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She did n't make an appearance until " Shawn ( and Gus ) Of The Dead".And with the way the " present day " episode started , I still thought Shawn did n't like his mother . He had hid in his room , avoiding her . And then he seemed a little resentful when he said that he had dinner with his mother . | Why was Shawn and not near his mother ? | Shawn intentionally distanced himself . | ["Shawn 's mother was dead .", "Shawn 's mother was traveling .", "Shawn 's mother was in another land ."] |
Bringing up children is hard work, and you are often to blame for any bad behavior of your children. If so, Judith Rich Harris has good news for you. Parents, she argues, have no important long -term effects on the development of the personality of their children. Far more important are their playground friends and neighborhood. Ms. Harris takes to hitting the assumption, which has dominated developmental psychology for almost half a century.
Ms. Harris's attack on the developmental psychologists' "nurture" argument looks likely to reinforce doubts that the profession was already having. If parents matter, why is it that two adopted children, brought up in the same home, are no more similar in personality than two adopted children brought up in separate homes? Or that a pair of identical twins, brought up in the same home, are no more alike than a pair of identical twins brought up in different homes?
Difficult as it is to track the clear effects of parental upbringing, it may be harder to measure the exact influence of the peer group in childhood and adolescence. Ms. Harris points to how children from immigrant homes soon learn not to speak at school in the way their parents speak. But acquiring a language is surely a skill, rather than a characteristic of the sort developmental psychologists hunt for. Certainly it is different from growing up tensely or relaxed, or from learning to be honest or hard -working or generous. Easy though it may be to prove that parents have little impact on those qualities, it will be hard to prove that peers have vastly more.
Moreover, mum and dad surely cannot be ignored completely. Young adults may, as Ms. Harris argues, be keen to appear like their peers. But even in those early years, parents have the power to open doors: they may choose the peers with whom their young associate, and pick that influential neighborhood. Moreover, most people suspect that they come to resemble their parents more in middle age. So the balance of influences is probably complicated. Even if it turns out that the genes they pass on and the friends their children play with matter as much as affection, discipline and good example, parents are not completely off the hook | What does the author mean by saying parents are not completely off the look at the end of the passage? | Parents should take on their responsibility. | ['Parents should control the situation.', 'Parents should give their way to children.', 'Parents should spend more time on children.'] |
Each year millions of babies are born too soon and too small. Premature or preterm births are defined as births at less than thirty-seven weeks.
Prematurity is the leading cause of death in newborn babies. More than one-fourth of the four million newborns who die each year around the world were born too early.
Preterm babies that survive can suffer a lifetime of serious health conditions. The examples include cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing problems and learning disabilities. Families and communities face emotional, physical and financial costs.
Christopher Howson is the vice president for global programs at the March of Dimes, a nonprofit group. His group and the World Health Organization recently published a report called "The Global and Regional Toll of Preterm Birth."
CHRISTOPHER HOWSON: "Frankly the crisis of preterm birth is under-recognized, undercounted, undervalued and under-funded. I mean, this report shows that thirteen million babies are born every year preterm, and that over a million of those babies die as a result of being born too early."
And these are just estimates; the true numbers could be even higher. More than eighty-five percent of preterm births happen in Africa and Asia. Africa has the highest rate, with about four million cases each year.
Chris Howson says many of the causes of preterm births are related to poverty and weak health-care systems.
CHRISTOPHER HOWSON: "For example, the poor overall health and nutritional status of women. A high burden of infectious diseases. Lack of provision of family planning - allowing a woman to decide when to start and end having children and how to space her children. And also the lack of good prenatal care programs that might identify problems early on in pregnancy."
Preterm births are a problem not just in the developing world. The combined rate in the United States and Canada is the second highest in the world. Preterm birth rates in the United States have increased thirty-six percent in the last twenty-five years.
This has been largely the result of two reasons. One is an increase in pregnancies among women over age thirty-five. The other is an increase in the use of reproductive therapies. | This passage is mainly about _ . | premature or preterm births throughout the world | ["the causes of people's bad health throughout the world", "how to improve people's health throughout the world", 'Christopher Howson, vice president for global programs at the March of Dimes'] |
His left arm still dangled in the water , and the thing- whatever it was he 'd mistaken for a fish , was still holding it . The light bounced in ripples over its body , illuminating it , but it was n't for another long moment that Atobe saw the tail . " Thank you , " Atobe mouthed to it and its eyes flicked , watching his face , trying to understand . It ... he , whistled and tugged gently on his arm . | What may be the reason the animal held on to his arm ? | None of the above choices . | ['It might have wanted to give him a high five .', 'It might have though his arm was his father .', 'It might have wanted him to pet in in the water .'] |
Somtimes they can overcome them , sometimes they ca nt and that is what is so hurtful , to know that you want to fight that war for them but knowing that you ca nt even if you really wanted to . Right now all I can rely on is my faith in not only God , but everything . I ca nt only have faith in God , if I do nt have faith in everything and everyone else . | Who is the narrator placing most of their trust in ? | They trust God . | ['They trust their president .', 'They trust their friends .', 'They trust their parents .'] |
People say teenagers are no good.They make too much noise in.shops; they drive wildly up and down the streets.And at times,some of these things are true.But there are also hard moments in the life of a teenager.
A teenager is neither a lovely child,nor a respectable grown up person.The members of her family consider a teenager a source of trouble.She feels that she has grown up.But she is told that she is just a child and she knows nothing.She sees her elders doing what they like. When she wants to do what she likes,the elders tell her that she should do only what she is told to do. To be a teenager means to be everybody's servant and nobody's master.Elders in the family and in the neighborhood order a teenager to run errands for them.(...) If he refuses to carry out the orders of his eiders,he is scolded.He may even be punished.He is criticized for all that he says and does.If he behaves like a child,he is told that he is grown up and that he should not be childish,If he behaves like a grown up mall,he is told that he is disrespectful.
A teenager becomes a lonely creature in the family.Children enjoy all the love of the elders in the family.The teenager gets no love and no respect.So she often runs away from home and finds some joy in the company of the girls of her age.
_ .There are too many rules and regulations for us to obey.It hasn't yet occurred to us to run a zigzag pattern.Although we teenagers have miserable time with our family members and elders,we have a very good time with our friends and in schools and colleges.So we teenagers spend most of our good time and have fun with our friends and classmates rather than with parents. | Who understand teenagers best according to the passage? | Their friends. | ['Their teachers.', 'Their neighbors.', 'Their parents'] |
I noticed that I have been gaining weight again . Is this a good sign or not ? Am I eating a lot recently or was I just eating limitedly before ? As I was taking a shower awhile ago , I looked at my tummy and it seems to look as if I was pregnant . | Why does the speaker have mixed feelings about this recent weight gain ? | They feel like they are eating more regularly , which is good , but they are n't as fond of the appearance of this | ['They need to lose a certain amount of weight to fit into their prom dress , and they are failing', 'They are being cast in a role in 3 months , and they need to shed weight to play the role successfully', 'None of the above choices .'] |
I wake up hours before I am supposed to suppressing my sleeping once again . The thoughts in my head keep on shouting restlessly . Insomnia becomes my best friend . | Why am I suppressing my sleep ? | I have insomnia . | ["I slept all day and do n't want to rest now .", 'None of the above choices .', 'I have a phobia of beds and am fearful of being near them .'] |
During my time working with her , I debunked a lot of the inaccurate " myths " about us and got her to see beyond the superficial . We became friends , political differences notwithstanding . For the most part we 'd lost touch until I sent an Email to her to join one of the online groups I 'd just joined . She did n't join , but it gave us opportunity to chat . She called and said we needed to talk , but in person . | What did my friend and I do after chatting through email ? | we met up at the park and had a great talk | ['None of the above choices .', 'we chatted together on facebook', 'we joined an online group together'] |
Valentine's Day was coming. Helen felt hurt and lonely because this was her first Valentine's Day after the divorce .
Helen's twelve-year-old son, Jack, looked at his mother, knowing that this was a difficult time for both of them. In order to make his mother happy, he prepared a present, and handed it to her on Valentine's Day.
It was a beautiful gift package .Helen couldn't believe what was happening. She opened it and took out a lovely card and a small box.
"Now," he said, "read the card." It read as follows:
"I know that this isn't easy for you because it has been a hard year for both of us. I know that Valentine's Day is a special day for people in love. I want you to know that I love you. I know that Valentines are supposed to get chocolate. I went to the store today to buy some for you. Luckily, I got the last piece. I told the clerk it was just perfect."
Helen stood there for a moment and looked at her son. Her eyes sparkled in the light as tears formed in each corner. Jack knew he had done the right thing. Slowly she opened the small box, careful not to tear the paper. She would never forget the moment. She found a chocolate heart that was broken into pieces along with a note:
"I am so sorry that Dad left us, Mom. And all you were left with was a broken heart. But I just want you to know we still have each other.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Your son,
Jack" | Jack wrote a card to his mother in order to _ . | show his love to her | ['express he missed his father', 'explain why he felt lonely', 'ask her to give him some money'] |
Chinese writer Mo Yan has won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature, announced the Swedish Academy in Stockholm on Thursday.The win makes Mo Yan the first Chinese citizen to win the Nobel in its III-year history.Informed of his win today, the author, who was having dinner at home, was "overjoyed and scared".
Born in 1955 to parents who were farmers, Mo Yan-a pen name for Guan Moye,grew up in Gaomi in Shandong province in eastern China. At the age of 12, he left school to work, first in agriculture, later in a factory. In 1976 he joined the army and during this time began to study literature and writing.
He published his first book in 1981, but found literary success in 1987 with Hong Gaoliang Jiazu, which was successfully filmed in the same year, directed by famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou. In his writing, Mo Yan draws on his youthful experiences and on settings in the province of his birth and his works show the life of Chinese people as well as the country's unique culture and folk customs. Mo Yan is known as a prolific writer. In addition to his novels, he has published many short stories and essays on various topics. Despite his social criticism, he is seen in his homeland as one of the most famous contemporary authors. Dozens of his works have been translated into English, French, Japanese and many other languages.
The awarding ceremony will be held on December 10.The winner will win a medal, a personal diploma and a cash award of about $l million. | Mo Yan developed his ability for writing when he was _ . | in the army | ['on a farm', 'in a factory', 'in a school'] |
Hmmm… that’s a hard one. At first I was going to say giving them daily chores, but the “reward” part of that has actually not been realized yet (what with all the eye rolling and such). So I will have to go with family dinners at the table.
Sometimes, “dinner” is fast food, sometimes it is a meal I slaved over for hours - that part doesn’t seem to matter. Whether we are talking about our day, learning manners, having serious discussions, or laughing until we spit our drinks - it is where grow. There have been horrible nights at the table, where we shared bad news. There have been fabulous nights where we celebrated successes and talked about exciting things to come. There have been nights where the kids can see that Mom and Dad are “at odds” and nights where they see us push that aside and joke with each other for the sake of saving the evening.
When they were little, we did “About Your Day” - one funny thing, one sad thing, one new thing you learned. Now, they are all teenagers, and the conversations just seem to flow, with never enough time to fit it all in before someone has to rush off to work, to study, or to get ready for bed because we are eating “after practice”. My twins will be Seniors next year, and I know that our table will look a little different from now on. But when I look at that worn oak (outdated) table, that needs refinishing in the worst way - I am grateful for the evenings there, where my kiddos learned to be a family.
Don’t be misled, we are not the Cleavers. We have “Fun Friday” where Mom does not get to badger them about their table manners (ugh - they revel in this), Sometimes we eat in the living room while we watch a movie, sometimes we eat in shifts because of our schedules. However, the majority of meals have been together ~ I feel like this is a gift we gave them. | What is probably true about the mom? | She loves her family | ['She hates her family', 'She wants to be young again', 'not enough information'] |
If you want a foot up , say so . " Rin raised her gaze to him , hoping her eyes would speak for her . Could n't he tell she needed a little kindness right now ? She did n't mean to embarrass him again ; all she longed for was a token of his comfort . An arm around the shoulders , a quiet word or a brotherly ruffle of the hair . | What may be the reason she needed a little kindless ? | She had a miserable past few days and was tired . | ['She wanted someone to feel pity for their bad grades .', 'She had a miserable cold from sleeping in the freezer .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
My mother's shopping lists were ordered by rules known only to her. As you slid your finger down the columns of groceries and toiletries, you would invariably be stopped by something along the lines of "2dozjumHerbal Essences" or "1pepperoni TC," with the "TC" underlined twice and flanked by gnarled masses of pencil scratch-outs. When we were kids, we dreaded accompanying her to Wal-Mart, or worse, the Cosco at the edge of town, where the echoing rafters and limitless aisles seemed to mock the confusion into which we were inevitably thrown when handed torn-off fragments of the list. Of course, it was easy enough to see in hindsight that "2dozjumHerbal Essences" was merely the bastard child of two drunkenly weaving columns--we had been supposed to get two dozen jumbo eggs and a bottle of my mother's favourite brand of shampoo (ever inventive in creating proprietary abbreviations--"TC" standing for, what else, thin crust pizza--my mother scrupulously wrote out brand names in full).
It was a little like ordering chemicals for a laboratory, sans any knowledge of chemistry--or, for that matter, laboratories, although my ignorance of the distinction between baking soda and baking powder cannot be entirely the root of my confusion. Eventually I--and my siblings--learned the difference between tomato paste and tomato sauce, and could readily distinguish one brand of laundry detergent from a similarly-styled knock-off, but my shame-faced trips back to the mothercart never ceased. I would track her down, most often in the produce section--she was usually loath to trust us with the delicate task of selecting the very best fruits and vegetables--and hand her back my portion of the list, asking for an explanation. Usually it amounted to a failure of awareness on my part--get the kind of soap we always get, of course! | How did the children learn which brands Mother wanted them to fetch? | By bringing the wrong item back to the mother cart | ['not enough information', 'By mother picking the right one first for them', 'By pictures of the item in a magazine'] |
In today's prefix = st1 /Ireland, it seems hard to imagine the grim days of the 19thcentury when so many of the population starved, or that, in those days, many poor people had no clue how to prepare any food other than boil a potato. Nowadays, it is quite possible to eat both well and heartily all over the island.
