context
stringlengths 20
6.44k
| question
stringlengths 1
318
| answer
stringlengths 1
224
⌀ | distractors
stringlengths 15
463
|
|---|---|---|---|
Do you want to see the effects of global warming? Then head north. Will Steger is going to take all of us there.
Steger, 64, the first person to make a dogsled trip to the North Pole, is a very famous and admired polar explorer. He's at home in frozen parts of the world where few humans ever step on. Steger is also a devoted environmentalist who was early to ring the alarm bell on global warming. He saw its effects firsthand in frequent polar expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctica.
Now Steger is about to lead a team of six young adventurers on a 1,400-mile, 60-day-long dogsled trip across Ellesmere Island, in the Canadian Arctic. The sea ice in that region should still be frozen. "We want to take our audience to the front lines of global warming," says Steger. The team will be uploading videos, stories and photos to the website globalwarming101.com as they march along, allowing armchair adventurers and kids in classrooms to follow their progress day to day. "We can actually bring the audience up there," Steger says.
Steger's team will include some already-famous young explorers. Sam Branson, the 22-year-old son of British airline tycoon Richard Branson, is an experienced Arctic traveler. Also on the journey will be 27-year-old Norwegian Sigrid Ekran. Last year, Ekran became only the second woman in history to win Rookie of the Year for the Iditarod Sled Dog Race.
What they will see may be very surprising. Even Steger doesn't know exactly what to expect. Climate change has already reshaped the geography of the Arctic. "Within a decade or less, it's going to be impossible to reach the North Pole by dog team without flotation ," says Steger.
Climate change is happening, but people can change too. Their willingness to change will determine the shape of the Earth's future. | Why is Steger about to organize the adventure to the Arctic? | To let people realize the bad effects of global warming. | ['To collect evidence for his scientific research.', "To develop the young people's adventurous spirit.", 'To let more people enjoy its natural beauty.'] |
By the mid-nineteenth century, the term "icebox" had entered the American language, but ice was still only beginning to affect the diet of ordinary citizens in the United States. The ice trade grew with the growth of cities. Ice was used in hotels, taverns , and hospitals, and by some forward-looking city dealers in fresh meat, fresh fish, and butter. After the Civil War (1861-1865), as ice was used to refrigerate freight cars, it also came into household use. Even before 1880, half of the ice sold in New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, and one-third of that sold in Boston and Chicago, went to families for their own use. This had become possible because a new household convenience, the icebox, a precursor of the modern fridge, had been invented.
Making an efficient icebox as not as easy as we might now suppose. In the early nineteenth century, the knowledge of the physics of heat, which was essential to a science of refrigeration, was rudimentary . The commonsense notion that the best icebox was one that prevented the ice from melting was of course mistaken, for it was the melting of the ice that performed the cooling. Nevertheless, early efforts to economize ice included wrapping up the ice in blankets, which kept the ice from doing its job. Not until near the end of the nineteenth century did inventors achieve the delicate balance of insulation and circulation needed for an efficient icebox.
But as early as 1803, and ingenious Maryland farmer, Thomas Moore, had been on the right track. He owned a farm about twenty miles outside the city of Washington, for which the village of Georgetown was the market center. When he used an icebox of his own design to transport his butter to market, he found that customers would pass up the rapidly melting stuff in the tubs of his competitors to pay a premium price for his butter, still fresh and hard in neat, one-pound bricks. One advantage of his icebox, Moore explained, was that farmers would no longer have to travel to market at night in order to keep their produce cool. | Where was ice used after the Civil War? | In refrigerating freight cars and households. | ['In hotels, taverns and hospitals', 'In families of New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore.', 'In fresh meat, fish and butter by city dealers.'] |
The car beside me hit its brakes ( softly and safely ) immediately upon realizing the mistake . All 's good . Let 's go take on the day . Then the car that had been delayed ever so slightly passed by in front of us with the rear passenger flashing the angriest obscene gesture I ' ve seen in a while . And not just with one finger . He did the unfake double handed gesture for emphasis . Sheesh . At that moment I had the life force sucked out of me . | What do you think the author did after he claimed " the life force had been sucked out of him " . | He went about his business , perhaps thinking of that moment on and off through out the day wondering why there are such people in the world . | ['He made a hand gesture with both hands right before he died .', 'None of the above choices .', 'He stepped on the brakes again before he died .'] |
He came up to me and , I kid you not , said , " Oh , I 'd appreciate it if you did n't tell the cops about this . " I looked him right in the eye and said , " What the hell were you thinking ? " He gave me a song and dance about how he was coming off Hook Road , and tried to cut down the access road , and the car was hard to steer , etc . | What may happen before he asks me not to tell on him to the cops ? | He did something illegal . | ['None of the above choices .', 'He looked me in the eye while driving .', 'He tells a story about how he lost control of his steering .'] |
LOS ANGELES/WASHINGTON — As U.S. political candidates make their final appeals, voters in 35 states will decide policy issues Tuesday that include legalizing recreational use of marijuana and restricting access to guns and ammunition, voting yes or no on nearly 160 state ballot initiatives.
California's Proposition 64, which is leading in the polls, could create a multibillion-dollar marijuana industry by legalizing the recreational use the drug for adults in the state. Similar measures are on the ballot in Arizona, Nevada, Maine and Massachusetts.
Marijuana could be legalized for medical use in Florida and three other states. Medical marijuana is already permitted in half the 50 U.S. states, and recreational use is allowed in Alaska, Colorado, Washington state, Oregon and the District of Columbia.
Marijuana is banned under federal law, but U.S. officials have taken a hands-off approach on the issue.
Voters in Maine and Nevada are considering measures that would expand background checks for gun purchases, which is already required for buying guns from dealers, by extending the provision to private sales.
Californians will consider measures requiring background checks for buyers of ammunition and banning high-capacity ammunition magazines.
Washington state has a measure that would allow the courts to bar the sale of guns to individuals deemed an extreme risk to themselves or others.
Californians are considering whether to eliminate the death penalty with Proposition 62, or to maintain capital punishment and make the process more efficient with Proposition 66, which supporters say makes it more fair to victims of violent crimes.
Twenty states and the District of Columbia have abolished or overturned capital punishment on the grounds that it is unequally applied to minority populations and that innocent people are sometimes convicted.
South Dakotans will decide whether to make statewide offices nonpartisan and create a citizens commission to redraw voting districts after each 10-year national census, removing the task from legislators, said by critics to be self-interested.
The minimum wage could get a boost in South Dakota, Arizona, Colorado, Maine and Washington state. And voters in California will uphold or reject a state law that bans single-use plastic bags, which many consider an environmental hazard. | How many people will vote in California on Tuesday? | not enough information | ['seven people', 'five million people', 'one billion people'] |
You are seeing a film in which two men are having a fight. They hit one another over the heads with chairs. And so it goes on until one of the men crashes through a window and falls thirty feet to the ground below. He is dead!
Of course he isn't really dead. With any luck he isn't even hurt. Why? Because the men who fall out of high windows or jump from fast moving trains, who crash cars or even catch fire, are professionals. They do this for a living. These men are called stuntmen. That is to say, they perform tricks.
They actually do most of the things you see on the screen. For example, they fall from a high building. However, they do not fall onto hard ground but onto empty cardboard boxes covered with a mattress. Again, when they hit one another with chairs, the chairs are made of soft wood and when they crash through windows, the glass is made of sugar!
But although their work depends on tricks of this sort, it also requires a high degree of skill and training. Often a stuntman's success depends on careful timing. For example, when he is " blown up" in a battle scene, he has to jump out of the way of the explosion just at the right moment.
Naturally stuntmen are well paid for their work, but they lead dangerous lives. They sometimes get seriously injured, and even killed. A Norwegian stuntman, for example, skied over the edge of a cliff a thousand feet high. His parachute ( ) failed to open and he was killed.
In spite of all the risks, this is no longer a profession for men only. Men no longer dress up as women to perform some dangerous actions. For nowadays there are stunt girls , too. | What can be inferred from the author's example of the Norwegian stuntman? | Sometimes an accident can happen to a stuntman. | ['The percentage of serious accidents is high.', 'Parachutes must be of good quality.', 'The cliff was too high.'] |
I do think that I 'll learn from him though since he 's going to be my first " scary " Spanish professor . As for my DEUSTAT , I have Baquiran . He seems really intimidating and serious . He told us that the teaching method he 'll use is going to be like the one people use for people taking up Law . He 's also making us make notes for every reading that he assigns . | What will happen to the narrator after taking this class ? | The narrator will learn more Spanish than before . | ['None of the above choices .', 'The narrator will see their fluency in Spanish go down .', 'The narrator will see their fluency in English go down .'] |
^_^)It 's kind of hilarious that my sister 's first kiss was at an anime convention . My brother got lots of crap from everyone since he was hungry and thus , no matter the gender , stuck the pocky right in his mouth . Since all of us were playing , a rule was made that siblings could just break the pocky , in the situation that one of us got each other . And finally , just before we left on Saturday , I got a hug from Kyle Hebert ! | Which is true of the narrator ? | They are a fan of Japanese animation . | ['None of the above choices .', 'She got her first kiss at an anime convention .', 'They had to kiss their sibling .'] |
Have you ever used Facebook? Many people are being lured onto it with the promise of a fun,free service without realizing they're paying for it by giving up large amounts of personal information.Facebook then attempts to make money by selling their data to advertisers that want to send targeted messages.
Most Facebook users don't realize this is happening.Even if they know what the company is up to,they still have no idea what they're paying for Facebook because people don't really know what their personal data is worth.
The biggest problem,however,is that the company keeps changing the rules.Early on,you keep everything private.That was the great thing about Facebook -- you could create your own little private network.Last year,the company changed its privacy rules so that many things -- your city,your photo,your friends' names--were set,by default to be shared with everyone on the Internet.
According to Facebook's vice-president Elliot Schrage,the company is simply making changes to improve its service,and if people don't share information,they have a "less satisfying experience".
Some critics think this is more about Facebook looking to make more money.Its original business model,which involved selling ads and putting them at the side of the page,totally failed.Who wants to look at ads when they're online connecting with their friends?
The privacy issue has already landed Facebook in hot water in Washington.In April,Senator Charles Schumer called on Facebook to change its privacy policy.He also urged the Federal Trade Commission to set guidelines for social-networking sites."I think the senator rightly communicated that we had not been clear about what the new products were and how people could choose to use them or not to use them," Schrage admits.
I suspect that whatever Facebook has done so far to invade our privacy is only the beginning,which is why I'm considering deactivating my account.Facebook is a handy site,but I'm upset by the idea that my information is in the hands of people I don't know.That's too high a price to pay. | What does the author say about most Facebook users? | They don't know their personal data enriches Facebook. | ['They are reluctant to give up their personal information.', "They don't identify themselves when using the website.", 'They care very little about their personal information.'] |
Developing healthy eating habits starts from childhood, therefore it is important for parents to teach and provide children with a healthy diet. DPHSS administrator of the Bureau of Nutrition Services, Charlie Morris told KUAM News, "A healthy diet for a child consists of a lot of fruits and vegetables in the diet limiting the amount of simple sugars in the diet and high fat food and highly processed food."
This means staying away as much as possible from food such as chips, cookies, candies and sugary drinks, as all children need to have meals which involve a well-balanced diet. Community nutritionist Thelma Romoso said, "The fruit, the vegetable, the grain, the protein, and also the milk, the diary product, so for the fruits it's easy for a mother to go into the two plus three concept of fruits and vegetables or five a day."
This concept means that there are at least two servings of fruits a day, three servings of vegetables a day which can be served for lunch and dinner. As for protein parents can make a variety of dishes from chicken, beef, fish or even dried beans to pledge the child gets three servings a day.
Morris said that the child's hunger level controls how much is eaten and the parent controls what and when the meal is offered, saying, "Mom needs to ensure that the food offered is good food for the child to eat and throughout the day depending on how active they are, snacks are not a bad thing, so the mom should offer good kinds of snacks."
When it comes to preparing your child's lunch and snacks for school, make sure to keep in mind that the food you provide should not only be a source of energy but also be nutritionally beneficial such as fresh fruits, and whole grain bread. But parents must be sure to remember that a good nutritional diet must be balanced with physical activity, namely it is important that children get outside and run around and play and get activity in addition to eating a good diet. | According to Charlie Morris we can know that _ . | highly processed food should be reduced in daily life | ['mothers should prepare delicious food by themselves', 'sugars and high fat exist in few kinds of food', 'active children prefer more and more snacks'] |
Sustainable development is applied to just about everything from energy to clean water and economic growth, and as a result it has become difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it or the way the concept is put to use. This is especially true in agriculture, where sustainable development is often taken as the measure of progress without a proper appreciation of historical and cultural perspectives.
To start with, it is important to remember that the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout history, and will continue to do so. Medieval agriculture in northern Europe fed, clothed and sheltered a mainly rural society with a much lower population density than it is today. It had minimal effect on biodiversity, and any pollution it caused was typically localized. In terms of energy use and the nutrients captured in the product it was relatively inefficient.
Contrast this with farming since the start of the industrial revolution. Competition from overseas led farmers to specialize and increase yields. Throughout this period food became cheaper, safer and more reliable. However, these changes have also led to habitat loss and to reducing biodiversity.
All this means that agriculture in the 21st century will have to be very different from how it was in the 20th. This will require thorough thinking. For example, we need to move away from the idea that traditional practices are certainly more sustainable than new ones. We also need to abandon the notion that agriculture can be "zero impact". The key will be to abandon the rather simple and static measures of sustainability, which centre on the need to maintain production without increasing damage. Instead we need a more dynamic interpretation, one that looks at the pros and cons of all the various way land is used. There are many different ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield: energy use, environmental costs, water purity, carbon footprint and biodiversity. It is clear, for example, that the carbon of transporting tomatoes from Spain to the UK is less than that of producing them in the UK with additional heating and lighting. But we do not know whether lower carbon footprints will always be better for biodiversity.
What is important is recognizing that sustainable agriculture is not just about sustainable food production. | Specialization and the effort to increase yields have resulted in _ . | the decrease of biodiversity | ['Localized pollution', 'The shrinking of farmland', 'competition from overseas'] |
A group of teenagers: they laugh and talk over each other, dance and make faces -- you wouldn't believe they had just played on the same stage as famous American singers Kid Cudi and Eminem.
These seven kids, all under the age of 20, are members of the band Kids These Days (KTD).
