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Ghostwriters are widely used by celebrities or public figures who wish to publish their autobiographies . The degree of involvement of the ghostwriter in nonfiction writing projects ranges from minor to significant. Various sources explain the role of the ghostwriter and how competent writers can get this kind of work. In some cases, a ghostwriter may be called in just to clean up, edit, and polish a rough draft of an autobiography or a "how-to" book. In other cases, the ghostwriter will write an entire book or article based on information, stories, notes, and an outline, interviews with the celebrity or public figure. The credited authors also indicate to the ghostwriter what type of style, tone, or "voice" they want in the book.
Celebrity books are usually ghostwritten in the first person (I did this and that) or the third person (David Pardon asked the group to recommend someone etc.).
In some cases, such as with some "how-to" books, diet guides, or cookbooks, a book will be entirely written by a ghostwriter, and the celebrity (e.g., a well-known musician or sports star) will be credited as author. Publishing companies use this methodto increase the marketability of a book by associating it with a celebrity or well-known figure. In several countries before elections, candidates employ ghostwriters to produce autobiographies for them so as to gain visibility and exposure. Two of John F. Kennedy's books were almost entirely ghostwritten. Former President Ronald Reagan also released a ghostwritten autobiography.
A consultant or career-switcher may pay to have a book ghostwritten on a topic in their professional area, to establish or enhance their credibility as an "expert" in their field. For example, a successful salesperson hoping to become an inspiring speaker on selling may pay a ghostwriter to write a book on sales techniques. Often this type of book is published in the vanity press, which means that the author is paying to have the book published. This type of book is typically given away to potential clients as a promotional tool, rather than being sold in bookstores. | A ghostwriter does all the following EXCEPT _ for his client, according to the passage. | interview a celebrity | ['correct a piece of writing', 'write a complete book', 'improve a written article'] |
Plus , considering this is the Digital Life section , we knew they would end up using the LOOK AT US BEING ALL COUPLEY AND NATURAL SHARING THIS LAPTOP AND BROWSING THE WORLD WIDE WEB . Unfortunately they did n't use the one of us reenacting meeting for the first time , or the one wear I flashed the camera and Iain threw Mardi Gras beads at me from a balcony . However , saying all that , we are very happy with the photo . ( Let 's be real , look at me at the photo above and now look at me here . | Why did they not use the speaker ’s photos ? | Some of their photos were too inappropriate . | ['They wanted more professional looking photos .', 'They did not look in their photos .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
A good modern newspaper is an extraordinary piece of reading. It is remarkable first for what it contains: the range of news from local crime to international politics, from sport to business to fashion to science, and the range of comment and special features as well, from editorial page to feature articles and interviews to criticism of books, art, theatre and music.
A newspaper is even more remarkable for the way one reads it: never completely, never straight through, but always by jumping from here to there, in and out glancing at one piece, reading another article all the way through, reading just a few paragraghs of the next. A good modern newspaper offers a variety to attract many different readers, but far from one reader is interested in what brings this variety together in. One place is its topicality , its immediate relation to what is happening in your world and your locality now. But immediacy and the speed of production that goes with it mean also that much of what appears in a newspaper has no more than transient value. For all these reasons, no two people really read the same paper: what each person does is to put together out of the pages of that day's paper, his own selection and sequence, his own newspaper. For all these reasons, reading newspapers efficiently, which means getting what you want from them without missing things you need but without wasting time, demands skill and self-awareness as you modify and apply the techniques of reading. | A modern newspaper is remarkable for all the following EXCEPT its _ . | uniform style | ['wide coverage', 'speed in reporting news', 'popularity'] |
Once, while grating potatoes to make potato pancakes, I had a Proustian moment. I can't lay claim to much in the way of literary knowledge, but I do know that Proust's 'Remembrance of Things Past' was prompted by his biting into a pastry and feeling a sense of overwhelming pleasure with no recognizable cause. In my case, I was instantly transported back to the grandmother's kitchen as she and my mother grated potatoes in order to make 'poutine râpée', also known as 'poutines'. People will immediately flash to the Quebecker ethnic food known by the same name. However, in spite of all the Franco-culinary posturing, this is really only French Fries with gravy and, oh yeah, can I have some cheese curds on that? One etymological source indicates that 'poutine' really means 'mess'. If you come from my part of the country, the Quebecker poutine is just another entry in the long list of dishes that will cause you to keel over from a myocardial infarction while shoveling a foot of snow out of the driveway shortly after you've retired; sometimes before. Nope, poutines as I know them are a different creature entirely. They seem to be more of an Acadian thing and none of my friends had even heard of them, much less eaten a single one. Because of the work involved, my mother only made poutines for special times: Christmas, say or Easter. My mother would borrow this grater that was about two feet long and she and my grandmother would set to work. Generally, they started off with an enormous paper sack of potatoes, about 25 pounds or so (We used to buy potatoes by the cartload and store them in a wooden bin in the basement. Because we were cheap labour, the kids would be sent down to retrieve a few for the family meal. It was creepy to descend into the dank cellar, feel our way through the dim obstacle course formed by my grandfather's thousands of tools and bits of wood and locate the bin. After a time in storage, the eyes on potatoes began to sprout pale tendrils and it didn't take much imagination to visualize all kinds of unpleasant creatures waiting to bite our hands as we groped around in the bin. I never worried about the monsters under my bed; just whatever was waiting for me in the potato bin.). | What is another name for a poutines? | poutine rapee | ['not enough information', 'potato pancakes', 'french fries'] |
Imagine two people starting to make out in the middle of a conversation . It was cute that they were in their little bubble , but not so cool when friends were around expecting to interact . More consideration and respect was necessary . | What may be the reason for their thoughts towards the couple ? | None of the above choices . | ["Their friends were sad due to the couple 's actions .", "They thought the couple 's actions were gross .", "They were disgusted by the couple 's actions ."] |
London--- A mother has criticised "selfish" passers-by for failing to help her teenage son after he fainted on a packed tram platform.
