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It was and is likely the embodiment of everything I want is a " ME " day . A " ME " day is generally easy to accomplish . The only required ingredient is a 24 hr period of nothing to do . I turn up my music , grab a random ( or almost random ) book / series of the shelf , prepare with snacks . | What would someone do a on a " Me " day . | Watch TV . | ['None of the above choices .', 'Do some work .', 'Help colleagues out .'] |
You may have heard that a young man named Abner Doubleday invented the game known as baseball in Cooperstown, New York, during the summer of 1839. Doubleday then went on to become a Civil War hero, while baseball became America's beloved national pastime. Not only is that story untrue, it's not even in the ballpark( place for baseball).Doubleday was still at West Point in 1839, and he never claimed to have anything to do with baseball.
In 1907, a special commission created by the sporting goods merchant and former major league player A. J. Spalding used weak evidence-namely the claims of one man, mining engineer Abner Graves-to come up with the Doubleday origin story. Cooperstown businessmen and major league officials would rely on the myth's lasting power in the 1930s, when they established the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in the village.
As it turns out, the real history of baseball is a little more complicated than the Doubleday legend. References to games resembling baseball in the United States date hack to the 18th century .its most direct ancestors appear to be two English games: rounder a( a children's game brought to New England by the earliest colonists) and cricket. By the time of the American Revolution, variations of such games were being played on schoolyards and college campuses across the country. They became even more popular in newly industrialized cities where men sought work in the mid-19th century-.In September 1845, a group of New York City men founded the New York Knickerbocker Baseball Club .One of them would make a new set of rules that would form the basis for modern baseball.
Cartwright's changes made the game faster-paced and more challenging from older games like cricket. In 1846, the Knickerbockers : played the first official game of baseball against a team of cricket players, beginning a new, uniquely American tradition. | It can be inferred from the passage that _ | Doubleday must have been an army officer | ['Doubleday is the most respected in the USA', 'Doubleday in fact came from Britain', 'Doubleday invented rounder and cricket'] |
Moving can bring out the best and the worst in people, I'm finding. And I've discovered where a very generous spirit lives: Defiance, Ohio.
After suffering through many months of unemployment, my wife and I had to move this week from Colorado to Ohio, where she would work as a sales assistant. Not knowing a person there, we were pretty concerned about all the work, including how we'd get all the things unloaded without killing ourselves.
We decided to pay a couple of college students to help with all the heavy lifting once we got there. But one neighbor after another stopped by and joined in. "What? Have we moved to some other country? Maybe we've died and gone to heaven!" I thought.
Unloading actually became fun as we connected with so many wonderful new friends as we worked. The more people that helped, the easier the work became. A job we were afraid might take days for the two of us alone was done in just a few hours. Many total strangers would either walk by or drive by to ask us if we were moving in. Many were delighted that this fine old house that had sat empty for so long was coming to life again. We were invited to an outdoor meal yesterday by neighbors on the same street.
All the while, my brain was on this new sense of hope that people could be outgoing and kind to strangers. Among all the conversations were lots of offers to be of help to one another in a variety of ways. It's wonderful to live in such a kind little town. I feel so grateful to be here, and wish the rest of the world could see how an entire society can be a model for what it's like to look out for one another. I used to stay away from friendships with strangers, but now I live in Defiance! | What can we know about the author's past life? | He refused to make friends with strangers. | ['He hated to live in a little town.', 'He liked to make friends with strangers.', 'He usually offered some help to others.'] |
Surely the best thing about colomba, the Easter equivalent to panettone, is the sugared, toasted almond topping that covers the whole thing and crumbles when you cut it, so you sort of have no choice but just to pick up the crusty sugary bits and eat those on their own.
I’d always thought that colomba would make a very good baking project but was somewhat intimated by getting the right shape — it’s vaguely in the shape of a dove, if you use your imagination — and texture — wonderfully soft, fluffy, sweet yeasted bread. I had attempted making panettone (this fig, walnut and date panettone) a few years ago with fair results — absolutely delicious results, actually, they were just not as fluffy and bouncy as expertly made ones from your favourite pastry shop where panettoni are hung upside-down to maintain their height and airiness.
But when I came across the familiar brown and gold paper forms for making colomba at the supermarket, I thought I’m only ever going to get a chance to make this now! Like the panettone, I referred to my favourite baking book for Italian specialties, Carol Field’s The Italian Baker.
Field recounts a bit of history behind the colomba, which I’m sure is little known to anyone these days. Colomba is a fixture at Easter tables all around Italy (and is often given as presents), even though it comes from the north of Italy, Pavia. It is one of those traditions that are now a given, where a slice of colomba, perhaps eaten with pieces of a cracked chocolate Easter egg and an espresso or a glass of dessert wine, is a welcome end to the meal (or indeed breakfast the next day). But the legend behind it is a medieval one and rather disturbing — maybe it was made up to encourage young girls to learn how to bake their own colomba (and make sure it was good) to get themselves out of sticky, undesirable situations. | Who is Carol Fields? | not enough information | ['A pundit', 'A thinker', 'A celebrity'] |
The famous American gorilla expert Diane Fossey had a completely new way to study gorillas -- she pretended to be one of them. She copied their actions and way of life -- eating plants and getting down on her hands and knees to walk the way a gorilla does. It was a new relationship.
Diane Fossey was murdered in Rwanda in 1985 and her story was made into the popular filmGorillas in the Mist. It was a long way fromKing Kong, which is about a gorilla as a monster (a frightening animal), and helped to show a new idea: the real monster is man, while the gorilla is to be admired.
Today there are thought to be around 48,000 lowland gorillas and maybe 400--450 mountain gorillas in the wild. From the Congo in West Africa, to Rwanda and Uganda further east, they are endangered by hunting and by the cutting down of their forest homes.
Some time ago, I found in my letterbox a little magazine from the World Wide Fund for Nature. It had two photos side by side. One was of a young gorilla. "This is a species of mammal ," said the words below it. "It is being destroyed by man. We must save it for our own good." The other photo showed a human baby. The words also read, "This is a species of mammal," but then went on: "It is the most destructive on earth. We must retrain it for its own good." | What message can we get from the two photos in the magazine? | Man should live peacefully with the gorilla. | ["Gorillas are man's close friends.", 'Both man and the gorilla need to be saved.', 'Young gorillas are as lovely as human babies.'] |
Visiting Balboa Island, in sunny southern California, proved an exciting experience that I will never forget. I had never been to Balboa Island, even though it is only about an hour from my home in northern San Diego.
Our first stop was for a specialty called a "Balboa Bar". It is a famous chocolate covered ice cream on a stick, created many years ago. As we drove along the streets toward the boat, I also saw some interesting buildings that stood for many years. Many of the building designs seemed like dollhouses and someone in our group said that the style was called, Victorian.
After we parked our car on one of the streets, we got on the boat sailing to Balboa Peninsula. As I looked around the boat, I saw a bird flying very close to the water and our boat. A little girl near the boat' s edge jumped out to touch it and shockingly fell into the water! Her dad, who stood nearby, jumped in after her at once and everyone on the boat ran to help. The boat's engine stopped and both father and daughter got saved with the help of people on the boat.
On Balboa Peninsula my family and I went to various shops, especially for food! We saw a restaurant at the very end. We enjoyed our lunch there, at the first Ruby's Diner ever opened in southern California. Although I have been to other restaurants of this popular chain , being at the very first is a great memory.
On our way back to Balboa island we stopped at the huge Ferris Wheel, bought some sugars and played games. It was an exciting afternoon walking around on Balboa Island. I look forward to returning soon to spend some time on the beach again or maybe even to try fishing! | What' s the best title for the text? | My trip to Balboa | ["The first Ruby' s Diner", 'My first boat ride', 'Victorian buildings'] |
Have you ever done something foolish that made you feel so embarrassed ?
Well, that's exactly how I felt. On a Saturday morning last autumn.I had gone to town to do some shopping and as I was on my way home,it suddenly began to rain. I at once ran into a nearby phone box because I didn't have an umbrella.It was raining so heavily that I have to stay in the phone box until it stopped.
A few moments later,I saw a young man walk up to the phone box,wearing a yellow raincoat and holding a box. I didn't want to go out into the rain,so I picked up the phone and pretended I was talking to someone. I thought the man would go away,but he didn't. He just waited in the rain,watching me. I had to wave my hands about and acted as if I was deep in conversation.
Luckily,it began to stop after about ten minutes."Okay,Mum," I said loudly into the phone,"I'll see you later Bye!" I put the phone down, picked up my shopping bag and walked out of the phone box "I'm sorry I took so long,"I said to the man.
"Oh, I don't want to use the phone,"he replied, smiling."I've just come to repair it. It's out of order.you see." I felt myself go red in the face and I hurried away with my head down,feeling a complete fool. That was certainly one of the most embarrassing moments of my life! | Which of the following is TRUE? | It suddenly rained when the writer was on her way home after shopping. | ['The story happened on a cold Saturday morning last summer.', 'The writer was telephoning to her mother when the it rained.', 'The writer thought the rain would last long.'] |
I ' m beginning to think I am the messiest cook though . Honestly , in the midst of making most anything it looks as though Pigpen has taken over leaving his trail of litter - because the counter is covered with spills and dishes and flour or whatever ingredients I am working with - and I even clean up as I go ! I keep my kitchen neat and tidy , but in the midst of creating something , stuff just flies and spills and even ends up on the floor . Maybe I just need more counter space . | Which is true of the narrator ? | They are a sloppy cook . | ['None of the above choices .', 'They are a pigpen .', 'They have a lot of counter space .'] |
As a new year is just around the corner, I, like many of you, am taking stock in my life.
What I’ve done and what I’d like to do.
How I’ve spent my time and how I want to use it going forward.
I have goals for blogging, my Jamberry business, my health, homeschooling, and for my family.
As I have pondered where I want things to go and how I can successfully make that happen, I have learned that I need to manage my time and energy differently in order to be successful in each area.
The main obstacles standing in my way are, ironically, working from home and having my children with me 24/7.
But, that was my choice and I’m sticking to it.
My goal is to embrace these obstacles by approaching them in different ways.
Work at Home Tips for Success
Work at home tips can be implemented or not, depending on my needs.
I am sure the same will be true for you.
You may not need to get healthier or may not want to homeschool your children. So, your daily routine will be different from mine.
However, I think these work at home tips can help any individual out there looking for more guidance.
Work at Home Tip #1
Be productive.
Well, duh! Of course that’s what we would like to do, but have you ever worked all day and by the end of it, you have no idea what you really did?
This likely means you are spending your time on things, but not on the most important things.
For example, if your goal is to generate income, you want to be carving out time for income generating activities, not reorganizing a shelf or checking a facebook group for information.
If your goal is to write a book, you want to be get ideas on paper or develop the plot, not have coffee to discuss your latest and greatest read with your bestie. | what can be said about the author? | they love their kids | ['not enough information', 'they hate blogging', 'they want to work from home'] |
Recently,scientists attending a meeting in Chicago presented new studies showing how food and its production affect global warming.They offered some suggestions for how to eat in a more environmentally friendly way.
For many years,scientists have warned us that our planet is getting warmer.If current trends continue,animals may start to die off and life could get very difficult for everyone.The temperature is rising because humans have been releasing massive amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere,which surround the planet and keep heat from escaping.One of these gases is carbon dioxide.
Most carbon dioxide we produce comes from the process of making and eating food,the scientists reported in Chicago.The production of meat contributes to a lot of carbon dioxide.And much of meat's contribution comes from beef,which is responsible for releasing even more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
The process of making a hamburger,for example,requires a lot of energy.A cow has to be fed and raised,and cow's wastes are a major source of greenhouse gases.After the cow is killed,the meat has to be processed and shipped to a consumer,which takes fuel.And most of the cow won't even be used for meat people eat.
By the time a hamburger finally lands on a dinner plate,it has taken a heavy toll on the environment.It is believed that the process of making a halfpound allbeef burger adds about 19 times the weight of hamburgers in carbon dioxide.
The message is clear:We can greatly reduce the production of greenhouse gases by eating less beef.Other kinds of meat like pork and chicken do less harm to the environment--at least in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases released.Nathan Pelletier,a scientist at Dalhousie University in Canada,reported that if everyone in industrial countries ate chicken instead of beef,we would cut the Earth's greenhouse gases by more than half.
All kinds of meat,the scientists reported,are harder on the planet than vegetables.To grow and eat a pound of potatoes,for example,sends less than one quarter pound of carbon dioxide into the air.So shifting our diet to less meat and more vegetables may do the world some good. | Why does the author mention the process of making a hamburger? | To illustrate that our food contributes to greenhouse gases. | ['To show meat is usually part of a hamburger.', 'To prove making a hamburger is a complex process.', 'To suggest a lot of energy is needed to make hamburgers.'] |
She was being such a nice Wife you know , she sent me home . She sent me to my block and we seperated from there . I do n't know why did she sent me home , haha why ah Wifey ? | How may I have felt about my wife sending me home ? | I found it to be amusing and I laughed that I was banished to my place . | ['I felt like following her when we got separated at the block .', 'I resented being sent to my block and then she left me but I knew exactly why .', 'I thought she was being a nice wife but she was not being a nice wifey .'] |
Meet Jeff Wilson AKA Professor Dumpster , an environmental scientist and the Dean of Huston Tillotson University in Austin, Texas. The reason for his unusual nickname? He has decided to live in a dumpster for the next year. Yes, the kind that you might find filled with trash behind a restaurant.
Wilson says the inspiration to do something first hit him two years ago, when he was working on an article at a neighborhood coffee shop and caught sight of an eight-yard dumpster.
Now that he has found one, Professor Dumpster is putting his students to work. After all, the point of this project isn't just to spend his life living out of a garbage can: there is, a much greater purpose involved. As an environmental scientist, the professor constantly thinks about sustainable living and how every person should try to minimize his/her impact on our already stretched resources. That, is the challenge Wilson wanted his students to step up to, this entire year.
Using their math, science, engineering and technology skills, he wants them to retrofit his 33 square-foot dumpster into a modern space that includes a shower, a toilet, a kitchen and a bed and is fitted with conveniences like air-conditioning and even WiFi. The demand? It all has to be green and sustainable. www.ks5u.com
So why is Wilson planning to go through such hardship? That is because he wants to equip his students with the tools to survive in a world that is rapidly heading towards a population of 10 billion people. A large majority of the population adjust to living in tighter spaces in the world where resources and space should be limited to be used.
By promoting awareness and education on these subjects, Wilson is helping students everywhere see that living "small" and sustainably is certainly possible. And while the dumpster project may seem a little crazy to some, the professor thinks of it as a "playful and imaginative" educational experiment and conversation-starter to discuss the fact that all of us can do with less as we move into the future. | Why does Jeff Wilson make his students do such a hard job? | To help them find survival ways in the limited world. | ['To encourage them to try to reduce the population.', 'To make them adjust to the limited space.', 'To change their tighter spaces into larger ones.'] |
It is not clear who first fried potatoes in hot oil. However, it is widely agreed that French fries were prepared as early as the 1700s in Europe. Most people believe that it was the Belgians , instead of the French, who invented "French"fries. They think that French fries got this name from the cooking word "to french" --- to cut green beans into long thin strips .
