context
stringlengths 20
6.44k
| question
stringlengths 1
318
| answer
stringlengths 1
224
⌀ | distractors
stringlengths 15
463
|
|---|---|---|---|
The Royals won Sunday 14 - 3 over the Chicago White Sox . For the second day in a row the Royals offense pounded out 19 hits vs the Sox pitchers . The Royals took two of three from the Sox losing Friday night 2 - 4 , winning Saturday 9 - 7 and yesterday 14 - 3 . | What did the Royals do after their game on Sunday | They celebrated | ['The quit the season', 'They hired new players', 'None of the above choices .'] |
We like to consider ourselves the superior race, and we are. It's true that we are getting to know more and more, and we actually live in "the information age". Our human vanity makes us believe that we really have to know everything! Surprisingly, we do not have this ability. The question "what is happening in the Bermuda Triangle" is the very proof.
Where is the Bermuda Triangle located? The mysterious triangle is believed to be situated between Florida, Bermuda and Puerto Rico, where too many unusual events have happened.
On December the 5th1945, five U.S. military planes took off from Florida on a clear day only to disappear over Bermuda. Furthermore, some other disappearances took place; in 1947, an American C54 plane simply disappeared at 100 miles from Bermuda; at 80 miles, a Star Tiger plane disappeared in 1948.
Even Columbus had trouble in Bermuda. Some of his journals were about the strange happenings there: "the waters are changing their colors" and "compasses are going wild".
Maybe it's why it is called the Devil's triangle or the Atlantic cemetery.
Many _ were stated in order to explain the strange events. In spite of these attempts, the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle remains unsolved.
Some people get to say that maybe aliens are involved in it. Other imaginative scientists relate the happenings in Bermuda to Einstein's theory, saying that the missing ships and planes are translated to another dimension of space and time and taken into another world.
Maybe we will just have to wait to go to Heaven and ask the One who made it. The answer will surely be a satisfying one! | Columbus' journals told us that in Bermuda _ . | there were some strange happenings | ['an American C54 plane disappeared', 'the compasses were lost', 'a cemetery was found'] |
WASHINGTON -- Patients with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, often develop vitamin deficiencies . A new study has found that giving these patients a multivitamin with a mineral supplement helps to fight the disease and slows the disease's progression.
Sub-Saharan Africa has always been the center of the AIDS. In Botswana, despite aggressive prevention campaigns, one out of every four adults is infected with HIV. Professor Marianna Baum based her latest research there.
Baum recruited almost 900 newly infected adults who had not yet received the anti-AIDS drugs that target the virus.
These adults were then divided into groups that randomly received different combinations of vitamins B, C and E, the mineral selenium or a placebo .
Most patients with HIV become deficient in these vitamins, which help improve immunity . Baum said she initially thought the multivitamins alone or selenium alone would be effective in strengthening the immune system, but found that incorrect.
"We were surprised to find that only the combination was effective," said Baum.
Research shows that when people with HIV receive anti-retroviral drugs shortly after infection, they can remain healthy and are less likely to pass the virus to others. For many countries, however, the cost of these anti-AIDS drugs is still prohibitive.
Baum said the vitamin and mineral combination treatment should help low income countries better control the virus.
"A simple multivitamin supplementation with selenium provided early in HIV disease can actually slow the HIV disease progression and it is safe. It is low cost and it should be provided very early in HIV infection," said Baum.
Baum said the supplements are not meant to replace anti-retroviral therapy, but can help those who cannot obtain the drugs.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, a world famous expert on AIDS, disagrees.
"I haven't read the paper, but having taken care of HIV-infected individuals for three decades, I would doubt that vitamins are going to have a major effect on stopping the virus," said Fauci.
Fauci said vitamin and mineral supplements may make a patient generally healthier, but the only thing that truly works to stop HIV is anti-retroviral treatment.
Baum's study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. | Where is the passage probably taken? | a newspaper | ['a scientific report', 'a school textbook', 'a science fiction'] |
How long ago was it…? It was a long time is all I know. For my birthday, my parents took me and my brother out of school on the day before my birthday and we took a train.
(Funny interjection, my mom was caught on the wrong side of the station so she ran across the rails and was pulled up by my dad a couple minutes before the train came.)
It was a night train, so we had our own room where my brother and I claimed the top as our territory.
(Look at my younger self’s squinty eyes… They are staring into your soul)
Anyways, it was morning by the time we arrived at where I would spend my birthday. Vienna, Austria.
I quickly got off the train in excitement taking in the view of the station like it was first time I had seen anything. We exited the station and took the trolley to get to our hotel. For breakfast, we had delicious, regional delicacies (among other things). They looked similar to crepes, but all I know is that it had a German name that I can’t remember.
After we got situated in our hotel, we immediately headed off for the Mozart Plaza/Park.
My family and I also visited other monuments that day:
By the end of the day, our legs were worn out. We had rode so many trolleys and walked so much that I’m pretty sure that any longer and we would’ve collapsed on the spot. The bed never felt so good.
The following days we went to Austrian Castle, Ice Cave, and more buildings and such. The trip overall made this birthday the most memorable and the best thus far.
Bonus: We missed our night train back because of daylight saving hours. The trip back was definitely hectic, but adventurous. | When did the children go to Austria? | before their birthday | ['for their birthday', 'after their birthday', 'not enough information'] |
A visit to a zoo can be an amazing experience for people of all ages. If you want to get close to wildlife, why not visit one of the following zoos in the UK?
Longleat Safari & Adventure Park
Wiltshire's Longleat Safari & Adventure Park is the UK's oldest safari park. Opened in 1966, it was the first safari park opened outside Africa. It was just a 100-acre lion reserve in the beginning, but it has grown fast over the years. Now you can see parrots and other creatures here, although lions are still popular with many people.
Open from mid-February to early November, a day ticket costsPS26 for adults. Admission for 3- to 14-year-old isPS18.50 andPS21 for the over-60s.
Located just off the A36 between Bath and Salisbury, it can be reached by taking the A362.
Bristol Zoo
Bristol Zoo is one of the UK's oldest zoos. It will celebrate its 180th anniversary in 2016. Here, you'll find over 400 different species of creatures. It also has nine animal houses, so even if the weather isn't at its best, there are still lots of amazing creatures to look at, including the endangered red panda. Perhaps one of the most popular places is Bug World, where you can see all kinds of scary insects.
Admission for adults isPS14 andPS8.50 for 3- to 14-year-olds.
Located in the Clifton region of Bristol, you can reach the zoo by taking either the No. 8 or 9 bus. Clifton Down train station is also close by, and if you are taking public transport, you can buy a discounted entry ticket to the zoo. | What do we know about Wiltshire's Longleat Safari & Adventure Park? | It's the first safari park in the UK. | ['It covers an area of 100 acres in total.', 'It has a longer history than Bristol Zoo.', "It's famous mostly for its parrots and lions."] |
I think that one of the people who caused me the most misery for the longest was someone that I’ll call “Luna”.
So, most people have probably met that person that acts all suicidal and then uses that against you. For example, you’re talking to someone like that and you’re having some sort of argument and the moment they realize they aren’t winning they send you pictures of their bloodied wrists and say “This is your fault”.
Well, that person was my friend for a long time. Every time I would try to leave her to go to sleep she would threaten to do “something bad” and I knew what she meant, and me, first meeting her when I was around 9 or 10, and I was still extremely naive.
So most of the time, I ended up staying awake til 3 AM on school nights and I would get only a few hours of sleep, and she’d be happy because her life wasn’t worsened at all.
But I think the thing that made me the most miserable, was the fact that it never got better. No matter how much I talked to her, or how sympathetic I tried to be, or how much I tried to convince her to be happier, it never got better. She still acted super depressed, but like it was a joke. All of these things combined to make me completely miserable because it seemed like it was all for nothing.
But I just let it happen, because she was the only person I had and she was really my only “friend” at that point, and all the way up to seventh grade. So for that entire period of time, she certainly wasn’t the only source of misery for me, but she made me feel way worse than I would have if I hadn’t been friends with her. | The friend probably thinks what about the writer of the text? | That the writer of the text will stay awake at night | ['that the writer of the text will yell at her', 'not enough information', 'that the writer of the text will ignore her'] |
I had this one guy, who enjoyed being a part time bully and part time neutral to me.
To say the least he was annoying. He'd take the liberty to hide my backpack, borrow my books without consent, doodle scandalous stuff on my notebooks with a pen and yada yada.
So one day, I was showing this cool trick I learned on an anatomy program on the TV to a couple of classmates who used to sit around me. The thing was that you can't flex your ring finger upwards if you put your middle finger under the palm (try that)
We were all kids, and soon everyone in the class started staring at us weirdos looking laughing at out hands. The bully noticed it too, and came near to inquire about this hand stuff. I described the trick and he was impressed.
And then,
I saw our teacher walking up the corridor, just a couple paces behind the class door. So, I asked him (the bully) if he wanted to see another trick and to that he nodded a big yes.
Cool,
What I did was, that I grabbed his right arm by the thumb and put it on my throat right above the larynx. Then I quickly shifted my grip to his wrist. He without batting an eye, asked what I was doing, but then I started beating the desk with my other hand and made squeaking noises while pushing his hand against my throat harder with every turning head. And voilà! Every one in the class (including the teacher) thought he was smothering me.
After a few ifs and buts between him and the teacher, he was summoned at the principal’s chambers, from where, later he was sent home, where presumably judging from the look on his face for the next few days, he was beat to crap by his folks.
And after that, never was I ever bothered by anyone in the school.(^^) | What is likely the reason the 'cool' trick was learned in the first place? | To impress classmates | ['not enough information', 'To impress the bully', 'To impress parents'] |
Voters in Pennsylvania head to the polls Tuesday in a special congressional election with national implications for President Donald Trump and opposition Democrats.
The election is taking place in a congressional district that Trump won by 19 points in 2016, but where Democrats now hope for an upset that could be a preview of the midterm congressional elections in November.
The race pits Democrat Conor Lamb against Republican Rick Saccone. Saccone got some high-profile help on Saturday when Trump spoke on his behalf at a rally in Moon Township, Pennsylvania.
"We need him. We need Republicans. We need the votes. Otherwise, they are going to take away your tax cuts. They are going to take away your Second Amendment rights," Trump warned the crowd.
Though Trump easily won the district in 2016, Lamb appears to be competitive in part because he is a moderate-to-conservative Democrat who personally opposes abortion and any new gun control measures. Lamb is hoping to pull off an upset with help from former Vice President Joe Biden.
"Passion and commitment rules in politics. Passion and commitment generates grass-roots support," Biden told a recent Lamb rally.
Republicans have poured money into the race, including millions of dollars in television advertisements in the final days before the election. Trump is trying to help Republicans avoid another setback on the way to the November midterm elections, where Democrats are favored to make gains.
In making his pitch to voters this election year, the president remains focused on his tax cut bill, new tariffs on steel and aluminum, and a diplomatic opening to North Korea.
But Trump remains stuck at about 40 percent approval in the polls, historically low for a second-year president, and a potential drag for Republican candidates in November.
"He's doing nothing to expand his base," said Jim Kessler of Third Way, a centrist Democrat advocacy group. "And also, political damage is kind of like sunburn. You don't really notice it as it is happening. And later in the day you realize, 'I'm red. I was out in the sun too long!' So, this takes a long period of time." | What does Jim Kessler think of the new tariffs on steel and aluminum President Trump proposed? | not enough information | ['He has no opinion either way.', 'He is in favor of it.', 'He is against it.'] |
I mean then I Ryan called and I just let him have it . I told him I would not have been so pissed would he had told me from day one ( the day I moved down to college ) that he was talking to Jenna , then in the end I would not have been hurt this bad . He obviously does n't get it . I mean he was leading me on for 3 whole months , we were spending the night together almost every night , yet he was talking to another girl . | What may happen after she cools down for a bit ? | None of the above choices . | ['She may warn other girls about him .', 'She may warn Jenna to stay away .', 'She may get back together with him .'] |
Cuba's former leader, Fidel Castro,died at the age of 90,according to a November 25 announcement on Cuban state television. The death marks the passing of a controversial figure who made a major impact on international affairs during his long rule.
The Cuban government declared nine days of official mourning. On Monday, thousands of Cubans lined up near Havana's Plaza of the Revolution to pay their final respects to their leader. On Wednesday,Castro's ashes will begin a three-day journey across Cuba to Santa Ifigenia cemetery in Santiago de Cuba.
Castro was born into a middle-class family on August 13 1926. He spent his childhood alongside the laborers on his father's plantation . In 1945, Castro entered the University of Havana as a law student. He later joined groups that sought to end dictatorships in Latin-American countries.
On July 26. 1953,Castro staged an unsuccessful revolt against Batista's government. He and his brother Raul were captured and imprisoned for two years. After they were freed, the brothers went into exile in Mexico, On November 25, 1956,Castro set out once again to overthrow Batista. His revolution grew in strength. On New Year s Day 1959, Batista fled from Cuba. Castro took absolute power on January 8.
The U.S. viewed Castro's relationship with the Soviet Union as a threat. In 1961,President John F. Kennedy approved the invasion of Cuba by 1,500 Cuban exiles. They landed on April 17 at the Bay of Pigs, but with little U. S. military support. Cuban troops smashed the attack within a few days.
In October 1962,Castro confronted Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis, during which he allowed the Soviet Union to place nuclear-capable missiles in Cuba. By that time, the U. S. had cut all relations with Cuba.
After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991,Cuba lost its economic support. To fuel the economy, the Cuban government allowed outside investment in hotels and resorts, but that created inequality. Meanwhile, Castro continued to crack down on any opposition. After undergoing intestinal surgery in 2006,Castro handed Cuba's presidency to Raul. The transition of power became official in 2008. | What did the Cuban Missile Crisis result in directly? | The U. S. cut all relations with Cuba. | ['Batista fled from Cuba.', 'The U. S. viewed the Soviet Union as a threat.', 'President John F. Kennedy approved an invasion of Cuba.'] |
Below is a selection from a popular science book.
If blood is red, why are veins blue?
Actually, veins are not blue at all. They are more of a clear, yellowish colour. Although blood looks red when it's outside the body, when it's sitting in a vein near the surface of the skin, it's more of a dark reddish purple colour. At the right depth, these blood-filled veins reflect less red light than the surrounding skin, making them look blue by comparison.
Which works harder, your heart or your brain?
This question depends on whether you're busy thinking or busy exercising. Your heart works up to three times harder during exercise, and shifts enough blood over a lifetime to fill a supertanker. But, in the long run, your brain probably tips it, because even when you're sitting still your brain is using twice as much energy as your heart, and it takes four to five times as much blood to feed it.
Do old people shrink as they age?
Yes and no. Many people do get shorter as they age. But, when they do, it isn't because they're shrinking all over. They simply lose height as their spine becomes shorter and more curved due to disuse and the effects of gravity . Many (but not all) men and women do lose height as they get older. Men lose an average of 3-4 cm in height as they age, while women may lose 5 cm or more. If you live to be 200 years old, would you keep shrinking till you were, like 60 cm tall, like a little boy again?No, because old people don't really shrink!It is not that they are growing backwards--their legs, arms and backbones getting shorter. When they do get shorter, it's because the spine has shortened a little. Or, more often, become more bent and curved.
Why does spinning make you dizzy ?
Because your brain gets confused between what you're seeing and what you're feeling. The brain senses that you're spinning using special gravity and motion sensing organs in your inner ear, which work together with your eyes to keep your vision and balance stable. But when you suddenly stop spinning , the system goes out of control, and your brain thinks you're moving while you're not!
Where do feelings and emotions come from?
Mostly from an ancient part of the brain called the limbic system. All mammals have this brain area--from mice to dogs, cats, and humans. So all mammals feel basic emotions like fear, pain and pleasure. But since human feelings also involve other newer bits of the brain, we feel more complex emotions than any other animal on the planet. | What is the main purpose of the selection? | To provide information about our body. | ['To give advice on how to stay healthy.', 'To challenge new findings in medical research.', 'To report the latest discoveries in medical science.'] |
U.S. President Donald Trump is not expected to meet the leaders of Cuba and Venezuela when he attends the Summit of the Americas next week, according to White House officials. However, there will still be opportunities for interactions between Trump and his Latin and North American counterparts at the two-day summit that begins April 13 in Lima, Peru.