Oliver Tiplady was on his way to school when he fainted at the tram stop. But instead of helping the 14-year-old, who was in school uniform,those nearby simply walked around him. Her mother, Susan Tiplady , said, "How can people leave a child for that matter, on the floor like that? How could they all have ignored him? They must have lacked any basic humanity and had no piry on a child." She said her son regained consciousness about ten minutes after fainting at the tram stop last week. "He managed to get up and sit down before his friends turned up, but by then he was too embarrassed to tell them what had happened. It wasn't until he got to school that he told a teacher." she added.
BEIJING - At least 15 pupils were confirmed dead after a school bus rolled over in Xuzhou, East China's Jiangsu province.
The accident occurred around 6 pm on Monday .There were 29 pupils on the bus .The bus was traveling on the road when two electric bikes suddenly cut in and the driver was trying to avoid them.. The bus was produced by Shaolin Auto Co Ltd in Henan province and had a full capacity of 52 passengers.
South Korea ---South Korea's largest mobile phone operator said Thursday that it will offer cell phone users a new noise service that it says will drive away mosquitoes .
SK Telecom Co. said consumers can pay 3,000 won ( ) ($2.50) to download a sound wave that can't be heard by human ears but annoys mosquitoes within a range of three feet. Customers can then play the sound just by hitting a few buttons on their mobile phones. The company claimed that the service worked during tests .The service, which begins Monday, has one drawback: it consumes as much battery power as normal cell phone rings. | After Oliver Tiplady fainted at the tram stop , _ | he came to life and struggled to his feet himself eventually. | ['the passers-by went up to him and helped him up.', 'his friends turned up and helped him up in the end .', 'he told the whole story to his friends and teacher .'] |
He bought the boat in 2001 for almost $ 46,000.00 without a trailer . We bought the trailer for it in December 2007 . This trailer is worth $ 6,500.00 . | What would the subject do once the sale is complete ? | They would hook the two items up . | ['They would buy a boat and a trailer .', 'None of the above choices .', 'They would buy another trailer .'] |
William White sat across from me, fidgeting nervously with an empty packet of artificial sweetener while his coffee went cold, ignored on the table in front of him. He rolled the torn yellow paper up like a tight little spliff, then unrolled it, smoothed it out flat, and then rolled it again. I was midway through my third cup of coffee with no intention of stopping soon. I was tired and edgy, irritated at William for dragging me out at this time of night, and getting even more irritated at his refusal to get to the point. 'Did you know Philip K. Dick had a twin sister?' I stared at him blankly. 'Her name was Jane. She died shortly after their birth. They were six weeks premature,' he continued, his eyes drifting off to the window to his right. I wasn't sure if he was looking at something through it or staring at his own reflection in it. 'Dick never got over Jane's death; her ghost haunted him throughout his life, and the idea of a phantom twin pops up throughout his work. Some have even speculated that Dick's inability to make peace with the loss of his sister contributed to his drug abuse, and by extension also his death at the relatively young age of 53.' He unrolled the sweetener packet, laid it on the table, placed both index fingers together in its center, and then spread them outward, smoothing the paper flat. I reached out and slammed my own hand on top of the packet, preventing him from fiddling with it anymore. 'Sorry,' he said sheepishly. I let out a sigh. 'Not that this isn't fascinating, but did you seriously call me out to Denny's at 3 am for this?' | What was the relationship between Dick and Jane? | she was his twin sister | ['she helped him with his drug abuse', 'not enough information', 'she was his ex-wife'] |
Countess Nicolette de Gobignon pressed a wet cloth tothe King's brow. Though he lay there helpless, still she found him an awesome figure, like a fallen cathedral tower.
Only two other men are as tall, she thought. Amalric and Orlando.
She felt a pang of guilt. How could she be thinking about the troubadour here where her royal master lay slowly dying?
She fixed her eyes on Louis, and on the ivory and wood crucifix that rose and fell on his chest with his labored breathing.
Nicolette felt as if she, too, could hardly breathe. Across the crowded room a fire roared in a huge stone-lined fireplace. The air was stifling. She resented all that made it so, down to the woolen draperies and wall hangings and the thick carpets that sealed in the heat. But she knew that this northern chateau, Pontoise-les-Noyons, a day's ride from Paris, had had to be built to withstand cold, its walls thick and its windows tiny ? so totally unlike the bright, airy Languedoc manor she had grown up in.
Sweat trickled down her brow and stung her eyes. Her breath was coming in little gasps. She felt as if she would faint if she couldn't go outside soon.
Dozens of people, the King's family and courtiers, had packed themselves uselessly into the room, making it even more suffocating. Their whispers, like the buzzing of mosquitoes, irritated Nicolette.