When Thomas Jefferson traveled to France, he enjoyed the deep-fried potatoes very much and brought them home with him. Ever since he served French fries to his guests at a Whitehouse dinner in 1802, the dish has become very popular in America.
In the summer of 1853, an American Indian called George Crum worked as a cook at Moon Lake Lodge, a hotel in Saratoga Springs, New York. He was good at making French fries. One evening, a dinner guest found Crum's French fries too thick and sent them back to the kitchen. Crum then cut and fried some thinner French fries, but _ . This time, the cook got angry. So he decided to play a trick on the guest. He finally made fries that were too thin to eat with a fork. To his surprise, the guest loved the browned, paper-thin chips. The browned chips, then called Saratoga Chips, became one of the most popular dishes of the hotel. Soon they were being sold, first in local restaurants, then throughout New England. | The French fries were believed to be introduced to America in _ . | the early1800s | ['the early 1700s', 'the early 1900s', 'the summer of 1853'] |
Running like the wind, roaring like thunder, tigers have long been feared and respected as a king of the animal world. But last week a report said that there are no more than 30 wild tigers left in south China.
This was the conclusion of a team of scientists from China's State Forestry Administration and the World Nature Fund.
The South China tiger, also known as the Chinese tiger, is native to southern China. In the 1950s, there were over 4,000 tigers found in mountain forests in the country. But due to the destruction of their natural habitat and uncontrolled hunting, it has been pushed on to the list of the world's top ten most endangered species.
Sixty-six of the big cats can be found in the cages of a dozen zoos around China. But they are nothing like their wild cousins. They have lost their natural skills such as hunting and killing. If they were set free they could not look after themselves.
"Breeding has damaged the quality of the species," said Pei Enle, deputy director of the Shanghai Zoo.
To reintroduce the species into the wild, the country started a programme to send five to ten young tigers to South Africa. Four of them have already arrived.
Progress has been made as two elder tigers have recovered some of their instincts and can hunt wild animals by themselves at the African base.
"South Africans are very experienced in reintroducing big animals to the wild. The country has very good natural conditions for the tigers to learn in," said Lu Jun, office director of the National Wildlife Research and Development Centre. "We tried in Fujian Province, but it was not successful as there was not a complete eco-chain and there was a lack of space."
The tigers should return to China in 2009 when the reservations in Fujian are ready. | By saying " but they are nothing like their wild cousins", the writer means that _ . | they don't know how to hunt or kill | ['they are no longer feared by other wild animals', 'a complete change has resulted in the species because of breeding', 'to reintroduce them into the wild has become an urgent task'] |
I'm seventeen. I had worked as a box boy at a supermarket in Los Angeles. People came to the counter and you put things in their bags for them and carried things to their cars. It was hard work.
While working, you wear a plate with your name on it. I once met someone I knew years ago. I remembered his name and said, "Mr Castle, how are you?" We talked about this and that. As he left, he said, "It was nice talking to you, Brett." I felt great, he remembered me. Then I looked down at my name plate. Oh, no. He didn't remember me at all, he just read the name plate. I wish I had put "Irving" down on my name plate. If he'd have said, "Oh yes, Irving, how could I forget you?" I'd have been ready for him. There's nothing personal here.
The manager and everyone else who were a step above the box boys often shouted orders. One of these was: you couldn't accept tips. Okay, I'm outside and I put the bags in the car. For a lot of people, the natural reaction is to take a quarter and give it to me. I'd say, "I'm sorry, I can't." They'd get angry. When you give someone a tip, you're sort of being polite. You take a quarter and you put it in their hand and you expect them to say, "Oh, thanks a lot." When you say, "I'm sorry, I can't." They feel a little _ . They say, "No one will know." And they put it in your pocket. You say, "I really can't." It gets to a point where you almost have to hurt a person physically to prevent him from tipping you. It was not in agreement with the store's belief in being friendly. Accepting tips was a friendlything and made the customer feel good. I just couldn't understand the strangeness of some people's ideas.
One lady actually put it in my pocket, got in the car, and drove away. I would have had to throw the quarter at her or eaten it or something.
I had decided that one year was enough. Some people needed the job to stay alive and fed. I guess I had the means and could afford to hate it and give it up. | The box boy refused to accept tips because _ . | the store didn't allow the box boys to take tips | ['customers only gave small tips', 'some customers had strange ideas about tipping', "he didn't want to fight with the customers"] |
Britain's most popular lie has been disclosed, with one in four people admitting using "Sorry I had no signal" when returning a missed mobile phone call, a survey found.
Researchers found the average Briton tells on average four lies every day or almost 1500 every year. Almost one in six men admitted they were most likely to lie to their wife or girlfriend, on average at least twice a day. The most popular lie was saying you had no mobile phone signal, with one in four people admitting regularly using the little white lie. It usually came after they hit the "ignore" button when their mobile rang.
Three quarters of people think women are better liars. The research found 46 per cent of girls have been caught lying, compared to 58 of men.
The second most common fib is "I haven't got any cash on me" when asked for money by tramps , beggars and Big Issue sellers. "Nothing's wrong - I'm fine" came third followed by "You look lovely" and "Nice to see you".
Modern technology turned out to have contributed to many lies with "I didn't get your text" in 18th, "Our server was down" in 20th and "My battery died" in 26th place.
Other lies to make the top ten included "I'll give you a ring", "We're just good friends" and "We'll have to meet up soon". "I'm on my way" and "No, your bum doesn't look big in that" completed the top ten.
Men tell the most fibs, coming out with five every day compared to women who lie just three times.
In many cases perhaps it is better to flatter with a fib than destroy someone with the truth, according to a spokesman for OnePoll, which carried out the research of 4,300 adults. | Whether the person being called has pushed the "ignore" button or _ , the caller at the other end hears the same tone. | really has no signal | ["can't get the text", 'has a battery failure', 'answers the call'] |
Don't you think it interesting that there were strange coincidences in the deaths of President Kennedy and President Lincoln? For example, John Kennedy was elected president in 1960 while Abraham Lincoln in 1860, between which was a hundred years. Both men were killed from behind, on black Friday , and with their wives on the spot. The two men were born exactly one hundred years away, as were their murderers, Lee Oawald and John Booth. Perhaps the strangest coincidence is that President Kennedy's secretary , whose name was Lincoln, advised the president not to go to Dallas, where the president was shot. President Lincoln's secretary, named Kennedy, advised the president not to go to the Ford Theatre, where the president met his death. | "Black Friday" means that _ . | the two Fridays saw sad happenings | ['the American used to be in black on the two Fridays.', 'it was dark when the two men were killed', 'it was cloudy when the two men were killed'] |
I am a taxi driver. One Monday morning, I had stopped at New York Hospital when I found _ man dashing down the steps. He was waving to me. I waited until he jumped into the cab. " LaGuardia Airport, please," he said.
As always, I wondered about my passenger. " What do you do?" " I am in the neurology department at the hospital." For some unknown reason, I decided to ask for his help.
" Could I ask a favor of you?" He didn't answer. " I have a son, 16. He's doing well in school. He wants a job this summer. Is there any possibility that you might get him a summer job?" After a pause, he said, " The medical students have a research project. Maybe he could fit in. Have him send me his school records." He searched his pocket and handed me a card.
That evening, I pulled the card from my pocket. " Robbie," I announced proudly, " this could be a summer job for you. Send him your school records." He read it out loud, " Fred Plum, New York Hospital." " Is this a joke?" he said in disbelief. After I shouted and threatened to cut off his pocket-money, Robbie promised to send off his grades the next morning.
Two weeks later, when I arrived home, my son handed me a letter from Plum. He was to phone Plum's secretary for an interview.
Robbie got the job. The white coat he wore made him feel more important than he really was. As high school graduation neared, Plum was kind enough to write letters of recommendation for universities. To our delight, Robbie was admitted to New York Medical College.
It never occurred to me that a stranger should change my son's future. | What message does the passage want to tell us? | A stranger may change your life. | ['One must be friendly to strangers.', 'A father should be responsible for his son.', 'Doctors may have a great effect on people.'] |
I do n't want to move out until I have at least 2,000 $ saved up in my account . and I owe my dad 150.00 $ from the car accident I got in a couple months ago , so I ' m going to try and pay him back . I want to get my new tattoo ! ! ! And I do n't want to get it until I pay him back the money I owe him . | What may have been the cause to borrow money from their dad ? | I was short on money when I had my car accident . | ['I spent my money on a new tatoo .', 'I was saving for a new car .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
Anyone who reads a book and then goes to see a movie based on that book generally leaves the movie feeling a little disappointed. Why might this be? Both books and movies serve the purpose of entertainment. Both books and movies offer characters and plots. And, both books and movies provide a setting for a story. Books, however, offer a more attractive and complex form of entertainment than movies.
Although movies are entertaining to watch, books have advantages over them. First, books, in comparison to movies, can more easily seize the depths of characters and create a complex setting through the use of rich description. Books leave it up to the reader to interpret, imagine, and recreate the story in his or her own mind. However, movies are action packed and provide lots of visual stimuli ; still, it is the movie not the viewer that interprets the characters, plot, and setting. Second, books are not limited to time. A writer can write as much or as little as necessary in order to create and tell a story. Movies, on the other hand, are limited to an hour and a half to two hours of entertaining time before the audience begins to get restless. Last, reading is an _ form of entertainment. Readers can improve their level of reading and vocabulary in a harmless, healthy, and pleasurable way. Movies, on the other hand, are not as complex and entertaining as books, and they leave nothing to interpret. Therefore, the advantages and entertainment value of books outweigh those of a movie.
To conclude, books, through interpretation, help the reader develop a sense of relationship to the characters and the story itself, but a movie strictly entertains. Books are a better form of entertainment than movies. | Which of the following would be the best title for the text? | Books: Better Form of Entertainment | ['Movies: Easy Form of Entertainment', 'How to Produce Movies Based on Books', 'Why Are We Satisfied at Movies'] |
Most young people enjoy some form of physical activity. It may be walking, cycling, swimming or in winter, skating or skiing. It may be a game of some forms - football, basketball, hockey, golf of tennis. It may be mountaineering.
Those who have a _ for climbing high and difficult mountains are often looked up with astonishment. Why are men and women willing to suffer cold and hardship, and to take risks in high mountains? This astonishment is caused, probably, by the difference between mountaineering and other forms of activity to which men give their leisure .
Mountaineering is a sport and not a game. There are no man - made rules, as there are for such games as golf and football. There are, of course, rules of different kind which it would be dangerous to ignore, but it is this freedom from man - made rules that makes mountaineering attractive to any people. Those who climb mountains are free to use their own methods, but the sport requires high mental and physical qualities.
A mountain climber continues to improve in skill year after year. A skier is probably past his best by the age of thirty, and most international tennis champions are in their early twenties. But it is not unusual for men of fifty or sixty to climb the highest mountains in the Alps. They may take more time than younger men, but they certainly experience equal enjoyment. | Mountaineering is a sport, not a game because _ . | it is free for climbers to use their own methods. | ['it has man-made rules', 'it is too dangerous for climbers', "it can't bring people joy and leisure"] |
" Ngaahh ! " " Ohh ! It 's all coming out and leaking and - " " Get ... hands off ... " He tried to shove her away . " No , Manji ! Stop that ! " With all her strength Rin pressed down on the wound and tried to hold him to the ground as he thrashed and moaned . | Why was rin pressing on the wound ? | Rin was trying to catch the blood and help with the wound . | ['None of the above choices .', 'Rin was trying to kill Manji .', 'Rin was trying to hurt Manji .'] |
Hi Guys , I ' ve built an awsome AJAX custom http handler which through reflection automatically prototypes classes to javascript objects and creates javascript methods which match the server side method taged with my custom attributes . The model allows you to pass object from both server to client and client to server . It handles all the serialisation and has cut my development time of an AJAX heavy web application in half . The only thing left to do in polishing the model is to finish error handling . | Where might the custom http handler be used most often ? | It would be used at work to allow items to be sent back and forth between you and the customer . | ['It handles all the serialisation and has doubled my development time but you can still use it at home .', 'It would mostly be used while polishing models and cutting applications use in half , saving money .', 'It would be used to prototype models and turn html into javascript in order to save time .'] |
Dear Diary , For the first time in a long time , I have to say that I think that my parents ( well , at least my mom ) is accepting the fact that I need to drive . I feel that for my own sake of independence , I need my own car . I hope what my mom said is true -- that she will help me out in some way with the payment of the car , but I ' m not depending on it . | Why does the writer feel that driving is important ? | She wants to be self - reliant . | ['Driving will help her to save on gas .', 'Driving will help her to get to work on time .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
It would have to be this…
Donald Trump once cashed a $0.13 check…
In 1990, writer from a “Spy Magazine” had a great idea for a prank:
“What would happen if you sent checks for small amounts to celebrities and saw who cashed them, putting to test the theory that every man (and woman) has a price? In their words:
"We could however, send them checks for minuscule sums of money—sums so small they couldn’t fund as much as a minute of the recipients’ existence—and see who would bother to bank these teensy amounts of money."
Spy thought "some subterfuge" would be necessary—it'd be suspicious to get a check from the magazine that lampooned so many of the intended recipients. This was specifically true for Trump, who Spy once famously referred to as a "short-fingered vulgarian."
So, they created a fully funded and incorporated company called National Refund Clearinghouse, which allowed them to open a checking account. Then they drafted a letter explaining that the check was a refund for a small overcharge that had occurred in 1988—what the celebrities had been overcharged for was never mentioned. They sent the checks out (initially for $1.11) to 58 well-known people like Cher, Henry Kissinger, and, of course, Donald Trump. Of the 58, 26 cashed the checks—Donald included.
The magazine drafted a followup letter and checks for $0.64 to those 26 people to see who would take more free money. Thirteen—including Donald Trump—deposited the checks worth two quarters, a dime, and four pennies into their banks.
Then they went for one last score: in honor of those 13 people, 13 more checks for $0.13. Two people cashed them: a Saudi arms dealer named Adnan Khashoggi, and Donald Trump.
Seriously.”
I really don’t know if this is the most “cheapskate” thing, on just CRAZY fiscal responsibility. But if I had to pick, this would get my vote…
resources: Splinter - The truth hurts | After the $0.13 checks were deposited, Spy Magazine probably: | published a story about sending out the checks | ['not enough information', 'asked for all their money back', 'sent out another check for $0.04'] |
I picked up this Sporf in Amsterdam Schipol airport. A spork I'd seen before, but the addition of a simple serration on the side of the fork end makes this a genuine "three-in-one" implement for eating one's full three-course takeaway meal on the plane. The sporf is no innovation; back in 1940 the "sporf" was born. It took me until 2015 to notice this one thanks to its rather pleasant design.
