Second Life "', 'It is an avatar', 'It is an entity'] |
Granted , the beaches on Phuket are great , but the town is the main attraction , unless you are looking for the sort of clubs , bars , and prostitutes you can find in many places around the globe . Phuket town is truly one of a kind . Its small , loads of its residents speak at least some english , the old architecture is preserved better than in many other places , and the local cusine truly shines here . For visitors , it is the best of both worlds : a quintessintial southern Thai town that s easy for a falang ( westerner ) to navigate . | Why is Phuket one of a kind ? | Due to the architecture , beaches , and food . | ['None of the above choices .', 'Due to the fact it is Thai .', 'Because its the same as many places around the globe .'] |
I watched ' The Abyss ' this afternoon , and I just might have myself a new favorite movie ... definitely in the top ten . Any movie that can get me to weep for joy , wonder , amazement , and longing is an astoundingly wonderful one , in my book . Last but definitely not least -- deliciously cool today , like the September that is coming . And yay -- my countdown is now less than a month ! | what does she mean by deliciously cool ? | the weather is cool but not freezing | ['the weather tasted like her favorite food', 'she could taste the weather', 'the weather was harsh but enjoyable'] |
Neighbours play an important role in our lives. Their lifestyles, friends, and social habits can have a strong influence on our lives. It is a good idea to get to know the people next door or across the street to develop a community of support and safety. You never know when a neighbour will find a stranger walking around your house, or you may want to leave an extra key at their house in case someone in your family gets locked out.
How do you get along with your neighbours? Here are some tips for building a better relationship with your neighbours.
Point 1...Proper greetings can make your neighbours remember your name and pave the way for more meaningful future meetings. Don't stay too long, though, or you'll wear out your welcome!
Point2...If your neighbour is building a pool, offer a few hours of help. Besides, you never know when the favor might be returned.
Point3...If you hear that someone who live close to you has had an accident, take over a hot meal or some fruit. Your action will add a special touch during a difficult time.
Point4...Invite your neighbours over for a cup of coffee in December or an Easter egg hunt in spring. A backyard barbecue can be a great way to share food and fun.
Your neighbours may annoy you at times, but they are like family in many ways. Appreciate their strengths and overlook their weaknesses, and everyone will get along just fine. | We infer that the writer wrote this passage to _ . | tell us how to get along with our neighours | ['explain why it is good to get along well with others', 'give us some tips on how to support our neighbours', 'advise us to be nice to our neighbours'] |
And what she thinks Kaylee is doing right now . So what 's it like going from a show like Firefly that 's kind of gritty and down on their luck to a show like Atlantis where there 's lots of fancy gadgets ? Everything 's clean . Is n't it like super clean ? | Why are they talking about Firefly and Atlantis ? | They are comparing the grittiness of Firefly to the cleanliness of Atlantis . | ['They are comparing the fancy gadgets on Firefly to those on Atlantis .', 'They are talking about Kaylee who has watched both Firefly and Atlantis .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
A Paul Zindel's death on March 27,2003 ended the brilliant life of a famous writer.
Not only did Paul Zindel win a Pulitzer Prize as well as an Obie Prize for his 1970 play The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, but he was one of the earliest writers in the field of contemporary literature for young adults . The Pigman, published in 1968. is still one of the most well-known and widely-taught novels in the genre, the American Library Association has named it one of the 100 Best of the Best books for Young Adults published between 1967 and 1992, and Zindel's autobiography. The Pigman and Me, was among the 100 Best of the Best Books published for teenagers during the last part of the twentieth century. Six of Zindel's books, in fact, have been voted the Best Books for Young Adults, and most of his recent horror books--such as The Doom Stone and Rats--have been chosen as Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. Clearly, he was a writer who knew how to interest contemporary children. Recognizing that, the American Library Association in 2002 honored Paul Zindel with the Margaret A. Edwards Prize for his lifetime achievements , and later that same year he was presented with the ALAN Prize for his contributions to Young Adult Literature. With his passing, young readers, teachers, and librarians have lost a great friend. | When did Paul Zindel win the ALAN Prize? | In 2002 | ['In 2003', 'Between 1967 and 1992', 'Between 2002 and 2003'] |
Graphene looks like it 's going to be one of the " wonder materials " of the future , and a science team at Cornell University have just demonstrated the world 's smallest balloon made of it . | How are the Cornell people able to make a balloon out of graphene ? | Graphene is wonderful and you can do a lot with it . | ['Graphene is just like latex , no chemical difference at all .', 'Cornell is able to use trash to get rid of graphene .', "Cornell is lying , they did n't really do anything with graphene ."] |
To many web-building spiders, most of whom are nearly blind, the web is their essential window on the world: their means of communicating, capturing prey, meeting mates and protecting themselves. A web-building spider without its web is like a men cast away on an island of solid rock,totally out of touch and destined to starve to death. So important is the web to an orb-web spider's survival that the animal will continue to construct new webs daily even if it is being starved. For 16 days the starving spider builds completely normal webs. Then, as the animal gets _ , it constructs a wider-meshed (, )web using fewer strands . Such webs would only trap larger prey, which is more economical from the perspective of a starving spider. The spider stores energy by recycling web protein. It simply eats its own web each evening and reuses it to produce new silk. In studies with radioactivity, labeled materials, it was found that 95 percent of web protein reappears in the next day web. Most of the energy needed for web-building is used in walking over the strands as they are laid down. Scientists are impressed by the adaptability of the spider's highly preprogrammed brain, which is larger for its size than the brain of any other invertebrate . If web-building is interrupted, or if some of the existing strands are destroyed, the spider simply goes back to see where the web is left off and then finishes building a normal web. One spider will finish building the incomplete web of another. | According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE? | Web-building spiders will probably die without their webs. | ['Most spiders will stop conducting webs when hungry.', 'One Web-building spider usually conducts one web.', 'Web-building spiders have good eyesight.'] |
we all forgot my dad 's birthday on the 20th ! O : he even forgot too . LOL . well my sister and i remembered yesterday night so we took my dad out to eat souplantation . | How would you describe the family ? | They are easy going about holidays and rituals . | ['They love to go out to eat .', 'They are serious about celebrating brithdays .', "They remembered their father 's birthday ."] |
If you have ever been discouraged because of failure , please read on. Usually, achieving what you set out to do is not the important thing. Let me explain.
Two brothers decided to dig a deep hole behind their house. As they were working, a couple of older boys stopped by to watch.
"What are you doing?" asked one of the visitors.
"We plan to dig a hole all the way through the earth!" one of the brothers answered excitedly.
The older boys began to laugh, telling the younger ones that digging a hole all the way through the earth was impossible. After a long silence, one of the diggers picked up a jar full of spiders , worms and a lot of insects. He removed the lid and showed the wonderful contents to the visitors who were laughing at them. Then he said quietly and confidently, "Even if we don't dig all the way through the earth, look what we found along the way!"
Their goal was far too difficult, but it made them dig. And that is what a goal is for--to make us move in the direction we have chosen. In other words, it sets us to digging!
But not every goal will be fully achieved. Not every job will end successfully. Not every hope will come to pass. Not every love will last. But when you fall short of your aim, perhaps you can say, "Yes, but look at what I found along the way! Look at the wonderful things which have come into my life because I tried to do something!" And I believe it is the joy in the journey, in the end, that truly matters. | The writer told us the story to _ . | advise us to treats our failures fairly | ['persuade us to make an aim for our lives', 'encourage us to learn from the two brothers', 'prove that failure helps us make achievements'] |
It was my first day of high school, and I was late. My next class, Spanish, scared me. I just could not speak that language. As the bell rang, I ran to the classroom.
At the door, a hand reached out and shook mine firmly. I looked up. A man with large glasses smiled. He introduced himself as Profe, which means teacher in Spanish. Right away, his warm smile and welcoming words eased my fears. That year, I enjoyed his classes a great deal because I learned more than just Spanish.
I admit I only speak a little Spanish. But I try to live out the life lessons I learned from Profe. Every day Profe stood outside his classroom before and after class to give his "hand hug". After school his room was always filled with students and he would talk to and chat with them--even those not in his class. He taught me that every person is worth your time.
One time, I was rejected by my friends, Profe told me, "Linda, life gives you ashes. But learning its lessons will turn those ashes to jewels." Therefore, I learned to look at my troubles differently and not to fear any difficulty.
In my senior year, I became president of one of the school's clubs, so I was very busy. Many times I didn't even have time to buy lunch. He served me by giving me his food as well as advice. He lived out what he taught us to do: serve others.
The author William Arther Ward wrote: "The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." Thank you , Profe, for inspiring me. | What would be the best title for the passage? | A great teacher | ['Learning Spanish', 'My first day of high school', 'Teaching method'] |
Some problems are difficult to solve! But there are a lot of number expressions that can help.For example,if we put two and two together,we might come up with the right answer.We know that two heads are better than one. It is always better to work with another person to solve a problem.
Sometimes we can kill two birds with one stone.That is, we can complete two goals with only one effort or action.But we must remember that two wrongs don't make a right.If someone does something bad to you,you should not do the same to him.
If you are going out with your girlfriend,or boyfriend,you do not want another friend to go along on your date.You can just say to your friend:twos company, three's a crowd.
A young child in school has to learn the three Rs.These important skills are reading, writing and arithmetic. These three words do not all start with the 1etter R,but they have the sound of R. Teachers will give three cheers when their pupils do a good job.
Some of my friends were confused and did not understand their schoolwork.They were at sixes and sevens.In fact,they did not care whether they could finish high school. They saw 1ittle difference between the two choices.But they were really happy when they completed their studies and graduated from high school. They were in seventh heaven.They were on cloud nine.