Almost all of them, she was sure, worried more about their own welfare than about the King's. And even Louis's wife and mother, though they grieved for him, were too distracted to do much to alleviate his suffering.
She saw the King's lips quiver, and quickly she bent close to him. Any last words could be terribly important.
"Jerusalem," he mumbled. "Towers - golden. Gates of pearl. Crystal waters." Then he panted heavily.
"Hush, sire," she whispered. "Rest easy." | What is probably true about Nicolette? | She was loyal to the King | ['not enough information', 'She hated the king', 'She was indifferent about the King'] |
It may seem as though the 2020 U.S. presidential election is a long way off. But good luck telling that to President Donald Trump or a dozen or so Democrats contemplating a White House bid two years from now.
Trump has already been out on the campaign trail testing themes for his expected re-election bid. "Our new slogan for 2020. Do you know what it is? Keep America great!" Trump told cheering supporters at a recent rally in Elkhart, Indiana.
But Trump also made it clear he is concerned about this year's congressional midterm elections, in which opposition Democrats are favored to make gains.
"And all of the great momentum that we are having as a country on jobs, on safety, on security, on our military — it is all at stake in November," Trump warned at the Indiana rally.
2020 is expected to produce a bumper crop of Democratic presidential contenders who will vie for their party's nomination. Those in the group range from the well-known like former Vice President Joe Biden and 2016 contender Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont to a younger, less recognizable contingent that includes California Senator Kamala Harris and New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
Several potential Democratic presidential contenders spoke about the party's future at a recent conference in Washington hosted by the Center for American Progress, a Democratic-leaning public policy institute in Washington.
Among the speakers was Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, who said Democrats face an uphill battle to win back control of Congress this year because of long-standing Republican advantages in winning a majority in the House of Representatives.
"We can't climb that hill by ignoring the millions of Americans who are angry and scared about the damage this president and this Republican Party have done to our democracy," Warren told the conference to a round of applause. "We can't ignore it and we shouldn't want to ignore it." | Who is not expected to campaign for presidential election? | Elizabeth Warren | ['Trump', 'not enough information', 'Joe Biden'] |
White House officials on Wednesday laid out plans to send National Guard troops to the United States’ southern border with Mexico, as part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to confront what he says is a growing problem with illegal immigrants.
The decision to deploy the U.S. military to the border represents a major new aspect of Trump’s wide-ranging immigration crackdown. But major parts of the move are unclear, including how many troops will be sent, when they will deploy, or what exactly they will do.
“It will take time to have the details in place, but we are beginning today and are moving quickly,” said Kirstjen Nielsen, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. “We are anxious to have this support.”
In the U.S., the active duty military is generally restricted from domestic law enforcement functions, which would include apprehending border crossers. However, U.S. presidents have deployed the National Guard to the border to act in support roles.
Nielsen said the National Guard troops will help with border surveillance and other “support functions.” She declined to say how large the force would be, but she did say it would include “as many (troops) as is needed to fill the gaps today.”
A senior Trump administration official declined to say whether the National Guard troops will be armed, saying those details are still being worked out. But the official said the force would be effective.
“Suffice it to say, for individuals looking to pay a smuggler to get in the United States right now, that would be a very unwise investment,” the official said.
Trump signed a proclamation authorizing the move Wednesday evening. But states must also approve the decision before deploying their guard members.
Trump repeatedly has threatened to deploy the military to help secure the border, especially as a caravan of Central American migrants makes it way north through Mexico, with some headed for the U.S. | How long will it take for the states to approve National Guard members to go to the border? | a few months at the most | ['not enough information', 'a few hours at the most', 'a few years at the most'] |
As I pulled the covers away to get him to his own room , I quickly realized that my sleep routine would be disturbed . Jordan must have drank a 2 liter bottle of " Piss On The World Juice , " because my comforter , duvet cover , foam mattress pad , mattress pad sheet , fitted sheet , and mattress were soaked . Not on my side of the bed . | What likely happened before the author took off the covers ? | Jordon who was sleeping with her wet the bed . | ['Jordon spilled his juice on the bed , comforter , cover and mattess pad .', 'None of the above choices .', 'Jordon got on my side of the bed and i moved him .'] |
It is said that there's no such thing as a free lunch, but even if you manage to bag a bargain meal, it will not taste as good as a more expensive choice, according to scientists.
A new study has found that restaurant goers who pay more for their meals think the food is tastier than offered for a smaller price. The experts think that people tend to associate cost with quality and this changes their perception of how food tastes.
Scientists at Cornell University studied the eating habits of 139 people enjoying an Italian buffet in a restaurant. The price of the food was set by the researchers at either $4 or $8 for the all-you-can-eat meal. Customers were asked to rate how good the food tasted, the quality of the restaurant and to leave their names.
The experiment showed that the people who paid $8 enjoyed their meal 11% more than those who ate the "cheaper" buffet. Interestingly those that paid for the $4 buffet said they felt guiltier about loading up their plates and felt that they overate. However, the scientists said that both groups ate around the same quantity of food in total.
Brian Wansink, a professor of consumer behavior at the university, said: "We were fascinated to find that pricing has little effect on how much one eats, but a huge effect on how you interpret the experience." He thinks that people enjoyed their food more as they associated cost with quality and that small changes to a restaurant can change how tasty people find their meals.