The sporf is a little like most strategy documents that I come across. It is one implement designed to serve a multitude of goals, but with one fatal flaw: you can only ever use one part of the sporf / strategy at any one time. With the sporf, things would get messy trying to use the spoon and knife and the same time. The knife and fork work quite well in sequence but physics prevents me using both at the same time as I can with the older technologies of knife and fork.
In strategy formation, we can develop a multitude of potential purposes within one document, killer vision statement or mission. But it's important to recognise that the teams around us will only ever be able to do one thing really well at any one time. This is a lesson oft ignored by schools, in particular, as they attempt to ask educators to create an ever-more creative curriculum without having first tackled attitudes towards summative assessments throughout the year.
It is also a challenge in some of the world's most successful, but now stagnating, big businesses: they've spent decades or centuries building a reputation across a large array of devices, technologies, components or clothing, but the real strategy is working out which of the current array needs killed off to enable teams in their quest to develop something totally new, properly innovative. | What does the narrator probably think about strategy documents? | That they are not as good as they could be | ['That they are too messy', 'not enough information', 'That they are ignored too often'] |
When I was six years old, my mom told me that I could find anyone's number in the phone book. I used to look through the phone book for hours trying to find Michael Jordan's phone number. When I couldn't find it, I just dialed seven numbers. When someone answered, I'd ask, "Is that Michael Jordan?" Obviously, I always had the wrong number.
A year later I started playing basketball at my local recreation center. It was very big. I never thought in my wildest dreams that a basketball court could be inside a building. The recreation center had a special smell in it, sort of like hot rubber. I guessed it was from the shoes hitting the floor so fast and hard. The atmosphere on the court was carefree. Our biggest excitement of the day was when we actually made a shot. We celebrated wins over ice cream at a fast food restaurant.
I got good at it, and my confidence grew. I played it all the time until the sixth grade. As soon as junior high school came, I stopped playing basketball and focused on school. When senior high school started, I tried out for the school team and made it. We worked hard. Every week we did 300 push-ups and 300 sit-ups on our own. Our coach encouraged the sit-ups to keep stomach power, because it gave us so much control when we were playing basketball. If we didn't want to do the sit-ups and push-ups, we could practice dribbling and shooting more. It's just us, the ball, the court and the net. But don't take my word for it. See for yourself. After all, I'm just one kid playing the game. | What's the author's purpose in writing this passage? | To introduce his own experience of playing basketball. | ['To introduce some skills in playing basketball.', 'To tell us about his dream of becoming a basketball star.', 'To tell us how to balance playing basketball and studying.'] |
It 's Thursday morning and I ' m surprised , actually , about how much of my list I ' ve actually made it through . It did n't turn out to be such a bad week after all . I really feel like something has turned over inside of me . The negativity just is n't affecting me as much . | What type of weekend will the narrator have ? | It 'll be a good weekend . | ["It 'll be a worsening weekend .", 'None of the above choices .', "It 'll be a weekend filled with the narrator 's sour mood ."] |
Newspapers in the United States earn most of their money from selling space for advertising. The rates they charge are tied to the number of readers. But the number of people who buy newspapers has been falling for years. And this traditional business model had not worked very well on the Internet, especially in a bad economy.
Many newspaper companies have large debts from buying other papers. Some papers have recently closed or declared bankruptcy or reduced their operations.
Newspapers are looking for new ways to reinvent themselves and new ways to earn money. That includes giving new consideration to an old idea-charging for at least some of the material that most papers now publish online for free.
Internet access to newspapers means that more people may read the news, which is good for society. But good reporting costs money. The question is how much people are willing to pay for news that they have got used to receiving for free.
The look of American newspapers changed after USA Today arrived in 1982. Most of the stories were short. There was heavy use of color1 and images. People who compared it to television did not necessarily mean that as praise. But the new design succeeded and influenced many other papers.
Now newspapers are looking to redesign themselves for an increasingly online world. Millions of people would rather read papers like USA Today and The New York Times for free on the Web than pay for a printed version. Publishers who chose that business plan might regret it now, but they might not have had much choice. Survival means changing as conditions change. Like any other business, newspapers have to balance their needs with the need of their customers. | What is the main idea of the passage? | American newspapers are facing great difficulties. | ['Advertising industry in America is going through some changes.', 'Great changes have taken place in the American media.', 'American newspapers will have a bright future.'] |
I stood there waiting for a few minutes and my phone began to ring . " Hello Chad . " I said answering the phone " Hey there boy wonder , are you at the restaurant ? " Chad asked " Yeah where are you ? " " I ' m running behind a few last minute items to take care of here at the office . Natasha called and said she 'd be there in a few minutes and I filled her on how I am running behind . | What may have happened before Chad 's phone started ringing ? | He wondered where Natasha is . | ['He used the bathroom in the restaurant .', 'None of the above choices .', 'He ordered a drink in the restaurant .'] |
Many Americans have been leaving their cars at home and riding to work on bicycles. Andy Clark is the leader of the League of American Bicyclists. His group supports bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation.
Clark says this is good news for the environment. He says riding a bicycle to work does not burn fossil fuel or creates dangerous pollutions. Experts say the effects are the most important on short trips. The Department of Transportation says fifty percent of Americans drive eight kilometers or fewer to work. Shorter car trips set out more pollution into the air for each kilometer drive. This is because the car engine will set out the harmful air when it warms up before it can work well.
James, a members of Congress , is a strong supporter of bicycle use. He says cities, counties, state governments and state highway transportation agencies are planning the roadways of the future. They are creating roads and paths for bicycles in cities and between communities.
Last year, Portland, the Pacific Northwest city in the state of Oregon, had the highest percentage of bicycle users in the United States. Portland has been doing progressive city planning for many years to create special paths for bike riders. | What is the main idea of the passage? | Many Americans ride bicycles to support environment protection. | ['Many Americans like bike-riding for fun.', 'Short car trips can reduce pollution.', 'American government suggests people riding bicycles.'] |
I really need to be a little more dedicated to my blog , I consistently have to many ideas to devote time to writing up properly so I keep putting this off and never acctually get anything done and ca n't remember what I have talked about before . Oooooooooh well , A couple of days ago we decided to buy a couple more things for the house . I have moved about once a year since I was 18 or 19 and this is the first place I have felt I might be for quite a while . | Why does the speaker have many creativity ideas , but has a hard time finding time to blog about them ? | They have too many ideas to find the time to get them all written down | ['They have bipolar disorder and experience mania , which causes a stream of intense ideas , in a short amount of time', "Their internet connection is spotty , and often when they have an idea , they ca n't get online to express it", 'None of the above choices .'] |
We had : 3x Dessert Sampler ( $ 4.75x3=$14.25 ) , 1x Yummy Mango ( $ 5.75 ) , 1x Sandwich ( ~$3 ) , 1x Fries ( ~$3 ) and yeah . Good stuff ! ! = ) And I will leave you with the thought of the moment before I shower - brush - wash&sleep : I wish I had Kyle 's bed . It makes my bed feel like a sack of crap .. and the crap is dried , making it super firm and hard .. ( that 's what she said ! | What may I buy after I posted this ? | None of the above choices . | ['A new knife', 'A new dress', 'A new car'] |
I have never had a lot of money. But I don’t believe you have to have a lot for it to become burdensome. Money has always seemed to be a burden. Either you have it and the obligation and responsibility becomes a burden (so I’ve been told, ha) or you don’t have it and life without money becomes a burden. I guess money became a burden to me when I started paying my own bills.
Let me explain. I raised my 2 girls by myself. I was fortunate to have a good job as an office manager for a doctor in Dallas. I was able to pay my bills and juggle things around to afford what the girls needed for school and what not. When I didn’t have money for something they wanted I felt like I carried the world on my shoulders. I didn’t let them know how stressful it all was because I felt like it was none of their business. They were kids and needed to be kids. They would soon enough be feeling the stress of managing their own household and shouldn’t be asked to help shoulder that burden as kids.
Once, me and my youngest daughter, who was an adult at this time, went to a drive in fast food place and got a couple of drinks. My daughter was treating me and when the car hop came to deliver the drinks, my daughter gave her $5.00 as a tip, which was more than the drinks! I, of course, asked why she did that and she told me that they live off their tips and she knew what that was like having been a waitress before. I said something about her needing the money as well and how money makes the world go around. She said “No, Mom, you can be dead-assed broke and the world is still going to go around.”
That was when I quit letting money be a burden. | After the end of the story, the narrator is probably: | not burdened by money | ['burdened by money', 'loves money', 'not enough information'] |
A lawyer and a young lady were sitting next to each other on a long flight. The lawyer asked if she would like to play a fun game. The lady just wanted to take a nap, so she politely refused.
The lawyer explained that the game was actually very easy. He explained "I ask you a question, and if you don't know the answer, you pay me, and vice versa ." Again, the lady politely refused and tried to get some sleep.
The lawyer added eagerly, "Okay, if you don't know the answer, you pay me $5, and if I don't know the answer, I will pay you $50!" Considering that there would be no end to this suffering unless she played, the lady agreed.
The lawyer asked the first question, "What is the distance from the earth to the moon?" The young lady didn't say a word, pulled out five dollars from her purse and handed it to the lawyer.
Now, it was the lady's turn. She asked the lawyer, "What goes up a hill with three legs, and comes down with four?" The lawyer was greatly puzzled. He took out his computer and searched all of his references. He searched the Net and sent e-mails to all of his friends, but it was all _ . After over an hour, he woke up the lady and handed her $50. The lady politely took the money and turned away to get back to sleep.
The lawyer, very puzzled now, woke the lady up again and asked, "Well, what on earth is the answer?" Without a word, the lady reached into her purse, handed the lawyer another $5 and went back to sleep. | We may infer from the story that _ . | there was no answer to the lady's question. | ['the lawyer and the lady used to be lovers.', "the lady didn't like playing games with strangers.", 'the lawyer was too stupid to answer the question.'] |
Iee Lok Sze was the first woman in Hong Kong to reach both the North and South Poles.In 1992 and1993,she went to Mount Everest and the Taldamkhan Desert in Xin- jiang."I wanted to be an adventurer when l was small.I have loved reading adventure books since I was a child."Since 1970,Miss Lee has always been on trips,travelling to different parts of the world with a backpack and a sleeping bag.
She said that these journeys changed her values."After visiting these places,I started to treasure my life much more than before.During this time,I came to realize how small I am in the universe,but nothing in this world is unsolvable.
Miss Lee said she had a lot of unforgettable experiences on her journeys.There was one terrible storm at sea when she was returning from the South Pole.The whole team was happy to be returning home after a one-year stay at the South Pole.During the storm, waves reached heights of up to 30 meters.as high as a 10-story building.She stayed calm at the time and took steps to protect their research findings.She hoped the rescuers would find them even if they lost their lives.Part of the ship was destroyed and a lot of water came in.Luckily they all survived,but she came away from the experience with a realiza- tion about the power of nature.
Miss Lee is also the founder of the China Polar Museum Foundation.Building a polar museum has always been her dream.According to Miss Lee,the museum will use advanced technology to help develop scientists work in polar areas.Also,it will provide Places for scientists to do research. | Why did Lee found a polar museum? | To promote studies of the Poles. | ['To attract more people to the Poles.', 'To educate the public about the Poles.', 'To help protect the Poles.'] |
Is it really only a quarter to 11?I feel wiped out . Marcus fell asleep about 15 minutes ago on my lap . I need to finish packing the diaper bag , we 're supposed to go meet Nyna in 45 minutes . The shower is calling me . | Why is the narrator slow to get to Nyna 's ? | They are very tired . | ['They do not like Nyna .', 'None of the above choices .', 'They do not know Nyna well .'] |
We , too , are skeptical , as one always is when you do something for the first time . I remember making curtains not too long ago and not knowing what in the world to do and then just made them , going with my instinct and a little research on the web . The result was more than acceptable . | What is the reason we were skeptical ? | We were afraid we would embarrass ourselves while we did it . | ['We were afraid we would land in jail if we made any error .', 'The hairy monster scared us .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
I love this packaging by We Love Jam , a little company that makes jam from varieties of apricots that are at risk of extinction . I have n't had the opportunity to try the jam , but , apparently , these varieties of apricots are much tastier than the ones we are familiar with . They are harder to grow , though , so big agriculture companies do n't deal with them . | What may be the reason for their liking of the jam ? | They are different than the other jam companies . | ['They like the taste of the jam .', 'They find this brand of jam to be tastier .', 'They buy the jam brand often .'] |
When I was in medical college, I went camping with some of my friends. The season was summer; therefore, we chose to go to the seaside. After arriving there, we rent a room and left our luggage there. We finished lunch and then decided to rent a boat because the sea and the weather were beautiful.
We started to row, but about one mile out, the weather suddenly changed. Although the weather was not good, we didn't want to give up, but finally my friends and I agreed that we should go back. We tried to change the boat's direction, but as soon as we changed it, the oarlock broke. Therefore, we were unable to turn back. We had to wait for help because we couldn't do anything.
After seeing the change of weather, we shouldn't have continued to row, but it was too late. We regretted it. The sea changed a lot, the waves got very high, and the boat began to shake like a cradle . One of my friends started to cry; another started to vomit . Three hours passed, and nobody came to help us. We were just praying.
Fortunately, after five long hours of waiting, two big boats came to rescue us and we escaped. If they hadn't come to get us, we would have crossed the border between Turkey and Greece because the border was very close.
This story is the most exciting story of my life because we could have died, but luck was with us and we escaped. | When did they begin to go boating in the sea? | In the afternoon. | ['In the morning.', 'In the evening.', 'At night.'] |
I 'll keep it short . I ' m moving in with this guy who I ' ve been friends with for a while . I ' ve asked him out twice before and been rejected both times , but we 're still really close friends . I ' ve always just felt that if he does n't feel that way then he just does n't , and it became pretty easy to move on as time passed . Monday night he got drunk and totally started making out with me . | What is the reason I am moving in with this guy ? | I have feelings for him . | ['None of the above choices .', 'I have to live with him because I am pregnant', 'I need to save money so will share rent'] |
And of course , it is gratifying to realise that , even all those years ago , one had better taste than one gives oneself credit for.----------------Speaking of snippets of memory , something else . I have a very bad memory , and so I was trying to rack my brains for my happiest memory yet . To my surprise , I found it . When I was little , we had these two huge army trunks on our terrace . | What might have I done with the huge army trunks ? | Whatever I did , I must have had the most pleasant experiences with them . | ['Whatever I did , I must have had the most unpleasant experiences with them .', 'Whatever I did , I must have had the most pleasant experiences without them .', "Whatever I did n't do , I must have had the most pleasant experiences with them ."] |
Patch's mother was named Silver, because high summer sun made her fur shine that colour. She had a marvellous drey high up a spruce tree, carved out long ago by a woodpecker, and since extended into a two-chambered home full of bright things. The journey along the sky-road to her drey did not take long. When Patch looked inside, he saw a hundred colours glittering in the sunlight, shining from bits of metal and glass set into Silver's walls and floor. But his mother was not there.