Last year,one of my friends applied for a better job at her office.I did not think she would get it.I thought she had a hundred to one shot at the job.Other people at her office thought her chances were a million to one. One reason was that she had been caught catching forty winks at the office.She slept at her desk for short periods during the day.But her supervisor appointed her to the new job at the eleventh hour--at the very last minute.I guess her lucky number came up. | What does the text mainly discuss? | A number of English expressions using numbers. | ['How to solve the difficult problems.', 'Differences between English number expressions.', 'When and where to use the different number expressions.'] |
The corruption in Houston and in Texas became something that I could no longer ignore . How could a wealthy , healthy giant like the State of Texas be so terribly broken and ineffective ? Many times I thought I was the only one seeing things as they are . | what happened before he came to his conclusion on corruption in his state ? | he saw data or news exposing corruption in his state | ['every store owner he sees is corrupt and rich', 'he has friends who are corrupt and rich', 'he has family who are corrupt and rich'] |
The office smelled like money. Brand new carpet, somebody's expensive perfume still hanging in the air. The chairs in the waiting room are leather and the copy machine has a million attachments and there's pictures on the wall that I don't know what they're supposed to be. Made me ashamed of the shirt I was wearing, the cuffs all frayed and some of the buttons don't match. The secretary is a knockout and I figure Dennis has got to be getting in her pants. Red hair and freckles and shiny skin that looks like she just got out of a hot shower. A smile like she really means it. My name was in the book and she showed me right on in. Dennis shook my hand and put me in a chair that was slings and tube steel. The calendar next to his desk had a ski scene on it. Behind him was solid books, law books all in the same binding, also some biographies and political stuff. "Too bad you couldn't make the reunion," Dennis said. "It was a hoot." "I just felt weird about it," I said. I still did. It looked like he wanted me to go on, so I said, "I knew there'd be a bunch of y'all there that had really made good, and I guess I...I don't know. Didn't want to have to make excuses." "Hard to believe it's been twenty years. You look good. I still wouldn't want to run into you in a dark alley, but you look fit. In shape." "I got weights in the garage, I try to work out. When you're my size you can go to hell pretty quick. You look like you're doing pretty good yourself." Charlene is always pointing to people on TV and talking about the way they dress. With Dennis I could see for the first time what she's talking about. The gray suit he had on looked like part of him, like it was alive. When I think about him in grungy sweats back at Thomas Jefferson High School, bent double from trying to run laps, it doesn't seem like the same guy. | Why did he not go to the reunion? | lack of success | ['not enough information', 'he had to work out', "his wife didn't want him to"] |
Fat on human body is distributed in two different ways. Some fat people have a large chest and no waistline , looking rather like apples. Others are fatter below the waist, looking more like pears.
Doctors in Cambridge, England have been examining the relationship between health and fat distribution. They find that the pear-shaped fat people have fewer problems than the apple-shaped people. What seems to be most important is not just how much fat you have but where you have it. The doctors measured the apple-shaped women and pear-shaped women and examined them with X-ray scanners (X). Human beings have two types of fat, one is outside fat that is the fat below the skin and the other is inside fat that lies inside the body. Using the X-ray scanners, the doctors found that the "apples" have a large amount of inside fat. If this inside fat is much more than outside fat, it will probably cause health problems such as obesity . The best treatment for obesity is to reduce the inside fat. But unfortunately diet treatment simply makes an apple-shaped person into a smaller apple and a pear-shaped person into a smaller pear. At the moment there is no effective way of reducing the inside fat. | The basic reason why some people suffer from obesity is that | they have much more inside fat | ['they take very little exercise every day', 'they eat too much', 'they are examined by X-ray scanners quite often'] |
When you are traveling, it's vital to know about the customs and etiquette(,)of the global village. What we consider polite behavior at home isn't always accepted outside our borders.
* Etiquette of Gift Giving
Gift giving should be a happy, positive experience. When selecting a present for someone in Netherlands, don't purchase fancy kitchen knives or scissors. Giving sharp, pointy objects as gifts is considered unlucky. Be careful when presenting flowers to a friend or a business partner in Russia. Yellow blooms suggest cheat or a relationship break up. Traditionally, red carnations are placed on the tombs of the dead. Writing cards or notes while visiting South Korea, be mindful of your pen's ink color1. Writing a person's name in red ink traditionally suggests that the person has passed away--an important point to remember when giving a birthday card.
* Eating Customs
Being early or on time is viewed as being rude, too eager or even greedy in Venezuela. If you are invited to someone's home for a meal, it's recommended that you arrive 10 minutes later than the requested time. When having a meal in Egypt, don't use the salt shaker . It's insulting to your host to spread salt on your food, which means that you find the meal terrible. Japan is a very polite nation, and their fondness for etiquette extends to the use of chopsticks. According to Japanese custom, if you're in the middle of eating, use the opposite end of your chopsticks to secure food from a shared plate. When doing business in Turkey, it's the custom for your host to pay for your meal. Requests to split the bill won't be accepted. If you would like to pay your fair share, Turks recommend inviting your host to a follow-up meal. | Which of the following is tree according to the passage? | You can use blue ink to write notes to your friend from South Korea. | ['Giving a fancy kitchen knife to a friend from Russia is a good choice.', 'Dining with Japanese, one can use either end of the chopsticks to get food from shared plates.', 'Invited to a meal, one should arrive earlier to show respect for the host.'] |
Olympic medalist Dara Torres, the 41-year-old swimmer, is more than a feel-good story. Torres is as determined and driven in her daily life as she is in the pool. She is dedicated to pursuing her passions and following her dreams-something she hopes to instill in her 2-year-old daughter and women and girls everywhere. After all, her dreams took her to Beijing.
Upon her return after the Olympics, SUCCESS writer Don Yaeger, caught up with Torres, who shared her insights.
What insights can you offer others ( non-athletes, too) about setting and staying on track to reach goals?
Everyone has his highs and lows when doing things, but you have to remember what the end result is when you're having those tough times. I think about the end and about my feelings of success, and that keeps me going. I definitely set goals for myself and try not to get too distracted trying to reach them. And always remember to have fun !
Any strategies or tips for overcoming mental obstacles to be your very best?
Mental obstacles are tough. For my personally, if I was having mental obstacles, I would talk to my coach, who was the most important person to me during this comeback. It's so important to have that person in your life, a trusted advisor. Communication is very important, and I've learned it's OK to turn to others if you're having a tough time. When I was younger, I would internalize(...) things. Not any more. It's a great relief to be able to share. | According to the passage, communication is very important in_. | overcoming mental obstacles | ['building good relations with others', "winning others' support and aid", "preventing one's imagination running away"] |
Australia, the last continent, was discovered by ships belonging to some European nations in the seventeenth century. These nations were less interested in changing it into a colony than in exploring it. As in the early history of the United States, it was the English who set up the settlements in Australia. This history and the geography of these two British colonies have some other things in common as well.
Australia and the United States are about the same in size, and their western lands are both not rich in soil. It was the eastern coast of Australia and American that the English first settled, and both colonies soon began to develop towards the west. However, this westward movement took place more because the English were searching for better land than because the population was increasing. Settlements of the western part of both countries developed quickly after gold was discovered in America in 1849 and in Australia two years later.
Although the development of these two countries has a lot in common, there are some striking differences as well. The United States gained its independence from England by revolution while Australis won its independence without having to go to war. Australia, unlike the United States, was firstly truned into a colony by English prisoners and its economic development was in wheat growing and sheep raising. By 1922, for example, Australia had fifteen times more sheep than it had people, or almost half as many sheep as there are people today in the United States. Yet, in spite of these and other main differences, Australia and the United States have more in common with each other than either one has with most of the rest of the world. | In the early 1920s, _ . | Australia had one fifteenth as many people as sheep | ['there were more sheep in Australia than in the United States', 'the population in Australia was greater than that of the Untied States', 'the Untied States had twice as many sheep as people'] |
THINGY ( thing - ee ) n. Female : Any part under a car 's hood . Male : The strap fastener on a woman 's bra . VULNERABLE ( vul - ne - ra - bel ) adj . | From the passage , what can we conclude about men ? | They have trouble with women 's bras . | ["They like to wear women 's bras .", "They are n't good under car hoods .", 'None of the above choices .'] |
"Wanted by the FBI".To the murderer,or the bank robber,these are the most frightening words in the world.When the criminal hears them,he knows that six thousand trained persons are after him.
Why should he be so afraid? There are thousands of cities and villages where he can hide,and forests and deserts,as well.Besides,he's usually rich with stolen money.
Money can make it easier to hide.With money,the criminal can even pay a doctor to operate on his face and make him hard to recognize.But the criminals know that as public enemies,they can be found by the FBI,no matter where they hide.
They know every trick the criminal knows and many more.If he makes just one mistake,they'll get him.That's why the man who is wanted can't sleep.That's why he becomes nervous,and why he jumps at every sound.
The FBI began on May 10th,1924.General Harlan Stone chose Edgar Hoover,a young lawyer,to hold the new agency."What we need is a wholly new kind of police force."he said."Criminals today are smart.They use stolen cars and even planes to make their gateways.They have learned to open any lock,using advanced technology.We can't beat them with old methods.We have to train officers to work scientifically."
Edgar Hoover quietly went ahead with his plans.He picked his men carefully.They had to be between the ages of twenty-five and thirty-five.He wanted only men with good manners and good character.When working as his officers,they would have to meet all kinds of people.Hoover wanted men who could _ .But the FBI cannot help in every police problem.It can look into only certain crimes against the government.Solving all other crimes is the duty of local police forces. | A man wanted by the FBI will find that money _ . | can help him for a while | ['can lead to a successful escape', 'is of no use at all', 'is necessary for staying free'] |
A woman saw three old men sitting in her front yard. She said, "I don't think I know you, but you must be very hungry. Please come in and find something to eat."
"We do not go into a house together." they replied.
"Why is that?" she asked.
One of the old men answered, "His name is Wealth, this is Success, and I am Love." Then he said, "Now go in and discuss with your family which one of us you want in your house."
Then the woman went in and told her family what was said. She said, "Let's invite Wealth. Let him come in and bring us nice things. We have been so poor." His husband disagreed, "My dear, why don't we invite Success? Don't you want me to be a successful man?" Then the daughter asked, "Would it be better to invite Love? Our life will then be filled with love!" "Let's take our daughter's advice," said the father and mother.
So the woman went out and asked, "Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest." Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other two also got up and followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success, "I only invited Love. Why are you coming along?" The two old men answered, "If you had invited Wealth or Success, Two of us would have stayed out, but since you have invited Love, wherever he goes, we go with him. Where there is love, there is wealth and Success." | We can learn form the passage that _ . | once you get love, you will get Success and Wealth | ["if they invited Success, Wealth and Love wouldn't stay out", 'if they invited Love, either Wealth or Success would come in', 'if you want to get wealth, you must get Success first'] |
I have every intention of working full - time . I was not about to ask for all that time off . When it came down to asking myself whether I would rather work full - time or not work for nine months in order to do all of this , I chose to work full - time . | What may be the purpose of the post ? | To describe my application process | ['To describe my job', 'To describe my office', 'None of the above choices .'] |
Well, when the huge wave hit the boat, my safety belt broke and I was swept overboard. I don't really understand how it happened, but it did. I heard someone yell out, but then my boat, Wild One, went off into the darkness and I was alone in a very rough sea. I then spent five and a half hours in the water. The place where it happened was, oh, about 50 kilometers from shore. It was likely that I wouldn't see another day, but I always thought I'd overcome the difficulties. At first I was watching out for Wild One. The rest of the crew knew I was gone, so they were sure to come back and look for me. After a while, I saw the boat's lights when it came looking for me. They were within about 300 meters of me, but the spotlight just missed me. The reason why they didn't see me was because of the huge waves. You know, I started sailing when I was seven, and started ocean racing when I was about eighteen, but I'd never been overboard before. I believed I was going to survive, but it was very cold, and as the hours passed I started to get desperate----and frozen! It was around 5 am when I saw the lights of a tanker coming towards me. I figured it was probably my last chance. At first, I thought they were going to miss me, and then they made a slight turn and I yelled out "Help!" and they heard me. Then another yacht appeared. These guys were terrific. They gave me dry clothes, and then one jumped into the bunk and hung onto me. They covered us with as much dry clothing as they could, and the guy in with me stayed to transfer his body heat to me. | He was not saved by his crew because _ . | he was not found | ['he didn\'t yell out "Help!"', '300 meters was long distance', "he didn't see the spotlight"] |
4-Day Classic Beijing Tour
The 4-day classic Beijing tour is designed for tourists who come to visit China for the first time. It covers the most popular and typical places in Beijing, fully displaying the scenery, culture, history, local lifestyles and features, food and drinks, business, etc. for you.
