Dataset Viewer
question
stringlengths 9
6.53k
| subject
stringclasses 1
value | choices
sequencelengths 4
4
| answer
class label 4
classes |
---|---|---|---|
When a baby shakes a rattle, it makes a noise. Which form of energy was changed to sound energy? | [
"electrical",
"light",
"mechanical",
"heat"
] | 2C
|
|
Which of these processes is a conversion made by solar panels? | [
"mechanical energy to nuclear energy",
"thermal energy to chemical energy",
"kinetic energy to potential energy",
"radiant energy to electrical energy"
] | 3D
|
|
Although many online personality tests are fun, only a few will really give you into who you are and what you are supposed to be doing with your life. At CareerPlanner.com we believe that each individual, regardless of race or religion, has a purpose in life, and until you discover what your purpose is, you will not find true happiness, nor true job satisfaction. This doesn't mean you won't be successful. It just means you won't be happy until you are moving towards your true purpose. Unfortunately, our school system does very little to help students discover their true career. This is where online personality tests and career tests can help. Online personality tests and career tests can help you better understand what type of work you should be doing to achieve job satisfaction, happiness, and success. Personality tests are most useful in giving you insight into "how" your personality compares to others and "how" you like to work. In particular, if you frequently experience difficulty working with others, or getting their support and cooperation, a really good personality test would show you how to get along better. While personality tests are very useful at showing you how you like to work and how you like your work environment, they are not really designed to show you "what" type of work is right for you. That is where Career Interest Tests come in. Online Career Tests, such as the CareerPlanner.com offers will help you discover what your true interests are, and what type of work you will be passionate about. But back to personality tests. The most well-established personality tests are the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator R, and the Enneagram. What will the writer most probably talk about next? | [
"The differences between personality tests and career tests.",
"The similarities between personality tests and career tests.",
"The reasons why personality and career tests are popular.",
"The details of the two most well-established personality tests."
] | 3D
|
|
I still remember--my hands and my fingers still remember--what used to lie in store for us on our return to school from the holidays. The trees in the school yard would be in full leaf again and the old leaves would be lying around like a muddy sea of leaves. "Get that all swept up!" the headmaster would tell us. "I want the whole place cleaned up, at once!" There was enough work there, to last over a week. Especially since the only tools with which we were provided were our hands, our fingers, and our nails. "Now see that it's done properly, and be quick about it," the headmaster would say to the older pupils, "or you'll have to answer for it!" So at an order from the older boys we would all line up like peanuts about to cut and gather in crops. If the work was not going as quickly as the headmaster expected, the big boys, instead of giving us a helping hand, used to find it simpler to beat us with branches pulled from the trees. In order to avoid these blows , we used to bribe the older boys with the juicy cakes we used to bring for our midday meals. And if we happened to have any money on us, the coins changed hands at once. If we did not do this, if we were afraid of going home with an empty stomach or an empty purse, the blows were redoubled. They hit us so violently and with such evil enjoyment that even a deaf and dumb person would have realized that we were being whipped not so much to make us work harder, but rather to beat us into a state of obedience in which we would be only too glad to give up our food and money. Occasionally one of us, worn out by such calculated cruelty, would have the courage to complain to the headmaster. He would of course be very angry, but the punishment he gave the older boys was always very small--nothing compared to what they had done to us. And the fact is that however much we complained, our situation did not improve in the slightest. Perhaps we should have let our parents know what was going on, but somehow we never dreamed of doing so; I don't know whether it was loyalty or pride that kept us silent, but I can see now that we were foolish to keep quiet about it, for such beatings were completely foreign to our nature. According to Para. 3, if the author had any money on him, he most probably _ . | [
"gave it to the big boys so as to please them",
"gave it as a bribe to the headmaster",
"spent it all on his midday meal",
"spent it buying midday meals for the big boys"
] | 0A
|
|
Have you ever imagined what the world will be in the near future? A recent study shows that the world in 2100 will be more crowded, more polluted and less stable ecologically than the world we live in now. Visible ahead is serious stress involving population, resource and environment. Despite greater food output, people in the world will be poorer in many ways than they are today. For hundred of millions of the extremely poor, the outlook for food and other necessities of life will be no better, for many it will be worse. While the economies of the developing countries are expected to grow at a faster rate than those of the industrialized nation, the total national product per head in most less developed countries remains low. The existing gap between the rich and poor nations will further widen. World food production is estimated to increase by 90 percent from 2000 to 2100. Most of that increase goes to the countries that already have higher per-head food consumption. Meanwhile, per-head consumption of food in the developing countries will scarcely improve or will actually fall far below the present inadequate level. What is worse is that prices for food are expected to double. As a result, many less developed countries will have increasing difficulties meeting energy needs. For the one quarter of mankind that depends primarily on wood for fuel, the outlook is not hopeful. Regional water shortage will become more sever. In the 1970-2100 period population growth will require twice as much water as it does today in nearly half the world. Still greater increases would be needed to improve standards of living. Development of new water supply will become more costly. The passage is mainly concerned about _ . | [
"the future problems in the world",
"water and air pollution",
"water and food shortages",
"food production and consumption"
] | 2C
|
|
George and Carol were medical students at the same college and, like many other college students, they enjoyed playing jokes on people. Both of them smoked, but they knew that their professor was strongly against it, because smoking was dangerous to one's health. One day they decided to play a joke on their professor. At one of their medical lectures there was always a skeleton in the room so that the professor could show the students the different bones in the human body. That afternoon, Carol and George put a cigarette in the mouth of the skeleton that was to be used for their next lecture. When the professor came in, he began talking and then noticed the cigarette. He went up to the skeleton, took the cigarette out of its mouth and said," You really should give them up, old boy. Look what they're doing to you!" What do you think of the professor ? | [
"Serious but humorous.",
"Honest and foolish.",
"Kind and polite.",
"Hard to get along with."
] | 0A
|
|
12-year-old Romina Mohaqqeq, believed to be Iran's youngest filmmaker, is dreaming of winning an Oscar someday. "I will not regard myself a filmmaker until I win an Oscar," she remarks. Born in 1998, she has so far directed several documentaries and short films and has received several awards at national and international festivals. "I made my first documentary when I was eight years old. The idea came to my mind when I saw an Afghan boy who was collecting paper in a dustbin near our house. I thought it might be a good topic for a documentary," she said. "I asked my dad to make a movie about this boy but he said that it would not be an interesting topic. He told me to work on the topic myself if I liked it, so I made my first documentary and named it Long Way". Romina's "Long Way" took the best film award at Roshd International Film Festival in 2007, encouraging her to continue filmmaking. "Next, I adapted a story published in a magazine and made the short film A Box Full of Affection". She is now working on Thought, a new documentary about positive thinking. Romina admits that her dad has been her only advisor all these years. "When Romina decided to work on a topic herself at the age of 8, I taught her the whole process of filmmaking within 6 to 7 months. I even worked as a cameraman in some of her productions." her father said. "We also reviewed the book Film Directing Shot by Shot. We read all the sections together where she learned the entire process from pre-production to post-production." Romina also played in one of her dad's productions when she was 6, and acted in the movie The Earrings. She was among the judges of 39th edition of the Roshd International film Festival. We know from the passage that _ . | [
"Romina has won an Oscar Award",
"Romina's first movie was a short film",
"Romina once worked as a cameraman",
"Romina's father was her first guide to filmmaking"
] | 3D
|
|
4-Day Beijing Culture Group Tour Are you new to Shanghai? Do you want to see more of China? If the answer is yes, how about going to Beijing for the weekend? Visit the Great Wall and other places of interest, and enjoy Beijing Roast Duck. Tour price: $590 Call us! 800-820-6222 8-Day Colorful Yunnan Group Tour If you like a spring climate and clean air, then Yunnan is the place for you! Another true highlight of the area is experiencing the cultures of minorities that live in this area. Places to visit: Kunming, Dali, Lijiang Tour price: $1,290 Call us: 800-820-8188 4-Day Beautiful Guilin Private Tour Are you tired of city life? Do you want some fresh air? Then come to Guilin and Yangshuo for a few relaxing days to enjoy the river life, or just take it easy in one of the many cafes and bars. Tour price: 1person $630 2-5persons $565 6-9persons $527 Call us: 800-810-6562 5-Day Sanya Private Tour Sanya is famous for its wonderful sunshine, white sandy beaches and clear water. Instead of a busy trip, you can relax here by walking along the beaches and enjoying the fresh air! Tour price: 1person $569 2-5persons $548 6-9persons $535 Call us! 800-810-5222 If you want to take a trip to the beach, you should call _ . | [
"800-810-6562",
"800-820-6222",
"800-820-8188",
"800-810-5222"
] | 3D
|
|
London Summer School in Classics Dates The London Summer School in Classics 2008 will be held at King's College London. It will run from 8th July until 17th July. Applications close on 2nd June, 2008. For an application form, please download either the 2-page PDF or the word format document from the foot of the page. If you have any problems downloading the application form or any questions, please contact: London Summer School in Classics, King's College London. Tel: 020 7848 2299 Fax: 020 7848 2545 Organization The school is organized by the colleges of the University of London. The summer school offers eight days of intensive teaching in Greek and Latin. There are four language classes each day as well as lectures and a debate, between 10:30 am and 4:30 pm. The course is not residential , and there is no teaching during the weekend of 12th to 13th July. The fee is PS85.00. Travel grants are available as a contribution to your travel costs, but may not cover all your expenses. The travel grants are arranged during the summer school. Teaching is generally in groups of 12-15 people and it, as far as possible, comprises of students of roughly the same level of experience. The style of teaching is friendly, but demanding: a lot of work is expected from students during the school, but they usually find the whole experience both stimulating and valuable. Some classes concentrate chiefly on reading, while others offer a mixture of grammar and translation practice. Our tutors include some of the most experienced and talented teachers of Classics in the London area and beyond. The Summer School in Classics caters for a wide range of interests and for both school & university students as well as those who wish to learn Greek or Latin, or to revive their knowledge of the languages. Our principal concern is to provide a thorough program of language learning in a lively university environment. To join in the school, you have to apply before _ . | [
"8th July, 2008",
"2nd June, 2008",
"17th July, 2008",
"13th July, 2008"
] | 1B
|
|
Can you imagine traveling to work in a one - man submarine? Some scientists believe that some day one - man submarines will be as many as automobiles are today.A famous French driver says, "One day soon, men will walk on the ocean floor as they do on the street!" Perhaps during your lifetime people will travel, and live in the sea. If human beings want to live in the ocean, many human problems will need to be studied first. Some of these problems, similar to those of living in outer space, are pressure, lack of oxygen and weightlessness. Many questions are still unanswered.For example, can our blood make itself fit for underwater surroundings? What will happen to our muscle if we live in the water very long? Scientists are looking for answers. Perhaps in the future man will live in the sea, away from the crowded and noisy cities on land.Then sea has plenty of space, not only for floating living buildings and parks, but also for storing supplies and for underwater travel. Some scientists believe that ocean living will benefit man in more than physical ways. In the freedom and beauty of the deep sea, man may find new sources of joy. What can we do if we live in the ocean? ( ) | [
"We can have plenty of oxygen.",
"We can be fit to live in the water very well.",
"We needn't worry about things like weightlessness.",
"We can travel and work in the sea."
] | 3D
|
|
Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of visiting with Deputy Superintendent Pedro Martinez, Principal Neddy Alvarez and her staff at Western High School, located in the Clark County School District, in Las Vegas. The school undertook a comprehensive effort to completely transform the culture of the school and added a motivated group of talented teachers. Western altered the school day to add opportunities for students to get additional credits toward graduation and created smaller learning groups. As part of these comprehensive changes, the school's leadership also focused on four main reforms to transform their school. First, improvements started with the change in the relationship between the school and students to create a caring atmosphere at the school. Using the "Capturing Kids' Hearts" strategies, school leadership and teachers began building a trusting environment and students and families described seeing changes aimed at improving student outcomes and ensuring the success of every student. The school day was altered to add more options for students to obtain additional credits toward graduation. Students and teachers were grouped into "houses," so that smaller groups of teachers and counselors could create one-on-one relationships with students. Teachers and counselors said that the altered school day provides time to address student's individual concerns and develop individualized learning plans to put every student on a path to graduation. The school also made changes to encourage parents to support school and encourage real dialogues between parents and the teachers and leaders at Western. Funded in part through the United Way, the school created a family engagement center to get parents more involved in their children's education, particularly parents of English language learners. Parents like Ally Gaona and Martha Mendez told me that they had a voice and the tools to engage in their children's learning and that they recognize that the main responsibility for their children's learning must rest with the parents. Parents were passionate about these positive changes and said that these changes signaled to the entire the community that the school was serious about family engagement. Students and teachers were grouped into "houses in order to _ . | [
"provide time to address student's individual concerns.",
"add more options for students to obtain additional credits toward graduation..",
"create one-on-one relationships with students.",
"develop individualized learning plans to put every student on a path to graduation."
] | 2C
|
|
What's the News ? The NBA playoffs began on April 28, and the next two months will be filled withgames decided in the final minutes . The playoffs are also a way to show off the world's bestbasketball players . There's a saying from Spiderman: "With great power comes great responsibility ." This istrue no matter whether you are a class monitor or a president . A recent survey in the USA askedkids what they would do to make life better for other kids if they were president. "Providingshelter "topped the list . May 19,1613: Xu Xiake, a famous traveler during the Ming Dynasty , started his trip aroundChina, which lasted for more than 30 years . In 2011, China announced its first National TourismDay , held on May 19 every year in memory of this ancient explorer . Do you have female friends that refer to as "guimi"? If you are a girl and the answer is yes,you are a lucky dog . "Guimi"is only used among girls . It refers to your most honest friends. InEnglish , the word to use is "BBF"---which stands for best friend forever. But if you want to say aguy is your close friend or "nanguimi", you should use "bromeo" , which is made up of "bro" and"Romeo" . CHINA is planning to build a national earthquake monitoring and warning system in fiveyears . While the system would never be able to forecast an earthquake , it could detect quakes and notify people within seconds before seismic wave actually hitthem , and a trial program including nearly 100 monitoring stations is currently being carried outin southeast China's Fujian Province and has proven successful . Which of the following is wrong according to the passage ? | [
"China will build earthquake warning system in five years .",
"In English , the word \"BFF\" stands for best friend forever .",
"The playoffs can show off the world's best football players .",
"\"Providing shelter\" topped the list in American kids' survey ."