He could tell by the faintness of her smell that no squirrel had been here in some time. There were two faint traces of scent, several days old; that of Silver, and that of another squirrel, a musky scent that Patch did not recognize. A scent that made his tail stiffen as if danger was near.
Patch stared into his mother's empty drey for a moment. It wasn't normal for a squirrel to abandon her drey for days, not in the middle of winter. And he hadn't seen Silver for three days. Not since all the acorns had disappeared from the earth.
Patch ran back to his own tree, and then to the maple tree next door, to his brother Tuft's drey. He ran very fast. He was hungrier than ever, and he was beginning to be very worried. He was relieved when he looked into Tuft's drey and found it occupied. Tuft himself was not present, but Brighteyes was, and their babies, and it was clear from the smells that Tuft had only just departed.
"Hello, Patch," Brighteyes said weakly. "Would you like to come in?"
Patch entered. Brighteyes was curled up with her babies in the drey's deepest, warmest corner. The last time Patch had visited, a week ago, this had been a den of noise and chaos, with all Brighteyes' four babies running and jumping and playfighting. Today they lay weakly beside Brighteyes, and the once-shining eyes from which their mother had taken her name were dim and clouded. | How long was Tuft probably gone? | A few hours | ['A month', 'not enough information', 'A year'] |
Life on Mars could become a reality and it could happen in your lifetime.
A welcoming planet
Scientists say Earth's neighbor Mars, a bright red planet about half Earth's size, is the most likely to support human life. Mars even has frozen water on its surface.
Since the late 1990s, NASA has been exploring Mars using remote-controlled vehicles . Most recently Curiosity, a car-size vehicle, traveled through space on an unpiloted spacecraft and landed on Mars in August 2012. Directed by NASA scientists , the vehicles move on the surface, taking pictures , collecting and analyzing soil, and looking for signs of life.
But what about human explorers? Plans are already in the works to send astronauts to Mars as soon as the mid-2030s.
_
But before you start packing your bags, let's consider the challenges. For starters, Mars is far away. Just getting there could take up to 10 months.
Scientists already know that time away from Earth's gravity harms the human body. Bones and muscles get weaker. The body produces less blood. What damage would months and months of living in space do?
And then there is the matter of water, oxygen, food and fuel. Scientists will have to find solutions to these problems, or the first humans on Mars won't survive very long in their new home.
Tiny Dangers
There's another tinier risk. It's so tiny that you can't even see it: germs.
Some scientists believe that our germs could pollute the whole planet of Mars. Potentially killing Martian life before we have the chance to discover it. Worse, there is a small but terrifying chance that any microscopic life already there might be harmful to us .
Worse still, if any of those Martian germs were brought back to Earth, the result could be disastrous. Animals, plants, and people could be wiped out.
Worth the $$$?
A more practical concern is the cost. The price could approach $ 1 trillion . How can we justify spending that much when so many problems--poverty, disease--could use the cash here on Earth? | Which of the following can best fill in the blank in the passage? | Extreme conditions. | ['Living in space.', 'Limited resources.', 'Interesting challenges.'] |
GoDaddy has pulled the plug on another online peddler of violence.
The popular internet registration service last week shut down altright.com, a website created by white nationalist leader Richard Spencer and popular with many in the so-called alt-right movement.
The takedown is the latest example of how companies like GoDaddy are increasingly responding to growing public pressure to clamp down on violent sites in the wake of the deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, last summer.
GoDaddy, which registers domains for more than 75 million websites around the world, said it generally does not delist sites that promote hate, racism and bigotry on the ground that such content is protected as free speech.
But it said altright.com had "crossed the line and encouraged and promoted violence in a direct and threatening manner."
"In instances where a site goes beyond the mere exercise of these freedoms, however, and crosses over to promoting, encouraging or otherwise engaging in specific acts of violence against any person, we will take action," GoDaddy said in a statement emailed to VOA.
The company would not say whether it canceled altright.com's domain registration in response to pressure but it stressed that "we take all complaints about content on websites very seriously, and have a team dedicated to investigate each complaint."
The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a Washington-based civil rights organization, said it filed such a complaint with GoDaddy last month, citing several instances in which altright.com carried content that advocated violence.
In one example, a January 26, 2018, article encouraged "use of live ammunition at the border, in order to create a substantial chance that they [immigrants crossing the border] lose their life in the process," according to the organization's complaint.
Kristen Clarke, the group's president and executive director, said the shutdown of altright.com was part of her organization's campaign to combat a recent "hate crime crisis" in the United States.
"We know that so much hate that we see today originates online," Clarke said. "It originates in dangerous platforms and online hubs that provide a space to people to essentially coordinate violence and incite people to violence." | How powerful is the hate crime crisis online? | not enough information | ['comes and goes', 'not powerful at all', 'very powerful'] |
I was working as a delivery driver last friday when I got lost on a delivery and had to ask someone for directions . I saw what looked like a fairly normal bloke and asked him where the address was . He then attempted to repeat the address I had said in a questioning manner but got it totally wrong . | What may have happened last Friday ? | I spent extra time trying to locate an address . | ['None of the above choices .', "I lost an address and could n't remember it .", 'I talked to someone and returned to his address again .'] |
I mean seriously , this had to be the saddest pb&j sandwich I ' ve ever had the misfortune to buy . I forgot breakfast this morning , so when I hit campus I decided to get something . I decided to get a pb&j sandwich , so I ordered one on multi grain bread . They did n't have multi grain bread , so it was soft roll or nothing . | What do we know about the speaker ? | They are a student . | ['None of the above choices .', 'They loved the sandwich .', 'They prefer soft white bread .'] |
Weight gain is a complex issue. But there is little doubt that the current food environment in Western countries – heavy in highly processed salty, sugary, and fatty food – has a big role to play. Most of the salt eaten in our diet has been added to food in the manufacturing process. This is in contrast to the small amount of salt naturally present in most foods or what is added at the table or at home in cooking. Salt can be a desirable taste, increasing the palatability of foods in addition to helping preserve it; that’s why it is commonly added in processed foods.
Combining salt and fat together is thought to be a potent combination in helping to promote passive over-consumption foods. Just think of how moreish salty chips can be. Having a greater liking for salty and fatty foods is associated with eating more kilojoules overall, uncontrolled eating, and overweight in children. This link between overconsumption of food and its degree of saltiness is considered stronger than having a liking for sweet and fatty foods.
Teasing out further how salt may influence the over-consumption of fatty foods, sensory researchers from Deakin University recruited 48 healthy adults to take part in a tasting panel. Over four lunchtime sessions (following on from a standardised breakfast that morning), each person ate a meal of macaroni and cheese where the fat and salt content had been manipulated. The four meal combinations were low-fat/low-salt, low-fat/high-salt, high-fat/low-salt and high-fat/high-salt. Participants were encouraged to eat as much as they wished until feeling full. Eating rate, meal agreeability, and subjective ratings of hunger and fullness were also taken.
Salt promotes over-eating
Eleven percent more kilojoules were consumed when the meals eaten were high in salt. And this was irrespective of if the fat content was high or low. The fat content of the meal didn’t result in people eating more food by weight, but because of its greater energy density, that meant more kilojoules were eaten. | The writer believes that: | Salt promotes over-eating | ['Salt does not promote over-eating', 'not enough information', 'People should eat more salt'] |
When Kickass Daughter came home for a few days at the end of the summer , I annoyed her deeply by demanding that she go through everything in her room and weed out the nonessentials . Feeling violated ( she hates to throw out things ) and put - upon ( this was her only vacation all summer ! ) she managed to get through it . | What will happen between the father and daughter after the cleaning ? | They will ultimately forgive one another . | ['They will ultimately go their separate ways .', 'None of the above choices .', 'They will ultimately get mad and never forgive one another .'] |
Jason had been sitting alone at his table, staring at the tall, platinum blonde for an hour. His imagination ran wild with thoughts of kissing her full lips while his hands explored her lean, muscled body. Tonight he didn't need the whiskey to warm him up. But he kept drinking it anyway. She stepped away from the mike, sat her acoustic guitar on its stand, and walked down from the small stage. Jason beat all the other losers to the bar and sat down beside her. "You must be pretty thirsty after all that beautiful singing." How many times had she heard that line? But at age 33, she'd probably heard every pickup line known to man. "Yeah," she said, giving him a quick glance. He wasn't a bad looking guy. Probably a couple of inches shorter than her. At six-foot-two, she was accustomed to that. But a lot of men couldn't deal with her height. They liked to be the tall one in the relationship. Not that she'd had many relationships. Mostly one-nighters. Without her saying a word, the bartender sat a glass of ice down in front of her, and poured her a can of Diet Coke. "Thanks, Joe." She took a sip as he walked away. "I'm Jason." "Sondra," she said, looking straight ahead as she took another sip. "I really enjoyed your music--especially that last song. Did you write it yourself?" "Yeah." "Wow. It was sad, but moving. You've got talent." Here we go, she thought. And I suppose you're a talent agent or a record producer, or you've got a friend in the business. And you'd be more than happy to get me a record deal--assuming I'd be willing to go with you right now to some sleazy motel. "I'm sick of this business. In fact, you just heard my last performance. First thing Monday morning I'm going out to find me a real job. One that will pay the bills." | Sondra had known how to play the guitar for probably: | several years | ['not enough information', 'several weeks', 'several hours'] |
We chat with our colleagues all the time when we have lunch, gossip in the tearoom, or leave work together. Sharing your personal life brings you closer to your coworkers and builds trust within your team. But revealing too much about yourself to colleagues, managers or human resources staff can cause difficulties and even endanger your work.
It's important to keep the right balance between getting along with colleagues and maintaining your privacy. "Communication in the office is tricky and complicated. You can neither spread chatter, nor be too silent and shut yourself off from others," said Yang Yudan, deputy HR director at P&G.
According to her, there are several safe topics to talk about with colleagues during the break, such as the weather or movies. Women like to talk about makeup and clothing, while men are fond of sports and online games. But discussing your private life, such as relationship, habits or health conditions, is a potential minefield.
Liang Kun, 26, had to resign from his job at a trading company in Guangzhou last week after discussing his income with colleagues during a lunch break. "I didn't realize it was such a serious issue until a senior member of staff went to find the boss, asking why I got a higher salary than her," said Liang. "Then our HR told me that according to the employee handbook it is forbidden to talk about salary in the office." HR expert Yang also reminds us that paychecks are your own business. It is unwise to share this information with others, no matter how close you are.
To summarize, Yang advises office workers to be more aware of the image they project when talking to colleagues, "When you share your personal life, it will be recorded on your invisible resume and may slow down your career progressing." | Which would be the best title for the text? | At Work, Keep It to Yourself | ['Keep the Right Balance', 'Share Your Personal Life with Others', 'Safe Topics to Talk about'] |
prefix = st1 /Britainis facing a sharp rise in its rat population as growing numbers of people leave fast food scraps in the street , an environment group warned . Keep Britain Tidy said the rodents were stopping their traditional hunts underground and were roaming the streets ,tempted by discarded burgers ,pizzas and crisps. "The rat population is on the rise and soon it'll be as common to see a rodent on our street as it is to see a dog or a cat," said group Director ,Sue Nelson. The practice of dumping fast food litter and scraps on the street rather than in the trash-with young men the worst offenders-was behind the rise. According to the National Rodent Survey in 2005, Britain's rat population has grown by nearly one quarter since 2000 and is now estimated at 60 million , two million more than the human population. On average a rat can give birth every 24--28 days and just a single pair of rats can produce a colony of 2,000 a year. Around 200 people a year get Weil's Disease----an infection which can lead to liver or kidney failure and eventually death and which is arrived in rat's waste. To highlight the issue , Keep Britain Tidy launched a cinema ad entitled "How close do you want them to get?" The advertisement gave a shocking image of a young woman sleeping in a bed of rots, echoing the nightmare scene from James Herbert's classic horror tale The Rats, in which mutant rodents begin to prey on humans. | We may infer from the passage that _ . | rats will endanger human beings' life | ["Well's Disease will finally end the world", 'pizzas and crisps will become poisonous', 'young people are to blame for the rat population'] |
Thus , without a miracle , I have useless computer and some documents that were not salvageable . I am using someone else 's computer to write to you . We only have power about 30 minutes every day . | What may happen after they are done using the computer ? | They give the computer back to whoever they borrowed it from . | ['They break the computer .', 'They pay someone else to use their computer .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
In the early part of the twentieth century, racism was widespread in the United States. Many African Americans were not given equal opportunities in education or employment. Marian Anderson (1897-1993) was an African American woman who gained fame as a concert singer in this climate of racism. She was born in Philadelphia and sang in church choirs during her childhood. When she applied for admission to a local music school in 1917, she was turned down because she was black. Unable to attend music school, she began her career as a singer for church gatherings. In 1929, she went to Europe to study voice and spent several years performing there. Her voice was widely praised throughout Europe. Then she returned to the US in 1935 and became a top concert singer after performing at Town Hall in New York City.
Racism again affected Anderson in 1939. When it was arranged for her to sing at Constitution Hall in Washington, DC, the Daughters of the American Revolution opposed it because of her color. She sang instead at the Lincoln Memorial for over 75 000 people. In 1955, Anderson became the first black soloist to sing win the Metropolitan Opera of New York City. The famous conductor Toscanini praised her voice as "heard only once in a hundred years". She was a US delegate to the United Nations in 1958 and won the UN peace prize in 1977. Anderson eventually triumphed over racism. | Toscanini thought that Marian Anderson_. | had a very rare voice | ['sang occasionally in public', 'sang only once in many years', 'was seldom heard by people'] |
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — Some people in Seoul on Tuesday said they are happy just to see U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un talking to each other rather than trading threats of war.
“I am very happy because it is an epoch breakthrough after 70 years of division,” said Lee Jun-keun, a salesman working for a retail business.
Last year the two leaders traded insults, with Trump calling Kim “rocket man,” and the North Korean leader calling the U.S. president a “dotard,” and they both threatened military action as tension rose over the North’s accelerated weapons testing to develop an operational nuclear armed intercontinental ballistic missile capability.
But after North Korea successfully test-fired missiles it claimed could carry nuclear warheads capable of reaching the United States, Pyongyang pivoted to diplomacy by suspending further provocations and indicating a willingness to engage in denuclearization talks. Trump surprised allies and adversaries alike by immediately agreeing to meet with Kim, long before the specifics of a nuclear deal could be negotiated.
Tuesday’s first meeting between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader produced a broad declaration to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons and develop a peace treaty to end the long standing hostiles between the U.S. and North Korea.
Trump called the agreement “very comprehensive,” but it will be left to negotiators to later resolve differences between Washington’s call for complete and verifiable nuclear dismantlement before any sanctions relief is provided, and Pyongyang’s demand that concessions be linked to incremental progress.
Some in South Korea remain skeptical that the broad commitment reached at the U.S.-North Korean summit in Singapore will lead to North Korea giving up its nuclear weapons program.
“North Korea did not keep its promise in the past, even after signing the agreement. This is what I am disappointed and doubtful about,” said Shim Jae-yeon, a housewife who lives in Seoul.