In a previous study, researchers from the university showed that people who eat in bright lighting consume more than people who eat in less brightly lit areas. | The passage is intended to _ . | inform readers of a new study | ['promote marketing methods', 'teach consumers how to eat better', 'find the association between cost and quality'] |
Ever since farmers began to grow grain, they have had to protect their crops from birds. In the 1300's, English farmers hired children to protect their crops. They were called "bird scares". The children chased birds and threw stones at them.
Bird scares were replaced in the 1800's by scarecrows. A scarecrow is anything that is set in a field to scare birds away. Often it is a pole dressed like a person. Some farms with small fields still use scarecrows today.
Farming became big business in the twentieth century. Scarecrows could no longer protect the huge fields of grain, so farmers used poisonous chemicals on the fields. The poison made the grain bitter. The birds usually would not eat the bitter grain.
Although they can prevent crops from being destroyed by insects and birds, some chemicals can be harmful to humans. Therefore, farmers are using fewer chemicals now than they did twenty years ago. Perhaps scarecrows may be seen more often in the fields in the future. | Which statement from the passage supports the idea that scarecrows may be seen more often in the fields in the future? | Farmers are using fewer chemicals. | ['Scarecrows could no longer protect fields.', 'They were called "bird scares".', 'English farmers hired children.'] |
*Basic Study Manual Hardcover: $ 37.50
Future success depends on the ability to learn. Here are the answers to the questions most often asked by parents, teachers, business trainers and by students themselves. Read this book and learn:
* What the three barriers to study are - and what to do about them
* What to do if you get tired of a subject you are studying
* Twenty-six simple drills to help you learn how to study easily, rapidly and with full understanding
* Buy and read the Basic Study Manual and use it to dramatically improve your ability to study.
*Study Skills for Life Hardcover: $31.99
L. Ron Hubbard's study technology for teenagers opens the door to their future success by giving them the ability to study and learn. Fully illustrated for easy comprehension.
* Learning How to Learn Hardcover: $24.99
The basics of effective study for 8-to 12-year olds, fully illustrated. Children who read and apply the materials in this book regain their liking for study and their ability to apply this knowledge in life. Get this book for a child you want to see win at his studies!
* How to Use a Dictionary Picture Book for Children Hardcover: $34.90
In spite of billions of dollars spent on "educational research," children are not taught the most basic skills of learning, even the most basic of these: how to use a dictionary. In fact, a search of educational books for children found not one that told them how to use a dictionary -or that one should. Written for children 8 to 12-year old, this fully illustrated book will teach your child:
* How to find words in a dictionary
* The different ways that words are used
* What the different marks and symbols that are used in a dictionary mean
* How to use a dictionary to correctly pronounce words
Includes a section for parents and teachers showing you how to use this book with children. Buy this book and give it to your children to unlock their education. What's more, you'll just pay 50% for it before May 1, 2008. | Some of the four books were illustrated in order to _ . | help readers understand the book | ['persuade readers to buy them', 'reduce the cost of the books', 'make the books suitable to different readers'] |
I ' m going to reread a book on issues with Indians and drugs for my book report ( I gave the same book to Bryan as a present -- he is Native American , so I am allowed to say Indian -- at least around him . ) And did I ever tell the story in here about my first boss where I work now seeing us together 7 years ago , thinking I was also Indian ? I was in his office and he handed me the phone to talk to a caseworker who needed a Native American therapist . She said she just heard I was , and I said , " No , you must be mistaken . | Why did the boss hand him the phone ? | The boss thought he was Native American . | ['The narrator claimed to be Native American .', 'The narrator thought he was Native American .', 'The boss thought he was Canadian .'] |
Walking along a lake in the cold winter, Birbal and the king made a bet that a man would do anything for money.
The king said, "I don't think a man would spend an entire night in the cold water of this lake for money."
Birbal replied, " I'm sure I can find such a person."
The king asked Birbal to find such a person and said that he would reward the person with a thousand gold coins.
Birbal searched far and wide and finally found a poor man. When he entered the lake, the king had guards around him to make sure that he really did as promised.
The poor man made it. He told the king that there had been a street lamp nearby and that he had kept his attention on the lamp and managed to avoid the cold. The king then said that there would be no reward as he relied on the warmth of the street lamp.
The poor man went to Birbal for help.
The next day, Birbal did not go to court . The king went to Birbal's house and see what he was up to.
He found Birbal sitting on the floor near some burning branches and a bowl filled with rice hanging five feet above the fire. The king and his followers couldn't help but laugh.
The king then said to Birbal, "How can the rice be cooked if it is so far away from the fire?"
Birbal answered, "The same way the poor man received heat from a street lamp that was more than two thousand meters away."
Finally, the king gave the poor man his reward. | Why did Birbal not go to court the next day? | He wanted to help the poor man. | ['He was angry with the king.', 'He had not had breakfast.', "He didn't feel comfortable."] |
DID you get a flu shot this year? For the first time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the prefix = st1 /USis recommending that all children aged from 6 months to 18 years receive the flu vaccine.
Vaccines battle diseases caused by bacteria and viruses. A weakened form of the germ is introduced into the body. The body makes special substances called antibodies to fight the germs. If the actual germs were to attack, the antibodies would fight it.
Because there are many kinds of flu viruses, scientists must create a new vaccine formula each year. Researchers must make a prediction.
It is like forecasting the weather. Sometimes they are right on, and sometimes they are off. But even when the vaccinedoes not closely match circulating flu types, it can make the illness less serious.