Fresh out of high school, the band already has done things that most teens couldn't even imagine. They played at festivals including the recent SXSW in Austin and Lollapalooza in their hometown, Chicago, to crowds of loyal fans.
KTD uses a mix of hip-hop, jazz, blues and classic rock to make a sound of their own.
"KTD simply mixes most, if not all of my favourite music styles," said Kamia Jones, as Chicago high school student."I like that they aren't afraid to be different and that their music is real and speaks to the soul."
The band formed two years ago. Now, as well as local fans, they are becoming popular around the world. Their facebook page is filled with supportive posts from admirers from California to Tokyo.
"It's really strange to me that people from London, Australia and Russia... They have heard
of us and they like our music because it's really cool feeling," says Marcie Stewart, who plays keyboard for the band.
Despite their recent fame, KTD is a group of normal teenagers and they remain very close to one another. While talking to the reporters, they dance and make fun of each other.
When asked what advice they would give to other teen musicians, Greg Landfair, KTD's drummer, said, "Keep your heart in it. Never lose the music and what you are doing, because that's what you're here for. Let the music always be first." | The author wrote this article to _ . | introduce a successful band of teenagers | ['show the kind of music teenagers love', 'encourage young musicians to play music', 'describe a special music style'] |
The U.S. Supreme Court signaled Wednesday it may be open to new limits on the government's ability to track someone's movements by accessing data on that person's cellphone.
A case before the high court could result in a landmark decision in the ongoing debate over civil liberties protections in an era of rapid technological change.
At issue is whether law enforcement will be able to access cellphone data that can reveal a person's whereabouts without having to first obtain a court-issued search warrant.
The case stems from the conviction of Timothy Carpenter for a series of robberies back in 2010 and 2011. Prosecutors were able to obtain cellphone records that indicated his location over a period of months, information that proved crucial to his conviction.
On Wednesday, lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union argued that law enforcement should be required to obtain a court-ordered search warrant before obtaining such information.
They also argued that allowing law enforcement to access the cellphone data without a warrant would violate the prohibition on unreasonable search and seizures contained in the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
"It is impossible to go about our daily lives without leaving a trail of digital breadcrumbs that reveal where we have been over time, what we have done, who we spent time with," said ACLU attorney Nathan Freed Wessler, who spoke to reporters outside the Supreme Court following oral arguments. "It is time for the court, we think, to update Fourth Amendment doctrine to provide reasonable protections today."
Some of the justices also raised concerns about privacy in the digital age.
"Most Americans, I think, still want to avoid Big Brother," Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who often sides with the liberal wing of the court, said.
Chief Justice John Roberts, who often sides with conservatives on the court, said the central question was whether the cellphone information should be accessible to the government "without a warrant." | What does ACLU feel about the amendment | it need to be updated | ['needs to be gone', 'left alone', 'not enough information'] |
Many people are already planning to look for a new position when the job market picks up, but the way you quit can have a long term impact on your career. How to resign on good terms:
Be prepared.
Review your employee handbook or employment contract before announcing your decision, so you know what company policy is regarding resignations, severance , the return of company property and pay for unused vacation time. If you have another job lined up, be sure to have your offer in writing before you resign.
Use it or lose it.
If you haven't used vacation time and will lose it if you quit, you might want to use your time before leaving or link it to your resignation date. But if you don't want to burn any bridges, never announce your departure just after returning from vacation.
Make an appointment.
Be formal and make an appointment with your boss. Prepare what you want to say. Be direct and be transparent. After the discussion, put your resignation in a hardcopy letter that includes your last day and any transitional help you've offered. Keep a copy. Two weeks advance notice is still standard but experts recommend offering more time if you've worked at the company for more than five years. You also need to be prepared to leave right away -- some companies require it.
Scrub your digital footprint.
Clear your browser cache , remove passwords to websites you use from work, such as your personal email or online bank account and delete any personal files on your work computer that aren't relevant to work. Don't delete anything work-related if you're required to keep it.
Stay close.
Consider joining an employee alumni association, which often serves as a networking group for former employees. It can be a good way to keep up with changes in the company and industry and find leads to new jobs down the road. Keep in touch with coworkers you worked closely with; they may end up in management roles. | Which of the following is suggested in the passage? | You'd better keep in touch with your coworkers after resignation. | ["You can resign without hesitation if you don't like your job.", 'You should ignore your boss when presenting your resignation.', 'You must delete anything in the computer you once used when you resign.'] |
He thanked Charlie , the driver , and hobbled into the locker room . The stale smells of sweat , old tape , wet carpet and Icy - Hot liniment assailed his nostrils , and he grinned at the familiarity of it . He looked around the room and his eyes lit on Jack 's locker . He made his way over to it and , just like Jack , everything was neat and in its place . | How would you describe me ? | Someone who has spent a lot of time in locker rooms | ['Someone who is disgusted by locker rooms', 'None of the above choices .', 'Someone who is a driver'] |
I am a firm believer in an early bedtime and a good nap every day . So , this week we have instituted a plan that we intend to stick by , but oh - my - god , it 's so hard ! We put him in his room , door closed and baby gate up , for nap time and bedtime . | Why is the plan difficult to implement ? | The child does n't know what to do about the new routine . | ['None of the above choices .', 'The routine is complicated to work with .', 'They are unsure of whether the routine is a good idea .'] |
Many everyday American expressions are based on colors.
Red is a hot colour. Americans may say they are red hot about something unfair. They are red hot when they are very angry about something. The small hottasting peppers found in many Mexican foods are called red hot for their colour and their fiery taste. Fast loud music is popular with many people. They may say the music is red hot, especially the kind called Dixieland jazz.
Pink is a lighter kind of red. People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health. The expression was first used in America at the beginning of the twentieth century. It comes from the fact that many babies are born with nice pink skin that shows that they are in good health.
The colour black is often used in expressions. People describe a day on which everything goes wrong as a black day. A blacklist is illegal now. But at one time, some businesses refused to employ people who were on a blacklist for belonging to unpopular organizations.
The colour green is natural for trees and grass. But it is,an unnatural colour for humans. A person who has a sick feeling in his stomach may say he feels a little green. A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves may look very green.
Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has. That person may say he is green with envy. Some people are green with envy because a friend has more dollars or greenbacks. Dollars are called greenbacks because green is the colour of the back side of the paper money. | Americans use "red hot" to describe the following EXCEPT _ . | something unfair | ['small hottasting peppers', 'the person who is very angry', 'popular music like Dixieland jazz'] |
Milo was exhausted from the boys / crazy Brandon chasing him around all night . Thank you , Brandon , for helping me sleep through the night . Boo , Milo for not always being that mellow . We have the friendliest post - guy ever here at the office . | What will Milo do next ? | He will go to bed , exhausted , from last night . | ['He will be awake through the day .', 'He will not go to sleep .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
The White House said Monday that President Donald Trump "doesn't believe any of these accusations" made by adult film actress Stormy Daniels that she had a one-night affair with the future U.S. leader in 2006 and five years later was threatened to keep quiet about their alleged liaison.
Trump spokesman Raj Shah rejected any suggestion that Trump had engaged in wrongdoing because his personal attorney, Michael Cohen, paid the porn star $130,000 from his own funds in hush money shortly before the 2016 presidential election.
"False charges are settled out of court all the time," said Shah, who faced a barrage of questions from reporters after a lengthy Daniels interview aired Sunday night on 60 Minutes, a CBS News show that drew its biggest ratings in a decade for the spectacle.
"He's consistently denied these accusations," Shah said of Trump. The spokesman said the 39-year-old Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, was "inconsistent" because she has at various times denied she had a sexual encounter with Trump, but now claims she is telling the truth that she met up with him at a celebrity golf tournament in Nevada.
Shah also dismissed Daniels' claim that in 2011, when she was on her way to a fitness class in Las Vegas with her infant daughter, she was approached by a stranger who threatened her.
"A guy walked up on me and said to me, 'Leave Trump alone. Forget the story,' " Daniels told journalist Anderson Cooper. "And then he leaned around and looked at my daughter and said, 'That's a beautiful little girl. It'd be a shame if something happened to her mom.' And then he was gone."
Trump has yet to comment directly on Daniels' story. However, he posted a Twitter comment Monday that seemed to allude to the controversy.
Daniels says the Las Vegas incident occurred shortly after she first tried to sell her story about her encounter with Trump to a tabloid magazine. She said the incident made her fearful for years and that she thought she was doing the right thing when she accepted $130,000 from Trump attorney Cohen to stay quiet. | Why did Daniels come forward with her accusations? | To get money from the tabloids? | ['not enough information', 'To get attention', 'To get hush money'] |
found hotel , changed clothes , applied sunscreen.first order of business : lunch , as i am a crabby bitch without food . looooved ( hah ) the maitre d ' duty of accosting passers - by in the streets . also i am a big big fan of all the nasty stray cats milling about near the outdoor tables . eeewww . | Where is this person having this situation ? | She is eating at an outdoor cafe . | ['She is staying at a hotel downtown .', 'She is having a business meeting .', 'She is at an animal shelter that has many cats .'] |
Carrying a passenger on a bicycle is an offence punishable by law. Everyone knows that but still some of us do it.
I had done it many times before until something happened to teach me never to do it again. It was not the police. Rather it was an unforgettable, and unpleasant, experience.
It happened one evening when my friend Segaran and I wanted to go and visit another friend who lived some distance away. I had a bicycle. Segaran did not. So, as usual, he sat side-saddle on the horizontal bar of the bicycle while I pedalled. We had done it many times before, so it should not be any problem.
Near my friend's house, we got onto a gravel path made slippery by the recent rain. Still we managed to move along, thoroughly enjoying the rough ride.
As we passed by a stream, I made the mistake of going too near the bank. The rain had softened the soil and it could not hold our combined weight. One moment we were going along merrily, the next we were tumbling head over heels into the stream.
Splash! Splash! Splash! We plunged into the river bicycle first, followed by Segaran, then me. Normally the stream is only a few centimetres deep with clear water. When we fell in, it was a metre deep with smelly black water. The water prevented us from getting badly injured but we also had to pay the price of swallowing some of it. It tasted horrible. Segaran got the worst of it for being sandwiched between the bicycle and me. Our pride was far more hurt.
We walked all the way home. I had to push the bicycle because its front wheel was bent out of shape. From that moment I promised never to carry anyone on a bicycle again. | Where did they land when they fell off the bike? | Into the dirty river | ["Onto the friend's house", 'Onto the gravel path', 'Into the softened soil'] |
There we played racquetball and swam . Right now I am listening to a cassette of music by Mozart . On Wednesday I went with Casey to his company picnic . On Tuesday I went on a walk with Melanie . | Why did the narrator go for a walk with Melanie ? | The narrator is looking for exercise . | ['The narrator is looking to be by themselves .', 'None of the above choices .', 'The narrator is looking to get some work done .'] |
Taj Mahal, Agra, India
As many as 28 different varieties of precious stones were used to decorate the outside of the Taj Mahal. Construction took around 20 years. The building, which was made from white marble from the quarries of Rajasthan, appears pink in the morning, white in the day and golden in the moonlight.
Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, Akashi Strait, Japan
It took 10 years to construct the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge. It connects the city of Kobe, on Japan's mainland, with Iwaya on Awaji Island. Before it opened, the only way to get between the two cities was by ferry. However, the waterway was at the mercy of severe storms and when two ferries overturned in 1955, killing 168 people, public anger convinced the government of the need for a bridge. It's the longest suspension bridge in the world, with a length of 1,991 meters.
Panama Canal, Panama
More than 4. 5 million cubic yards of concrete were used in the construction of this canal's locks and dams. The Panama Canal is a 47-mile long waterway that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The earth and rubble dug to make way for it was enough to bury Manhattan to a depth of four meters. A series of locks allows ships to pass through the water. Each lock door weighs 750 tons and each lock fills with 52 million gallons of water to accommodate the 15,000 ships that use the canal every year.
Grand Canyon Skywalk, Arizona
The Skywalk's foundation is strong enough to support 71 million pounds , Located 1,219 meters above the Colorado River, the Grand Canyon's Sky Walk consists of one million pounds of steel and 83,000 pounds of glass. It was the creation of Las Vegas businessman David Jin, who approached the Hualapai Tribe with the idea of a glass walkway over the Grand Canyon in 1996. The Sky walk was assembled on site. | The Japanese government decided to build the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge _ | following public opinion | ['in the year of 1955', 'to show its national power', "to develop Japan's economy"] |
Aage Llievang tried explaining to his mother, but she shook her head. "Now, Aage. Really. Your own car? A car? What would the other co-op members think?"
"Mom, this is a classic! 1952 MG-TD. It's even--"
"British Racing green... yes, Aage. I know. Your father knows. Your grandmother knows. We all know about the car."
"But Mom, look." He waved his Handy at her. The MG glowed on its small screen. "There's one up for auction on carsforsale.com and I'm too young to bid. You've got to help me."
"Aage!" She put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "Your age is not the problem. You can't even afford it."
"I'd pay you back." How could he explain his fascination with the Vehicular Age to her? The seductive sheen, the rumble, the combustive power of automobiles called to him like a siren at sea. He coveted the sense of possibility inherent in the turn of a key.
And the MG-TD held a place high in his list of hope. British Racing Green, wood dashboard and a four-stroke engine. He had only seen one MG-TD, when he'd gone on holiday with his folks to the U.K. They had been walking down the street in downtown London. Most of the traffic had been pedestrian or cyclist. The occasional fuel-cell car glided by like a ghostly leftover from the Vehicular Age. Double-decker biodiesel buses roared past regularly, trailing the odor of fish and chips after them.
And then it came down the street toward them. A car that purred as its rounded lines soaked up the sun with a green so deep it was almost black. It pulled into the valet parking of a grand hotel and two people got out. Aage barely noticed them. He stared inside the car, where chrome and brass gleamed against a burled wood dashboard. The doors of the car shut with the heavy thunk of real metal. A valet pulled the car out of the parking circle and Aage never saw it again. | The conversation between Aage and his mother most likely lasted: | Several minutes | ['not enough information', 'Many days', 'A week'] |
Someone you care about . You care enough not to ... treat me the way you treated me . So less than sixteen seconds was pretty much all I needed to say you treat me like shit and I quit . But now I m thinking about it again . | How may I be feeling right now ? | Angry | ['Amused', 'Joyous', 'None of the above choices .'] |
Can we make animals work for us? Some scientists think that one day we can teach animals to do a lot of things for people. They say that in a film or on TV you may see elephants, monkeys, dogs or some other animals doing a lot of things. If you watch carefully, you may find those animals are always given a little food to eat after they have done something. Scientists say that people can teach many different animals to do some easy work if they know they will get something to eat.