Tourism has made a _ difference to the standards of cooking inIreland. Until recently there was hardly any tradition of eating out in many districts, except perhaps on very few occasions at a local hotel. Patterns of diet were old-styled, based firmly on 'meat and two vegetables' (somewhat overcooked), potatoes (of course) and large quantities of dairy produce. Now things are very different. Tourist demands for predictable, inexpensive fast-food are met, as everywhere, with hamburgers and pizzas - a better bet being fish and chips. But more sophisticated tastes have introduced wholefoods and vegetarian restaurants (almost unheard of before), and a vast number of new restaurants, often French in style, have opened in the main tourist centres. Food 'events' such as Kinsale's Gourmet festival or Galway's Oyster Festival attract large numbers of visitors and reflect the new interest in food.
Whatever Irish cooking lacks in finesse , it nearly always makes up for in plenty, and ingredients are of a high quality. Home-grown produce includes rich dairy foods, beef, lamb and pork, and a great variety of seafood. One of its great specialities is soda bread. It is made with buttermilk and is served fresh and warm with every meal. Recently there has been a return to simple Irish foods such as stews and potato dishes.
One of the best-value meals in Irelandis breakfast. A 'traditional Irish breakfast' is a plateful of bacon and eggs with soda and potato breads. Accommodation rates are nearly always quoted with a full breakfast included, so you might as well eat enough to keep you going all day and get your money's worth! | What was Irish food like until quite recently? | It was very conservative and uninteresting. | ['It was influenced by French cooking.', 'It was very unhealthy.', 'It was plentiful'] |
The U.S. State Department has asked American embassies and consulates around the world to identify certain groups that should get extra scrutiny when they apply for visas.
A series of directives also instructs U.S. diplomatic posts overseas to review the social media accounts of visa applicants who are suspected of terrorist ties or of having been in Islamic State group-controlled areas.
The diplomatic cables sent by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson directed embassies to convene security and intelligence working groups to determine criteria for "population sets" that would warrant increased scrutiny before traveling to the U.S.
Even if the applicant otherwise qualifies for a visa, those identified as meeting the criteria would require additional scrutiny, leading to a possible visa denial.
It is the first evidence of a plan for the "extreme vetting" of foreigners entering the United States that President Donald Trump promised during his campaign.
The four cables sent between March 10 and March 17 do not define which groups would be considered among the "population sets" requiring more scrutiny.
But in the first glimpse into what "extreme vetting" may look like under the Trump administration, one of Tillerson's memos would have added to the interview process questions about an applicant's workplaces, employers, addresses and travel history going back 15 years, as well as all email addresses and social media handles used in the last five years.
The questions were withdrawn in a following memo, pending approval of the list by another federal agency.
The directives, first reported by Reuters, quickly drew criticism from rights groups and others who've accused Trump of discriminating against Muslims through his now-suspended ban on travelers from six predominantly Muslim countries — Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
"These measures could provide license for discrimination based on national origin and religion,'' human rights group Amnesty International wrote in a letter to Tillerson on Thursday. "They could provide a pretext for barring individuals based on their nonviolent beliefs and expression. Social media checks, as well as demands for social media passwords at U.S. borders, have significant implications for privacy and freedom of expression.'' | Why are human rights groups protesting the proposed guidelines for extreme vetting? | The guidelines could be used to discriminate based on religion and/or national origin | ['not enough information', "Asking questions about an applicant's workplaces, employers, addresses and travel history is a violation of privacy", 'Requiring all email addresses and social media handles used in the last five years is too onerous for travelers'] |
Today anyone will accept money in exchange for goods and services. People use money to buy food, furniture, books, bicycles and hundreds of other things we need or want. When they work, they usually get paid in money.
Lots of the money today is made of paper. But people used to use all kinds of things as money. One of the first kinds of money was shells. Shells were not the only things used as money.
In China, cloth and knives were used. In the Philippine Islands, rice was used as money for a long time. Some Africans once used elephant tusks, monkey tails, and salt as money.
The first metal coins were made in China. They were round and had a square hole in the center. Different countries have used different metals and designs for their money. Later, countries began to make coins of gold and silver.
But even gold and silver were inconvenient if you had to buy something expensive. Again the Chinese thought of a way to improve money. They began to use paper money. The first paper money looked more like a note from one person to another than the paper money used today.
Money has had an interesting history, from the days of shell money until today. | The first metal coins looked like _ . | round-shaped with a square hole in the middle | ['square-shaped with some designs on them', 'square-shaped with a round hole in the center', 'round-shaped with a round hole in the middle'] |
A Divine Plan
At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learningdisabled children, the father of one student delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by those who attended. He began with a question. "Everything God does is done with perfection. Yet, my son, Shay, cannot learn and understand things as other children do. Where is God's plan reflected in my son?"
The audience was stilled by the question. The father continued,"I believe that when God brings a child like Shay into the world, an opportunity to realize the Divine Plan presents itself. And it comes in the way people treat that child."
Then he told the following story:
Shay and I walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked,"Do you think they will let me play?"
I knew that most boys would not want him on their team. Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball. So I approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance from his teammates. Getting none, he took matters into his own hands and said, "We are losing by six runs . The game is in the eighth inning . He can be on our team and we will try to put him up to bat in the ninth inning."
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. At the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the outfield.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. They had the potential to win. Would the team actually let Shay bat at this _ and give away their chance to win the game?
Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. At last, understanding what the boy's intentions had been, the boys from both teams helped Shay win the game for the team and Shay was cheered as the hero.
"That day," said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,"the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of the Divine Plan into this world." | What can we infer from the passage? | The opponent team let Shay score purposely. | ["Shay's team would have lost the game without him.", 'It was quite by accident that Shay scored.', "Shay's team let him play because they didn't take the game seriously."] |
“Have you ever been in a situation that was getting out of control and you were able to calm it down before it escalated further? What was the situation and what did you do or say?”
As senior members of a Boy Scout Troop, other adults and I had to instruct two younger member on how to recognize and control emotions in the context of conflict. These two guys had a history of conflicts and I knew people won’t always be present to control them. They had to grow up and be self-sufficient.
On one camping trip they yet again had another heated argument over something trivial that kept escalating. Rather than jump in, I wanted to see how they deescalate the situation on their own.
Suddenly, one of them pulls out a pocket knife and says “[insert demand here] or I’m gonna [insert some action with a knife to a person].”
The situation has clearly escalated too far. Immediately I rushed in and yelled, “STOP! DROP IT, NOW!” He immediately dropped the knife, sat down, and began crying.
What happens after that is irrelevant. Perhaps it’s due to my quiet nature and sudden outburst that produced the shock effect. But more importantly the use of straight-forward, succinct commands can control the situation because all parties involved are automatically in natural fight-flight mode where elaborate, long explanations aren’t going to be interpreted correctly by listeners for the purposes of deescalating the situation’s climax. The long talk comes when the immediate conflict is temporarily resolved.
* IMPORTANT NOTE: This incident is not a reflection on the Boy Scout of America, its spirit, or the use of such tools. The pocket knife is commonly used throughout camping trips. We have a set of rules and responsibilities set to the users so that they are used for the camping purposes. As an Eagle Scout myself, I am proud of the values promoted. | What did the author say after the young member drew the pocket knife? | He told him to stop and drop the knife now. | ['not enough information', 'He told him to desist from what he wanted to do.', 'He told him to stop what he was doing.'] |
While many modern forms of communication like phone calls, e-mail, and letters, are extremely convenient. In my opinion, nothing beats speaking to another person face to face.
The first and most obvious advantage that a face communication has over a letter and e-mail is that there is the ability to interactively converse. If the sender of a letter or an email does not write clearly, then much time must be spent to clear up the misunderstanding. In a face-to-face conversation, misunderstandings are easily dealt with because of the interactive nature of it.
I would still argue that the face-to-face conversation is better because you can see the other person. Not all communication is verbal ; the meaning of much of what we say depends on our body language and the tone of voice. Joking and irony are particularly difficult to express and enjoy without seeing the expression on someone's face, or watching the movements of their body.
Finally, if the goal of communication is to maintain or deepen the relationship with someone, the face-to-face communication offers the choice of communication by touch even if we could communicate by the video. Trust and respect between business partners can be established with a firm handshake. No amount of body language can convey the excitement of a high five between friends, and no number of words can communicate the comforting embrace of a loved one. Touch is the first basic method of our human relationships, before spoken language, and it is only available when people communicate face to face. | Which of the following is the best title for the passage? | Face-to-face communication, the best way of communicating | ['How to communicate more effectively', 'The importance of using body language in communication', 'Comparison of different communication forms'] |
The wildfire smoke cleared on the morning of our family wedding, just in time for the bride and groom to say their vows overlooking coal harbour. We took this as a sign that we needed to book our Vancouver seaplane flight, to really explore the azure harbour waters and take in an eagle-eyed view of this city.
I suppose it was ok… oh, who am I kidding, the harbour is spectacular. Let me also point out that none of these images are touched by editing. Like 99% of my images in this blog (the other 1% is cropping and making slight adjustments), these are entirely un-doctored.
We began as all good things do, by hanging out in their airport lounge, offered a mini-pastry and a hot beverage – I adventurously went for an ‘English Mist’, an Earl-Grey Latte to make myself feel a little more soothed boarding a tiny propeller plane (note: it didn’t work.)
With a slightly chaotic boarding process (more noticeable after such a serene start) we were too busy sorting out the seats to realise that we had hopped on board, and within in seconds it seemed, our pilot had lifted off smoothly in a flurry of water foam.
As we began to watch the world turn into a Lilliput version of itself, we barely blinked for watching beautiful vistas unfold.
From tiny little islands (the above Passage Island technically belongs to West Vancouver, known as the Hollywood suburb of the city, and a couple of the homes are allegedly owned by celebrities) where the residents enjoy views of downtown Vancouver, the University of British Columbia campus, Vancouver Island, and the snow-capped mountains of Howe Sound – to the fjords all the way along the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler.
They just scatter along the horizon, like a giant has skittered his toys along an azure sheet of silk.
We looped around, looking back over the stunning Stanley Park and towering grid of Vancouver downtown buildings. From prehistoric forests, to gleaming silver confections of modernity. | Who were the speakers' flying companions? | not enough information | ['Family.', 'Photographers.', 'Business associates.'] |
The Italian island of Sardinia recently lost its oldest citizen. Family members say Antonio Todde died in his sleep early this month. Mr. Todde was 112 years old. It was less than three weeks away from his 113thbirthday. Record-keeping experts say he was the world's oldest man.
His long life and that of other very old Sardinians are the subjects of a scientific project called Akea. Luca Deiana of Sassari University is directing the study. He says the name Akea comes from a traditional greeting on Sardinia. It means"health and life for 100 years". Professor Deiana and his team started to collect information for the study in 1997. They identified more than 220 Sardinians who were centenarians--100years old or older. His team required three documents to confirm a person's age. They were a government birth record, a church record and a statement by a close family member.
The Akea study has produced two major findings. The first is Sardinia's extremely high number of centenarians. The island had about 135 centenarians for every one million people. In other Western countries, the average is about seventy five centenarians for every one million people. The second major finding is an unusual rate of female to male centenarians. Sardinia has two women centenarians for every male centenarian. In central Sardinia there are equal numbers of female and male centenarians.
Studies in other parts of the world have shown a much higher percentage of female centenarians. The Akea study collected information about the health and diet of about 140 of the centenarians. About ninety percent of those in the study agreed to provide blood for scientific testing. The study team hope to identify genetic material in the blood that can be linked to successful aging. Study leaders say there is no single reason why people on Sardinia live so long. They believe the answer is a combination of genetic and environmental conditions. | Which of the following statements is true according to the passage? | Other parts of the world have a higher rate of female centenarians than Sardinia. | ['There are equal numbers of female and male centenarians on Sardinia.', 'Sardinia has an unusunl rate of male to female centenarians.', 'There are about seventy-five centenarians for every one million people on Sardinia.'] |
So this thing happened today.
I am living in a society where there are almost 90 houses and almost all of them are occupied. We have one sweeper hired for whole society to collect waste and sweep out dust from our society roads.
BTW her name is Hira masi (my brother calls her diamond masi :p). And she is extremely poor and she lives in those slums where almost nothing is available. She earns 50/100 per house each month.
(Source)
As she is extremely poor, all the society people help her a lot. From giving 2 times food to giving clothes and giving bonuses on special occasion as much as Rs. 1000, they almost help her in each and every aspect. And this is by far the most incredible thing our society has which is humanity.
But the twist comes here. On the other side, she is extremely cunning. She rarely cleans the road, takes rarely wastes from homes, gives excuses that she is sick and does not come for work, etc. She does not do her work properly. She also request money from us saying that her family members are ill as much as Rs 10000, even if they are not.
So this thing was discussed in our meeting and there some decided to continue her as she was very poor and some decided to leave her.
But my mom today told me a great thing- If a person is doing her work seriously, then we will surely help him in every way, even if it is a matter of money, but the person who is not sincere and not doing work properly, then sometimes we have to step back from humanity and be strict.
If the person is honest and he is REALLY in need of help, we should definitely help them. But the person who just fakes that he is in need, we should be strict/ignore them, else they will not do any work, and just simply rely on us.
Sometimes, being strict and giving up humanity will make the person grow. | What does Hira masi do for a living for those who don't know her? | She's a housecleaner | ['not enough information', "She's a nursing assistant", "She's a taxi driver"] |
Levitra to purchas . Now what Ill do is well talk a little bit about the problem that s brought you to come and see us today and from that then well look at your medical history and also talk a little bit about how Viagra works and how to get the best out of the medicine . Levitra consumer reviews . Post links to your favorite celebrity stories from around the web , add comments , and vote stories up and down the page by clicking on the arrows . | What may have happened before I visited this website ? | I may have had a medical problem | ['I may have added a comment to the page', 'None of the above choices .', 'I may have lost my medical history'] |
Scientists are making new studies of color and its effects on our health. They have known for a long time that the color of a room or the color of the light in it can affect our feelings and emotions. Many prisons and hospitals have at least one room that is painted pink. Officials have found that light and color can produce physical changes in our bodies.
Professor Falfan worked with a group of 9 disabled children at school in Albert. Two of the children were blind. The other seven had normal sight. The scientists changed the color of the school room, then looked for changes in blood pressure, heart beat and breathing rate. The effects of color changes were the same for the blind children as for those with normal sight. Their blood pressure dropped from about 120 to 100. Similar changes were reported in heart-beat and the breathing. The children also were calmer and less excited. Then the colors of the room were returned to orange and white. Blood pressure, heart-beat and breathing rate went up and the children became excited again.