The gathering takes place as Trump finalizes plans to send the military to the U.S. border with Mexico and threatens to withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA. In addition, Trump's recently imposed steel and aluminum tariffs have sparked criticism from many of the attendees at the summit, though some countries have received temporary exemptions.
Despite all the turbulence, White House officials outlined a fairly traditional agenda for the summit.
"A win for this president at this summit will be a strong speech focused on regional governance, leadership on Venezuela and promoting reciprocal trade," a senior administration official said.
The official would not say whether Trump will continue to "speak his mind" during the summit on sensitive issues such as immigration.
Trump has repeatedly portrayed immigration from South and Central America as both a national security and economic threat. During his presidential campaign, Trump accused Mexico of sending rapists, drug dealers and criminals across the border.
Trump has also clashed with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto over the funding of a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico. The president has long insisted that Mexico will pay for the wall.
The disagreement become so heated earlier this year that Pena Nieto canceled plans to visit the White House. It is not clear whether Trump will hold a one-on-one meeting with Pena Nieto during the summit, U.S. officials said.
But Trump will not meet with Cuban leader Raul Castro or anyone from the Venezuelan delegation, White House officials said.
"Obviously the Cubans will be participating in the summit, so there will be a mixing of regional leaders, but we don't anticipate at this point a direct meeting between President Trump and Castro." | How long would it take Pres Trump to fly to Peru | 8 hours | ['not enough information', '15 hours', '20 hours'] |
We just got home today ! Thank you uncle Steve for letting us invade your Austin home . We are staying with my parents until we get everything up and running at home . | Where was their parents house located ? | Austin | ['Dallas', 'San Antonio', 'None of the above choices .'] |
Wilderness activity week, Finland
Set off on a really wild adventure to Finland, where night is a distant memory during the endless days of summer.
From your cottage, set high in the hills above Koli National Park, you can explore a perfect wilderness, and pull over at a lakeside beach whenever you like a dip .
Horseriding in the Tarn France
Learn to ride, or perfect your horse-riding skills at Les Juliannes in the Tarn Valley. Activities include everything from show-jumping to hacking through the rolling hills and medieval villages. Between sessions, you can relax by the pool, cycle along the country lanes or roam the grounds. Guests stay at a rural 17th-century farmhouse.
Learn to sail in Greece
Sunvil Sailing has live-aboard learn-to-sail breaks off the island of Lefkas that are designed for both the complete novice as well as those with a degree of sailing. | How much would a family of two adults and a ten-year-old boy pay altogether if they join in Horseriding in the Tarn, France? | PS1869 | ['PS2030', 'PS1316', 'PS1211'] |
Well, when the huge wave hit the boat, my safety belt broke and I was swept overboard. I don't really understand how it happened, but it did. I heard someone yell out, but then my boat, Wild One, went off into the darkness and I was alone in a very rough sea. I then spent five and a half hours in the water. The place where it happened was, oh, about 50 kilometers from shore. It was likely that I wouldn't see another day, but I always thought I'd overcome the difficulties. At first I was watching out for Wild One. The rest of the crew knew I was gone, so they were sure to come back and look for me. After a while, I saw the boat's lights when it came looking for me. They were within about 300 meters of me, but the spotlight just missed me. The reason why they didn't see me was because of the huge waves. You know, I started sailing when I was seven, and started ocean racing when I was about eighteen, but I'd never been overboard before. I believed I was going to survive, but it was very cold, and as the hours passed I started to get desperate----and frozen! It was around 5 am when I saw the lights of a tanker coming towards me. I figured it was probably my last chance. At first, I thought they were going to miss me, and then they made a slight turn and I yelled out "Help!" and they heard me. Then another yacht appeared. These guys were terrific. They gave me dry clothes, and then one jumped into the bunk and hung onto me. They covered us with as much dry clothing as they could, and the guy in with me stayed to transfer his body heat to me. | One of the guys who saved him jumped into the bunk in order to _ . | warm him with his body heat | ['cover him with more dry clothes', 'comfort him', 'congratulate him'] |
Special Bridges Help Animals Cross the Road
----Reported by Sheila Carrick
Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side.
Most people know this joke.But recently, some people have been much more worried about how the grizzly bear and mountain lion can cross the road.
"Millions of animals die each year on U.S.roads," the Federal Highway Administration reports.In fact, only about 80 _ , an endangered wild cat, exist in the U.S.today.The main reason? Roadkill.
"Ecopassages" may help animals cross the road without being hit by cars.They are paths both over and under roads."These ecopassages can be extremely useful, so that wildlife can avoid road accidents," said Jodi Hilty of the Wildlife Protection Society.
But do animals actually use the ecopassages? The answer is yes.Paul Beier of Northern Arizona University found foot marks left by mountain lions on an ecopassage that went under a highway.This showed that the lions used the passage.
Builders of ecopassages try to make them look like a natural part of an area by planting trees on and around them.Animals seem _ .Animals as different as salamanders and grizzly bears are using the bridges and underpasses.
The next time you visit a park or drive through an area with a lot of wildlife, look around.You might see an animals overpass! | The writer asks visitors and drivers to look around when traveling because _ . | they may see wild animals on ecopassages | ['wild animals may attack cars', 'wild animals may jam the road', 'they may see wild animals in the park'] |
Always try to perform free weight exercises that work combinations of muscle groups with each exercise . In this way , you will work your body more effectively than if you used standard isolation exercises . Do not focus on one area alone . | What will happen if one follows this advice ? | They will build muscle . | ['They will build up plaque .', 'They will build up a heavier core .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
John H. Johnson was born in a black family in Arkansas City in 1981. His father died in an accident when John was six. He was reaching the high school age, but his hometown offered no high school for blacks.
Fortunately he had a strong--willed caring mother. John remembered that his mother told him many times, "Son, you can be anything you want really to be if you just believe." She told him not to depend on others, including his mother. "You have to learn success" she said. "All the people who work hard don't succeed, but the only people who do succeed are those who work hard."
These words, came from a woman with less than a third grade education. She also knew that believing and hard work don't mean everything. So she worked hard as a cook for two years to save enough to take her son, who was then 15, to Chicago.
Chicago in 1933 was not the promised land that black southerners were looking for. John's mother and stepfather could not find work. But here John could go to school, and here he learned the power of words--as an editor of the newspaper and yearbook at Du Sable High School. His wish was to publish a magazine for blacks.
While others discouraged him, John's mother offered him more words to live by "Nothing beats a failure but a try." She also let him pawn her furniture to get the $ 500 he needed to start the Negro magazine.
It is natural that difficulties and failures followed john closely until he become very successful. He always keeps his mother's words in mind:" Son, failure is not in your vocabulary!" Now John H. Johnson is one of the 400 richest people in America--worth $150 million. | Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage? | John's mother thought no one could succeed without working hard. | ["John's mother didn't believe in or depend on others.", "John's mother believed one would succeed without working hard.", "John's mother thought one could be whatever one wanted to be."] |
Trying to drive up a very small street with cars parked on both sides so only one car at a time could get by, individual sees me already entered the roadway, got in the car backs out of his driveway, intending to for me to back all the way out. I was about half in. I wait thinking he will realize it was a not so smart action and he will pull back in to let me pass since forward is an easier safer plan. He doesn't do that we sit for anout 30 seconds and he is determined to stay. I was a fairly new driver in my first car. I get irritated and shut my motor off basically saying, buddy I entered the street first you were parked never looked before you hurriedly pulled forward. So he shuts off his motor and smiled good as to say stalemate. I'm thinking I have no place I have to be, I'll wait rather than trying to back up half the block without hitting somebodies car. We wait, he gets out of his car goes into his house, no cell phone back then it was the pager (beepers) era. I wasnt sure why he was going in, but probably nit good outcome for me. So I happened to have a small bottle of Keri Lotion (thick, oily lotion for extremely dry skin) in the cup holder. I jump out of my car run to his squirted the whole bottle all over his windshield ran back to my car and DID manage to back up rapidly without damaging my car or anyone! He ran out of the house and I saw by his facial expression was livid! I was thinking as I drove away I hope he doesn't try to use the wipers, that's going to make a really smear mess. He's not going anyplace for a while. Years later I regretted having done that, letting a stranger provoke me, and second felt guilty about the sheer gleeful triumph of seeing his face. I won! | This event probably lasted: | About 10 minutes. | ['About three hours.', 'not enough information', 'About 30 seconds.'] |
You know ! ! ! LOLWell after that kiss , I knew that I was mush in his hands . When we were in school he went to boot camp and every ketter he ever wrote to me I kept and he did the same ! I went though all of my old letters and I just cried . | Why did the guy send the narrator letters after he went to bootcamp ? | He wrote the narrator letters because she was his girlfriend . | ['He wrote the letters because the narrator is his mother .', 'He wrote the letters to the narrator who was his grandmother .', 'He was trying to recruit the narrator to come to the boot camp .'] |
A Scottish university is considering allowing students to use their own computers in exams. Edinburgh University already has the equipment to allow a small number of students to use computers during exams. Senior officials at Edinburgh University say that it is unfair to expect students to use pens and paper in exams when the majority of their coursework is done on computers. Undergraduates at the School of Divinity have the choice of using computers with their final answers being collected on a USB stick, but the take-up stands at less than 10 per cent.
Dai Hounsell, professor of higher education at the university, said, "We've got to look at alternatives to the handwritten exam. Looking ahead ten years from now, I'm sure there will not be handwritten answers any longer in the exam of certain subjects, but how we get there from here isn't easy. The plan doesn't apply so much to science and engineering subjects where students have to use charts and mathematical formulae . There isn't technology at the moment to allow them to do that on a computer." He adds that the approval of students is the key before anything is carried out. He also said, "We don't want to put students' future at risk by experimenting as there are technical things which can go wrong. There could be a power failure."
Nora Mogey, head of Media and Learning Technology Service at the university, said, "A lot of students are not _ enough to make that step in such an important situation. They don't feel they've had enough practice in typing on a computer with a time limit in a high-pressure environment. They think they do better with a pen in their hand than on a keyboard."
Jennifer Cadiz, president at the National Union of Students in the UK, said, "It's great to see universities recognizing that times have changed. Exams can be a really stressful time for students and it's helpful to offer them a flexible way to complete exams."
No other major Scottish universities have plans to follow in Edinburgh University's footsteps and the Scottish Qualifications Authority says it has decided not to carry out the plan in its universities. | What's Dai Hounsell's attitude towards Edinburgh University's new plan? | He isn't optimistic about it. | ['He opposes it.', 'He is fond of it.', 'He thinks it necessary.'] |
The physicians in a hospital form the center of medical staff. But they could not provide effective medical care to their patients without the help of numerous other medical employees. From the viewpoint of the patients, the nursing staff is particularly important. Nurses are usually in close contact with patients as long as they are in the hospital.
A nurse does not study for as many years as a doctor. however, each must be equally dedicated. Caring for sick persons requires a great deal of patience and concern. Most nurses work long days, and they often must work at odd hours or during the night.
Under the supervision of the head nurse, the nursing staff must provide nursing services on a 24-hour basis and attend to patients' needs. This responsibility continues around the clock, and so nurses must work in shifts. A shift is a period of duty, usually eight in length. The nurses on the ward rotate their shifts. Some take turns working night duty; others work odd shifts.
A nurse must always be alert. She can never afford to be careless. This is true in all nursing situation, but it is especially true in the intensive care unit. Patients under intensive care are critically ill, and they must be monitored at all times. The nurses who do intensive care duty have one of the most demanding jobs in the hospital.
Serving as a nurse can be a very rewarding job. But it is not an easy one. Not every person is suited to become a nurse. Only very dedicated people have chosen nursing as a profession. | What kind of person is suited to become a nurse? | A very dedicated person. | ['A very careful person.', 'An able person.', 'A specially trained person.'] |
I had five hours in the company of First Great Western(FGW) last weekend, on a train full of passengers, all the way from Cornwall to London. I got to know some of my fellow passengers rather well. Not through talking to them, you understand.
There was the youth who was explaining to his friend exactly how he enjoyed a party with his friends last night. Opposite him was a young woman who was very excited to be going to Lanzarote for her summer holiday. And then there was the man who I took to be a car mechanic ; so detailed and technical was his conversation about a second-hand Audi. Everyone had a different, noisy ringtone, and none of the mobile phone conversations I was forced to hear was interesting.
By the end of the journey, I was silently complaining about the modern world, and feeling mad with FGW who, at the very moment when our carriage fell silent, would make an announcement about the buffet car (a carriage where food and drinks are sold) either opening or closing.
FGW seems to be campaigning against peace and quietness, having removed quiet carriage spaces where passengers were requested not to use mobiles so that their trains could carry more passengers. How so? I cannot understand why FGW takes no notice of passengers like me, who have suffered a lot from hearing endless telephone conversations. I have no interest in the smallest details of others' lives. Making people listen to boring mobile phone conversations should be regarded as a rude act."
Every train carriage should, in theory, be quiet. Why can't that be the standard? It is possible to change public custom and practice. It was not so long ago that sidewalks were littered with dog waste:now it's a general rule that dog owners clean it up after their pets. And once we restore peace and quietness to trains, we can then move on and stop people bringing fast food onto them, too. | How did the author get to know the three passengers? | From their phone conversations. | ['Through introductions.', 'In informal conversations.', 'By using a mobile phone.'] |
More and more Italians are leaving their country because they can not get a job. One in every three Italians say they are willing to go abroad, sometimes even to other continents to get work. Currently, about 300,000 young Italians may be living abroad.
Although emigration has always been a choice for Italians, especially for those who left the country at the beginning of the twentieth century, more young Italians think leaving their home country is the only way to escape economic difficulty. These young Italians, however, are not poor farmers or laborers but bright university graduates and other talented young people.
Many of them want to go to richer places, like northern Europe, but they are also prepared to go elsewhere. Most of them describe a feeling of unhappiness and frustration. They are not sure which direction their country is heading and feel no longer proud of being Italians.
Many leave because they think that getting a good job is possible in other countries where all doors are open to you if you are young and dynamic. However, in Italy everything is boring and old-fashioned. Italy's economic system is largely based on family structures and the elderly who don't want to give up power. Corruption is also a big problem that simply won't go away.
The Italian government is aware of the problem and says it must create new opportunities for its younger generation. But even if it starts working on a new style economy right away it may take years before things in Italy really change. The government has already passed laws which will make it easier for doctors, lawyers and other academics to start a career in Italy.
Many economic experts claim that Italy is doing a lot for its older generation but very little for its youth. For example, it spends little on housing, childcare but a lot on pensions. | Some people are leaving Italy mainly because they _ . | want to get a job | ['want to travel abroad', 'prefer working abroad', 'no longer love their country'] |
As for everything else , well some things , like public transport for example , are more expensive , but then at least you do pay for a good service . Other things , like fruit at the local market for example , are actually cheaper than the equivelent would be here . But Copenhagen , that was expensive . | What may be a plausible fact about me ? | I am talking about a place I have visited . | ["I am talking about a place I want to go to , but ca n't .", 'I am talking about a place I have never been to .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
The classic Key West-style house just off Fleming looked much like the rest of the residences on the block - two-story wooden frame walls and peaked roofs with shallow porches nearly butting up against the sidewalk. Chloe's rusting blue Vespa was tucked away beside the house, in the narrow space separating it from the neighbors. To anyone walking by outside, everything looked quiet and peaceful.
Inside, Chloe was pissed. Everything had been going great and then those stupid fuckers had decided to show up a week early, forcing her to scramble to pack a week's work into a single day. She wore a black bandana wrapped around her head, covering her buzz cut pink hair. Numerous smudges of dirt on her cheeks and the tip of her nose testified to the heavy-duty cleaning she'd been doing for the past five hours. She wore loose fitting shorts and a tight-fitting tank top that had once been white. In her bare feet she pushed a mop across the hardwood floors, grumbling to herself.