Day 1:Arrival in Beijing
Your guide meets you at Capital Airport, and helps you check in at your hotel.
Enjoy Beijing Duck as welcome dinner. Accommodation: Beijing downtown
Day 2:The Great Wall & the Summer Palace
Start your day at the most famous part of the Great Wall, the Badaling Great Wall. Leave the downtown for the Great Wall at 8 am. Since it is a long drive to the Great Wall (about 2 hours' riding) have a break at the Jade Museum on the way. Lunch will be enjoyed in a local restaurant. In the early afternoon come back to the city and have a sightseeing tour of the Summer Palace.
Recommended Activity: Beijing Opera Show (Liyuan Theatre, 19:30-21: 10 every evening)
Accommodation: Beijing downtown
Day 3:Beijing city sightseeing & Local experience
Your guide meets you at the hotel at 8 am and set out for the day's touring: Tian'anmen Square and the Forbidden City. After visiting the two sites, have a break and get ready for lunch.
Hutong visit: see some traditional arts of the old Beijing, such as paper cutting and kite making, and visit a local family. Accommodation: Beijing downtown
Day 4:Beijing Olympic sites
Visit the Olympic sites: Bird's Nest, Water Cube and Olympic Park, witnessing the fast developing modern China. Enjoy some free time after visiting the sites.
After lunch, it is shopping time and then the tour is over. | This advertisement is aimed at _ . | foreigners who are new to China | ['experts who study history and cities', 'kids who were born in other cities', 'people who are interested in touring'] |
The new two-child policy is making job hunting more difficult for women when about 40 percent of them said they were asked whether they planned to have a second child during job interviews, according to a report in Chongqing.
China dropped its decades-long one-child policy in October and allowed each family to have two children. The country now has about 270 million married women of childbearing age.
This change has put millions of career women in a dilemma between family and career. Employers also face big challenges as more female workers will have two childbearing leaves, seven to eight months altogether.
A human resources website www.job.cq.qq.com conducted a survey among 500 employers and 5,000 job seekers about how the two-child policy affects the job market.
Though two thirds of employers said the policy would make no difference to their recruitment , the survey showed that more than 70 percent of job seekers believe that bearing a second child will make women less popular in the job market. Forty percent of employers said they will give priority to married women with two children, according to the survey.
Lin Xia, 29, quit her job after giving birth to her first child. She is now preparing to return to work. After several inquiries at a job fair, she found that the employers are concerned about future birth plans. "I thought it would be easier to find a job after giving birth," she was quoted as saying by the website. "I had to answer whether I will have a second child before I could get a chance for a job interview."
Liang Siqi, 23, a college graduate, said although employers did not ask her the child question yet, she will not plan to have two children. "It (having two children) will definitely affect my career and personal life, so I will have only one," she said.
Zhou Jiansong, who is in charge of human resources at a large private high-tech group in Chongqing, said the company will discuss birth issues with interviewees in order to make a better work plans. "We fully respect a women's right to bear a child or two," he said. "But you don't want them to go on a childbearing leave soon after they join your company." The experts expect more labor dispute cases concerning childbearing leave rights when bearing a second child in future. | As for the influence of the new policy on working women, which of the following is TRUE? | Those who have two children may find it easier to get a job. | ['They will find it more difficult to ask for a leave in a company.', 'Most of them will be forced to choose to have two children.', 'Many of them will stay at home instead of working outside.'] |
If we are to help students develop reading skills in a foreign language, it is important to understand what is involved in the reading process itself. If we have a clear idea of how "good readers" read, either in their own or a foreign language, this will enable us to decide whether particular reading techniques are likely to help learners or not.
In considering the reading process, it is important to distinguish between two quite separate activities: reading for meaning (or "silent reading") and reading aloud. Reading for meaning is the activity we normally engage in when we read books, newspapers, road signs, etc.; it is what you are doing as you read this text. It involves looking at sentences and understanding the message they convey, in other words "making sense" of a written text. It doesn't normally involve saying the words we read, not even silently inside our heads; there are important reasons for this, which are outlined below.
Reading aloud is a completely different activity; its purpose is not just to understand a text but to convey the information to someone else. It is not an activity we engage in very often outside the classroom; common examples are reading out parts of a newspaper article to a friend, or reading a notice to other people who can't see it. Obviously, reading aloud involves looking at a text, understanding it and also saying it. Because our attention is divided between reading and speaking, it is a much more difficult activity than reading silently; we often stumble and make mistakes when reading aloud in our own language, and reading aloud in a foreign language is even more difficult.
When we read for meaning, we do not need to read every letter or every word, nor even every word in each sentence. This is because, provided the text makes sense, we can guess much of what it says as we read it. | We can conclude that _ . | reading silently is easier than reading aloud | ['to understand a sentence, you have to read all the words in it', 'silent reading involves looking at a text and saying the words silently to yourself', "there's no difference between reading in one's own language and in a foreign one"] |
Lancôme Juicy Tubes changed my life.
Ok, well that’s a slight exaggeration but it was the first high-end make-up item that I ever bought and it made me feel like I was really getting somewhere. I’d got a good job, was in the process of buying my own house and I could afford to buy premium beauty products. I chose a transparent lemon yellow gloss with tiny flecks of iridescent glitter in, and over the following months I treated myself to several other Juicy Tube variants including a shimmery nude gloss called Pamplemousse which I wore on nights out for years (incidentally Pamplemousse is still going!).
Fast forward several (ahem…) years and Juicy Tubes are still going strong, but there’s a new member of the Juicy family vying for attention – the Juicy Shaker.*. Another lip product, this one is a nourishing tinted lip oil which acts a bit like a gloss, and I was sent two of the new shades to try out – Piece of Cake and Show Me The Honey.
Juicy Shakers are a bi-phase nourishing lip oil, when the product is allowed to settle the pigment falls to the bottom and the oil rises to the top, giving a split effect. Then you need to shake the bottle to mix the two layers together, giving the product it’s name. The ingredients include sweet almond oil, omega 3 and cranberry oil and really help care for your lips unlike most other glosses.
Show Me The Honey is a nude coral shade, it looks rather orange and scary in the bottle but in reality it’s much more of a gentle shade. Piece of Cake is a damson pink, and again looks much darker in the bottle. I found that Piece of Cake matches almost exactly with the natural colour of my lips so it’s perfect for when I want my make-up to look really pared back with glossy supple natural looking lips. | What types of oil did the author use on her lips? | sweet almond and cranberry | ['blueberry', 'lemon and orange', 'not enough information'] |
I will probably remember one June day seven years ago for the rest of my life. My father had been complaining that my brother and I were watching too much TV, but we ignored him. Then one day we came home and the television was gone.
When I asked my father about the missing TV, he said watching television was a waste of time. Without it, we would have time for other things.
I decided he was wrong. Is there life without TV? How can we spend the week without all those shows and soaps? I was sure my life would be boring without TV, I used my best debating skills to argue with him, but he would not give in.
However, I found other ways to spend my time finally, Each day I ran around the street. This reminded me of my love for athletics, which I still enjoy. I joined Volunteers, and I built lasting friendships. Most importantly, I discovered an artistic world I never knew. I started taking art contests, and was shocked when I won. Then I took piano lessons. I began to like listening to AM radio, reading news magazines.
Living without TV has taught me how to manage my time, so that I can do many things in one day. I am proud to have learned I don't need television.
Looking back, I think my father did the right thing. "You are smart. You could do anything that you put your heart to." he used to say. He believed in us. His actions showed me a much more colorful side of life without TV and the value of having a goal and sticking to it. | My father was angry and took the television away because _ . | my brother and I watched too much TV | ['we asked him to do so', 'my brother and I did not need it', 'he needed some money'] |
A recent report found 46% of parents agreed that their child knew more about the Internet than they did. And now new research shows parents are turning to their children for lessons in technology.
The new study of around 1,000 parents showed that 67% of parents have asked their teenager children for technology-related advice. 44% have asked their teenager for help using the Internet, and 41% have received teen advice about how to use the TV or home entertainment system.
Ahad Surooprajally, a father of five children, says his children help him with technology in the home. "They've grown up surrounded by technology," he explains. "We have four computers and four iPads in our house. If I want to know something technical they're the ones I go to."
He says his nine-year-old son Habeeb is the only person in the house who really understands the TV. So he tells Habeeb which film he wants to watch and Habeeb connects his mobile phone to the TV. "You teach your kids everyday life lessons, but the tables are turned when it comes to technology," says Ahad.
As well as learning how to use technology properly, there is another advantage of parents asking their children to help them understand the digital world. They may be able to get a better understanding of what their kids are doing online.
Will Gardner of the charity Childnet International says, "We have to continuously encourage parents to find out more about what their children are doing online. If the kids are using a social networking site, get them to show you around it if you are not using it already." | Which of the following can be the best title for the text? | Children: Parents' technology advisors | ['Internet: Open to our kids too early', 'Parents: Confused by new technology', 'Technology: Challenge for everyone'] |
Dear Volunteers,
The service you will provide to elderly individuals in Abilene as a Meals on Wheels volunteer is deeply appreciated. I want to take this opportunity to thank you for the many miles you will travel and all of the hours you will contribute to help make this one of the best programs in the entire state.
We have our staff members make a home visit before adding each person to the program and try to visit everyone at least once every year. That is hardly enough, and we depend on your contact a great deal! It is important that you report back when you do not get an answer to your knock on the door. The person inside may be hurt or ill. They may be in hospital or out of town and fail to inform us. If they are frequently absent, we may need to determine if they still need meals.
If you find someone with a medical emergency, please call 911 to request medical assistance, and then call the Meals on Wheels office. If you find someone who needs assistance other than for a medical emergency, please call the Meals on Wheels office at 6725050, and we will try to find the appropriate agency or individual to call.