Professor Falfan said different colors produce different levels of light energy. He said the differences seem to affect chemicals in the brain that carry messages from nerve to nerve and from nerve to muscle. | After reading the passage we can conclude that _ . | blind people can be affected by colors, too | ["one's heart will beat fast in a colorful room than in a white room", 'the chemicals in the brain change with feelings and emotions', "if one's blood pressure drops, his breathing will get slower and slower"] |
Do you like keep a diary? When I entered the university, I began to keep a diary. I can find the first day in the university was filled with excitement and also sadness.
As I was afraid that parents were worried about me,I pretended to be OK in front of them.But after saying Goodbye,I turned my back,tears falling down.Then I entered the new dormitory,feeling a little sad.I still remember, the first night was terrible! The following days were better, and I started to taste the freedom and happiness with a lot of friends all day.And the everyday diary was full of joy! I recorded almost everything happened during the days.I even recorded what I had eaten.For me, all was interesting.
So far, I have recorded about 220 diaries.The diary is just like a treasure.Many years later, when I open the diary, I am opening the door of memory, going back to those good old days.However, _ One of my friends ever said to me,"I don't keep a diary. I prefer to put things aside in my mind. Only those time--tested are worth remembering forever,And as for the rest to be forgotten,just let them go..."Maybe,he is right.I think everyone has his own way to remember some special things.No matter what you sort to,the important key is to preserve the time of your life forever.Some day,when you date back to it,you'll remember the past. | What can be inferred from the passage? | The writer was very sad and didn't like to leave his parents. | ["The writer's parents didn't love him very much.", 'The writer used to feel sad without any reasons.', "The writer wasn't satisfied with the university."] |
He almost zipped it up but a flash of something yellowish stopped him and he reached in curiously to remove the object . " Oh ... I forgot about this . " He said flipping the manila envelope over to look at the neat kanji printed on the front . He shrugged and shoved it back into his bag . " I 'll just give it back tomorrow ... .if I remember . " He left the room and moved towards the lift . | Why is the narrator reaching into the bag ? | Something yellow caught his attention . | ["He 's grabbing Kanji 's materials .", 'None of the above choices .', "He 's grabbing money for Kanji ."] |
I know I had n't been updating much these past few days . As usual , I ' ve been very busy with work . Other than that , this bed weather day makes me feel soooooo lazy . | What kind of weather is occurring ? | Rain | ['None of the above choices .', 'Sunny', 'Hale'] |
Manners nowadays in big cities like London are particularly non-existent. It's nothing for a big, strong schoolboy to elbow an elderly woman aside in the dash for the last remaining seat on the tube or bus, much less stand up and offer his seat to her.
This question of giving up seats in public transport is much argued by young men, who say that, since women have claimed equality, they no longer deserve to be treated with courtesy and that those who go out to work should take their turn in _ like anyone else. Women have never claimed to be physically as strong as men. Even if it's not agreed, however, that young men should stand up for older women, the fact remains that courtesy should be shown to the old, the sick and the burdened. Are we really so lost to all ideals of unselfishness that we can sit there indifferently reading the paper or a book, saying to ourselves " First come, first served", while a gray-haired woman, a mother with a young child or a cripple stands? Yet this is too often seen.
Older people, tired and easy annoyed from a day's work, aren't angels, either--far from it. Many a brisk argument or an insulting quarrel breaks out as the weary queues push and shove each other to get on buses and tubes. One cannot commend this, of course, but one does feel there is just a little more excuse.
If cities are to remain pleasant places to live in at all, however, it seems necessary, not only that communication in transport should be improved, but also that communication between human beings should be kept smooth and polite. Shop assistant won't bother to assist, taxi drivers growl at each other as they dash dangerously round corners, bus conductors pull the bell before their desperate passengers have had time to get on or off the bus, and so on. It seems to us that it's up to the young and strong to do their small part to stop such deterioration . | What is the writer's opinion concerning courteous manners towards women? | Special consideration ought to be shown to them in some cases. | ['They no longer need to be treated differently from men.', 'Young men should give up their seats to young women.', '"Lady first" should universally practiced.'] |
And it was n't half bad . The girls were very nice , and I got $ 15 for two hours . I did n't really have to do much other than make lunch though , since they played with cars the whole time . | How did I make an extra fifteen dollars ? | I babysat some children . | ['None of the above choices .', "I mowed my friend 's lawn .", 'I sold a few t - shirts I owned .'] |
David Brown and Anne are two patients in the Adult Day Care Program at Mercy Hospitals. David Brown is seventy-two years old. He's friendly and likes to talk. He lives with his wife in the city. But David is becoming forgetful. His wife says, "He'll heat up some soup, then forget to turn off the gas." She is sixty-one and still works. She is worried about leaving her husband alone.
Anne is eighty and lives with her 60-year-old daughter. Her daughter says that she needs a rest. "Mom follows me everywhere. She follows me when I read newspapers. I need a rest and she does, too."
And so, several times a week, David and Anne's families take them to the Adult Day Care Center. Many hospitals have this program. Patients come to the Center for a full or half day, from one to five days a week. All the patients live with their families and most are old people.
Mrs. Carol Johnson is the director of the Center. She says, "We are offering both the patients and their families a service of great value. Patients have the chance to get out of their houses. Husbands, wives or grown children can work or have a rest. Most important of all, families are able to stay together." | Why did David Brown become a patient of the Adult Day Care Center? | Because he is becoming forgetful. | ['Because he is seventy-two years old.', 'Because he is lonely at home.', 'Because he is seriously ill.'] |
i am perhaps not the most sympathetic travel partner she could have ... got through passport check , baggage claim , and customs with no issues , checked into mega - expensive hotel . wondered if travel partner had ever checked into a hotel before , as she did n't know why they wanted her credit card ( we booked under the advisor 's card ) . listened to travel partner stress about her presentation and how unprepared she and the advisor were . | How can the narrator be described as a traveler ? | The narrator is an experienced traveler . | ['The narrator is new to travel .', 'The narrator is an impatient traveler .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
National Forecast
LONDON --This Evening and Tonight:
Rain, locally heavy across northwest Scotland. Mostly cloudy but dry in other northern and western areas. Dry with clear spells in more central and eastern parts, but some low cloud and fog will develop. Generally mild with light winds.
Saturday:
Cloud and rain over western Scotland at the beginning will gradually push down over N. Ireland and northwest England. Largely dry, warm with sunny spells elsewhere, once early fog and low cloud clears.
http://www.times.online.co.uk/tol/news/weather/
The Nation's Weather
Fri, Aug 24,
NEW YORK--Heavy rain was forecast throughout Friday in parts of the Midwest. The heaviest rainfall was over northern Illinois, with more than 4 inches possible around Chicago.
Wet weather was also expected in the Plains as the same storm system tracks through the region.
Periods of heavy rain were also forecast for the Northeast as the remnant of tropical storm Erin moves into the Canadian Maritimes.
Hot weather was expected to continue in the South and West.
http://www.underground.com
Death toll rises to 36 in China typhoon
Wed, Aug 22,
BEIJING-- At least 36 people were killed by Typhoon Sepat in four provinces in eastern and central China in widespread destruction that also forced the evacuation of l.37 million people.
More than 60,000 homes in the provinces of Fujian, Jiangxi, Zhejiang and Hunan also were destroyed or damaged, Xinhua News Agency said.
Total economic losses in the provinces have reached $ 663 million.
Fujian was the worst-hit province, with 18 people killed, Xinhua said.
Earlier, the storm, named after a Malaysian fish, killed at least one person in Taiwan, and left three dead in the Philippines.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap | The name of Typhoon Sepat comes from _ . | a Malaysian fish | ['a tropical storm', 'a place', 'a person'] |
The night when she thought she would finally be a star, Maria Isabella du'l Cielo struggled to calm the trembling of her hands, reached over to cut the tether that tied her to the ground, and thought of that morning many years before when she'd first caught a glimpse of Lorenzo du Vicenzio ei Salvadore: tall, thick-browed and handsome, his eyes closed, oblivious to the cacophony of the accident waiting to occur around him.
Maria Isabella had just turned sixteen then, and each set of her padrinos had given her (along with the sequined brida du caballo, the dresses of rare tulle, organza, and seda, and the diadema floral du'l dama -- the requisite floral circlet of young womanhood) a purse filled with coins to spend on anything she wanted. And so she'd gone past the Calle du Leones (where sleek cats of various pedigrees sometimes allowed themselves to be purchased, though if so, only until they tired of their new owners), walked through the Avenida du'l Conquistadores (where the statues of the conquerors of Ciudad Meiora lined the entirety of the broad promenade) and made her way to the Encantu lu Caminata (that maze-like series of interconnected streets, each leading to some wonder or marvel for sale), where little musical conch shells from the islets near Palao'an could be found. Those she liked very much.
In the vicinity of the Plaza Emperyal, she saw a young man dressed in a coat embroidered with stars walk almost surely to his death. In that instant, Maria Isabella knew two things with the conviction reserved only for the very young: first, that she almost certainly loved this reckless man; and second, that if she simply stepped on a dog's tail -- the very dog watching the same scene unfold right next to her -- she could avert the man's seemingly senseless death. | What kind of family is Maria probably from? | Rich family | ['not enough information', 'Poor family', 'African family'] |
Who do you feel closer to -- your mom or your dad?
In almost every culture in the world, mothers are thought to be more important than fathers during children's development and more likely to build strong bonds with their children.
This belief had existed for a long time until scientists started asking a new question: What do fathers contribute to their children besides their genes? They must mean something, or they would have disappeared from children's lives at an earlier time in evolution . So, a new science of fatherhood was born.
American journalist Paul Raeburn collected the discoveries over the years and put them into his new book, Do Fathers Matter? What Science Is Telling Us About the Parent We've Overlooked, hoping to make people better see the many ways that fathers influence their children.
For example, Ronald Preston Rohner, a scientist at the University of Connecticut, US, spent several years studying how being accepted or rejected by parents influences children's personality. He found that children who are accepted by both their parents are usually independent and hold a positive worldview while those who feel turned down by either parent may turn out hostile and negative.
Melanie Horn-Mallers, a psychologist at California State University, found that sons who have happy memories of their fathers are better able to handle day-to-day stress after growing up.
Another study, by Richard Koestner at McGill University, Canada, focused on how children develop empathy . After looking at various possible factors, Koestner found one to be more important than others -- how much time their fathers spend with them.
"We were amazed to find that how affectionate parents were with their children didn't matter much to the development of empathy," said Koestner. "And we were astounded at how strong the father's influence was."
Indeed, evidence shows that fathers make unique contributions to their children's happiness. However, that doesn't mean that children in families without fathers are definitely going to become failures. Just look at US President Barack Obama. He is a great example of what can be achieved by people who grow up in single-mother households. | Based on the passage, the development of empathy in children is influenced most by _ . | how much time their fathers spend with them | ['how happy they are with their fathers', 'how affectionate they are with their parents', 'how well their fathers get on with their mothers'] |
Happy birthday
The China National Opera (CNO) will give a concert to celebrate its 50th birthday .
Different generations of CNO vocalists , like Li Guangxi , Yao Hong and Ma Mei , will present the concert which will feature both songs from famous Chinese operas like "The White-haired Girl" and "The Hundredth Bride", as well as , arias of such Western opera classics as "Madame Butterfly", "La Traviata" and "Rigoletto".
Time/ date : 7:30 pm , September 7, 8
Location : Tianqiao Theatre
Tel : 6551-4787, 8315-6170
Tickets : 60--500 yuan (US $7.2-- 60.2)
Folk music
A concert will be held to feature some recently composed traditional Chinese music works .
The concert , given by the Folk Orchestra of the China Opera and Ballet Theatre , will include such pieces as "Memory of Childhood ", "Memorial Ceremony for God "and "Wine Song".
Time/date: 7:30pm, September 13
Location: Concert hall at the National Library of China
Tel: 6848 -5462, 6841-9220
Tickets: 30-200 yuan (US$3.6-24.1)
Moon music
A concert of traditional Chinese music will be given on the eve of the Moon Festival which falls on September 21st this year.
The concert will feature a number of famous pieces centered on the theme of the moon, such as "Moonlight", "Spring night on a Moonlit River" and "Lofty Mountain and Flowing River."
A number of established traditional Chinese music performers like Zhou Yaokun and Fan Weiqing, will play solos as well as collaborate with the folk music orchestra.
Time / date: 7:30 pm, September 21st
Location: Grand Theatre of the Cultural Palace of Nationalities
Tel: 6606--8888, 6606--9999 | "Madame Butterfly" is_. | a Western opera | ['a Chinese opera', 'a piece of music', 'a song'] |
A car that runs on coffee is unveiled(shown to the public for the first time)today but at between 25 and 50 times the cost of running a car on petrol, the invention won't please any motor industry accountants.
Nicknamed the Car-puccino, it has been created using a 1988 Volkswagen Scirocco bought for PS400 and it was chosen because it looked like the time-traveling DeLorean in the movieBack To The Future.The car will be driven the 210 miles between Manchester and London powered only by roasted coffee granules .It has been built by a team from the BBC1 science programme Bang Goes The Theory and will go on display at the Big Bang science fair in Manchester to show how fuels other than traditional petrol can power vehicles.
The team calculates the Car-puccino will do three miles per kilo of ground coffee -- about 56 cups of espressos per mile.The journey will use about 70 kilos of ground coffee which, at supermarket prices of between PS13 and PS26 a kilo depending on brand and quality, will cost between PS910 and PS1,820, or between 25 and 50 times the PS36 cost of petrol for the journey.In total, the trip will cost 11,760 espressos, and the team will have to take 'coffee breaks' roughly every 30 to 45 miles to pour in more granules.They will also have to stop about every 60 miles to clean out the 'coffee filters' to rid them of the soot and tar which is also generated by the process.So despite a top speed of 60mph, the many stops mean the going will be slow, with the journey taking around ten hours.
Sadly, the inventors will still have to pay duty on their coffee fuel---even though tax collectors at Her Majesty's Revenue and Custom haven't yet worked out how much.
Nick Watson, producer of Bang Goes The Theory, said, "Coffee, like wood or coal, has some carbon content so you can use it as a fuel.The coffee needs to be very dry and in granules to allow the air to move through the pile of coffee as it burns.The brand doesn't matter." He said the same technology could be used to power a car on other unusual fuels, such as woodchips or nut shells, construction or agricultural waste. | Which is the right way to choose the coffee used as fuels to run the Car-puccino? | It should be very dry. | ['The stronger, the better.', 'The smaller the granules are, the better.', 'It should be of a certain brand.'] |
The wildfire smoke cleared on the morning of our family wedding, just in time for the bride and groom to say their vows overlooking coal harbour. We took this as a sign that we needed to book our Vancouver seaplane flight, to really explore the azure harbour waters and take in an eagle-eyed view of this city.