] | 2C
|
|
Because I am extremely vulnerable to both slick advertising and peer pressure, I've been thinking about getting an iPad. But here's the problem: I'm cheap, and the iPad's not. If I'm going to fork over at least $499 for a new device, I want to try it out and make sure it's not just a larger, shinier version of my iPhone. But if I went to my local Apple Store, I'd get to spend only a few minutes testing out the machine. I wanted more time than that, so I rented one for $15 a day from a guy on SnapGoods. The Internet start-up in Brooklyn runs on simple reasoning: there are people who want to borrow stuff - camping equipment, food processors, robot vacuums, etc. - and there are people who have stuff they want to lend. SnapGoods helps these two groups connect over the Web. SnapGoods is one of many sites that have sprung up to facilitate offline sharing. Some sites have a narrow, obvious focus (like SwapBabyGoods.com) while others are more obscure (Neighborhood Fruit helps people share what's growing in their yards or find fruit trees on public land). But regardless of whether the sharing is free or involves a fee, these transactions often come with a stick-it-to-the-man attitude. "Borrow these things from your neighbors," reads one earnest request on neighborrow.com, "The owner-ship has SAILED!" All of these sites are encouraging something academics call collaborative consumption - in other words, peer-to-peer sharing or renting. Renting something you don't need to use very often makes a lot more sense than buying it and letting it collect dust in your garage. There's a green aspect as well, since sharing helps cut down on overall use of resources. But one of collaborative consumption's most surprising benefits turns out to be social. In an era when families are scattered around the country and we may not know the people down the street from us, sharing things - even with strangers we've just met online - allows us to make meaningful connections. "This isn't just about saving the environment or saving a dollar," says SnapGoods CEO Ron Williams, who came up with the idea after renting a stranger's motorcycle via Craigslist. "This is about saving yourself by making informed consumer decisions." I'm not sure if I got a thrill when I borrowed Goodwin's iPad, but it did feel good to make a connection. In the end, though, I decided not to purchase an iPad. Sorry, Steve Jobs. I'm just not that into owning things anymore. What is Ron Williams' attitude towards collaborative consumption? | [
"Favorable",
"Critical",
"Indifferent",
"Not known"
] | 0A
|
|
It was Saturday and it was nice outside. I did not have school and my mom did not have work. When I woke up we ate breakfast and got ready for the day. My mom started to clean up the house so I went up to my room to play with my toys. My mom came upstairs and told me, "If you clean up your room there is a great surprise in it for you." I was very excited about what the surprise was but not very excited to clean my room. My mom left and closed the door. I looked around and saw how messy my room was. And I really did not want to clean it. So what I did was pick up all my stuff in my room and put it all in my closet. It did not take me very long so I hung out in my room for a little bit longer before heading downstairs to the basement to tell my mom I was ready for my surprise. She came upstairs to see how I did and immediately saw what I did. She was not happy about it. She said, "You either do it right, or Ill do it right and you won't get a surprise." That was enough to make me clean my room right. Finally, my mom told me the surprise when I was all finished. She told me we were going out to the park! But by the time we got there, I could only play for a little bit before it started getting dark. I wished I would have cleaned my room right the first time so I had more time at the park. why was his mom upset? | [
"his room was messy",
"it was nice outside",
"it was snowing",
"because he did not clean his room right"
] | 3D
|
|
Mr. Green is a famous writer now. But he said he was not a good student when he was young. He was often late for school and didn't like doing his homework. Sometimes he slept in class while the teacher was teaching. He didn't understand much, but he always thought he understood everything. One day the teacher asked the students a question, "When John was ten years old, his brother was twenty. John is fifteen now and how old is his brother?" Mr. Green answered, "That's easy. His brother is twice as old as John, so he is now thirty." Another time, the teacher in a science class asked, "When it thunders , why do we always see the light before we hear the sound?" "But, Miss White," said Mr. Green quickly, "can't you see our eyes are in front of our ears?" The third time, the teacher in a biology class asked, "Why can fish swim in the water?" "But, Miss White," said Mr. Green quickly, "don't you know fish can't walk on land?" Why can fish swim in the water? Mr. Green's answer was _ . | [
"fish can't swim on land",
"fish can't walk on land",
"fish has no legs or hands",
"fish can't walk in the water"
] | 1B
|
|
William was sitting in his room working on his homework. It was something he did since he went to kindergarten. William could see outside from where he was sitting. He had a view of a beautiful sunset this time of year. It was late spring, and he sometimes found his mind wandering as he looked outside, and hated losing time like that. The sooner he finished his homework, the sooner he could go to his friend Jacob's house, where he was spending the night. William loved sleepovers with Jacob. They would do fun stuff like tell jokes, watch TV, play board games, and eat lots of junk food. Jacob also had a cool RC car that William liked to play with. But William's parents wouldn't allow him to go to Jacob's house until he finished his homework first. Where was William doing his homework? | [
"in his room",
"At Jacob's house",
"on TV",
"outside"
] | 0A
|
|
Little Tommy was doing very badly in math. His parents had tried everything--tutors , cards, special learning centers--in short, everything they could think of. Finally they took Tommy to a catholic school. After the first day, little Tommy came home with a very serious look on his face. He didn't kiss his mother hello. Instead,he went straight to his room and started studying. Books and papers were spread out all over the room and little Tommy was hard at work. His mother was surprised. She called him down to dinner and as soon as he finished eating, he went back to his room, without a word. In no time he was back hitting the books as hard as before. This went on for some time,day after day while the mother tried to understand what was happening. Finally,little Tommy brought home his report card. He quietly put it on the table and went up to his room and hit the books. His mom looked at it and to her surprise,little Tommy got an A in math. She could no longer hold her curiosity .She went to his room and asked, "Son, what was it? Was it the nuns ? " Little Tommy looked at her and shook his head, "No. " "Well then," she asked again. "WHAT was it? " Little Tommy looked at her and said, "Well, on the first day of school, when I saw that man nailed to the plus sign ,I knew they weren't joking. " From the passage, we can infer that _ . | [
"teachers should be strict with their students",
"nuns are good at helping children with their math",
"a catholic school is much better than other ones",
"mistakes might do good sometimes"
] | 3D
|
|
Delta College starts Street Fair San Joaquin Delta College will introduce its new Summer Street Fair, which runs from noon to 8 p. m every Friday stating this week through Aug. 9 in Delta's L-l parking lot near Pacific Avenue and March Lane. The fair goes with Delta's weekend flea market. This week's featured performers are guitarist Travis Matsumoto from noon to 3 p.m., and Julio and his Jazz Trio from 3 to 6 p.m. Lode Farmers Market opens The Angels Camp Certified Farmers Market begins its yearly run from 5 p.m. to dusk this Friday in Utica Park in downtown Angels Camp. Opening night will feature wine tasting from award-winning Four Winds Cellars, and live music by guitarist Nicholas Leffler. Visitors will find fresh, locally grown produce and specialty foods. There will also be barbecue and California- Mexican fusion cuisine. Join River Rafting for a good cause Whitewater enthusiasts can participate in Mokelumne Rive, Rafting Adventures on June 16 in Mokelumne Hill. Local outfitter O.A.R.S. is donating its services to help with the event. Departures are at 8 a.m., noon, or 4 p.m. The trip should last about three hours. The trip is appropriate for those 7 and older, and the ability to swim is not required. The cost is $ 70 per person. Films center on paddling water The festival is an annual contest that awards winning films that focus on paddling in rivers, lakes and oceans in a variety of locales. Tickets to the film festival are $12 in advance and $15 at the door, and are also available online at ticketriver.com/event/7002-reel-paddling-film-festival. The evening also includes a drawing. Prizes include whitewater trips on the South Fork of the American River. If you want to go to the Summer Street Fair, _ . | [
"you must be a student from Delta College",
"you can go there on the afternoon of Friday",
"you should live near the Pacific Avenue",
"you must give a performance in the market"
] | 1B
|
|
Visiting Jiaixng Zoo Come and see big elephants from Yunnan and tigers from the northeast. The Africa giraffe are waiting for you. Clever monkeys are going to make you laugh. A lot of other animals you have never seen are waiting to meet you. Tickets: Grown-ups : Y=5.00 Children: Y=2.00 Under six: Free Opening time: From Monday to Friday: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Saturday and Sunday: 8:00 am - 5:30 pm Keep the zoo clean. Do not give food to or go near the animals. Which animal is funny? | [
"An elephant",
"A tiger",
"A giraffe",
"A monkey"
] | 3D
|
|
Everyone knows what a needle is. Of course there are needles and needles: Needles for sewing machines, needles for injection , you name it. But few people think of the wonder : a needle works in the hands of those who practice acupuncture . During the past ten years or so, I have been suffering from terrible headache. It seems to be getting from bad to worse these days . Last night I got a sudden pain in my head. It was so terrible that I could hardly bear it. Although I swallowed all kinds of pain-killers , I didn't feel any better, It seemed that there was nothing I could do but phone for a doctor. One of our neighbours happened to be with us. He was not a doctor, but he timidly offered his help, saying "Do you mind if I tried acupuncture on you? These needles may possibly do you some good." I agreed. In a moment, he had taken out a few needles from his purse. Without a moment's delay, he fixed a few needles into the skin on my head here and there, Before long, I felt thoroughly relieved . Just then, the doctor sped through my house and said, "Where is our patient?" "Sorry, Doctor, You are too late, It's killed!" I answered in delight. It's miracle , isn't it? The passage tells us that . | [
"everyone knows that acupuncture is a miracle",
"the neighbour wanted to use acupuncture on every patient",
"the effect of acupuncture on the man was unbelievable",
"the patient did not believe in acupuncture"
] | 2C
|
|
Interest in pursuing international careers has risen in recent years strengthened by permanent personnel shortages that are causing companies to search beyond their home borders for talent. Professionals seek career experience outside of their home countries for a variety of reasons. They may feel the need to recharge their batteries with a new challenge. They may want a position with more responsibility that encourages creativity. Or they may wish to expose their children to another culture, and the opportunity to learn a second language. When applying for a job, one usually has to submit a resume or curriculum vitae (CV). The two terms generally mean the same thing: a one--or two--page document describing one's educational qualifications and professional experience. However, guidelines for preparing a resume are constantly changing. The best advice is to find out what is appropriate regarding the company culture, the country culture, and the culture of the person making the hiring decision. The challenge will be to include two or more cultures in one document. The following list is a good place to start. "Educational requirements differ from country to country. In almost every case of 'cross--border' job hunting, just stating the title of your degree will not be an adequate description. Provide the reader with details about your studies and any related experience. " Pay attention to the resume format you use-chronological or reverse-chronological order. Chronological order means listing your 'oldest' work experience first. Reverse-chronological order means listing your current or most recent experience first. Most countries have preferences about which format is most acceptable. If you find no specific guidelines, the general preference is for the reverse-chronological format. " If you are submitting your resume in English, find out if the receiver uses British English or American English because there are changes between the two versions. For example, university education is often referred to as 'tertiary education' in the United Kingdom, but this term is almost never used in the United States. A reader who is unfamiliar with these changes may assume that your resume contains errors. When it comes to resume writing, it is best to _ . | [
"take cultural factors into consideration",
"learn about the company's hiring process",
"follow appropriate guidelines for job hunting",
"know the employer's personal likes and dislikes"
] | 0A
|
|
The rapid growth of cities worldwide over the next two decades will cause significant risks to people and the global environment, according to analysis. Researches from Yale and Stanford predict that by 2030 urban areas will expand by 590,000 square miles--nearly the size of Mongolia--to meet the needs of 1.47 billion more people living in urban areas. "It is likely that these cities are going to be developed in places that are the most biologically diverse," said Karen Seto, a famous scientist at Yale University. "They are going to be growing and expanding into forests, biological hotspots, savannas , coastlines--sensitive and _ places." Urban areas, they found, have been expanding more rapidly along coasts. "Of all the places for cities to grow, coasts are the most sensitive. People and buildings along the coast are at risk of flooding and other environmental disasters," said Seto. The study provides the first estimate of how fast urban areas globally are growing and how fast they may grow in the future. "We know a lot about global patterns of urban population growth, but we know significantly less about how urban areas are changing," she said. "Changes in land cover associated with urbanization lead to many environmental changes, from habitats loss and agricultural land conversion to changes in local and regional climate." The researchers examined studies that used satellite data to map urban growth and found that from 1970 to 2000 the world's urban footprint had grown by at least 22,400 square miles--half the size of Ohio. "This number is numerous, but, in actuality, urban land expansion has been far greater than what our analysis shows because we only looked at the published studies that used satellite data," said Seto. "We found that 48 of the most populated urban areas have been studied using satellite data, with findings in journals. This means that we're not tracking the physical expansion of more than half of the world's largest cities." Half of urban land expansion in China is driven by a rising middle class, whereas the size of cities in India and Africa is driven primarily by population growth. "Rising incomes translate into rising demand for bigger homes and more land for urban development, which has a great effect on biodiversity conservations, loss of carbon sinks and energy use." Cities in Africa become bigger and bigger mainly because of their _ . | [
"growing population",
"rising middle class",
"unique living patterns",
"economic development"
] | 0A
|
|
Why does the rate of heart attacks increase during the World Cup football finals? How can we help an overweight patient to lose weight? They're just some of the topics covered in a new book by University of Sussex academics, which is helping student doctors to consider the importance of psychology in medical practice. Psychology for Medicineis the first textbook of its kind, providing medical trainees and new doctors with all the relevant psychological knowledge they need. Previously, students had to refer to many different books for the relevant psychology. The book, by Sussex psychologists Dr. Sussex Ayers and Dr. Richard de Visser, has been well received by fellow academics and medical doctors and was finished with the help of the students and staff of the Brighton and Sussex Medical School. The studentsproofread the chapters, provided ideas for the content and even modeled for the photographs. The book provides a solid grounding in psychological study relevant to medicine, along with practical tips and advice for practice. One student, Simon Hall, drew cartoons for the book. The study psychology is important for doctors for a number of reasons. Psychological and physical symptoms are highly related. Up to a third of patients will have psychological disorders, while physical causes are usually only found in around 15 per cent of people's symptoms. In treatment, a lot of the effect drugs can be due to patients believing they will recover rather than the drug itself. Dr. Ayers says, "The important thing about this book is that it's applied science --- it shows why psychology is important to medicine and how we should use it. The book's presentation is really important. It's not just lots of theory, but full of tips and advice so that students can take what they learn in the classroom and apply it to real-life situations." We can infer that the text is a(n) _ . | [
"research report",
"introduction to a book",
"advertisement for a book",
"introduction to a psychologist"
] | 1B
|
|
June came and the hay was almost ready for cutting.On Midsummer's Eve, which was aSaturday, Mr.Jones went to Willington and got so drunk at the Red Lion that he did not comeback till midday on Sunday.The men had milked the cows in the early morning and then hadgone out rabbiting, without bothering to feed the animals.When Mr.Jones got back, heimmediately went to sleep on the living-room sofa with the "News of the world" over his face,so that when evening came, the animals were still not fed.At last, they could stand no longer. One of the cows broke into the door of the store-house with her horns and all the animalsbegan to help themselves to the grains.It was just then that Mr.Jones woke up.The nextmoment he and his four men were in the store-house with whips in their hands,whipping in all directions.This was more than the hungry animals would bear.Together,though nothing of the kind had been planned beforehand, they jumped upon their masters. Jones and his men suddenly found themselves being struck with horns and kicked from allsides.The situation was quite out of their control.They had never seen animals act like thisbefore, and this sudden uprising of creatures whom they were used to beating andwhipping just as they chose frightened them.After only a moment or two, they gave up tryingto defend themselves.A minute later all five of them were in full fright down the road, with theanimals running after them joyfully. The cows broke into the store-house to feed themselves because _ . | [
"They were so angry at their masters",
"They wanted to fight with the men",
"They wanted to go on strike",
"They-were too hungry"
] | 3D
|
|
How hard we have all prayed to grow up quickly, and looked forward to the happy days of being a grown-up and enjoying the many interests that a youth should have. At last, you have grown up. At least you are no longer a child. They call you "young lady". You then enjoy the pleasure of being a young lady. You are proud of being a grown-up teenager. People welcome you-this young lady-heartily. You are glad that your prayer has been answered. But there is always something that troubles you a lot. You say; "Papa and Mama, give me some money please. My pocket money is all gone already." "No", they say, "your age is a dangerous age. If you have too much money to spend, it won't do you any good." Then you have to stay at home because you dare not go out with an empty pocket. Another time you tell your grandma, "Grandma, see, I am a grown-up now." "Good, now, you can sit here and knit this for me while I go and have a rest." To show that you are no more a child, you have to sit there the whole afternoon doing the work, which only a grown-up can do. After an hour, you find it hard to do, and give the knitting basket back to your grandma. Your grandma criticizes your work. You hear what she says, "Such a big girl can't do such easy work." You wish then you were a child again. But the fact is, you are growing up, and you can't help it. That's the way it goes! From what her parents say, we know _ . | [
"they still regard her as a child",
"they don't want her to spend money",
"it's dangerous for a girl to spend money",
"they love her more than before"
] | 0A
|
|
You are probably familiar with the saying:An apple a day keeps the doctor away. A recent research carried out by the Chinese University of Hong Kong may change the saying: An apple a day may keep aging away. The research chose fruit flies , as they share many genes with humans. The fruit flies were either fed normally or had an apple extract added to their diet. It turned out that those fruit flies that were given apple extract lived about 55 days--five days longer than the flies that were normally fed. The research group also found it easier for the flies to walk,climb and move about as they aged. According to the result, the researchers believed that the antioxidants in the apple extract helped clean up dangerous chemicals that cause illnesses,as well as aging. In another study,researchers examined diets of thousands of women. They discovered that those who regularly ate apples were 20 percent less likely to suffer heart illnesses and stroke. The apples' genetic code was discovered recently. It allows scientists to develop nicer and healthier fruits. Researchers are already using the information to grow a kind of apples full of antioxidants that can keep eyes and joints healthy and protect humans against heart illnesses and cancer. Apples that kill the desire to eat could also be produced, with the first"extra-healthy''apples on supermarket shelves within just four or five years. The team that keeps studying apple DNA includes 100 scientists from five countries. Their research also suggests that around 65 million years ago, when dinosaurs began to die off the plant,which would finally become today's apple tree, experienced a great genetic change. The number of many of its genes doubled. The extra genes allowed the apple to get used to worse conditions and go through a different development from peaches,strawberries and other related fruits. What result did the researchers find out? | [
"Apples produce chemicals that can change human genes.",
"Apples have antioxidants that kill chemicals that cause aging.",
"Apples are rich in vitamins that are needed in humans' bodies.",
"Apples produce chemicals that make apples taste more delicious."