We all know elephants can carry large logs and dogs can look after houses. And we can even teach animals to work in factories. In America, for example, people use apes to help make cars. Scientists think that those big monkeys may, one day, drive trains. Now people are trying to let them do something just like man. | We can use dogs to _ . | keep the houses safe | ['drive trains', 'help make cars', 'carry logs'] |
Finally Finally Finally Double C - C dinner ! ! have not been meeting up with her for the past few months , both of us are so busy with our stuffs . Bestie outing is always the BEST ! | What is likely to happen with the narrator and her friend ? | The narrator and her friend are likely to spend time gossiping . | ['The narrator and her friend are likely to hash out a deal .', 'The narrator and her friend are likely to talk about formal topics .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
I ' m leaving for Marion this afternoon and Drew and I are going to spend a week of seperation . We 're going to be fine we just both got so stressed and took everything out on each other . A lot changes after today . | What might happen after our seperation ? | We learn how to control our stress | ['The world falls apart', 'We never get back together', 'None of the above choices .'] |
Scientists discovered 163 new species in Southeast Asia's Greater Mekong region last year,but all are at risk of extinction due to climate change,the WWF said in a report released Friday.
The newly discovered creatures include a birdeating frog with fangs ,a bird that would rather walk than fly and a gecko whose alien appearance inspired the report's title of "Close Encounters",the conservation group said.
The report was released ahead of major UN talks on climate change in Bangkok next week,which are being held before a makeorbreak summit in Copenhagen this December.
"Some species will be able to adapt to climate change,and many will not,potentially resulting in massive extinction," Stuart Chapman,director of the WWF Greater Mekong program,said in the report."Rare and endangered species like those newly discovered are especially vulnerable because climate change will further shrink their already restricted habitats," he said.
"The new discoveries in 2010 include 100 plants,28 fish,18 reptiles,14 amphibians,2 mammals and a bird,"the WWF report said.The area spans Cambodia,Laos,Myanmar,Thailand,Vietnam and China's Yunnan Province.
"Among the new species is the birdeating fanged frog,which remains hidden in a protected area of Thailand despite the fact that scientists are studying there for 40 years," the report said.
The tigerstriped pit viper was discovered accidentally on an island off the coast of Vietnam when a scientist was looking for a lizard and his son pointed out that his hand was on a rock right next to the snake's fangs."We caught the snake and the gecko and they both proved to be new species," researcher Lee Grismer of La Sierra University in California was quoted as saying in the report.The leopard gecko,found on another Vietnamese island,has the coloring of a leopard and bizarre orange,catlike eyes and thin legs.
The Greater Mekong region has proved a rich area for scientists.The WWF said in December 2010 that it had found 1,068 new species there between 1997 and 2009. | What does the passage mainly tell us? | Climate change threatens Mekong new species. | ['The Greater Mekong region is a rich area for scientists.', 'Many rare species remain to be discovered in the Mekong region.', 'Scientists have discovered many new species in the Mekong region.'] |
Americans may become accustomed to the political turmoil swirling around President Donald Trump, but it remains an open question whether that turmoil will ultimately help or hurt Trump and his Republican allies, especially in an election year.
Last week, it was Trump's firing of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and an apparent Democratic victory in a special congressional election in Pennsylvania — a sign of a possible wave in the November midterm elections.
This week, it was a series of presidential tweets criticizing the Russia probe, followed by a controversial Trump statement of congratulations for newly re-elected Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump also added former U.S. attorney Joseph diGenova to his legal team. DiGenova has alleged that elements of the FBI and the Department of Justice have been out to frame Trump in connection with the Russia probe.
Trump ignored shouted questions Tuesday from reporters at the White House who asked whether he wanted to fire special counsel Robert Mueller, who is leading the Russia probe.
Earlier, House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican, told reporters at the Capitol that he had received "assurances" that firing Mueller was "not even under consideration."
The latest back and forth over the Mueller investigation came after several days of presidential tweets complaining about the probe, including one blasting it as a "total WITCH HUNT with massive conflicts of interest."
The tweets sparked new fears that Trump might try to have Mueller fired. Some Republicans warned that an attempt to fire Mueller could put Trump's presidency in jeopardy.
"I think anything directed at firing Mr. Mueller blows up the whole town, and that becomes the end of governing and the presidency as we know it," cautioned Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
The renewed focus on the Russia probe came in the wake of last week's firing of Tillerson. That, in turn, raised the prospect of more administration changes. | When did Trump fire Tilerson? | before this week | ["after today's meeting with China", 'not enough information', "after today's meeting with Spain"] |
I used to work as a Certified Nurse Assistant at this rehabilitation/skilled nursing facility.
I just started my shift that afternoon, got endorsements from the previous shift, and prepared myself to meet my residents.
One of my residents that day was post-op total knee replacement. I went to her room, introduced myself as her CNA, and asked her if she needed anything before I leave her room. And then, she told me she’s having a hard time using the commode the previous nurses gave her when she was admitted to our facilty as it was very small for her given the fact that she also had a recent TKA (total knee arthroplasty). Because of this, I told her I’ll do my best to look for a commode that will fit her.
I looked in our two storage areas and fortunately, I found one that was perfect for her! Voila!
I disinfected it really well and returned to her room with her new commode. Her face immediately lighted up when she saw what I was carrying and she started tearing up! Startled by her reaction, I asked her what’s wrong and why was she crying. And then she told me she’s been asking the previous shifts for two days and no one’s bringing the right commode for her. They kept on telling they’re going to bring her a new one, but they probably ended up forgetting her request.
She was so ecstatic! I helped her try the commode and it really was perfect for her and she didn’t have a hard time using it.
She thanked me so much, and oh, it was mother’s day that day! She told me one of the most touching thing, “happy Mother’s day to your Mom and thank your Mom for me. She raised you really well.”
I had no idea a simple commode can bring so much joy to my resident. Small things really do matter! | When did the patient begin to cry? | After the author brought her the commode | ['Before her knee surgery', 'not enough information', 'Before asking the author for the commode'] |
A friend asks you to be a volunteer. Your husband asks you to glance over an e-mail he is writing to his boss. You say you'd love to. Really! But..."I don't have time".
It seems plausible( ). We're all busy these days, right? But there are reasons not to use these four words, at least with yourself.
Here's the big one: _ is not true. You tell yourself "I don't have time" to exercise, but we all have 168 hours a week. If someone offered to pay you $100,000 a week to go to the gym for 5 of those 168 hours, you would probably find the time to do it. Since that isn't going to happen, this is a more exact description: " It's not a priority ."
There are a million things we could be doing with our time; some are priorities and some are not, even if it's wrong to say so. Try it. "I'm not going to read to you tonight, sweetie, because it's not a priority. Daddy's present priority is to check my e-mails."
Using the words "I don't have time" keeps us from admitting to the fact that how we spend our time is a choice. It puts the responsibility for our lives on someone else: a boss, a client or a family member.
Better to be truthful: "I have another volunteer job on which I am focusing my energy right now. It is the cause that is most important to me." Or, to your husband "I wish you had mentioned this earlier. Right now, my priority is to get our children dressed and out of the door for school. I will be available around lunch time if you would like to talk". | You can find this text in the _ section of a newspaper. | culture | ['sports', 'entertainment', 'science'] |
Almost all cultures celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another in some way. Different cultures celebrate the beginning of a new year in different ways, and at different times on the calendar.
In Western countries, people usually celebrate New Year at midnight on January 1st. People may go to parties, dress in formal clothes -- like tuxedos and evening gowns, and drink champagne at midnight. During the first minutes of the New Year, people cheer and wish each other happiness for the year ahead. But some cultures prefer to celebrate the New Year by waking up early to watch the sun rise. They welcome the New Year with the first light of the sunrise.
It is also a common Western custom to make a New Year's promise, called a resolution. New Year's resolutions usually include promises to try something new or change a bad habit in the new year.
Many cultures also do special things to get rid of bad luck at the beginning of a new year. For example, in Ecuador, families make a big doll from old clothes. The doll is filled with old newspapers and firecrackers. At midnight, these dolls are burned to show the bad things from the past year are gone and the new year can start afresh (again). Other common traditions to keep away bad luck in a new year include throwing things into rivers or the ocean, or saying special things on the first day of the new year.
Other New Year traditions are followed to bring good luck is to eat grapes on New Year's Day. The more grapes a person eats , the more good luck the person will have in the year. In France, people eat pancakes for good luck at New Year. In the United States, some people eat black-eyed peas for good luck -- but to get good luck for a whole year you have to eat 365 of them! | Which culture celebrates New Year in the morning? | The passage doesn't say. | ['Spain.', 'France.', 'The United States.'] |
Bryan C. Keene and Alexandra Kaczenski of the Getty Museum’s Manuscripts Department have spent the last few years preparing for an exhibition and publication titled Sacred Landscapes: Nature in Renaissance Manuscripts that aims to examine representations of “green spaces” such as gardens, vistas, and their relation to the divine.
In particular, Bryan and Alexandra focus on the ways in which artists during the European Middle Ages and Renaissance embedded the pages of illuminated manuscripts with depictions of the natural world so that nature could guide prayer, chant, and meditation.
For Bryan, this project represents a continuation of his interest in sacred gardens that began with his graduate work on the garden imagery that influenced Botticelli’s Agony in the Garden painting. In 2013 he curated the exhibition and authored the accompanying book Gardens of the Renaissance.
For Alexandra, interest in this subject stems from her scholarly focus on Flemish manuscripts and their relation to Flemish landscape paintings. She brought to the project a complementary interest in issues of environmental and landscape destruction, which also were themes of the exhibition and publication.
Though floral and nature studies of the Renaissance and Early Modern periods have been extensively investigated—the scientific notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, for example, are well documented—this exhibition turns its focus on landscape and the divine. Curatorial research has shed new light on subjects such as the seemingly “scattered” floral arrangements represented within the pages of these books and their relationship to humoral theory and religion. Bryan adds, “The tension that we find in these borders is, on the one hand, intricately rendered leaf and petal structures of plants or flowers, and on the other, hidden whimsical elements, all of which combine to create a rich tapestry of meaning, both symbolic and scientific. Alex and I will continue to explore the potential meaning within this botanical and arboreal chaos.”
Sacred Landscapes opens on October 10, 2017, at the Getty Museum, where it complements the exhibition Giovanni Bellini: Landscapes of Faith in Renaissance Venice. The exhibition catalog is available online now. | Who is Leonardo da Vinci? | not enough information | ['author', 'artist', 'manuscript writer'] |
) , and then a Masters in Library Science is essential . And there are so many types of libraries , it 's a really flexible degree . I love being a public librarian , but there 's academic , special , law , music , medical , corporate , etc . Even NPR has librarians!Writers in the Library WorldI think librarianship would be a great career for writers . | Why do you love being a public librarian ? | I love being a public librarian because you learn so much about books and knowledge . | ['I love being a public librarian because I love the smell of old books and parchment .', 'I love being a public librarian because i like to organize and catalog things .', "I love being a public librarian because it 's what my parents worked as when I was a kid ."] |
I was talking to my friend Mary . So I ended back on my original plane with United in business class , 1 free ticket , and 1 round trip on IAH train . So Leslie picked me up from the airport . Do n't slam her car doors .... she gets pissy . We meet dad for a long lunch at Champ 's and then head home . | Based on what they do when the narrator gets there , who is Leslie most likely to be ? | Sis | ['Daughter', 'Friend', 'Mother'] |
I stopped over at Olympic Pizza on 15th for the first time . I had n't been to this place or the Olympic Pizza in Queen Anne before . I got a small mushroom pizza and found the quantity and quality impressive . It followed the same thick - crust crisp - top model as Acropolis , but the cheese was much more fluid and taste might have even been richer . | How often has the narrator been to this pizza place ? | They have made no prior trips . | ['None of the above choices .', "They 're regulars for the impressive quantity .", 'This is their 15th time .'] |
He had a 12" Sony black-and-white, tuned to MTV, sitting on a chair at the end of the bed. He could barely hear it over the fan in the window. He sat in the middle of the bed because of the sag, drumming along absently to Steve Winwood's "Higher Love."
The sticks were Regal Tip 5Bs. They were thinner than 2Bs--marching band sticks--but almost as long. Over the years Stan had moved farther out over the ends. Now the butts of the sticks fit into the heels of his palms, about an inch up from the wrist. He flipped the right stick away when the phone rang.
"Stan, dude! You want to work tomorrow?"
"Yeah, probably. What have you got, Darryl? You don't sound right."
"Does the name Keven Stacey mean anything to you?"
"Wait a minute." Stan switched the phone to his other ear. "Did you say Keven Stacey? As in Foolsgold, Kevin Stacey? She's going to record at CSR?"
"You heard me." Stan could see Darryl sitting in the control room, feet up on the console, wearing double-knit slacks and a T-shirt, sweat coming up on his balding forehead.
"This is some kind of bullshit, right? She's coming in for a jingle or a PSA."
"No bullshit, Stanley. She's cutting a track for a solo album she's going to pitch to Warner's. Not a demo, but a real, honest-to-Christ track. Probably a single. Now if you're not interested, there's plenty of other drummers in LA..."
"I'm interested. I just don't understand why she wants to fuck with a rinky-dink studio like yours. No offense."