"The flu vaccine is not as effective as the polio vaccine or the measles vaccine," says Dr William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. "It's not a great vaccine, but it is quite a good vaccine."
But a flu vaccine doesn't work for everyone. There are certain people who should be careful about taking it.
Because the vaccine is produced in eggs, those who are allergic to eggs should not take it. If you have a fever, you should wait until you recover.
Some people are afraid that they might get the flu from the flu shot. Scientists say that it is not possible, because the viruses in the flu shot are inactivated. But some minor side effects such as low-grade fever and body ache could occur. If they do, they begin soon after the shot and usually last only one to two days.
Did you know?
Smallpox was the first disease people tried to prevent by putting a virus into a healthy person. In 1796, English scientist Edward Jenner placed some infected material under a boy's skin. | Which of the following is the proper definition of "vaccine"? | Substance containing virus used for protecting people against diseases. | ['virus used for fighting against disease.', 'Antibodies to fight germs.', 'Formula to fight against disease.'] |
When Julio Diaz stepped off the subway after work one night, he was simply planning to go to his favorite local diner for a meal. But when a teenage boy approached him with a knife, Diaz knew the evening was about to take a more dramatic turn.
The young man demanded Diaz's wallet, and Diaz passed it over without objection . But just as he turned to walk away, Diaz called, "Hey, wait a minute. You forgot something."
The young man turned around, surprised.
"If you're going to rob people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep warm."
The teenager looked at Diaz in disbelief, and asked why he would do such a thing. Diaz replied, "If you're willing to risk your freedom for a few dollars, I guess you must really need the money."He said he was heading out for dinner, and that he would be happy to take someone with him.
The young man decided to _ his offer. As they were sitting at the table, the manager, dishwashers and waiters all stopped over to say hello to Diaz, and the young man was amazed at his popularity.
"Haven't you been taught that you should be nice to everybody?"Diaz asked him.
"Yeah, but I didn't think people actually behaved that way," the teenager replied. Thanks to Diaz, he was beginning to see that kindness wasn't so strange, after all.
When the bill came, Diaz told the teen that he'd have to get the check. After all, he still had Diaz's wallet.
But the teenager put the wallet on the table without a moment's thought, and Diaz treated him to dinner. Diaz also gave the would-be robber a $20 bill -- in exchange for his knife. "I figure, you know, if you treat people right, you can only hope that they treat you right," Diaz said. | When a teenage boy approached him with a knife, Diaz was on his way _ . | to have a meal. | ['to the subway station.', 'to his workplace.', 'to see a drama.'] |
You can mail a letter or package under 16 oz. (unit of weight, 454g) in a mailbox, a blue box found on many street corners in U.S. cities and towns. Each mail box should have pick-up times clearly posted on top.
!Packages over 16 oz. placed in a mailbox will not be sent. Bring the package to the post office or retail mailing shop instead. The clerk will process if for you.
The Post Office
In the larger cities, when you go to the post office you must take a number and wait in line. Post offices tend to be extremely crowded around Christmas. Try to go as early in the morning as possible. Post office branches open at 9 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. while main branches close at 6 p.m.
Buying Stamps
! The cost of a first-class postage stamp to mail a letter is currently 39 cents, although rates tend to change often.
Stamps are sold individually or in booklets of 10 (US$3.90) or 20(US$7.80) or in rolls of 100(US$9.00). You can buy stamps at the following locations:
*online, if you have a computer.
Link to the U.S. Postal Service website (http://www. usps.com) and click on "stamps online".
*at your local post office
*at some ATMs (automated teller machine)
*at some supermarkets
*by mail
*retail mailing stores(you may have to pay extra for stamps and to mail packages through the U.S. Postal Service)
Postal Rates and Fees
The U.S. Postal Service's online postage calculator tells you the cost to mail a letter or package anywhere in the world. But you should know the weight of the package and the post code of the package's origin and destination. If you don't know the weight of the letter or package to be mailed, you can go to your local post office and the postal clerk will weigh it for you. | When do the post office main branches close? | At 6 p.m. | ['At 9 p.m.', 'At 5 p.m.', 'At 5:30 p.m.'] |
Sinister 's calm voice interrupted the struggle . He moved round in front of Eclipse , defenceless , his hands empty . " If that 's how you feel , then OK , go for it . Go on , pull the trigger . | What may have caused the struggle to be interrupted ? | Someone spoke up in the middle of it . | ['Sinister was left defenseless .', 'Someone pulled the trigger .', 'Eclipse spoke up in the middle of it .'] |
"Holding girls back from an education is robbing them of their dignity ," says Mariam, a teacher, in an interview with Action Press.
"I feel proud when I tell people that I'm from Swat in Pakistan, with its green and mountainous valley. But I don't feel proud about the number of women and girls where I'm from who are still being unable to enjoy the right for an education.
"I have taught many students -- including Malaya, the young education activist who was shot in the head as travelling to school in Pakistan after campaigning for girls' education. Among them I see the dignity that education can offer. This is why I have long been devoted to teaching, and why I am doing what I can to make sure that all girls have the chance to go to school.
"At the Khushaal school and college in Mingora, many girls are prevented from going to school because of poverty and fights. However, the most common reasons for girls not attending classes are cultural. People fear that females will become too independent if educated. Instead, parents prefer to marry off girls early. Girls and young women are considered a financial burden if left dependent on their parents."