] | 1B
|
|
Last week , US President Barack Obama visited upstate New York's Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in an effort to highlight some of the United States' most-loved destinations and increase international tourism . " When it comes to tourism , we have a great product to sell , " he said . " Nothing says ' Made in America ' better than the Empire State Building or the Hoover Dam . " According to statistics , a record 70 million international visitors travelled to the US in 2013 . But that was still only 13% of the world's travelers--a smaller market share than the 17% that visited the United States in 2000 . Beyond the country's iconic locations--which travelers know all too well--the US is home to a great many charming and fascinating sights that often fly under the radar . Here are some of our favorites : The wild woodlands of the Great Smoky Mountains One of the oldest mountain rages in the world , this tranquil national park , which stretches across the Tennessee-North Carolina border , has a rich biodiversity that's equaled by few other places on the planet . Texas : Home to the world's largest bat colony Take nature watching to the extreme in the Lone Star State , where 1.5 million bats take flight over Austin every summer night . Idyllic beach towns--without the crowds Hidden away from the flood of summer travelers , these five little beach towns offer excellent surf spots , scenic views and Victorian charm . Philadelphia's mosaic masterpiece The city's downtown offers a one-of-a-kind artistic exploration , with 50,000sqft of tunnels , caves and walls covered in a bright and strange display of glass tiles , poetry and toys . Kentucky : An adventure heaven This state has one of the most amazing environments in the country , featuring both a rock climbing resort and the world's longest known cave system . What might be the best title for the passage ? | [
"Obama , a Good Seller",
"See the US Only Locals Know",
"How to Increase International Tourism",
"Welcome to the Empire State Building"
] | 1B
|
|
FreeRice.comis a non-profit website run by the United Nations World Food Program (UNWFP). It aims to provide education to everyone for free and help end world hunger. Join us and have fun with our vocabulary game. For each vocabulary word you get right, we donate free rice through UNWFP to those hungry people. How do you play the vocabulary game? Click on the answer that is closest in meaning to the word. If you get it right, you get a harder word. If wrong, you get an easier word. For each word you get right, we donate 20 grains of rice to UNWFP. How does the vocabulary game help you? This game may make you smarter. While learning new vocabulary, it can help you: Present your ideas better Write better papers, e-mails and business letters Speak more accurately and influentially Read faster because you understand better Get better grades in high school and college Perform better at job interviews Be more effective and successful at your job After you have done FreeRice for a couple of days, you may notice a phenomenon. Words that you have never consciously used before will begin to pop into your head while you are speaking or writing. You will feel yourself using and knowing more words. How does the FreeRice vocabulary program work? FreeRice has a database containing thousands of words at different levels of difficulty. There are words proper for people just learning English and words that will challenge the most learned professors. In between are thousands of words for students, business people, doctors, truck drivers... everyone! FreeRice adjusts to your level of vocabulary. It starts by giving you words at different levels of difficulty and then, based on how you do, designs a proper starting level for you. When you get a word wrong, you go to an easier level. When you get three words in a row right, you go to a harder level. There are 60 levels in all, but it is rare for people to get above Level 50. Sign up now and you will have fun as well as help end world hunger. According to the passage, the purpose of the vocabulary game is to _ . | [
"combine English learning with helping hungry people",
"make it popular in English-speaking countries",
"encourage people to produce more rice",
"provide English learning for poor areas"
] | 0A
|
|
David was a successful young man who worked in a large company in a big city in America. His favorite hobby was fishing. But it was several years since he had last gone fishing. He was too busy to get a chance to practice. Then one summer he decided to go on vacation to a village where there were a lot of streams . "I ought to be able to have some good fishing there," he said to himself confidently and made good preparations for fishing. The next morning after he arrived there, he walked to the nearest stream with his fishing rod . To his surprise, he saw an old man standing beside the water, doing nothing. So he asked him whether it was a private stream. The old man answered that it was not a private stream and everyone could fish there, so David said to him, " Well, then it won't be fined if I catch some fish here, will it?" "Oh, no," answered the old man. "It won't be, but it will be a miracle ." What did David expect when he decided to go on vacation? | [
"He wanted to visit some beautiful villages.",
"He planned to go swimming in some streams.",
"He decided to meet some old friends.",
"He wanted to enjoy fishing there."
] | 3D
|
|
How often do you change your hairstyle or ask for new dresses? You may try to follow trends in Western countries,but your peers in the United States don't care as much about fashion as you do. A recent survey among high school students in China,Japan,South Korea and the US found that Asian teenagers care more about their looks than young people in the US. This survey was held in 156 high schools in the four countries. More than 7,000 teenagers were questioned about their view on life and the world. South Koreans, at 83 percent, cared most about their appearance. They were followed by the Chinese and Japanese while US students showed the least interest in fashion at only 33 percent. "The different results show differences of cultural background," said Sun Yunxiao from the China Youth and Children Research Centre. He explained that in the US there are many different _ of beauty, so teens are more likely to be confident about their appearance. US teenagers' high self-confidence is showed in survey. About 85 percent are happy with themselves. The percentage of self-confident Chinese students stands at only 30 percent. Strong ambition( ) is seen in Chinese high schools. Only two in five high school students are satisfied with "an average living". Koreans are next at 48 percent,Japanese come in at 66 percent and Americans are at 71. "According to the survey,Chinese students are happy. But Chinese students need to be more independent and learn how to relax."said Sun. What does the passage mainly talk about? | [
"A survey about the attitudes towards the fashion.",
"How Asian teenagers care more about their looks than young people in the US.",
"Why Chinese students are happy.",
"Why Chinese students should be more independent and learn how to relax"
] | 0A
|
|
In my first week as a graduate student at Cambridge University in 1964 I met with a fellow student, two years ahead of me in his studies; he was unsteady on his feet and spoke with great difficulty. This was Stephen Hawking. I learned that he had a bad disease and might not live long enough even to finish his PhD degree. But, amazingly, he has reached the age of 73. Even mere survival would have been a medical miracle, but of course, he didn't merely survive. He has become arguably the most famous scientist in the world for his brilliant research, for his bestselling books, and, above all, for his astonishing victory over hardship. Stephen received his "death sentence" in 1964, when I thought it was hard for him to go on with his study. Stephen went from Albans School to Oxford University. He was said to be a "lazy" undergraduate, but his brilliance earned him a first-class degree, an "entry ticket" to a research career in Cambridge and a uniquely inspiring achievement. Within a few years of the burst of his disease he was wheelchair-bound, and his speech was so unclear that it could only be understood by those who knew him well. But his scientific career went from strength to strength: he quickly came up with a series of insights into the nature of black holes (then a very new idea) and how the universe began. In 1974 he was elected to the Royal Society at the exceptionally early age of 32. The great advances in science generally involve discovering a link between phenomena that were previously conceptually unconnected -- for instance, Isaac Newton realized that the force making an apple fall to earth was the same as the force that holds the moon and planets in their orbits. Stephen's revolutionary idea about a link between gravity and quantum theory has still not been tested. However, it has been hugely influential; indeed, one of the main achievements of string theory has been to confirm and build on his idea. He has undoubtedly done more than anyone else since Einstein to improve our knowledge of gravity and he is one of the top-ten living theoretical physicists. What can we learn from the text? | [
"Hawking's theory was proved years ago.",
"Hawking was not as successful as Newton.",
"Hawking's theory has had little influence on others.",
"String theory built on Hawking's idea."
] | 3D
|
|
Which would likely displace a family of chipmunks? | [
"wind",
"thunder",
"rain",
"mall construction"
] | 3D
|
|
In China, there're many different kinds of foods. Some of them are very popular. The most popular Chinese food is dumplings. Now let me tell you something about them. Almost everyone in China likes dumplings very much, and there are many different kinds of dumplings. Some have meat and vegetables in them. Some have eggs in them. I like dumplings with vegetables and pork better than any other kinds. Usually we make dumplings at home. If we have no time to make them, we can buy them from supermarket. Then we can take them home and eat them with _ . Spring Festival is very important in China. When it comes, we make dumplings. Usually we put a coin in a dumpling. It is said that one will be lucky in the year if he eats the dumpling with the coin. In the old days, people couldn't often eat dumplings, because they were very poor. Now the condition has changed a lot, so people can eat dumplings usually. ,. (2,10) Which of the following sentences is NOT true? | [
"Most of the Chinese like dumplings very much.",
"It is said that if one eats the dumpling with the coin, he will be lucky in the year.",
"In the old days, people often ate dumplings because they were poor.",
"Now people are richer than before."
] | 2C
|
|
FROM 1964 to 1978, Dazhai, with a population of 500, was the most famous village in China. Millions of Chinese came to the Shanxi village to visit its terraced fields and "splendid" irrigation systems. It was not until 1978 when Guo Fenglian, head of the village, paid a visit to the US that China's model village found how far it had fallen behind those in developed countries. "I was astonished at their modern equipment in harvesting, which could even separate big tomatoes with small ones," said Guo. "American farmers' life quality also impressed me a lot. Every day they had two cups of milk, which is something we don't have even in our wildest dreams." "We have to learn their advanced technology and administration for our own development," said then first Deputy Prime Minister Deng Xiaoping who was planning China's reform and opening up policy then. "Through opening our doors, we would not only take advantage of foreign funds , but also create job opportunities and cultivate talents." In 1978 Japanese electricity giant Panasonic came to China as the first foreign business to invest here and its success attracted other world brands into exploring the Chinese market. So far China has for 15 years taken in the world's second biggest foreign investment, following the US, to help set the country in a fast growth. However, China's 30-year road of reform was not always smooth. Doubts on the reform began to rise at the end of the 1980s as many people worried the country would turn to capitalism . "The criterion for our judgment is whether it helps develop socialist productive forces, whether it helps increase the overall national strength of a socialist country, and whether it brings about better living standards," said Deng. "China's reform and opening up is a unique success story. It has brought benefit to both China and the world," said William Keller, chief manager of a Swiss pharmaceutical company. Many people have doubts about the reform _ . | [
"in 1978",
"in 1980",
"in 1981",
"at the end of the 1980s"
] | 3D
|
|
The woman at the airline ticket counter in prefix = st1 /Munich,Germany, just shook her head. "I'm sorry, but there's no more availability on this flight," she said. God, I thought. My husband, Bob, and I had enjoyed every moment of our dream vacation, two weeks in Europe, but I was ready to go home toShreveport,Louisiana, and sleep in my own bed. Bob could see how frustrated I was. "We'll just have to try to get on the flight tomorrow," he said. "Let's enjoy the extra day." My son Joe, a First Lieutenant in the Army 82nd Airborne Division , would be returning to Ft. Bragg in North Carolina for a short rest and recovery from his tour of duty in Baghdad, and we weren't sure we'd be able to see him in the little time he'd be stateside. Plus, the time was so up in the air! Back at our hotel, I checked my e-mail to see if our daughter-in-law Monica had any news on when Joe was due to arrive. Sure enough, there was a message. "Joe's been delayed again," it read. The next morning we made it onto our flight back to the States. Unfortunately, we had to stop in Atlanta. Our connecting flight there was delayed because of bad weather. The hours passed. I felt the frustration building. "That's it!" I finally said. "I just want to get home!" That's when I saw a group of soldiers coming down the ramp from one of the gates. I thought of Joe. They're coming back from a war, I reminded myself, while I'm coming back from vacation. What right do I have to be frustrated? Maybe the troops were God's way of reminding me to trust in his time. Bob grabbed my arm. "Look at those soldiers coming down the ramp." "I see them," I said. Bob persisted, "Do you see who's in front?" Suddenly, all those delays across all those miles made perfect sense. I rushed toward my son Joe's open arms. Why did Bob say "Let's enjoy the extra day"? | [
"To stay one day more.",
"To cheer his wife up.",
"To visit other attractions.",
"To meet his son there."
] | 1B
|
|
In a healthy forest, dead trees and limbs fall to the ground and decompose. Which of these statements best describes why decomposition is important to a forest ecosystem? | [
"Nutrients are released when wood is broken down.",
"Worms produce oxygen used by other organisms.",
"Dead trees provide nest sites for many different species of birds.",
"Water is stored in dead trees and limbs."