"Don't harsh me, bud. She's hot. She's got a song and she wants to put it in the can. Everybody else is booked. You try to get into Record One or Sunset Sound. Not for six months you won't get in. Even if you're Keven Stacey. You listening, Stan?" He heard Darryl hitting the phone on the edge of the console. "That's the Big Time, dude. Knocking on your door." | What will probably happen after the call? | Stan agrees to work on the record | ['not enough information', 'Darryl finds another drummer', "Stan doesn't want to work for a rinky dink studio"] |
Jimbob Blakey wasn't so much given birth to as clambered right out of his mother himself. He weighed in at almost thirteen pounds, came ready-fitted with a shock of fat black hair and a couple of razor teeth. Jimbob's folks loved him like most folks love their little ones, maybe more. They'd been trying so hard for a child, suffered more mid-term miscarriages than the ewes they shuttled off to market most Thursdays. They dressed him in a one-year babygro and took him home to their hill farm. They fought to get up nights and give him his milk. His teeth made breast-feeding impossible. They sat hours gazing down in his cot. They dressed him fine and took him to their church and gave their thanks. Showed him off like the proud parents they were. Others cooed and smiled. But they never asked to hold. They gave thanks the Blakeys were happy, and that the monkey-baby had not been born to them. Jimbob's folks never gave a second thought that their boy might be different. The first Spring he walked, he stomped the moors in his welly-boots helping herd the pregnant ewes down in-by. He copied his father, kicking and cuffing at the stragglers, when the flock was returned to the hills in May. As Jimbob grew, his hair became thicker, his arms longer. His head shrunk down on his shoulders. At check-ups, nurses fixed smiles and pronounced him healthy. Doctors said, 'he'll make you a strapping lad.' His mother smiled, her heart swelled. When he was three, she sent him to nursery. She wanted him to mix with other kids. To taste life off the hard hills. She said, 'it'll do him the world of good.' Jimbob hated leaving the farm. He clung to his mother. She drove away, blinking tears. On the third day, she took a phone call. 'It's Jimbob,' they said. 'He's scaring the other kids.'The truth hit Jimbob's mother like a hammer. | What is wrong with Jimbob? | not enough information | ['He has a disorder.', 'Nothing.', "He isn't human."] |
I think it was an inside the park home run . < p > Today , Andy Pettitte starts and Mo will throw the last pitch . Before the game , Bernie will stand in center field again . I wish I could be there . | Why do I wish I could be there ? | Because I am a baseball fan . | ['None of the above choices .', 'Because Andy Pettitte starts .', 'Because Mo will throw the last pitch .'] |
"Soon,you're going to have to move out!"cried my neighbor upon seeing the largest tomato plant known to mankind,or at least known in my neighborhood.
One tiny 9-inch plant,bought for $ 1.25 in the spring.has already taken over much of my rose bed,covering much of other plants,and is well on its way to the front door.
Roses require a good deal of care,and if it weren't for the pleasure they give. it wouldn't be worth the work.As it is.I have a garden full of sweet-smelling roses for most of the year.Bushes must be pruned in early spring,leaving ugly woody branches until the new growth appears a few weeks later.It was the space available in the garden that led me into planting just one little tomato plant.A big mistake.
Soil conditions made just perfect for roses turn out be even more perfect for tomatoes.The daily watering coupled with full sun and regular fertilizing have turned the little plant into a tall bush.The cage I placed around it as the plant grew has long since disappeared under the thick leaves.
Now the task I face in harvesting the fruit is twofold.First.I have to find the red ones among the leaves,which means I almost have to stand on my head.and once found I have to reach down and under,pick the tomatoes and withdraw my full fist without dropping the prize so dearly won.I found two full-blown white roses completely hidden as I picked tomatoes in June. But they were weak and the leaves already yellow for lack of light.
Here I am faced with a painful small decision:To tear up a wonderful and productive tomato plant that offers up between ten and twenty ripe sweet tomatoes each day or say goodbye to several expensive and treasured roses.Like Scarlett in Gone With the Wind.I'll think about that tomorrow. | In the situation described in the text,one good thing is that _ . | the writer has a daily harvest of tomatoes | ['the roses cost the writer little money', 'someone will help the writer make the decision', 'the writer can now enjoy both the roses and tomatoes'] |
Today is a very hot day , 91 degrees ! I got paid yesterday so now I can go to the store with confidence!I gave my children there allowance for the month and they were thrilled . Todd called me last night and needed help with his Media Sender but I could not figure out his problem . he said he would send it in for a replacement . | What is the reason getting paid helps your confidence at the store ? | You do n't have to " go without " things you want because you now DO have money . | ['You feel like you can order people around since you have money .', 'None of the above choices .', 'When you have money you can pay the valet at the store .'] |
The garden city was largely the invention of Ebenezer Howard (1850-1928). After immigrating from England to the USA, and an unsuccessful attempt to make a living as a farmer, he moved to Chicago, where he saw the reconstruction of the city after the disastrous fire of 1871. In those days, it was nicknamed "the Garden City", almost certainly the source of Howard's name for his later building plan of towns. Returning to London, Howard developed his design in the 1880s and 1890s, _ ideas that were popular at the time, but creating a unique combination of designs.
The nineteenth-century poor city was in many ways a terrible place, dirty and crowded; but it offered economic and social opportunities. At the same time, the British countryside was in fact equally unattractive: though it promised fresh air and nature, it suffered from agricultural depression and it offered neither enough work and wages, nor much social life. Howard's idea was to combine the best of town and country in a new kind of settlement, the garden city. Howard's idea was that a group of people should set up a company, borrowing money to establish a garden city in the depressed countryside; far enough from existing cities to make sure that the land was bought at the bottom price.
Garden cities would provide a central public open space, radial avenues and connecting industries. They would be surrounded by a much larger area of green belt, also owned by the company, containing not merely farms but also some industrial institutions. As more and more people moved in, the garden city would reach its planned limit-----Howard suggested 32,000 people; then, another would be started a short distance away. Thus, over time, there would develop a vast planned house collection, extending almost without limit; within it, each garden city would offer a wide rang of jobs and services, but each would also be connected to the others by a rapid transportation system, thus giving all the economic and social opportunities of a big city. | How did Howard get the name for his building plan of garden cities? | By using the nickname of the reconstructed Chicago. | ['Through his observation of the country life.', 'Through the combination of different ideas.', "By taking other people's advice."] |
Though hooded and cloaked, Nicolette trembled. The chill of the January afternoon pierced her through, but it was fear, more than the cold, that made her limbs shake. Having just crossed over to the Left Bank, she glanced back over her shoulder and saw the towers and spires of the royal palace across the Seine. She felt as if hidden eyes there were watching her. Could anyone on the palace wall have seen her walk over the Petit-Pont?
Not Amalric. He was still in the south, the King having just appointed him seneschal for Beziers and the surrounding country. But he had so many agents in Paris and allies at court. Except for Agnes, all the servants in the Gobignon town house were loyal to him. His aunt, Queen Blanche, was forever praising him to all who would listen. If Nicolette were involved in scandal, the White Queen would be furious, and would see to it that word reached Amalric. And if indeed he found out about her meeting the troubadour? Just a message, a song, let alone a meeting like this one, could mean death for her and Orlando.
I should turn around right now, cross this bridge, and run back to the palace. The streets of the Latin Quarter were crawling with ruffians and criminals - it was insane for her to be walking here alone after sunset. The sight of the small knife she carried under her cloak might deter an attacker, but then she would be discovered.
If I screamed for help, the whole palace would find out. Blanche would demand to know why I was here. No, she thought, her blood turning to ice, she would know why.
But those eyes of his? to look into them again, was that not worth any risk?
She stood, vacillating, in the shadows by a wooden house that overhung the Rue Saint-Jacques. I must see Orlando, she thought. Over a year now, and I have not been able to forget him. She longed just to be alone with him and have him take her in his arms. | Nicolette had been out of the castle for: | A short amount of time | ['not enough information', 'Decades', 'A year'] |
Once upon a time there was a crook who only thought about how to get money. What he hated most was when people were polite to each other, saying things like "please", "thank you", and "don't mention it".
The crook thought all those kinds of words were a waste, so he spent a lot of time inventing a machine which could steal words. With this machine, he planned to steal "please", "thank you", "don't mention it", and similar words people used to be polite. After he stole these words, he intended to take them apart and sell the letters to book publishers. After he started up his machine, people would open their mouths, intending to say kind and polite things, but nothing came out. All those words ended up inside the big machine.
The crook was happy with his success, but he didn't count on a couple of very special little girls. Those girls were deaf, and had to communicate with sign language. Because the machine couldn't steal gestures, these girls continued being kind and polite. Soon they realized what had been happening to everyone else, and they found out about the crook and his plan. The girls followed him and found the machine busy separating all the words into letters. They approached the machine and started being polite to each other.
Try as it might, the machine couldn't steal those words, and it started to suffer a power overload . Finally, it exploded, sending all the letters it had gathered flying into the sky. These letters started coming down, like rain, and most ended up in the sea. After that, everyone could be polite again.
Seeing all those letters fall into the sea, those little girls had an idea. A little while later they opened a factory, making alphabetic spaghetti soup! | The crook spent a lot of time inventing a machine to _ . | steal words | ['publish books', 'write letters', 'make alphabetic soup'] |
9/11 was right in front of us . It was surrealistic , a bad movie , a movie that even Jerry Bruckheimer would n't , could n't imagine making . We stood there for an incalculable amount of time . We stood in the company of strangers , but no one was a stranger that day . | Why was no one a stranger that day ? | Everyone worked together to escape the rubble . | ['Everyone fended for themselves .', 'Everyone began fighting within the chaos .', 'Everyone focused on their own take on the situation .'] |
Sam turned to see Emma walking towards him , clad in only her red bikini and a towel slung over her left shoulder . His heart leapt at the sight of her moving towards him , hips swaying as she walked . Despite the hot day , her hair was down , wavy curls blowing gently with the breeze coming off the Gulf . Sam let his eyes trail down the length of her , taking in every familiar curve and dip of her body , and took a step towards her . He wanted so much to touch her , hold her in his arms and tell her how much he had missed her . | What will Sam do next ? | Sam will leap forward and embrace Emma tightly . | ['None of the above choices .', 'Sam will smack Emma .', 'Sam will attack Emma .'] |
Hello, Chicago. If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy ,tonight is your answer.
......
I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $ 5 and $ 10 and $ 20 to the cause.
It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy , who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep.
It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth.
This is your victory.
And I know you didn't do this just to win an election. And I know you didn't do it for me.
You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime--two wars, a planet in peril , the worst financial crisis in a century.
Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us.
......
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.
I promise you, we as a people will get there. | This passage is most probably taken from a (an) _ . | speech | ['report', 'lecture', 'announcement'] |
The main character , the guardian Bob is like the new guy in town . He 's from the big city and is trying to protect the net from Viruses . Dot is kinda the town 's matron , she runs it 's social hang out ( the diner ) and is generally in charge of the social network in Mainframe . | What might be what is being described by the poster ? | It is a TV show about computer animated characters in a computer town . | ['None of the above choices .', 'A western movie about a man named Bob and his desire to rid a town of evil .', 'A book about a diner and the types of people who eat there and get viruses .'] |
AND WHY IS IT IN SUCH A DAMN RUSH?Goddamn . I read someone 's first fanfic and remembered my own , and then did a double take and went , " I ' ve been writing fanfiction for six years already ! " I wrote my first fic Nov. 11 , 2002 , and it was a Sailor Moon Sue no less . And then in 2003 I started actually posting stuff ( a year after I signed up for FFN ) . | What do you know about the speaker ? | The speaker loves fan - fiction | ['The speaker protests fan - fiction', 'The speaker hates fan - fiction', 'The speaker thinks fan - fiction is silly'] |
When someone says, "Well, I guess I'll have to go to face the music," it doesn't mean he is planning to go to a concert. It is something far less pleasant, like being called in your boss to explain why you did this and did that, and why you did not do this or that. Terrible music, indeed, but it has to be faced. At some time or another, every one of us has had to "face the music", especially as children. We can remember father's angry voice: "I want to talk to you!" And only because we did not obey him. What an unpleasant business it was!
The phrase "face the music" is known to every American, old and young. It is at least one hundred years old. Where did the expression come from?
The first explanation came from the American novelist James Fenimore Cooper. He said, in 1851, that expression was first used by actors while waiting in the wings to go on stage. After they got their clue to go on , they often said, "It's time to go to face the music." And that is exactly what they did face the orchestra which was just below the stage. An actor might be frightened or nervous as he moved on to the stage in front of the audience that might be friendly, or perhaps unfriendly, especially if he forgot his
. But he had to go out. If he did not, there would be no play. So "face the music" came to mean: having to go through something, no matter how unpleasant the experience might be, because you knew you had no choice. | The expression "face the music" means _ . | have to go through something far less pleasant | ['plan to go to a concert', "get one's clue to do something", "disobey what one's father says"] |
It's exciting to imagine how future humans will have solved the problems we have now, or what amazing new inventions will make our lives more convenient and interesting. We asked top scientists to share their predictions on what the world will be like in a century. If they're right, the 2114 is going to be really cool.
1. Robots will do your chores and more
Robots will be doing most of our jobs, from building homes to teaching math. There are already robots that clean floors and pump gas. In the future they will be more complicated and useful. Unfortunately, with robots taking all the jobs, unemployment will be high.
2. You will read minds.
Speaking of being social, we will communicate in an entirely different way. Forget texts and emails. Mind-reading technology will allow us to send thoughts to each other without speaking a word. We will also be able to send thoughts to objects around us. (Instead of pressing "start" on the microwave, you could just think "start.") Meanwhile, chips implanted(in our brains will improve memory and intelligence.
3. Your car will drive you
Today, around 30,000 Americans die in car accidents each year. One hundred years form now, accidents will be a thing of the past. According to Mark Safford, consultant or the U.S. Department of Transportation, future cars will drive themselves. These electric cars will communicate with other cars on the road to travel safely in close formation at high speeds.
4. You will eat fake meat.
Raising animals is not an efficient way to produce food, and it harms the environment: Cows, chickens, and pigs eat a lot, and then we have to deal with all that poop(. What's more, that poop can up poisoning lakes, rivers, and streams. Today, scientists can "grow" meat in a lab from animal cells, but it's expensive and not very delicious. In the future, they will have perfected the process. You'll order hamburgers that come from factories, not cows. Scientists may even find ways to make lab-grown meat tastier and healthier than the real thing. | What is the passage mainly about? | The predictable future life. | ['The history of human life.', 'The development of science.', 'The latest scientific findings.'] |
What would it be like to take a walk on the surface of Mars? If you could design the tallest building in the world, what would it look like? Do you dream of being the next J.K. Rowling? This summer, you can experience all of these things, and more. All you need is an Internet connection and your imagination.
A recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that kids spend an average of 1 hour and 29 minutes online each day. Many kids like to use that time to chat with friends, play games or check emails. But the next time you get on the Web, try exploring the world instead. "With the Internet, you can go back 11,000 years in time, or go 11,000 kilometers across the planet." said Russell, Web search expert of Google. "The whole scope of history and the world is open to you."
There is a wealth of information to be found online. For example, if your family is going on vacation somewhere,do a quick online search on the area before you even get in the car. "What's the background of the place; what's the history?" says Russell. "I like to tell my kids, 'Whenever you have a question, whenever you have a doubt, search it out.'"
Ready to launch a virtual journey of your own? Here are a few starting points to get you thinking and to help you on your way. You can invite your parents along for the ride, too. Always ask for permission before downloading programs and software onto your computer. And check with a parent or an adult before visiting a new Web site.