She heard the door open and looked up to see Paul standing in the doorway. Even though it wasn't his fault, she glared at him as he came in. As much as Chloe liked a clean house, she hated housework, and this wasn't even her house. This particular space was sparsely decorated with just a few worn pieces of furniture and some bad condo art on the walls. After six months of being sealed up tight with the air conditioner off, it smelled of dust and mildew and needed a good airing out.
"What are you doing?" asked Paul, closing the door behind him.
"Mopping," she said, her voice flat.
"Right. But why are you mopping here? Whose house is this anyway?"
"It's one we just added to the roster last week. The cleaning service hasn't had a chance to get in here yet."
"I see that," said Paul. "So why're you cleaning it tonight?"
"We're cleaning it tonight because the Guidarizzi's decided to make a surprise visit to their winter home in Key West. They're coming in tomorrow afternoon. Every other decent place is filled up, so we have to use this one instead." | After this section of the story, Paul: | Sympathizes with Chloe about how much work they have to do | ['Offers to make lunch for the both of them', 'not enough information', 'Yells at Chloe for complaining too much'] |
He picked me up at my house, and after getting back on the main road he turned up the volume on the radio.
"Why do you even listen to that stuff?" I asked. It was schlock-rock, simple and unadorned wailing backed by incessantly grating guitars.
"I don't really know."
"You don't actually like it, do you?" I knew he didn't; I knew what he preferred. His apartment walls were lined with recordings of classical, even archaic music, European folk instrumentals. Maybe rock, once in a while, but he had had something amplified and pitch-altered on every time we'd been together lately.
"I think we listen to pop music to punish ourselves," he said. "An aural bed of nails to compensate for our sins."
"Those sins being...?"
"I don't know... sometimes, don't you ever get so sick of everything you just want to cram your ears full of garbage to spite it all?"
This was not normal second-date dialogue, but Phillip and I had known each other for a long time.
"It's like you'd rather inflict pain," he said, "like you want to inflict pain on yourself, just for pure spite against... the stuff around us."
"You'd choke on garbage to get back at a culture who would do it for you anyway?"
"Yeah, kind of. Does that make sense?"
"In a very cliched, pop-psychology sort of way, yes." I turned down the volume, then shut the radio off entirely.
"Don't you ever want to hurt like that?" he asked. "It's why you read some thriller instead of a classic, it's why you watch TV instead of reading a book, it's why you watch a sitcom instead of PBS, it's why you watch Family Guy instead of the Simpsons." (I might have snorted at this point.) "Because you have to do the bad thing." | Why was Phillip picking up the narrator? | For a second date | ['To cram their ears full of garbage.', 'To bring him/her to a rock concert', 'not enough information'] |
Money off your rented textbooks from TextbookRental.ca
Offer details
*Pay online
*Limit 1 voucher per person, may buy 5 more for others
*Shipping is extra (average $6, return shipping included)
*The voucher is valid towards shipping
*Taxes extra
High spots
*Save up to 75% on every textbook
*Rent books by the semester
*Fast shipping
*Buyback program for your old books
*Make a great gift
Keeping school expenses low is important. Get a better bargain on academic supplies with today's WagJag: for $10, receive $25 towards rental textbooks from TextbookRental.ca.
TextbookRental.ca helps students continue with their study while saving precious money for other purposes. The site contains books in all academic fields--arts, sciences, business, education and more. Once you find your desired textbooks, complete the easy checkout process and your course materials will be shipped to your dorm or home. Discounts on each single book vary but can save you up to 75%. After the semester finishes, mail back your books (free of marking, stains or other damage), using the included prepaid return envelope. The site's 15-day return policy lets you send unneeded books back for a refund.
Centered in Toronto, TextbookRental.ca has delivery places across the country to make sure students from Victoria to St. John's get their textbooks in a timely fashion. The site also lets students save a little money by buying their previously purchased used textbooks.
If you're not happy with your purchase, let us know why and we'll give you a full refund. Seriously, it's that simple!
TextbookRental.ca
Contact WagJag--WagJag Business Hours are Monday-Friday 9:00 am to 7:00 pm.
E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 416-687-5848
Toll free :1-855-492-4524 Fax: 1-866-268-4286 | The voucher mentioned in the passage _ . | can't be used to pay taxes | ['includes shipping fees', 'will be mailed to buyers', 'needs to be cashed at banks'] |
At three a.m., Jack Mills was sitting at the controls of the mail train. The train was made up of 13 cars. At the end of the train, 71 mailmen sat sorting the mails. Inside the second car, there were only five mailmen and 128 bags full of five-pound notes. This train had run more than 100 years without being robbed. At three minutes past three, Mills and his helper, David Whitby, saw a yellow warning light. They slowed the train, and then stopped. Whitby went to the telephone beside the track. It was out of order. Then he saw a man moving between the second and the third cars. Before Whitby could give a warning, he was knocked down by two men. Mills' cars with all the mailmen had been disconnected by the robbers. At the bridge, the bags of money were unloaded from the train and thrown into waiting trucks. One of the robbers who obviously knew the schedules of all the trains kept looking at his watch. At 3:45 he said, "That will have to be enough." The robbers drove away with more than 2,500,000 pounds. | The robbers _ before the train stopped. | were waiting for the train to stop | ['were all in the train', 'forced Mills to stop the train', 'ordered Mills to go on driving'] |
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — The U.S. election calendar could be a key factor in determining the scope and timing of a potential deal to end the North Korean nuclear program.
Planning is progressing for both the upcoming summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the end of April and the expected meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim in late May or early June.
President Trump said Tuesday that there had been talks at “extremely high levels” between his administration and the North Korean government. Later it was reported that Mike Pompeo, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency and a secretary of state nominee, met recently with Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang.
Trump also noted the talks have been marked by “a lot of goodwill” and that “there has been a major change in terms of North Korea’s behavior,” since Kim’s Olympic outreach this year, in which he sent a large delegation to the Pyeongchang Winter games in South Korea, suspended nuclear and missile tests, and expressed a willingness to engage in denuclearization talks.
The turn toward diplomacy has reduced, for now, the potential for conflict over the North’s accelerated efforts last year to develop an operational nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missile that can reach the U.S. mainland.
The North Korean leader’s decision to engage in denuclearization talks was likely motivated by both Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign, which increased sanctions and the threat of military action against the North, and by South Korean President Moon’s reassuring outreach efforts to improve inter-Korean relations.
Trump’s motivation in pursuing a nuclear deal with North Korea, in addition to resolving a growing national security threat, could also have a political component.
According to North Korea analysts at the Sejong Institute in South Korea, the Trump administration is likely calculating how achieving such an agreement could help boost the president’s chances for re-election in 2020.
“If I were Trump, I would try to make a tangible accomplishment on the North Korea nuclear issue within the first term by 2020, and in my personal opinion, that would be a really huge achievement for Trump,” said Lee Sang-hyun, with the Sejong Institute. | Who sent a large delegation to the Pyeongchang Winter games? | Kim Jong Un | ['Trump', 'not enough information', 'Mike Pompeo'] |
Millions of people die of hunger in southern Africa every year, but when Zambia was offered thousands of tons of free maize by the US, the government politely said no.
"We don't know whether the food is safe," said Zambia's commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Dipak Patel.
His worries are shared by countries around the world that are in two minds about America's genetically modified(GM,)crops.Just last week, EU member nations were discussing whether or not to import GM sweet corn from the US.
Ever since people started farming, they have tried to crossbreed plants to make them stronger or better tasting. At one time, only related plants could be crossed with each other.
But when GM techniques were developed in the 1970s, scientists were able to put a single gene from a living creature into an unrelated creature.
This means they can make crops more productive and resistant to disease by adding genes from other species.They can also create food with special characteristics, such as "golden rice", which is enriched with vitamin A. But many people believe GM foods are a health risk.
At the moment, the official argument is that GM foods "are not likely to present risks for human health". But there are still many questions to be answered as the foods are produced in different ways.
Some experts believe the genetic material added to plants can transfer to humans and give damage to our bodies. Further harm could be caused by the genes from GM plants crossbreeding with naturally produced crops.
People in China are also getting worried about GM foods. More than 70 percent of the
country's soybean oil is produced from imported GM soybeans. Meanwhile, an investigation last November found that 12 of 60 famous foods sold across the country were GM products. The government has begun to introduce a marking system for GM goods so that people can choose whether or not to eat them. | Which is the best title for the passage? | GM foods, a health risk? | ['Harmful GM foods', 'Advantages of GM foods', 'the Techniques of GM foods'] |
Many people will remember the flight of the space shuttle Challenger , in June, 1993.The achievement of Sally Ride, America's first woman astronaut to fly into space, made this flight especially memorable.Students from two high schools in Camden, New Jersey, however, are likely to remember Norma rather than Sally whenever they think about the flight.
Norma didn't travel alone.She brought about 100 companions along with her.Norma was an ant, a queen ant who, with her subjects, made up the first ant colony to travel into space.The ants were part of a science experiment designed by the students to test the effects of weightlessness on insects.
The equipment designed by the students for their colony functioned perfectly throughout the long space trip.The young scientists and their teachers were very sad to find that their insect astronauts had all died at some point before the container was returned to the school and opened.The problem did not occur in space, but on the ground after Challenger had landed.The container remained in the desert for nearly a week before the ant colony was removed.The hot, dry desert air dried out the colony's container and the ants died from lack of moisture .
The project was termed a success because it did provide useful information.Students will continue their efforts to find out exactly what went wrong.They will try to prevent the same difficulties from recurring on future missions .They don't want to be discouraged either by the death of the ants or by the $10,000 shuttle fare they will have to pay to send the next colony of ants into space. | On the next space trip , ants_. | should not be left in the desert too long | ['will be sent without people', 'will have to pay double fare', 'will escape the trip completely'] |
Even plants can run a fever, especially when they're under attack by insects or disease. But unlike human, plants can have their temperature taken from 3,000 feet away--straight up. A decade ago, adopting the infrared scanning technology developed for military purposes and other satellites, physicist Stephen Paley came up with a quick way to take the temperature of crops to determine which ones are under stress. The goal was to let farmers precisely target pesticide spraying rather than rain poison on a whole field, which invariably includes plants that don't have pest problems.
Even better, Paley's Remote Scanning Services Company could detect crop problems before they became visible to the eye. Mounted on a plane flown at 3,000 feet at night, an infrared scanner measured the heat emitted by crops. The data were transformed into a colourcoded map showing where plants were running "fevers". Farmers could then spotspray, using 50 to 70 percent less pesticide than they otherwise would.
The bad news is that Paley's company closed down in 1984, after only three years. Farmers resisted the new technology and longterm backers were hard to find. But with the renewed concern about pesticides on produce, and refinements in infrared scanning, Paley hopes to get back into operation. Agriculture experts have no doubt the technology works. "This technique can be used on 75 percent of agricultural land in the United States, " says George Oerther of Texas A & M. Ray Jackson, who recently retired from the Department of Agriculture, thinks remote infrared crop scanning could be adopted by the end of the decade. But only if Paley finds the financial backing which he failed to obtain 10 years ago. | In order to apply pesticide spraying precisely, we can use infrared scanning to _ . | locate the problem area | ['estimate the damage to the crops', 'draw a colourcoded map', 'measure the size of the affected area'] |
When we got into the tiny room they said the guys might prefer a triple room . No objections . So we moved to the top floor , with more space in our room and access to a balcony overlooking the lake . | Why did they need to move rooms ? | They found that the room was too small . | ['None of the above choices .', 'They wanted a lake view and were upset they did nt get one', 'They did nt like their room'] |
Women who own cats are more likely to have mental health problems and kill themselves because they can be infected by a common parasite that can be caught from cat litter, a study has found.
Researchers found women infected with the Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) parasite , which is spread through contact with cat waste or eating undercooked meat or unwashed vegetables, are at increased risk of attempting suicide.
The study involved more than 45,000 women in Denmark. About a third of the world's population is infected with the parasite, which hides in cells in the brain and muscles, often without producing symptoms.
The infection, which is called toxoplasmosis , has been linked to mental illness, such as schizophrenia , and changes in behavior.
The study's senior author Doctor Teodor Postolache, an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in the United States, said, "We can't say with certainty that T. gondii caused the women to try to kill themselves, but we did find a predictive association between the infection and suicide attempts later in life that deserves additional studies."
Doctor Albert Reece, vice president of medical affairs at the University of Maryland, said, "T. gondii infection is a major public health problem around the world, and many people don't realize they're infected.
"Dr Postolache is a leading expert on suicide neuroimmunology . Suicide is a critically important mental health issue. About one million people commit suicide and another 10 million attempt suicide worldwide each year. We hope that this type of research will one day help us find ways to save many lives that now end too early in suicide."
Dr. Postolache's research team at the University of Maryland was the first to report a connection between T. gondii and suicidal behavior in 2009. He is cooperating with researchers in Denmark, Germany and Sweden to confirm and investigate the way leading to this association.
The T. gondii parasite thrives in the intestines of cats, and it is spread through their waste. All warm-blooded animals can become infected through contact with it. Humans can become infected by changing their infected cats' litter boxes, eating unwashed vegetables, drinking water from a polluted source, or by eating undercooked or raw meat.
Not washing kitchen knives after preparing raw meat before handling another food item also can lead to infection. Pregnant women can pass the parasite directly to their unborn babies and are advised not to change cat litter boxes to avoid possible infection.
Babies don't produce antibodies to T. gondii for three months after they are born, so the antibodies present in their blood represented infection in the mothers. The scientists studied Danish health patients to determine if any of these women later attempted suicide, including cases of violent suicide attempts which may have involved guns, sharp instruments and jumping from high places.
The study found that women infected with T. gondii were one and a half times more likely to attempt suicide compared to those who were not infected, and the risk seemed to rise with increasing levels of the T. gondii antibodies.
Dr Postolache noted limitations to the study, such as the inability to determine the cause of the suicidal behavior.
The findings were published online in the Archives of General Psychiatry. | What can be inferred from the passage? | The scientists will continue their research into the possible connection. | ['Women have a higher risk to be infected by the parasite than men.', 'The result of the research may help the scientists to find ways to stop suicide in advance.', 'The risk of being infected seems to rise with the decreasing levels of the antibodies.'] |
Recently the news broke that Microsoft are acquiring GitHub. Effusive opinions flowed from all directions: some saw the acquisition as a sensible fit for Microsoft to better support developers, and some saw it as a tyrant getting their grubby fingers on open source’s ecosystem.
I am thrilled for Microsoft and GitHub for many reasons, and there will be a bright future ahead because of it, but I have been thinking more about the reaction some of the critics have had to this, and why.
I find it fascinating that there still seems to be a deep-seated discomfort in some about Microsoft and their involvement in open source. I understand that this is for historical reasons, and many moons ago Microsoft were definitely on the offensive against open source. I too was critical of Microsoft and their approach back in those days. I may have even said ‘M$’ instead of ‘MS’ (ugh.)
Things have changed though. Satya Nadella, their CEO, has had a profound impact on the company: they are a significant investor and participant in open source across a multitude of open source projects, they hire many open source developers, run their own open source projects (e.g. VSCode), and actively sponsor and support many open source conferences, events, and initiatives. I know many people who work at Microsoft and they love the company and their work there. These are not microserfs: they are people like you and me.
Things have changed, and I have literally never drunk Kool-aid; this or any other type. Are they perfect? No, but they don’t claim to be. But is the Microsoft of today a radically different company to the Microsoft of the late nineties. No doubt.
Still though, this cynicism exists in some. Some see them as a trojan horse and ask if we can really trust them?