Others however offered praise for President Trump for keeping the diplomatic momentum moving forward, despite the lack of details in the agreement. | When, according to the text, did North Korea carry out missile test-firing activities that proved successful? | Last year | ['Following the 2007 summit', 'not enough information', 'After the first summit in 2000'] |
From what I have observed , the majority of parents whose children participate in youth sports are positive and supportive . However , it just takes one overzealous parent to steal some of the fun from the kids , coaches and other parents . I have been both a spectator and coach for several of my children 's soccer and baseball teams . | What might happen if an overzealous parent gets involved in the game ? | Their child may become violent from the pressure . | ['The parent may be encouraging to the players .', 'The game might go more smoothly .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
An explosion on Thursday killed one and injured 21 in a busy street in Tongren, Southwest China's Guizhou Province.
The bomb was hidden in a rubbish bin in the city's commercial hub ,where lots of shops and restaurants are concentrated.
The ear-splitting blast was heard around 12:50 p.m.,said a local newspaper, citing witnesses. The power of the blast shattered nearby shop windows and ripped the stainless steel rubbish can to pieces.
One passer-by,identified only as Zhang,said she was shocked by the noise and saw a lot of pedestrians lying on the ground when she got to the scene.
Thirteen of the injured were taken to a local hospital after the explosion. A doctor there said five were in serious condition but already out of danger after emergency treatment. The others were just slightly hurt.
"The cause of the explosion is still unknown", said an officer with the Tongren police, but refused to speculate as to the cause. | Which of the following statements is true according to the passage? | The writer didn't get to the scene. | ['One passer- by, identified only as Zhang, saw the man throwing a bomb into a bin.', 'Some customers in restaurants were injured.', 'All customers in shops got hurt.'] |
I loved the little guy from the day she brought him home. She carried him wrapped in a sweatshirt from the shelter at the corner where she'd been saying for months she was going to go. She set him down on the hardwood floor and he clipped around like a fawn - - clip, clip -- looking through doorways and carefully eyeing us both. He was tiny but he was strong. He was muscular and sleek, like a miniature greyhound, and we both watched intently as he clipped around, soldiering things out and whining under his breath.
Miss Tennessee looked at me and smiled and said: "Well honey? What do you think?" And I told her: "I love the little guy."
He was never really my dog. He was more like my step-dog, but together we named him Steve. We thought it was funny, giving a dog a man's name like that. But it fit, like Miss Tennessee, which I started just to tease her about being full-grown and long- legged and pretty, but in a tomboyish way that made it both absolutely ridiculous and absolutely plausible that she had ever been Miss Anything. It always made her swallow a grin. Steve's name, on the other hand, made it sound like he wasn't a dog at all, but this little man. Miss Tennessee often called him that: the little man.
Steve liked me okay but he loved Miss Tennessee. With me it was man things. After he got snipped or when he was stung by bees, down there, in grass that came up to his chin, he would come sit by me, hoping I'd understand. With her, it was everything else. When she took a bath, he stood with his paws on the side of the tub, and when she went someplace he couldn't go he stood where he last saw her and waited. If she went into a store and left us together in the car, he stood with his paws on the dashboard, waiting and crying and looking at me like maybe I was to blame. | About how many months did Miss Tennessee probably talk about going to the shelter? | Several | ['not enough information', 'over 20', 'over 10'] |
While in college, Tim started to look for easy ways to make money. One of the opportunities he saw was gambling . He started learning about all forms of gambling. He got lucky enough to make $9,000, but sadly it didn't last long and over the next year he lost all of that money. It was at this point that Tim realized that he needed to stop gambling and focus on learning about finance.
One day, he was talking to one of his friends about creating a business, and his friend turned him onto Quick Sprout. So he started reading every blog post on Quick Sprout in the hope that he could learn about how to become a successful businessman and meet some people through Quick Sprout that he could partner up with.
A year ago Tim read a blog post on Quick Sprout about another businessman by the name of Timothy Sykes. Tim visited Timothysykes.com and learned about his Millionaire Challenge program that taught people how to buy and sell penny stocks . Tim thought it would be worth giving a try.
Tim spent the next few months learning from Timothy Sykes on how to trade stocks. After he felt that he had learned enough, he wanted to start trading. Within the first 6 months of using what he learned in the Millionaire Challenge program, he made over $40,000. At one point he even made $11,000 in 15 minutes.
Over the next 12 months Tim is on track to make even more money. So far things are looking good and he is already ahead of schedule. The Millionaire Challenge program has worked out so well for him and he is now starting to enjoy the finer things of life. | Tim decided to learn about finance when _ . | he lost all the money he got from gambling | ['he first entered the college', 'he was lucky enough to earn $9,000', 'he learned about all forms of gambling'] |
I was a waitress at the New England regional chain Newport Creamery for seven years in Jr. High, High School, and College. In college, I needed money for school supplies, so in addition to slinging ice cream cones and “Awful Awfuls” at the Creamery, I picked up a few more jobs: working the dinner shift at a family restaurant, heaving trays of cocktails at a bar until 3AM, and cleaning houses. Needless to say, I was a wreck, and a big time abuser of coffee and cigarettes.
One day just before my shift at the Creamery began, I slung back a huge coffee and hauled on a Newport cigarette in the kitchen (this was when you could do things like smoke in a restaurant kitchen.) I then went out to the dining floor and approached my first table, who had been given menus and was waiting for me to take their order.
“Hi, How are you today?”, I cheerfully asked the mother and her three daughters, all looking under 12. “What may I get you?…..” Then, fade to black as a huge swooshing sound took over my head.
Next thing I know, I’m on the floor, covered in blood, the girls are screaming blue murder, and my manager is shaking like a leaf as he coddles me. Apparently, I passed out right onto the table of the nice family I was waiting on, then fell back and whacked my head on the corner of a wall. I remember noticing that my kelly green polyester dress was an awful shade of bloodied brown. My main concern was that I had a hot date that night, and now I had to go to the emergency room!
The ER doctor was able to sew my head up, and sent me home with a diagnosis of “syncope, unknown origin”. After a few hours, I still felt spacey, but insisted on going on the date. I remember we went to a nice Italian place on Federal Hill!
Here’s the Garden City location, where I worked. | The manager probably believes that: | Something is wrong with the waitress. | ['not enough information', 'The waitress needs a raise.', 'The restaurant should be closed down.'] |
According to its label , a pint of Haagen-Dazs ice cream contains four servings . But when was the last time you measured out a fourth of a container of Cookies & Cream, then put the rest away for another day?
For many people, the reality is that much of a pint can easily disappear in one sitting. A large package of Cool Ranch Doritos lists a single serving as roughly 12 chips, but it's hard to imagine keeping count of every last chip as you dig into a bag.
Canned soup may be one of the more obvious examples. According to its label, a single serving of Campbell's Chunky Classic Chicken Noodle soup is one cup--just under half a can-- and contains about 790 milligrams of sodium . But in a national survey of 1,000 consumers, only 10 percent of people said they would eat a one-cup portion. Most, about 64 percent, said they would eat an entire can at one time, taking in 1,840 milligrams of sodium in a sitting. That is roughly 80 percent of the 2,300 milligrams recommended as the upper limit for daily salt intake.
In the face of increasing criticism, the Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A.) has been under pressure for years to force food makers to include more realistic serving-size information on their labels. The agency regulates the serving sizes that can be listed on packages by providing food makers with detailed instructions to follow, which list the amounts of a specific food that a person would "customarily consume" in a typical sitting. But critics say these so-called reference amounts are often laughably small because they're based in part on surveys of eating behavior that were carried out in the 1970s, when Americans ate less food and portions had not been supersized.
Now, in an effort to emphasize the problems with some labels, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group, has picked out what it says are some of the worst offenders. At the top of its list are labels for canned soups, ice cream, coffee creamers and nonstick cooking sprays--all of which grossly understate the calories, sodium and saturated fat the average person typically consumes when eating these foods.
The F.D.A. has been in the process of revising existing food labels since 2005. But the agency has been somewhat tight-lipped about where it is in the process and any changes it plans to make, like whether labels should include details on added sugars or just total sugar, for example, and whether calories should be emphasized less or more than they are now.
This fall, the Institute of Medicine is expected to release its own report on food packaging and labeling as well. | The writer tries to convince us that _ . | food makers show little consideration for consumers | ['food consumers are to blame for eating so carelessly', 'most labels on food packages give false information', 'the amount of food in one package is often too large'] |
i was " that girl . " i did n't care , it felt so awful i could have cared less about what people thought of me throwing up . they would n't let me on the plane . | Why may the narrator have a stain on her shirt ? | The narrator was vomiting . | ['The narrator was eating .', 'The narrator was cooking .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
At a few minutes to 8 I was just about to call her when another patient in the waiting room asked what time it was . She was like man , I had an appointment at 7:30 I wonder where she is . Being that late at night , there are not THAT many people in for appointments , and especially none that are waiting for any length of time , so I asked who she was there to see . Yep , same one as me . | What will happen with the narrator in the waiting room ? | They will have to wait longer . | ["There is no one else there to see their doctor so they 'll go in .", 'None of the above choices .', "The narrator and other patient will go into the doctor 's office together ."] |
Enter an inability to focus on anything 18 inches from my face . I had to take a half day off work and rest my eyes . The camera is surprisingly good for what it is : August lilies ( fragrant and tall ) in Simpson Park , Alexandria , VA Now it 's autumn and the colchicum are in bloom : Colchicum in Simpson Park , Alexandria , VA In my walk down in the park this evening ( after dark , so no pictures ) , I discovered a tree with mysterious fruit . | What does the person like to take pictures of ? | Flowers and trees . | ['Things in the dark .', 'The park .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
Death rates for heart disease in Britain have dropped by more than 40 percent in a decade,UK scientists will report today.
Wide uptake of cholesterol--busting statin drugs ,healthier lifestyles and better medical practices have seen a huge reduction in deaths caused by heart attacks,stroke and other cardiovascular problems.
However,heart disease remains Britain's biggest killer.
The new study,by experts at Oxford University,shows there has been a 44.4 percent drop in death rates among men in the UK and a 43.6 percent drop among women linked to heart problems in the ten years to 2011.
The team compared death rate associated with cardiovascular disease across Europe.They found that Britain has one of the best records in Europe,with 342 deaths as a result of heart disease per 100,000 men in 2011,and 232 per 100,000 women.
Some nations-including Ukraine,Macedonia and Moldova--see more than 1,000 heart deaths per 100,000 of the population.
Overall,heart disease causes 45 percent of all deaths across Europe,but only 27 percent in the UK.The study,led by Dr Nick Townsend,showed that cardiovascular disease is mainly a disease of old age.
But researchers said that across Europe _ still causes more than 1.4million deaths in those aged under 75 and nearly 700,000 deaths in under 65s.Dr Townsend said:'Cardiovascular disease results in 49 percent of deaths among women and 41 per cent among men.' | From the text we can know _ . | the heart death rate in Ukraine is higher than in Britain | ['heart disease no longer threatens the British', 'the heart death rate among British men is lower than among women', 'the old mainly dies of stroke in Europe'] |
Cheyne worked quickly , his hands doing the work they 'd done so many times before , spreading the still - steaming entrails out before him and reading their messages . They had much to say . Cheyne 's face grew ashen , a coldness rising within him as he took the message in . The bloody mass before him spoke of nothing less than legend . | What is Cheyne 's most likely occupation ? | Warrior | ['Boxer', 'Slave', 'None of the above choices .'] |
Someday a stranger will read your e-mail without your permission or scan the website you've visited or perhaps someone will casually glance through your credit card purchases or cell phone bills to find out your shopping calling habits
In fact, it's likely that some of these things have already happened to you. Who would watch you without your permission? It might be a spouse, a girlfriend, a marketing company, a boss, a cop or a criminal. Whoever it is, they will see you in a way you never intended to be seen.
Psychologists tell us boundaries are healthy, that it's important to reveal yourself partly to friends, family and lovers at appropriate times. But few boundaries remain. The digital bread crumbs you leave everywhere make it easy for strangers to know who you are, where you are and what you like. In some cases, a simple Google search can reveal what you think. Like it or not, increasingly we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret.
The key question is: Does that matter?
For many Americans, the answer apparently is "no".
When opinion polls ask Americans about privacy, most say they are concerned about losing it. 60 percent of respondents say they feel their privacy is "slipping away, and that bothers me".
But people say one thing and do another. Only a small number of Americans change any behavior in an effort to preserve their privacy. Few people turn down a discount at tollbooths to avoid using the EZ-Pass system that can track automobile movements. Privacy economist Acquisti has run a series of tests that reveal people will give up personal information like social security numbers just to get their hands on a 50-cents-off coupon. But privacy does matter-at least sometimes. It's like health: when you have it, you don't notice it. Only when it's gone do you wish you'd done more to protect it. | What would be the best title for the passage? | Treasure your privacy. | ['Value your health.', 'Boundaries are important between friends.', 'The information age has its own shortcomings.'] |
Editor's notes: AWL is well known for its dictionaries and English language teaching materials. Some readers have written in to ask us for the latest information on high quality books on English, so here we introduce two texts that aim to improve spoken English fluency.
Let's speak (Beginner)
By Bev Dusuya, Naoko Ozeki and Kevin Bergman
ISBN: 962001359X
Speak Up(Pre-Intermediate)
By Bev Kusuya, Nako Zeki
ISBN: 0583338050
"Teach the students about your culture and help them talk about their own." How often are these worthy goals kept from being achieved by the limitations of your beginner level learners? Students at all levels want to talk about culture.
Topics include food, shopping, sports, fashion, the roles of men and women, health, music, and many more.
These are all chosen from surveys of over 15,000 students about their own interests in cross-cultural communication.
"Let's Speak" and "Speak Up" share a special but excellent way that allows all students to take part in.
The series has questions which start thinking and then help collect opinions about personal topics. Conversation practice is provided by ready to use models of basic exchanges on the topic. Also, the cultural information presented in the series comes in the form of interesting, relevant facts and ideas from other countries through listening tasks and Culture Quiz exercises.
Team activities in books provide lively problem solving games to enable sharing and comparison of cultural values.
"Let's Speak" is fit for entry level students of all ages. "Speak Up" provides for the needs of higher level beginners, offering the same careful listening and speaking help, but with slightly more open ended discussion.
For any information about AWL's books, please get in touch with the following addresses:
prefix = st1 /Beijing AddisonWesleyLongmanInformationCenter
Room 2306, FLTRP Beijing
19 Xi San Huan Beilu, Beijing100081
Tel: (010)68917488 (010) 68917788
Fax: (010) 68917499
E-mail: [email protected] | The passage above is probably taken from the_section in a newspaper. | BOOKSHELF | ['EDUCATION', 'NEWS', 'ENTERTAINMENT'] |
My point in mentioning the above is not to highlight tensions between two states - the United States and Iran - but to note that there is considerable consensus in the political community about the wisdom and value of maintaining channels of communication among groups with highly divergent views , differences of principles and severe tensions . Religions for Peace knows from experience that in the search for peace we are very often called to relate with those with whom we disagree on highly important issues . Religions for Peace came to this position shortly after its birth . | Why does Religions for Peace hold this position ? | It has learned from experience | ['The president of the organization decreed it', 'None of the above choices .', 'They received a message from God'] |
This course is for those who want to learn to type , as well as those who want to improve their typing . The course is not common . You are tested in the first class and begin practicing at one of the eight different skill levels . This allows you to learn at your own speed. Each program lasts 20 hours . Bring your own paper .