Navigate the world in 3D with Google Earth. Begin in outer space and zoom into the streets of any city, from Hong Kong to San Francisco. Or visit ancient monuments, watch the changing rainforests over time, and dive underwater to explore tropical reef.
With the Moon in Google Earth tool, you can walk in Neil Armstrong's famous footsteps. Take a guided tour of the moon's surface with Armstrong's fellow shuttle mate astronaut Buzz Aldrin.
When you're exploring that part of the solar system, hop on over to the Red Planet with Google Mars. There, you can move very quickly around the surface and see images from the Mars Rovers. | How do you travel around the world in a day according to the passage? | By making use of the Internet | ['By taking the time shuttle.', 'By watching 3D films.', 'By finding a tourism company in Google'] |
Do you have that really beautiful , sweet , fairly reserved friend and sometimes they say something so funny , so out - there , so true in a weird way that you giggle about it for days . That happened to me last night . I was talking ear wax ( yes , ear wax ) with some folks and she got very excited . | Why might she have gotten very excited about ear wax ? | it might be a subject she 's very familiar with . | ["it might be a subject she 's very disgusted with .", 'None of the above choices .', "it might be a subject she 's very unfamiliar with ."] |
Have your parents ever inspected your room to see if you cleaned it properly? Imagine having your entire houses, garage, and yard inspected at any time -- with no warning. Inspections were a regular part of lighthouse living, and a keeper's reputation depended on results. A few times each year, an inspector arrived to look over the entire light station. The inspections were supposed to be a surprise, but keeper sometimes had advance notice.
Once lighthouses had telephones, keepers would call each other to warn that the inspector was approaching. After boats began flying special flags noting the inspector aboard, the keeper's family made it a game to see who could notice the boat first. As soon as someone spotted the boat, everyone would do last-minute tidying and change into fancy clothes. The keeper then scurried to put on his dress uniform and cap. Children of keepers remember inspectors wearing white gloves to run their fingers over door frames and windowsills looking for dust.
Despite the serious nature of inspections, they resulted in some funny moments. Betty Byrnes remembered when her mother did not have time to wash all the dishes before an inspection. At the time, people did not have dishwashers in their homes. In an effort to clean up quickly, Mrs. Byrnes tossed all the dishes into a big bread pan, covered them with a cloth and stuck them in the oven. If the inspector opened the oven door, it would look like bread was baking. he never did.
One day, Glenn Furst's mother put oil on the kitchen floor just before the inspector entered their house. Like floor wax, the oil made the floors shiny and helped protect the wood. This time, though, she used a little too much oil. When the inspector extended his hand to greet Glenn's mother, he slipped on the freshly oiled surface. "He came across that floor waving his arms like a young bird attempting its first flight," Glenn late wrote. After he steadied himself, he shook Glenn's mother's hand, and the inspection continued as though nothing had happened. | The family began making preparations immediately after _ . | one of the members saw the boat | ['a warning call reached the lighthouse', 'the keeper put on the dress uniform and cap', 'the inspector flew special flags in the distance'] |
To live a happy, healthy, balanced life, you must learn to focus your energy on well-being. Self-care on all levels should be an integral part of your lifestyle.
There is an abundance of information available about the benefits of eating well and exercising regularly to sustain a healthy mind and body. In fact, I write about both regularly. But today I want to move in a little different direction.
In addition to those two very basic and critical activities, there are a number of other things you can to improve your mental health and overall well-being. By incorporating them into your daily life, you will be better able to manage most challenges – including struggles with self-doubt, anxiety, and mild depression.
Practices that Focus Your Energy on Well-being
Accept Your Feelings
Stuffing or ignoring your emotions is more damaging than it is helpful. Everyone has emotions. They are a natural part of being human. Bottling them up may seem like a good solution in the moment, but when you do it all the time, you are potentially creating a time bomb that will eventually explode.
Unfortunately, you are hurting yourself as you hold them in and you run the risk of hurting those you love when the eruption finally occurs.
Rather than acknowledging what you are feeling and allowing yourself to experience emotions, you may medicate, rationalize, blame, bury, deny, smother, drink, or stuff them (pretend they don’t exist). Emotions have become the enemy and many people will do anything to avoid them – especially the big three: fear, anger and sadness.
It takes a lot of mental, physical and emotional energy to avoiding your feelings and creates high levels of stress and anxiety.
Don’t stuff your emotions!
Let yourself laugh, cry, scream, yell, or pound something (preferably a pillow, grass, sand – not the wall or someone else). Do whatever you need to do, probably in private is the best choice. But, if emotions erupt in public, excuse yourself and let it rip. This is nature’s way of releasing stress. Don’t beat yourself up afterward! | What does the author think people need to do to lead a balanced and healthy life? | learn to focus on your well-being | ['learn to read', 'learn to spend money', 'not enough information'] |
QUEBEC CITY — Emotions were on display when U.S. President Donald Trump met other G-7 leaders at their annual summit in Canada on Friday, but the discussions were civilized and diplomatic, according to sources.
Trump held firm on asserting the United States is disadvantaged when it comes to trade with its European allies.
“The other leaders presented their numbers and Trump presented his,” a G-7 official who spoke on condition of anonymity told the Reuters news agency. “As expected he did not budge. This is probably not because he does not understand, but because of domestic reasons.”
At a bilateral meeting later with the summit's host, Justin Trudeau, the U.S. president joked that the Canadian prime minister had agreed to “cut all tariffs.”
Despite the two leaders exchanging criticism of each other’s trade policies the previous day, Trump described the cross-border relationship as very good, stating “we’re actually working on cutting tariffs and making it all very fair for both countries. And we’ve made a lot of progress today. We’ll see how it all works out.”
In a subsequent sit-down meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump said “the United States has had a very big trade deficit for many years with the European Union and we are working it out. And Emmanuel’s been very helpful in that regard.”
Macron responded that he had a “very direct and open discussion” with Trump and "there is a critical path that is a way to progress all together.”
Canada’s foreign minister, Chrystia Freeland, confirms she met on Friday with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to discuss the tariffs and the fate of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). She said Canada, however, will not change its mind about the U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs which she termed “illegal.”
Trump imposed the tariffs on the grounds that weak domestic industries could affect U.S. national security.
America’s closest allies, Canada, Mexico and the European Union, are introducing retaliatory tariffs. | What policy was discussed jokingly at the bilateral meeting with Trudeau and Trump? | tariffs | ['immigration', 'abortion', 'not enough information'] |
A year ago August, Dave Fuss lost his job driving a truck for a small company in west Michigan.His wife,Gerrie,was still working in the local school cafeteria,but work for Dave was scarce,and the price of everything was rising.The Fusses were at risk of joining the millions of Americans who have lost their homes in recent years.Then Dave and Gerrie received a timely gift-$7,000,a legacy from their neighbors Ish and Arlene Hatch,who died in an accident."It really made a difference when we were going under financially.''says Dave.
But the Fusses weren't the only folks in Alto and the neighboring town of Lowell to receive unexpected legacy from the Hatches.Dozens of other families were touched by the Hatches'generosity.In some cases,it was a few thousand dollars;in other, it was more than $100,000.
It surprised nearly everyone that the Hatches had so much money, more than $ 3 milliorr-they were an elderly couple who lived in an old house on what was left of the family farm.
Children of the Great Depression,Ish and Arlene were known for their habit of saving. They thrived on comparison shopping and would routinely go from store to store,checking prices before making a new purchase.
Through the years,the Hatches paid for local children to attend summer camp when their Darents couldn't afford it."Ish and Arlene never asked if you needed anything,"says their friend Sand Van Weelden,"They could see things they could do to make you happier, and they would do them.
Even more extraordinary was that the Hatches had their farmland distributed.It was the Hatches' wish that their legacy-a legacy of kindness as much as one of dollars and cents----should enrich the whole community and last for generations to come.
Neighbors helping neighbors----hat was Ish and Arlene Hatch's story. | Which of the following is true of the Hatches? | They helped their neighbors to find jobs. | ['They had their children during the Great Depression.', 'They left the family farm to live in an old house.', 'They gave away their possessions to their neighbors.'] |
Visitors can find a small, old house called the O. Henry Museum in central Austin, Texas. William Sydney Porter(1862-1910)----better known as O. Henry, was one of America's best loved writers of short stories. Beginning in 1893, he lived here. It was saved from destruction, moved, and turned into a museum in 1934. The museum is a good way to learn about the interesting life of him.
William Porter rented this house and lived with his wife and daughter for about two years. Many objects in the museum belonged to the Porters. Others did not, but are in the house to recreate the way it looked during their lifetime.
Porter worked at a pharmacy, farm, land office and bank. He also loved words and writing. The museum has special proof of Porter's love of language---his dictionary. It's said that he read every word in it. Porter started a small publication called "The Rolling Stone". He wasn't being published early on, so he published himself. His funny stories, poems, and drawings were published in the magazine. But it was too costly to continue for long, so he closed the project after about one year.
Other troubles would lead the Porters to leave Austin. Porter was accused of financial wrongdoing at the bank and lost his job. Fearing a trial, he fled the country. But he returned because his wife was dying. After her death, he faced trial and was found guilty. He served three and a half years in a federal prison in Ohio.
Porter would keep his time in prison a secret. But there was one good thing about it. It provided him with time to write. By the time of his release, he had published 14 stories and was becoming well-known as O. Henry.
Porter would later move to New York City and find great success there. He published over 380 stories in the last eight years of his life. | What can be inferred from the passage? | O. Henry didn't start his career as a successful writer when living in central Austin. | ["Most of O. Henry's short stories were finished in prison.", 'O. Henry was born in a small, old house which is called the O. Henry Museum now.', 'O. Henry spent his last life in the small, old house in Texas.'] |
Naaaaaaap . And I would , if I did n't have pee - soaked laundry to do.5 ) Predicted date for getting over this whole peed - on - at - a - wedding thing : oh , never.6 ) While here , Jay insisted on wearing my boots . My four - sizes - too - small , knee - high pink plaid rubber rain boots . | How may I be feeling about the wedding ? | Angry | ['Grateful', 'Excited', 'Happy'] |
In 1996 I wanted to buy a Honda Civic. I went to the local dealer. "Oh, you want a Civic, do you?" said the fellow. "And I suppose you'd also like us to throw in a couple of front-row Superbowl tickets? Haw! Haw! Haw! Haw!"
When his laughter ended, he explained that the Civic was such a hit in Europe that Honda was getting an extra $ 2,000 per car there, making Civic practically unavailable in the States. But he did offer to let me add my name to the waiting list--if I agreed to pay $1,000 over the sticker price.
When Honda dealerships No. 2 and No. 3 gave me the same story, I was ready to try anything. I carefully looked over to www.autobytel.com. For a _ like me, Auto-By-Tel's scheme is nearly irresistible. You indicate the car you want to buy, compete with the freedom to choose. The nearest participating car dealer mails you back with a cut rate offer. There's no charge for any of this -- and no obligation to accept the offer. It surely seemed no less to me.
Sure enough, two days later, a dealer 30 minutes away wrote me. "Unfortunately, 96 Civics are in very short supply," his message said, "The best we can offer you is $1,200 under sticker price. "I was in happiness. Ah! Bliss! Ah, saving! Ah, revenge!
When I picked up the car, it got better. Since there was no haggling , the dealership fellow was friendly and congratulatory instead of everything. Now this, I thought, is the way to buy a car.
Auto-By-Tel makes money by charging a fee to each participating dealer. The dealers make money by receiving hundreds of ready-to-buy customer names off the Web. And you save money because your price doesn't reflect advertising, test drives, sales commissions, and so on.
My only regret is that I didn't think up Auto-By-Tel first. | What do you think of the Auto-By-Tel? | It is good at the business. | ['It makes money by not giving taxes.', 'It is good at advertising.', 'It makes money by cheating customers.'] |
Back in the lobby , I noticed a sign : ELEVATOR TO OBSERVATION TOWER . Was it possible for us to go up ? Used to Washington , DC , I expected to be challenged , or searched by a bored - yet - hostile security guard , but no one seemed concerned by the sight of me , Mr. McP and Mad Scientist waiting for the elevator on the opposite side of the lobby from where there elevators were for citizens with legitimate business in City Hall . | What may be the reason why they did n't get searched ? | They did n't look suspicious . | ['They bribed the guards .', "They do n't search people anymore .", 'They were searched at the front door .'] |
For some who lost their homes , and a loved one , things will never be the same again . But life must go on and for families , getting kids back in school is the big question . HISD schools likely will not re - open for a week to 10 days because of Hurricane Ike , said Superintendent Abe Saavedra today . | Why , despite the hurricane being over , is the school unable to open for a week to ten days ? | The school buildings were left in some state of damage due to the hurricane . | ['The town can not afford the financial burden of opening immediately ,', 'None of the above choices .', 'The school needs to be rebuilt following the devastation from the hurricane .'] |
Hours & Admission
Open Daily 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. except major holidays (see below)
July and August only - Thursdays until 7:00 p.m.
Please Note: all MIT Museum sites are wheelchair accessible.
Admission beginning July l, 2013
Adults: $10.00; youth under 18, students, seniors: $5:00; children under age 5: free
Admission is free the last Sunday of each month, all day, from September 2013 -June 2014
Evening programs are free with Museum Admission
Visit our Partner Organizations pages for more information about discounts .
Closed, 2013:
January l: New Year's Day
May 27: Memorial Day
July 4: Independence Day
September 2: Labor Day
November 28: Thanksgiving Day
December 24 & 25: Christmas Eve & Christmas Day
December 31: Early Closing for New Year's Day | The information you read above is probably about _ . | a museum | ['a cinema', 'a park', 'a cafe'] |
Juliette Murray was, like me, a kid at school who got 5 “A”s, which in the West of Scotland put a certain degree of pressure on one’s shoulders to study either medicine or law. I studied European Law, and became a teacher - that's what a European Law degree does to you. She studied medicine and is today a practicing doctor, but the education bug is firmly rooted in what she chose to do next.
Murray noticed that, particularly in her local area, fewer students were applying to study medicine than the population number would suggest should. Not only that, nationally the number of medical students dropping out after beginning their course of study is increasing. She wondered if we might we persuade a more representative cross section of the community to become doctors.