A little while ago I had a discussion with someone who was grumbling about Microsoft. After poking around his opinion, what shook out was that his real issue was not with Microsoft’s open source work (he was supportive of this), but it was with the fact that they still produce proprietary software and use software patents in departments such as Windows and Office. | John believes that | Fred was not a good guest | ['not enough information', 'Fred was his friend', 'Fred was married'] |
She ended up serving it on the side for me . I liked my Sesame chicken - nice and crunchy , although I really should n't be eating a lot of fried foods . I ' m not a big fan of miso soup . I miss having the choice of cucumber salad and macaroni salad . They made their mac salad island style , with fruit bits , just like how my mom makes it . | What type of food is the narrator eating ? | They are eating Asian food . | ['None of the above choices .', 'They are eating vegetarian .', 'They are eating vegan .'] |
Many students attend Miami University for its zoology program, hoping to become a doctor someday, but Joseph Frame has come for a different reason -- to become a vet.
"Ever since I was a little boy, I've been interested in animals," Frame said, "but when I grow up, I realized that I didn't want to just take care of dogs and cats. I wanted to work with animals you wouldn't find in your house."
Before coming to Miami, Frame worked with his vet Dr. Reid. He learned about the details of being a vet from him. Working with small animals, Frame observed many procedures there.
Frame also worked with another vet at Oxford University during his first year at Miami, which involved a leadership position. "I'm in charge of a high school kid," Fram said, "He sometimes needs to be motivated. I like his support system."
To realize his goal, Frame began working at the Wilds in Cumberland, Ohio after he met Reid.
The Wilds is a non-profit conservation center and is the home for rare and endangered animals. The Wilds combines the concepts of conservation science and education programs to mainly children.
After his first year at Miami, Frame began to educate children about the animals. "I think teaching children is an enjoyable experience, especially when they're really interested in animals," Frame said.
Frame also explained if a vet school didn't work out, he would be interested in working in animal education. "I would at least have a Zoology degree," Frame said, "The wilds is connected to many zoos all over the country, so I'm sure I can find a job in education."
For now, Frame plans to continue working at the wilds this coming summer with a new job at hand, which involves teaching the public about the endangered animals they are protecting and doing shows with owls.
While Frame is still an undergraduate student at Miami, he continues his passion for animals. Becoming an exotic vet may be a few years down the road, but Frame continues to work had for this dream, hoping it will become a great reality. | What can be the best title for this text? | An Ambitious Undergraduate Seeks a Big Dream | ['A Young Man Becomes Successful in Miami', 'A College Student Who loves Animals', 'A college student Finds an Opportunity in a zoology Program'] |
A study by St. Louis University has found that a lovable dog named Sparky and a robotic dog AIBO, were about equally effective at reducing the loneliness of nursing home residents. The study confirmed previous findings that dogs have a good effect on nursing home residents .
Dr. Andrew Smith led the Stanford University teamat built a home-assistance robot. "If humans can feel an emotional tie with robots, some day they could be not just our assistants, but also our companions," he said.
To test whether residents responded better to Sparky, a trained dog, or the Sony-made robotic dog, researchers divided 38 nursing home residents into three groups at three long-term care centers in St, Louis.
One group had weekly 30-minute one-on-one visits with Sparky; another group had similar visits with AIBO; a control group had no contact with either dog.The groups' respective levels of loneliness were tested by having them answer a number of questions at the beginning and near the end of the visits.
After two months, both groups that had contact with the dogs were less lonely and more attached. Most of the elderly regarded Sparky, a 9-year-old dog, as an audience for their life stories, said investigator Marian Banks.
"He listened attentively, wagged his tail, and allowed them to pet him," said Banks, who adopted and trained Sparky after finding him in a street behind her home seven years ago.
Those who were together with AIBO took a little longer to warm to the robotic creature.Over time, however, they grew comfortable with him, and petted and talked to him. He would respond by wagging his tail, vocalizing , and blinking his lights.
"AIBO is charming once you start to interact with him," said the study's author, Dr. William Banks, " He's an attractive sort of guy. He gives a feeling: of being personal, not just a robot. " | The findings of the researchers tell us that _ . | the elderly will have a robot assistant in no time | ['robots are actually attractive sorts of guys', 'robots could make a good companion of the old.', "it's easy for people to become close with robots"] |
It's really true what people say about English politeness: it's everywhere. When squeezing past someone in a narrow passage, people say "sorry". When getting off a bus, English passengers say "thank you" rather than the driver. In Germany, people would never dream of doing these things. After all, squeezing past others is sometimes unavoidable, and the bus driver is only doing his job. I used to think the same way, without questioning it, until I started traveling to the British Isles, and here are some more polite ways of interacting with people in UK.
People thank each other everywhere in England, all the time. When people buy something in a shop, customer and shop assistant in most cases thank each other twice or more. In Germany, it would be exceptional to hear more than one thank you in such a conversation. British students thank their lecturers when leaving the room. English employers thank their employees for doing their jobs, as opposite to Germans, who would normally think that paying their workers money is already enough.
Another thing I observed during my stay was that English people rarely criticize others. Even when I was working and mistakes were pointed out to me, my employers emphasized several times but none of their explanations were intended as criticism. It has been my impression that by avoiding criticism, English people are making an effort to make others feel comfortable. This also is showed in other ways. British men still open doors for women, and British men are more likely to treat women to a meal than German men. However, I do need to point out here that this applies to English men a bit more than it would to Scottish men! Yes, the latter are a bit tightfisted. | What is the author's attitude towards English politeness? | He appreciates it very much. | ['He thinks it is unnecessary.', 'He thinks little of it.', 'He thinks it goes too far.'] |
President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made history with their summit meeting in Singapore. But beyond the handshakes, casual strolls and shared asides, many analysts and experts are already wondering what exactly the enduring substance of the summit will be and whether it could boost Trump's political rating at home.
For Trump, the great political disrupter, it was the most significant foreign policy move of his presidency. It comes at a time when he looks to turn around his often weak polls and bolster his political standing at home in advance of midterm congressional elections in November, where Democrats are poised to make gains.
From the images of their historic first handshake to signing an agreement on denuclearization, Trump and Kim took the first steps toward writing a new chapter in relations between their two countries.
"People are going to be very impressed, people are going to be very happy, and we are going to take care of a very big and very dangerous problem for the world," Trump said sitting alongside Kim after both men signed the joint agreement.
It was Trump's biggest moment on the world stage, and an opportunity he was eager to seize.
"We got along really well.We had a great chemistry.You understand how I feel about chemistry.It is very important," Trump told VOA contributor Greta Van Susteren immediately after the summit. "I mean, I know people where there is no chemistry. We had it right from the beginning. We talked about that and I think great things are going to happen for North Korea."
It was the first ever meeting between a U.S. president and a North Korean leader. The two men signed an agreement that committed both countries to work toward the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, but the details remain vague.
The United States offered unspecified security guarantees and a halt to military exercises with South Korea. Trump also said he raised the issue of human rights with Kim, but added that most of the meeting focused on the nuclear issue. | Who looked to turn around his often weak polls and bolster his political standing at home. | President Trump | ['not enough information', 'North Korean leader Kim Jong Un', 'Greta Van Susteren'] |
U.S. President Donald Trump has blocked the release of a Democratic rebuttal to a Republican memo alleging FBI abuses of power during an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
In a letter released Friday, White House counsel Don McGahn said Trump had decided not to declassify the Democratic memo “because the memorandum contains numerous properly classified and especially sensitive passages.”
The president himself expounded on that explanation Saturday on Twitter.
"The Democrats sent a very political and long response memo which they knew, because of sources and methods (and more), would have to be heavily redacted, whereupon they would blame the White House for lack of transparency. Told them to re-do and send back in proper form!"
Rep. Steny Hoyer, the No. 2-ranking Democrat in the House, released a statement late Friday saying, “It is deeply disturbing that President Trump has blocked the release” of the Democrat-written memo. He said that after Trump on Feb. 2 released “a one-sided, misleading memo written by Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee, it is only appropriate that Americans see all the facts.”
McGahn’s letter to House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes asked for revisions in the document before it could be released.
Nunes released a statement late Friday, saying, “I had warned that the Democratic memo contains many sources and methods ... it’s no surprise that these agencies recommended against publishing the memo without redactions.”
McGahn’s statement said because of the “public interest in transparency in these unprecedented circumstances, the president has directed that Justice Department personnel be available to give technical assistance to the committee” in its efforts to revise the document.
Trump had until the end of Friday to decide whether to declassify the memo, written by Democrats on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
The president last week authorized the release of the Republican version of the memo, which claimed the FBI improperly obtained a warrant to spy on Carter Page, a former Trump campaign adviser, and his connections to Russia. | Who said Trump's February 2nd memo was "one-sided and misleading"? | Steny Hoyer | ['Carter Page', 'not enough information', 'Devin Nunes'] |
Dear Volunteers,
The service you will provide to elderly individuals in Abilene as a Meals on Wheels volunteer is deeply appreciated. I want to take this opportunity to thank you for the many miles you will travel and all of the hours you will contribute to help make this one of the best programs in the entire state.
We have our staff members make a home visit before adding each person to the program and try to visit everyone at least once every year. That is hardly enough, and we depend on your contact a great deal! It is important that you report back when you do not get an answer to your knock on the door. The person inside may be hurt or ill. They may be in hospital or out of town and fail to inform us. If they are frequently absent, we may need to determine if they still need meals.
If you find someone with a medical emergency, please call 911 to request medical assistance, and then call the Meals on Wheels office. If you find someone who needs assistance other than for a medical emergency, please call the Meals on Wheels office at 6725050, and we will try to find the appropriate agency or individual to call.
Let us know when a certain person needs extra food. We have a food preparation room of shelf stable items to share with them. Please feel free to take a few magazines when you deliver meals. Many of those we serve cannot afford magazines and enjoy reading. If someone is interested in getting books from the Abilene Public Library, let us know. We can sign them up for the Books on Wheels program. Call if you smell gas strongly when you deliver meals, or if someone needs a space heater, a blanket, or an electric fan. Please convey all needs to us, and we will try to see that they are met. Some of the elderly people who we offer our service may have cancers, liver diseases, AIDS, etc. If you do not want to deliver meals to the people with certain types of health problems, such as these, please let us know.
Sincerely,
Betty L. Bradley, LBSW,
Executive Director | How does the author learn about the needs of the people served? | The volunteers report back the information to him. | ['His staff members call them to get the information.', 'He visits them now and then to get the information.', 'The family members send the information to his office.'] |
It was a made-for-TV moment that all presidents would relish, but it seemed especially significant for the man who turned a reality TV career into a successful bid for the presidency.
Donald Trump triumphantly greeted the three Americans released by North Korea in the early morning darkness at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington early Thursday, an image one can expect to see over and over again come the 2020 U.S. presidential election campaign.
“It was a very important thing to all of us to be able to get these three great people out,” Trump told reporters on the tarmac. He then went on to speculate that live television coverage of the arrival “probably broke the all-time in history television rating for 3 o’clock in the morning.”
It was a moment the president gladly seized given that his White House has been buffeted by a chaotic mix of policy and personal drama in recent days. The prospect of a potentially historic breakthrough on North Korea could move a number of other unwelcome distractions to the side, including the ongoing Russia investigation, the growing legal difficulties for Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, and the soap opera that the Stormy Daniels story has become. Daniels is the adult film actress who claims she once had an affair with Trump. He denies the claim.
Trump also announced Thursday on Twitter that he will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on June 12 in Singapore. A new CNN poll found that 77 percent of those surveyed support Trump meeting the North Korean leader, and 53 percent approve of his handling of the North Korea issue generally.
Those numbers are in keeping with a general trend of late that has seen the president’s poll ratings improving, perhaps in part because of the strong economy. | What does Donald Trump feel regarding the Stormy Daniels drama? | Frustration | ['not enough information', 'Excitement', 'Happiness'] |
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. | why does Trump continue tweeting? | not enough information | ['he has a large ego', 'he thinks it is helping.', 'he thinks he is witty'] |
I recently stayed at Lindos View with my family . We had 4 apartments which were very basic . The pools are lovely and the reception / bar area looks so clean and fresh . The cleaners work very hard to make the hotel look beautiful . | What did the narrator seem to like about the place of their recent stay ? | It had a good bar . | ['It was ornate in the rooms .', 'It had 15 rooms', 'It had ornate rooms .'] |
Yes I definitely have. It was over ten years ago now… I was diagnosed as Borderline Personality Disorder but presenting with symptoms of Bi Polar Mania. I was in hospital for treatment and of course the psychiatrist wanted to medicate me until the manic phase subsided so as to better stabilize me and get the right diagnosis, etc. It is an art, Psychiatry, as far as I’m concerned. I do not have the education to elaborate on say, Pharmaceuticals or Cognitive Science (other than a few college courses on Behavioral Psychology) nor can I comprehend these fields of reference as clearly as I’d like to, but what I experienced was… GETTING THE WRONG MEDICATION!! for my presenting psychological manifestations.
I was put on Seroquil; too sedating even in minute doses. Prozac. Sent me over the edge, and a complete 180 to the point where I was extremely delusional and dangerously suicidal. These mind-altering medications can be fatal. It was scary and literally ruined my life for a time…
I was worse than minorly-depressed or hypo-manic (conditions much more manageable than what I previously described) for a long time when I first started a regime with Zoloft, but it did wind up being the best drug to manage my depressive state and enable me to function in a more socially adaptive manner. Then they added Lamictal, which has truly kept me stable ever since.
But yes, it is a trial and error method as far as I can tell... My Mother never wanted me to try any medication because she said “They” were using me like a guinea pig, but when the benefit outweighs the risk, they take the risk. You can’t always trust medicine but if you have an experienced doctor you should trust them especially if you want to get better, whatever your ailment may be.
I have osteoarthritis, DSP, and Sciatica also, so am familiar with drugs used to treat physical health issues too but no huge issues with these medications, not like psychiatric drugs that’s for sure. | What will the psychiatrist do now | The psychiatrist will continued to monitor the writer's health | ['not enough information', 'The psychiatrist will stop prescribing medication for the writer', 'The psychiatrist will insist on seeing the mother'] |
We live our lives online, so naturally, online dating is becoming our primary source of meeting others. I have been on most dating sites and some are good, some not so much. Tinder remains on the top five dating sites out there, so I’m sharing my personal experience.
THE TRUTH ABOUT TINDER
Did you like me on Tinder? If you are a man in my geographical area, odds are you did. The first week I joined I received over 400 likes and nothing speaks desperation like that, does it? If I want to hook up and leave, there’s no better place to go.
If you’re going to Tinder looking for a real connection, then sorry — you’ve lost your damn mind. Tinder was created with the hit and quit it hookup in mind and trust me no matter what he puts in his profile, that’s what he’s looking for. Crap, that’s what I was looking for let’s be honest. Here are some universal truths about Tinder and most online dating sites.
If the picture looks too good to be true, it probably is.
People lie.
A large majority are going to be married pretending to be single.
They have a handful of others on the hook while they’re talking to you.
The usual way it goes on Tinder is you like someone’s picture and if they like you back, you’re a match. Then you can message each other and often you will get one or two messages and that’s it unless you come out strong on the sexting and I guarantee you get your man. Tinder is oozing with low attention spans. I can pretty much guarantee he is going to ask for pictures, and not of your face. | What issue does the author find with using Tinder? | People lie about about their appearance and dating status | ["People don't message you enough", 'not enough information', 'People are looking for real life connections'] |
Nick Santonastasso has one arm equipped with one finger. He has no legs. He also has no limitations .
" I know anything's possible ," the 12-year-old told TODAY 's Ann Curry.
He can play baseball and football, play the keyboard and drums, and play video games with his brothers.
When Nick was born, he suffered a disease only found in 11 other people. The Santonastassos had three other children, and they decided to treat Nick the same as others, with love but without excuse
" We're supposed to be heroes to our children, but Nick is a hero to us," his father Michael said. But heroes have heroes, too, and Nick's is Tiki Barber, the former football superstar who retired last year and became a reporter for TODAY. Curry told Nick that for his birthday, the show wanted to give him a new skateboard. The person who presented it to him was Barber.
" You're an inspiration," Barber said. " There are a lot of kids who might be at a disadvantage.
You give them strength."