] | 0A
|
|
Going back as far as I can remember as a child in an Indian area, I had no senses of knowing about the other people around me except that we were all somehow equal...There was only one class. Nobody was interested in getting on top of anybody else. You could see it in our games. Nobody organized them. There weren't any _ sports. But we took part in lots of activities and we were organized, but not in the sense that there were wars of finding out who had won and who had lost. We played balls like everyone else, but no one kept scores. Even if we did formally take part in the games we played, no one was a winner though someone may have won. It was only at that moment. If you beat someone by pulling a bow and arrow and shooting the arrow further, it didn't mean you were better in any why. It just meant that at that particular time the arrow went further; maybe it was just the way you let the bow go. These kinds of things are very important to me and that is why I am talking about them. One of the very important things was the relationship we had with our families. We didn't always live at home. We lived wherever we happened to be at that particular time when it got dark. If you were two or three miles away from home, then that was where you slept. From the passage, we can infer that _ . | [
"they pretended to lose when they could win the games",
"they didn't think it was very important who was the winner among their activities",
"they didn't hold any activities which could produce winners or losers",
"they thought it was a good idea that no one could win in their activities"
] | 1B
|
|
The Amber Room belongs to the eight wonders of the world. It was given the name because almost several tons of amber were used to make it. First it was designed for the palace of FrederickI. Then Frederick William I, the next king of Prussia, sent it to Peter the Great as a gift of friendship from Prussian people. Later, CatherineII had the Amber Room moved to a palace outside St. Petersburg where she spent her summers and she told her artists to add more details to its design. Unfortunately, during the Second World War, the Nazi German was at war with Russia. In September 1941, the Nazis secretly stole the Amber Room and sent boxes of the Amber Room on a train for Konigsberg. After that what really happened to the Amber Room remains a mystery. The reason for the missing of the Amber Room is _ . | [
"the Second World War",
"the disaster",
"the time",
"none of the above"
] | 0A
|
|
HOUSTON (AP) --- A 10-year-old boy fatally shot his father Friday, striking him several times as he sat in the front seat of a SUV to pick up the boy from his mother's home for a weekend visit. The incident happened about 3pm on a cul-desac in the 1700 block of Cedar Cove Court, said Sgt. Williams of the Harris County Sheriff's Department. An investigation found that Rick James Lohstroh, 41, was shot by his son, who was sitting in the back seat of the man's Toyota 4-Runner, said Sgt. Williams. The shooting took place outside the home of Lohstroh's ex-wife, where the boy lives with his mother and a 7-year-old brother. "We're not certain of anything until we finish our investigation," Williams said. "The information we have at this time is that the 10-year-old did fire the weapon." The mother and the 7-year-old were inside the house when the shooting occurred, said Williams. Williams said the gun belonged to the boy's mother. After firing shots through the back seat, the boy exited the back of the vehicle and continued to fire at the car. The man died on the way to Memorial Herman Hospital. Lohstroh was a doctor at the University of Texas Medical Branch. The man and woman shared custody of the children. Williams said the mother and the boy were still in the home talking to investigators Friday night. Neighbors described the family as being quiet and keeping to themselves. Justin Gray, 17, was walking in the neighborhood when he heard gunshots. "We've had a suicide in this neighborhood once, but never anything like this," Gray said. The reason why the boy shot his father _ . | [
"is clear",
"can't be made out",
"is unknown",
"is quite simple"
] | 2C
|
|
We live in a culture that sends out very mixed messages about mistakes: We're told we learn by making them, but we work hard to avoid them. So the result is that most of us know that we are going to make mistakes, but deep down, we feel we shouldn't. Experiments with schoolchildren who did well on a given test show that those who were praised for being smart and then offered a more challenging or less challenging task afterward usually chose the easier one. On the other hand, children praised for trying hard-- rather than being smart--far more often selected the more difficult task. If we try hard to avoid mistakes, we aren't open to getting the information we need in order to do better. In a writing study, experiments showed that those who are so scared to make mistakes perform worse in writing tasks than those who aren't as worried about being perfect. They fear receiving any kind of negative feedback, so they don't learn where they went wrong and how to get better. We don't just learn more when we're open to mistakes, we learn deeper. Research tells us that if we're only concerned about getting the right answer, we don't always learn the underlying concepts that help us truly understand whatever we're trying to figure out. Mistakes need to be seen not as a failure to learn, but as a guide to what still needs to be learned. As Thomas Edison said, "I am not discouraged, because every abandoned wrong attempt is another step forward." Furthermore, we often make mistakes because we try new things--we wander away from accepted paths. Teflon, penicillin--these are examples of great discoveries made by mistake. Take a page from Albert Einstein, who said, "Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. " Which of the following statements is NOT acceptable according to the passage? | [
"The more mistakes we make, the more we learn.",
"Mistakes can be used as a positive factor for success.",
"Being open to mistakes help you understand the truth.",
"A step forward may come from mistakes you've made."
] | 0A
|
|
Coal mines claim (...) more lives A COAL mine blast in Jixi, Helongjiang, left more than 100 miners dead on Thursday .Ten mines in Jixi were ordered to stop production. The government has tried to shut down thousands of small, illegal mines in the country that do not meet safety standards. MIDDLE EAST Bombers continues to kill PALESTINIANS killed 32 Israelis in three major attacks between Tuesday and Thursday. There were two suicide bombing and a militant attack on Jewish settlement . They yielded one of the highest Israeli death tolls ( ) in such a short period over the last two years. CHINA Young people stand tall THE average height of Chinese young people has risen by 6 centimeters compared to that of 20 years ago. This year far exceeds the word's average growth speed. A survey on health conducted by a panel of Chinese students found the results. According to the world average level, youths get taller by 1 cm every 10 years. CANADA Talking about world issue The Group of Eight (G8)--the US, Japan , Germany, Britain, France, Italy , Canada and Russia ---- will hold a summit on June26 and 27 in Kananaskis , Canada. The G8 are the richest and most powerful countries in the world. G8 leaders and some African presidents will discuss strengthening global economic growth and helping Africa. Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary General, will also attend. In the last 20 years, the average growth speed of Chinese youths exceeds the world's average level by _ . | [
"1 cm",
"4 cm",
"5 cm",
"6 cm"
] | 1B
|
|
Most American schools have boys and girls in the same classroom. But a public high school in the small, rural town of Boonsboro, Maryland, offers a special program called the Academy. Top students in the ninth and tenth grades can attend single-sex classes for math, science, English and social studies. The aim is to help teenagers keep their mind on their work by keeping males and females apart. What they really want to do is take that top group of kids and take them to the very highest level they can achieve there, so that they're prepared for college. Students are invited to enter this program after they finish middle school, and placement in the Academy is voluntary. However, they need high marks and test scores and strong teacher recommendations. They also need to be involved in activities. Almost 350 students have taken part in the Academy. It began as an experiment in 2010. Michael Bair has been at Boonsboro High for twenty years and directs the Academy. His ninth-grade English class for boys centers on books that he believes boys find interesting. He says that the novels the students are reading now are very manly novels. These novels deal with the arrogance of man and the pride of man which finally leads to man's downfall. One of those books, for example, is The Call of the Wild by Jack London. This classic story tells of a dog stolen from his home and sold to work as a sled dog in Canada's Klondike Gold Rush. Morgan Fleet, a senior at Boonsboro High, likes being in the Academy. She says boys and girls act differently when they are together in a classroom. She believes this difference seems to prevent her from developing herself because she's more focused on thoughts like "Oh, I wish they would shut up. Oh, what do they think of me?'' instead of focusing on "What's the homework? What's going on in this class? What's the lesson?". There is one activity that girls and boys in the Academy do together. At the end of the day, many of them stay and help tutor students who are having trouble in school. To enter the Academy program, students are NOT required to _ . | [
"do well in their study",
"be recommended by teachers",
"take part in some activities",
"have worked as volunteers"
] | 3D
|
|
There was a king who gave his daughter a beautiful diamond necklace. The necklace was stolen and his people in the kingdom searched everywhere but could not find it. So the king asked to search for it and put a reward for$50,000 for anyone who found it. One day, a clerk was walking home along a river when he saw something shinning in the river and when he looked, he saw the diamond necklace. He decided to try and catch it to get the $50,000 reward. He put his hand in the river and tried to catch the necklace, but somehow missed it and didn't catch it. He took his hand out and looked again and the necklace was still there. He tried again. But strangely, he still missed the necklace! He came out and started walking away, feeling sad. Just then, an old man walking by saw him, and asked him what was the matter. The clerk didn't want to share the secret with him, thinking he might take the necklace for himself, so he refused to tell him anything. The old man could see this man was troubled. He again asked the clerk to tell him the problem and promised that he would not tell anyone about it. The clerk told him about the necklace and how he tried and tried to catch it, but kept failing. The old man then told him that perhaps he should try looking upward, toward the branches of the tree, instead of in the river. The clerk looked up and true enough, the necklace was hanging on the branch of a tree. He had been trying to take a reflection of the real necklace all this time. The clerk tried to get the diamond necklace to _ . | [
"make the king happy.",
"keep it for himself.",
"get the big reward.",
"sell it at a high price."
] | 2C
|
|
(C)The earth is not only, but also thirsty for water. This may seem strange to you. because nearly 70% of the earth's surface is covered with water. But about 97% of that is sea water, or salt water. Man can only use the other 3%--the fresh water from rivers, lakes, and other sources. And we can't even use all of that, because some of it is in the form of icebergs and glaciers . Even worse, some of it has been polluted. However, as things stand today, the fresh water is still enough for us. But our need for water is becoming larger and larger quickly--almost day by day. We should take steps to do with this problem now and in this way we can get away from a serious world-wide water shortage later on. We all have to learn how to stop wasting our _ water, one of the first step is to develop ways of reusing it. Today in most large cities, water is used only once and then sent out into a sewer system , from there it returns to sea or runs into underground places. But even if every large city reused its water, we still would not have enough. All we'd have to do to make use of sea water in the world is to remove the salt. The earth is thirsty for water because _ . | [
"man has not enough food to eat.",
"we haven't had enough fresh water",
"only 70% of the earth's surface is covered with water.",
"more water is sent into the sewer system"
] | 1B
|
|
There are a lot of things that happen to me in China but would certainly never happen in the US. One of those things is being called "strong". The first time was last December. I was walking across the high school campus in Guangzhou where I taught when a student in a gray scarf waved hello. I smiled and waved back, but then she stopped and called my name. "You're so strong!" She smiled and pointed at what appeared to be my arm. I looked down at my arms. Let's get one thing clear: I'm a very skinny guy. Once, while rehearsing for a high school talent show, I was told by the teacher in charge that I couldn't participate in the men's shirtless dance routine because my visible rig cage would frighten the audience. "I'm so what?" "You're so strong!" _ repeated. "Um, thanks!" I didn't know what else to say, so we both waved goodbye. The next morning I stepped into my oral English classroom only to be greeted instantly by a unanimous "Waaa!" of shock and admiration. "What?" I asked. "You're so strong!" shouted a boy from the back of the class. "Okay, will someone tell me what that means?" I was curious as to the real reason for such praise. So I turned to the monitor, gesturing for him to speak. "We just mean, you look very strong today," he offered earnestly. "What?! You mean like this?" I curled my arm like a bodybuilder. "No! But it's so cold, and you're only wearing a shortsleeve shirt." Oh, I got it. My "strength" had less to do with my muscle and more to do with my apparent ignorance of the cold weather. The author used the example of being refused to join in the dance routine to show that _ . | [
"many people worry about his bad health",
"he is as strong as a body builder",
"actually he isn't physically strong at all",
"being called \"strong\" often happens to him"
] | 2C
|
|
If you live in the United States, the law says you can't have a full-time job until you are 16 years old. At 14 or 15, you can work part-time after school or on weekends, and during summer holidays you can work 40 hours each week. Does all that mean that if you are younger than 14, you can't earn your own money? Of course not ! Kids who are between the ages of 10 and 13 can earn money by doing lots of things. Valerie, 11, told us that she made money by cleaning up other people's yards. Susan, 12, said she had started taking art classes and showing her work to people. People ask her to draw pictures for them and they pay her for them. Jasmine, 13, writes articles for different magazines! Earning is learning. By working to earn your own money, you are learning the skills you will need to succeed in life. When you make your own money ,you don't have to depend on someone else. The five dollars that you earn will probably make you feel a lot better in your hand than the twenty dollars you ask for. Susan makes money by _ . | [
"drawing pictures for others",
"cleaning up other people's yards",
"writing articles for different magazines",
"selling clothes to others"
] | 0A
|
|
It is estimated that some seven hundred million people, about half the world's adult population, are unable to read or write, and there are probably two hundred and fifty million more whose level is so slight that it is hardly called literacy . Recently the attack on illiteracy had been stepped up. A world plan has been drawn up by a committee of UNESCO experts in Paris, as part of the United Nations Development Decade ,and an international conference of the subject has also been held. UNESCO stresses that functional literacy is the aim. People must learn the basic skills of responsible citizenship, the ability of reading notices, newspapers, timetables, letters, price-lists to keep simple records and accounts, to select the importance of the information gathered, and to fill in the forms. The major areas of illiteracy are in Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. In Africa there are at least one hundred million illiterate people, which is eighty to eighty-five percent of the total population. In Europe the figure is about twenty-four million; most of them are in Sothern Europe, with Spain, Italy, Portugal, Yugoslavia heading the list (the United Kingdom has about seven hundred thousand). UNESGO is eager for each country in the world, poor or rich, to wipe out illiteracy. The author implies that this world plan is to _ . | [
"be carried out in the major areas of illiteracy like Africa.",
"be realized in the years",
"be drawn up by Parisian experts",
"be discussed at an international conference"
] | 1B
|
|
Americans are buying more products and services than ever before through the Internet, and the popularity of online sales is likely to spread to other countries. Online sales now represent as much as one-tenth of all retail sales in the United States,which has led traditional stores to seek new ways to keep their customers loyal. Lynne Shaner used the Internet to buy everything she needed for her wedding and holiday gifts for her husband. Other than food, 90 percent of her purchases were made on her home computer. "I find that, by being able to go online and _ the things that I need to select and have them delivered to me right at my doorstep, I'm free from all the driving, all the crowds, all the noise, and I usually get a better selection." There are a lot of people like her. Experts say American online shopping hit records in both November and December. Fifty-seven percent of Americans have bought something electronically. Store owners worry that this growing amount of online sales will hurt their business. Cornell University marketing professor Ed McLaughlin says, "They should be worried. Anything that can move online will be sold online. And it's just a matter of time. However, traditional stores can keep their customers by selling goods like clothing, which buyers may want to see and try on before purchasing. The stores could also offer things that are difficult to ship. " Bill Martin, whose business helps stores learn about their customers, says, "Traditional stores offer a social experience that some people enjoy. There is still a lot of emotion in the buying decision that takes place, and you can't always get that on-line. It's a rather cold process. Traditional stores can provide goods for buyers more quickly than online stores. And some retailers are using websites to persuade people to visit their stores. " While online shopping worries some business owners, the only worry for delivery services like FedEx and UPS is keeping up with the number of packages. UPS Manager Dana Kline says her company is very busy at this time of year. UPS is so busy that it has filled 55,000 temporary worker positions during the holiday season. Professor Ed McLaughlin thinks that _ . | [
"online shopping has little effect on traditional stores",
"it is time for store owners to be anxious about their business",