She set about improving the opportunities for local youngsters, aged 14/5, at the time of their work experience choices. Existing work experience for those who want to gain an insight into the world of medical doctors is a sanitised course in an educational skills centre, where bored teenagers endlessly take each other’s blood pressure. They have more chance of a realistic insight by breaking their arm and turning up to Accident and Emergency. As any dad-to-be donning surgical greens knows, getting into an operating theatre is where a passion for surgery will be born or, in my case, definitely put to one side as a career option. So, the question became: how might we offer a more realistic experience of what being a doctor, surgeon or other medical profession feels like?
Starting with her local hospital, Wishaw General in NHS Lanarkshire, she set about overcoming what she describes as a “culture of obstacles”. Two years later, though, and students are indeed undertaking real life surgery work experience, experiencing a live operation theatre and seeing the pressure of the job first hand. | What grade does the author teach? | not enough information | ['Grades 1-5', 'Grades 6-8', 'Grades 9-12'] |
Every time the text sound comes out of my phone or the phone rings I rush to it immediately in hopes that it 's her . I should be scared ... I ' ve never needed anyone so much in my life . An I ' ve never felt so incomplete without someone . | What may happen if I check the phone and it is n't her ? | I may be very disappointed | ['I may be very happy', 'I may want to turn off sounds on my phone', 'I may get scared'] |
It was AWESOME ! Then SoundGuy came home and ruined it all . But at least I had my morning ! Yesterday , our data retrieval guy called and reported he was able to get everything off our crashed drive . | What has led the data retrieval guy to try to recover the files from the damaged hardrive ? | He has been paid by the speaker to recover important photos and files that they have lost | ['None of the above choices .', 'He is a scammer , and is trying to recover bank passwords and financial details', 'He has been hired as a private investigator to recover lude photos of the speaker'] |
Light dappled through the trees in the family courtyard, painting shadows on the paving stones. Li Reiko knelt by her son to look at his scraped knee.
"I just scratched it." Nawi squirmed under her hands.
Her daughter, Aya, leaned over her shoulder studying the healing. "Maybe Mama will show you her armor after she heals you."
Nawi stopped wiggling. "Really?"
Reiko shot Aya a warning look, but her little boy's dark eyes shone with excitement. Reiko smiled. "Really." What did tradition matter? "Now let me heal your knee." She laid her hand on the shallow wound.
"Ow."
"Shush." Reiko closed her eyes and rose in the dark space within her mind.
In her mind's eye, Reiko took her time with the ritual, knowing it took less time than it appeared. In a heartbeat, green fire flared out to the walls of her mind. She dissolved into it as she focused on healing her son.
When the wound closed beneath her hand, she sank to the surface of her mind.
"There." She tousled Nawi's hair. "That wasn't bad, was it?"
"It tickled." He wrinkled his nose. "Will you show me your armor now?"
She sighed. She should not encourage his interest in the martial arts. His work would be with the histories that men kept, and yet... "Watch."
Pulling the smooth black surface out of the ether, she manifested her armor. It sheathed her like silence in the night. Aya watched with obvious anticipation for the day when she earned her own armor. Nawi's face, full of sharp yearning for something he would never have, cut Reiko's heart like a new blade.
"Can I see your sword?"
She let her armor vanish back into thought. "No." Reiko brushed his hair from his eyes. "It's my turn to hide, right?" | Who summoned the armor from the ether? | Li Reiko | ['Nawi', 'Aya', 'not enough information'] |
In its latest step to attract Chinese smartphone users, e-commerce company Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. said it is planning to launch a mobile gaming service soon.
Alibaba is considering integrating its new mobile gaming service into its messaging app, Laiwang, as well as its Mobile Taobao app for online shopping, a person familiar with the matter said. It is also planning to launch the gaming service as a standalone app, the person said.
In the world of gaming and other mobile-based services, Alibaba faces powerful competitor Tencent Holdings Ltd., a giant in online gaming and social networking services. Many analysts view Tencent as a leader in mobile-based businesses in China because of its popular WeChat instant-messaging app, which has over 272 million monthly active users worldwide according to the company. Tencent could use WeChat's massive user base to offer additional mobile services such as gaming or e-commerce, analysts say.
Alibaba's push into mobile-based services hasn't always been smooth. It launched Laiwang more than a year ago, but the app, which competes against WeChat, struggled to gain popularity. In September, a person familiar with the situation said Alibaba was in talks with China Telecom Corp., to have the app preinstalled in smartphones sold by the country's third-largest mobile carrier. According to Alibaba, Laiwang had more than 10 million registered users as of November.
Alibaba dominates China's e-commerce market with its Taobao and Tmall shopping sites, but one of the biggest challenges it faces is how to hold onto its vast user base when more Chinese Internet users access online services from smartphones. To meet this challenge, Alibaba has made several acquisitions to strengthen its mobile-based services. Last year, it took an 18% stake in Sina Corp.'s Twitter-like Weibo service and integrated some of Taobao's e-commerce services with the microblog. It also bought a 28% stake in mobile mapping firm AutoNavi Holdings Ltd., a move that could enable Alibaba to send location-based ads to smartphone users. | Where can the passage above most probably be found ? _ | In a financial magazine | ['In a product booklet', 'In a travel journal', 'In an investment report'] |
would ' ve really loved to . normally i would ' ve said yes , but today i ' m just too plain tired , and besides my room is in such a mess that i really really need to clean it up . part of the reason why i ' ve done nothing else but stare at the screen is because then i can avoid looking at the rest of the dump that i ' m sitting amongst . | Why ca n't the narrator stop staring at the screen ? | They are irritated by their room . | ['They are too plain tired .', 'Because their kitchen is a mess .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
A glass a day keeps obesity at bay. Alcohol has always been thought to cause weight gain because of its high sugar content, but new research suggests a glass a day could form part of a diet. Looking at past studies they found that, while heavy drinkers do put on weight, those who drink _ can actually lose weight.
A spokesman for the research team at Navarro University in Spain says, "Light to moderate alcohol intake, especially of wine, may be more likely to protect against, rather than promote, weight gain". The International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research reviewed the findings and agreed with most of the conclusions, particularly that current data do not clearly indicate if moderate drinking increases weight.
Boston University's Dr. Harvey Finkel found that the biologic mechanisms relating alcohol to changes in body weight are not properly understood. His team pointed out the strong protective effects of moderate drinking on the risk of getting conditions like diabetes ,which relate to increasing obesity. Some studies suggest that even very obese people may be at lower risk of diabetes if they are moderate drinkers.
The group says alcohol provides calories that are quickly absorbed into the body and are not stored in fat, and that this process could explain the differences in its effects from those of other foods. They agree that future research should be directed towards assessing the roles of different types of alcoholic drinks, taking into consideration drinking patterns and including the past tendency of participants to gain weight.
For now there is little evidence that consuming small to moderate amounts of alcohol on a regular basis increases one's risk of becoming obese. What's more, a study three years ago suggested that resveratrol, a compound present in grapes and red wine, destroys fat cells. | What can we learn from the passage? | The research found moderate drinking has a strong protective effect. | ['The specific roles of different types of alcoholic drinks are very clear.', 'Resveratrol is proved to increase the risk of becoming fat.', 'Current data clearly show that moderate drinking increases weight.'] |
Is there clear boundary between science and the liberal arts as a major for college students? The question of whether our government should promote science and technology or the liberal arts in higher education is not an either / or proposition , although the current emphasis on preparing young Americans for STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths) -related fields can make it seem that way.
The latest congressional report acknowledges the critical importance of technical training, but also stresses that the study of the humanities and social sciences must remain central elements of America's educational system at all levels. Both are critical to producing citizens who can participate effectively in our democratic society, become innovative leaders, and benefit from the spiritual enrichment that the reflection on the great ideas of mankind over time provides.
Parents and students who have invested heavily in higher education worry about graduates' job prospects as technological advances and changes in domestic and global markets transform professions in ways that reduce wages and cut jobs. Under this circumstances, it's natural to look for what may appear to be the most "practical" way out of the problem. "Major in a subject designed to get you a job" seems the obvious answer to some, though this ignores the fact that many disciplines in the humanities characterized as "soft" often, in fact, lead to employment and success in the long run. Indeed, according to surveys, employers have expressed a preference for students who have received a broadly-based education that has taught them to write well, think critically, research creatively, and communicate easily.
Moreover, students should be prepared not just for their first job, but for their 4th and 5th jobs, as there is little reason to doubt that people entering the workforce today will be called upon to play many different roles over the course of their careers. The ones who will do the best in this new environment will be those whose educations have prepared them to be flexible. The ability to draw upon every available tool and insight - picked up from science, arts, and technology - to solve the problems of the future, and take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves, will be helpful to them and the United States. | What advice does the author give to college students? | Prepare themselves for different job options. | ['Try to take a variety of practical courses.', 'Adopt a flexible approach to solving problems.', 'Seize opportunities to tap their potential.'] |
Tests can be stressful even for the most prepared students,and,unfortunately,test anxiety can actually have a negative impact on your performance.(Just having that knowledge adds to the stress,doesn't it?)Well,the following tips can help you get through your next test with much greater ease--and likely more success!
Get Enough Sleep
Getting 6 hours of less can put you into what's called a sleep deficit,or lack of sufficient sleep,which can actually make you less sharp mentally and thus negatively affect your performance on tests,even if you spent those missed hours of sleep studying.So it's very important for you to get all of your studying done so you can get a good night of sleep before your big day.
Study Smarter
Being organized with your studies can help you keep from pulling all-nighters to get all of your studying in and blowing the test because you're exhausted.How do you study 'smarter'? Make a list of the most important things you need to learn,in order of importance,and hit the items at the top of the list first.That way,if you run out of time,you're mostly covered.Make a list of all the work you have to do,estimate how much time each item will take,and compare that with the amount of hours you have available;this will tell you if you can carefully read or just skim,how many times you can afford to revise papers,and other ways to pace yourself so you can get everything done.If you're pressed for time,it's important to learn to let go of being perfect.Oh,and turn off the TV as much as possible until your tests are behind you.
Visualize Success
Before you fall asleep each night,it is a great way to visualize yourself taking the tests and doing wonderfully.Detailed visualizations can help you feel like you're really experiencing something,and visualizing yourself doing well is a way to 'practice' success in a way that can actually help you perform better and feel confident.Being confident as you take your exams can keep you from choking because of the stress.Visualizations can also help you to remember facts: you can create detailed scenarios that involve the information you're trying to remember,and this can help cement the facts in your memory.
Stay Calm
Because stress can impair your memory,it's important to stay calm before and during tests.While that's easier said than done,there are several stress relief techniques that can help you calm down quickly whenever you feel overwhelmed.For example,breathing exercise has been shown by research to reduce test anxiety,and can be extremely effective in helping you relax and reverse your stress response in a variety of situations: just take deep breaths,expanding your belly on the inhale,and let the stress come out with your exhales. | According to the passage,which part can help build up your confidence? | Visualize Success | ['Get Enough Sleep', 'Study Smarter', 'Stay Calm'] |
Regarded as one of the English language's most gifted poets, John Keats wrote poetry that concentrated on imagery, human nature, and philosophy. Although Keats didn't receive much formal literary education, his own studies and passion brought him much success. Additionally, his own life situation influenced his poetry greatly.
Growing up as a young boy in London in a lower middle-class family, the young John didn't attend a private school, but went to a public one. His teachers and his family's friends regarded him as an optimistic boy who favored playing and fighting much more than minding his studies. After his father's death in the early 1800s, followed by his mother's passing due to tuberculosis , he began viewing life differently. He wanted to escape the world and did so by reading anything he could get his hands on.
At around the age of 16, the teenage John Keats began studying under a surgeon so that he too might become a doctor. However, his literary appetite had taken too much of his fancy, especially with his addiction to the poetry of Ehmund Spenser. He was able to have his first full poem published in the Examiner in 1816, entitled O Solitude! If I Must With Thee Dwell. Within two months in 1817, Keats had written an entire volume of poetry, but was sharply criticized by a magazine. However, the negative response didn't stop his pursuit of rhythm .
John Keats' next work was Endymion, which was published in May 1818. The story involves a shepherd who falls in love with the moon goddess and leads him on an adventure of one boy's hope to overcome the limitations of being human. Following Engymion, however, he tried something more narrative-based and wrote Isabella. During this time, John Keats began seeing his limitations in poetry due to his own limit in life experiences. He would have to have the "knowledge" associated with his poems. His next work was Hyperion that would attempt to combine all that he learned. However, a bout with tuberculosis while visiting Italy would keep him from his work and eventually take his life in 1821. | What can we infer from the passage? | The poem Hyperion wasn't completed by Keats. | ["Keats' family must have been very poor when he was young.", "Edmund Spenser was the greatest poet in Keats' time.", 'It is likely that Keats rewrote his poem Isabella.'] |
Human beings have a natural desire to explore the unknown. People with a strong interest in space like to say it is the last place left to explore. But scientists are warning that space exploration for long periods is not going to be easy. They say the human body is not designed to stay in space over an extended period.
The New York Times recently published a report about scientists who are preparing astronauts for a trip to the Moon. The newspaper said the scientists want to make sure that their crews return home in good health. But there are many problems to be solved before people are ready for long trips to the Moon, an asteroid or even the planet Mars.
Humans developed on a planet with a surface that is more than 70 percent water. Our bodies are also about 70 percent water. When there is no gravity that water moves up toward the head, raising pressure in the skull. Arms and legs grow weaker at what is called zero gravity because they no longer need to push against the force of gravity.
Five years ago, astronauts who spent weeks in space reported a change in their eyesight. These astronauts were members of the crew on the International Space Station. Research showed a change in the shape of their eyes. Normally-round eyeballs had become flat during time in space. The research also showed that the right eye was affected more than the left, and that men were more affected than women. Scientists could not find an explanation for the differences.
Bone loss was one of the problems first reported by astronauts returning to Earth after longer stays in space. So scientists designed exercise machines to use on the space station. Tests showed that the exercise equipment helped space travelers keep their bones almost as strong as when they left Earth.
There are other health issues for astronauts who spend a long time in space. They may have problems eating and sleeping. But the biggest health issue is exposure to radiation. On Earth, human beings are protected by the atmosphere and the planet's magnetic field. In outer space, there is no such protection. | Why did scientists design exercise machines to use on the space station? | To help astronauts keep their bones almost as strong as when they left Earth. | ['To make sure that their crews return home in good health.', 'To help astronauts get ready for long trips to the Moon, an asteroid or even the planet Mars.', 'To let astronauts adapt to the environment of space.'] |
It may seem as though the 2020 U.S. presidential election is a long way off. But good luck telling that to President Donald Trump or a dozen or so Democrats contemplating a White House bid two years from now.