Curry observed that most parents try to protect their kids from failure, but the Santonastassos didn't do that with Nick.
"Absolutely not, "Nick's mother Stacey said. " If you do have a small failure, it just makes you stronger to succeed at the next stop."
" It builds self-confidence in yourself to try it again," Nick added.
Recently, Nick entered a drawing in a statewide contest in New Jersey. His drawing was a tree with a spreading canopy and deep toots. Above the tree were the words, "The roots of a family are..." Below the ground, the roots spelled out the final word for the message: " Love."
It won the contest. The judges didn't know Nick' physical condition. He won on merit , the same way he does everything else in life. | How did the Santonastassos treat Nick? | They treated him as a normal boy | ['They gave him much more care', 'They made excuse for his failure', 'They protected him from failure.'] |
What exactly is a lie? Is it anything we say which we know is untrue? Or is it something more than that? For example, suppose a friend wants to borrow some money from you. You say, "I wish I could help you but I'm short of money myself." In fact you are not short of money but your friend is in the habit of not paying his debts and you don't want to hurt his feelings by reminding him of this. Is this really a lie?
Professor Gerald Gullion of theprefix = st1 /UniversityofSouthern Californiahas made a scientific study of lying. According to him, women are better liars than men, particularly when telling a "white lie", such as a woman at a party telling another woman that she likes her dress when she really thinks it looks awful. However, this is only one side of the story. Other researchers say that men are more likely to tell more serious lies, such as making a promise which they have no intention of fulfilling. This is the kind of lie politicians and businessmen are supposed to be particularly skilled at: the lie from which the liars hopes to profit or gain in some way.
Research has also been done into the changes of people's behavior in a number of small, clearly unimportant ways when they lie. It has been found that if they are sitting down at the time, they tend to move about in their chairs more than usual. To the trained observer they are saying "I wish I were somewhere else now". They also tend to touch certain parts of the face more often, in particular the nose. One explanation of this may be that lying causes a slight increase in blood pressure. The nose is very sensitive to such changes and the increased pressure makes it itch .
Another gesture which gives away is what the writer Desmond Morris in his bookMan Watchingcalls "the mouth cover". He says there are several typical forms of this, such as covering part of the mouth with fingers, touching the upper-lip or putting a finger of the hand at one side of the mouth. Such a gesture can be understood, as an unconscious attempt on the part of the liar to stop himself or herself from lying.
Of course, such gestures as rubbing the nose or covering the mouth, or moving about in a chair cannot be taken as proof that the speaker is lying. They simply tend to occur more frequently in this situation. It is not one gesture alone that gives the liar away but a whole number of things, and in particular the context in which the lie is told. | Which of the following may best betray a liar? | The situations in which his lies are told. | ["The touching of the tip of one's nose.", "The change of one's behavior.", '"The mouth cover" gesture.'] |
One of my favourite respites from hectic university life is first , goinging grocery shopping , and second , browsing through grocery stores . I get inspirations as I walk through aisles of exautic sauces , dressings , vegetables , and anything edible ! Last night I went to the store because I wanted to get a box of breakfast cereal . | What is the most enjoyabnle part of grovery shopping for this person ? | The person likes the inspired feeling he gets as he looks at the different food in the store . | ['None of the above choices .', 'This person likes to try out the new cereal that the store sells .', 'This person likes to try out the exotic sauces that are in the grocery store .'] |
Most people think zoos are safe for animals, where struggles such as difficulty in finding food and avoiding natural enemies don't exist. Without such problems, animals in zoos should live to an old age. But that may not be true for the largest land animals on earth. Scientists have known that elephants in zoos often suffer from poor health. They develop diseases and behaviour changes. Sometimes, they even become infertile, or unable to have babies.
To learn more about how elephants are affected, a team of international scientists compared the life spans of elephants born in zoos with those living outdoors in their native lands. Zoos keep detailed records of all the animals, such as birth dates, illnesses, weight and death. These records made it possible for the researchers to analyse 40 years of data on 800 African and Asian elephants in zoos across Europe. The team found that female African elephants born in zoos lived an average of 16.9 years while those in the wild lived an average of 56 years. Scientists don't yet know why wild elephants seem to be so much better than their zooraised elephants. Georgia Mason, a biologist who led the study, thinks stress and obesity may be to blame. Zoo elephants don't get the same kind of exercise they would in the wild, and most are fat.
Another finding from the study showed that Asian elephants born in zoos were more likely to die early than Asian elephants caught in the wild and brought to zoos. Mason suggests stress in the mothers in zoos might cause them to have babies that are less likely to survive. | Most people think that animals in the zoos _ . | live longer than those in the wild | ['have difficulty in finding food', 'often struggle with each other', 'will often fight with their enemies'] |
As one approaches some crossroads, one comes to a sign which says that drivers have to stop when they come to the main road ahead. At other crossroads, drivers have to go slow, but they do not actually have to stop (unless, of course, there is something coming along the main road); and at still others, they do not have either to stop or to go slow, because they are themselves on the main road.
Mr. Williams, who was always a very careful driver, was driving home from work one evening when he came to a crossroads. It had a "Slow" sign, so he slowed down when he came to the main road, looked both ways to see that nothing was coming, and then drove across without stopping completely.
At once he heard a police whistle, so he pulled in to the side of the road and stopped. A policeman walked over to him with a notebook and pencil in his hand and said, "You didn't stop at the crossing." "But the sign there doesn't say "Stop"," answered Mr. Williams. "It just says "Slow", and I did go slow." The policeman looked around him, and a look of surprise came over his face. Then he put his notebook and pencil away, scratched his head and said, "Well, I'll be scolded. I am in the wrong street!" | Which might be the best title for this passage? | Policeman in the wrong street | ['Signs at the crossroads', 'A careful driver', 'A policeman and a driver'] |
The first day of school always goes wrong. For many students in the United States, however, this year it was even more so. It was all due to one extra school policy - they are now required to follow a new standardized dress code.
According to the handbooks of all high schools in Allentown, Pennsylvania, students must wear short- or long-sleeve polo shirts and khaki or black pants. Skinny jeans, leggings and open-toe shoes are not allowed.
Allentown schools are not alone. At Edgewater High School in Florida, shirts must have collars or sleeves, and pants must not sag and reach at least mid-thigh . No see-through shirts or T- shirts with references to sex on them are allowed.
Overall, more than half of US public schools now enforce dress codes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. About 57 percent of schools now have a "strict dress code", up from more than 47 percent a decade earlier, USA Today said.
Among young people, there are mixed emotions. Some don't mind wearing similar clothes every day while others aren't happy. Despite dress codes in many school districts, some students still come to school - even on their first day - in skirts that are too short, necklines that are too low and sagging pants that don't stay up on their hips.
But there are punishments. If they are out of dress code, students can be removed from the classroom until they fix the problem. In Florida, wearing sagging pants is illegal for youths according to a state law issued in 2011. Breaking the rule results in not being able to do after-school activities, and even being forbidden to attend class.
Some US schools go further and require students to wear uniforms. Many say that they simplify their jobs, saving teachers from having to punish students for wearing skirts or shorts that are too short, for instance. They can also prevent feelings of competition and envy among students.
"It takes away the daily fashion show and helps level the playing field a little bit with the haves and have-nots," longtime school safety consultant Ken Trump told USA Today.
Critics of uniforms say they rob students of individuality. But for some people, that's a lazy argument.
"Clothing isn't the only form of self-expression. Students should know that it's what they do that counts," commented a parent named Beth Kassab in The Orlando Sentinel in Florida. | According to the new standardized dress code, students in the US are allowed to wear _ . | knee-length pants | ['shirts without sleeves', 'transparent T-shirts', 'jeans sticking to skin'] |
At the recent O&P Extremity Games, I had the opportunity to observe a new generation of athletes with disabilities who were skateboarding and rock climbing. These young people really showed the promise of how rewarding physical activities are! We disabled can - and should be -- as active as anyone else. When we get and stay active, we will feel better, be able to do more, have healthier bodies, and look better. It is a fact that exercise actually produces energy and builds on itself. The more we exercise, the fitter our bodies are, and thus the more energy we have to enjoy recreation and the pleasure of life.
Not everyone is cut out to be a competitive athlete, but there are things that we can do to strengthen our physical well-being. Experts recommend that spending as little as 30 minutes each day on physical activities provides benefits including lower risk of heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and other serious diseases. Taking steps to become physically fit does not have to mean acquiring expensive training equipment or a gym membership. Exercise can include simple walking and running, gardening, cleaning the house, swimming, tennis, bicycling (stationary or on the road) and so on. The key is to do it on a regular basis.
Healthy lifestyles also require good nutritional habits. When choosing foods, nutritionists advise whole grains, flesh fruits and vegetables, fish, and lean cuts of poultry and meat. The benefits of drinking eight full glasses of water a day are also _ . Water provides the means for nutrients to travel to all our organs, improves skin tone , regulates body temperature and contributes to muscle strength and control, which is confirmed by scientists.
Fitness results in completing the tasks of daily living, working a full day, and still having energy to participate in recreational activities. By being fit, you'll find that you enjoy recreational activities even more because you won't be tired or suffer from gore muscles.
It is time, folks, to get moving. So let's all get out there and do some exercise! | What's the author's purpose of writing the passage? | He intends to call on people to do exercise. | ['He wants to ask people to respect the disabled.', 'He wants people to know the importance of exercise for the disabled.', 'He wants to explain what healthy lifestyles are.'] |
You put a great deal of effort into reaching the college of your choice. It' s time to get started. But what' s next? Beginning college can be an exciting but awkward time. Follow these tips to adjust to your new life rapidly and make the most of your college experience.
* To save time and money, use the college' s bus system. Taking the bus to school is quick, easy and free in most college towns. You won' t have to locate or afford a place to park either. It' s also a good way to be environmentally aware.
* Save pennies on books by waiting until class starts. You might not even need all of the recommended books. New textbooks cost an arm and a leg. Try buying used textbooks -- it' s a surefire way to save money and serves the purpose as well.
* Do never look at college life as an endless series of parties and social activities. But there is a whole lot more to college if you're serious about graduating. Having a good college experience is all about balancing work and fun.
* Be mindful of your diet. Make healthy food choices and watch what you eat. Avoid foods that are processed or high in sugar. The "freshman 15"is real. Many college students gain at least 15 pounds during their freshmen year.
* While electives can be helpful when figuring out your major, you shouldn't entirely rely on them. Clubs and other organizations exist around. Get involved. Make sure, though, that you still have time to study. Having too much on your plate can hurt your grades. | Which of the following ideas can be financially wise? | Buying used books. | ['Driving your own car.', 'Renting an apartment.', 'Attending activities.'] |
Her jewelry box has been dumped , reassembled and dumped more times than she can count . She 'd found things she thought she had lost -- like the diamond ring Jesse gave her and she was happy to let remain lost -- but she had not found the one thing she knew she had lost . The amulet with the symbol from Antar was no where to be found . | Why was she upset to see Jesse 's ring ? | It brought back bad memories of a break up . | ['None of the above choices .', 'It brought back bad memories of a theft .', 'It brought back bad memories of a death .'] |
A growing number of health, hunger, and sustainable agriculture groups today announced plans for Food Day-a nationwide campaign to change the way Americans eat and think about food.Food Day will encourage people around the country to sponsor or participate in activities that encourage Americans to "eat real" and support healthy, affordable food grown in a sustainable, humane way.
Organizers hope Food Day will inspire Americans to hold thousands of events in schools, college campuses, houses of worship and even in private homes aimed at fixing America's food system.A Food Day event could be as small as a parent organizing a vegetable identification contest at a kindergarten class-or as massive as a rally in a city park, with entertainment and healthy food.Health departments, city councils and other policy makers could use Food Day to launch campaigns, hold hearings, or otherwise address communities food problems.
The campaign will advocate progress toward five central goals:
*Reducing diet-related disease by promoting healthy foods.The American diet is too low in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and too high in fatty meat, soft drinks and salty packaged and restaurant foods-contributing to hundreds of thousands of premature deaths each year.
*Supporting sustainable farms and stopping subsidies to agribusiness.Billions of federal dollars a year would be better spent helping environmentally conscious family farmers than hugeagribusiness operations.
*Expanding access to food and alleviating hunger.Far too many Americans don't know where their next meal is coming from, or have access to fresh produce in their neighborhood.
*Reforming factory farms to protect animals and the environment.Farming of animals can and should be done without cruelty, and without degrading the quality of life.
*Curbing junk-food marketing to kids.Food companies should not be targeting children with foods that promote tooth decay, obesity and other health problems. | What is the best title of the text? | Food Day Campaign | ['Eat Real and Keep fit', 'How to Observe Food Day', 'Food Problems in the USA'] |
Expand your knowledge of natural history!
The University of Michigan Exhibit Museum is located on central campus in the historic Alexander B.Ruthven Museums Building.With over 300displays on four floors,the museum offers unlimited opportunities for discovery.Exhibits,artifacts and habitat scenes help you expand your knowledge of prehistoric life,wildlife,geology,astronomy and more.
Hours and Admission Fees
The museum is open 9am to 5pm Tuesday through Saturday and 1pm to 5pm on Sunday.The museum is closed on Mondays and major holidays.There is no general admission fee for individuals.
Groups
All groups of more than 10must make reservations to visit the museum at least two weeks in advance,even if the group is only planning to browse in the museum on an"unguided visit".Unguided visits can be arranged for any day the museum is open.Groups may schedule guided tours,multimedia shows,and planetarium shows for any day Tuesday through Friday.Call the reservation desk at 313-555-1234between 9am to 4pm to make group reservations.
Parking
Parking is available in many of the nearby public parking structures for a $5.00daily fee.Buses may park in the museum lot only on weekends.Parking is free in the museum lot.
Museum Shop
The Exhibit Museum Shop is located on the basement level of the museum.The shop carries items for children and adults,including rocks,minerals,fossils,books,a variety of dinosaur merchandise,T-shirts and posters.A subscription to the quarterly Newsletter of the Exhibit Museum is also available there.
Planetarium Shows
The planetarium is located on the fourth floor of the Exhibit Museum.On weekends,regularly scheduled planetarium shows are open to the general public.Show topics change seasonally.Currently showing:"The Brightest Stars"(no age limits) Sat.at 10:30and 11:30;"The New Solar System"(for age 8 up) Sat.at 12:30and 3:30; Sun.at 2:30.Tickets are 2.5per person.Planetarium shows are free for members of the Exhibit Museum Club. | When could you and your 7-year-old son see a planetarium show together? | Only on Saturday morning. | ['Only on Saturday afternoon.', 'Tuesday through Friday.', 'Either Saturday or Sunday.'] |
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump disclosed in a financial report filed with the government’s ethics watchdog Tuesday that he had reimbursed his personal lawyer more than $100,000 for unspecified expenses.
In his annual financial disclosure form, which was released by the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) on Wednesday, Trump acknowledged that he had “fully reimbursed” his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, in the range of $100,000 to $250,000 in 2016.
Trump’s lawyers have previously said the president reimbursed Cohen for $130,000 Cohen paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign to keep her quiet about a sexual tryst she said she had with Trump 10 years earlier.
Trump has denied the affair but recently confirmed reimbursing Cohen through a monthly retainer to stop “false and extortionist accusations” made by Daniels about an affair. Cohen has also acknowledged making the payment.
The disclosure said that while the payment to Cohen was not a “reportable” liability, Trump chose to list it “in the interest of transparency.” It did not say why Trump had left it out of his 2017 financial disclosure documents, though one of the president’s lawyers, Rudy Giuliani, has said that Trump didn’t know about the payment when he reported his finances last year.
The Office of Government Ethics, in a letter to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, said it had determined that the payment to Cohen constituted a loan that should have been reported. However, it said the information Trump provided in his latest financial form met “the disclosure requirements for a reportable liability” under the Ethics in Government Act.
Under the Ethics in Government Act, top government officials are required to report all debts in excess of $10,000 during the previous reporting period. “Knowingly or willfully” falsifying or failing to file reports carries civil and criminal penalties. Trump listed several hundred million dollars in liabilities in his financial report.