"traditional stores can do nothing to stop challenges from online shopping",
"traditional stores should sell more things that are difficult to ship"
] | 1B
|
|
Most mornings, the line begins to form at dawn: scores of silent women with babies on their backs, buckets balanced on their heads, and in each hand a bright-blue plastic jug. On good days, they will wait less than an hour before a water tanker goes across the dirt path that serves as a road in Kesum Purbahari, a slum on the southern edge of New Delhi. On bad days, when there is no electricity for the pumps, the tankers don't come at all. "That water kills people," a young mother named Shoba said one recent Saturday morning, pointing to a row of pails filled with thick, caramel -colored liquid. "Whoever drinks it will die." The water was from a pipe shared by thousands of people in the poor neibourhood. Women often use it to wash clothes and bathe their children, but nobody is desperate enough to drink it. There is no standard for how much water a person needs each day, but experts usually put the minimum at fifty litres. The government of India promises (but rarely provides) forty. Most people drink two or three litres--less than it takes to wash a toilet. The rest is typically used for cooking and bathing. Americans consume between four hundred and six hundred litres of water each day, more than any other people on earth. Most Europeans use less than half that. The women of Kesum Purbahari each hoped to drag away a hundred litres that day--two or three buckets' worth. Shoba has a husband and five children, and that much water doesn't go far in a family of seven, particularly when the temperature reaches a hundred and ten degrees before noon. She often makes up the difference with bottled water, which costs more than water delivered any other way. Sometimes she just buys milk; it's cheaper. Like the poorest people everywhere, the people of New Delhi's slums spend a far greater percentage of their incomes on water than anyone lucky enough to live in a house connected to a system of pipes. Sometimes the water tanker doesn't come because _ . | [
"there is no electricity",
"the weather is bad",
"there is no water",
"people don't want the dirty water"
] | 0A
|
|
My name is Mary. This is my family. These are my parents. Their names are Bill and Grace Brown.Those are my grandparents.Their names are Henry and Linda Brown.This is my uncle.His name is John.That boy is my brother. His name is Tony. This is Susan.She is my uncle's daughter. Mary's brother is _ . | [
"Susan",
"Tony",
"John",
"Bill"
] | 1B
|
|
Kelly woke up one morning and went outside to her back yard. She was in a hurry because it was Mother's Day and she had to collect flowers before her mom woke up to give to her as a present. She was going to give her mom the biggest, most beautiful bunch of flowers her mother had ever seen. She knew where the best flowers were in her yard. She got a lot of different sized flowers. The red ones were big, the orange ones were small, and the green ones were in the middle. After Kelly collected all of the flowers, she went inside and tied them together with string. After that, she had to hide the flowers in a secret spot. She hoped her baby sister Morgan, who was still in diapers, wouldn't find the flowers and eat them. Kelly was worried, so she hid them in a new spot that was up higher. Finally, her mother woke up at 8:30 AM, and Kelly was excited! Kelly gave her mother the flowers. Her mother's favorite was the red one. What time did Kelly's mother wake up? | [
"After Kelly picked the flowers",
"8:30 AM",
"8:30 PM",
"When Kelly woke up"
] | 1B
|
|
In today's congratulatory phone call to the team behind NASA's Mars Curiosity rover , President Barack Obama made sure that if the mission discovers Martians, he'll be one of the first to know. "If in fact you do make contact with Martians, please let me know right away," Obama said during the call, "I've got a lot of things on my plate, but I expect that that will go to the top of the list. Even if they're just microbes , it will be pretty exciting." Obama also said he was impressed by the attention that's been paid to flight director Bobak Ferdowsi, the "Mohawk Guy" whose star-spangled haircut and warmhearted behavior during Curiosity's Aug. 5 landing won him Internet fame. "I, in the past, thought about getting a Mohawk myself," Obama joked. "But my team keeps on discouraging me. And now that he's received marriage proposals and thousands of new Twitter followers, I think I'm going to go back to my team and see if it makes sense." The congratulatory phone call is a tradition for the White House. But it was clear that Obama particularly enjoyed congratulating the scientists and engineers behind the amazingly successful landing of NASA's newest Mars exploration. He also said the achievement reflected the American spirit, and he gave his personal promise to protect these critical investments in science and technology. "This is the kind of thing that inspires kids across the country," he said. "They're telling their moms and dads they want to be part of a Mars mission, maybe even the first person to walk on Mars. And that kind of inspiration is the byproduct of work of the sort that you guys have done." The Curiosity rover's $2.5 billion mission focuses on studying billions of years' worth of geology on Mars and determining whether the planet was ever potentially suitable for people to live in. The mission is not specifically designed to explore life, even on the range of microbes, but it could point the way for future life-exploration experiments. Obama phoned the team behind NASA's Mars Curiosity rover in order to _ . | [
"congratulate them on finding Martians",
"praise the flight director",
"congratulate on the rover's landing",
"encourage them to contact with Martians"
] | 2C
|
|
Some problems are difficult to solve.But there are a lot of number expressions that can help.For example, if we put two and two together , we might com e up with the right answer.We know that two heads are better than one.It is always better to workwith another person to solve a problem.Some problems have only one solution.You cannot be of two minds over this.But with any luck , we can solve the problem in two shakes of a lamb' s tail.In other words, we could have our answers quickly and easily. Sometimes we can kill two birds with one stone.That is , we can complete two goals with only one effort or action.But we must remember that two wrongs don' t make a right.If someone does something bad to you, you should not do the same to him. If you are going out with your girlfriend , or boyfriend , but you don' t want another friend to go a long on your date, you can just say to your friend : two' s company , three' s a crowd. When I was a young child in school , I had to learn the three R' s.These important skills are reading , writing and arithmetic.These three words do not all start with the letter " R".But they have the sound of " R".My teacher used to give three cheers when I did well in maths.They gave praise and approval for a job well done. Some of my friends were confused and did not understand their school work.They were at sixes and sevens.In fact , they did not care if they finished high school.But they were happy when they completed their studies and graduated from high school.They were in seventh heaven.They were on cloud nine.Nine times out of ten students who do we'll in school find good jobs.Some work in an office doing the same things every day at nine-to-five jobs.You do not have to dress to the nines , or wear your best clothes , for this kind of work. Which of the following has the similar meaning to " in all probability"? | [
"Two wrongs don' t make a right.",
"Two' s company, three' s a crowd.",
"Nine times out of ten.",
"Two heads are better than one."
] | 2C
|
|
Which of these supports an item that works together in large numbers and is greater than the sum of its parts? | [
"car",
"membrane",
"fire",
"truck"
] | 1B
|
|
Though the last book of the spectacular Harry Potter series was released seven years ago in 2007, the young wizard continues to be extremely popular with both kids and adults. Over the years, Harry Potter fans have been able to experience numerous aspects of the young wizard's life, right down to his favorite drink -- butter beer. Now thanks to a British hotel, they can also spend a night in the wizard's Hogwarts Castle dormitory room. The four-star Georgian Hotel in Central London, which recently opened its two wizard chambers , is ideally suited to reproducing J.K. Rowling's school of wizardry . That's because the hotel, which is still run by the descendants of the original owners, dates all the way back to 1851. It still remains its original styles inside. According to the owner of the 163-year-old Georgian Hotel, the idea originated as a way to create a kid-friendly environment in a hotel that is well-known for its Victoria Classic and Belgravia Boutique rooms. The wizard chambers that have been refinished to resemble the Hogwarts Castle dormitory rooms are furnished with everything a wizard fan could think of -- four-poster beds, stone wash basins, potion bottles, cauldrons (,), spelling books and even study tables. In order to make them appear even more magical, the hotel owners have added their own special touches that include placing a wand in the hand of the Mona Lisa painting that is in one of the chambers. As you may have guessed, these unique accommodations are not cheap. The rooms, breakfast included, cost about $350 for two people. Kids sharing the same room pay only an additional $40 each. Given that the big wizard chamber can contain up to five people, the overall cost is perfect for families that are all Harry Potter fans. Special packages include a Muggle Walking Tour that takes Harry Potter fans through the areas of the city where parts of the movies were filmed or a visit to Warner Brothers Studio, home of the Harry Potter films' sets and props . The hotel is certainly generating a lot of buzz among Harry Potter fans! If Mr Green and his wife with three children want to stay in the hotel for a night, how much should they pay? | [
"$ 350.",
"$ 390.",
"$ 430.",
"$ 470."
] | 3D
|
|
Feeding a crowd of hundreds doesn't make Kenny Seals-Nutt nervous. In fact, he _ in the kitchen. He's in his perfect place when dicing tomatoes, making salads and baking cakes. By the time Kenny, 16, reached his third year of high school at Hickory Grove, North Carolina, US, he had become vice president of his school's cooking club. He also opened his own food company, called Modern Fusion. Kenny said he developed his love of cooking by watching his mother, and his grandmother, who owned a catering business herself. Kenny helped them both in order to remember their tips: how long to cook chicken so it stays wet, and the right amount of tomatoes to add to a spaghetti dish. At the age of 5, he cooked his first dish of shrimp and broccoli. Taking it for his school lunch, he warmed it up in the school's microwave, while the other kids ate their sandwiches. "I love to eat, and it started to become more fun to cook than to use a microwave," he said. Cooking came easy to Kenny, and he enjoyed adding new ingredients into common dishes. "It started with a passion and I wanted to know more," he said. He began to watch the Food Network and read chef blogs. Last summer, Kenny put his skills to the test by working with his grandmother to cater his uncle's wedding. While she cooked traditional dishes, Kenny wanted to add new to the expected flavors . Now Kenny spends his weekends catering his own events: weddings, birthday parties, baby showers. Kenny's dishes are always a hit. Chef Frederick Mookie Hicks, owner of a catering business, said Kenny's success comes from his ability to multitask in the kitchen. Hicks said he has asked Kenny to cook with him on jobs three times now, and he presents Kenny as a positive example of a passionate chef to the students in his cooking classes. "He's so vigorous about cooking that he doesn't let anything stop him," Hicks said. "I knew in the first five minutes of working with the kid that he is something special." Which of the following best describes Kenny's cooking? | [
"Traditional.",
"Creative.",
"Simple.",
"Strange."
] | 1B
|
|
It has always been thought that alcohol causes people to put on weight because it contains a lot of sugar, but new research suggests glass a day could form part a diet. Looking at past studies they found that, while heavy drinkers do put on weight; those who drink _ can actually lose weight. A spokesman for the research team at Navarro University in Spain says, "Light to moderate alcohol intake, especially of wine, may be more likely to protect against, rather than promote, weight gain." The International Scientific Forum on Alcohol research reviewed the findings and agreed with most of the conclusions, particularly that data do not clearly indicate if moderate drinking increases weight. Boston University's Dr. Harvey Finkel found that the biologic mechanisms relating alcohol to changes in body weight are not properly understood. His team pointed out the strong protective effects of moderate drinking on the risk of getting conditions like diabetes , which relate to increasing obesity. Some studies suggest that even very obese people may be at lower risk of diabetes if they are moderate drinkers. The group says alcohol provides calories that are quickly absorbed into the body and a enot stored in fat, and that this process could explain the differences in its effects from those of other foods. They agree that future research should be directed towards assessing the roles of different types of alcoholic drinks, taking into consideration drinking patterns and including the past tendency of participants to gain weight. For now there is little evidence that consuming small to moderate amounts of alcohol on a regular basis increases one's risk of becoming obese. What's more, a study three years ago suggested that resveratrol, a compound present in grapes and red wine destroys fat cells. The passage is mainly for those _ . | [
"who produce wine",
"who have a drinking habit",
"who go on a diet",
"who are eager to lose weight"
] | 1B
|
|
Growing strawberries in pots *The best way to start growing strawberries is to buy pot-grown strawberry plants m spring:5 plants are plenty for a hanging basket and 10 for the average 13 inch-sized pot. *Plant them immediately in soil-based compost and they will produce a modest crop in their first year.The second year should see a bumper crop,followed by a slightly lower yield the third summer .Then start again with fresh stock . *Careful watering and feeding are essential If you are to harvest a good crop,you must never let the compost dry out, particularly when the fruit is forming and ripening;if you do.most of your crop will drop offe bush almost immediately. *Water well then leave the pots for up to 3 weeks,until they reach the point of drying out be careful not to overwater them during the winter months. Pruning apple trees *A one-year-old tree is known as a "maiden".It has a single stem when purchased.Immediately after planting, cut it back by about half to leave 4 good buds at the base of the stem..This will force growth from the base or the plant during the summer. *In the second year ,prune in winter by cutting all side branches back by about one-third, Make sure each cut is made cleanly just above an outward-facing bud.In the third and fourth years, new side branches will have emerged from the previous year's growth.Cut back all these new side branches by a third, pruning to an outward-facing bud. *By the fifth year the tree should have a well-balanced shape.From then on ,cut back all new branches by one-third in winter.Remove any diseased wood and broken branches, and ensure the centre is open to air circulation A good crop of strawberries mainly depends on _ | [
"the size of a pot",
"the season of harvesting",
"the number of plants in a pot",
"careful watering and feeding"
] | 3D
|
|
The cattle egret has lived in American continent in recent years. Non-native species are a worldwide problem and studies are devoted to assess the damage they cause to local species populations. The cattle egret primarily lives on the grassland and feeds in close association with animals like cattle and sheep. This bird is native to Africa, southern Europe and western Asia. The cattle egret in Brazil is unlike a number of bird species that have been established and expanded to non-native areas through human assistance. The first sight of the cattle egret in the New World were reported between 1877 and 1882, followed by sightings in British Guiana and Colombia and later expansion throughout the Americas. In Brazil, the cattle egret was first recorded in the northern region of the country in 1964, feeding along with buffalos on Marajo Island in the state of Para. While the cattle egret is not currently a threat to native animals and birds in Brazil throughout most of its geographic distribution, it has the potential to produce bad effects, as evidenced by its occupation of island environments. For example, in the Fernando de Noronha archipelago, the cattle egret drives adult native seabirds away from their nests in producing time. Understanding how the cattle egret settled and lived in Brazil is important for the better understanding of spreading patterns of bird populations and their interaction with the local species. Explaining the egret cattle's settling in the Americas is a challenging task due to the lack of sufficient information and reports on entrance time, location, and number of events. Comparisons between native and non-native populations can provide a 'natural' experimental way to clarify the biological and environmental factors that may contribute to range expansion and adaptation to climate change, and to find how animals respond to strange and sudden ecological and environmental pressures. In America, humans first found the cattle egret _ | [
"in the 1870s.",
"in Colombia",
"in British Guiana",
"in the 1960s"
] | 0A
|
|
To Whom It May Concern, My husband Jim and I got married in 1965. For the first ten years of our marriage, I was very happy to stay home and raise our three children. Then about four years ago, our youngest child went to school, and I thought I might go back to work. Jim was very supportive and helped me to make my decision. He started to do all the things I used to do around the house, and said he thought I could be a great success in business. After several weeks of job hunting, I found my present job, which is working for a small public relation firm. At first, my husband was proud of me and would tell his friends, "My clever little wife can run that company she's working for." But, as his joking words were becoming reality, Jim stopped talking to me about my job. I have received several promotions and pay increases, and I am now making more money than he is. I can buy my own clothes and a new car. Because of our combined incomes, Jim can do things that we had always dreamed of doing, but we don't do these things because he is unhappy. We fought about little things, and Jim is very critical of me in front of our friends. For the first time in our marriage, I think there is a possibility that our marriage may come to an end. I love Jim very much, and I don't want him to feel inferior , but I also love my job. I think I can be a good wife and a working woman, but I don't know how. Can you give me some advice? Will I have to choose one or the other or can I keep both my husband and my new career? Please help. Yours, Mary When was the letter most probably written? | [
"In 1975.",
"Around 1980.",
"Four years ago.",
"In 1965."