"In the school where I have been teaching for over ten years, I have seen how this discrimination plays out. Parents regard an educated and independent female as being too clever for her own. Even if parents agree to give a girl an education, a limit is set to the number of years for her to attend classes and it is common for girls to make it through only primary school. This is why I have been working tirelessly to change these damaging views and cultural practices. These are crimes against humanity ,which I have no choice but to strongly accuse of."
"Malala was right to fight for her education." says Mariam, who will be in New York with UNESCO , delivering a speech calling for world leaders to make sure every child gets a chance to go to school. | What will Mariam appeal for in her speech? | Equal access for boys and girls to education. | ['Accusing of the shooting of the schoolgirl.', 'Sex balance among children of school age.', 'Independence of girls with a good education.'] |
I lost my baby boy at 31 weeks of pregnancy in February 2013.
My heart shattered into a million pieces that weekend in February.
I knew that I wanted the chance to bring home another live, healthy baby in my arms.
I had some medical issues that would concern doctors during a uncomplicated pregnancy and would put me at high risk if, and that at the time was a big if I was able to get pregnant, and could I make it past the second trimester.
I had doctors who supported my decision to try again, but my body wasn’t co operating.
2015. I got pregnant, straight on the medication I needed, lots of blood tests.
Got a horrible sinking feeling something went wrong at the 6 week stage, bleeding at 8 weeks. At 9weeks of pregnancy, got a scan and no heartbeat was found. I choose the d&c operation, I couldn’t deal with seeing the miscarriage blood for days.
I tried to convince myself to give up, move on. Wasn’t an easy thing to do, but the depression and sadness wasn’t fair to my 6 year old son. He needed his mummy who was always sad, in his mind.
About 6 months later, I was having a scan. This time, I had a strong heart beat on screen.
The pregnancy was extremely high risk, consultant led, daily injections, scans every 2 weeks from 18 weeks. No guarantees of a good outcome.
Planned c section at 38 weeks. Healthy baby girl. I was lucky, I got the chance to have my happy ever after.
Was it worth the heartache and infertility caused by stress - yes
Was it worth the terrifying 34 weeks of pregnancy- yes
Do I miss and wish the baby boy I lost at 31 weeks was here - every day
For me, being bloody minded and stubborn worked out for me. | How long did she decide to get pregnant again? | 2 years | ['half a year', '1 month', 'not enough information'] |
And later I noticed that she and I both chose to watch The Devil Wears Prada on the in - seat entertainment system . I have no idea what that says about us except that , obviously , neither of us saw it when it came out . And then , if that were n't coincidental enough , who should sit in front of GSC , but Medieval Woman and the Dutchman ! Now * that * was a little weird and unexpected , because I can assure you , MW lives * nowhere * near Big Rust Belt . I could not see what MW or TD were watching on their little TVs . | What may be a fact about the people involved in this situation ? | They have similar tastes in entertainment . | ["They hate each other 's film choices .", 'They are all related to one another .', 'They like to watch their own films .'] |
Invented in Turkey and patented by Nanopool, a German company, the spray-on liquid glass might become one of the most useful inventions in the field of nanotechnology. The product was tested at the Saarbrucken Institute for New Materials.
It is worth mentioning that the invention is transparent and non-poisonous. The liquid glass can protect any type of surface from damages caused by water, UV radiation, dirt, heat, and bacterial infections. Besides, it is flexible and breathable, which means that the liquid glass can be applied on plants and seeds as well. Researchers found that the spray greatly increases the resistance of plants to bacteria-caused diseases. The trials also showed that the sprayed seeds grew faster.
Depending on the type of surface that is to be covered, researchers can add water or ethanol to the spray. Scientists say that _ . The spray produces a coating that is just 100nm thick. Trials by food processing plants in Germany have concluded that foods covered with the glass can store longer than those stored in normal condition.
According to Neil McClelland, UK project manager with Nanopool, due to its capabilities, the spray-on liquid glass can become one of the most useful inventions around the world, ending up being used by a lot of industries that will cover their products. At present, the invention is being used by a train company and a hotel chain in the UK, as well as a hamburger chain in Germany that are carrying out tests of the liquid glass for various uses.
The spray-on liquid glass was also tested in a Lancashire hospital, where it showed "very promising" results, being used to cover medical equipment and bandages. The invention could be also used on clothing, because it cannot be seen by the naked eye, thus clothes could become stain resistant. Due to its unique characteristics, the liquid glass can be used to cover bathrooms, sinks and many other surfaces in the home. According to the researchers, the spay-on glass can last for a year. It is expected to hit the DIY stores across Britain at a price of 5 pounds. | According to Neil McClelland, the spray-on liquid glass _ . | are being tested by some industries | ['are being used by various companies', 'can be eaten together with hamburgers', 'are widely used by train companies'] |
A few years ago, in one experiment in behavioural psychology, Stanley Milgram of Yale University tested 40 subjects for their willingness to obey instructions given by a "leader" in a situation in which the subjects might feel a personal dislike of the actions they were called upon to perform. Specifically, Milgram told each volunteer "teacher-subject" that the experiment was in the noble cause of education, and was designed to test whether or not punishing pupils for their mistakes would have a positive effect on the pupils' ability to learn.