Trump has already been out on the campaign trail testing themes for his expected re-election bid. "Our new slogan for 2020. Do you know what it is? Keep America great!" Trump told cheering supporters at a recent rally in Elkhart, Indiana.
But Trump also made it clear he is concerned about this year's congressional midterm elections, in which opposition Democrats are favored to make gains.
"And all of the great momentum that we are having as a country on jobs, on safety, on security, on our military — it is all at stake in November," Trump warned at the Indiana rally.
2020 is expected to produce a bumper crop of Democratic presidential contenders who will vie for their party's nomination. Those in the group range from the well-known like former Vice President Joe Biden and 2016 contender Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont to a younger, less recognizable contingent that includes California Senator Kamala Harris and New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
Several potential Democratic presidential contenders spoke about the party's future at a recent conference in Washington hosted by the Center for American Progress, a Democratic-leaning public policy institute in Washington.
Among the speakers was Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, who said Democrats face an uphill battle to win back control of Congress this year because of long-standing Republican advantages in winning a majority in the House of Representatives.
"We can't climb that hill by ignoring the millions of Americans who are angry and scared about the damage this president and this Republican Party have done to our democracy," Warren told the conference to a round of applause. "We can't ignore it and we shouldn't want to ignore it." | Where did democrats speak about the party's future? | washington | ['not enough information', 'vermont', 'new york'] |
Does your older brother think he's cleverer than you ? Well, he's probably right. According to a new research published in the journal Intelligence, the oldest children in families are likely to have the highest IQs and the youngest the lowest.
A number of studies have suggested that IQ scores decline with birth order. In the most recent study, at Vrije University, Amsterdam, researchers looked at men and women whose IQ had been tested at the ages of 5,12 ,and 18.
The results , which show a trend for the oldest to score better than the youngest in each test, involved about 200,000 people. That showed that first-borns had a three-point IQ advantage over the second-born, who was a point ahead of the next in line.
The order of birth can also affect personality, achievement, and career, with first-borns being more academically successful and more likely to win Nobel prizes. However, eldest children are less likely to be radical and pioneering. Charles Darwin, for example, was the fifth child of six.
Exactly why there should be such differences is not clear, and there are a number of theories on environmental influences on the child.
The so-called dilution theory suggests that as family resources, both emotional and physical, as well as economic, are limited, it follows that, as a result , as more children come along, the levels of parental attention and encouragement will drop. Another theory is that the intellectual environment in the family favors the first-born who has, at least for some time, the benefit of individual care and help.
The theory which enjoys the most support is that the extra time and patience that the earlier-borns get from their parents, compared with those arriving later, gives them an advantage. | What do we know about the dilution theory? | Parents' attention will drop with more children coming | ['Intellectual parents love the first -born better', 'Family resources, both emotional and physical are endless.', 'First-born get less care and help from their parents.'] |
Following the success of S. H. E and Twins, another girl band . has arrived on the music scene. Eighteen-year-old Singaporean twin sisters Yumi and Miko Bai create the magic in the band BY2.
The pair recently released their second album, Twins.
With great voices and dance moves to match, the cute sisters have won the hearts of many fans since their first album NC-16 came out last year.
At a young age,the sisters began to learn ballet dancing and the violin. When a music company wanted to work with them, the girls had to leave their home and parents to go to Taiwan for training.
Miko and Yumi dropped out of school to focus on their music. This decision caused a hot debate in Singapore. Some people said that their mother was using her daughters to make money. But their father, who died of cancer when they were 15 years old, had encouraged the girls to work hard to make their dreams come true.
The girls felt lonely in Taiwan when they first arrived. " We celebrated our birthday in Taiwan without any family and friends," Yumi said. " We cut our birthday cake ourselves. "
The girls faced many challenges. "We had to learn Mandarin. Also, it was a killer to dance in high heels, " said the twins,who had to do so in their music videos.
However,they are glad that they entered the entertainment scene at an early age. " When we are younger, we learn things faster and can gain more experience, " Yumi said. | The pair went to Taiwan to _ . | learn more music and dancing | ['start a new life', 'work for a music company', 'practice ballet dancing'] |
When I was about ten years old, I was walking down the street with my mother. She stopped to speak to Mr. Lee. I knew I could see Mr. Lee any time around the neighborhood, so I didn't pay any attention to him. After we passed Mr. Lee, my mother stopped me and said something that has stuck with me from that day until now. She said seriously, "You let that be the last time you've ever walked by somebody and not opened up your mouth to speak, because even a dog will wag its tail when it passes you on the street." Mother's words sound simple, but it's been a guidepost for me and the foundation of who I am.
It's not just something I believe in; it's a way of life. I believe that every person deserves to feel someone acknowledge their presence, no matter how humble they may be.
At work, I always said hello to the founder of the company and ask him how our business was doing. But I also spoke to the people who cleaned the buildings and asked how their children were doing. After a few years of greeting the founder, I had the courage to ask him for a meeting. We had a great talk. At a certain point I asked him how far he thought I could go in his company. He said, "If you want to, you can get all the way to this seat."
I've become vice president, but it hasn't changed the way I approach people. I still follow my mother's advice. I speak to everyone I see, no matter where I am. I've learned that speaking to people creates a pathway into their world, and it allows them to come into mine, too. | What did the author do when he met Mr. Lee? | He ignored him. | ['He talked with somebody else.', 'He was attracted by a dog.', 'He greeted him politely.'] |
"Sometimes," he said, squatting down by the fire and holding his hands to the open flame, "I think that I hear voices from the other side."
"Voices, Sartas?" someone laughed. "And what do these voices say to you, lad?"
"Were they women's voices?" asked another, his leering face looming up out of the darkness and into the sallow glow of the firelight. "Perhaps some fair-haired temptress willing to relieve you of the weighty burden of your virginity." More laughter, lecherous in tone, and quickly joined by a chorus of rough and lustful glee, which in the closeness of the dark seemed almost feral and far less than mere jest and honest teasing.
"I can't speak as to whether they were male or female," said Sartas, trying hard to keep the tremor of embarrassment from his voice. "But it did sound at times like laughter. Of the sort that good men share about a fire and over a meal." He assayed a grin as he cast his gaze over his colleagues.
"No doubt a fiction of the sun," offered Tavarius in a commiserating tone. He sat across from the young guard, idly poking at food on the beaten metal plate that was set at his feet. He skewered a square of meat with the tip of his long knife and lifted it to his lips, holding it poised before his mouth a moment before finally clamping square, yellowed teeth about it and pulling it free with a jerk.
"It wasn't the sun," Sartas retorted petulantly.
Tavarius shrugged, then wiped a trail of juice from his chin with the back of one hand and said, "Be careful, lad." He waggled the blade of his knife back and forth in the young man's direction, frowning with intense sagacity. "You'd be wise to consider spending less time out there in the heat of day, tramping back and forth as though you were guarding the King's own jewels. All that sweating and panting. And for what?" He snorted and shook his head. "Such devotion may well be admirable in some quarters, boy, but you'll curry no favor here with that sort of attitude." | After the end of the passage, Sartas is: | made feel uncomfortable by the other guards | ['enthusiastic', 'not enough information', 'ecstatic'] |
The woman at the airline ticket counter in prefix = st1 /Munich,Germany, just shook her head. "I'm sorry, but there's no more availability on this flight," she said. God, I thought. My husband, Bob, and I had enjoyed every moment of our dream vacation, two weeks in Europe, but I was ready to go home toShreveport,Louisiana, and sleep in my own bed. Bob could see how frustrated I was. "We'll just have to try to get on the flight tomorrow," he said. "Let's enjoy the extra day."
My son Joe, a First Lieutenant in the Army 82nd Airborne Division , would be returning to Ft. Bragg in North Carolina for a short rest and recovery from his tour of duty in Baghdad, and we weren't sure we'd be able to see him in the little time he'd be stateside. Plus, the time was so up in the air! Back at our hotel, I checked my e-mail to see if our daughter-in-law Monica had any news on when Joe was due to arrive. Sure enough, there was a message. "Joe's been delayed again," it read.
The next morning we made it onto our flight back to the States. Unfortunately, we had to stop in Atlanta. Our connecting flight there was delayed because of bad weather. The hours passed. I felt the frustration building. "That's it!" I finally said. "I just want to get home!"
That's when I saw a group of soldiers coming down the ramp from one of the gates. I thought of Joe. They're coming back from a war, I reminded myself, while I'm coming back from vacation. What right do I have to be frustrated? Maybe the troops were God's way of reminding me to trust in his time. Bob grabbed my arm. "Look at those soldiers coming down the ramp."
"I see them," I said. Bob persisted, "Do you see who's in front?" Suddenly, all those delays across all those miles made perfect sense. I rushed toward my son Joe's open arms. | The author felt frustrated because_. | the bad weather had made their connecting flight delay | ["their flight couldn't land as a result of bad weather", 'the bad weather caused their flight to be put off an hour', "they didn't wait for their son Joe to match on the airport"] |
Surfing the Internet for fun will make you a better employee, according to an Australian study.
The University of Melbourne study shows that people who use the Internet for their own reasons at work are about 9 percent more productive than those who do not. Study author Brent Coker said, "Surfing the Internet at times helps increase workers' attention."
"People need to relax for a bit to get back their attention," Coker said on the university's website. "Having a short break, such as a quick surfing of the Internet, helps the mind to rest itself, leading to a higher total Internet attention for a day's work, and as a result, increases productivity ," he said.
According to the study of 300 workers, 70 percent of people who use the Internet at work surf the Internet for their own reasons during office hours. Among the most popular surfing activities are searching for information about products, reading online news, playing online games and watching videos. "Firms spend a lot of money on software to _ their workers from watching videos, using social networking sites or shopping online," said Coker. "That's not always a good idea."
However, Coker said the study looked at people who surfed the Internet in moderation , or were on the Internet for less than 20 percent of their total time in the office. "Those who spend too much time surfing the Internet will have a lower productivity than those without." he said. | What does the University of Melbourne study mainly show? | Surfing the Internet for fun during office hours increases productivity. | ['People who surf the Internet are good workers.', 'Not everyone surfs the Internet for fun during office hours.', "The Internet is becoming more and more important in people's life."] |
Q: On Facebook, my friends are a mix of real-life pals, former classmates, professional colleagues, extended-family members, and ... my mom. Mom is the first to like and comment on everything I post, which is annoying. I tried talking to her about it, but her feelings quickly got hurt, so I backed off. I know I can't block her, but now I don't want to post anything. How do I handle this?
A: This is about Facebook, not your mom. The often-shrugged-off truth about social media is that nothing is private. It's easy to forget this, so in a way, you're lucky that your mom is reminding you. Everything you post--comments, likes, photos--is freely available to future friends, employers, lovers etc unless blocked. That said, you can ask Mom again nicely to tone it down. You can also customize your controls so she can't see everything you post.
Q: In which situations am I required to make a phone call versus send a text message?
A: A text is for information--time, date, news. It's for the stuff you can keep short and sweet. A phone call is for analysis, discussion, opinion, and, if you must, gossip.
Q: I'm always on Facebook, so I just send messages to friends through the site. But when should I log off and send an e-mail?
A: When you're serious about anything. Think of it as chatting with someone on a bus versus asking her to meet you for coffee. The former is good for casual conversation; the latter is personal and requires attention.
Q: For which occasions should I mail paper invitations versus send e-mail ones? (E-cards are free and easy--what's not to love?!)
A: Anything important needs a paper invitation. That's your baseline. So ask yourself: "Do I want people to dress up for this event?" If the answer is yes, dress up your invitation by making it printed instead of virtual. For more casual events and gatherings, e-card away.
Q: Is using emoticons ever inappropriate to express a feeling or make a point in texts or e-mails?
A: Emoticons are for fun. Is the message you're writing fun? Use an emoticon. Are you asking for a big favor? Skip it. Is the message to your boss or a colleague? Skip it. Avoid them if you want to be taken seriously about anything.
Q: I have a big, happy announcement to share with a lot of people. Is it appropriate to share it on my blog?
A: Yes, so you don't have to go cc-ing everyone in an e-mail. Post away. But send a private message to those who should know first.
Q: I have a big, sad announcement. What should I do?
A: Respect your privacy--and yourself. Pick up the phone and call a trusted friend or family member to let her know, and then ask her to help spread the news offline. | According to the passage, how would you make it known that you have won a scholarship to Harvard? | Telling your parents before posting it on your blog. | ['Arranging for a social gathering to celebrate it.', 'Informing your teachers who may help you spread.', 'Sending everyone a message privately to share it.'] |
Sometimes , actually every time ... I wonder why I am here . Not an existential crises kind of thing , but just a general longing for some kind of deep rooted connection . I have nothing here , I ' m with shallow roots again . | Why does the narrator not like their new surrounding ? | They do n't feel friendly with others . | ["They do n't feel free .", 'None of the above choices .', "They do n't feel their deep roots allow them to get free from drama ."] |
British potato farmers were angry and wanted the expression "couch potato" to be taken out of the dictionary because it harmed the vegetable's image.
The British Potato Council wants the Oxford English Dictionary to replace the expression with the term "couch slouch", with protests being outside Parliament in London and the offices of Oxford University Press.
Kathryn Race, head of marketing at the Council, which represents some 4,000 planters and processors, said the group had complained in writing to the OED but had yet to receive a response.
"We are trying to get rid of the image that potatoes are bad for you," she said on Monday.
"The potato has had its knocks in the past. Of course it is not the Oxford English Dictionary's fault but we want to use another term instead of "couch potato" because potatoes are naturally healthy."
The OED says that "couch potato" began as American slang, meaning "a person who spends his or her leisure time sitting around, especially watching television or video tapes."
The Potato Council says its campaign is backed by dieticians who say the vegetable is low in fat and high in vitamin C.
Supporting the campaign, famous cook Antony Worrall Thompson said the vegetable was one of Britain's favorite foods.
"Not only are they healthy, they are also convenient and yummy . Life without potato is like a sandwich without a filling," he said.
John Simpson, chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, said the dictionary first included the term "couch potato" in 1993 and said "dictionaries just reflect the words that society uses."
Simpson said words were never taken out of the full-length dictionary, which includes some 650,000 words in 20 volumes.
But little-used words can be removed from the smaller dictionaries to make way for newer ones.
"If society stops using words then they get taken out of the smaller dictionaries," he added.
The first known recorded use of the expression "couch potato" was in an article in Los Angeles Times, in 1979, Simpson said.