] | 1B
|
|
Her name is Mary. She comes from London. She is in China with her father and mother. Shecan speak a little Chinese. She studies in No. 80 Middle School in Tianjin. She is in the sameschool as her parents (father and mother). She is a good student. She goes to school six daysa week. She likesgetting up early. She doesn't like to be late. She often goes to school veryearly. But today she gets up late. So she gets to the classroom at 7 :30. But there aren't anystudents in it. She is not late. She is still early. It's Sunday today. The students are allat home. Mary doesn't like to _ . | [
"go to school",
"be late",
"get up early",
"live in China"
] | 1B
|
|
Health & Social Care Teacher Our client, an 11-18 mixed comprehensive school in Ealing, West London, is currently seeking a teacher for Health & Social Care. The position will be a full-time post until July 2014. We require an energetic teacher to develop the learning potential of students. We are seeking someone with excellent subject knowledge who can combine academic strictness and achievement with enjoyment of teaching Health & Social Care. Receptionist Administration Full Time A receptionist is required from 1stJune 2014 at Dartford Science & Technology College. The position is only from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Thursday and 8:30 am to 4:00 pm Friday, with an hour's break for lunch every day. The successful applicant must have a good telephone manner, good interpersonal skills and proficient IT skills. Cleaner Part Time, Term Time We are seeking to appoint a hardworking person to join our cleaning team. Previous experience would be an advantage but it is not essential. 10 hours per week are required during term time and the extra 3 weeks are added in the summer holidays or as directed by the Business Manager to ensure the needs of the school are met. Closing date: 12thMay 2014, 12 noon. Please return the completed application forms to the school. Science Technician Term time plus 10 days, 37 hours per week We are looking for a technician to provide a technical support service for science teaching staff. Applications are to be received no later than midnight on 10thJune 2014. If you are keen to work, visit our website via the button below. The receptionist to be employed will work _ . | [
"10 hours a week",
"34.5 hour a week",
"39.5 hours a week",
"37 hours a week"
] | 1B
|
|
The barks of dogs surrounded me as I got off the bus. They ran around their cages jumping up and down. My heart became soft at the sight of these poor creatures. I entered the building and discovered more unwanted animals. A white rabbit jumped around in its cage. I walked around the shelter,screaming "oh" and "ah" at every animal,as they looked out of their cages,waiting for love and help. A pit bull particularly interested me. She was as gentle as a baby. I slightly touched her head with affection as she sat on the floor. The pit bull licked my hand with appreciation as she cried. A litter of puppies were in the cage opposite the pit bull. They snuggled together for warmth as one of the puppies let out a weak bark,as if calling to its mother. Recognizing my love and willingness to help these puppies,the director suggested I give them a bath. I lifted one of the puppies,Yukie,from his brothers and sisters. His black fur was as soft as cotton candy. I held him tightly. The sweet smell of liquid soap surrounded the wash area. The puppy seemed like a tiny fish,swimming delightedly in a pool. Water dropped down his black,soft ears as he tried to shake off the heavy water. I wrapped Yukie in a towel as he licked my hand. After all the cleaning and drying,he looked as if he'd come from an expensive pet shop. I kissed his little face as I unwillingly placed him back. Next,I walked some dogs around the shelter. They jumped out of their cages,unable to hold back their urge for exercise. I ran around with them,while touching them gently and talking to them. They moved back when the time came to put them back. The time came to leave. I silently promised these creatures to come and again provide them with love. The sad eyes and the faces of these creatures will always be impressed on my memory. Which of the following is TRUE about Yukie? | [
"It enjoyed the bath very much.",
"The author decided to adopt it.",
"It had black fur with white spots.",
"Yukie could be sold at a high price."
] | 0A
|
|
One weekend, a wife and a husband went to visit a shop in London. After they got back home, they couldn't find their camera. They thought the camera must be in the shop. After a few weeks,they went to that shop again and the boss gave their camera back to them. When their picture of the camera came out, the husband saw two pictures he did not take. One isa man standing at the door of the shop. In his hand there is a piece of paper with some words onit "I find your camera". The other is a boy with a piece of paper in his hand. There are somewords on the paper too, "I take the pictures." A wife and a husband went to visit a shop in _ . | [
"London",
"Pairs",
"New York",
"Beijing"
] | 0A
|
|
A group of graduates, successful in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Before offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and a variety of cups--porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking and cheap, some exquisite and expensive--telling them to help themselves to the coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups. Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided for us." God brews the coffee, not the cups. Enjoy your coffee! "The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything. "[Z Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God. According to the professor, the happiest people are the ones who _ . | [
"get the best type of coffee cups",
"make the best of what they have",
"have a wide range of coffee cups",
"care about social status and wealth"
] | 1B
|
|
Win a trip to the OREGON COAST----- Dare to Explore the Pacific Ocean. Build the biggest sand castle on the beach. Search tide pools for sea life. Watch the bright orange sunset over the ocean. Whether you've been to the Pacific Ocean before or have only closed your eyes and imagined it, we want to know how you would explore the Oregon Coast if you had the chance to go this summer. JUDGING 1. Clear relationship between the Essay and the Drawing 40%. 2. Creativity and skill in design and form of the Drawing 40%. 3. Expression of the passion to draw and explore 10%. 4. Journalistic quality, uncluttered nature and overall quality of the Essay 10%. PRIZE By entering, you will have the chance to win an all-expense paid trip to the OREGON COAST. Activities will include: Kite flying, studying beautiful sea creatures, searching for sea life on a boat, science exploration at a science center and roasting over a beach campfire. Who may enter: The competition is open to kids aged 6-14. TEAM: Entries must be postmarked no later than July 31, 2010. How to enter Surf traveloregon.com/kids to download and print out an entry form. Be sure to mark whether you have to or have not been to the Pacific Ocean in the form. Create a drawing of the Pacific Ocean on a piece of paper using a pen or paints. Write an article of 100 words or less to explain why you want to go, what you think you would see, and what you would explore if you have never been to the Pacific Ocean, or describe your favorite memories from your last visit. Send to Dare to Explore the Pacific Ocean, NG1145 17th street NW, WashingtonD.C.20036. What information can you get from the passage? | [
"Your article should be at least 100 words.",
"Every kid can take part in the competition.",
"You should mark the drawing with your name.",
"You must send the drawing before July 31, 2010."
] | 3D
|
|
Bangkok has become the world's top tourist destination, with 15.98 million visitors projected to visit Thailand's capital city this year, according to the third annual Global Destination Cities Index released by MasterCard on Monday. Based on data MasterCard collected from governments, central banks, related public agencies and airlines so far this year, the projection for the entire year says Bangkok is surpassing London, the previous holder of the top place, by a very narrow margin. Monday's report marked the first time an Asian city has been projected to be the top-ranked tourist destination. London came in second, with 15.96 million visitors expected in 2013, and Paris, third, with 13.92 million visitors. MasterCard looked at 132 cities. Other Asian cities that made it to the Top-20 Global Destination Cities in 2013 include Singapore at number four, with 11.75 million visitors; Kuala Lumpur at number eight, with 9.2 million visitors; Hong Kong at number nine, with 8.72 million visitors; Seoul at number 11, with 8.19 million visitors; Shanghai at number 14, with 6.5 million visitors, Tokyo at number 16, with 5.8 million visitors, and Taipei, with 5.19 million visitors. The study found that Bangkok is experiencing a large increase in its number of tourists in 2013, up 9.8% from 2009. That compares to New York's increase at 5.0% and London's at 3.8%. Paris, meanwhile, saw a small dip in its number of tourists (negative 0.7%). Caroline Lledo, who was visiting Bangkok from France, said Thailand has many offerings. "We like culture and the people are so nice. We also love shopping here," Ms. Lledo said. MasterCard Worldwide's global economic adviser Yuwa Hedrick-Wong cited overall value for money spent for why Bangkok is attractive. That is true for Thailand overall as well. What attracts visitors to Thailand? | [
"People and buildings.",
"Shopping and environment.",
"Culture, people and shopping.",
"Culture and natural scenery."
] | 2C
|
|
First,I want to tell you how proud we are.Getting into Columbia is a real testament of what a great wellrounded student you are.Your academic,artistic,and social skills have truly blossomed in the last few years.You should be as proud of yourself as we are. College will be the most important years in your life.It is in college that you will truly discover what learning is about.You often question"what good is this course".I encourage you to be inquisitive,but I also want to tell you:"Education is what you have left after all that is taught is forgotten."What I mean by that is the material taught isn't as important as you gaining the ability to learn a new subject,and the ability to analyze a new problem.That is really what learning in college is about-this will be the period where you go from teachertaught to masterinspired,after which you must become selflearner. Do not fall into the trap of dogma .There is no single simple answer to any question.Remember during your high school debate class,I always asked you to take on the side that you don't believe in?I did that for a reason-things rarely"black and white",and there are always many ways to look at a problem.You will become a better problem solver if you recognized that.This is called"critical thinking",and it is the most important thinking skill you need for your life.This also means you need to become tolerant and supportive of others.I will always remember when I went to my Ph.D.advisor and proposed a new thesis topic,he said"I don't agree with you,but I'll support you." Follow your passion in college.Take courses you think you will enjoy.Don't be trapped in what others think or say.Steve Jobs says when you are in college,your passion will create many dots,and later in your life you will connect them.Enjoy picking your dots,and be assured one day you will find your calling,and connect a beautiful curve through the dots. Most importantly,make friends and be happy.College friends are often the best in life,because during college you are closer to them physically than to your family.Also,going through independence and adulthood is a natural bonding experience. Bonne chance,my angel and princess.May Columbia become the happiest four years in your life. What can be inferred from the passage? | [
"It's a parent's letter intended for a college student.",
"Parents are proud but worried about unpredictable future of children.",
"Learning skills are the top priority in Columbia.",
"Though uneducated,the writer offers practical college guidance."
] | 0A
|
|
Many English learners have difficulty deciding what kind of English accent they want to have. A US accent, perhaps modeled on the way a Hollywood star speaks? Or maybe you want to imitate the British accent of a BBC news reader? Young British people find the US accent attractive while young US people like a British accent. Especially when the person speaking is of the opposite sex ! Let's listen to what they have to say. Stephen Yang, 17, from London, UK A US accent is cute, especially when a girl speaks it. Whether it's Jessia Alba speaking or the girl- next-door, the way US girls speak has a sweet tingle that is really sassy . A girl from Texas recently moved into our neighborhood. _ . To me, accents reflect the attitudes, characteristics and lifestyles of the people. Jennifer Sun, 16, from New Jersey, US From watching English actors like Daniel Radcliffe, my friends and I have developed a soft spot for British men.Some are attracted to the qualities of English males, while others admire their sense of style. Everyone, however, agrees that the most appealing aspect of an English man is his accent. For example, many American girls watch Harry Potter movies over and over again just to listen to the actors speak. The English accent seems almost like art. In Stephen Yang's opinion, accents just show _ . | [
"the beauty of the language",
"how the language is spoken",
"the cultural differences of the speakers",
"the meeting of the day"
] | 2C
|
|
In a country that defines itself by ideals, not by shared blood, who should be allowed to come to work and live here? In the wake of the Sept.11 attacks these questions have never seemed more pressing. On Dec.11, 2001, as part of the effort to increase homeland security, federal and local authorities in 14 states staged "Operation Safe Travel"---raids on airports to arrest employees with false identification.In Salt Lake City there were 69 arrests.But those captures were anything but terrorists, most of them illegal immigrants from Central or South America.Authorities said the undocumented workers' illegal status made them open to blackmail by terrorists. Many immigrants in Salt Lake City were angered by the arrests and said they felt as if they were being treated like disposable goods.Mayor Anderson said those feelings were justified to a certain extent."We're saying we want you to work in these places, we're going to look the other way in terms of what our laws are, and then when it's convenient for us, or when we can try to make a point in terms of national security, especially after Sept.11, then you're disposable.They are whole families being uprooted for all of the wrong reasons," Anderson said. If Sept.11 had never happened, the airport workers would not have been arrested and could have gone on quietly living in America, probably indefinitely.Ana Castro, a manager at a Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop at the airport had been working 10 years with the same false Social Security card when she was arrested in the December airport raid.Now she and her family are living under the threat of deportation .Castro's case is currently waiting to be settled.While she awaits the outcome, the government has granted her permission to work here and she has returned to her job at Ben & Jerry's. Undocumented workers became the target of "Operation Safe Travel" because _ . | [
"evidence was found that they were potential terrorists",
"most of them worked at airports under threat of terrorists",
"terrorists might take advantage of their illegal status",
"they were reportedly helping hide terrorists around the airport"
] | 2C
|
|
Between ten and midnight the United States is politically leaderless--there is no center of information anywhere in the nation except in the New York headquarters of the great broadcasting companies and two wire services. No candidate and no party can afford the investment on election night to match the news-gathering resources of the mass media; and so as every citizen sits in his home watching his TV set or listening to his radio, he is the equal of any other in knowledge. There is nothing that can be done in these hours, for no one can longer direct the great strike for America's power; the polls have closed. Good or bad, whatever the decision, America will accept the decision--and cut down any man who goes against it, even though for millions the decision runs contrary to their own votes. The general vote is an expression of national will, the only substitute for violence and blood. Its decision is to be defended as one defends civilization itself. There is nothing like this American expression of will in England or France, India or Russia. Only one other major nation in modern history has tried to elect its leader directly by mass, free, popular vote. This was the Weiman Republic of Germany, which modeled its unitary vote for national leaders on the American practice. Out of its experiment with the system it got Hitler. Americans have had Lincoln, Wilson and two Roosevelts. Nothing can be done when the voting returns are flooding in; the White House and its power will move to one or another of the two candidates, and all will know about it in the morning. But for these hours history stops. Without the general vote, the author implies _ . | [
"there would be a civil war",
"there would be a general strike",
"there would be an election campaign",
"there would be a fierce debate"
] | 0A
|
|
When people think of food in the United States, they think mostly of fast foods like hamburgers and hot dogs. In fact, in the U.S. cities like New York and Los Angeles, there are thousands of different kinds of restaurants with foods from all over the world. So if you like to try different foods, the United States is the place for you. The United States has people from all over the world, and they bring with them typical foods from their countries. You can eat tempura in Japanese restaurants, tacos in Mexican restaurants, paella in Spanish restaurants, pasta in Italian restaurants, and you can also eat America's most popular food, pizza. Yes, pizza! Pizza is from Italy, but today it is an important part of the U.S. menu. There are about 58,000 pizzerias in the United States--that's about 17% of all restaurants in the country, and the number is growing. The United States has eating places for all tastes--and all pockets. You can buy a hot dog on the street and pay one or two dollars. Or you can go to a four-star restaurant and pay $200 for a dinner From the text we know that in America _ . | [
"only rich people can go out to eat",
"all of the people can enjoy the food",
"not all the people can go out to eat",
"only a few people can enjoy the food"
] | 1B
|
|
Normally a student must attend a certain number of courses in order to graduate, and each course that he attends gives him a credit, which he may count towards a degree. In many American universities the total work for a degree consists of thirty-six courses, each lasting for a term. A typical course consists of three classes per week for fifteen weeks; while attending a university a student will probably attend two terms a year. It is possible to spread a period of work for the degree over a longer period. It is also possible for a student to move between one university and another during his degree course, though this in fact is not done as a regular practice. For every course that he follows a student is given a grade, which is recorded and available for the student to show employers. All this imposes a constant pressure and strain of study, but in spite of this some students still find time for great activities in student affairs. Elections to positions in the student union arouse great interests. Students who are qualified usually perform the effective work of the student union. With the big numbers of students, the operation of the system does involve a certain number of activities. A student who has held one of these positions in the union is much respected and it willbe of benefitto him. How many classes does an American student have to attend each term to get a credit? | [
"30",
"40",
"45",
"60"
] | 2C
|
|
One of the first things that Jim discovered while living with the Greens was that there were different television channels in Britain, the BBC broadcasts on two channels: BBC1 and BBC2. There is a mixture of serious and light programmes on BBC1; there are mainly serious programmes on BBC2. ITV is an independent channel which carries advertisements . There are no advertisements on the BBC, so everyone must pay some money to the BBC each year. There are both serious and light programmes on ITV. Because of the different channels, it is not surprising that you often see each member in Mg. Green's house wants to choose his or her own favorite channel. This is the sort of thing you hear: "There's sports programme on ITV." "What's that, children?" "We were wondering if we could watch the sports programme on ITV." "But I was wondering whether to watch the other programme on BBC1." And so on. The children like ITV; mother prefers BBC1; father prefers BBC2. Jim hasn't made up his mind. Why do people have to pay some money each year? | [
"Some of the TV channels are not free.",
"All of the TV channels are free",
"None of the TV channels are free.",
"People are not free to choose their favorite programmes."