Critics seized on the OGE’s letter to charge that Trump’s earlier omission of the payment could amount to a violation of federal laws on financial disclosures. | How long did it probably take for the Office of Government Ethics to investigate: | Less than a year | ['More than 10 years', 'More than a year', 'not enough information'] |
I went off to school to learn to be a music teacher and ended up having the love of music drained out of me . Doug , however , just went out and played . How I envied his pure love of music and I realized how much of him I had missed out on . | Why does the narrator refuse to play music ? | The narrator lost their love of the music . | ["The narrator ca n't play music .", 'The narrator has never played music before .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
I was having a great morning until I sat down in front of my office computer. "Your password has run out," a server message flashed on my screen, with instructions for changing it. Coming up with a new code doesn't seem like a big deal unless you work at my company, where we have to change it monthly, using at least one uppercase character, one lowercase character, one symbol, and one number. Oh, and the whole thing can't be fewer than eight characters. And I can't use any of the same passwords I've used in the past three months.
Suddenly I was cross. What didn't make it any better was that I was deeply depressed after my recent divorce. The flashing cursor was still waiting for me to type a password that I'd have to re-enter many times for the next 30 days. I remembered a tip from my former boss: I'm going to use a password to change my life.
I decided to choose a password, which would remind me that I shouldn't let myself be a victim of my recent breakup and that I was strong enough to do something about it. I made my password Forgive@h3r.
I had to type this statement several times a day. Each time my computer would lock. Each time my screen saver with her photo would appear. Each time I would come back from eating lunch alone. In my mind, I wrote "forgive her" every day.
The simple action changed the way I looked at my ex-wife. That constant reminder led me to accept the way things had happened at the end of my marriage and adopt a new way of dealing with my depression. As the month wore on, I felt slow healing began to take place. By the time my server reminded me to reset my password the following month, I felt free. | According to the author's company, which code is suitable? | persist@4Ever | ['never2&late', '1u#Life', 'HEALTHY*keeping'] |
And the " parents do n't know what 's going on , " she said . Nearly half of those preteens or " tweens " who responded said they had been in a dating relationship . The survey considers tweens to be between 11 and 14 years of age . | What may be the reason of the post ? | To talk about kids dating | ['To talk about kids', 'To talk about parents', 'To scare me'] |
Gorgeous Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Girl Puppy . She has been lovingly home reared and can be seen with mum . She is used to children and cats and has been regularly wormed and had preventative flea treatment ( frontline ) . She has also been health checked by my vet . | How might the puppy react if petted by children ? | The puppy might lie on its back for belly rubs . | ['None of the above choices .', 'The puppy might bite the children .', 'The puppy might bite the children .'] |
Megan Tarzynski, 17, knows she lives in a world where looks are important, especially for teenage girls, but she is not ashamed of (...) her looks.
At Notre Dame High School for girls, Tarzynski takes an active part in many activities. "I am involved with drama club and another club called Polish club," said Megan.
Eighty-five percent of Megan's body is covered with what are called "port wine stains "caused by a serious illness. She also has glaucoma .
Megan has been going to Children's Memorial Hospital for laser treatment since she was a child.
When she was growing up, her mom, Karen Miller, had a hard time dealing with the public.
"I'd be accused of beating her and burning her. I mean, it was very difficult, very difficult, and I was a young mom and just to hear those things from people was hurtful," said Karen.
Support from her family and persons of her age have helped Megan accept herself.
"I only wear make-up if I'm going out in public or some place where I would feel more uncomfortable," she said. "And, if I'm at school, I usually don't wear make-up. I feel pretty comfortable with the girls around me," said Megan.
One of those girls is Megan's new friend Tanan Nicpon. She said, "I don't judge Megan by her looks. She is a really cool person."
"Megan is amazing. There is nothing that she can't do. She doesn't let anybody put her down. She does not let anyone help her in any way; she doesn't want any special treatment. She just does everything. She's amazing," said Karen.
In the autumn, Megan will be a senior at Notre Dame High School. | Which of the following is TRUE? | The support from the family is also a great help to Megan. | ['Port wine strains are the only thing for Megan to deal with.', 'Megan is very happy to have so many people to help her.', 'Karen Miller is very sorry for her hurt made to her daughter.'] |
If there is something that appears most frequently on Chinese dining tables, it is doufu--beancurd.Beancurd looks like soft cakes and it's made from dried soybeans.Beancurd used to be considered a favourite of the poor because of its low cost.Beans have high yields every year with their short growing period and suitability for various soil both dry and wet.
Historical records show beancurd was invented by Liu An, Prince of Huainan and uncle of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty(206BC--220AD).He had a dream of finding the pill for longevity .He traveled all over the country and found soybeans, which looked much the same as gold in terms of colour.He collected soybeans, put them in the water and crushed them into pulp .It got solidified and became known as doufu.Although it's not able to keep longevity, it's really good for one's health with high protein and low fat.
With a long history, beancurd is rooted deep in Chinese culture.People eat more meat and fish than beancurd.But they are encouraged to have beancurd every once in a while for it's really good for health.Most Chinese people still keep beancurd as one of their favourite dishes. | How long has beancurd been invented? | It's more than 2000 years. | ["It's less than 1500 years.", "It's 500 years.", "It's about 1500 years."] |
Then I started wondering how low calorie they could be . I found a recipe for 40 calories , so of course ... I had to try it . Unfortunately ( or rather fortunately , I suppose ) , my brother has basically NO ingredients for ANYthing . So I had to substitute nearly everything in the recipe because there were no eggs / vegetable oil / applesauce , butter / margarine , salt , or baking soda / self - rising flour . | Why is the speaker interested in find low calorie recipes ? | They are interested in losing weight and are trying to go about it in a systematic fashion | ['They are doing a science project to determine if calories and taste are entirely related', 'They are on the marketing board of a food manufacturer and are trying to create low calorie treats', 'They are trying to determine the exact amount of calories in every ingredient for research'] |
Youth volunteers from Beijing University visited Song tang Hospital, a care clinic for the aged and dying patients, during the second Global Youth Service Day on April 21.
Thirty student volunteers from the university's School of International Studies sat at the beds of the patients in their specially - decorated" care huts". They talked with them and gave massages to patients kept in their beds.
I felt sorry that I could not offer more to these people than talking with them and trying to cheer them up. said Deng Yetao, 20, a third - year student. "But it occurred to me that they need more care and love than babies. They are afraid of the coming death. Their loneliness is worse than physical pains."
"Even though they are suffering a lot, the majority of the elderly people want to talk to us. Each of them has a lot of life experiences and philosophies to share. _ Said Mao Xiaohua, another third - year student.
Mao talked with two elderly patients for a whole afternoon. The fact that most of the patients in the 80 - room clinic are aged people with diseases which will lead to death soon made the volunteers' hearts heavy.
Ninety - one percent of the patients will spend the last days of their lives in the clinic, according to a survey by the hospital.
Daily visits and services by social workers and youth volunteers are a very important part of their programmer. A total of 330, 000 Beijing students from 119 universities and colleges have visited the hospital. Many continue to offer services in their spare time. Some of them volunteer to hold the hands of dying patients during the last minutes of their lives.
Yin Hang, a student from Beijing Medical College, said he felt" the glory of life" as he saw the fading smile on the face of the old man who passed into a deep unconsciousness while he was holding his hands. | When volunteers know most of the aged people are dying patients, they feel _ . | sad | ['disappointed', 'satisfied', 'worthless'] |
A school board in the eastern state of Virginia has filed an emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to halt a ruling that allows a transgender student to use the boys’ restroom next school year.
The Gloucester County School Board is trying to prevent Gavin Grimm from using the bathroom that matches his gender identity when school resumes later this year, saying it will "put parents' constitutional rights in jeopardy.''
Grimm sued the school district last year for the right to use the boys’ restroom after the school board enacted a policy limiting bathroom use to the one corresponding with a person’s biological sex rather than the gender with which the student identifies.
Grimm was born female but identifies as male.
"Depriving parents of any say over whether their children should be exposed to members of the opposite biological sex, possibly in a state of full or complete undress, in intimate settings deprives parents of their right to direct the education and upbringing of their children,'' attorneys for the school board wrote.
The ACLU, which is defending Grimm, has argued that forcing him to use the girls' bathroom is a violation of Title IX and the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
The issue is one that has been hotly debated in schools, courts and state legislatures across the U.S.
The Obama administration in May directed the nation’s public schools to allow transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity or risk losing their federal funding. Twenty-one states have sued to overturn the directive.
The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals sided with Grimm in April. The court reinstated Grimm's Title IX claim and sent it back to the district court for further consideration.
The school board wants the Supreme Court to put Grimm's district court case on hold until the justices decide whether to review the appeals court decision. The board says it plans to file its petition for Supreme Court review by late August. | What does Gavin Grimm probably think about his case | not enough information | ['He thinks its the right thing to do', 'He believes in it', 'He does not regret it'] |
he 's this 40-ish guy with a shaved head who wears Converses and talks to me about music . i have n't run into him in probably a good year and a half , so we had a good brief chat between classes . he once made me email him a list of all the bands i listened to , and he told me he 's got pretty much all of them in his collection by now . he told me to email him when my band plays a show . Puck just licked my dried tears off my face . | Why does the narrator feel a kinship with this man ? | They like the same genres of music . | ['They like the same classes .', 'They are both bald .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
Yes recently!
I have joined a B-School recently. New friends, new syllabus, new place and new subjects! With all these new things, I got a new assignment which was supposed to be submitted in 3 days.
Our teams were formed and we, together had to submit it. From dawn to dusk, we worked hard on that Economics project. I worked with each and every person in the group. I didn’t know how to plot a triple axis graph in excel, I learnt that day at 2 am. Our group also learnt many new things and we gave our 100% to that report.
I, in my entire academic life, have never been careless towards the submission. I always submitted reports or assignments before time.
Anyway, the submission day finally arrived. I had told one of the group members to print the report out and bind it and bring to the college with her. The lecture is scheduled at 2:00 pm. I called her for about 30 times asking where she was. She didn’t pick up any of our calls.
There she entered the lecture hall at 2:07 pm and our professor being a strict one, rejected our project. Everything was washed out. Our efforts were washed away.
What was the reason of she being late? Traffic! It's simple assumption that if you stay in a city like Mumbai, you at least leave your house 1–1.30 hours before.
Being loyal is toxic sometimes. We all lost our individual credits for the subject plus the internals will get affected which is altogether different story.
Guys, if you are working for a group of members, please please respect their hard work. Put yourself in their shoes snd imagine their hard work. Never ever mix your Professional commitments with personal problems.
Peace! | Why did the teacher fail the project? | The report was 7 minutes late in arriving. | ["She didn't like the author.", "She felt that the work wasn't good enoiugh.", 'not enough information'] |
Where Virtual Reality Takes Us
No matter how enlightened any one of us may be , we are fundamentally limited to our own points of view--but it is human nature to try to broaden our perspective . For me , that's where V.R. comes in . I have found that the medium has an extraordinary ability to convey the kinds of feelings of presence and place I've always desired to capture through photojournalism .
As a young photographer , I was shocked by the wartime images of great photographers like Robert Capa and James Nachtwey . Their vision of the world is far better than my own . Hoping to imitate their effect , I trained myself to follow in their footsteps , covering the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as a photojournalist for The New York Times and Newsweek . But I found that my photographs were not having the impact that I had hoped . There was something too abstract and flat about them , a quality that allowed anyone viewing them to remain distant from images of suffering . Frustrated by the barriers , I built a camera that could shoot steady , cinematic video in a war zone , and I made a feature-length film in Afghanistan .
While the film provided a glimpse into the cruel reality of war , it was only a small window into that world . I wanted to go further , to pull people through that window onto the front lines and let them witness it firsthand . I started the technology company Condition One in order to build a new camera to shoot in 3D , 360-degree video . We want to introduce a new generation of viewers tired of flat images into the emotions of being immersed in a whole new world .
The power of virtual reality is its command of presence--its ability to transport the viewer into another world , and have him feel present in it . These experiences are technically difficult to create and require significant computing power , but once presence is achieved and maintained , it is breathtaking .
In V.R., we instinctively feel empathy for those whose experiences we are immersed in . The suffering of people in war zones becomes our suffering , just as the killing of animals in the wild becomes a source of our pain as well .
Mentioning his own limitations of perspective , Einstein once wrote with sadness , " Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of sympathy to hug all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty . "
Through V.R., we now have a chance to do just that . | If Einstein were still alive today , his attitude towards V.R. would possibly be _ . | supporting | ['sympathetic', 'critical', 'indifferent'] |
Sayings are quite common in spoken English. We don't normally put them in a composition or a letter. Sometimes it is helpful if you know what common proverbs mean. Here are a few examples.
" Once bitten, twice shy." If a dog bites me, I shall be twice as careful in future when I see it. This proverb is also used to apply to many things and not only to dogs. For example, if you have been cheated at a shop, you will not go to the same shop again.
"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." If I am a hunter, trying to catch birds, it is better to catch one than to see two birds in a bush but not able to catch them. Thus this means that what you have already got is better than the chance of being able to get something bigger in future.
" Don't be a dog in a manger " means " Don't be selfish." In a stable ,the manger is the place where the horse's food is put. Sometimes a dog will sleep in the manger and bark when a horse comes to get its food. The dog doesn't want to eat the horse's food in the manger but it will not let the horse eat it.
" He who pays the piper calls the tune ." A piper is a musician. The man who pays a musician can say what tunes the man will play. Thus this means that if a man provides the money for a plan, he can say how it will be carried out.
"To pour oil on troubled waters" is to try to calm things down. Oil is lighter than water. If a ship is in trouble at sea, another ship may come to help it. The second ship can send small boats to rescue people. However, it may first pour oil on the sea to make the sea less rough. | Mr Wang paid for a new school. Some people didn't like the design of the school but they didn't argue with Mr Wang because _ . | he who pays the piper calls the tune | ['he was sitting on the fence', 'once bitten, twice shy', 'a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush'] |
Like a foreign language . The tone of the creature 's voice changed . " Aurelia , do you know what I ' m going to do to you if you do n't show yourself to me ? I ' m going to kill you . | Why did the tone of the creature 's voice change ? | The creature was getting mad at Aurelia and wanted to see her . | ['The creature was having a hard time adjusting to his voice change and needed help .', 'None of the above choices .', 'The creature was getting upset since he did not understand the foreign language of Aurelia .'] |
The bicycling craze came in when we were just about at the right age to enjoy it.At first even "safety" bicycles were too dangerous and improper for ladies to ride, and they had to have tricycles.My mother had(I believe)the first female tricycle in Cambridge;and l had a little one,and we used to go out for family rides,all together;my father in front on a bicycle. and my poor brather Charles standing miserable on the bar behind lny mother.I found it very hard work.pounding away on my hard tyres;a glorious,but not a pleasurable pastinle.
Then, one day at lunch, my father said he had just seen a new kind of tyre,filled up,with air,and he thought it might be a success.And soon after that everyone had bicycles,ladies and all; and bicycling became the smart thing,and the lords and ladies had their pictures in the papers,riding along in the park,in straw hats.
My mother must have fallen off her bicycle pretty often,for I remember seeing the most appalling cuts and bruises on her legs.But she never complained,and always kept these accidents to herself.However,the great Mrs. Phillips,our cook, always knew all a hout them;as indeed she knew practically everything that ever happened.She used to draw us into the servants' hall to tell us privately:"Her Ladyship had a nasty fall yesterday;she cut both her knees and sprained her wrist.But don't Iet her know I told you."So we never dared say anything.Similar little accidents used to occur when,at the age of nearly Seventy,she insisted on learning to drive a car.She never mastered the art of reversing ,and was in every way an unconventional and terrifying driver. Mrs.Phillips used then to tell us:"Her Ladyship ran into the back of a milk-cart yesterday;but it wasn't much hurt";or"A policeman stopped her Ladyship because she was on the wrong side of the road;but she said she didn't know what the white Line on the road meant,so he explained arld Let her go on."Mrs.Phillips must have had an excellent Intelligence Service at her command,for the stories were always true enough. | Women did not ride bicycles at first betause _ . | bicycling was considered unsafe and unladylike | ['bicycling demanded too much hard work', 'they preferred to ride tricycles', 'tricycles could carry young children as well'] |
Moving can either be out of necessity or an act of desire. Whatever the case, moving rarely comes at a convenient time and involves so many variables that it is difficult to exhale until all of the documents are signed.