Let us know when a certain person needs extra food. We have a food preparation room of shelf stable items to share with them. Please feel free to take a few magazines when you deliver meals. Many of those we serve cannot afford magazines and enjoy reading. If someone is interested in getting books from the Abilene Public Library, let us know. We can sign them up for the Books on Wheels program. Call if you smell gas strongly when you deliver meals, or if someone needs a space heater, a blanket, or an electric fan. Please convey all needs to us, and we will try to see that they are met. Some of the elderly people who we offer our service may have cancers, liver diseases, AIDS, etc. If you do not want to deliver meals to the people with certain types of health problems, such as these, please let us know.
Sincerely,
Betty L. Bradley, LBSW,
Executive Director | What can we learn about the volunteers from the passage? | They deliver food to the elderly people. | ['They order books for needy people.', 'They design programs to help people.', 'They offer medical help to sick people.'] |
Eighteen minutes later , having driven an average speed of 80 mph , we 're back at our house to collect the tickets . Forty - five minutes later , we 're at the airport . Unfortunately , we 're three minutes late for the final check - in . | Why were they late for check - in at the airport ? | They had to drive back home to get their tickets . | ['They were unable to leave at an earlier time .', 'They had gotten lost trying to find their flight .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
Every human being,no matter what he is doing,gives off body heat.The usual problem is how to get rid of it.But the designers of the Johnstown campus of the University of Pittsburgh set themselves the opposite problem-how to collect body heat.They have designed a collection system which uses not only body heat,but the heat given off by such objects as light bulbs and refrigerators as welt.The system works so well that no fuel is needed to make the campus' six buildings comfortable.
Some parts of most modern buildings--theaters and offices as well as classrooms-are more than sufficiently heated by people and lights and sometimes must be air conditioned even in winter.The technique of saving heat and redistributing it is called "heat recovery".A few modem buildings recover heat,but the University's system is the first to recover heat from buildings and reuse it in others.
Along the way, Pitt has learned a great deal about some of its producers.The harder a student studies the more heat his body gives off.Male students send out more heat than female students and the larger a student,the more heat he produces.It is tempting to conclude that _ for the Johnstown campus would be a hard-working overweight male genius . | A good title for the passage would be _ . | A NEW HEAT RECOVERY SYSTEM IN PITTSBURGH | ["MODERN BUILDING'S HEAT SYSTEM", 'A STRANGE OBJECT IN HEATING SYSTEM', "RECOVERY OF BODY'S HEAT"] |
Chinese people are now spending more time surfing the net than watching TV, according to results of a survey by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) published Thursday.
The survey, of citizens of five Chinese cities, found that 79 percent of interviewees use the internet for information, and 55.1 percent to read news on the internet. About 63 percent of the interviewees use e-mail. The average times spent surfing the net and watching TV were 2.73 hours and 1.29hours, respectively.
Only 10.4 percent reported use the internet primarily to send and receive email; 65.9 percent read online news; 62.2 quite often play games on-line. More and more people have taken an interest in the entertainment opportunities online. Up to 56.5 percent of interviewees quite often download music, and 53.5 percent get entertainment messages from the internet.
Yet the survey found that television is still the dominant mass medium. Seventy-nine percent of interviewees choose to watch TV to get information, and another 75 percent take newspapers as important as TV.
Five major web sites in the Chinese language, namely Sina, Sohu, Netease, Baidu and Yahoo are still ranked top ones by web users, and those that voted for Sina as the best among them were 30.9 percent.
Authorized statistics showed that web users in China have already
100 million, second to that of the United States. | Which of the following is not true? | There are more people using e-mail compared with those searching information on the internet. | ['Chinese people are now spending more time surfing the net than watching TV.', 'There are more Chinese people using the internet for information compared with those reading news on the internet.', 'There are more people using e-mail compared with those reading news on the internet.'] |
The Quaffle grazed his fingers as it flew into the hoop . Alicia grinned , and the rest of the team applauded from the sidelines . Oliver cursed mentally . | What may be the reason Oliver cursed ? | His team had lost the hard fought game . | ['His team just won the game with that score .', 'His team curses whenever someone misses .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
" Yes . I think I had some sort of vision about you . And that is odd for me because I do n't often have visions . Not like that . | How can you have a vision if you " do n't often have visions " . | You can do or have something infrequently - even if it is rare for you . | ['I have visions but they are secret .', "I am lying , I do n't have a vision .", 'I am only having visions if I get paid to do it .'] |
It 's a tiring day . I slept really late ( or early ) this morning and I could barely think right before I speak . I ' m always having this half a second lag when I talk . | What may be the reason for this situation ? | They had stayed up late the night before . | ['They had done a lot of walking around that day .', 'They needed to drink coffee in the morning .', 'They had school all day .'] |
Stevie Nick 's ' Landslide ' song will always be my favorite . I am so glad I got to hear it in person ! I am still trying to get used to this new blog thing . Hope it turns out alright . | What subject is the narrator 's blog about ? | It is about music . | ['None of the above choices .', "It is about people 's favorite things .", 'It is about blogging .'] |
I was very irritated at myself for being exhausted , which is not productive and got people to think that I was pissed at them . Sorry about that . However , mostly spending the day seating and making the best use of the 3 brain cells I had left got me to relax some and insomnia receded . During the Wreath meeting , a war was started and conceded , which I think was very cool . These last few years I ' ve seen too many battles with unequal numbers and it gets old pretty quick . | Why was the war game a success ? | Each side had equal numbers . | ['Each side had men and women on it .', 'Neither side would concede .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
More often than not, the person sitting next to you on a plane or sleeping in the next hotel room has paid more or less than you did for the same services. Each day, airlines give more than several hundred fares for flights between the same two cities and hotels charge different rates for the same room. So how do you find the best rates? Here are some tips:
^ Sign up for fare special e-mails. When airlines get into a fare war, the cost of a plane ticket can fall overnight and the discounted fare may be sold out by noon the next day. Get on the mailing list of airlines and other travel Web sites so you can be told immediately if fares drop.
^ Buy your tickets at least 21 days in advance. There are usually four different timetables for advance tickets: 21-day, 14-day, 7-day, and 3-day. The further in advance you book your flight, the lower the fare you will find.
^ Consider another airport. Find out about all the airports that are near your destination city. You might be able to fly into a smaller airport or neighboring city at a much lower rate.
^ Stay over a Saturday night. Airlines give the highest fares to business travelers, who fly during the week and spend their weekends at home. If you plan to leave for your trip on a Wednesday and return on Saturday, your fare would be a lot higher than you stay until Sunday morning.
^ Fly on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Some airlines offer cheaper fares on different days of the week. Generally, it's the cheapest to fly on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Remember, though, that a Saturday stay is necessary to receive the lowest rate.
^ Pick a flight with plenty of open seats. Seats in a flight are divided into "classes", and each class has its own price. Since the cheapest classes sell first, the fewer seats that are left on a plane, the more expensive they are. | Which is NOT the cheapest way to travel by air according to the passage? | Choose a flight with same "classes" seats every time you travel. | ['Check travel web sites often so that you can buy the lowest-price ticket in time.', 'The further in advance you book your ticket, the lower the price you will find.', 'Compare different airports so that you can reach your destination at the lowest rate.'] |
My girlfriend , Jamie 's 23rd birthday is next week and I ' m still clueless on what to get for her . She has however been hinting to me for a while now , on how much she adores that black Gucci handbag . Unfortunately , knowing my financial constraints , I would definitely be unable to afford it unless of course , I take out a huge chunk of my savings . | What may be the reason for not getting the bag ? | They do n't want to deplete their savings . | ['They want to buy a knock off .', 'They want to break up with her .', 'They want them to earn it .'] |
And then I got married , and I still thought these things , only now I had to throw on top of the pile the fact that I did n't want to break the promises that I made . And then my son came along , and I thought , well , I ' m not very happy most of the time , but maybe I ' m happy enough having a little family like this . There 's no way I can leave now . Sure , I really did love her . But after all that 's happened , or rather because of it , I now believe that there 's still at least one person out there who I could be completely happy with . | what may be a plausible fact about me and my happiness ? | I have a woman outside of marriage who I love | ['I have deep believe in relationships', 'I remember promises after breaking them', 'None of the above choices .'] |
The English language is changing fast, thanks to the rapid progress of technology. We all have a rapid choice: we can either bury our heads in the sand and spend the rest of our lives wishing Shakespeare were alive and well. Or we can embrace the new English, and enter into the spirit of the Internet age called Weblish.
"You can't avoid it, for the simple reason that whenever a new variety of language comes along, it inevitably impacts on the language as a whole ." Says Dr. David Crystal, honorary professor of linguistics at the University of Wales in Bangor, whose book "Language and the Internet" has just been published.
The trouble with keeping up with the new English is not so much that there are so many new words but that the old words no longer mean what we thought they did. In the past, if someone said they did not have Windows, you would have to suppose they lived in a cave. These days, it is probably because they use a Mac(which is a computer, not a rain coat). Spam is as disliked as it ever was, but whereas it once meant an unappetizing canned meat. It now stands for unwanted "junk" email. Spellings are changing, too. Not only is text-messaging playing "hvc wth vrbs" (havoc with verbs), but the conventions of email communication place little emphasis on "perfect speaking".
Weblish loves to see nouns happily become verbs ("please bookmark this site"), and verbs become nouns ("Send me the download"). Verbs and prepositions are regularly thrown together to become new nouns or adjectives (dial-up, Logon, Print-on, Pull-down, upload), while others are created from simply pairing nouns: Cyberspace, Etl, emit Internet, hyperlink, metatag, netspeak. | The author thinks the main difficulty for people in keeping up with Weblish is that_. | old words take on new meanings | ['there are so many new words Ks5u', 'the technology is changing too fast', 'Weblish words are full of spelling mistakes'] |
When I noticed the inconsistency , I ferreted out a few lines of coding that did n't belong . It seems that someone tried to bug my system . " Tenten was silent for a moment as Jiraiya and Tsunade watched the feed with new eyes . | What will happen after I ferret out a few lines of coding ? | My system will work properly . | ['My system will glitch out .', 'My system will scan for viruses .', 'My system will shut down .'] |
Universal Studios Hollywood, a park for fun, entertainment, and even learning, is taking its first steps in a 25-year plan to expand itself. The plan is to expand the amusement facilities and develop a residential neighborhood in the area. "I'm really excited about what's happening here," one visitor said.
Originally known as Universal City, Universal Studios Hollywood was founded in 1915 by Carl Laemmle. It was the first studio offering tours during which people could watch films in production. Since then, Universal Studios Hollywood has grown to include theme parks, restaurants, hotels, shopping malls, and etc. This park proved to be so popular that Universal Studios Florida opened in 1990.
With such past success and growth, it's no wonder that Universal Studios Hollywood is excited about its latest plans for expansion. The original plans had to be changed because of environmental regulations , but now they are ready to move ahead at full speed.