Nigel Evans, a member of Parliament for the Ribble Valley in Lancashire, has made a motion in support of the campaign, highlighting the nutritional value of the British potato. | British potato farmers wanted to _ . | remove the expression "couch potato" from the dictionary | ['advertise their produces', 'call for a higher price for their potatoes', "let people know how important the potato is in people's lives"] |
Today is only the tenth of the month and already 12 are on it , with the 13th in the wings for after I do my treadmill walking later this morning . Tomorrow is D - Day for my husband . He goes back to the doctor for his neuropathy and get the blood work results . If his cholesterol and triglycerides are normal , we can continue with the occasional meat - based meals that I ' ve come to enjoy again . If not , if they 're still sky - high and if his A1c is high , we 'll be sticking with low - fat vegan , unless the doctor prefers another food plan . | why are they looking for another food plan ? | they are having health problems so need a new diet | ['None of the above choices .', 'he wants to get fat', 'he wants to build muscle'] |
The Red Panda isn't much bigger than an average size house cat. At first you may think it's a bear because of its name. They're actually a member of the raccoon family which you can tell if you look at their appearance. The Red Panda has a long bushy tail that is useful in two ways. It helps them stay balanced when they are high up in the trees and it keeps them warm in cold weather. Their fur is thick and reddish brown, which may be why they're known as the fire fox.
The Red Panda can be found in forested mountains. They're originally from the forested mountain in the Himalayas in India, Nepal and Southern China. Bamboo is the most important part of their diet. They only eat the young leaves and shoots of a bamboo plant. Red Pandas have a very low metabolic rate in order to deal with their low energy diet and cool environmental temperatures.
They're very shy and gentle and don't hang around the wild too much during the day. If they feel endangered, they'll stand on their back legs and make a hissing sound. Red Pandas are good climbers and spend most of their time living mainly in trees. Their claws are very strong and help them hold onto the branches. They sleep in an unusual way by curling up tightly and wrapping their tails around their heads while sitting on a branch. Sometimes they'll sleep with their head beneath their chest and behind their back feet. This is the same position as an American raccoon sleeps. | Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? | The Red Panda's tail can help it stay balanced when it is high up in the trees. | ['The Red Panda can only be found in India, Nepal and Southern China.', 'The Red Panda eats the whole of the bamboo.', 'The Red Panda has high metabolic rate when the temperature is low.'] |
I am going to die of hunger . My mother used the rice that I made last night that I was planning on eating for lunch . Nope , it 's gone . | Why is the narrator feeling so famished ? | The rice they planned to eat has been consumed . | ['None of the above choices .', "Their mother wo n't feed them .", "Their mother wo n't cook for them ."] |
Despite the high technology and investment in flood defences by the Environment Agency, there is no way to stop all flooding -- sooner or later nature will produce something that will beat even the strongest defences.
Warning people of this danger is very important if we are to prevent the great loss of life seen fifty-three years ago. Indeed if the Flood Warning System that currently exists had been around on that cold, stormy night in January 1953, many lives would have been spared.
The Environment Agency took over the role of flood warning in 1995 from the police who had to go door to door or sound alarms to get the news out. The service is being constantly improved and a combination of better technology and increased investment following the Easter Floods of 1998 has led to the creation of Floodline and an automatic messaging system that can warn thousands of people in very little time.
Floodline 0845 988 1188 offers information and advice 24 hours a day and if warnings are in place, callers can get information either from local updates or by using a quickdial code for their area.
The Flood Warning team in Kent has also sent letters to the people living close to the rivers or the sea and invited them to join the AVM (automated voice messaging) system. Anyone choosing to take up this free service will receive a recorded message directly to their home, business or _ telling them of the level of warning, giving them as much time as possible to carry out their flood plan and save items that cannot be replaced if lost or damaged, such as photographs or children's favorite toys. | People can easily get information and advice about flood any time of the day from _ . | Floodline 0845 988 1188 | ['automatic messaging system', 'automated voice messaging system', 'the Flood Warning team in Kent'] |
So far as I know, Miss Hamah was the first person to give the basic difference between work and labor. To be happy, a mall must feel,firstly, free and secondly, important. He cannot be really happy if he is forced by society to do what he does not enjoy doing,or if what he enjoys doing is lowly thought of by society as valueless or unimportant. In a society where slavery in the strict sense has been got rid of, the sign that what a man does is of social value is that he is paid moneyto do it,but a laborer today can be called a Wag e slave. A man is a laborer if the job that society offers him is not interesting to himself but he has to take it just owing to the necessity 0fearning aliving and supporting his family.
The opposite side to labor is play. When we play a game,we enjoy what we are doing,otherwise we should not play it,but it is a purely private activity;and society could not care whether we play it or not.
Between labor and play stands work. A man is a worker if he is personally interested in the job which society pays him to do;what from the point view of society is necessary labor is from his own point of view willing play. Whether a job is to be classified as labor or work depends,not on the job itself, but on the tastes of the individual who does it. The difference does not. For example,agree with the difference between a physical and a mental job;a gardener or a taxi driver may be a worker, a bank clerk is a laborer. ,
Which a man is can be seen from his attitude toward leisure(1 To a worker, leisure means simply the hours he needs to relax and rest in order to work efficiently. He is therefore more likely to take too little leisure than too much;workers die of heart attack and forget their wives'birthday. To the laborer, on the other hand,leisure means freedom from compulsion ,so that it is natural for him to imagine that the fewer hours he has to spend laboring,and the more hours he is free to play, the better. | Which of the following can be the best title of the text? | Work,Labor, and Play | ['Whether to Work or to Play', 'Differences between Labor and Play', 'Leisure,Key to Work,Labor and Play'] |
I really struggle to feel bad for people who actively choose to be miserable and manipulative.
I’m dorky and like to use little proverbs all the time. One of my favorites is this: “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.”
At the end of the day, if someone has a problem, they can never resolve it if they don’t truly wish to. You can give someone all the resources in the world, but you can’t force them to utilize them.
When I was 16, I dated a horrible guy. He was abusive verbally, emotionally, and sexually. He was an incredibly troubled young man and refused to seek help for his severe mental health issues.
I eventually came to understand that he reveled in his misery. It was his identity. He acted like he wanted a cure and I’d set him up with resources, but he refused every single one. He may have struggled with serious mental illnesses, but being miserable perversely made him happy and he loved to use his struggles to justify his inexcusable behavior. He wanted to drag as many people into his fiery pit of anguish as possible.
I later suffered from severe depression myself, and I never once used it as an excuse to hurt other people. My ex wasn’t struggling with his mental health in terms of deliberating and carefully harming others. He was simply exhibiting a personality trait, one he chose to cultivate… and it wasn’t my problem.
I ended up cutting him off completely in spite of all the threats. I will never feel bad for the awful plight he refuses to help himself out of.
I have no patience for that type of person. Know what we call them? Toxic. Poison. A waste of time. | How long did she date the abusive boyfriend? | A couple of years | ['A few weeks', 'Until years later', 'not enough information'] |
I saw one last night on an episode of Designated Survivor. To qualify this, I’m not normally bothered by product placements. Sometimes they can even add to the scene. But this one was bad, really bad.
Agent is busy hunting for baddies. Finishes questioning one naughty person who climbs in his Ford F150 and speeds off. So far, so good - it is the sort of vehicle a country-living billionaire bad-guy would drive.
The agent then pulls out her phone and…
Move to close up of phone screen showing Ford app already loaded (and screen unlocked!). Agent slowly moves finger to app. Does something. Pause as app does fancy graphics.
Cut to car interior. Shot of dash, showing Ford logo on steering wheel. It’s bright blue - are they not normally grey or more subtle? Pause for a second…
Zoom in on dash. Dash light up. Car starts. Show pretty dash lights for a second or so. Cut to agent
Agent walks to car, gets in drives off. Lingering shot of rear of car.
It was just so clumsy. Massive halt to the flow of the scene to show it. In most films you never see anyone starting cars, putting on seatbelts or similar unless this is part of the plot because it’s unnecessary and not interesting to watch. I sort of expected the remote start function to have some sort of relevance later… but no, it was totally ignored.
Added to that:
There was no password or security on her phone - and this is an agent investigating super secret stuff. If you don’t show her unlocking the phone, why show her lovingly prodding the app? They are as relevant.
She unlocked and started the car while she was 20–30 paces away, on the grounds of a suspect ranch. Someone could easily have jumped in the car. Not very security conscious. | What kind of truck did the naughty person drive? | Ford F150 | ['not enough information', 'Country billionaire', 'Ford F250'] |
Four tons of hay I paid for over the winter , feeding Norman along with my horses twice a day . Despite repeated requests to either reimburse a portion of the cost or at least bring his own hay , the guy just could n't be bothered . Come spring he advised us he 'd be moving Norman over to his mom 's place , since her pasture was getting knee - deep in grass . | Why did Norman move the horse over to his mom 's place ? | Norman did not want to pay for hay . | ['The hay was too expensive .', 'Norman paid for the hay .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
This year , contestants will endure three rounds of voting ( online and by celebrities ) before reaching the finale event . Five finalists will win $ 1,000 per band and meet in Austin on September 24th for a live rock skirmish at the Antone 's , where fans and celebs will cast the deciding votes . Winners in 2007 were Homer Hiccolm & the Rocketboys . | What state may I be currently living ? | Texas | ['None of the above choices .', 'Oklahoma', 'Florida'] |
Robert Frost was one of America's best known and most honored serious writers. But his fame came late in his life.
He was born in San Francisco, California in 1874. He lived in California during his early childhood. He was named after the chief Southern general in America's Civil War. The general's name was Robert Edward Lee. The poet was named Robert Lee Frost, because his father wanted to honor the general.
Someone once asked another American writer, Ernest Hemingway, how to become a writer. The best thing, he said, was to have an unhappy childhood. If this is true, Robert Frost's childhood was unhappy enough to make him a very good writer. Robert Frost's father was a reporter who wanted to be a politician. He often drank too much wine and became angry. Robert was the victim of his anger.
Robert Frost finished high school in 1891. After high school, Robert's grandfather offered to pay his costs at Dartmouth College. But Robert left the school after a few months. He did not like it. He spent the next few years working at different jobs. At one time, he worked in a factory. Later, he repaired shoes. He was a teacher. He was a reporter. Always, he wrote poetry.
Robert Frost attended Harvard University for two years. After that, he returned to the many jobs he held before. For a while, Frost tried to take care of a farm in the state of New Hampshire. He was not a successful farmer. And he continued to write poetry. He said that until 1930, he earned only about ten dollars a year from writing.
In 1912, he decided to try to make a new start. He took his family to Britain. The cost of living was low. In Britain, Frost found a publisher for his first book of poems. The book was called A Boy's Will. When it appeared in 1913. Frost received high praise from British readers. Praise was something he had not received in his own country.
Ezra Pound, another American poet living in Britain, read the poems and liked them very much. He wrote a magazine article about Frost. He also helped get Frost's second book of poems published in America. That book was called North of Boston. | What can we learn from the passage? | Robert Frost's father was angry and drank a lot because he didn't realize his dream. | ["Once Frost's first book was published he gained great praise in his country.", 'After leaving Harvard University, he began to learn to write poetry.', 'Frost was found lo have a gift in poetry while he studied in high school.'] |
It was due to be delivered this afternoon between 12:30pm and 4:30pm and they were supposed to phone me half an hour or so before they were due to arrive . I work only 10 mins drive from home so the plan was to pop out and meet them and come straight back to work . As luck would have it , they phoned me at 1 pm on the dot , the start of lunch break ( just as I was about to open my tin of beans for lunch ! | What is a cause of the narrator 's stress ? | They were interrupted during lunch . | ['They dislike their lunch .', 'They dislike driving .', 'They hate work .'] |
This weekend we went to the park and for the first time , Noah and Lily got to go on a swing . I ca n't believe they have been home for months and have never been to the park on the swings , but it is true . Weekends are jam packed with activities and we have never had a chance to go . I did take Noah to the park before Lily got home but the park by our house does n't have toddler swings . | How old is Noah ? | He is a toddler | ['None of the above choices .', 'He is 7', 'He is 6'] |
I was the buzzkill that night . Because I was n't part of the circle , I was just a passing through . It was such a hard night , being late for Rocky , dealing with Luke , who made me late , and then told me to take him home because he was sick . I sat in Luke 's drive way crying , so frustrated at him for the whole thing . | What will Luke do the next day ? | Call to apologize to me . | ['Avoid calling me out of anger .', 'Call to apologize to Rocky .', 'Call to apologize to the circle .'] |
Another Nurse can in to look at me , took one look at my rash and said OMG and ran out of the room . At that point I started crying , regretted coming to the hospital alone and started wheezing again . Then the doctor came in , her eyes were all bugged out . | What will I do after the doctor examines me ? | I will undergo serious surgery . | ['I will talk with my friends .', 'I will be discharged from the hospital .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
Through the following four cultural relics, the world has known about Korea's cultural treasures.
_
Pulguksa Temple plays an important part in the history of Korean temples. The building of Pulguksa Temple began in 751. In the year 774 the large temple was finished, becoming an important center for Korean national-protection Buddhism . The way used to create the store structure gave the temple a look of beauty. The building thus represents the excellent Korean sculpting .
_
Sokkuram Cave is a man-made cave, which has been sculpted from white stone in special sculpting ways. In the cave, a seated Buddha is the main statue. On the walls around him are found 38 other statues and the Four Heavenly Kings. This stone cave is one of Korea's greatest places, built when Shilla's religion, science and sculpture were at the height. It shows Shilla's knowledge of math, physics and art.
_
Haeinsa Temple's Changgyong Panjon is a world-class cultural treasure. It has 81,340 wooden blocks. Millions of Chinese characters were caved on the blocks. In addition to its artistic value, it is famous as the oldest Buddhist canon in the world today. The building is beautiful. What's more important is that its design allows for natural wind as well as temperature control. Each book is 69.5cm in width and 23.9cm in height. There are 23 lines on each of the blocks and each line contains fourteen characters.
_
Changdokkung palace, one of the five places of the Chosen Dynasty, was built in 1405. The oldest structure is Tonhwammun Gate. Other ancient buildings include Injongjon hall, Sonjongjon Hall and Taejojon Hall. The back garden for kings remains a great example of the ancient Korean scenery. | What can we learn from the text? | Tourists can learn about ancient king' lives in Changdokkung palace. | ['Haeinsa Temple has millions of stone blocks.', 'Koreans learnt from Chinese to build all the four cultural relics.', 'The Four heavenly kings are the main statues of Sokkuram Cave.'] |