Course fee : $ 125 Materials : $ 25
Two hours each evening for two weeks . New classes begin every two weeks .
This course is taught by a number of qualified business education teachers who have successfully taught typing courses before .
UNDERSTANDING COMPUTERS
This twelve-hour course is for people who do not know very much about computers, but who need to learn about them . You will learn what computers are , what they can and can't do and how to use them .
Course fee : $ 75 Equipment fee : $ 10
Jan. 4 , 7, 11 , 14 , 18 Wed. and Sat. 9 ~ 11:30 a.m.
The teacher , Joseph Saunders is a professor of Computer Science at New Urban University . He has over twenty years of experience in the computer field .
STOP SMOKING
Do you want to stop smoking ? Have you already tried to stop and failed ? Now is the time to stop smoking using the latest methods . You can stop smoking , and this twelve-hour course will help you do it .
Course fee : $ 30
Jan. 2 , 9 , 16 , 23 Mon. 2 p.m. ~ 5 p.m. ks#5@u
Dr. John Good is a practicing psychologist who had helped hundreds of people stop smoking . | If you want to learn computer and at the same time you want to improve your typing , you will pay _ . | $ 235 | ['$ 85', '$ 115', '$ 150'] |
I am one of those people who are terrible at saying no. I take on too many projects at once, and spend too much of my time doing things I'd rather not be doing. I get stuff done, but it's not always the best I can do, or the best way I could spend my time.
That's why my newest goal, both as a professional and a person, is to be a quitter.
Being a quitter isn't being someone who gives up, who doesn't see important things through to the end. I desire to be the opposite of that. The quitter I want to be is someone who gets out when there's no value in what he's doing, or when that value comes at the expense of something more important.
We get involved in something, realize we don't want to be a part of it, but keep on going. We say "Well, I've already invested so much time in this, I might as well stick it out." A friend of mine once told me, "I knew I was an adult when I could stop reading a book, even after getting 500 pages into it." Odd though it sounds, we all tend to do this.
I propose the opposite: quit as often as possible, regardless of project status or time invested. If you're reading a book, and don't like it, stop reading. Cut your losses, realize that the smartest thing to do is stop before your losses grow even more, and quit. Instead of reading an entire book you hate, read half of a bad one and half of a good one. Isn't that a better use of your time?
Step back for a second. Let's learn how to say "no" at the beginning, or in the middle, and free up more of our time to do the things we'd like to be doing, and the things actually worth doing.
Saying no is hard, and admitting a mistaken yes is even harder. But if we do both, we'll start to make sure that we're spending our time creating value, rather than increasing our losses. Let's be quitters together. | The author wants to be a quitter, because he/she _ . | expects to make more efficient use of his/her time | ['wishes to have more time for relaxation', 'hopes to improve his/her personality', 'has found it hard to do several things at one time'] |
Large wall posters for kids. Your kids will love these cool posters by artist Darla Daly--zebras boarding in the skateboard park, a group of jungle animals playing in the playground and two giraffes taking a drive in the city. Your kids will enjoy decorating their bedroom walls with these posters and their friends will think they are the coolest!
Displaying 1 to 4 (of 4 products) | Which of the following is true according to the passage? | Kids can get some geography knowledge on Kids World Map. | ['Kids can just learn some English letters on Alphabet Wall Art.', 'City Slickers posters can be bought at 2:00 p.m. every day in a week.', 'Kids can find two cool giraffes on Skateboard Park.'] |
Ask anybody out there, what is the most important thing in his life - Fame, Fortune and Money, and there is a chance that he is going to say, money, because with that, fame and fortune comes quite easily. On the other hand, if you add "family" to these three choices given above, there is a chance that 99% of the people are going to put their family first, especially if they happen to be ladies!
The main reason is because nature has created a woman to be the cherisher and the nurturer of the family, while the man is the hunter and protector of his little family. That is the natural rule which has come down through thousands of years. Even if a person happens to be a comparatively worldly-wise person and has no idea of taking on the responsibility of a family, he has a picture of a tight little _ in his subconscious .
They tell a story about a successful millionaire businessman who died and the whole city came to pay its respects. One of his business competitors, met the son and said, "We are really going to miss your father. You see, I knew your father well." And the son replied, "You happen to be really lucky there, because I never did." So, you might be an extremely successful person in your own right upon Wall Street, but if your little child fails to come running out to welcome his daddy at the end of the day to be swung up in his father's arms and held there lovingly and protectively, you come in the "nothing" category in the business of life.
Many people are under the impression that taking on the responsibility of the family is quite tiresome, but they do not know what it takes to be a parent. It is very easy to be a biological father or a biological mother, but the real mother and the real father is that person who stays awake all night when the baby is teething, teaches him right from wrong, is there to hold him when he takes his first steps, and in every way shows that he is there to cherish and protect the little one from harm.
There was a man who did not believe in family, because of an unhappy childhood. But he found a faithful woman to love him unconditionally. The moment he picked up his little baby, he said, "Well son, welcome to the world! I am here to teach you what your mama has taught me, and we shall both protect you, when you need our help. I will teach you to be a good, just and fair man." | What might be the title for the passage? | What More Could a Family Be About | ['How Should We Parent a Child', 'How to Take on Your Responsibility', "What Contributes to One's Success"] |
Yes; I have a rare form of cluster/ice pick headaches that can affect any part of my body. It’s quite uncommon, but essentially I can get an excruciating migraine in my arm, leg, etc., on top of getting them in my head/temples.
For years my family and I had no idea what was happening, and with no vocabulary to properly explain what was happening, I described it for about fifteen years as “beeping.” Doctors told us it was anything from growth spurts to a grab for attention, and for a while I gave up trying to figure out what they were.
When they got worse and I couldn’t ignore them anymore, I was finally sent to a neurologist, who diagnosed me with ice pick headaches. I let out a sigh of relief that I didn’t even know I was holding in; I felt like I could finally breathe. Years of stress and confusion washed off of me, and I started taking a beta blocker to prevent them.
I’ve been on them for a few years now, and it’s changed my life for the better. I used to be terrified of learning to drive, for many reasons, but a large one being that if I got an ice pick headache on the road, I couldn’t guarantee the safety of those around me if I was at the wheel. Now I’m considering finally getting my license (considering - I still don’t like being behind the wheel), I don’t double over in white hot pain randomly anymore, and when I do get a cluster headache, I can still function. It almost sounds a little silly, but really, they were crippling, and being able to work through them on my own? It’s the greatest gift I’ve given to myself.
You know yourself better than anyone, even if you feel like you don’t know yourself. If something feels wrong, don’t just live with it - keep pushing for a correct diagnosis! | What did the author begin doing after the diagnosis of ice pick headaches? | The author began taking a beta blocker. | ['The author began describing the headaches as "beeping"', 'The author began experiencing worsening of the headaches.', 'not enough information'] |
A trip to Japan , P2P networks , and fansubs changed my anime life forever . There were a few years during school that I did n't really keep up with anime , but my interest has returned with a vengeance since coming back to America . I did n't even watch that much anime in Japan , so it 's sort of hard to understand . I had seen Cowboy Bebop and a few other series before heading to Japan , but it was when I got home that I started to loose interest in other TV completely . | What type of culture does the narrator seem interested in ? | They are interested in Japanese culture . | ['They are interested in American cartoon culture .', 'They are interested in American culture .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
Dear Malia and Sasha,
I know that you've both had a lot of fun these last two years on the campaign trail , going to picnics and parades and state fairs, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn't have let you have. But I also know that it hasn't always been easy for you and Mom, and that though you both are excited about that new puppy , it doesn't make up for all the time we've been apart. I know how much I've missed these past two years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family on this journey.
When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me--about how I'd make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with all your smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn't seem so important anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn't be so important unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours. In the end, girls, that's why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation.
I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their potential --schools that challenge them, inspire them, and teach them a sense of wonder about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to college--even if their parents aren't rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own kids and retire with dignity .
I want us to push the boundaries of discovery so that you'll live to see new technologies and inventions that improve our lives and make our planet cleaner and safer. And I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach beyond the divides of race and gender that keep us from seeing the best in each other.
(An extract from Obama letter to his daughters) | How can a student get highly developed at school in the opinion of Obama? | The more he or she get challenged and encouraged, the better he or she gets developed. | ['He or she does as many exercises as possible all day long.', 'He or she works twice harder and always wonder if he or she gets challenged.', 'The greater the sense of wonder is, the worse he or she gets developed.'] |
Justin's bedroom was so full of flat bicycle tires, bent tennis rackets, deflated basketballs, and games with missing pieces that you could barely get in the door. His parents _ him to clean out his room.
"What use is a fish tank with a hole in the bottom?" his father asked. But Justin simply smiled and repeated his motto, "Never throw anything out, you never know when it might come in handy."
When Justin was away from home, he always carried his blue backpack--a smaller version of his bedroom--a place to store the many objects that he collected. It was so worn and stretched that it hardly resembled a backpack anymore.
Justin had earned a reputation for figuring things out and getting people out of otherwise hopeless situations. Many of his classmates and neighbors sought him out when they needed help with a problem. On the first day of school, his friend Kenny, came looking for Justin.
"Do you think you have something in your bag that could help me remember my locker combination?" he asked. "I lost the piece of paper it was written on. I have a science class in two minutes and if I'm late on the first day it'll make me look bad for the rest of the year." Kenny looked really worried.
"Relax," Justin said, taking his backpack off and unzipping the top. "Remember how you borrowed my notebook in homeroom to write the combination down? Well, I know how we can recover what you wrote."
He took the notebook and a soft lead pencil out of his bag. The page that Kenny had written on had left faint marks on another page in the notebook. Justin held the pencil on its side and rubbed it lightly over the marks. Slowly but surely the numbers of the locker combination appeared in white, set off by the gray pencil rubbings.
"That's amazing!" Kenny said. "I owe you one." And he dashed off to open his locker.
It was just another day in the life of the boy whose motto was "Never throw anything out, you never know when it might come in handy." | Why is Justin's room such a mess? WWW.K**S*858$$U.COM | He never throws anything away. | ['He always forgets to clean it.', 'He shares the room with his brother.', 'He has no time to clean it.'] |
When I was in junior high school, I was really a bad boy. My history teacher--Mr. Oven criticized me a lot because I was naughty in his class. By the end of the first semester, I'd had enough of his words and had decided that I would get my revenge on him.
The opportunity arose one morning when Mr. Oven was called to the office for a certain reason. While Mr. Oven left, my company Billy and I grabbed Mr. Oven's lunch bag from under his desk. I opened his sandwich and placed a bug in between the two slices of bread. We put it back and closed it. To keep it in memory, Billy took photos of the whole process. We laughed for weeks over this.
_ Billy's mother found the pictures in his room, and demanded that he should tell her where these pictures were from. Billy told his mother the whole story, and Mr. Oven was informed. Not only was I punished from school for two weeks, but also I was kicked off the football and basketball team. Before I could return to school, I had to turn in a 1000-word essay on what I did and why I did that. I really felt embarrassed every time I saw Mr. Oven in the hallway for the rest of the school year. I felt a little regret that Mr. Oven left our school the next year. | How can you imagine Mr. Oven when he had his lunch? | He would be very angry when he found the bug in his sandwich. | ['He would be glad to eat his delicious sandwich with the bug.', 'He would eat it as usual when he had his sandwich.', 'He would cry because he was afraid of the bug in his sandwich.'] |
"Racism is a grown-up disease," declares the saying on Ruby Bridge's website along with a photo of Mrs. Bridge today, a 6-year-old girl four decades ago. In the photo, she is walking up the steps of the William Frantz Public School in New Orleans, a little black girl accompanied by two officers who protect her on her way to school.
Her name then was Ruby Nell. It was Nov. 14, 1960. She was the first black child to enroll at this all-white elementary school according to the court order to desegregate in New Orleans schools. Her story is moving -- she was a very courageous child -- and remains a significant proof against intolerance of all kinds. Ruby's photo brings out another powerful image on her website: Norman Rockwells symbolic painting for Look magazine on Jan. 14, 1964, "The Problem We All Live With."
Rockwell was an illustrator of exceptional skill and charm. He produced a vast number of unforgettable images over a long career, many of them involving children. His American kids are innocent and appealing, but often, at the same time, decidedly naughty. His method was to photograph his models, and the resulting paintings were photographic. But it is revealing to see how the artist slightly changed facial expressions from photo to oil painting in order to make his paintings communicate with the viewer. Communication, even persuasion, lay at the back of his work; this was art for effect.
"The Problem We All Live With" belongs to Rockwell's later work, when he began openly showing his strong belief in liberty. This is a highly persuasive image. Before he arrived at the final copy, one sketch shows the little girl closer to the two officers following her than to those in front. In the finished picture, the girl seems more determined, independent, and untouched. The unfriendly tomatoes thrown on the wall are behind her now, and she, is completely unaffected. | According to the passage, "The Problem We All Live With" is a(n) _ . | famous painting by Norman Rockwell | ['social program for American children', "photo displayed on Ruby Bridges' website", 'exhibition at the Norman Rockwell Museum'] |
The first time it happened , it blew a hose and the garage replaced the water pump . The second time it happened , it just overheated and blew a hose again . All this time it has also been unable to release the pressure from the system . | What item kept having issues with overheating ? | The vehicle kept having issues with getting too hot . | ['The furnace kept having issues with getting too hot .', 'None of the above choices .', 'The stove kept having issues with getting too hot .'] |
Sharks have lived in the oceans for over 450 million years, long before dinosaurs appeared. There are now about 360 species of sharks, whose size, behavior, and other characteristics differ widely.
Every year, we catch and kill over 100 million sharks, mostly for food and for their fins. Dried shark fins are used to make shark fin soup, which sells for as much as $50 a bowl in fine Hong Kong restaurants. Other sharks are killed for sport and out of fear. Sharks are vulnerable to overfishing because it takes most species 10 to 15 years to begin reproducing and they produce only a few offspring .
Influenced by movies and popular novels, most people see sharks as people-eating monsters. This is far from the truth. Every year, a few types of shark injure about 100 people worldwide and kill about 25. Most attacks are by great white sharks, which often feed on sea lions and other marine mammals. They sometimes mistake human swimmers for their normal prey, especially if they are wearing black wet suits.
If you are a typical ocean-goer, your chances of being killed by an unprovoked attack by a shark are about 1 in 100 million. You are more likely to be killed by a pig than a shark and thousands of times more likely to get killed when you drive a car.