] | 0A
|
|
Why is pink or purple a color1 for girls and blue or brown for boys? The answer depends largely on cultural values as well as personal experiences. To the Egyptians, green was a color1 that represented the hope and joy of spring, while for Muslims, it means heaven. Red is a symbol of good luck in many cultures. In China, children are given money in a red envelope to bring good fortune in the New Year. For many nations, blue is a symbol of protection and religious beliefs. Greek people often wear a blue necklace hoping to protect themselves against evils . People's choice of color1s is also influenced by their bodies' reactions toward them. Green is said to be the most restful color1. It has the ability to reduce pain and relax people both mentally and physically. People who work in green environment have been found to have fewer stomach aches. Red can cause a person's blood pressure to rise and increase people's appetites . Many decorators will include different shades of red in the restaurant. Similarly, many commercial websites will have a red "Buy Now" button because red is a color1 that easily catches a person's eye. Blue is another calming color1. Unlike red, blue can cause people to lose appetite. So if you want to eat less, some suggest that eating from blue plates can help. The next time you are deciding on what to wear or what color1 to decorate your room, think about the color1 carefully. Why will many commercial websites have a red "Buy Now" button? | [
"To relax people physically.",
"To increase people's appetites.",
"To cause a person's blood pressure to rise.",
"To encourage people to make a purchase."
] | 3D
|
|
Jenny was a 13 year old girl with blond hair and blue eyes. She had gotten out of her last day of school and was free for the summer. Two of her friends were going to the nearby beach to do some swimming and enjoy the sun. Jenny went with them and when they got there the beach was very full and there were people everywhere. They changed into their bathing suits and went to the water. The water was very cold. They chose not swim and walked to the sand. Then they laid down on some towels and enjoyed the sun. After several hours Jenny and her friends fell asleep. They woke up and the sun was beginning to set. When Jenny sat up she found that it was painful to touch her skin. When she looked down she saw that she had a very bad sunburn. Her friends were also very badly sunburned so they went home. Jenny's mother gave her a cream to put on the sunburn. Afterwards she felt a lot better and went to sleep. How many friends did Jenny have with her? | [
"4",
"1",
"2",
"6"
] | 2C
|
|
One day a great general asks his soldiers , "What is the strongest power in the world?" Four of his soldiers put up their hands. They want to answer the question. The general asks the first man to speak. The first man is youngerst, and he is not strong. He says, "My gun is the strongest . It can kill anyone." "Thank you. Next, please." The second man is very strong. He says, "I don't think so. Soldiers use guns. So the soldier is the strongest." The third man says, "Soldiers use guns, but our general gives orders . So I think our general is the strongest." The fourth man is the oldest. He says, "Love is the strongest. For love, people don't use guns." The general says noting. He takes out a medal and gives it to him. The general thinks _ answer is the best. | [
"the first man's",
"the second man's",
"the third man's",
"the fourth man's"
] | 3D
|
|
If you are like me and you love drawing a lot, then I'm sure you'll love "Drawing With Mark". "Drawing With Mark" is a great show and Mark is really helpful. He gives kids some tips on how to draw and often teaches kids some history about the things they draw. Kids can also learn three or four fun facts about what they are drawing. "Happy Tails" is about cats and dogs. Mark shows how to draw them and talks about how to look after them, too. In "A Day With The Dinosaurs", Mark visits the Museum of Boston and speaks to an expert to learn how the dinosaurs lived, what they ate and how long they lived. In "Reach For The Stars", Mark is also at the Museum of Boston. He speaks to another expert about the stars. I learned how far we are from the stars. I thought that the stars were just about 100 miles from us, but they are millions of miles from us. That's really far! If you love drawing, you can watch this show. You can have fun with the tips Mark gives you. The tips will help you to become an artist. What's "Drawing with Mark"? | [
"A movie.",
"A book.",
"A show.",
"A magazine."
] | 2C
|
|
Soaring divorce rates around the globe are the environment, American researchers suggested in a study released on a Monday. Michigan State University researcher Jianguo "Jack" Liu and his assistant Eunice Yu said the increasing number of divorces leads to more households with fewer people and greater consumption of water and energy. They said housing units require space, construction materials and fuel to heat and cool, regardless of the number of inhabitants. For example, in the United States in 2005, divorced households consumed an extra 73 billion kilowatt hours of electricity and 627 billion gallons of water. An additional 38 million extra rooms required heating and lighting that same year due to divorced households. That costs $6.9 billion in extra utility costs per year, Liu said, plus an added $ 3.6 billion for water, in addition to other costs such as land use. "A married household actually uses resources more efficiently than a divorced household," Liu said. He said that in cohabitating household, people will watch the same television, share the air conditioning and heat and use the same refrigerator. All things use energy at a regularly stable rate, regardless of the number of users. Liu said he was not condemning divorce, "Some people really need to get divorced." He said cohabitation--whether by a family or friends--was simply a more environmentally friendly option. Additonally, the researchers noted that trends other than divorce are also changing family living structures, such as the end of multiple generations of a family sharing a home and people remaining single longer. "People's first reaction to this research is surprise, and then it seems simple." Liu said in a press release. "But a lot of things become simple after research is done. Our challenges were to connect the dots and quantify their relationships. People have been talking about how to protect the environment and fight against climate change, but divorce is a factor that people don't notice and it needs to be considered". He said the increasing energy demands caused by divorce should be considered by governments when they are creating environmental policies. The research was published in this week's online edition of the According to the passage, what's the attitude of Mr. Liu towards divorce? | [
"Critical .",
"Indifferent.",
"Objective.",
"Negative."
] | 2C
|
|
One thing that all human cells have in common is that they | [
"control the brain.",
"make food.",
"move blood.",
"take in energy."
] | 3D
|
|
Tony and Anna are brother and sister. They are Americans. Tony likes sports very much. He can play soccer, basketball and volleyball. Anna likes music very much. She can't play ball games. But they both like playing on computers. They like eggs, bread and milk for breakfast. For lunch, Anna likes eating vegetables and fruit, but Tony likes chicken and fish. They both like hamburgers. But they don't like ice cream or dessert. Anna is Tony's _ and they are _ . | [
"sister; Chinese",
"sister; Americans",
"friend; Americans",
"cousin; Americans"
] | 1B
|
|
When we can see well, we do not think about our eyes often. It is only when we can notsee perfectly that we come to see how important our eyes are. People who are nearsighted can only see things that are very close to their eyes. Many people who do a lot of close work, such as writing and reading, become nearsighted. Then they have to wear glasses in order to see distant things clearly. People who are farsighted face just the opposite problem. They can see things that are far away, but they have difficulty reading a book unless they hold it at arm's length. If they want to do much reading, they must get glasses too. Other people do not see clearly because their eyes are not exactly the right shape. This, too, can be corrected by glasses. Some people's eyes become cloudy because of cataracts . Long ago these people often became blind. Now, however, it is possible to operate on the cataracts and remove them. When night falls, colors become fainter to the eyes and finally disappear. After your eyes have grown used to the dark, you can see better if you use the side of your eyes rather than the centers. Sometimes, after dark, you see a small thing to one side of you, which seems to disappear if you turn your head in its direction. This is because when you turn your head, you are looking at the thing too directly. Men on guard duty sometimes think they see something moving to one side of them. When they turn to look straight at it, they can not see it any more, and they believe they were mistaken. However, this mistake happens because the center of the eye, which is very sensitive in daylight, is not as sensitive as the sides of the eye after dark. We don't know that our eyes are of great importance until _ . | [
"we think about our eyes",
"we cannot see clearly",
"we wear glasses",
"we have to do much reading"
] | 1B
|
|
Being considered a leader in our society is indeed of high praise.Leadership means power, commands respect and, most important, encourages achievement.Unlike vitamin C, leadership skills can't be easily swallowed down.They must be carefully cultivated. Different from popular belief, most good leaders are made, not born.They learn their skills in their everyday lives.But which do they develop? How do they (and how can you) get others to follow? Always give credit.Many leaders note that the most efficient way to get a good performance from others is to treat them like heroes.Giving public credit to someone who has earned it is the best leadership technique in the world.It is also an act of generosity that's never forgotten. Giving credit is more effective than even the most constructive criticism , which often hurts rather than helps.Kenneth Blanchard, the author of The One-Minute Manager, agrees. "Catch people doing something right!" he says.Then tell everyone about it. Take informed risks." The best leaders know that taking a risk is not a thoughtless exercise," says management adviser Marilyn Machlowitz."Sky divers don't go up in an airplane without checking the parachutes beforehand." Because the idea of risk also carries with it the possibility of failure, many of us usually wait for others to take charge.But if you want to be a leader, you must learn to fail - and not die a thousand deaths.Pick yourself up and start all over again. Encourage enthusiasm ."When people understand the importance of work, they lend their mental strengths," says Lee Ducat.But when they get excited about the work, all their energy gets poured into the job.That's a great force! Is this the best way to create excitement? Be enthusiastic your-self - You will be followed by everyone. The part Always give credit tells us that a leader should _ . | [
"give helpful criticism",
"regard others as real heroes",
"praise people for their good performances",
"praise everyone"
] | 2C
|
|
I discovered the power of fear when I became stuck to my driveway, as if my feet were crazy--glued to the cement .As much as I tried, I could not move them. The realization that my daughters were playing in Nancy's house, just one-half block away, paralyzed my legs, making me unable to move when I neared the end of our driveway. Dense, black smoke was rising from behind the Sycamore Maple trees on the other side of the street and was enveloping three houses, making them barely visible. Nancy's house was one of them. I tried to call out for my daughters hoping to see them run safely to my arms, but my voice was also stuck - stuck in my throat with no intention of coming out. There I stood, helpless, paralyzed and silenced by fear, unable to protect the two little girls I loved more than even I had realized. Although trapped in a body that couldn't move or speak, I could still hear. I could hear other mothers anxiously calling their children. I could hear a frightening silence that covered the neighborhood instead of the usual happy voices of children. And, finally, I could hear the alarm of the fire engine. As the alarm announced, "We're on our way," it instantly dissolved the crazy glue that had held my feet to the cement and it unlocked the soundproof box that had silenced my voice. I was free to make sure my daughters were safe. As I continued down the driveway, two little girls, my two little girls, ran toward me from across the street. They had come home to tell me about the fire in the garage next to Nancy's house. Not only did my feet and voice work now, but my eyes were also in good working order and had no trouble producing tears. Why was the author stuck to her driveway? | [
"She was too tired to move her legs.",
"Thick black smoke blocked her view.",
"The cement on the driveway was still wet.",
"The fear for her daughters' safety struck her."
] | 3D
|
|
September is a difficult month for all students as they return to continue their education, but for high school and university green hands, it is not just the heavy study tasks they need to follow. They will also go through military training, which aims to help students improve their health and help them adapt to college life. The Ministry of Education requires that universities should carry out at least 14 days' military training for freshmen. Hou Zhengfang, an education expert, questioned the benefits of military training. "It does little to improve students' physical health over only two weeks' time," she said. "Maybe some disaster prevention training, such as earthquake survival or escaping from fires, would be of greater benefit." A freshman who fainted during training said that many students, especially girls, are unwilling to train in direct sunshine. "For me, military training is physically challenging and even damages my health," said the 19-year-old. Although Chu Jinjing, a Tsinghua University freshman, did feel some discomfort while training in the heat, the 18-year-old did recognize the benefits of military training. "By going through this tough training, I've become more independent and determined," said Chu. "I have also managed to make a lot of friends." Wang Hui from Xi'an Jiaotong University sees the advantages of military training besides character building. "From senior high school to college, we join military training to start a new journey," said Wang. "I would feel a bit incomplete without it." Hou Zhengfang might advise the Ministry of Education to _ . | [
"cut students' heavy study tasks",
"introduce other trainings for students",
"encourage students to work out",
"shorten the time of military training"
] | 1B
|
|
I need electrical energy to | [
"Go running",
"cook some bread",
"Ride a bike",
"Go swimming"
] | 1B
|
|
Now many people like the game Angry Birds. Here is a piece of good news for them--soon there will be a lot of Angry Birds-themed activity parks around the world. The first two parks opened in Finland last year, and a few other parks are going to open in the UK. However, people still don't know when and where Angry Birds-themed activity parks will open in the UK. "As a kind of online game, it is popular with people of all ages. It's really an interesting game. And the parks will be interesting places for everyone around the world," said Peter Vesterbacka, an officer of Angry Birds Company. He also said, "We want to make Angry Birds a part of pop culture. We're just getting started." Angry Birds-themed activity parks have many interesting places for children to play. They like _ very much. People can see the characters and colors from the game in the park. People can also play the Angry Birds game on large screens in the park. The company wants to invite people to not only play it on the sofa, but to go out, move around and have fun. So everyone will be happy in Angry Birds-themed activity parks. From the passage, we can know _ . | [
"Angry Birds is only popular with young people",
"Peter Vesterbacka works for Angry Birds Company",
"there is no screen in Angry Birds-themed activity parks",
"Angry Birds-themed activity parks will open in the UK in 2015"
] | 1B
|
|
Clay is 13 years old, and he lives in Miami, the United States. On the morning of Feb.23, when Clay is waiting for school bus, a man kidnaps him.The man takes him to a tree. He puts a stock in Clay's mouth. Then he asks for money from Clay's family. Clay is very scared . But he remembers there is a safety pin in his pocket. He takes out the pin and cuts through the rope . Finally he gets free. Clay calls his mother with a farmer's cell phone. Soon the police comes and Clay is safe. The police thinks highly of Clay. "This man kidnaps the wrong boy," Charly Wells, a policeman says. "This boy notices things. And he's very brave ." After taking Clay to a tree, the man _ . | [
"kills the boy",
"hurts the boy",
"asks for money from his family",
"calls the police"
] | 0A
|
|
Chloroplasts need to be collected, so scientists gather up | [
"carnations",
"sparrows",
"stones",
"feathers"
] | 0A
|
|
Mr. and Mrs. Martin live in New York. Mr. Martin is a doctor and his office is in New York. Mrs. Martin teaches music at a school in New York. They have two sons. Their sons' names are Ted and Roy. Ted is twenty years old. He is now in Taiwan. He is studying Chinese. He went to Taiwan last month and is going to stay there for two years. Roy is thirteen years old. He goes to high school. He likes sports very much. He likes swimming best. He can swim faster than his father. He wants to be the best swimmer in his school. How many people are there in his family? _ . | [
"Three.",
"Four.",
"Five.",
"Six."