While many new attractions are in the works for the new expansion, Universal Studios Hollywood will keep some of its old attractions, such as the Bates Mansion from the film Psychoand the Shark from Jaws. These attractions offer a look at the historical development of the film industry, and show the advances in film-production techniques over the years. But while preserving the past, plenty of new high-tech sound stages, rides, and theaters are in the works. In May, Citywalk, a shopping, dining, and entertainment facility, began undergoing renovations , and spring also saw the opening of Sky Venture Hollywood, an attraction where visitors can float 40 feet into the air on 125 mph winds. | From the passage we learn that Universal Studios Hollywood _ . | was not allowed to expand at first | ['was built as a theme park at first', 'has finished its changes already', 'has been in Florida for 30 years'] |
Little Mark is only 6, but he has an IQ of 200, a genius among geniuses. _ His parents must keep him intellectually simulated while making sure he is like any other little boy.
Mark has been attracted by the way how the world works since he was a baby. When he was 3, Mark was reading fluently, mostly self-taught. His parents haven't been able to keep him away from books since.
"I tried many times to stop him reading. We worry about his crazy fond of reading because he constantly wants to read every-thing whatever it is."
A psychologist at the Centre for gifted children tested Mark and gave him an IQ of 200. The average child of Mark's age has an IQ of 100. At 200, Mark is a genius-even compared with other child geniuses.
"With children like Mark you can tell that's a bright child as soon as they walk in. They just have this sort of intensity, and maybe they're not so good at communicating with people," the psychologist said. "He will never fit perfectly into a class where he's with children of his age."But Mark's mother worries about the "socially isolated" labels. "Nobody wants their child to grow up with that image. I want him to communicate with others freely, but not to be frustrated academically, so it's really hard to find a balance," she says.
Helen Dudeney from the Talented and Gifted Children Association says Mark is one in a million with such a high IQ. She points out that geniuses are still rare and difficult for the public education system to handle. "The lack of coping comes because teachers aren't trained in teaching gifted children," says Dudeney.
Helen believes it's also extremely important for them to be recognized and supported in their talents. Mark's parents are trying to figure out how best to help Mark. At the moment, there are few options. Mark finds first year work boring and simple, but he must learn to complete the work. His mother says, "We just want to be happy. Just to have a happy childhood and want to go to school every day." | What would be the best title for the passage? _ | The burden of being gifted | ["A genius' craziness for books", "The life of the genius' parents", 'The characteristics of Mark'] |
I wanted to kick his running shoes . But then someone got off at Journal Square , and I sat next to him . He smelt like milk . The best way to explain it is -- you know when you feed babies , and they get formula on them ? | Why does the narrator want to destroy the subject 's running shoes . | The subject 's shoes are awful in their smell . | ["The subject 's shoes are stolen from a store .", "The subject 's shoes are stolen from the narrator .", "The subject 's shoes are pristine and the narrator is jealous ."] |
Kaho knew - her name is not Indou , even though it had been stated to be so . Her name may be Kaho , but it is not Indou . Was it so wrong to want to know her own name?Exhaling again , she watched the white fade . If only she could fade away too . | What may happen to Kaho afterwards ? | They will question others about the name Indou . | ['They will have their name changed to Indou .', 'None of the above choices .', 'They will try to fade away .'] |
One summer when I was 8 years old my father, mother, and I were rear ended by a 16 year old boy in a pickup truck. Insurance companies dawdled and by the time we received a settlement over a year later my parents had divorced.
I was under full custody of my father living in a trailer in very rural Tennessee (Wayne County) with no electricity and a wood burning stove for heat. My mother was nowhere to be found until a few years later.
We received the settlement and it turned out to be several thousand dollars. My dad turned on the electricity and bought our first computer, a Packard Bell.
Now we needed dial up internet! -My what a change!
Then he started dating online.
He met a woman who lived in Franklin, TN (Williamson County), dated and married her (at least for a few years), worked at CompUSA for a few years, then started his own computer repair business which he and I ran from 2001 to 2014 before selling it.
Williamson County population : 226,257
Wayne County population : 16,583
I ran a business with my father, graduated from a high school that was ranked 24/273 instead of one ranked of 223/273 in the state. The woman I married would not be the same, nor where I live and the lifestyle I now live, the jobs I have been able to get, the places I have been able to go, traveling around the US and to Canada and soon further abroad.
The amazing things that I have experienced in my life are a pretty direct effect of some 16 year old kid not paying attention and rear ending my family. Of course certain decisions were made and things happened that took things down this particular path, but it all leads back to that night.
Good night, and drive safely! | How does the girl feel living in the trailer? | The conditions were boring | ['Misses her mother', 'wanted a change of better living', 'not enough information'] |
Most others like two short paragraphs explaining why this person warrents an emergency admission . I agree that it is nice to include all the details from your evaluation , but I also agree that the more you write , the less people read . I also got a few BS pages for ward issues . The nurses really wanted me to prescribe ativan or ambien for one patient who they were sure was going to have sleeping issues . | What may be a fact about this person ? | They are a professional doctor . | ['They are in nursing school .', 'None of the above choices .', 'They are a nurse .'] |
NOT all memories are sweet. Some people spendall their lives trying to forget bad experiences. Violence and traffic accidents can leave people with terrible physical and emotional scars. Often they relive these experiences in nightmares.
Now American researchers think they are close to developing a pill, which will help people forget bad memories. The pill is designed to be taken immediately after a frightening experience. They hope it might reduce, or possibly erase the effect of painful memories.
In November, experts tested a drug on people in the prefix = st1 /USandFrance. The drug stops the body releasing chemicals that fix memories in the brain. So far the research has suggested that only the emotional effects of memories may be reduced, not that the memories are erased.
The research has caused a great deal of argument. Some think it is a bad idea, while others support it.
Supporters say it could lead to pills that prevent or treat soldiers' troubling memories after war. They say that there are many people who suffer from terrible memories.
"Some memories can ruin people's lives. They come back to you when you don't want to have them in a daydream or nightmare. They usually come with very painful emotions," said Roger Pitman, a professor of psychiatryat Harvard Medical School. : "This could relieve a lot of that suffering."
But those who are against the research say that changing memories is very dangerous because memories give us our identity . They also help us all avoid the mistakes of the past.
"All of us can think of bad events in our lives that were horrible at the time but make us who we are. I'm not sure we want to wipe those memories out," said Rebecca Dresser, a medical ethicist | We can infer from the passage that_. | people doubt t he effects of the pills | ["the pill will stop people's bad experiences", "taking the pill will do harm to people's health", 'the pill has probably been produced in America'] |
I was dressed up as Iron Mouse for the Sailor Moon shoot that morning and the walk on in the cosplay contest later on Saturday ... but both did n't happen . Serena did n't get up in time to register for the cosplay contest and her wigs were PMSing so she did n't do any Sailor Moon cosplay this weekend . Kristy ( Mercury ) , Carol Ann ( Uranus and I went down for the shoot only to find no one there . We got our pictures taken by other people on the way down but never found the shoot . So Kristy and Carol Ann went to change for the Phoenix shoot and I strolled around . | What is a reason this event might be happening in the first place ? | For people to have a chance to dress up in unusual ways . | ['Because it gives those who are PMSing an outlet .', 'None of the above choices .', 'So people can learn how to take group photos better .'] |
Then I tried to get her to take two jumps set at right angles , to the broad jump , then another jump . She had a really hard time , just could n't make both jumps at height , then on to the broad . I know it was because she was confused by my slower motion . | What would happen if she failed to do what she needs to do ? | She would trip and fall . | ['Nothing would happen .', 'She would not fall .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
I could hear background noise , but something had left him speechless . He was watching the South Tower collapse . As soon as he started talking again , explaining what he was seeing on his monitors , I jumped out of bed and turned on the TV . I did n't have cable , just broadcast , so I set it on ABC and kind of stood there , dumbfounded , watching Peter Jennings . | What may happen after I got out of bed ? | I watched a newsman reporting an event . | ['I turned on my cable TV .', 'None of the above choices .', 'I powered up the cable box .'] |
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. | Where did the writer's wife deliver the baby? | at the hospital | ['at home', 'in the waiting room', 'not enough information'] |
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) And one day , I 'll be able to say " We were married for 50 years , just like the Newmans . " From all appearances , the Newmans love was every bit as electric and as genuine as it looked on - screen . They were married in a hasty Las Vegas ceremony straight after wrapping " The Long Hot Summer " in 1958 . | How do I feel about the Newmans ' larriage ? | None of the above choices . | ['I must feel the Newmans would divorce eventually .', "I must feel neutral about the Newmans ' marriage .", 'I must feel the Newmans had issues with their marriage .'] |
Our next stop was the Mezcal factory . Mezcal is a drink similar to tequila that is closely associated with Mexico , and more specifically , the state of Oaxaca . Most of you probably know it as the bottle with the worm at the bottom . And yes I did eat the worm . | Why is the narrator a bit woozy ? | They consumed alcohol . | ["They did n't get to travel but had to work instead .", 'None of the above choices .', "They did n't get enough sleep ."] |
A long time ago, when humans still lived in cities, on a cold morning near the end of a long, cruel winter, in magnificent Central Park in the middle of magnificent New York City, a young squirrel named Patch was awakened very early by the growls of his empty stomach. A squirrel's home is called a drey. Patch's drey was very comfortable. He lived high up an old oak tree, in a hollowed-out stump of a big branch that had long ago been cut off by humans. The entrance was only just big enough for Patch to squeeze in and out, but the drey itself was spacious, for a squirrel. Patch had lined his drey with dry leaves, grasses and bits of newspaper. It was warm and dry, and on that cold morning he would have liked nothing better than to stay home all day and sleep. But he was so hungry. Hunger filled him like water fills a glass. The cherry and maple trees had not yet started to bud; flowers had not yet begun to grow; the juicy grubs and bugs of spring had not yet emerged; and it had been two days since Patch had found a nut. Imagine how hungry you would feel if you went two whole days without eating, and you may have some idea how Patch felt that morning. Patch poked his head out of the drey into the cold air and shivered as he looked around. Clumps of white, crumbly ice still clung to the ground. Gusts of cold wind shook and rustled the trees' bare branches. The pale and distant sun seemed drained of heat. Patch took a moment to satisfy himself that there were no dangers nearby, no hawk circling above or unleashed dog below. Then he emerged from his drey and began to look for acorns. But what marvels, what miracles, what mysteries are hidden inside those simple words! | Patch believed his drey was: | warm and dry | ['nonexistant', 'not enough information', 'uncomfortable'] |
" Tell them I say ' hi ' , okay ? " he asked . Travis smiled . " Yeah , I 'll tell Bob you miss him . " he said , reading between the lines . William just blushed and ducked his head as Travis walked out . He had to run get some clothes , but then he was gone.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~When Patrick woke up , Pete just glared at him in silence for a solid twenty minutes before Patrick rolled his eyes . | Why did Travis say to tell them I said hi ? | Travis really wants to tell Bob hi . | ['Travis is only being polite', 'Travis wants to trick others', 'Travis is being ironic'] |
Twothirds of the world's major rivers have now been disrupted with more than 50,000 dams in an attempt to store water and provide power.In the US,there are more than 85,000 dams,disrupting large and small rivers,and in most cases transforming natural flow.The most famous of these,the Hoover Dam,constructed in the 1930s,is mainly responsible for the fact that the Colorado River no longer reaches the ocean.