Sharks help save human lives. In addition to providing people with food, they are helping us learn how to fight cancer, bacteria, and viruses. Sharks are very healthy and have aging processes similar to ours. Their highly effective immune system allows wounds to heal quickly without becoming infected, and their blood is being studied in connection with AIDS research.
Sharks are among the few animals in the world that almost never get cancer and eye cataracts . Understanding why can help us improve human health. Chemicals taken from shark cartilage have killed cancerous tumors in laboratory animals, research that someday could help _ your life.
Sharks are needed in the world's ocean ecosystems. Although they don't need us, we need them. We are much more dangerous to sharks than they are to us. For every shark that bites a person, we kill one million sharks. | Which of the following is NOT a reason why people kill sharks? | People kill sharks because they often attack swimmers. | ['People kill sharks for food.', 'People kill sharks for sport.', 'People kill sharks out of fear.'] |
From Mr. Ward Hoffman.
Sir, I was halfway through Professor Raj Persaud's article "What's the tipping point?"
(Financial Times Weekend, April 9-l0) when it occurred to me that what I was reading was not ironic . If Prof Persaud wants to know why Americans tip in restaurants, he need only ask the first American he meets inprefix = st1 /London.
Americans tip in restaurants for one reason, and one reason only: we tip to supplement the salary of restaurant workers. Quality of service does not enter into it, beyond the fact that one may tip a bit less for poor service, or a little more for good service.
Not tipping at all in a non-fast-food restaurant is not a choice. In the US, one used to tip about 15 per cent for dining in a family-style restaurant or in an up-market restaurant. Here, in San FranciscoBayarea restaurants, we are encouraged to tip 20 per cent or more, to help restart workers live in this very expensive area.
After eating at an Italian restart in my city, I left a tip of 20 per cent on the non-tax part of our dinner bill. It was expected. There is nothing more complicated than that about Americastipping in restaurants.
Ward Hoffman,
Palo Alto, CA94306,US
* * *
From Mr. Philip McBride Johnson.
Sir, I agree with most of Raj Persaud's opinion about the doubtful value of tipping, but with one exception. Tips can be very useful when one is a repeat customer or diner.
It is only when the tipper is a stranger and likely to remain so that the system does not work to his or her advantage. But frequent a hotel or a restaurant, always tip a bit more, and the difference in service and treatment will be easily felt.
Phfiip McBnde Johnson,
Great Falls, VA22066,US | Johnson's letter shows _ . | repeat dinners may get good service if they tip a bit more | ['a stranger in a restaurant is likely to tip a bit more', 'diners receive better service if they frequent a restaurant', 'the tipping system works to the advantage of new customers'] |
A funny thing happened on the way to the communications revolution: we stopped talking to one another.
I was walking in the park with a friend recently, and his cell phone rang, interrupting our conversation. There we were walking and talking on a beautiful sunny day and... I became invisible, absent from the conversation. The telephone used to connect you to the absent. Now it makes people sitting next to you feel absent. Why is it that the more connected we get, the more disconnected I feel? Every advance in communications technology is a tragedy to the closeness of human interaction . With email and instant messaging over the internet, we can now communicate without seeing or talking to one another. With voice mail, you can conduct entire conversations without ever reaching anyone. If my mom has a question, I just leave the answer on her machine.
As almost every contact we can imagine between human beings gets automated , the alienation index goes up. You can't even call a person to get the phone number of another person any more. Directory assistance is almost always fully automated.
I am not against modern technology. I own a cell phone, an ATM card, a voice mail system, and an email account. Giving them up isn't wise... they're a great help to us. It's some of their possible consequences that make me feel uneasy.
More and more. I find myself hiding behind email to do a job meant for conversation. Or being relieved that voice mail picked up because I didn't really have time to talk. The industry devoted to helping me keep in touch is making me lonelier ...or at least facilitating my antisocial instincts.
So I've put myself on technology restriction: no instant messaging with people who live near me, no cell phoning in the presence of friends, no letting the voice mail pick up when I'm at home. | The passage implies that _ . | modern technology is separating the people | ['modern technology is bridging the people', 'modern technology is developing too fast', 'modern technology is interrupting our communication'] |
Mark Twain, the famous American writer and a great master of humor, liked to play jokes on others. But once a joke was played on him. One day Mark Twain was invited to give a talk in a small town. At lunch he met a young man, one of his friends.
The young man said that he had an uncle with him. He told Mark Twain that his uncle never laughed or smiled, and that nobody and nothing was able to make his uncle smile or laugh.
"You bring your uncle to my talk this evening," said Mark Twain. "I'm sure I can make him laugh."
That evening the young man and his uncle sat in the front. Mark Twain began to speak. He told several funny stories and made everyone in the room laugh. But the man never even smiled. Mark Twain told more funny stories, but the old man still kept quiet. Mark Twain continued to tell his funny stories. Finally he stopped. He was tired and quite disappointed.
Some days later, Mark Twain told another friend what had happened." Oh," said his friend, "I know that man. He's been deaf for years." | One day Mark Twain met _ at lunch. | a friend | ['his brother', 'his teacher', 'a young girl'] |
Bluebirds looking secretly from nest boxes. Tadpoles swimming in a pond. Tiger swallowtails flying quickly around a butterfly bush. And over here, a class of students watching it all. A field trip to a nature center? No, it's a schoolyard. With some work on your part, it could even be your schoolyard.
Interested in building a schoolyard habitat? Here's how to get started.
Gather a Team
Students can do a lot on their own, but you'll need adults for a project this big. Get teachers, parents, and even the headmaster interested. Don't forget the maintenance staff--they know more about your school's yard than anyone else and can give you lots of help. Also, ask around your neighborhood for gardeners, naturalists, and others willing to give advice.
Map Your Site
Which part of the schoolyard can you turn into a habitat? Is there an unused corner of the playground? Part of a lawn or field you could let go wild? You'll need to make a map of the area showing what's there now. Then you can figure out how you want to change it. For that, you need a plan.
Plan a Habitat
Here's what you'll need to make your area attractive to wildlife.
Food: Plant flowers, bushes, and trees. These provide seeds, berries, leaves, flowers, and sweet liquids. And all of these feed birds, and insects. You can also add some feeders for squirrels and birds. Where possible, stick with native plants--wild plants that grow naturally in your area. They need less care, which means less work for you.
Water: A small pond, birdbath, or even a shallow dish of clean water in the ground will attract birds. Other small animals like insects may visit as well.
Shelter: Bushes and trees make great escapes for birds. Tall grass and "weeds" are home to grasshoppers, garter snakes, and some ground-nesting birds. You can also add stone piles and brush piles.
Places to Raise Young: Butterflies need special plants to lay their eggs on. Frogs and toads lay eggs only in shallow water. Many birds use birdhouses; others nest in trees and bushes. In fact, nearly all your shelters may become homes for wild young.
Put It on Paper
Using the map you made of your area, draw in the changes you want to make. Mark where the plants, nest boxes, and other items will go. Remember, this is a long-term plan--you don't have to do everything this spring. Maybe you could put up a few birdhouses and plant some butterfly bushes now and save the trees and bushes for next year. Even a small start is a big step for wildlife.
Reach for Resources
To make the habitat happen, you'll need lots of plants, seeds, and other supplies. You'll also need to buy or borrow tools and maybe even some heavy equipment. Now's the time to reach out for donations. Start by asking your parent-teacher organization. Then go to garden clubs, garden stores (they might give you a discount), local government agencies, and businesses. If they can't donate supplies or money, ask if they can donate workers!
The workers can help build the habitat. You'll also need people to help maintain it. Some schools ask their students' families to take turns during the summer. Each family maintains the habitat for a couple of weeks.
Build Your Design
Now you can dig in. Set a date, and get growing! | How has the author organized the article? | By giving step-by-step instructions. | ['By listing both sides of an argument.', 'By telling a story, from beginning to end.', 'By listing facts, from most to least important.'] |
We live our lives online, so naturally, online dating is becoming our primary source of meeting others. I have been on most dating sites and some are good, some not so much. Tinder remains on the top five dating sites out there, so I’m sharing my personal experience.
THE TRUTH ABOUT TINDER
Did you like me on Tinder? If you are a man in my geographical area, odds are you did. The first week I joined I received over 400 likes and nothing speaks desperation like that, does it? If I want to hook up and leave, there’s no better place to go.
If you’re going to Tinder looking for a real connection, then sorry — you’ve lost your damn mind. Tinder was created with the hit and quit it hookup in mind and trust me no matter what he puts in his profile, that’s what he’s looking for. Crap, that’s what I was looking for let’s be honest. Here are some universal truths about Tinder and most online dating sites.
If the picture looks too good to be true, it probably is.
People lie.
A large majority are going to be married pretending to be single.
They have a handful of others on the hook while they’re talking to you.
The usual way it goes on Tinder is you like someone’s picture and if they like you back, you’re a match. Then you can message each other and often you will get one or two messages and that’s it unless you come out strong on the sexting and I guarantee you get your man. Tinder is oozing with low attention spans. I can pretty much guarantee he is going to ask for pictures, and not of your face. | How does the author feel about married men pretending to be single on Tinder? | They are liars and scum | ['They are honest', 'not enough information', 'They are looking for a real connection'] |
Shana was driving . She kept getting confused on the turn signals , she was doing it all backwards . And then we stopped because she had to pee and there was a picnic table on the side of the highway and Cliff and LJ and some others were there . | What could happen when Shana is driving ? | Shana might get pulled over for not properly using her turn signals . | ['Shana could keep getting her turn signals backwards and leave you on the side of the highway .', 'Shana may get confused and then have to stop and pee on the side of the highway .', "Shana might see other people at a picnic table that you do n't know ."] |
Short and shy, Ben Saunders was the last kid in his class picked for any sports team. "Football, tennis,cricket -- anything with a round ball, I was useless." he says now with a laugh. But back then he was the object of jokes in school gym classes in England's rural Devonshire.
It was a mountain bike he received for his 15th birthday that changed him. At first the teen went biking alone in a nearby forest. Then he began to cycle along with a runner friend. Gradually, Saunders set his mind building up his body, increasing his speed, strength and endurance. At age 18, he ran his first marathon.
The following year, he met John Ridgway, who became famous in the 1960s for rowing an open boat across the Atlantic Ocean. Saunders was hired as an instructor at Ridgway's school of Adventure in Scotland, where he learned about the older man's cold-water exploits . _ , Saunders read all he could about Arctic explorers and North Pole expeditions, then decided that this would be his future.
Journeys to the Pole aren't the usual holidays for British country boys, and many people dismissed his dream as fantasy. "John Ridgway was one of the few who didn't say, 'You are completely crazy,'" Saunders says.
In 2001, after becoming a skilled skier, Saunders started his first long-distance expedition toward the North Pole. He suffered frostbite, had a closer encounter with a polar bear and pushed his body to the limit.
Saunders has since become the youngest person to ski alone to the North Pole, and he's skied more of the Arctic by himself than any other Briton. His old playmates would not believe the transformation.
This October, Saunders, 27, heads south to explore from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole and back, an 1800-mile journey that has never been completed on skis. | It can be inferred that Saunders' journey to the North Pole _ . | set a record in the North Pole expedition | ['was accompanied by his old playmates', 'was supported by other Arctic explorers', 'made him well-known in the 1960s'] |
Zoos are not my favorite places.
I always wish the animals could be free.
I can’t think of anything “funny” I have seen at the zoo exactly although there has to be something…. we used to go to Catskill Game Farm and Bronx Zoo in NY so I am sure there has to have been something notable, if not funny…. At Catskill Game Farm there were Peacocks that walked around free and made startling noises. There were also punk flamingoes there that were amazing to see. Maybe the funniest (not so funny though) thing was in the area where you could feed deer and baby pigs so sometimes they’d all come around at once and mob you? My daughter wanted to feed who she wanted to feed but the deer and the pigs had their own ideas. The deer liked these crackers kind of like rye crisps and the baby pigs went for the bottles of milk or formula. When my daughter tried to pick and choose and just feed one suddenly she would be surrounded by many. I think my husband must have videos of what transpired. One of these days it might be entertaining to view them again.
At the Bronx Zoo I remember going one or more years during the winter to see the animal light sculptures and huge block ice carving and the penguins and polar bears maybe? I can’t remember anything funny happening.
When we went out to San Diego around years ago during a business trip my husband got to go on then my daughter and I went with him. I took my daughter to the Zoo and Sea World but she was so young then and it was so long ago I can’t recall much except standing on line to see the pandas and just collapsing on a open type tour after trying to carry her and a collapsible stroller and diaper bag all around. She was so young but seemed to enjoy jumping on some bouncy trampoline type thing at the Sea World.
My husband might remember the funny things better than I do. | How long was did the husband's business trip to San Diego last? | Two or three days. | ['A week.', 'not enough information', 'Less than a day.'] |
Full face transplants are no longer science fiction fantasy, a leading surgeon has said, adding that they are technically feasible but ethically complex.
Peter Butler from London's Royal Free Hospital called for a debate on the ethics of such an operation made possible by new drugs whichstop the body's immune system rejecting a transplanted face. "It is not 'Can we do it?' but 'Should we do it?'" he told the BBC."The technical part is not complex, but I don't think that's going to be the very great difficulty. The ethical and moral debate is obviously going to have to take place before the first facial transplantation."
The British Association of Plastic Surgeons will discuss the microsurgical procedure , which could give new skin, bone, noses, chin, lips and ears from _ donors to patients disfigured by accidents, burns or cancer. But surgeons could have trouble finding enough willing donors. prefix = st1 /Butlersaid his survey of doctors, nurses and members of the public showed most would accept a face transplant but few were willing to donate their own after dying.
Despite a number of ethical concerns, Christine Piff, who founded the charity Let's Face It after suffering a rare facial cancer 25 years ago, welcomed the possibility of face transplants. She rejected the idea that the procedure would mean people would end up living with a dead person's face. "There are so many people without faces, I have half a face... but we are all so much more than just a face... you don't take on their personality. You are still you," she told reporters. "If we can donate other organs of the body, then why not the face? I can't see anything wrong with it." | What would be the best title for the text? | Face Transplants--No Longer Science Fantasy | ['The First Facial Transplantation', 'Debate on the Ethics of Face Transplants', "Let's Face It"] |
Deadly heat waves, home-wrecking hurricanes, neighborhood-burning wildfires...When you stop to think about it, global warming can be thoroughly depressing.
According to rising evidence, climate changewon't just cause new cases of stress, anxiety and depression. People who already have serious psychological problems will probably suffer most in the result of natural disasters and extreme weather events.
"When these events happen, people with pre-established mental illnesses often have more extreme difficulty," said Lisa Page, a psychiatrist. "This is an area we maybe need to think about a little more seriously."
In public health circles and even in climate talks, scientists have studied how climate change might affect physical health, by for example, causing the spread of malaria, fever and other infectious diseases.
For the most part, though, the experts have made only vague references to the link between climate change and mental health, even though evidence for such connections is starting to pile up.