I suppose it was ok… oh, who am I kidding, the harbour is spectacular. Let me also point out that none of these images are touched by editing. Like 99% of my images in this blog (the other 1% is cropping and making slight adjustments), these are entirely un-doctored.
We began as all good things do, by hanging out in their airport lounge, offered a mini-pastry and a hot beverage – I adventurously went for an ‘English Mist’, an Earl-Grey Latte to make myself feel a little more soothed boarding a tiny propeller plane (note: it didn’t work.)
With a slightly chaotic boarding process (more noticeable after such a serene start) we were too busy sorting out the seats to realise that we had hopped on board, and within in seconds it seemed, our pilot had lifted off smoothly in a flurry of water foam.
As we began to watch the world turn into a Lilliput version of itself, we barely blinked for watching beautiful vistas unfold.
From tiny little islands (the above Passage Island technically belongs to West Vancouver, known as the Hollywood suburb of the city, and a couple of the homes are allegedly owned by celebrities) where the residents enjoy views of downtown Vancouver, the University of British Columbia campus, Vancouver Island, and the snow-capped mountains of Howe Sound – to the fjords all the way along the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler.
They just scatter along the horizon, like a giant has skittered his toys along an azure sheet of silk.
We looped around, looking back over the stunning Stanley Park and towering grid of Vancouver downtown buildings. From prehistoric forests, to gleaming silver confections of modernity. | Why was the author hanging out in a airport lounge? | because he or she had book a tourist flight to see over the Vancouver Harbour | ['because he or she thinks all good things start in airport lounges', 'not enough information', 'because he or she had attended a wedding'] |
I went to the MHC campus today . It was the very best thing I could have done for myself . I ' ve been feeling a bit at loose ends , with my tribe on the other side of the country and my boy on the other side of the world . | How may have I been feeling before I went to the campus ? | I may have been feeling lonely | ['I may have been feeling well', 'I may have been feeling angry', 'I may have been feeling congenial'] |
She pays more for that ; I receive the same ; my boss makes a bigger profit , since he 's not even paying a receptionist or anything . Unjust consequences of capitalism ! I was planning on just trying the class for a couple of weeks and having her cancel it , but ... it turns out she likes me ! Yay ! | What type of political ideology does the narrator have ? | They are liberal . | ['They are libertarian .', 'They are republican .', 'They are conservative .'] |
Savile Row was first developed in 1695 as part of the Burlington Estate. It had been part of the gardens of Burlington House previous to this. Originally it was named Savile Street. Houses were built on one side of the street, with gardens on the other side and was therefore nicknamed Savile Row, with a row of houses on one side. The name was officially changed in 1810.
The first tailors appear on the street in 1785, and over the next fifty years the trend continued. This is what made the area famous. Many Savile Row Tailors have gone out of business or moved elsewhere within London,bottes ugg, but plenty still remain and it is still the place many men go for their tailoring.
Fleet Street is synonymous with the British Press. The street runs from the east end of the Strand through to Farringdon Street.
In the late fifteenth and early sixteenth century the trend for printers and publishers moving into the area began. Later, and more famously, newspapers started to move their offices to Fleet Street. The first daily newspaper to do this was the Daily Courant in the early 1700's. By the 20th century a large majority of London and National newspapers had their headquarters in the area. This is no longer the case though, as many of the papers moved out of Fleet Street from the 1980's. All of the main newspapers have now left and it is now more associated with law practices .
Harley Street is world famous for its medical practices. Prior to the 18th century it only consisted of a few houses and was part of the village of Marylebone; not yet part of the City of London. As London grew in the 1700's century Marylebone became part of London. It was developed into a larger residential area between 1715 and 1720. Around a century later doctors started setting up home in the area, with a number of them setting up practices from then homes. As this trend continued the area became well known in this aspect. | We can infer from the passage that _ . | Fleet Street has experienced dramatic changes in its history | ['Fleet Street is still the headquarters of the British press', 'Harley Street remains much the same as before', 'Harley Street is the most famous street in London'] |
Roland felt his stomach knotting. Having ridden out of the city through the Saint-Denis Gate, he now was nearly home, and the hurt inside was cutting so deep that he thought it would drive him mad. He repeated again and again the pledge he had just made to Nicolette: I am your true troubadour, now and forever. It felt like a knife stabbing into him.
I do love her, as I have not loved any other - except Diane.
Under his fur-lined mantle he was sweating, despite the bone-deep chill of the January night.
Was my pledge to Nicolette a lie?
No, not now that Diane has vowed herself to God.
He had always believed that a man or a woman could love but one person. For all the years he had loved Diane, he had accepted that as a sacred law of Love. It was the way things should be. But it was not the way they were. Not for him.
What if I had known, that day I saw Nicolette at Chinon, that Diane was still alive? I would have wanted Nicolette just as much, but would not have begun this. There would have been no messages, no song in her garden. But I was sure Diane was dead. There was nothing but a memory of a younger time to check my feelings for Nicolette.
And then, when I found Diane again, I could not have her. I had lost her forever. So at last I wrote again to Nicolette.
But tonight, when Nicolette would have let me make love to her - and how I want her! - I could not go beyond an embrace and a kiss.
Not as long as I still love Diane.
When he had set out, a full moon had hung low above the huddled rooftops of the university town. Now the silver disk was high overhead, and he could discern the small house he had bought two years ago with money he brought with him from Sicily. | Where did Roland found out that Diane was still alive? | at Chinon | ['near Saint-Denis Gate', "at a friend's house", 'not enough information'] |
George Gershwin was born in New York City in 1898. His parents were Russian Jews who had immigrated to the United States. George and his two brothers and sister had a close, happy family life. George liked playing games on the streets of New York. He liked exploring the city. He did not like school or studying.
While exploring the city, George heard jazz and blues music in and out of public drinking places. However, he did not become seriously interested in music until he heard another boy playing the violin in a concert at his school. George began to take piano lessons. His teacher was a fine classical musician. He immediately recognized George's unusual ability. The teacher wrote about him to a friend: "I have a student who will make his mark in music, if anybody will. The boy is a genius, without doubt. "
George studied classical piano. But his strongest interest continued to be jazz and popular music. At the age of fifteen, he left school and went to work in the music business. At that time, the New York City street where most music publishers had their offices was called "Tin Pan Alley." The piano players played the songs all day long to interested singers and other performers. George Gershwin was one of the youngest piano players in Tin Pan Alley. Soon, he was considered one of the finest there. He was already writing his own songs. He succeeded in getting one published when he was only eighteen years old.
George Gershwin was now a real composer. The rest of his life was an unbroken record of success. He wrote song after song. His ideas were so endless that he was not even troubled when he once lost some music he had been writing. "There is plenty more where that came from," he said.
George Gershwin had his first big hit in 1919, when he was twenty-one years old. It was a song called "Swanee." A popular entertainer, Al Jolson, sang the song. "Swanee" was made into one of the first musical recordings. George Gershwin was suddenly famous. | We know from the passage that _ . | His teacher believed in his musical gift. | ['George Gershwin was born in Russia.', "George Gershwin's parents had 5 children.", 'Classical piano was his favorite music.'] |
Welcome to the Van Gogh Gallery for information about the life and work of Vincent van Gogh. As a post impressionist painter and one of the most famous artists of all time, Vincent van Gogh has become a model. From growing up in Holland and working as a pastor , moving to France and creating an unbelievable collection of artwork, this site takes an in-depth look at Van Gogh's life , his work and the influence he has had on our culture.
Van Gogh had many influences on his life including his family and friends, other artists such as Edgar Degas, and his health. To see how each of these affected his life please visit the Important Figures, Artistic Influences and Health sections. For information about how Van Gogh's art has influenced our society today, view the Impact on Art, Cultural References, or News section.
If you are interested in adding more Van Gogh to your life, the Van Gogh Gallery has plenty to offer. Download Van Gogh images of some of his most famous paintings as wallpaper for your computer, shop for Van Gogh posters or prints, or check out some of the additional resources available including links to Van Gogh museums and shows. There are even lesson plans from multidiscipline areas for those interested in educating others about Van Gogh's art and life.
Van Gogh has influenced generations of young artists worldwide since his time. Today we can see his influence in painting, in poetry and in video. We are happy to display new examples of art that were influenced by Van Gogh in our Van Gogh Community Art section.
Tragically, Van Gogh died not knowing the praise his art would receive. He will be forever known as one of the greatest artists of the modern era. Through this website, the Van Gogh Gallery aims to share his life and heritage with the world. | What can we infer about Van Gogh from the passage? | His artworks weren't well received during his lifetime. | ['He once worked as a model for painters to make a living.', 'His paintings were widely used as wallpapers for computers.', 'People widely appreciated his artworks during his lifetime.'] |
Old people are always saying that the young are not what they were. The same comment is made from generation to generation and it is always true. It has never been truer than it is today. The young are better educated. They have a lot more money to spend and enjoy more freedom. They grow up more quickly and are not so dependent on their parents. They think more for themselves and do not blindly accept the life goals of their elders. Events which the older generation remembers vividly are nothing more than past history. This is as it should be. Every new generation is different from the one before. Today the difference is very noticeable indeed.
The old always believe that they know best for the simple reason that they have been around a bit longer. They don't like to feel that their values are being questioned or threatened. And this is exactly what the young are doing. Wouldn't people work best if they were given complete freedom and responsibility? And what about clothing? Who said that all the men in the world should wear dull grey suits and very short haircuts? Who said that human differences can best be solved through normal politics or by violent means? Why have the older generation so often used violence to solve their problems? Why are they so unhappy and guilty in their personal lives, so occupied with mean ambitions and the desire to collect more and more wealth? Haven't the old lost touch with all that is important in life?
These are not questions the older generation can shrug off lightly. Their record over the past forty years or so hasn't been exactly spotless. Traditionally, the young have turned to their elders for guidance. Today, the situation might be opposite. The old--if they are prepared to admit it--could learn a thing or two from their children. One of the biggest lessons they could learn is that enjoyment is not wrong. Enjoyment is a principle one could apply to all aspects of life. It is surely not wrong to enjoy your work and enjoy your free time. It is surely not wrong to live in the present rather than in the past or future. This emphasis on the present is only to be expected because the young have grown up under the shadow of the bomb: the constant threat of complete annihilation . This is just what the older generation has passed down to them. | Why do old people always think they know best? | Because they have experienced more than the young. | ['Because they have been around the young for a longer time.', 'Because they hate their values being questioned by the young.', 'Because they think the young should follow their lifestyle.'] |
Going in a state of perpetual half - sleep motion brought on by insomnia seemed good for my gaming , but this is probably the exception and not the rule . I did what is known by experts as a fuckton of grinding today . I started out with the crew at levels ranging from 70 - 73 . When I was done , they were ranging 84 - 86 . | What may be true about me ? | I have trouble sleeping . | ['I spend most of my time outside .', 'I oversleep often .', 'I am new to video games .'] |
Once there was a baby eagle living in a nest on a cliff .The baby eagle loved his nest.It was warm, soft and comfortable.And even better, he had all the food and love that his mother could give.Whenever the baby eagle was hungry, his mother would always come just in time with the delicious food he liked.
He was growing happily day after day.But suddenly his world eagle changed.His mother stopped coming to the nest, he was full of sadness and fear.He thought he would die soon.He cried, but nobody heard him.
Two days later mother appeared with some nice food.The baby eagle was wild with joy.But his mother put the food at the top of the mountain and then looked down at her baby.
The baby eagle cried out, "Mum, why did you do this to me? I'm hungry.Don't you know I will die if I have nothing to eat?"
"Here is the Last meal I give you.Come and get it by yourself." his mother said.Then she flew down and pushed the baby eagle out of the nest.
The baby eagle fell down, faster and faster.He looked up at his mum." Why do you abandon me?" He looked down at the earth.The ground was much closer.Then something strange happened.The air caught behind his arms and he began to fly! He wasn't moving to the ground any more.Instead, his eyes were pointed up at the sun.
You are flying! You can make it!" His mother smiled. | We can infer from the story that _ | The baby eagle could get food himself. | ['The baby eagle lost his mother', 'The baby eagle fell down and died', 'The baby eagle was still angry with his mother.'] |
Saturday we went shopping for shirts for our family Christmas picture , and then we took our sisters ( Erin , Nicole & Marissa ) to see Enchanted . Super cute movie ! Then we went to my mom 's for dinner and took pictures . Family drama ( what else is new ) . | Where did the sisters go to see Enchanted ? | They went to the movie theater . | ['None of the above choices .', 'They went to a shop .', 'They went to a mall .'] |
Ask anybody out there, what is the most important thing in his life - Fame, Fortune and Money, and there is a chance that he is going to say, money, because with that, fame and fortune comes quite easily. On the other hand, if you add "family" to these three choices given above, there is a chance that 99% of the people are going to put their family first, especially if they happen to be ladies!
The main reason is because nature has created a woman to be the cherisher and the nurturer of the family, while the man is the hunter and protector of his little family. That is the natural rule which has come down through thousands of years. Even if a person happens to be a comparatively worldly-wise person and has no idea of taking on the responsibility of a family, he has a picture of a tight little _ in his subconscious .
They tell a story about a successful millionaire businessman who died and the whole city came to pay its respects. One of his business competitors, met the son and said, "We are really going to miss your father. You see, I knew your father well." And the son replied, "You happen to be really lucky there, because I never did." So, you might be an extremely successful person in your own right upon Wall Street, but if your little child fails to come running out to welcome his daddy at the end of the day to be swung up in his father's arms and held there lovingly and protectively, you come in the "nothing" category in the business of life.
Many people are under the impression that taking on the responsibility of the family is quite tiresome, but they do not know what it takes to be a parent. It is very easy to be a biological father or a biological mother, but the real mother and the real father is that person who stays awake all night when the baby is teething, teaches him right from wrong, is there to hold him when he takes his first steps, and in every way shows that he is there to cherish and protect the little one from harm.
There was a man who did not believe in family, because of an unhappy childhood. But he found a faithful woman to love him unconditionally. The moment he picked up his little baby, he said, "Well son, welcome to the world! I am here to teach you what your mama has taught me, and we shall both protect you, when you need our help. I will teach you to be a good, just and fair man." | It can be inferred from the passage that _ . | family responsibility means a great deal | ['men care little about their families', 'a happy childhood shapes a good man', 'a faithful wife makes a family complete'] |
This piece of music is something I started originally for my album " Threology " . It never felt complete to me . I spent hundreds of hours laying down and editing live drums on it and then lost all that work when my computer crashed . | What happened with the song of the algum Threology ? | It got deleted because the computer went down . | ['None of the above choices .', 'The single had a backup so it was nt really lost .', 'The single got remastered using a computer to generate drums .'] |
Dear Anne,
I like your column very much. I met a girl four years ago at a gym. She was the one who originally approached me and we became good friends. Then one day, she made me really angry, so angry that I just left and we never saw each other again.