Even then, that point in the process instantaneously starts a whole new chapter in the book of moving.
No matter how long it takes to sell (or not sell) your previous home, whether you’re able to find your dream kitchen or settle for less, if you’re moving down the street, across the country, or around the world, the act of moving can be completely overwhelming.
Long story short: Moving is a process.
In the midst of all the uncertainties, there are a few ways to stay organized while moving. This short list is meant to guide you through steps to keep you on track during a stressful time.
The largest piece of advice I can give you is to start by decluttering your current living space. Having less to deal with will help you feel more in control of the situation.
Finding a realtor that you trust and feel comfortable working with will put your mind at ease (most of the time) about the process of listing your house and finding a buyer. Let your realtor do the work for you so you can concentrate on keeping your home “show ready” and begin to look at options on the other side of the move, like where you’ll be working, spending your time, and researching schools or neighborhoods.
Make a list of people you’ll need to update contact information with once you leave. This should include any and all businesses you frequent or subscribe to, like pest control services, lawn maintenance, even all of your neighborhood loyal buyer programs you participate in. Do not overlook your banks, investment companies, retirement funds, healthcare providers for you and your family members, and even you pets. And, of course, family and friends. | What is probably true about how much work is required after a house is sold? | Probably people have much work to do in moving and details | ['most of the work is done so things will go fairly well', 'not enough information', 'there is not any more to do as the realtor will do it all for you'] |
My sister and her BF are going to be renting a house not far from mine and sending her daughter to my daughter 's school . She asked if she could drop my niece off at my house before school as my sister starts work at 6 am and then we take them both to school . I have no problems with this as I think my niece needs more attention than my sister gives her and she loves seeing my children . HOWEVER , instead of picking my niece up from school afterwards ( my sis is off in time to pick her up ) , she 's paying for after school care so that she does n't have to get my niece until 6 at the latest . | What may happen in the future between me and my sister ? | We 're going to end up in a big confrontation because of the way she neglects my niece . | ['I will offer to pick up my niece so my sister can take advantage of me some more .', "I will talk to my sister 's boyfriend and try to get him involved in the child 's care .", 'I will talk to my niece and see if she might like to come live with me and my children .'] |
Hiding behind the walls of Manji 's sarcastic stoicism never seemed to work for her anyway - she might have known better by now . Emotion dogged her heels , pursuing her almost faster than she could walk . In a rocky , fast - running spot Rin weighted Manji 's kosode with stones to let the water flow through it , sat on the bank nearby while cleaning out her shoulder bag and wept for an infant ghost until her eyes burned . | Why would Rin weight Manji 's kosode with rocks in the fast moving stream ? | Because rocks will make the kosode sink under water and clean it well . | ['Because rocks will make the kosode float under water and clean it well .', 'Because rocks will make the kosode sink and prevent the cleaning .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
Competition between international universities is heating up, as China grows as one of the largest exporters of students aiming to study abroad. "Lots of universities are becoming more and more aggressive to attract Chinese students. Every day I receive contacts from universities in the US expressing the desire to come to China to recruit students," said Frank Joseph, a commercial officer from embassy of the United States.
One key reason why more Chinese students are able to study abroad is the economy: With China's boom within the past decade, more families have the financial wherewithal to send their children to international universities. There will be a total of 200,000 family-funded Chinese students studying overseas in 2009, up 20 percent from last year, said Wu Zaofeng, deputy secretary general of China Education Association for International Exchange.
International institutions, Joseph said, are also facing increasingly tough financial situation with a shortage of domestic students and a drop in government subsidies . Students, especially in the US are paying high tuition fees and living expenses. Chinese students with money to spend, according to experts, can fill up the gap. Students on average spend 150,000 yuan to 200,000 yuan every year studying in US, according to statistics from the US Institute of International Education. During 2007-2008, there were approximately 81,000 Chinese students studying in the US, up 19.8 percent from 2006.
Representatives from approximately 60 universities from the United States are planning to arrive in Beijing this weekend to attract more Chinese students at this year's fair. Besides the US, many other countries are also vying to enroll Chinese students.
Post-study work visa put out by British government allows all international students completing a UK degree qualification to apply for a visa to stay on and look for work in UK for up to 2 years. Being the third most popular destination for international students next to the US and the UK, France has set up two types of scholarships and has handed out an increase of 26 percent in scholarship funds to Chinese students in recent years. | What does the UK do to attract the international students? | Allowing to look for work in their spare time in the UK for up to 2 years. | ['Setting up two types of scholarships.', 'Handing out an increase of 26 percent in scholarship funds to Chinese students in recent years.', 'Permitting students to have a visa to stay on and look for work for 2 years after completing the degree.'] |
“You either change of life or you change of man” When I was married, my wife had a very complicated life to handle outside. She was always stressed from her studies, pressure and job, so she would go out, most oftenly with me, to places and times we shouldn’t have been. She would just decide, in the middle of the night, even as early as 2 in the morning that we should just race the city, see places… She always had those cravings to do stuff at strange times, getting to sport events with me at the other bit of the country… This crazy kind of life got us in a big lot of troubles. People trying rape her, attack us and much many more. it was happening too often and I often had to be quite violent to these people so she stays in one piece. I had to fix a lot of crap in order for her to live fully her fantasy. But I was more worried for her than me and I wanted us settle down, calm and have children we could raise peacefully. There was that one night where, we both came back very late from a sport competition, we had to travel dangerous roads very late at night sometimes by bus, foot and other times subway. At one point that night, two drug addicts tried to rape her, so I did what I had to do, but still I didn’t kill them. Then I shoved her and I really mean shove, inside a taxi, got in there too and asked it back home. When I arrived, she was denying the danger, denying anything wrong with her way to behave. So I really snapped, I just pulled my ring and chains away, threw them on the table in front of her and I told her the sentence I mentionned up there. I was harsh on her that night in my words and symbol but I just couldn’t take that way anymore | After the end of this narration, the husband is probably: | still married to his wife | ['more violent with his wife', 'still taking 2 am trips out of the house', 'not enough information'] |
Everyday we talk about and use the Internet, but how many of us know the history of the Internet?
Many people are surprised when they find that the Internet was set up in the 1960s. At that time, computers were large and expensive. Computer network didn't work well. If one computer in the network broke down, then the whole network stopped. So a new network system had to be set up. It should be good enough to be used by many different computers. If part of the network was not working, information could be sent through another part. In this way computer network system would keep on working on the time.
At first the Internet was only used by the government, but in the early 1970s, universities, hospitals and banks were allowed to use it too. However, computers were still very expensive and the Internet was difficult to use. By the start of the 1990s, computers became cheaper and easier to use. Scientists had also developed software that made "surfing" in the Internet more convenient.
Today it is easy to get on-line and it is said that millions of people use the Internet every day. Sending e-mail is more and more popular among students.The Internet has now become one of the most important parts of people's life. | _ made "surfing" the Internet more convenient. | Software | ['Computers', 'Hardware', 'Information'] |
"In the old days," as one wife said. " The husband was the husband and the wife was the wife." In the past husbands each had their own way of going on. The wives' jobs were to look after them.
"The wives wouldn't stand for it nowadays. Husbands help with the children now. They stay more, as well as have more interest, at home." We shall give some examples of what husbands do, firstly in sharing work with their wives; and secondly, in their largely independent domain of house repairs.
"Some husbands, as well as doing much of the heavy work in the home, carrying the coals, and emptying the rubbish, act as assistants to their wives for at least part of the day." Mr. Hammond washes up the dishes every night and lays the breakfast for the morning. Mr. Clark said that on Sunday mornings he usually hovered around and read plays aloud for his wife while she did a bit of washing. Mr. Davis polishes the floors and helps to make the beds at weekend, and during weekdays, takes the dog out for one of his twice-daily walks. So it goes on.... | The passage is mainly about _ . | the relationship between husband and wives today. | ['the division of husbands, wives and children.', 'how to get on well between husbands and wives.', 'the relationship between husband, wives and children.'] |
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — Final preparations are underway for Friday’s historic third summit between the leaders of North and South Korea.
In the morning, North Korea Leader Kim Jong Un will cross the military demarcation line that divides the two Koreas at the village of Panmunjom, the historic site where the Korean War armistice was signed in 1953. He will be met by South Korean President Moon Jae-in on the South Korean side of the heavily fortified demilitarized zone.
This will be the third inter-Korean summit, but it will be the first time that a leader from the communist North will enter the democratic South. The summits in 2000 and 2007 were held in North Korea.
Kim will travel with an official delegation that includes his sister, Kim Yo Jong, who led the North’s delegation to the Winter Olympics in South Korea, Kim Yong Nam, the North’s nominal head of state, and Kim Yong Chol. Kim Yong Chol was previously the head of the North’s military intelligence agency and has been named by South Korea as being responsible for ordering the deadly 2010 sinking of the Cheonan, a South Korean navy vessel.
It is unclear if Kim Jong Un’s wife, Ri Sol-ju, will be part of the official delegation from the North. She recently traveled with Kim when he visited Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
South Korea will hold a welcoming ceremony for the North Korean leader that will include a military honor guard review. During past summits, North Korea also organized the same level of ceremonial guard used to underscore friendly relations with an important visiting head of state.
The two leaders will pose together for pictures, and plant a pine tree in the DMZ to symbolize Korean reconciliation.
The leaders from the North and South may also walk together along a historic footbridge called the “Bridge of No Return” that was used for prisoner exchanges at the end of the Korean War.
Moon and Kim will hold direct talks in the Peace House conference hall, both in the morning and the afternoon, but the North Korean delegation will return to their side of the border for lunch. | What is Kim Yong Chol responsible for? | attacking a South Korean ship | ['not enough information', 'organizing an international sports competition', 'trading prisoners'] |
I slowly walked toward these chocolate hotties and I introduced myself . Since I was a master of tennis way back in college , I offered them a special course in perfecting their forehands and backhands . Monica and Rane were delighted to swing and sweat back at my crib . | What is one of the ulterior motives for being with Monica and Rane | Have romantic relationships | ['Moving in with them', 'None of the above choices .', 'Getting them to try a new sport'] |
So not worth $ 3.75 . It was n't very cold , lacked a full , deep chocolate flavor . It also lacked good banana flavors . Over all it was bland . | How much did the pudding cost the narrator ? | Between two and five dollars | ['None of the above choices .', 'Between four and five dollars', 'Between five and six dollars'] |
"Hon? You still awake?"
Quiet.
Jan pulled herself out of the bed and stood up, looking around the dark room for anything. She needed something, something that she could grab onto, and hold, hold until it hurt, hold until blood made racing red lines down her arms, until her hands were raw. She left the room and walked quietly into the now guest room that had been Rob's. Opening the closet, she found the teddy bear that Rob had once confided in and held it in her arms tight as she slumped down on the bed. A quiet sobbing rang through the house accompanied only by the chime of the grandfather clock in the living room every fifteen minutes. As Jan lay on the guest room bed she soon resorted to deep gasps, knowing that meager tears would never be forceful enough to express her worry to those that listened. "Just bring him home, bring him home, bring him home," she mumbled over and over, each time changing the tone slightly in a desperate attempt to make her pleading sound more real.
She could hear the occasional snore of her husband and she hated him for it. What kind of person could find sleep at a time like this? Why wasn't he awake worrying? Why wasn't he with her? Her thoughts became dark like blood, evil little monsters eating at her sanity. If her son was crazy and not just a drug addict she could see how easy it was to fall over the line. "Please God, please God, please God, please Rob, Please Rob, Please Rob, Please Rob." Soon, a sleep came but it was peppered with demons. And as the sliver of sun peeked through the window, she held her false self-control tight and said little. | How long has Rob probably been gone? | a few days | ['not enough information', 'two weeks', 'half an hour'] |
Dear Diary , For the first time in a long time , I have to say that I think that my parents ( well , at least my mom ) is accepting the fact that I need to drive . I feel that for my own sake of independence , I need my own car . I hope what my mom said is true -- that she will help me out in some way with the payment of the car , but I ' m not depending on it . | What will most plausibly happen after the conversation with the writer 's mom ? | The writer will begin saving for a car . | ['None of the above choices .', "The writer 's mom will purchase a new car outright .", 'The writer will decide to walk to her destinations .'] |
Out of boredom, two scientists from the New Contagious Diseases Research Centre devised themselves a new game. One day, as a result of the suspension of a research project dealing with a dynamically mutating vaccine following the pattern of the eyesocket flu bacillus, they had absolutely nothing to do until the end of the day, because the boss didn't order them to wash test-tubes.
They decided to play a game of hockey under the microscope. For a puck they used one of the millions of experimental bacillus, and one-arm pincettes, which as it happened also resembled hockey sticks, served as sticks.
The bacillus was not happy with it at all. It wanted to rest after an exhausting task involving vaccine discouragement, and these whitecoats here planned to put it to work yet again. And this time the work was much more labor-intensive and even more exhausting than before, but the condition and health of the tired bacillus not as good as in the times of youth, about two hours ago.
The scientists got excited. On a microscope slide they etched a hockey rink with laser, agreed on the rules, connected the microscope's camera to the big screen display and played until the morning. They had to change pucks several times, but that was fine, they had millions of them in stock.
The next day they didn't have anything to do either and they continued to play. They even invited other colleagues and the popularity of the game was so huge they could afford to play it in a championship system. Soon, the games were joined by the guys from the car-repair garage next door. They were tough opponents and even tougher fans - they took from the lab and carried away with them several flasks and some equipment, as it turned out - to set up their own game station in pit number 5. | Who played hockey? | The scientists | ['not enough information', 'The microscope', 'Their boss'] |
Travelling and even living abroad can be great for broadening your horizons and learning about different cultures. However, after returning home from being abroad for a long period, many people can suffer from the problem of reverse culture shock. Reverse culture shock is a condition that happens when you return home and find things have changed greatly from how you have remembered them while you are away. It develops feelings of anxiety, hostility and boredom.
One of the biggest change people encounter when returning home after spending a great deal of time abroad is that their relationships with friends and family are not as familiar as they once used to be.
While reverse culture shock is a very common condition, there are actually many ways you can deal with and lessen the effects of this condition.
Posting a regular blog, or updating your status on Facebook or Twitter, can really help to keep your friendships with people back at home. The best thing about posting regular updates is that your friends and family always know what you are getting up to, so they won't be surprised by the changes they see in you when you do finally return home. You could even ask close family and friends to keep you updated on life at home so you are not left feeling shocked by changes that might happen while you are away.
If you are left feeling a bit upset that none of your friends want to hear all about your amazing travel stories when you get home, then why not try sharing the world with them by writing online travel reviews. For those who are considering travelling abroad, your experiences could prove very useful, and may even encourage them to do some of the things you are lucky enough to have experienced while you were away. | Reverse culture shock can happen when _ . | one returns from abroad after staying there for a long period of time | ['one enters a new culture', 'one has been used to a foreign culture', 'one is back from a long holiday'] |
Keeping a busy social life among lots of friends may keep people thinner than spending hours doing some exercises, according to scientists. They say that socialising and meeting with friends help increase levels of brown fat in the body which burns calories to produce heat.
Living in an exciting social environment was found to reduce fat in mice's belly by half over four weeks, even if they ate more. US researchers say that social excitement aids weight loss by turning white fat into brown. White fat stores calories and makes us fatter, while brown burns energy to produce heat. Turning white fat into brown is extremely difficult,normally
requiring long- term stay in cold conditions or exciting part of the body's nervous system.