] | 1B
|
|
Robots have come a long way since 15th century. We've got robots to build cars, carry heavy things, work in dangerous places and explore planets. But things haven't stopped there. In 1986, Honda made a robot called ASIMO. And now, it has been developed greatly. Standing at 130cm and weighing 54kg. ASIMO is very much like a small astronaut wearing a bag on the back. And he can walk, flight, climb and run fast. Isn't it wonderful? The world's first robot teacher is Saya. With her human-like face, she can show expressions like happiness, surprise, sadness, dislike, fear and she can even smile or show anger at students, which look much like a real teacher's. To do this, her rubber skin is pulled from the back with motors inside. And her eyes and mouth have wires too. She can also say some simple words like "hello" or "thank you". In the UK, the development of robots is exciting. The mini-robots will send food, clean floors, collect and throw away waste. These robots can open doors by themselves and stop if anything or anyone is in the way. These mini-robots are very useful for controlling infection . Usually clean and dirty work is done by the same person, but here, you'll have robots that do"dirty work", like collecting dirty sheets, or taking away hospital waste; and you'll have robots that do"clean work", like bringing meals or clean sheets to patients. The robots have separate work so there's no way for infection, which is great. But of course, robots would not take the piece of humans, but would free up more time for nurses to be with patients. But if this is what it's like in 2011, what's it going to be like to 2021? What makes Saya look real? | [
"Her face and rich expressions",
"Her clothes and shoes",
"Her walking and running speed",
"Her rich knowledge"
] | 0A
|
|
When couples get married, they usually plan to have children. Sometimes, however, a couple can not have a child of their own. In this case, they may decide to adopt a child. In fact, adoption is very common today. There are about 60 thousand adoptions each year in the United States alone. Some people prefer to adopt _ , others adopt older children, some couples adopt children from their own countries, and others adopt children from foreign countries. In any case, they all adopt children for the same reason ---- they care about children and want to give their adopted child a happy life. Most adopted children know that they are adopted. Psychologists and child-care experts generally think this is a good idea. However, many adopted children or adoptees have very little information about their biological parents. As a matter of fact, it is often very difficult for adoptees to find out about their birth parents because the birth records of most adoptees are usually sealed. The information is secret so no one can see it. Naturally, adopted children have different feelings about their birth parents. Many adoptees want to search for them, but others do not. The decision to search for birth parents is a difficult one to make. Most adoptees have mixed feelings about finding their biological parents. Even though adoptees do not know about their natural parents, they do know that their adopted parents want them, love them and will care for them. Why is it difficult for adoptees to find out about their birth parents? | [
"They are usually adopted from distant places.",
"Their birth parents often try to conceal their birth information.",
"Their birth information is usually kept secret.",
"Their adoptive parents don't want them to know their birth parents."
] | 2C
|
|
What could make Michael Jordon, one of the greatest basketball players in history, shed tears? It was when he became a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame on September 11. The hall is in Springfield, Massachusetts and honors the best basketball players, greatest coaches and other contributors to the game. "The game of basketball has been everything to me ," said Jordan, 46. "It is the place I have always gone when I needed to find comfort and peace." Jordan retired twice in his 15-year career, finishing with 32292 points, the third highest total points in NBA history behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone. His average of 30.12 points a game is the best in the League. "One day you might look up and see me playing the game at 50," Jordan said. "Because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion." In other words, it was motivation that made Jordan such a success.. A great career did not mean a smooth one. His high school coach cut him from the team in favor of a taller player when Jordan was in 10thgrade. His college coach wouldn't allow him on the cover of Sports Illustration in 1981 with North Carolina's four other players because Jordan was a freshman. In his first NBA All-Star game, older NBA stars wouldn't throw him the ball because of jealousy. "That burned me up," Jordan said. "But _ don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it." When Jordan became a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, _ | [
"he found something more encouraging .",
"he was so excited that he couldn't hold his tears back.",
"he was happy and sad at the same time.",
"he felt very comfortable and peaceful."
] | 1B
|
|
Do you often talk with your parents? Here is some advice on how to talk with them. Try to start your talk with something fun. This will make talking easier. For example, ask them questions about their day. How is work? They love this. Make it clear what you want to tell your parents. If they have an opinion, let them finish and don't stop their talking. Ask them to do the same for you. Show them respect by listening to them carefully. Look at them in the eye. Be honest. Honesty builds trust. Life is good when your parents trust you. If your parents don't understand, that's OK. It doesn't mean that they don't love you. Sometimes you have to explain the things to them again. When you finish the talk, thank them for listening. Say something like "Thanks, that helps." It will let them know that is important to you and make them want to do it more often. What's the main idea of the passage? | [
"We should respect our parents.",
"It's important to trust our parents.",
"We should love our parents.",
"Some ways to communicate with our parents."
] | 3D
|
|
My day began on a definitely sour note when I saw my six-year-old wrestling with a limb of my azalea bush. By the time I got outside, he'd broken it. "Can I take this to school today?" he asked. With a wave of my hand, I sent him off. I turned my back so he wouldn't see the tears gathering in my eyes. The washing machine had leaked on my brand-new linoleum. If only my husband had just taken the time to fix it the night before when I asked him instead of playing checkers with Jonathan. It was days like this that made me want to quit. I just wanted to drive up to the mountains, hide in a cave, and never come out. Somehow I spent most of the day washing and drying clothes and thinking how love had disappeared from my life. As I finished hanging up the last of my husband's shirts, I looked at the clock. 2:30. I was late. Jonathan's class let out at 2:15 and I hurriedly drove to the school. I was out of breath by the time I knocked on the teacher's door and peered through the glass. She rustled through the door and took me aside. "I want to talk to you about Jonathan," she said. I prepared myself for the worst. Nothing would have surprised me. "Did you know Jonathan brought flowers to school today?" she asked. I nodded, thinking about my favorite bush and trying to hide the hurt in my eyes. "Let me tell you about yesterday," the teacher insisted. "See that little girl?" I watched the bright-eyed child laugh and point to a colorful picture taped to the wall. I nodded. "Well, yesterday she was almost hysterical. Her mother and father are going through a nasty divorce. She told me she didn't want to live, she wished she could die. I watched that little girl bury her face in her hands and say loud enough for the class to hear, 'Nobody loves me.' I did all I could to comfort her, but it only seemed to make matters worse." "I thought you wanted to talk to me about Jonathan," I said. "I do," she said, touching the sleeve of my blouse. "Today your son walked straight over to that child. I watched him hand her some pretty pink flowers and whisper, 'I love you.'" I felt my heart swell with pride for what my son had done. I smiled at the teacher. "Thank you," I said, reaching for Jonathan's hand, "you've made my day." Later that evening, I began pulling weeds from around my azalea bush. As my mind wandered back to the love Jonathan showed the little girl, a biblical verse came to me: "...these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." While my son had put love into practice, I had only felt anger. I heard the familiar squeak of my husband's brakes as he pulled into the drive. I snapped a small limb bristling with hot pink azaleas off the bush. I felt the seed of love that God planted in my family beginning to bloom once again in me. My husband's eyes widened in surprise as I handed him the flowers. "I love you," I said. We can infer from the passage that the writer expressed love to her husband in that _ . | [
"she was inspired by her son that love was supposed to be felt and practiced",
"she felt guilty that she misunderstood her husband and wanted to apologize",
"she felt it necessary to have a complete family for the happiness of herself",
"she wanted to prove her love and expected the same words from her husband"
] | 0A
|
|
When you are traveling in Thailand,which means of transport is the best choice? You can rent a variety of motorbikes or bikes in Thailand.It seems to be very popular in most of the beaches and islands along the places in the north.The most popular bikes are the little 125 cc Honda Dream which you can get for about 150 baht a day or as little as 3,000 baht per month,making it the cheapest way to tour Thailand for the people from other countries. Sometimes you will have to go somewhere by taxi.When you are in cities in Thailand,especially in Bangkok,always remember to get a taxi that is going on the roads.Some drivers outside hotels refuse to use the milometer .They will ask a price which is several times the price when they use the meter! The quality of the roads in Thailand is generally pretty good,so renting cars is another way to get around.The big car rental companies may offer you slightly older cars at a very reasonable price.It is a little surprising considering that the cost of buying a car in Thailand is more than that in the West.Petrol is also reasonably priced in Thailand,more expensive than American prices,but much cheaper than what is paid in Europe.In the past,Bangkok could be a difficult place to drive in--signs were generally in Thai only,making it a hard job to find exactly where you were by looking around.But now,the situation is improved.In a lot of places,even the farthest corners of the country,street signs are in both Thai and English. In which part of a magazine can this passage be found? | [
"Entertainment.",
"Tourism.",
"Market.",
"Advertisement."
] | 1B
|
|
A pair of giant pandas from southwest China's Sichuan Province arrived at their new home in Belgium's Pairi Daiza zoo, some 60km southwest of downtown Brussels, at around 15:00 local time (1400GMT) on February 23, 2014. About 2,500 people, many of them excited children waving national flags of China and Belgium as well as panda-decorated flags or wearing costume of Panda greeted the pandas along the road to the zoo. Visitors today can only observe the pandas through a closed-circuit television system in the reception. Officials said they wanted the pandas fully adapted to their new home before making public _ in April. The pandas, Xing Hui, the male and Hao Hao, the female, are both 4 years old and are on lease from a breeding center in southwest China's Sichuan Province. The lease term is 15 years, according to officials with the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas, the world's largest research base for the species. "It's a good thing for Belgium." Nicole Duflot, a grandmother coming to the zoo with her husband and her grandson told Xinhua, "We can't see the Panda today but it's a great thing for us to come here." The Pandas will be living in a panda hall of 5,300 square meters within the zoo. "I hope Xing Hui and Hao Hao will enhance friendship between Belgium and China." Liao Liqiang, the Chinese ambassador to Belgium, said during an interview with Xinhua. According to the passage, which statement is right? | [
"Xing Hui and Hao Hao will live in the city centre of Brussels.",
"Xing Hui and Hao Hao were very popular with the elders in Belgium.",
"Xing Hui and Hao Hao will come back to China in 2029.",
"Xing Hui and Hao Hao were born in 2008 in Sichuan Province."
] | 2C
|
|
It is men's nature to live together in families and tribes , and cities and nations, and therefore men have learned to prize those qualities in each other which make social life the happiest and best. Of these qualities one of the most important is sympathy-fellow-feeling. If a man had no fellow-feeling, we should call him "inhuman"; he would be no true man. We think so much of this quality that we call a kind man "human"-that is, man-like in his conduct, first to other men, and afterwards to all living things. If you are cruel to animals, you are not likely to be kind or thoughtfull to men; and if you are thoughtful towards men, you are not likely to be cruel and thoughtful towards animals. This is why the wise man of old wrote, "The merciful man is merciful to his beast." What a pleasure it is also to be loved by our pets or domestic animals; and to feel that we are caring for them and are deserving of their love; or to watch the ways of wild creatures, and gradually to make friends with them! Treating animals kindly does not mean that we must never inflict any pain on them. We ourselves are trained by pains as well as by pleasures; so too, punishment is sometimes needed to train our dogs and horses to obey us. We endure pains at the hands of the surgeon, to cure some wound or to heal some disease; so too, animals must submit to being doctored. We send out our bravest men to face wounds, sickness and death, for the good of the nation; so too, we let our horses share the risk of battle. For similar reasons, we cannot hesitate to destroy dangerous creatures like wolves and show senseless ferocity . It is no excuse to say that these animals deserve to be treated cruelly on account of their own cruelty. They are not really cruel, for they tear and kill not from love of unkindness, but because they must do so in order to live. What do you think is the title of the passage? | [
"Loving your pet.",
"Fellow-feeling.",
"Making friends with animals.",
"Kindness to animals."
] | 3D
|
|
Adults are happy to tell their children that crusts will give them curly hair, carrots will help them see in the dark, and spinach will make them strong. Even though adults know it's not totally true, they think it's good for their children's health, a study had found. In a study about 31 per cent of adults said they once told their children the curly hair tale, and 36 per cent said they'd been told the same thing by their mother or father. Among the over-50s, almost half said they'd been promised curly hair if they ate their crusts. A quarter of the 2,000 adults questioned in the study told their children carrots would help them see in the dark. This could be true to some extent because of the high levels of vitamin A and beta-carotene in root vegetables. Another favorite among parents is that milk will make one strong. A third surveyed said their parents told them this, and about 29 per cent said they told their children the same thing. But while there is plenty of evidence to suggest milk is good for people's health, there are also a lot of scientific papers saying it isn't. Thanks to Popeye, spinach is also fed to children, along with the idea that it will make them strong. While there is also some truth in this one, scientists now believe it is not the iron, but the inorganic nitrates that improve physical power. One in seven of the surveyed admitted telling their little ones that runner beans will make them run faster, which is nothing more than wordplay and has no basis in science. Almost one in five adults were subjected to the same tale in childhood. Just over one in 10 parents told their children green food would turn them into a superhero, and a quarter admitted hiding vegetables in meals. Lyndsay Jones, spokesman for Persil Washing Up Liquid, said, "It's clear that the most persuasive stories about food are passed on from generation to generation. Our research shows that the ideas continue, and we tell our kids the same things our parents told us, even if they're not always entirely true." Crusts may not make your hair curly, but there's plenty of research that says crusts contain more of the goodness than the rest of a loaf. Hopefully, as a result of our Cook with Kids promise, more parents will be encouraged to spend time with their children in the kitchen and teach them the truth about food. Which of the following does Lyndsay Jones agree? | [
"Adults are willing to teach their children as their parents did.",
"Most persuasive stories about food are false.",
"Stories about food shouldn't be passed on from generation to generation.",
"Parents can't make sure if some stories about food are totally true."
] | 3D
|
|
There is one language, and people, young and old , men and women, use it very often, in every country in the world. It is everyone's second language . You can't hear it, but it is very easy to understand . It is sign ( )language. When you wave to a friend in the street, you are using sign language. When you put up your hand in class, you are saying "Please ask me, I think I know the right answer". When a police officer wants to stop cars or buses, he puts up his hand. He's using sign language. Churchill's famous "V for Victory "is also sign language. Sign language is useful in quite places full of noise . Even when you are swimming with your friends , you can have a talk under water. _ in the world use sign language. | [
"Many people",
"Police officers",
"All people",
"Students and teachers"
] | 2C
|
End of preview. Expand
in Data Studio
README.md exists but content is empty.
- Downloads last month
- 30