Looking back, I really regret ending things that way. It was a cowardly act on my part, but I had a terrible temper at that time and let the smallest thing get to me. Recently, I've started thinking about her again and I looked up her e-mail address. I thought about writing to say "Hi" and apologize for what I did but I'm not sure. She could still be angry with me, or maybe she has forgotten me. I feel very lonely and I want to see her again. What should I do?
Tom
Dear Tom,
She may still be angry with you, and she may have forgotten the friendship between you, but that doesn't mean she doesn't deserve an apology. Tom, how many of us have wished for the day that someone who treated us badly saw the light and finally owned up? But we rarely get that kind of expected result. So sure, e-mail her and say "Hi".
Tell her you have been thinking about her and just want to apologize for getting angry and being a coward by walking out on her. But you should remember if she thinks you're apologizing just because you are lonely, she might dismiss your sincerity. Therefore, don't mention that. If she wants to see you again, she'll make sure that happens.
Even if she doesn't want to be your friend, I can assure you, she'll appreciate the gesture. And it might make you think twice next time you get angry.
Anne | Anne wants to tell Tom that _ . | an apology is better late than never | ['he should think twice before he gets angry', "it's no use crying over spilt milk", 'he should answer for his wrong doings'] |
And it is eleven thirty at night and I ' m not asleep , which I usually am by now and ...... I am happy . Do I dare to think that this one could be easy on me ? YES , I ' m daring , let 's say I think this one is going to be a lot better than the last one . Time will tell , every good day I 'll accept for sure , and not question it . | What is meant by " this one " ? | My new boy / girl friend . | ['My new boss', 'My new kitten .', 'My baby ( child )'] |
H : Have your methods changed ? J : I started with paper on paper designs and now I have moved to all digital designs . Adobe Illustrator is my best friend and I learn something new on it every day . | What may be a fact about this situation ? | J is being interviewed by someone . | ['J is being interviewed by Adobe .', 'None of the above choices .', 'J is being asked questions about their business .'] |
When I was a seven-year-old girl, I used to go door-to-door with my mother to ask the residents for donations to the American Lung Association. Some would give a few coins; others, on rare occasions, a whole dollar; but most would silently shake their heads. No matter what the amount was, my mother always thanked the givers, wrote their names and addresses on her large envelope, and placed the money inside.
And then we returned to our apartment, and my mother counted the money. The yield didn't match the effort: I don't think she collected more than $10. Still, she sent the collection to the organization.
Even as a child, I knew my mother's actions were great, which aroused my pride in her. Asking poor people to give to an organization which aimed to help others wasn't what you did. Other charities gave to these folks; you didn't ask them to give. To them , her efforts likely seemed foolish. But to me, her efforts had an influence on me as I grew up.
Although my charitable giving is modest, I faithfully and regularly donate to the organization which is aimed at fighting AIDS; to stop hunger, and homelessness; to support public broadcasting, the arts, and public education; and to heal families. And I volunteer my time to teach little girls and fix our badly broken public schools.
I do these things because I believe I've been given much, so much is required of me. I never asked my mother why she collected those donations, and, besides, the lung cancer that killed her twenty-one years ago prevents me from asking now.
But had I asked, my mother's response would have been simple:"Because I can."That's what she would have said. But from that look in her eyes and her daily efforts to make life a bit brighter, I know she also acted on hope that tomorrow would be better and that her actions somehow would make a difference. | When the author's mother asked for donation from door to door,_. | most people were not able to offer their help | ['she would collect more than 100 dollars every time', 'many people wished to be remembered by others.', 'the author understood how terrible their life was'] |
One dude tried to keep goin when i told him no more so i hit him in the eye . imagine to naked people fighting . No more means no more . | How may I be feeling right now ? | Angry | ['Hungry', 'Tired', 'Happy'] |
He put his hands to the keyboard again , this time to write , maybe . Moments and moments and moments and moments ; no time at all , really . Nothing . He put his lips again to a cigarette and sucked with morbid fervor . | Why is the speaker having trouble writing ? | They are experiencing writer 's block | ['They are struggling to learn English', 'None of the above choices .', 'They are recovering from a stroke and need to relearn'] |
Americans have always been hungry for the holidays. After all, a big Thanksgiving feast is one of our country's oldest traditions, older than America itself. Thankfully, the spirit behind Thanksgiving has never changed, either. It has always been a special time to be thankful for the blessings of the past year.
The feast that has become known as the First Thanksgiving was actually a harvest festival celebrated in December of 1621. That's when English settlers in Plymouth, Massachusetts, gave thanks for the progress they had made after a harsh winter in their new country. Guests at outdoor tables gobbled up ducks, geese turkeys, clams, eels, fish, wild plums, corn bread and other goodies. About 90 Native Americans also came and brought five deer to add to the feast. The festival lasted for three days.
Thanksgiving customs spread and expanded along with the rest of America. After the American Revolution, George Washington proclaimed that the first national Thanksgiving would be on November 26, 1789. In the decades to follow, however, people celebrate Thanksgiving locally and with no official date.
A women's magazine editor named Sarah Josepha Hale wanted to change this. After years of trying hard to get support, she finally persuaded President Abraham Lincoln to proclaim the last Thursday in November 1863 as a national day of Thanksgiving. It stayed that way for 75 years afterward until 1939, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt set it one week earlier. He wanted to lengthen the shopping period before Christmas to encourage gift-buyers and help businesses. So Congress ruled that, after 1941, Thanksgiving would be an official federal holiday falling each year on the fourth Thursday of November. This year we celebrated Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 26. | What can we NOT learn from the passage? | Americans will have three days off on Thanksgiving Day. | ['Some Native Americans also joined the First Thanksgiving.', 'Roosevelt set Thanksgiving one week earlier to develop economy.', 'People still celebrated Thanksgiving with no official date in 1809.'] |
Ants have a reputation for strength,organization and teamwork.But researchers have now discovered that a key secret to the success of ants is their ability to identify the importance of age in the work place.
A study of Gentral American leaf-cutter ants has shown that the younger and stronger members are give the toughest job of cutting therough the leaves they harvest.Their sharp youn teeth do this job effectively,but as they get older their teeth become relatively worn and _ .
But rather than being retired or abandoned by the group,the ageing ants are given a new role more suyted to their physical abilities.They become carriers and teansport the leaves back to the kingdom where they are harvested for food.
The findings by researchers from the University of Oregon and the Oregong State University support previous research showin the survival of a leaf-cutter kingdom depends on the efficiency of is workers.
"Cuting leaves is hard work,"said Dr.Robert Schofield,who led the research team."Much of the cutting is done with a V-shaped blade between teeth on their jaws.This blade starts out as sharp as the sharpest razor blade that humans have developed."But over rime the teeth become blunter and the cutting job slows down.The team estimated that,because of this age-related wear,a colony spent twice the energy cutting leaves than it would if all the ants had sharp blades.Its findings support the idea that wear and break can be significant problems for insects as well as largre animals.
Like humans,leaf-cuttre ant recognize that older members of the group can still make a worhwhile contribution to society."This study shows an advantage of social living that we are familiar with,"said Dr.Schofield. | What can be the best title for the passage? | The key secret to the success of ants | ['The developed structure of ant colony', 'The most challenging job for leaf-cutter ants', 'No V-shaped blade,no success of ants'] |
Trisha dreamed of being a Playboy Bunny since the days she still had buck-teeth and fried egg boobs. She blu-tacked page threes above her bed-head and had me snap topless Polaroids till they littered the floor. She told me to imagine she had 36DDs and peroxide blonde hair. I used to wish like hell that she wasn't my cousin. When she was fifteen Trisha started putting out for the boys in the Kwik-Save car park for a tenner a time. She said she was an entrepreneur, not a prostitute. She started going steady with a kid called Keith. He was a fryer in the fish and chip shop. He had a future and a Ford Cortina. She got a job waitressing and she worked all the hours she could. Keith couldn't handle me and Trisha being as close as we were. Especially the time he caught Trisha bending over me in nothing but a frilly market stall thong while I worked the angles best I could to get a dangle-shot. Next night he took her in the car park woods and doped her up to the eyeballs. He took out a bottle of India ink and told her he would etch the love-heart she'd always wanted. Instead, he safety-pinned the word 'inbred' into her arse. Trisha's step-dad tracked the spits of blood and found her sobbing in the bathroom of their long-stay static. It didn't take him long to slap out the truth. He went straight round to Keith's place with a crow-bar and did enough damage to make sure he'd need more than laser treatment to put things right. Keith wasn't rolling in spare change so Trisha's step-dad took the Cortina as payment in lieu of her getting herself fixed up. Trisha got me to stash the Cortina up the lane at the back of Boyes' farm. Weekend nights, I drove her out to the dual carriageway truck-stop where she found a faster way to make her fortune in the fogged-up cabs. | Keith took Trisha to the woods: | After she started putting out for the boys in the Kwik-Save car park | ['not enough information', 'After her dad found her sobbing in the bathroom', 'When she still had buck-teeth and fried egg boobs'] |
As we know, Human beings each have unique brains. The brain is of the greatest importance to the body. It is the boss of the body.Your eyes,ears,nose,and skin tell your brain what is going on around you.Other parts of your body tell your brain what is going on inside of you.Your brain takes in the signals.It tells your body what to do with them.When you touch fire,your skin tells your brain that your finger is too hot.Your brain tells you to move your finger.All these happen very fast.Your brain also controls your breathing,blinking,and heartbeat.It controls your feelings and thoughts too.
Humans have the most developed brain of all animals.Yet it is not the largest brain.The human brain weighs three pounds.The brain of an elephant weighs 11 pounds.So the largest brain is not always the best brain.In people,a larger brain does not mean a clever person. | What happens after the brain takes in the signals from the body? | The brain tells the body what to do. | ['The brain grows faster and larger.', 'The body becomes more developed.', "We don't know."] |
Paul knew that the plan was insane and probably illegal. Certainly the stuff he'd been helping Chloe and her gang of followers do for the last few hours was technically illegal. He'd asked them why they were helping him, what did they hope to gain? They'd told him that this is what they did for fun. Chloe assured him that they "lived for this kinda shit." Ok, fine. He could sort of see that. Once he was there, helping them come up with the plan and then actually carrying it out, it sure as hell was exciting - probably the most exciting thing he'd ever done.
Now that he was home and alone with his misgivings and paranoia, it all seemed like a really stupid idea. If it weren't for Chloe and her mesmerizing enthusiasm, there's no doubt that he wouldn't be doing this at all. But it was too late now. Or was it?
It was five in the morning when Paul got back to his apartment. He'd told Chloe that he wanted to get a few hours sleep before the big meeting, but he now realized that there was no way he was going to be able to relax. When he'd stepped out the door twenty-two hours earlier he'd still had his job and was looking forward to a showing the rest of the art team his new designs for some of the higher-level monsters he wanted to add to the game. Screw that, he thought, they're my monsters now. I'll use them somewhere else.
It could never work. How could it? Right then and there Paul decided that he was going to call the whole thing off. It wasn't too late. They hadn't done anything yet that wasn't reversible. No one had been hurt. No money had changed hands. No one had been lied to. If he called it off right now he could just move on and try and put the whole, sorry state of affairs behind him. | Who did the monsters belong to? | Paul | ['Pauls work', 'Chloe', 'not enough information'] |
Work 's been going well too been reading through globs of documentation and got a congrats on the job I ' m doing well with the new application we picked up there . Also my priest is set pvp gear wise so I can be a lazy bum there . I believe that 's about it honestly I ' m not playing warcraft all that much but still doing a good bit of research on it from time to time . Similar to the same deal as RO I would like to do some of the crazy stuff in the game but the time investment is far beyond me to every want to sink that much time into it . I ' ve been tempted to get back into an Asian old school mmo just undecided if I really want to or not ... but will wait and see I suppose . | What may have happened if work had not been going well ? | He may have spent more time doing other activities . | ['He may have gotten into an Asian old school mmo .', 'None of the above choices .', 'He may not be playing warcraft all that much .'] |
She was talking to the camera crew like her old self . It was such a gift to get a candid view into her first day back at school . She did n't have to have an aid follow her around , and she even went down the slide at school ... shhhhh .... do n't tell anyone . When she got home , she wanted to go swimming before therapy . Then she went for 2 hours of therapy , came home , ate and went to bed . | What might have recently happened to the girl ? | She was injured . | ['She dropped out of school .', 'She was depressed .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
James Stallman Rockefeller, the oldest-known U. S. Olympic medal winner and the former head of the bank that became Citigroup, died Tuesday. He was 102. Records of the U. S. Olympic Committee show that Rockefeller was the oldest American medal winner. He was the captain of Yale University's eight-man rowing team with coxswain that won gold at the 1924 Paris Olympics - beating the Canadian team by less than 16 seconds. The oars from the winning race and the gold medal were prominently displayed in Rockefeller's house. "I think he was really proud of that - probably more than the bank career," said his grandson.
Rockefeller suffered a stroke on Thursday, said his grandson, who lived with him at his Greenwich home for two years, attributed his long life to a regimented lifestyle: breakfast at eight a. m. , lunch at 1 p. m. , cocktails at 6 p. m. and dinner promptly at 7 p. m. . He liked plain food, without sauces or cheese, and plenty of fresh vegetables, including those grown in the garden of his estate. Rockefeller was in good health until shortly before he died. He drove his car up until last year and would review documents from the various charities and businesses he helped lead.
Rockefeller, born on June 8, 1902, was a grandson of William Rockefeller, who founded Standard Oil with his brother, John D. Rockefeller. He graduated from Yale in 1924 and served in the Airborne Command during World War II. He started at the bank, and then called the National City Bank, in 1930, following his uncle and grandfather, who were leaders of the bank. He became president in 1952, chairman in 1959 and retired in 1967. In 1955, under Rockefeller's leadership, the bank merged with the First National Bank of New York to form Citigroup. Rockefeller also was a director of numerous companies, including Pan American Airways, Northern Pacific Railroad, NCR and Monsanto, and served on the boards of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and the American Museum of Natural History.