Dams,besides all their attractive benefits,also have negative impacts.Creating a reservoir means a large area must be flooded.Communities may lose their land,houses and culturally important sites.
Environmentally,the new reservoir can be a paradise for wildlife,especially birds;however,it can cause greenhouse gas emissions and poison the water.Also,the dramatic rise and fall of water levels during dam releases is too extreme for plants and animals to cope with,resulting in dead zones around the shores of reservoirs.Fish that lay their eggs in the shallows,for example,may find a few hours later that those sites are high and dry.
Downstream of a dam,the flow may be reduced so that farmers cannot irrigate their fields.Many rivers run through national borders,which may cause conflict over precious water.Disputes have been continuing between India and Pakistan,and Turkey,Syria and Iraq,for example.
Dams don't just block the flow of water.They also prevent fish migrations,and dams are a barrier to sediment flows.Instead of rushing downriver,sediments get backed up against the dam wall,which causes the reservoir level to increase over time.However,sediments which are rich in nutrients have become a problem.The fertility of the entire system can be influenced,with soils lost during seasonal rains not being replaced.
Perhaps the biggest problem can be seen in deltas,which are sinking into the oceans.Groundwater is being extracted to feed the city,causing the city to sink,and sediments washed away by the ocean are no longer being replaced.The result is that sea level rises in cities from Shanghai to Alexandria. | The Hoover Dam is mentioned in the passage in order to show _ . | dams have impacted the flow of the rivers | ['dams play an important role in our life', 'dams make people lose their land and houses', 'dams have many benefits as well as side effects'] |
"It was amazing, just impressive," Holly Budge, a 29-year-old British woman, said after making a safe landing at a spot 12,350 feet (3,765 meters) above sea level -- the highest "drop zone" achieved by a parachutist . "We had one minute of freefall and while we were above the clouds you could see Everest and the other high mountains popping out of the top," she said.
Ms Budge and her two fellow daredevils, Wendy Smith, from New Zealand, and Neil Jones, from Canada, jumped out of an aircraft at about 29,500 feet, just higher than the peak of the world's highest mountain. They fell at speeds reaching 140mph, past the highest ridges of the snow-covering Himalayas, before each released a parachute . The jumpers wore oxygen masks to keep their lungs working as they fell. Wearing neoprene underwear was compulsory -- to prevent them from being frozen to death.
The adventure, advertised by its organizers as "a feast for those who seek to stimulate all their senses to the full", appeared to have lived up to its billing. "I had never seen so many mountains before," Ms Smith said. "To be on top of the world was simply stunning ."
The expedition also offered a way by which to celebrate her 30th birthday later this month, she said. Besides, her jump raised funds for charities in Britain and Nepal, including more than PS10,000 for the Hampshire Autistic Society.
In the next few days the feat will be repeated by about 30 others, weather permitting. Each has paid at least PS12,675 to High and Wild, the British adventure travel company behind the project. Ms Budge said: "It was worth the money. It is something that has never been done before." | Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? _ | As a wonderful experience, this skydiving is recommended to other people. | ["The successful diving is a good way to celebrate Ms Budge's 31st birthday.", 'This skydiving has set a new national record.', 'Ms Budge has managed to contribute all her money to charities.'] |
primaries give you referrals ... thank god i do nt need referrals anymore or this would be a nightmare . but they do n't keep track of drug interactions or who is doing what . there is nt a lot of cross doctor communication in western medicine . each person is aware of the drugs in their field , but little else . | Why is the narrator concerned about doctor communication ? | They believe it results in bad drug interactions . | ['None of the above choices .', 'They believe it results in too many referrals .', 'They believe it results in nightmares .'] |
Almost 80% of the Americans have stated their opposition to cloning pet animals such as cats and dogs, yet companies still try to make a business out of selling cloned pets. Pet cloning has been promoted as a way to "bring back" or "copy" a beloved companion animal. However, studies have shown that cloning remains an experimental technology with many failures.
Behind each lovely picture of a cloned cat or dog lie hundreds of animals that were kept in lab cages, receiving bad treatment to produce just that one cloned animal. For all that, you end up with a cloned animal who is unlikely to appear like the original physically or behaviorally and may experience serious health problems. Also, while pet cloning companies are charging customers up to $150,000 for a cloned pet, millions of homeless animals of the same species are available in US animal shelters for around $100. Unfortunately, most of these animals are killed for lack of adopting homes.
With No Pet Cloning campaign, the American Anti-Vivisection Society (AAVS) tries to protect both animals and people from harm. They campaigned until the US companies that sold cloned animals closed their doors. First it was Genetic Savings & Clone Inc. and then it was BioArts International.
When BioArts was closed, its owner, Lou Hawthorne, finally had to _ the problems of pet cloning. According to Hawthorne, he has seen numerous failures during his pet cloning attempts, "One clone----which was supposed to be black and white----was born greenish-yellow where it should have been white (we still have no good explanation for how that happened)."
The AAVS is educating the public about the animal suffering and is seeking regulation of cloning activities. They will continue to take the lead in protecting animals from the threats of pet cloning. | According to the passage, companies keep on selling cloned pets to _ . | get economic interests | ['carry on scientific studies', 'protect pet animals', 'comfort animal lovers'] |
LONDON(Reuters)--Organic fruit, delivered right to the doorstep. That is what Gabriel Gold prefers, and he is willing to pay for it. If this is not possible, the 26-year-old computer technician will spend the extra money at the supermarket to buy organic food.
"Organic produce is always better,"Gold said."The food is free of pesticides ,and you are generally supporting family farms instead of large farms. And at most times it is locally grown and seasonal, so it is more tasty."Gold is one of a growing number of shoppers accepting the _ , and supermarkets across Britain are counting on more like him as they grow their organic food business. But how many shoppers really know what they are getting, and why are they willing to pay a higher price for organic produce? Market research shows that Gold and others who buy organic food can generally give clear reasons for their preferences but their knowledge of organic food is far from complete. For example, small amount of pesticides can be used on organic products. And about three quarters of organic food in prefix = st1 /Britainis not local but imported to meet growing demand."The demand for organic food is increasing by about one third every year, so it is a very fast-growing market,"said Sue Flock, a specialist in this line of business | What is the best title for this news story? | Organic Food--Healthy, or Just for the Wealthy? | ['The Making of Organic Food in Britain', 'Organic Food--to Import or Not?', 'Good Qualities of Organic Food'] |
I was grumpy for having woken up an hour earlier than I needed to , but ended up getting free coffee out of the deal so all was well . In order to see why my experiments have n't been going well , we did the same set up . I put together my mix and then he came over to use my chemicals to make a mix , to see whether it was just me or my chemicals that were screwing things up . Turns out , I was using the wrong magnesium chloride . | What do we do ? | We are scientists . | ['We are chemical sellers .', 'None of the above choices .', 'We are coffee sellers .'] |
Fire fighting is a serous matter, knowing what to do during a fire can save people's lives. It is important to know the ways you can use and show them to everyone else in the family, such as stairways and emergency exits, but not elevators.
From the lower floors of building, escape through windows is possible. Learn the best way to get out from a window with the least chance of serious injury.
The second floor window is usually not very high from the ground. An average person, hanging by the fingertips will have a drop of about 6 feet to the ground. It is about twice the height of an average man. Of course, it is safer to jump a short way down than to stay in a burning building.
Windows are also useful when you are waiting for help. Be sure to keep the door closed before opening the window. Otherwise, smoke and fire may be drawn into the room. Keep your head low at the window to be sure you get fresh air rather than smoke that may have leaked into the room.
On the second or third floor, the best windows for escape are those which open onto a roof. From the roof a person can drop to the ground more safely. Dropping onto cement might end in injury. Bushes and trees can help you to have a soft landing. | According to the passage, windows are _ of escaping a fire? | one of the possible ways | ['the only way', 'the best way', 'safer than any other ways'] |
Even though it looked like madness , He said " Pedal ! " I worried and was anxious and asked , " Where are you taking me ? " He laughed and did not answer , and I started to trust . I forgot my boring life and entered into the adventure . And when I would say , " I am scared , " He would lean back and touch my hand . | Where were he and I when I was saying these things ? | He was driving me somewhere in a car . | ['We were at a game facility driving race cars .', 'We were at my house waiting for adventure .', 'We were riding a roller coaster that scared me .'] |
So, there I was. Hanging out in my swimsuit, hair drawn back, just minding my own business and relaxing in the delicious, luxurious Scandinave Spa, a stone’s throw from Whistler town centre.
The husband and I had split up for the afternoon – he had decided to traverse the peaks of Whistler and Blackcomb on the peak2peak gondola, and I’d chosen a slightly less terrifying mountain vista to enjoy.
It was just one of those days where we’d decided happily to do two different things, and meet up afterwards for a spot of dinner.
Cascading down the hillside, the Scandinave Spa’s rustic installations nestle on the edge of the Lost Lake Park spruce and cedar forest and promises to both relax and invigorate you, and provide an escape from daily stress. With several levels of hot and icy plunge pools, sauna and steam rooms, everyone wanders from indoor to outdoor relaxation spots – from sun-soaked spot to waterfall spout back massages. Bliss.
It’s also a place where silence is “essential to the experience. By embracing silence one finds inner stillness, leading to complete relaxation.” To be honest, most people who couldn’t be quiet i.e. me just talked in hushed tones, but it made for a super chilled few hours. Until…
…I was sitting in one of the steam rooms (does that make the title clickbait? Sorry – using the title ‘steam room with Lady Gaga’ made it sound as though we were chickens cooking in a slowcooker) and a very, very slim blonde lady slipped in. Queen Gaga herself.
I’ve got to be honest, sticking to the ‘no eye contact with other people who are chillaxing’ rule, I didn’t pay very much attention to what was going on, but after 25 minutes or so of basting relaxing, I stretched languidly – my bones like toffee – and wandered out to the next room, and looking up from the drinks table, had to blink several times as she followed me out. Trying to play cool, I tried keep a poker face (after all, she was there to relax and recuperate in the middle of a big Canadian tour, she didn’t need a random Kiwi gawking at her) and watched from the corner of my eye as she walked into one of the big yoga rooms. | After the end of the story, the writer probably: | did not talk to Lady Gaga | ['went to the Canadian tour', "asked for Lady Gaga's autograph", 'not enough information'] |
Doc and I did go out to dinner for our weekly Wednesday night date . He was craving a steak , so we went to one of those peanut - shells - in - the - floor places . He got his steak and I had chicken . The food was good , but the restaurant was too loud . | Why was the restaurant too loud ? | People had to talk louder because of the music . | ['None of the above choices .', 'The music was from the bar next door .', 'The heat was turned up too high .'] |
I was introduced to the amazing range of handmade products from Okoii back in July and intended to post reviews in early September; however, was struck down with a particularly potent uterine parasite that left me comatosed on the couch each evening by about 8.00pm, so blogging had to take a massive back step. Now that my energy levels are returning I though that it is about time I told you about these amazing products!