The teacher-subjects were placed before a panel of thirty switches with labels ranging from "15 volts of electricity (slight shock)" to "450 volts (danger -- severe shock)" in steps of 15 volts each. The teacher-subject was told that whenever the pupil gave the wrong answer to a question, a shock was to be administered. The supposed "pupil" was in reality an actor hired by Milgram to pretend to receive the shocks by giving out cries and screams. Milgram told the teacher-subject to ignore the reactions of the pupil, and to administer whatever level of shock was called for.
As the experiment unfolded, the "pupil" would deliberately give the wrong answers to questions, thereby bringing on various electrical punishments, even up to the danger level of 300 volts and beyond. Many of the teacher-subjects _ administering the higher levels of punishment, and turned to Milgram. In these situations, Milgram calmly explained that the teacher-subject was to carry on with the experiment and that it was important for the sake of the experiment that the procedure be followed through to the end. What Milgram was trying to discover was the number of teacher-subjects who would be willing to administer the highest levels of shock, even in the face of strong personal and moral revulsion against the rules and conditions of the experiment.
Before carrying out the experiment, Milgram explained his idea to a group of 39 psychiatrists and asked them to predict the average percentage of people who would be willing to administer the highest shock level of 450 volts. The overwhelming consensus was that basically all the teacher-subjects would refuse to obey the experimenter. The psychiatrists felt that "most subjects would not go beyond 150 volts" and only a small percentage of about one in 1,000 would give the highest shock of 450 volts.
What were the actual results? Well, over 60 per cent of the teacher-subjects continued to obey Milgram up to the 450-volt limit! In repetitions of the experiment in other countries, the percentage was even higher, reaching 85 per cent in one country. How can we possibly account for this result?
One might firstly argue that there must be some sort of built-in animal aggression instinct that was activated by the experiment. A modem sociobiologist might even go so far as to claim that this aggressive instinct was of survival value to our ancestors in their struggle against the hardships of life on the plains and in the caves, finally finding its way into our genetic make-up.
Another explanation is to see the teacher-subjects' actions as a result of the social context in which the experiment was carried out. As Milgram himself pointed out, "Most subjects in the experiment see their behaviour in a larger context that is good and useful to society -- the pursuit of scientific troth. The psychological laboratory has a strong claim to legitimacy and gains trust and confidence in those who perform there. An action such as shocking a victim, which in isolation appears evil, acquires a completely different meaning when placed in this setting".
Here we have two different explanations. The problem for us is to sort out which of these two polar explanations is more reasonable. This is the problem of modern sociobiology -- to discover how hard-wired genetic programming decides the interaction of animals and humans with their environment, that is, their behaviour. Put another way, sociobiology is concerned with explaining the biological basis of all behaviour. | Before the experiment took place the psychiatrists _ . | under-predicted the teacher-subjects' willingness to follow experimental procedure | ['believed that a shock of 150 volts was unbearable', 'failed to agree on how the teacher-subjects would respond to instructions', 'thought that many of the teacher-subjects would administer a shock of 450 volts'] |
One of the requirements of every graduation ceremony speaker is that they offer some advice. Well, get ready, here it comes.
Soon you will be leaving the company of those who think they have all the answers -your professors, instructors and counselors-and going out into what we like to call the real world. In time you will meet up with other people who think they have all the answers. These people are called bosses. My advice is: humor them.
A little later you'll meet additional people who think they have all the answers.
These are called spouses . My advice is: humor them, too.
And of all goes well, in a few years you will meet still another group of people who think they have all the answers. These are called children. Humor them.
Life will go on, your children will grow up, go to school and someday they could be taking part in a graduation ceremony just like this one. And who knows, the speakers responsible for handing out good advice might be you. Halfway through your speech, the graduate sitting next to your daughter will lean over and ask, "Who is that woman up there who thinks she has all the answers?"
Well, thanks to the reasonable advice you are hearing today and that I hope you will all pass on, she will be able to say, "That is my mother. Humor her." | Among the people mentioned who think they have all the answers, which of the following are not referred to? | recreational and sports person | ['teaching staff', 'company staff members', 'family members'] |
lolbut i looked it up , and it says the 3 causes of the common eyelid twitch are " fatigue , caffeine , and stress"which makes complete sense .... cuz i m tired as crap , i m stressed to the point of choking people ... and i ve been drinking caffeine like nobodys buisness this past week to stay awake . ( LIZ I JUST CALLED YOU LIKE YOU TOLD ME TO . AT 7 . AND DID YOU ANSWER ? ? | What may happen before your eyelids twitch ? | None of the above choices . | ['You are wide awake .', 'You are full of energy .', 'You are eager to start your day .'] |
When I grew up, all the schools in the village demanded that girls cut their hair. The teachers would measure our hair and make sure it was not too long. I remember crying and begging as the scissors cut my hair.
My dad told me that a girl who was in school needed to concentrate on books and that hair was a distraction . I cut my hair all the way through primary school and middle school. Then I went to a high school that allowed long hair but no styles or braids during class hours. Even then, still adhering to my dad's words, I never wore my hair long.
When I graduated from high school, I started growing my hair. I spent hours looking in the mirror and shaping my hair. My sister complained, wondering why I had to have two styles in a day.
In college I heard the word perm . Girls had some strong chemicals put on their heads and made the hair look beautiful. I quickly sat in a salon and changed my hair. I returned to the salon once every month. Even during the days when I had no money for food, I had to find money for my hair.