Rockefeller and his wife. Nancy Carnegie Rockefeller, had four children. His wife died in 1994. | We can learn from the passage that _ . | His grandson thought Rockefeller had long life because of a regimented lifestyle. | ['the American rowing team beat the Canadian team in less than 16 seconds in 1924.', 'Rockefeller was the first American medal winner.', 'James Stallman Rockefeller founded the National City Bank and was the first president.'] |
I have no experience with a lazy 21 yr old. Both my older children have always been independent. My oldest moved out when she started college and never moved back in after she graduated. My other daughter wanted to move out as soon as she hit 21 but her dad and I gave her some rules or rather instructions she had to follow before she can pack her bags and move in with the boyfriend.
1st she had to show us that she had 3months rent saved up in her savings account. Not just her half of the rent but the whole rent. Which was about $3,600 dollars. You never know if something happens to her or she looses her part time job she can still pay her rent. Nobody wants an eviction on their record.
2nd since she was still going to school and we were paying for it we wanted to see proof every semester that she was enrolled. Education is a big deal to me.
3rd she had to get on BIRTH CONTROL. I don't want any ooops sorry Mom I am pregnant. Now I can't finish school because I have to work full time to pay for my baby.. I was a teen Mom and I didn't get to go to college so it is 100% important that my kids go and finish.
She complied with all or requests and is doing remarkable. She has been out on her own for almost 2years .
So I'm really don't have any advice to give but maybe if you show a little tough love and give your kid a kick in the pants and tell hi it's time to grow the hell up…. Get a job and pay some rent, or go to school and get an education. No more freeloading around here.
Sorry that's all I got…. | How long did the author's first daughter probably spend in college? | About four years | ['not enough information', 'About one year', 'About twelve years'] |
His right leg was in a thick white cast held up off the bed by a series of pulleys . It all looked terribly unnecessary to Scorpius as he stepped up to the bed , still holding Lily to make sure that she did not jump at him again . " Miserable , is n't it ? | Why was a man in a cast ? | He had a surgery on his leg . | ['He broke his arm trying to hold on to Lily .', 'None of the above choices .', 'His broken bone had healed nicely .'] |
Have you ever noticed that some people are able to effortlessly remember even the most boring details, and quickly understand new things, and wished that you too could be like that? To unlock the full potential of your brain, you need to keep it active and acute. But how? Check out these tips:
* Exercise & get your body moving
Exercising doesn't just exercise the body; it also helps to exercise your brain. Without regular exercise your blood vessels begin to lose the ability to effectively pump blood and it also reduces the amount of oxygen and nutrients that your blood carries to your brain. When the nutrients don't make it there, the brain's ability to function is compromised. To prevent this from happening, make sure you get moving every day. Walking, swimming and dancing are all excellent activities.
* Get rid of stressors and seek help for depression
Among the most brain-damaging stressors is severe depression, which is actually often mistaken for a memory problem since one of its primary symptoms is the inability to concentrate. If you can't concentrate, you might feel like you are constantly forgetting things. Depression increases the levels of cortisol in your brain, which affects your memory. Seek professional help to get rid of your depression -- your brain will thank you.
* Feed your brain
50 to 60 percent of the brain's overall weight is pure fat, which is used to insulate its billions of nerve cells. The better insulated a cell is, the quicker you will be thinking. This is exactly why parents are advised to feed their young children whole milk. Thus, eating foods that contain a healthy mix of fats is vital for long-term memory. Some excellent food choices include fish and dark leafy green vegetables. | Why should parents feed their babies whole milk? | Because babies' brains need fat to grow and work properly. | ["Because less than half of the brain's overall weight is pure fat.", 'Because whole milk is very easy for babies to digest.', 'Because no other food is more suitable for babies than milk.'] |
On Monday night, back on the way home from school, I was suddenly faced with a big snow storm which I had never met before. The traffic was moving at 5 mph on the freeway where it usually requires at least 60 mph. The road is very slippery. Sometimes the car is out of control, slipping to the other side. I finally managed to drive to the Issaquah. However, I still got stuck in the traffic on an uphill way to my home. Why I lived in the house on the top of the hill? I had no choice but left my car in the road. Fortunately, there was a nice guy coming to help me drive the car to the parking lot so that I would not get a ticket from the policeman. When he first opened my car door and asked me if I needed any help, I thought I saw an angle. No kidding, I was totally frustrated at that moment until I saw the guy.
After waiting in the parking lot for almost 3 hours, my husband's cousin finally managed to come to "rescue" me by his four-wheel drive car and sent me to my in-laws' home because the road to my house was closed. When I got to my bed in the end, it was over midnight. I spent almost 5 hours outside instead of 20 minutes as usual. But I was lucky, because I knew later that some people spent 7 or 10 hours to go home, and just by walking rather than by driving.
This strong snow storm has messed up the traffic of Seattle and I get an unforgettable experience from it. | Where did the author spend the night that day? | At home. | ['At the school.', "In her husband's cousin's home.", "In her in laws' home."] |
The Yale Peabody Museum is open:
Monday through Saturday 10:00 a. m. to 5:00 p. M.
Sunday Noon to 5:00 p. m.
The Museum is closed on New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.
Admission Fees:
$9.00 Adults
$8.00 Senior citizens 65 years and over
$5.00 Children ages 3 through 18, and college students with ID
$4.00 Group admission
To receive this reduced admission, groups must make a reservation at least 2 weekdays in advance. Group admission is only available with a written confirmation brought to the Museum at the time of the visit.
More attention:
Some halls may be closed to the public on weekday mornings during the academic year for school group programs, so we recommend visiting after 1 p.m. on weekdays or at any time on the weekends.
There is no cafeteria or lunchroom at the Peabody. Information on local eating places is available through our Restaurant Guide or at the Admission Desk in the lobby. Visitors are welcome to picnic on the lawns around the Museum.
Photography with handheld cameras is permitted in exhibition halls for personal use only; photography of The Age of Mammals is prohibited at all times. All other uses require the advance written permission of the Yale Peabody Museum.
Highlights Tours of the Museum are offered at no extra charge every Saturday and Sunday at 12: 30 and 1: 30 p.m. These 45minute tours of the Yale Peabody Museum's exhibition halls are led by one of our specially trained volunteer guides.
The Museum offers free individual admission on Thursday afternoons from 2: 00 to 5: 00 p.m. during the months of September to June.
Admission is free to any individual with a valid Yale ID. Check out a Peabody Museum pass at your local library. A Museum pass will give you $5 off each admission for up to 4 people. Ask for it at your local library. | Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage? | Photography is not allowed in exhibition halls for commercial use. | ['Admission for Yale students to visit the Museum is free.', 'Extra money is supposed to be paid for guides while visiting the Museum.', 'Some exhibition halls are not open Monday through Friday.'] |
by : Eva SinesNEWS - NCsoft unveiled new screenshots for its upcoming Aion : The Tower of Eternity at PAX 08 . The reason why these screenshots are so breathtaking should be obvious once you know that Aion uses the CryTek Sandbox 1.0 Engine . While there are a few gorgeous screens featuring weather and environments , the majority offer a glimpse of the Asmodian right of Ascension . This is the time where a young Asmodian earns her wings . | What does the passage discuss ? | Programming and releasing a movie . | ['Cooking and creating a great tasting dish .', 'Building a business from the ground up .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
What is so different about Moisture Surge?
These hydrating formulas rapidly make thirsty skin smooth and soft. Oil-free and fit for all skin types, they help:
Quickly increase skin's moisture level with hydrating relief in a high-speed delivery system; Restore skin's moisture balance; Make up dry lines.
Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief
Rapid, long-lasting hydration in a refreshing oil-free gel . Fast-absorbing formula locks in moisture all day and helps skin better resist dry despite great shifts in humidity. Use whenever, wherever needed, under or over makeup, or as a 5-minute moisture mask .
Moisture Surge Face Water Thirsty Skin Relief
Refreshing facial water. Great for use anytime, anywhere, under or over makeup.
Moisture Surge Extra Refreshing Eye GEL*
Cool and comfortable eye gel. Doctor-tested. Use whenever needed, under or over makeup.
Moisture Surge Facial Sheet Mask*
Refreshing, pre-moistened full-face sheet mask. Apply 1-2 times a week for a quick moisturizing. To use: unfold and apply to clean skin. Rest for 10 minutes, and then remove the mask.
Moisture Surge Refreshing Eye Mask*
Refreshing pre-moistened eye pads . Apply 1-2 times a week to reduce under-eye puffiness and skin with quick hydration. To use: remove pads from packets and separate. Apply to clean under-eye skin. Rest for 10 minutes, and then remove pads.
Moisture Sheer Tint 15*
Refreshing, wash of color that hydrates and makes skin bright with special materials and SPF 15 sunscreen. Three skin-friendly shades wear beautifully alone or under makeup.
WARNING: keep out of eyes.
Stop use if any pain occurs. Keep out of reach of children.
Please pay attention to: *stands for "Not available in all countries. " | Which of the following products can NOT be used over makeup? | Moisture Sheer Tint SPF15. | ['Moisture Surge Face Water Thirsty Skin Relief.', 'Moisture Surge Extra Refreshing Eye Gel.', 'Moisture Surge Extended Thirty Relief.'] |
Smart Exercise
Doctors are starting to find more and more information that suggests a connection between exercise and brain development. Judy Cameron, a scientist at Oregon Health and prefix = st1 /ScienceUniversity, studies brain development. According to her research, it seems that exercise can make blood vessels, including those in the brain, stronger and more fully developed. Dr. Cameron claims this allows people who exercise to concentrate better. As she says: "While we already know that exercise is good for the heart, exercise can literally cause physical changes in the brain."
The effects of exercise on brain development can even be seen in babies. Babies who do activities that require a lot of movement and physical activity show greater brain development than babies who are less physically active. With babies, even a little movement can show big results. Margaret Barnes, a pediatrician , believes in the importance of exercise. She thinks that many learning disabilities that children have in elementary school or high school can be traced back to a lack of movement as babies. "Babies need movement that stimulates their five senses. They need to establish a connection between motion and memory. In this way, as they get older, children will begin to associate physical activity with higher learning," says Margaret.
Older people can beef uptheir brains as well.CornellUniversitystudied a group of seniors ranging in age from seventy to seventy-nine. Their study showed a short-term memory increase of up to 40 percent after exercising just three hours a week. The exercise does not have to be very difficult, but it does have to increase the heart rate. Also, just like the motion for infants, exercise for older people should involve some complexity. Learning some new skills or motions helps to open up memory paths in the brain that may not have been used for a long time.
For most people, any type of physical activity that increases the heart rate is helpful. The main goal is to increase the brain's flow of blood. And your brain can benefit from as little as two to three hours of exercise a week. | The title of the passage implies that | exercise keeps the brain strong. | ['only smart people do exercise.', 'exercise can be smart or stupid.', 'it is fashionable to do exercise.'] |
The greatest recent changes have been in the lives of women. During the twentieth century there was an unusual shortening of the time of a woman's life spent in caring for children. A woman marrying at the end of the 19th century would probably have been in her middle twenties, and would be likely to have seven or eight children, of whom four or five lived till they were five years old. By the time the youngest was fifteen, the mother would have been in her early fifties and would expect to live a further twenty years, during which custom, chance and health made it unusual for her to get paid work. Today women marry younger and have fewer children. Usually a woman's youngest child will be fifteen when she is forty-five and is likely to take paid work until retirement at sixty. Even while she has the care of children ,her work is lightened by household appliances and convenience foods.
This important change in women's way of life has only recently begun to have its full effect on women's economic position. Even a few years ago most girls left school at the first opportunity and most of them took a full-time job. However, when they married, they usually left work at once and never returned to it.
Today the school-leaving age is sixteen, many girls stay at school after that age , and though women tend to marry younger ,more married women stay at work at least until shortly before their first child is born. Many more after wads, return to full or part-time work. Such changes have led to a new relationship in marriage, with both husband and wife accepting a greater share of the duties and satisfaction of family life, and with both husband and wife sharing more equally in providing the money and running the home, according to the abilities and interest of each of them. | When she was over fifty, the late 19th century mother _ . | was unlikely to find a job even if she is now likely | ['would expect to work until she died', 'was usually expected to take up paid employment', 'would be healthy enough to take up paid employment'] |
How important is your mobile phone, better known to Americans as a cellphone? Jack said, "I use my phone all the time. I'm always on my phone." Ann said, "It's important to me because it's like my life saver." Jenny said, "I need my cellphone. I cannot live without it."
So far, no studies have proven beyond question that the radio signals from cellphones cause brain cancer or other health problems. But a new study by government scientists in the United States has some people wondering what to think. The scientists have found that holding a cellphone to your ear for more than fifty minutes increases brain cell activity. Even the scientists themselves are not sure about the meaning of their findings.
Dr Nora Volkow led the study. She heads the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health. Dr Volkow says she is not concerned that fifty minutes of cellphone exposure would harm anyone. But she says the research does show the need to study whether there are long-lasting effects of repeated exposure over several years.
Her team studied forty-seven healthy volunteers between January and December of 2009. The volunteers had cellphones placed against both ears while the scientists made images of their brain activity. As part of the test, one phone was activated for fifty minutes. The other phone was off. After that, the volunteers were tested with both phones turned off. Dr Volkow says the brain scans showed increased activity in brain cells closest to the activated phone.
The scans showed how the brain cells used sugar to produce energy, a normal activity. The activity was seven percent higher in areas of the brain closest to the cellphone antenna .
Dr Giuseppe Esposito is a nuclear medicine expert at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington. He says after many years of studies, better kinds of research are still needed to settle questions about cellphone safety. These studies would take years. | Which statement would Dr Giuseppe Esposito probably agree with? | There is still a long way to go to find out whether cell phones are safe to use. | ['Cell phone safety is not an important issue.', "It goes without saying that cell phones harm people's health.", 'Few studies have been done on whether cell phones are safe to use.'] |
We were all waving our twenties goodbye , and if we were to stay at home , that would be an even more pathetic story . I shut my eyes , and opened them again . There I was , at the train station . Waiting , and waiting . | Why did I open what is needed to be open ? | I needed to open my eyes so I could see again . | ['The train door needed to be open .', 'None of the above choices .', 'The train door has to be open so I can get in .'] |
More men are finding their calling as nurses.
A new study from the United States Census Bureau reports the number of male nurses has doubled since the l970s.Back then,about 2.7 percent of registered nurses were men.The new study,which tracked data through 2011,finds that men now make up 9.6 percent of all employed nurses in the United States about 330,000 men in total.Recent years of shortages have led to increased efforts,according to report,which included recruiting men into the field.