Okoii products are handmade by Yoko, formally from Japan, now living in Australia. Her aim was to introduce Australian women to traditional natural ingredients from Japan and Asia that they may not previously have been aware of. Some of these ingredients have been used in Japan for upwards of 1000 years, and recently the benefits of such ingredients have been scientifically proven.
When you place an order with Okoii, your products are then made by hand, one by one, so you know that they are as fresh as they can possibly be. Other than Lush' Fresh Face Masks, I can't think of any other product that would be as fresh as Okoii. I find it quite exciting to know that when I purchase a product from Okoii, that it hasn't been sitting on the shelf of a warehouse for months, slowly deteriorating. It is recommended that the products be kept in the fridge to maintain their freshness and the all come with a recommended used by date that is between 3-6 months from when it was made.
The first product that I am going to introduce you to is the Luxury Rice Bran Face Soap. I decided to review this one on its own for two reasons. Firstly, it was my absolute favourite of all the Okoii products I tried; and secondly, it was actually the product that I was most fearful of trying. Why? Well, the first beauty rule that is drummed into every girls head is to NEVER USE SOAP ON YOUR FACE and I was being forced to break this rule (I am a first born goodie goodie who NEVER breaks the rules - this was tough for me to do!). Yoko assured me that this soap was incredibly gentle and was not at all drying. Lucky for her I am also a very trusting person so I decided to give it a go! | Why are the products not made until an order is placed? | so they are as fresh as they can be | ['not enough information', "so that the ingredients don't expire", "so the company doesn't end up with too much product"] |
The rate of incarceration in the U.S. is the world’s highest, leading to what many lawmakers and policy analysts say is a nationwide imprisonment epidemic. But the beginning of the end of that epidemic started Tuesday, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, told VOA.
A bipartisan prison reform bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a 360-59 vote “strikes an opening blow against the overcriminalization of the nation,” Jeffries, one of the bill's co-sponsors, said.
U.S. President Donald Trump said “the strong bipartisan vote paces the way for action by the Senate.” Last week, Trump endorsed the bill at a White House summit on prison reform, saying, “Our whole nation benefits if former inmates are able to reenter society as productive, law-abiding citizens.”
If the bill reaches the president's desk for a signature, it would provide $50 million in funding for five years to provide job training, education and substance abuse treatment for prisoners as well as a number of quality-of-life measures aimed at reducing chronically high rates of recidivism among former inmates.
But the contentious issue of criminal justice reform has split Democrats and Republicans within their own parties, possibly jeopardizing the bill’s chances of passage as it heads to the U.S. Senate.
In a letter to colleagues last week, Democratic Senators Kamala Harris, Dick Durbin and Cory Booker joined two House Democratic colleagues, Representatives John Lewis and Sheila Jackson Lee, in saying the bill could not be implemented effectively and could possibly lead to prison privatization.
Jeffries told VOA many of the arguments against the First Step Act “were anchored in falsehoods.”
He added the legislation passed today “is a first step towards eradicating the cancer of mass incarceration” a move also welcomed by many House Republicans.
“Rather than allowing the cycle of crime to continue, this legislation takes a practical, intelligent approach to rehabilitation,” House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte, a Republican from Virginia, said, speaking of the bill’s reform measures on the House floor Tuesday. | After the end of the story, what would Donald Trump hope the Senate does? | Pass the bill. | ['Reject the bill.', 'not enough information', 'Table the bill.'] |
I haven ' t mentioned it until now because , quite frankly , I had no faith that I would get this far . But miracles never cease , and here I am with the finish line coming into view ! It has been quite an experience thus far . | what would have happened if I had not taken the initiative to at last make an effort ? | I would not know that I had it in me to reach near the finish line | ['I would have gained a huge experience', 'I would believe in miracles', 'I would have a developed faith'] |
William Henry Bragg was born at Westward,Cumberland,on July 2,1862.He was educated at Market Harboroagh Grammar School and afterwards at King William's College,Isle of Man.Elected as a minor scholar of Trinity College,Cambridge,in 1881,he studied mathematics under the wellknown teacher,Dr E.J.Routh.He studied physics in the Cavendish Laboratory during a part of 1885,and at the end of that year he was elected to the Professorship of Mathematics and Physics in the University of Adelaide,South Australia.
His research interests dealt with a great many fields and he was skilled at picking up a subject,almost casually,making an important contribution,and then dropping it again.However,the work of Bragg and his son Lawrence in 1913~1914 founded a new branch of science of the greatest importance and significance,the analysis of the crystal structure by means of Xrays.It is true that the use of Xrays as an instrument for the systematic revelation of the way in which crystals are built was entirely due to the Braggs.This was recognized by the award of the Nobel Prize jointly to father and son in 1915.
He was an honorary Doctor of some sixteen universities,and a member of the leading foreign societies.Many other medals and awards were bestowed upon him among which may be mentioned the Rumford Medal in 1916 and the Copley Medal (its premier award) in 1930.
He was the author of many books,including Studies in Radioactivity,XRays and Crystal Structure,The World of Sound,Concerning the Nature of Things,Old Trades and New Knowledge,An Introduction to Crystal Analysis,and The Universe of Light.His favorite hobby was golf.After a life of astonishing productiveness,Sir William Bragg died on March 10,1942. | Which of the following is the best title for this passage? | William Henry Bragg's Productive Life | ['William Henry Bragg:A Famous Author', 'Bragg and His Son--Two Great Scientists', 'Xrays and the Crystal Structure'] |
President Donald Trump's approval rating has headed into unfamiliar territory in recent weeks — upward.
Trump's approval hit 43 percent in the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, with 52 percent disapproving. That represents a 3 percent improvement from last month in the same survey.
Several other new surveys also show Trump at or slightly above 40 percent. The RealClearPolitics polling average puts the president's approval rating at 41 percent, a noticeable bump from August, when the rating was often in the mid-30s.
For much of the second half of August, Trump's approval rating in the Gallup Daily Tracking poll was either 34 percent or 35 percent, historically a low mark for a new president. On Thursday, Gallup had Trump at 37 percent. The previous day, Trump hit 39 percent, his highest mark since late July.
Trump's recent outreach to Democrats on budget issues and, possibly, immigration has boosted his poll numbers, as has his administration's response to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The NBC/Wall Street Journal poll found that 71 percent of those surveyed approved of Trump's deal with Democrats to fund the government until December and raise the debt ceiling, while 8 percent disapproved.
The question is whether Trump has turned a political corner, or is merely seeing a temporary respite from the low poll ratings that have plagued him since the beginning of his presidency.
That could depend on whether working with Democrats is a long-range goal or a passing fad, and experts said that making a forecast on that could turn out to be foolish.
"When it comes to President Trump, I have gotten out of the prediction business," said Brookings Institution scholar Bill Galston. "For now, this is a significant shift of strategy and tactics. There is no way of knowing whether it will last."
It looks as though bipartisan cooperation will not extend to health care, where Senate Republicans are making one last attempt to replace Obamacare. The effort is being led by Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy and South Carolina's Lindsey Graham. | Who had his approval rating go from 34 to 37 in Gallup Daily tracking on Thursday? | Trump | ['not enough information', 'Trudeau', 'Pence'] |
Next year marks the 150thanniversary of when large numbers of Chinese started working on a huge project in the United States. They help to build America's first transcontinental railroad between 1863 and 1869, connecting the East Coast with the West.
People know little about the Chinese railroad workers and what happened to them after the project was finished. Stanford University in California wants to learn more about the lives of these men by reaching out to their families.
Bill Yee's ancestors came from southern China. He said, "My great-great-grandfather came to America during the'gold rush'days and he returned to China as a wealthy man. And then my great-grandfather came to work on the railroad and died there."
But that did not stop his grandfather from coming to the US on false papers. He operated a laundry. Bill Yee's father continued to run the business and has never returned to China.
"Things were pretty bad in some parts of China in the 1860's. They came to America at all costs in order that they no longer had to bear hunger," Bill Yee said.
Shelley Fisher Fishkin is helping to direct the Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project at Stanford University. She said, "Many of the Chinese workers who came to work on the transcontinental and other railroads returned to China after their work was done and created families there. Some of them settled in America and created new families, but they had families who they left when they came here and they may have descendants in China."
There is a need to create a record of the object and spoken history from the families of the railroad workers.
"The US could not have become the modern industrial nation without the railroads. And the railroads would not have come together without the work of these Chinese workers," said Shelley Fisher Fishkin. | Why did Stanford University carry out the project? | Because they want Americans to remember the Chinese railroad workers' role in US history. | ["Because they want to help the Chinese railroad workers' descendants to get together.", "Because they want to show the importance of America's first transcontinental railroad.", 'Because they want to learn more about how to build a railroad in the past in America.'] |
EP Portable Heater
We all know that the cost of heating our homes will continue to be a significant burden on the family budget. Now millions of people are saving on their heating bills with the EP Portable Heater. With over one million satisfied customers around the world, the new EP heats better and faster, saves more on heating bills, and runs almost silent.
The EP has no exposed heating parts that can cause a fire. The outside of EP only gets warm to the touch so that it will not burn children or pets.
The EP will not reduce oxygen in the room. With other heaters, you'll notice that you get sleepy when the heat comes on because they are burning up oxygen.
The advanced EP also heats the room evenly, wall to wall and floor to ceiling. it comfortably covers an area up to 350 square feet. Other heaters heat rooms unevenly with most of the heat concentrated to the center of the room. And they only heat an area a few feet around the heater. With the EP, the temperature will not vary in any part of the room.
The EP comes with a 3-year warranty and a 60-day. no questions asked. Satisfaction guarantee. If you are not totally satisfied, return it to our expertise and your money will be given back to you.
Now, we have a special offer for 10 days, during which you can enjoy a half price discount and a free delivery. if you order that, we reserve the right to either accept or reject order requests at the discounted price.