In the future, climate models predict more destructive storms, floods, droughts and diseases. In turn, the new study suggests, more psychological crises will follow.
Heat waves -- like the one that killed some 70,000 people in Europe in the summer of 2003 -- will also happen more frequently, last longer and be severer in coming years. The mentally ill will be hardest hit by these events because they're more likely to live in poor housing without air conditioning.
People with pre-existing mental challenges will probably also have an extra hard time dealing with other forecasted consequences of climate change, including the sinking of coastlines and mass migration away from flooded shores.
Then, there's the general sense of sadness that can come from reading about climate change, and recognizing that the world is changing. | According to the text, people feel sadder when _ . | they move away from flooded areas | ['they go for a walk in a sunny day.', 'they think of global warming', 'they go outside to the coastlines'] |
The Bronte sisters were three sisters who became famous novelists. Their lives and works are connected with the lonely moors of Yorkshire, England, where they lived. Patrick Bronte, the sisters' father, was a poor Irishman who became the parish clergyman of the small, isolated town of Haworth, Yorkshire. Bronte was somewhat strange and tended to be strict. His wife died in 1821 and her sister brought up the family out of duty, but with little love or understanding. The sisters went to several boarding schools where they received a better education than usual for girls at that time, but in a bad atmosphere.
Few jobs were available for women at that time, and the Bronte sisters, except for occasional jobs as governesses or schoolteachers, lived their entire lives at home. They were shy, poor, and lonely, and occupied themselves with music, drawing, reading and ---above all---writing. Their isolation led to the early development of their imaginations. In 1846, under the male pen names of Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell, the sisters published a joint volume of poems.Although only two copies were sold, all three sisters soon had their first novels published.
Charlotte Bronte's most famous novel Jane Eyre (1847) is largely _ . Through the heroine, Charlotte relived her hated boarding school life and her experiences as a governess in a large house. Rochester, the hero and master of the house, is fictional. Jane Eyre was enormously successful, but many readers were shocked that Rochester, who tried to make Jane his mistress, should be rewarded by marrying her. Some readers were also shocked because Jane wanted to be regarded as a thinking and independent person, rather than as a weak female.
Charlotte Bronte wrote three other novels. The first one, The Professor, was not published until 1857, after her death. Shirley (1849) is set among the labour riots of the early 1800s. Villette (1853) the most popular of the three, is based on Charlotte's unhappy experiences as a governess in Brussels. | We can infer from the passage that _ . | writing was not intended for women in the 19th century in Britain | ['the three sisters were badly treated by their step-mother', 'The three Bronte sisters were brought up in Ireland', 'Haworth was suffering high unemployment at the time of the three Bronte sisters'] |
I have little hobbies here and there like baking , watching lots and lots of tv and movies , and making movies / dramas . I have 2 jobs right now . I am an intern at a church , and I am a delivery driver for Pizza Hut . The church gig is pretty sweet , I get paid very well for an intern . | What is the narrator likely to do when not working at one of their jobs ? | They are likely to be engaging in hobbies . | ['None of the above choices .', 'They are likely to be out with friends .', 'They are likely to be doing drugs .'] |
Thousands of puffins live in Maine and on islands in the Gulf of Maine. But the puffins may be in danger. Last summer, the percentage of laid eggs that successfully produced baby puffins took a dive. Scientists also found a decline in the average body weight of the adult and baby puffins on Machias Seal Island, home to the area's largest colony. Over the winter, dozens of the seabirds from the region were found dead, likely from starvation.
What's causing the puffin trouble? Scientists think it may be a shortage of food. With ocean temperatures rising, fish populations have moved around. Normally, puffins' primary food source is herring, a type of fish. A lack of herring in the area could be causing the problem.
Butterfish from the south have become more abundant in the Gulf of Maine and could be a new food source for birds. But Steve Kress says butterfish may be too big and round for baby puffins to swallow.
Puffins spend most of their lives at sea. They come ashore to breed each spring and return to the ocean in August. The chicks swim to sea about 40 days after hatching. Puffin populations stretch across the North Atlantic, from Maine to northern Russia.
Maine's puffin population has been at risk in the past. In the 1800s, they were hunted for their food, eggs and feathers. By 1901, only one pair of puffins remained in the state. Thanks to the help of local lighthouse keepers and seabird restoration programs, the state's puffin population has been restored to more than 2,000 birds.
Scientists aren't sure what will happen to the Gulf of Maine's puffins. The birds may move further north. Kress says he hopes the Gulf population will sustain itself and then he continued. "You never know what climate change will bring," Kress said. "Historically fish could move out and more southerly fish could move in, and puffins may adapt to the new fish. Only they will know how the story will unfold." | In the scientists' opinion, _ is contributing to the puffin trouble. | a lack of herring | ['environmental pollution', 'the increase of birds', 'the huge size of butterfish'] |
Work-life balance: Ways to restore harmony and reduce stress
Finding work-life balance in today's frenetically paced world is no simple task.
Spend more time at work than at home, and you miss out on a rewarding personal life. Then again, when you face challenges in your personal life, such as caring for an aging parent or coping with marital problems, concentrating on your job can be difficult.
Whether the problem is too much focus on work or too little, when your work life and your personal life feel out of balance, stress -- along with its harmful effects -- is the result.
The good news is that you can take control of your work-life balance -- and give yourself the time to do the things that are most important to you. The first step is to recognize how the world of work has changed. Then you can evaluate your relationship to work and apply some specific strategies for striking a healthier balance.
How work invades your personal life
There was a time when employees showed up for work Monday through Friday and worked eight- to nine-hour days. The boundaries between work and home were fairly clear then. But the world has changed and, unfortunately, the boundaries have blurred for many workers. Here's why:
*Global economy. As more skilled workers enter the global labor market and companies outsource or move more jobs to reduce labor costs, people feel pressured to work longer and produce more just to protect their jobs.
*International business. Work continues around the world 24 hours a day for some people. If you work in an international organization, you might be on call around the clock for troubleshooting or consulting.
*Advanced communication technology. Many people now have the ability to work anywhere -- from their home, from their car and even on vacation. And some managers expect this.
*Longer hours. Employers commonly ask employees to work longer hours than they're scheduled. Often, overtime is mandatory. If you hope to move up the career ladder, you may find yourself regularly working more than 40 hours a week to achieve and exceed expectations.
*Changes in family roles. Today's married worker is typically part of a dual-career couple, which makes it difficult to find time to meet commitments to family, friends and community.
Married to your work
It can be tempting to rack up the hours at work -- especially if you're trying to earn a promotion or some extra money for a child's education or a dream vacation. For others, working more hours feels necessary in order to manage the workload.
But if you're spending most of your time at work, your home life will likely pay the price. Consider the pros and cons of working extra hours on your work-life balance:
*Fatigue. Your ability to think and your eye-hand coordination decrease when you're tired. This means you're less productive and may make more mistakes. These mistakes can lead to injury or rework and negatively impact your professional reputation.
*Family. You may miss out on important events, such as your child's first bike ride, your father's 60th birthday or your high-school reunion. Missing out on important milestones may harm relationships with your loved ones.
*Friends. Trusted friends are a key part of your support system. But if you're spending time at the office instead of with them, you'll find it difficult to nurture those friendships.
*Expectations. If you regularly work extra hours, you may be given more responsibility. This could create a never-ending and increasing cycle, causing more concerns and challenges.
Sometimes working overtime is important. If you work for a company that requires mandatory overtime, you won't be able to avoid it, but you can learn to manage it. Most importantly, say no when you're too tired, when it's affecting your health or when you have crucial family obligations.
Striking the best work-life balance
_ With so many demands on your time -- from overtime to family obligations -- it can feel difficult to strike this balance. The goal is to make time for the activities that are the most important to you.
Here are some ideas to help you find the balance that's best for you:
*Learn to say no. Whether it's a co-worker asking you to spearhead an extra project or your child's teacher asking you to manage the class play, remember that it's OK to respectfully say no. When you quit doing the things you only do out of guilt or a false sense of obligation, you'll make more room in your life for the activities that are meaningful to you and bring you joy.
*Leave work at work. Make a conscious decision to separate work time from personal time. When with your family, for instance, turn off your cell phone and put away your laptop computer.
*Manage your time. Organize household tasks efficiently. Do one or two loads of laundry every day, rather than saving it all for your day off. A weekly family calendar of important dates and a daily list of to-dos will help you avoid deadline panic. If your employer offers a course in time management, sign up for it.
*Get enough sleep. There's nothing as stressful and potentially dangerous as working when you're sleep-deprived. Not only is your productivity affected, but also you can make costly mistakes. You may then have to work even more hours to make up for these mistakes.
*Communicate clearly. Limit time-consuming misunderstandings by communicating clearly and listening carefully. Take notes if necessary.
*Nurture yourself. Set aside time each day for an activity that you enjoy, such as walking, working out or listening to music.
*Set aside one night each week for recreation. Take the phone off the hook, power down the computer and turn off the TV. Discover activities you can do with your partner, family or friends, such as playing golf, fishing or canoeing. Making time for activities you enjoy will rejuvenate you.
Remember, striking a work-life balance isn't a one-shot deal. Creating balance in your life is a continuous process. Balance doesn't mean doing everything. Examine your priorities and set boundaries. Be firm in what you can and cannot do. Only you can restore harmony to your lifestyle. | What will happen if you're spending most of your time at work? | You perhaps be given more responsibility. | ['You might lose all your friends.', 'You will lose both health and wealth.', 'You may be misunderstood by your loved ones.'] |
Humans: It's time to give up the earth or face extinction .
It could be the plot of a summer blockbuster , but this prediction isn't science fiction. It's a glimpse of the future, according to famous British scientist Stephen Hawking. "I see great dangers for the human race," he said in an interview with global forum Big Think. "There have been a number of times in the past when its survival has been a question of touch-and-go."
Hawking, an award-winning physicist, says humans must evacuate our home planet within the next two centuries and expand into space to survive. "I believe that the long-term future of the human race must be in space," he said. "It will be difficult enough to avoid disasters on our planet in the next hundred years, let alone the next thousand, or million."
Hawking, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom last year, has recently voiced many concerns about the future of life on the earth. In April, he spoke about his fear of aliens in an interview for the Discovery Channel. "If aliens visited us, the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn't turn out well for the Native Americans," he said. "Such advanced aliens would perhaps become wanders, looking to conquer and colonize whatever planets they can reach."
But Hawking says he is still hopeful for the future of humanity. "I'm an optimist," he told Big Think. "We have made remarkable progress in the last hundred years. But if we want to continue beyond the next hundred years, our future is in space."
Getting to another planet will prove a challenge, not to mention colonizing it for humanity. University of Michigan astrophysicist Katherine Freese told Big Think that "the nearest star to the earth is Proxima Centauri which is 4.2 light years away. That means, if you were travelling at the speed of light the whole time, it would take 4.2 years to get there--or about 50,000 years using current rocket science." | Which of the following is NOT a reason why humans need to give up the earth according to the passage? | The earth will be destroyed by worldwide wars before long. | ['Lots of great dangers for humans have been seen.', 'It will be hard for humans to avoid disasters on the earth in the future.', 'Advanced aliens may conquer and colonize the earth some day.'] |
We have a water dispenser for our dog that look like an office water jug on top of a little dish . We also have stairs for our dog so she can actually go through the dog door , which is a bit off the ground . Now these were recently sitting near each other on the back porch ( * cough cement slab cough * ) . | Why would the water jug be installed there ? | It 's for canines . | ['None of the above choices .', "It 's for work staff .", "It 's for work colleagues ."] |
I recall just one case of its kind.
In my first year out of high school in college, I didn’t quite get along with one vocal pipsqueak of a guy. Mid-year one afternoon post-dismissal, a small white car drove past dangerously close to me and honked as I made my way to the bus stand home. If there had actually been any malice intended, I would have been caught out totally by surprise.
The next day, he wondered aloud why I did not respond or react to him flippantly wanting to ram me with his car as he drove by. To think of it, I had already taken a swipe at another guy whom I suspected of being behind the wheel less than an hour earlier. Professing some half-hearted disinterest, I thought and felt to myself that this episode wasn’t over - yet.
Fast forward some 45–60 days later, this guy is suddenly absent from college for almost a week. Successive class lecturers note that it is not like him to skip classes without a valid reason. Late on the second day of absence, another lecturer asks our class about him. “His car crashed.”, I state almost flippantly, with a weak spirit of retribution shining inside my gut.
But as you would realize from answering this question it later turned out to be true. While driving at quite a clip near his home, he had barreled through a residential cross-junction and broadsided a delivery van that had charged through the open junction with no regulating traffic lights.
The van ended up upside down on the road shoulder and his parents-issued car was out of commission for like, three weeks. He suffered a concussion and a shattered nasal septum from the impact and police issued the van driver a ticket for dangerous driving.
Basically, he had joked about striking me with his car hit-and-run and I had later joked to that lecturer and the class that he had crashed his car - and it turned out I was right. | When was the pipsqueak absent from class? | After his crash. | ['After confronting the character in class about the event.', 'After almost hitting someone.', 'not enough information'] |
A dog who chewed off his owner's infected toe while he was passed-out drunk has been called a lifesaver. Jerry Douthett had been out drinking when his dog Kiko bit off a large part if his big toe. His wife, Rosee, rushed him to hospital where tests showed the 48-year-old musician had dangerous high blood-sugar levels. Doctors told him his toe would have had to be cut off anyway.
Mr Douthett said he had refused to get medical advice despite his toe being swollen for months. "I was hiding it from people, Rosee included," he said. "It smelled , and I look back now and realize every time we'd visit someone with a dog, their dog would smell all over my foot."
The night before Mr Douthett had agreed to see a doctor, he passed out at home after going out drinking. He said, "I woke up and the dog was lying along side by foot. I said, 'Ah, there's blood everywhere.' I ran to the bathroom and started to scream."
However, he believes Kiko could sense the disease coming from his big toe. "He's a hero," Mr Douthett said. "It wasn't an aggressive attack. He just ate the infection. He saved my life. He ate it. I mean, he must have eaten it, because we couldn't find it anywhere else in the house. I look down. There's blood all over, and my toe is gone."
Before the operation, Mr Douthett asked a nurse, "Is there any chance I can get whatever's left of my toe, so I can give it to Kiko as a treat?" Kiko is still with the family but is under observation by authorities. | .What did Mr Douthett think of his dog ? | It was clever and brave. | ['It never attacked healthy people.', 'It was a cruel but helpful dog.', 'It was a dangerous dog in fact.'] |
My first stop was Los Naranjos , which was about a 10 minute walk up a lovely cobblestone road from the beach . Los Naranjos is run by Jarret , who is an American musician with a beautiful heart . It 's an amazing sanctuary nestled along the side of a mountain . Everything is built into the earth , keeping the natural environment integrated into every room . | What would the narrator feel about Los Naranjos if Jared was n't there ? | The narrator would still be fond but maybe not as much . | ['The narrator would be even happier with it .', 'The narrator would be even more mad at it .', 'None of the above choices .'] |