Men,in fact,had been largely kept out of nursing in past decades because nursing schools often refused to admit men.The Supreme Court ruled that practice unconstitutional in l981 after a case involving a state nursing school.
"The ly high wages and expanding Job opportunities makes this field attractive,offering stability even during recessions ,"wrote the report's author,Liana Christin Landivar of the U.S.Census Bureau,"And because of high demand,nursing has low unemployment rates compared to other fields.''
Men were found to be more likely to become nurse anesthetists ,which is the highest paid nursing occupation,and were found least likely to become licensed practical or licensed vocational nurses,the lowest paid types of nursin9.Nurse anesthetists are required to get graduate education,and are certified to give anesthetists and monitor patients recovering from anesthesia.1Acensed practical and licensed vocational nurses provide patient care and may work under the supervision of a registered nurse.Registered nurses assess patient health problems and needs,develop and carry Out nursing care plans,maintain medical records,and administer care.
For all types of nursing,men earned,on average,$60,700 per year,while women earned$51,100 per year."Even among men and women in the same nursing occupations,men outlearn women,"wrote Landivar. | Which of the following is true about nurses in the US in the l 970s? | About 2.7%of registered nurses were men. | ['The number of male nurses doubled.', 'There were about 330,000 male nurses,', 'About 9.6%of employed nurses were men.'] |
When I got back from school we installed the 2 optical cables in the tubes who are in the wall . We were lucky and did n't have to remove the Gyproc wall . So now he can finally close all the holes and start the wallpaper and painting . Now there 's one problem , before he can start the wallpaper he needs my electricity cable of the tv . | What has to happen before wallpapering the wall ? | Electricity cable to the TV must be placed on the wall . | ['He needs to turn on the electricity to the house .', 'TV must be mounted on the wall .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
Woohoo ! ! ! And then I got to take a morning nap myself . Abby woke up around 11 , all smiles . ( And looking eerily like her father in this photo . | What may happen after they wake up ? | Abby will want to drink a bottle . | ['Abby will want to take a nap .', 'They will want to take a nap .', 'Abby will look at her father .'] |
i managed to get down to 141 in about 2 weeks ( major fasting / restricting ... falling in " love " kind of helped haha ) .... and two days ago i was 148 after a hugeee binge .. so i m not sure what i am now , but i want to get in the 130s by October . PLEEEEASE fast with meee .. and .... last thing . | Why am I fasting ? | I am trying to lose weight | ['I want to find friends', 'I am trying to get my number up', 'I am trying to fall in love'] |
The black-and-white aerial footage shows a line of purported Taliban insurgents slowly walking along a path in a lightly forested desert in Afghanistan's western Farah province. Suddenly, the screen flashes to white as the men disappear in a fireball — the result of a bomb dropped from a U.S. MQ-9 "Reaper" drone.
"Taliban fighters on the run following Afghan-led offensive in #Farah province, #Afghanistan. Video shows U.S. airpower (MQ-9s) in support," declared a short message accompanying the video, which was posted on the official account of the U.S. military in Afghanistan. Subsequent footage showed more Taliban scrambling, in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid the airstrikes.
The Pentagon footage was released Wednesday, as U.S., NATO and Afghan government forces were locked in a fierce battle with the Taliban for control of the capital of Farah, which borders Iran.
The tweet was unusually graphic. While the U.S. military often releases footage of buildings or vehicles being destroyed, it does not as frequently distribute videos that show individuals being bombed.
Less than 24 hours later, the U.S. Air Force posted its own Afghanistan-related tweet that raised eyebrows — this one referencing a viral audio clip that has sparked a lighthearted online debate among those who hear the word "Laurel" and others who hear "Yanny."
"The Taliban Forces in Farah city #Afghanistan would much rather have heard #Yanny or #Laurel than the deafening #BRRRT they got courtesy of our #A10," read the Air Force tweet.
The Air Force has since apologized and deleted the tweet, saying it was sent in "poor taste." The USFOR-A tweet remains.
In a statement to VOA, a Pentagon spokesperson said the tweets do not represent a new social media strategy.
"As with any other organization, the post was an attempt to bring awareness to a major/ongoing organizational activity by tying it to references or conversations already trending with their established audiences," said Lieutenant Colonel Kone Faulkner. | At the end of the story, the spokesman probably is | Still the Pentagon spokesman | ['Did not think the tweet was in poor taste', 'not enough information', 'Did not want to raise awareness'] |
Thursday night Doug Stanhope hit Reno , But he did n't play at in some posh casino showroom , he played at the Zephyr Lounge - exactly where I 'd want to see him . I ' ve only gone there a few times , but the Zephyr is the seedy kind of bar that I really feel at home at . It 's cramped , there 's old dirty couches at the bar that you really do n't want to examine . | How may someone describe Doug Stanhope ? | Doug is an sketchy and untrustworthy person since he played in Zephyr Lounge . | ['Doug is posh person since he prefers to play in a fancy casino showroom .', 'Doug is an sketchy and untrustworthy person since he played in a posh casino showroom .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
Thank you for the A2A …..
What has been your biggest heartbreak during your adult years?
Had I answered this question 20 years ago, it would have been the death of my Daddy … Had it been 12 years ago, it would have been the death of my Mother … Had it been 10 years ago, it would have been when my son turned his back on God so far that he went into satanism … As it is now ~ I would have to say that the biggest heartbreak in my life was 3 years ago when I discovered (online) that my beautiful daughter had begun taking Testosterone injections.
Believe me ~ I’ve been told time after time that her decision to do so is her own … to that fact I will agree. What I cannot agree with though, is that I have no right to feel hurt, upset, or any of the other assorted emotions that come with having a transgender child!! It’s not okay to be devastated by the choices my little girl makes … Its not okay to not agree with what she’s doing to herself … It’s not gonna have an impact on her family … It’s not something that is allowed to affect our relationship …
The ONLY thing that matters ~ is the transgender person and how they feel!!!!
One of the biggest things that bothers me is when I’m told that I can’t love my child ~ unless I accept that she wants to be a male and give her support with that decision. I can say that I do love my daughter ~ I always have ~ and I always will. A mother’s love doesn’t go away.
***To those who wish to attack me for what I have to say on the topic of transgenderism ~ I respect your right to tell me your opinion and why you think I’m wrong … but my feelings matter, too, and deserve that same respect from you.***
Wishing you the best!! | The mom believes that | people are after her kid | ['that people are evil', 'not enough information', 'that the world hates trangender'] |
Angela Hammerly dedicated her life to becoming District Attorney. At 42, she had never been married, or even seriously dated. All she could think about, night and day, was her ultimate goal. And her dream finally came true, thanks to the death of 74-year-old Porter Strickley.
She could not deny that she had learned the job well, working for that old pain-in-the-butt. He was 57 when she interviewed for the position of Assistant District Attorney. At the time, she thought he was 70.
Two months ago, she had become the District Attorney. She loved seeing her name on the door. And she felt a rush of adrenaline every time a judge referred to her as 'The District Attorney' in open court. The D.A.'s office would be better than ever--now that she was running the show.
There was a soft knock, and Andrea Newly opened the door just enough to peek in.
"Come in, Andrea." Angela sometimes wondered if she had made a mistake two weeks ago when she hired this timid young lady as her assistant. Angela had been impressed with her resume. But in person, Andrea was quiet, and seemed to be rather intimidated by Angela.
But Andrea was enthralled with every word Angela spoke. And the new D.A. couldn't resist the prospect of being god to her assistant. She had hired her on the spot, even though she knew Andrea would stress her patience.
But Angela was confident the 25-year-old could be molded into her mentor's image. And thereby, become a powerful force for justice in the D.A.'s office.
Andrea took a chair across from the D.A. The furniture in the District Attorney's office was similar to that found in most old government offices-largely unchanged since the 1950s. Yet the hardwood chairs and desks were of such good quality that an exact replacement would be cost prohibitive in today's market. Angela planned to upsize her diminutive desk as soon as possible, even if the money came out of her own pocket. | What about Andrea's resume impressed Angela the most? | not enough information | ['school', 'previous employers', 'extracurricular activities'] |
The Wall Street Journal Asia Edition(prefix = st1 /U. S.), the Globe and Mail(Canada), the Guardian(U. K. ),among other foreign news agencies,have recently published articles on China's earthquake relief. They have all praised the earthquake relief efforts made by the Chinese government.
The Wall Street Journal Asia Edition published an article on May 21 saying that on the eighth day of the most serious natural disaster to hit China in decades, rescuing survivors from the ruins had been quickly replaced by the _ challenge of helping them. The article said that people overseas have been deeply impressed by earthquake relief efforts by the Chinese government.
The Associated French Press(AFP) reported on May 21 that Chinahas become more open during the campaign. Aircraft loaded with relief supplies from Ukraine,Russia,the United States, Singapore and other countries have arrived in disaster areas in southwestern China.
The Associated Press(AP) published an article on May 21 reporting that Chinais making great efforts to deal with an extremely difficult task caused by the earthquake how to provide temporary shelter far so many people. The article said that many tents have been built;and food and medical care are provided to the people whose lives have been completely disturbed by the earthquake.
The Global and Mail of Canada published an article on May 20 that said the rapid earthquake relief work in Sichuan demonstrates China's powerful economic strength. An article carried in the British Guardian said that one week after the Sichuan earthquake,China began a three-day national mourning period at 14:28 on may 19, and all Chinese people stood in silence for three minutes in memory of the victims.
The ongoing search and rescue action is encouraged by one miraculous survivor after another: Chinese officials said that,so far, no epidemic had occurred after the earthquake. | What is the best title of the passage? | Foreign media praiseChina's earthquake relief work. | ["The rapid relief work in Sichuan showsChina's powerful economic strength.", 'The most serious natural disaster hitChinain decades.', "Many people's lives were disturbed by the earthquake."] |
I have sustained many injuries from the outside world . My house is n't much safer . I run into walls , i trip over toys . I once tripped over one of Brady 's toys and slammed into the doors that hide my washer and dryer . | What will happen to the narrator and this house ? | The narrator will seek to make the house more safe . | ['The narrator will seek to make the house sellable .', 'The narrator will seek to make the house more appealing to buyers .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
i try to do handstands for you Bad numbers in : i try to do handstands for you . Antitrust regulators about i try to do handstands for you , are boring nevertheless again . Book of photographs note before benefits as a order this king .com construction guitar information lmii . | What may be the purpose of this post ? | Poetry | ['A novel', 'A short story', 'None of the above choices .'] |
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — During his first year in office, South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s persistent pursuit of diplomacy, often working in parallel with U.S. President Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign, played a significant role in persuading North Korea to engage in talks to end its nuclear program.
“Before the extreme measures might have been chosen by the United States, he gave diplomacy another chance to succeed,” said Bong Young-shik, a political analyst with the Yonsei University’s Institute for North Korean Studies in Seoul.
A year ago this week, Moon, a former human rights lawyer and candidate for the progressive Democratic Party, won a special presidential election held after former conservative President Park Geun-hye was impeached for her involvement in a bribery and corruption scandal. This year, Park was sentenced to 24 years in prison during criminal trial related to the scandal in which she was charged with abuse of power, coercion and bribery.
Moon assumed power at a time of increasing tensions, not just concerning North Korea’s accelerated nuclear and ballistic missile tests, but also China’s imposing of informal economic sanctions against South Korea for deploying the U.S. THAAD missile defense system, and the Trump administration’s talk of possible military action to end the North’s efforts to develop a nuclear armed intercontinental missile that could strike the U.S. mainland.
In his inaugural address in May 2017, Moon promised to engage in shuttle diplomacy with Washington, Beijing and Pyongyang to work out a peaceful solution to the growing crisis.
In a July speech in Berlin, President Moon laid out his vision for inter-Korean reconciliation that called for peaceful co-existence of the two Korean governments, but also said that denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is “the absolute condition for peace.”
But unlike past progressive South Korean governments that provided unconditional economic assistance, the Moon administration complied with economic sanctions in place and offered only cooperation on humanitarian aid and exchanges. Seoul also balanced its outreach efforts with maintaining strong support for the U.S. alliance, for joint military deterrence, and for imposing increasingly harsh U.S.-led economic sanctions against North Korea. | When did former conservative President Park Geun-hye get impeached for bribery and corruption? | A year ago | ['not enough information', 'July', 'May 2017'] |
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has unveiled a far-reaching list of demands for any new nuclear deal with Iran, and threatened economy-crushing sanctions if Tehran does not change its behavior.
The 12-point list of demands came in a Monday speech at the conservative Heritage Foundation that laid out the Trump administration's strategy after pulling out of the Iran nuclear agreement earlier this month.
Under any new deal, Pompeo insisted, Iran must indefinitely abandon nuclear weapons work and provide United Nations inspectors access to sites anywhere in the country.He said Tehran must also end its proliferation of ballistic missiles and stop its "destabilizing activities" across the Middle East.
If Iran does not change course, the U.S. "will apply unprecedented financial pressure," Pompeo warned.
"These will be the strongest sanctions in history by the time we are done," said Pompeo. "The [Iranian] regime has been fighting all over the Middle East for years. After our sanctions come into full force, it will be battling to keep its economy alive."
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani dismissed the threats.
"Who are you to decide for Iran and the world?" Rouhani said in a statement published by Iranian state media on Monday. "The world today does not accept that the United States decides for the world. Countries have their independence."
The Trump administration has vowed to reimpose sanctions that were lifted as part of the 2015 nuclear agreement, which was signed between Iran, the United States, and several European countries, as well as Russia and China. Washington has also imposed additional sanctions.
European countries are holding talks with Iran to try to salvage the deal. But it's not clear whether the effort can succeed. On Sunday, Iran's foreign minister, Javad Zarif, said the European Union's "political will is not enough to preserve the deal.”
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini reacted to Pompeo's speech Monday by saying there is "no alternative" to the existing agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and that European nations are already using sanctions to pressure Iran to change its behavior. | How long did it take Iran's foreign minister make comments about European countries attempt to salvage the 2015 nuclear agreement? | a few minutes | ['a few hours', 'a few months', 'not enough information'] |
Sports and amusing activities have given benefits to people. Besides the entertainment that they offer, health, emotional and personal aspects have also been developed through sports and amusement. It's amazing how one can say that he just found his purpose in life through sports. Some people may even devote their lives to a certain sport. Whether being seen as an amusing activity, a pastime or a way of life, sports and amusement are worthy of everyone's praise.
A large number of sports and amusing activities have become very popular both in the past years and at present, such as baseball, basketball, golf, computer and online games, fitness, motor sports, tennis, and so on.