Take action right now! | The main purpose of the passage is to _ . | persuade people to buy the product | ['advise people to save on heating bills', 'report the new development of portable heaters', 'compare the difference of different heart brands'] |
With almost two years left of my law degree, and with no intention of doing anything so idiotic as actually attending lectures or studying law, I had plenty of time to come up with my next bid for online fame. The Griff Rhys Jones TV project had stalled after a couple of meetings when everyone involved realised that the idea - to pipe broadband comedy programming into the nation's workplaces under the noses of bosses - was a bit of a non-starter. But I had become quite good friends with Rhys Jones's partner in the project, a comedy writer called Charlie Skelton, and he, Clare and I frequently met to brainstorm possible projects we might work on together. It was during one of these meetings that Clare proposed the idea of starting a comedy magazine - something like Private Eye, but for the Internet generation.
My days as a school magazine publisher had taught me that printing magazines and distributing them was a royal pain in the arse and, anyway, if it was to be a magazine for the Internet generation then shouldn't it actually be on the Internet? The Zingin.com newsletter had attracted a ton of subscribers and had a distribution cost of basically nothing so why, I suggested, didn't we start a weekly comedy ezine, sent out by email? And, in a nod to Charlie's failed office comedy project, we could target it at bored office workers, sending the email to them on a Friday afternoon to cure the crushing boredom of those final few hours of the working week.
And with that, The Friday Thing was born.
To promote our fledgling publication we came up with a brilliant ruse: an online petition to have Friday afternoons declared a national holiday. British people worked harder than any other Europeans (we made up) and so it was only fair that our working week should end at noon on a Friday. We created an official website explaining our demands, registered a web address - letsgetitoff.com (snigger) - and sent a press release to the media. Clearly we had tapped into a seam of strong feeling among the nation's overworked journalists and the campaign was picked up by just about every major newspaper, local radio station and even made it on to the BBC. | The Friday Thing started: | AFTER Charlie's office comedy project failed | ['not enough information', 'WHILE Charlie was working on his office comedy project', "BEFORE Charlie's office comedy project started"] |
Just a while ago it seemed like gaming notebooks were only being manufactured by a handful of specialist resellers and were built to spec , not mass produced . The sales were by no means really great but they did produce more mark up 's on each unit than others . I ' m pretty sure everybody would have liked to have had one however could not seriously justify it . | Why were game books hard to come by in years past ? | They were not mass produced . | ["Manufacturers could n't justify printing or selling any .", 'None of the above choices .', 'They sold too quickly .'] |
We were just a little out of our comfort zone ! Sunday began with our very first Tim Horton 's experience for ourselves and then we headed to Fellowship Baptist Church . This is a great church with a heart for the community . | What did I do on Sunday morning ? | I sang some hymns . | ["I visited the town 's community center .", 'None of the above choices .', 'I went to a mattress store .'] |
My Left Foot (1989)
Imagine being a prisoner of your own body, unable to make any movements except to move your left foot. The main character in My Left Foot, based on the real story of cerebral palsy sufferer Christy Brown, can barely move his mouth to speak, but by controlling his left foot, he's able to express himself as an artist and poet. For his moving performance of Brown, Daniel Lewis won his first Academy Award for best actor.
Shine (1996)
Do you have a talent you're afraid to share with the world? David Helfgott seemed meant from childhood to be "one of the truly great pianists," but the pressures of performing (and pleasing his father) resulted in a complete breakdown. Ten years in a mental institution didn't weaken Helfgott's musical gift: When he was rediscovered, he was playing concertos in a bar. Shine received s even Oscar nominations , and Geoffrey Rush won best actor for his performance of Helfgott. Life Is Beautiful (1997)
Nothing's more powerful than the love between a parent and a child. In this heartbreaking Italian film, a father (Roberto Benigni) makes an unbelievable sacrifice for his 4-year-old son: trapped in a Nazi concentration camp in 1945, the Jewish man convinces his boy that they are playing a complicated game. He manages to spare him the horror of the terrible war, and even in his final moments of life, keeps his son smiling and hopeful. Benigni won the best actor Oscar.
Stand and Deliver (1988)
Few people can inspire us more than a good teacher. Jaime Escalante (Edward James Olmos got Oscar nomination for best actor) is a great one. Employed at a high school where kids are expected to fail, Escalante challenges his math students to struggle for better things, like getting good grades in the AP exam. Despite the obstacles in their lives, the classmates accomplish their goals, thanks to Mr. Escalante's support. The real Jaime Escalante, the Best Teacher in America, says that Stand and Deliver is " 90% truth, 10% drama." | What do the four movies have in common? | They are all inspiring stories that make a difference. | ['They are all based on real stories.', 'The main characters all won Academy Award for Best Actor.', 'The main characters are all sick to some degree but succeed.'] |
Claude Monet was born on November 14, 1840, in Paris, but he spent most of his childhood in Le Havre, a city of southern France. By the time he was fifteen Monet had become popular as a caricaturist . Through an exhibition of his drawings at a local frame shop in 1858, Monet met the French landscape painter Eugene Louis Boudin, who introduced Monet to outdoor painting, an activity that soon became his life's work.
By 1859 Monet had committed himself to a career as an artist and began to spend as much time in Pairs as possible. During the 1860s he met Edouard Manet. With other ambitious French painters, they formed the impressionist school.
Working outside, Monet painted simple landscapes and he began to have some success. As his style developed, however, Monet broke one traditional artistic convention after another. His experiments with bright color1 became more and more daring, and he seemed to cut himself off from the possibility of a successful career as a conventional painter supported by the art establishment.
In 1874 Monet and his colleagues decided to organize their own exhibition. They called themselves independents, but the press soon labeled them impressionists because one of Monet's paintings had borne the title Impression: Sunrise. Then the name stuck.
By the mid-1880s , Monet , generally regarded as the leader of the impressionist school, had achieved significant recognition and financial security. In 1890 he was able to purchase some property in the village of Giverny, not far from Paris, and there be began to construct a water garden--a water lily pond with a Japanese bridge. Beginning in 1906, paintings of the pond and the water lilies occupied his mind for the rest of his life. His famous series Water Lilies, painted between 1990 and 1926, Clearly shows the artist's strong interest in color1 and produces a remarkable visual effect. Despite failing eyesight, Monet continued to paint almost up to the time of his death, on December 5,1926, at Giverny. | We know from the passage that Monet_. | was greatly influenced by Boudin | ['spend most of his childhood in Paris', 'chiefly relied on traditional painting skills', 'devoted his whole life to painting portraits'] |
The cover needs a quick wash in the laundry , nothing major ... I would do it myself , but I bet you would be doing it anyways . There are no pet odors and it comes from a non - smoking home . I do have a matching IKEA pieces ... so please be sure to check my other listings . | Why may the narrator view this used piece of clothing as advantageous ? | It came from a good home . | ['It has never been used .', 'It is very modern .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
The U.S. Supreme Court signaled Wednesday it may be open to new limits on the government's ability to track someone's movements by accessing data on that person's cellphone.
A case before the high court could result in a landmark decision in the ongoing debate over civil liberties protections in an era of rapid technological change.
At issue is whether law enforcement will be able to access cellphone data that can reveal a person's whereabouts without having to first obtain a court-issued search warrant.
The case stems from the conviction of Timothy Carpenter for a series of robberies back in 2010 and 2011. Prosecutors were able to obtain cellphone records that indicated his location over a period of months, information that proved crucial to his conviction.
On Wednesday, lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union argued that law enforcement should be required to obtain a court-ordered search warrant before obtaining such information.
They also argued that allowing law enforcement to access the cellphone data without a warrant would violate the prohibition on unreasonable search and seizures contained in the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
"It is impossible to go about our daily lives without leaving a trail of digital breadcrumbs that reveal where we have been over time, what we have done, who we spent time with," said ACLU attorney Nathan Freed Wessler, who spoke to reporters outside the Supreme Court following oral arguments. "It is time for the court, we think, to update Fourth Amendment doctrine to provide reasonable protections today."
Some of the justices also raised concerns about privacy in the digital age.
"Most Americans, I think, still want to avoid Big Brother," Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who often sides with the liberal wing of the court, said.
Chief Justice John Roberts, who often sides with conservatives on the court, said the central question was whether the cellphone information should be accessible to the government "without a warrant." | After the end of the story what does Wessler think about tracking cell phone data? | Wessler probably thinks it restricts freedoms | ['not enough information', 'Wessler probably thinks it is reasonable', "Wessler probably doesn't care either way"] |
If Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) is today one of the best-known and most popular figures of 20th-century Mexican art, it is undoubtedly because of her personality and the originality of a body of works. Her work is, above all, the expression of a life -- a tragic and stormy life, one that challenged all conventions.
The mere mention of her name excites enthusiasm and admiration, but her work is rarely exhibited, and has not been shown in France for fifteen years. The selection to go on show at the Musee de l'Orangerie includes major works by the artist, with masterpieces from the Museo Dolores Olmedo.
The life and work of Frida Kahlo cannot be separated from those of her companion Diego Rivera (1886-1957). Together they became figures of legend , and both have a place in the pantheon of 20th-century Mexican artists. Famous for his large wall paintings, Rivera's easel paintings, drawings and prints, which form a large part of his artistic production, are less well-known to the public in Europe. The exhibition aims to trace his artistic career from the early Cubist images, revealing his links with the Paris artists whose works are a key element in the Orangerie collections, to the paintings that established him as the founder of the 20th-century school of Mexican art. His travels throughout Europe influenced his vision and his skills without ever distancing him from his roots, thus confirming his place in history as the founder of the nationalist school.
The exhibition devoted to the legendary couple Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo presents their works together, as if to confirm the impossibility of their divorce that was in fact finalised but reconsidered after just one year apart. It also gives us a better view of their respective artistic worlds, so different and yet so complementary , through the deep-rooted attachment they shared to their country. | Which of the following best describes Frida Kahlo's work? | Creative and realistic. | ['World-famous but unusual.', 'Practical and popular.', 'Authentic but ordinary.'] |
The League of High Schools is pleased to invite student freethinkers to our 2007 Student Leadership Meeting July 15 -17 at our office building in Manhattan, New York.
This yearly meeting has been successfully held for the past three years. The event brings together student activists from around North America for a busy weekend of workshops, networking, lectures, and a lot of fun.
We encourage every school to send at least one representative (if not more) and we are keeping the costs down to help make this possible. Any individual * student activists who are interested are also welcome to attend. Registration ,rd5m and food for the entire three day event will cost only $ 39 for each student. We' ve booked you single rooms at Travelodge, New York. For any information about the hotel, please call 88643911.
This time we are making a special offer providing some money for travelling to make sure each group can send a representative even if it lacks the money to do so. Email Anna Porter at apor- ter@ leaguehighschool. net or call 46935040 to get more information about this travel support.
The registration form can be found at http://www. freethought. org/SLM2007. pdf. For more information about registration you may call Lucy Becker at 36904560 or email her at lbecker @ IeaguehighschooL net.
So don't wait! Send in your registration.' | From the passage we know that the Student Leadership Meeting _ . | was first held in 2004 | ['invites students from Manhattan', 'provides free meals for students', 'is held every three years'] |