However, scientists from Ohio State University now think that having a busy social life is an even more effective way of changing white fat into brown. The team came up with their theory by studying the effects of various living environments on mice. Those, who lived alongside a greater number of mice, had more space and toys to excite themselves and then lost far more weight over the course of the study than their "couch potato" fellows.
Study author, Dr Matthew During, whose team's findings appear in the journal Cell Metabolism, said, "I'm still amazed at the degree of fat loss that occurs." Explaining how new technology had threatened face-to-face socialising, he added, "It's not just a sedentary( )lifestyle and high calorie foods, but an increasing lack of social activities." Co-author Dr Lei Cao said,"Loneliness is a potential factor for cancer and death; it's equal to cigarette smoking to a certain extent. Social activities are very vital.,, | We can conclude from the text that _ . | surfing the Internet may influence people's face-to-face communication | ["the fat in mice's belly was reduced because of the relaxing environment", "a sedentary lifestyle and high calories foods influence people's social life", 'cancer and death are mainly caused for lack of social life'] |
Greg Tenorly drove the familiar route from the church to his music studio, studying the homes along the way. He wondered about the families who lived in each one. Like that two-story brick on the corner. What secrets were they hiding? Was the husband abusive? Did a teenager use drugs? Was the family nearly bankrupt? How could anyone know? It was better not to know. The mind can only handle so many problems at one time. He wondered where Troy and Cynthia Blockerman lived.
Greg had appeared at the courthouse that morning as part of a jury pool, only to be released. He and the rest of his group would have to return the next morning. He hoped they would not need him. The church would pay his regular part-time salary while he was serving on a jury, but any private lessons he missed would be money lost.
Greg's red 1965 Pontiac Bonneville convertible always turned heads as he drove through the small town. He had purchased it two months earlier from a career Navy man down in Longview who had babied the thing for years. It spent most of its life in the man's garage, coming out only when he was on leave. Most trips were to the car wash or the Pontiac dealer for scheduled maintenance.
Greg gladly paid $4,000 for it. The sailor called him the very next day and tried to buy it back. He said it was like losing a member of the family. Greg felt bad, but not bad enough to give up the car. How could a 40-year-old car have only 93,000 miles on it? It was dazzling.
His little studio was near the town square, nestled between Coreyville Hardware and Susie's Sewing Box. Occasionally he and a student could hear a pipe wrench or hammer hitting the floor on the hardware side. But things were always quiet from Susie's side. At least the soundproofing he had installed kept his neighbors from hearing his students. You can't teach music without hearing both beautiful sounds and sour notes. | How much time Greg spent at the courthouse? | Few minutes | ['few days', 'Few hours', 'not enough information'] |
I left carefully wishing I had n't been afraid to take a picture . Saturday evening heavy rain accompanied thunder and lightning . But at sunset a full rainbow filled the sky above our house . It was impossible to fit the entire arc in the viewfinder of the camera but the colour and clarity made it the most spectacular rainbow I have ever seen . It was only a week ago that we chased the last rainbow . | What may be the reason why they were afraid to take pictures ? | Because it was stormy outside . | ['None of the above choices .', 'Because it brings back painful memories .', 'Because they are afraid of the dark .'] |
Recently a group of children in America poured some gasoline on a sleeping man and set him on fire. When caught, the children said they had done what they'd seen on TV.
The incidents make people angry who believe that American children are harmed by watching too much TV. They claim children can't tell between the fiction of TV and reality, and TV distracts them from learning and makes them violent.
To estimate the impact of TV on young people, "Life" magazine hires a company to interview hundreds of school children in Nora Springs, Iowa and in Dallas, Texas. Although the two cities are very different, the company finds children in each city watch the same TV shows.
Many Iowa children, who watch an average of three hours of TV a day, recognizing that life on TV is rosier than what they experience. Their favourite shows are situation comedies about American families in trouble. Many boys like violent shows about police detectives or heroes, girls particularly soap operas-stories about families and friends.
On the whole, children find real violence on news programs hard to take. "If you see a bus crash on the news, it's frightening," one fifth grader says. By and large, the Iowa children agree that the best thing about TV is it makes you laugh.
Children in Dallas are savvier about programs of drug use on TV. "They don't really show them doing it right. On TV they are not real." A fifth grader says.
"Life" agrees with a 1988 study by the U. S Department of education that finds children are none the worse for watching TV. The study finds TV doesn't have lasting effect on children. On the contrary, kids show good judgment about what they watch. "There are very few good shows on TV anymore," a 10-year-old boy says.
While the debate about TV is so heated, the "Life" survey gives hope that American kids aren't wasting three or four hours a day (what is worse, by the time young people enter college today, they will have devoted more time to watching television than they will spend in college). However, a child watching TV isn't reading a good book or joining in healthful sports. | Children who see real violence on TV news programs _ . | are sometimes upset and scared | ['change the channel to watch other programs', 'live in Iowa or Texas', 'think TV gives a very positive image of friendship'] |
THE HOSPITAL'S emergency room smelled like soap. The place was nearly empty when I carried Mia inside, just one couple and their kids sitting in a circle in the corner. The parents glanced up at us, then went back to praying quietly. The kids stared at the floor the whole time. I dropped Mia into a chair at the nurses' station and waited. Behind the glass wall in front of me, three nurses were talking about their various ex-husbands. It sounded like the same guy to me. I was still waiting for them to figure this out when one of them came over and asked, "What's the problem?" "No problem," I said. "I just want to drop her off." We both looked at Mia. A string of drool slowly slipped from her chin to her chest. "Has she been drinking?" the nurse asked. "I'm not really sure," I said. The nurse looked back at me. "You're not really sure? Now what does that mean?" "I don't know," I said. "I found her. I thought maybe I could leave her here." "Sure, we'll just have to fill out the paperwork for that," the nurse said. She smiled at the other nurses when she said it, and I couldn't tell if she was joking or not. She had me go through Mia's pockets, but all I could find was a piece of paper with an address written on it. Five Crossings. I couldn't find her ID anywhere. The nurse entered my name and address on a form, then took us down the hall to another room. What seemed like hours later, an old, red-faced doctor finally came in. He glanced at Mia and then washed his hands in the sink. "You the father or the boyfriend?" he asked. "Neither," I said. "I've only just met her." I couldn't take my eyes off the garbage can in the corner. It was full of bloody bandages. I wondered what had gone on in there before we'd arrived. | When did narrator talk to a doctor? | After he arived to the emergency room | ['Before he met Mia', 'not enough information', 'After Mia left the room'] |
Despite my blog name, I’m not actually all that adventurous. Think more suburban adventure rather than skydiving or wild camping. But, over the years I have ended up overcoming a few challenges that I hadn’t precisely expected to be faced with.
This blog has always been, and will forever more be a record of my personal adventures. It is a journal of the chaos, delight, opportunities and travails that we encounter all rolled in with an obsession for photography (as far as my skillz extend) and a dash of humour (well, I try anyway).
DRIVING IN AMERICA
Covering 800 miles of American freeways in less than 10 days is something I never thought I’d do to be honest – an inexperienced driver at best I’ve driven short distances (and through a Florida tropical storm from Cape Canaveral back to our Orlando apartment) – but somehow we survived unscathed driving diagonally the length of Louisiana from New Orleans to Shreveport, through the crazy traffic of Dallas and along the long, undulating motorways of Texas.
I’ll be honest, and admit that did we encounter a couple of challenging and scary situations – a truck driver changing lanes not allowing me enough time to enter a motorway (I luckily just popped into a shoulder lane), getting lost in the middle of Dallas skyscrapers (we jammed every device we had onto navigation), accidentally assuming a road was much narrower than it really was (luckily the road was relatively quiet so I just guided her nimbly over to the correct lane) and dodging some of the twits who pulled out in front of us – one with a trailer full of wood – but overall it really was fine.
COMMUNICATING IN OTHER LANGUAGES
You’ve decided where to go, booked the flight, found a hotel, decided what to do… and then you get to your destination. And, if you’re exploring outside the traditional western world, you probably won’t speak the local language – and the locals may or may not depending on how far outside the tourist traps you venture. | What does the author probably think of the trailer driver? | They are a bad driver. | ['They like tropical storms.', "They don't like America.", 'not enough information'] |
They have jacked the price up by 60 + cents on gas that they bought several days ago . The cost of a barrel is under $ 100 and has been for a while now so why are they jacking the price up at the pump so much ? Because of idiots who think that the supply of fuel is ending because the refineries have to shut down for a couple of days to let a hurricane pass . | What will the narrator do about gas since he is upset about the current prices ? | He will wait a few days to buy gas after the prices have gone down again . | ['None of the above choices .', 'He will have to get gas as a part of his hurricane emergency preparedness .', "He will buy gas immediately since it 's been a while since he has gotten any and is running low ."] |
It is often assumed that people with parents who lived to be very old are more likely to live to a grand old age themselves.
"But that's just not true - our study shows that hereditary factors don't play a major role and that lifestyle has the biggest impact." says professor Lars Wilhelmsen, referring to the 1913 Men Study that formed the basis of the current research.
Those who did not smoke, consumed mild amounts of coffee and had a good socio-economic status at the age of 50 (measured in terms of housing costs), as well as good physical working ability at the age of 54 and low cholesterol at 50 had the greatest chance of celebrating their 90th birthday.
"We're breaking new ground here." says Wilhelmsen. "Many of these factors have previously been identified as playing a role in cardiovascular( )disease, but here we are showing for the first time that they are important for survival in general,"
He believes that it is significant that the research illustrates so clearly that it is the sum of our own habits that has the biggest impact.
"The study clearly shows that we can influence several of the factors that decide how old we get," says Wilhelmsen. "This is positive not only for the individual, but also for society as it doesn't need any major drug costs,"
The study has been published in the Journal of Internal Medicine.
The 1913 Men study started up in 1963. A third of all male 50-year-olds in Gothenburg were called for a check-up that focused on cardiovascular health. Every ten years since, a new group of 50-year-olds has been called in and those who were already taking part in the study have been given another check-up. This has enabled researchers to follow the development of illnesses in a specific age group, and to compare the health of 50-year-olds in 2003 with that of 50-year-olds in 1963, for example. Women have also been included in the study since 2003. Data have been studied over the years. including BMI , smoking habits, cholesterol, exercise habits and blood pressure,
The men born in l913 were examined when they were 50, 54,60, 67, 75 and 80. Of the 855 men who took part in the study from the start, lll (13%) were still alive at the age of 90.
Over the years the material has brought out many research articles. An interesting result came in 2008 when researchers were able to show that the drop in the number of smokers, combined with lower cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure, between 1963 and 2003 could offer an explanation for the marked downturn in the number of heart attacks during this 40-year period. | Which of the following statements is true'? | The amount of coffee consumption has an effect on our health. | ['Socio-economic status determines how healthy we are.', 'Cholesterol plays an important role in keeping us alive.', 'How long we can live depends on how long our parents lived.'] |
A new study suggests that listening to music in the office improves the speed and accuracy of tasks such as data entry, proof reading and problem solving.
In an office-based experiment, 88 per cent of participants were found to produce their most accurate work when listening to music. The study also found that 81 per cent completed their fastest work when music was played.
And it matters what type of music you listen to. For instance, if you're doing your tax returns, then classical music is the most effective as it improves maths skills.
Listening to Jessie Jor Justin Bieber could also improve your speed, with 58 per cent of participants completing data entry tasks faster while listening to pop songs.
During proof-reading, dance music, such as David Guetta, had the biggest positive impact with participants increasing their speed by 20 per cent compared to tests undertaken with no music at all. Dance music also had a positive effect on spell-checking with a 75 per cent pass rate compared to 68 per cent when no music was played at all.
The research, undertaken by Brighton-based Mind lab International, suggests that silent offices may be the least productive.
'The Music Works experiment revealed a positive _ between music and productivity - overall it showed that when listening to music, nine out of 10 people performed better,' said Dr David Lewis, chairman of Mind lab International. | The main purpose of the passage is to _ | inform and explain | ['describe and argue', 'compare and evaluate', 'discuss and assess'] |
Malawi Lake
Home to 1,000 species of fish, Malawi Lake is Africa's third largest lake at 363 miles long and up to about 50 miles wide in some spots. Located 2,300 feet below sea level, it supports hundreds of local villages with its rich underwater stock. The lake's southern area represents the world's first freshwater national park. A star of the water here is the mbuna, a native freshwater fish known for eating directly from people's hands.
Peyto Lake
Banff National Park's Peyto Park is brilliant turquoise . For the most dramatic views of the 1.7-mile-long lake, encircled with thick forest and dangerous mountain peaks, pull into at Bow Summit, the parkway's highest point, and follow the steep hike to the overlook.
Crater Lake
Thousands of years ago, a 12,000-foot-high volcano in the Cascade Range exploded. The massive pit left behind became known as Crater Lake. Forests of towering evergreens and 2,000-foot-high cliffs surround the lake. At 1,949 feet deep, it's the deepest lake in the United States. If winter hiking and cross-country skiing aren't your thing, wait until early July to visit, when the roads have been plowed and the trails cleared.
Taal Lake
This dangerous beauty, situated just 37.28 miles south of Manila, is the deepest lake in the Philippines, with a depth of 564feet. Taal Lake is also home to one of the world's smallest but most active volcanoes, the Taal Volcano, which sits within its water on the island of Luzon. The lake itself was formed when a larger volcano crater here collapsed. Plenty of tour groups offer trips to the natural wonder ---- in spite of the fact that the volcanoes are very active. | According to the text, the mbuna _ . | is the only fish in Malawi Lake | ['looks like a star', 'can be fed by hand', "is as small as people's hand"] |
It's amazing how we grow from careless kids to responsible teens. What happens in the course that makes us responsible now? It's the seed that we sow in the beginning which grows and becomes a huge tree. As I sit here, silently thinking about my growth, I wonder over some questions which don't have an answer but it's because of such unanswerable situations that life has become a roller coaster ride.
As a kid, I used to read a lot of story books. In one particular book, I read a story of a bird. From then on, that has become an integral part of my life. It described a male bird which takes a lot of pain to build a nest and the female bird takes shelter in it and nourishes the baby. When the bird learns to fly, the whole family flies off to a different place leaving behind the beautiful nest for other birds to grow their family in it. It made me wonder. How could they so easily sacrifice their house built with so much effort?
One night, when I was deep in sleep, I got this particular dream. I was walking miles on the endless road, totally isolated but lined with beautiful trees on the either side. Fascinated by the greenery, I marched towards it only to end up deeper and deeper into the greenery. I happened to stop upon seeing something. It was a massive, wonderful house. I fell in love with that amazing part of art. Yeah, it was indeed a piece of art with every nook and corner touched artistically and lovingly. I don't know why I felt that it was done lovingly. Maybe because, things turn out to be beautiful only when we put our love into it -- just like the food prepared by mom which tastes more delicious with her love.
I explored the house only to fall more in love with it. There was a sloping roof which matched with the greenery around; the large central open courtyard reminded me of the activities that might have taken place there which felt lively even now when it is completely deserted. The small water body that kept the house cool added to the beauty of the house -- of course, it was all dried up now. It's really wonderful how such things add life to the spaces which otherwise just become structures. Such liveliness and happening turns the house into a home. They say 'THE HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS', but now I began to feel it. This is where my heart belongs. This is what I'm destined to do.
When I woke up from the dream, I was clear about everything. I realized where that mile of walk was intending me to lead. I realized what message my dream wanted to convey me. And years later, when finally my turn of choosing my destination came, I simply closed my eyes, held that book in my hand, pressed it against my chest and relived the dream. When I opened my eyes, I was sure what to do. I decided to choose the road -- less traveled. Yes, I took up architecture as my profession because this is what I am destined to do. I wanted to do the same thing that the male bird in the story did, to take pain in building a beautiful house and let others stay in it. This is my dream come true and the happiness that I gain now from this profession is indescribable. | The above passage is mainly about _ . | why the writer takes up architecture as his career | ['how the writer finally becomes an honest citizen', 'where the true meaning of responsibility lies', 'what we need to do when we are seeking fortune'] |