Computer and online games have become very popular at this age. Young people are mostly the fans of this amusement. Entertainment is what it gives. A lot of online games are there to be played. Some are for sale while others can be downloaded for free.
Fitness is in much the same rank. Women are the major customers who take this activity into their lives. The goal for reshaping their bodies to improve their looks is getting more and more attractive. Considering the lovely points of being healthy and fit, all seem to hash through the lines. No one wants to get behind. This is also a way of giving love to ourselves.
We cannot always pass money by. Taking sports or amusement, you'll have to pay for it sometimes. The cost for learning and enjoying sports changes from one to another. Some sports cost very little while others are costly due to expensive equipment and tools to use.
Choosing a sport, however, requires health considerations. Some people are not allowed to play volleyball and similar activities due to having asthma . Playing may make a person tired easily and will trigger an attack of asthma at once. | Women customers take part in fitness mainly_. | to look more attractive | ['to give love to others', 'to make more money', 'to go beyond others'] |
Edinburgh Mela
Time: 25th - 31st August 2008
Tel / Fax: 0131 557 1400
E-mail: info@edinburgh-mela.co.uk
Website: www.edinburgh-mela.co.uk
Each year Edinburgh Mela is Scotland's biggest multicultural arts festival that celebrates in Scotland. Although Edinburgh Mela's roots are in South Asian cultures, this is a festival for everybody. Music, colour, dance, art, fashion, food, children's activities, the Mela bazaar and much more!
Edinburgh International Book Festival
Time: 9th - 25th August 2008
Tel: 0131 718 5666
Fax: 0131 226 5335
E-mail: admin@edbookfest.co.uk
Website: www.edbookfest.co.uk
Edinburgh International Book Festival is the world's biggest book festival. We present different programs for both adults and children including discussions, lectures, debates and workshops, all in one of Edinburgh's most beautiful spaces, Charlotte Square Gardens.
Edinburgh International Festival
Time: 8th - 31st August 2008
Tel: + 44 (0) 131 473 2000
Fax: +44 (0) 131 473 2002
E-mail: eif@eif.co.uk
Website: www.eif@eif.co.uk
Each year the Edinburgh International Festival stages one of the greatest celebrations of the arts, attracting audiences from around the world to the city's exciting atmosphere. The festivities offer a special opportunity to experience the excitement of live performance by internationally well-known artists as well as the joy of discovering new and unfamiliar works.
Edinburgh International Science Festival
Time: 25th March-5th April 2008
Tel: 0131 558 7666
Fax: 0131 557 9177
E-mail: esf@scifest.demon.co.uk
Website: www.sciencefestival.co.uk
The UK's largest Science Festival is back with one of the most exciting line-ups in the Festival's 16-year history. The Science Festival is an unbelievable place for everyone, with events at all levels, all ages and all purses. On offer are 10 days of non-stop shows workshops, presentations, hands-on activities, exhibitions and tours designed to amuse and entertain. Call our ticket hotline on 0131 557 5588. | What do we know about Edinburgh Mela? | It shows kinds of cultures in Scotland. | ['It is deeply rooted in Edinburgh.', 'It is a place to buy and sell things.', 'It offers a chance for you to buy books.'] |
I offer this story to explain how I have come to be fascinated with working with children ... Today I worked the toddler nap time , filling in while the regular teachers had breaks , alone in a room with 9 sleeping children and one cranky wakeful child . She wanted her mommy , she screamed and cried for mommy . I spent the entire hour dreading that she would wake one of the other children , fighting to keep her on her mat and not screaming , mutually exclusive goals . Oh , and ideally , she would get a good nap , too , before naptime was finished . | Where might the narrator work ? | A nursery | ['None of the above choices .', 'A college', 'A high school'] |
We were the only people dancing . Luckily we were n't told off like we have been in other places ... ... We decided to give the aftershow a miss & headed for the cockpit where we DID get told off for dancing by some skanky sailor girls who really should n't have been wearing horizontal stripes . It was packed . | Where does the narrator seem to be hanging out ? | They are at a party . | ['They are at a party with sailors .', 'They are at a sailing party .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
Some day soon the Angel of Death will sound his trumpet for me . But do n't ye dooal an ' greet , my deary ! " - for he saw that I was crying - " if he should come this very night I 'd not refuse to answer his call . | Why is the narrator expressing such skepticism ? | The narrators feels they will die soon . | ['The narrators feels they will be feeling financially tight .', 'The narrators feels they will be let go .', 'The narrators feels they will be fired .'] |
On a warm Monday, Jenny Neilson bought a sandwich and parked her car under some trees. Rolling down the windows to let in fresh air, she settled back to enjoy her lunch. Suddenly she noticed a big _ man running through the parking lot. Before she came to realize what would happen, the man was there, shouting through her window, "Get out!"
Neilson refused.
Pulling open her door, the man seized her by the neck and hair, and threw her out of the car onto the ground. She screamed, grabbing her purse and the keys.
Two reporters of the local newspaper, Robert Bruce and Jeff Jackson, just outside their office building on a break, heard the screams and began running .
When they reached Neilson's car, the attacker had jumped into the driver's seat and was madly searching for the keys. Bruce opened the door, and he and Jackson dragged the man out. The attacker fought back. But even in his cornered panic, he was no match for the two athletic men.
Reggie Miller, a worker of the local newspaper, heard the screams, too. He rushed back to the office to phone the police, and then ran back with some plastic ropes ---- used to tie up newspapers.
With his arms tied tight behind him, the prisoner looked up and said coldly, "I hope you guys feel good about yourselves---- you just caught one of the most wanted men." They ignored him and waited for the police. Later, Bruce and Jackson were shocked to learn the man was the professional carjacker and suspected murderer, whose picture---- but with a full head of hair---- had been recently printed in their own newspaper.
Neilson considers herself lucky though she suffered injuries. She believes the story might have had a different ending if those good people had not come to her aid. "Unfortunately," she said, "many people would never have done what they did, and that is the real truth." | According to the passage , which of the following statements is True? | The carjacker was a suspected murderer the police had been searching for. | ['The two reporters reported the story of the carjacker.', 'The two reporters recognized the carjacker as soon as they saw him.', 'Reggie Miller is also a reporter of the local newspaper.'] |
I really struggle to feel bad for people who actively choose to be miserable and manipulative.
I’m dorky and like to use little proverbs all the time. One of my favorites is this: “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.”
At the end of the day, if someone has a problem, they can never resolve it if they don’t truly wish to. You can give someone all the resources in the world, but you can’t force them to utilize them.
When I was 16, I dated a horrible guy. He was abusive verbally, emotionally, and sexually. He was an incredibly troubled young man and refused to seek help for his severe mental health issues.
I eventually came to understand that he reveled in his misery. It was his identity. He acted like he wanted a cure and I’d set him up with resources, but he refused every single one. He may have struggled with serious mental illnesses, but being miserable perversely made him happy and he loved to use his struggles to justify his inexcusable behavior. He wanted to drag as many people into his fiery pit of anguish as possible.
I later suffered from severe depression myself, and I never once used it as an excuse to hurt other people. My ex wasn’t struggling with his mental health in terms of deliberating and carefully harming others. He was simply exhibiting a personality trait, one he chose to cultivate… and it wasn’t my problem.
I ended up cutting him off completely in spite of all the threats. I will never feel bad for the awful plight he refuses to help himself out of.
I have no patience for that type of person. Know what we call them? Toxic. Poison. A waste of time. | What did she love most about her abusive boyfriend | not enough information | ['His shoes', 'His glasses', 'His smile'] |
HONG KONG -- Hong Kong Disneyland is too crowded, a senior Chinese tourism official said today, hinting that another Disney Park is necessary to accommodate demand from China's huge population.
The comments by Shao Qiwei, director of China's State Administration of Tourism, came a day after Shanghai's mayor Han Zheng said the city was preparing to build China's second Disney theme park.
"China has a very large population. We now have 1.3 billion people. The market is very large. As far as I know, Hong Kong Disneyland is now very crowded," said Shao, whose comments were broadcast on Hong Kong's Cable TV.
The Hong Kong theme park, which opened in September, was widely criticized in January when it turned away hundreds of Lunar New Year holiday makers from mainland China because the park was full. Chaos erupted when angry crowds tried to force their way into the park.
The embarrassing incident prompted a public apology from Hong Kong Disneyland Managing Director Bill Ernest and a dressing down from Hong Kong's leader Donald Tsang. Authorities are carefully studying the issue of overcrowding in preparation for the possible building of the Disney park in Shanghai, Shao said.
The official Xinhua News Agency reported Tuesday that no agreement has been reached on the park in Shanghai, quoting senior vice president of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Leslie Goodman. Hong Kong Disneyland is a joint venture between The Walt Disney Co. and the local government, which shouldered the bulk of the park's construction fees. | The building of a Disney park in Shanghai _ . | remains to be discussed with The Walt Disney Co. | ['has been agreed to by The Walt Disney Co.', 'is financed The Walt Disney Co.', 'will be in the charge of the Shanghai government'] |
Years ago, I was watching a detective show on TV where the fingerprints of a criminal are required. The hero invites the bad guy to his home and offers him a glass of water. The man takes the glass and drinks the water. After he leaves the hero dramatically brings out a handkerchief and picks up the glass. His expressions show the satisfaction at a job well done. The bad guy will soon be arrested.
At that time, I found it amazing - how can prints on a glass identify people? My dad explained that if you were to press your thumb on an inkpad and then on a sheet of white paper you will leave a smudge or print, which no one else in the world can make. The same would be true for each of your fingers. The Chinese were the first to use a fingerprint as a type of identification - it was used as a signature on important documents, although they had no way of independently matching it with the owner.
Each print is one-of-a-kind and no two people have the same characteristic. Scientists and criminologists (those who study criminal characteristics) determine the differences between fingerprints by a careful study of their curves and not by their general shape or pattern.
In 1892, an English scientist, Sir Francis Galton, published a book on using fingerprints to solve crimes. At the same time in Argentina, a police researcher Juan Vucetich was also working towards a fingerprint classification system. However, it was in 1896 that Sir Edward Henry, then serving as Inspector General of Police in India, developed the print classification system that would eventually be used globally.
Sir Edward Henry and his assistant Khan Haque discovered that all fingerprints could be systematically classified according to their general curve patterns. He divided them into three classes on the basis of their general pattern: loops , whorls , and arches . By counting the curve between any two points in the pattern, each of the ten fingers could be classified into a particular group. Taking the group together as a unit you have a complete system of classifying fingerprints.
In June 1897, the world's first fingerprint bureau was set up in Calcutta and in 1901, Sir Edward Henry was appointed head of Scotland Yard in London, where he applied the system. This system, called the science of fingerprint identification, is still used by police departments all over the world today with few changes. | Fingerprints were first used in China to _ . | sign documents | ['capture criminals', 'show respect', 'prove identity'] |
It was September 5, 2009. Lexi Youngberg, then 16, was on vacation in Spring Lake, Michigan. She was riding on a small boat with her friends, Robby and Kaitlin, when a motorboat crashed into them. The sound was so loud that other boaters heard it over the roar of their engines. The teen boy who had been driving the motorboat stepped on the gas by mistake. Kaitlin, 23, had only small cuts, but Robby, 15, had been badly cut by the propeller . And Lexi was floating facedown in the water. When one boater swam to Lexi, she was breathing. However, she was unconscious. She had a deep cut on her head. And the lower part of her left leg, just below the knee, was gone. A doctor rode up in another boat and tried to save Robby, but it was too late.
For Lexi, the good news is that she survived while the bad news is that she lost one of her legs forever. When Lexi looked at her swollen leg, she felt hopeless. But as time passed, Lexi began to feel stronger. She was grateful that her life had been spared, and she decided to make the most of it. At the end of November 2009, Lexi met with Dr. John Hardy, who was an expert at making artificial legs. She hoped he would help her get back to doing the things she loved.
Three years after the accident, Lexi moved on with her life. In spring 2011, she joined a soccer team in her school. That fall, she started college. Lexi is thankful that she can still do the things she loves. One day, she wants to be a physical therapist and work with those with disabilities. But first she plans to compete in the Paralympics. Whatever Lexi decides to do, one thing is certain: Nothing is going to get in her way. | It can be inferred from the text that Lexi was _ . | strong-minded | ['generous', 'creative', 'warm-hearted'] |
All over the world, libraries have begun the Herculean task of making faithful digital copies of the books, images and recordings that preserve the intellectual effort of humankind. For armchair scholars, the work promises to bring such a wealth of information to the desktop that the present Internet may seem amateurish in retrospect. ...
Librarians see three clear benefits to going digital. First, it helps them preserve rare and fragile objects without denying access to those who wish to study them. The British Library, for example, holds the only medieval manuscript ofBeowulfin London. Only qualified scholars were allowed to see it until Kevin S. Kiernan of the University of Kentucky scanned the manuscript with three different light sources (revealing detail not normally apparent to the naked eye) and put the images up on the Internet for anyone to peruse . Tokyo's National Diet Library is similarly creating highly detailed digital photographs of 1,236 woodblock prints, scrolls and other materials it considers national treasures so that researchers can scrutinize them without handling the originals.
A second benefit is convenience. Once books are converted to digital form, patrons can retrieve them in seconds rather than minutes. Several people can simultaneously read the same book or view the same picture. Clerks are spared the chore of reshelving. And libraries could conceivably use the Internet to land their virtual collections to those who are unable to visit in person.
The third advantage of electronic copies is that they occupy millimeters of space on a magnetic disk rather than meters on a shelf. Expanding library buildings is increasingly costly. The University of California at Berkeley recently spent $46 million on an underground addition to house 1.5 million books - an average cost of $30 per volume. The price of disk storage, in contrast, has fallen to about $2 per 300-page publication and continues to drop. | Which one of the following is mentioned as the advantages of E-libraries | Fewer staff will be required in libraries | ['Old manuscripts can be moved more easily', 'Materials can be examined without being touched', 'Libraries will be able to move underground'] |
But I wish I had Nathan or Caleb Lawrence -- or some other nephew or neice with me -- Wendy -- or Amanda -- or Andrew -- or Isaac -- and their older sister -- I do n't know if she hunts . My luck comes when I hunt with the younger hunters . Indeed -- when I hunt with Caleb Swann -- at least on occaision I see deer -- and actually get to shoot at them . And on at least two occaisions Caleb Swann has shot as well . | What may be your reason for wanting to hunt with your nephews ? | I think the youth attracts good fortune . | ['I think I can give good fortune to the youth .', 'I want to help them shoot a deer .', 'My nephew asked to hunt with me .'] |