After college, I was jobless and broke. I had to have my hair cut. At that time I saw a bald black model. Her style shocked me and I admired her so much that I began to follow her. Therefore, there I was. I wore some large earrings and walked around like a model. And many people admired my style.
At this point the journey with my hair stopped completely. I decided to have natural hair. I soon found out natural hair is the cheapest, easiest and healthiest way to wear African hair. | What did the author think of having her hair cut in primary school? | She hated the rule. | ['She thought that was cool.', "She didn't care about hair at all.", 'She thought that must be helpful.'] |
Nancy Tillman's wonderful On the Night You Were Born is one of my very favorite books. Its celebration of the uniqueness of each and every child told in lyrical language makes it the gift I choose most often for expectant or adoptive parents. I also read it regularly with my grandchildren and talk with them about how special they are.
Tillman feels that the most important message for children to receive is simply, "You are loved." And it's that message that is the focus of this, her newest book, Wherever You Are: My Love Will Find You. Once again, it is her turn of phrase that most fascinates me: In the green of the grass ... in the smell of the sea ... in the clouds floating by ... at the top of a tree ... in the sound crickets make at the end of the day ... "You are loved. You are loved. You are loved," they all say. Phrases encourage children to grow, to try new things, to "march to the front" of their "own parade" and assures them that, no matter how far they go or what they do, they will be loved.
Though the words alone would convince me to buy, share and recommend this book, Tillman is also a gifted artist and her lovely work makes this book a visual treasure as well. Through the pages, a child rides hippos, splashes in the surf with elephants, plays hide and seek with rabbits, shares a trampoline with a kangaroo and enjoys some quiet time with a pair of pandas. My favorite drawing has the child walking away along a wide path that runs between trees covered in mist. In all of the drawings, swirls of sparkling lights wrap around the child--the love that will always be with him/her.
I've read On the Night You Were Born dozens of times and with every single reading, I am incredibly touched. Wherever You Are: My Love Will Find You creates the same feeling of wonder, peace and happiness in me. It's a keep-forever book and I'm so happy to have it in my collection to share with the children I love most. | Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage? | Nancy Tillman's book On the Night You Were Born encourages children to try new things. | ["The most important focus of Tillman's books is for children to know they are loved.", 'The writer considers Tillman a gifted artist for her vivid use of words and rich imagination.', "The writer has bought and read both of Tillman's books mentioned in this passage."] |
Knowing how to communicate well needs very personal attention between you and another human being. Is there a better way to learn how to communicate effectively? Yes, there is. Please follow the 3 basic steps below.
1. Relax and Breathe.
Whether it's a business meeting or the first date, the first thing you must do in order to communicate is to relax. When you relax you are in control. You control your reactions and your reactions do not control you. Breathing is central to relaxation. Take a few deep breaths and your body will begin to be more at ease. This will help you apply what you already know about how to communicate well.
2. Think and you will be prepared.
Have you ever heard the old saying, "think before you speak"? Well, it is true. By thinking ahead about how the conversation might flow, you will be better prepared, more at ease and more confident.
3. Follow the flow of the conversation.
If you are uncomfortable, being silent will only make it worse and make the other person uncomfortable as well. So when all else fails, follow through with small talk until a common topic appears.
A good way to keep a conversation going is to ask the other person questions. People love to talk about themselves and if you do this they will think very highly of you.
. If you make an effort, you will succeed. | Why does relaxation play an important part in your good communication? | Because it can help you put your communication skills that you know into use. | ['Because it will help you organize good sentences for your communication.', 'Because it can help you keep excited and react quickly in the communication.', 'Because no one likes to communicate with a nervous person.'] |
When a Swedish ship that sank in 1628 was recovered from the port of Stockholm, historians and scientists were overjoyed with the chance to examine the remains of the past. The ship construction showed how ships were built and operated during the seventeenth century. In this way, artifacts, objects made by human beings, provided a picture of daily life almost 400 years ago.
Underwater archaeology-----the study of ships, aircrafts and human settlements that have sunk under large bodies of water-----is really a product of the last 50 years. The rapid growth of this new area of study has occurred because of the invention of better diving equipment. Besides the Swedish ship wreck ,underwater archaeologists have made more exciting discoveries such as the 5000-year-old boats in the Mediterranean Sea.
Underwater archaeology can provide facts about the past. In ancient ports all over the world are ships sunken in the past 6,000 years. There are also sunken settlements in seas and lakes telling of people's way of life and their systems of trade in ancient times.
Underwater archaeologists want to study these objects to add to the world's knowledge of history, but they have to fight two enemies. One enemy is treasure hunters who dive for ancient artifacts that they can sell to collectors. Once sold, these objects are lost to experts. The second enemy is dredging machines often used to repair ports. These machines destroy wrecks and artifacts or bury them deeper under sand and mud. By teaching the public about the importance of underwater "museums" of the past, archaeologists are hoping to get support for laws to protect underwater treasures. | The aim of underwater archaeology is to _ . | study underwater artifacts | ['explore water bodies', 'search for underwater life', 'examine underwater environment'] |
Thanks for signing up for the 2014 Black Friday Turkey Trot! This email will provide some basics about the race and some great news!
First, your race packet is ready and can be picked up at the Fleet Feet Sports Tulsa location you've specified during registration.
Hours for pickup.
Tuesday, 10 am to 8 pm (Fleet Feet Kings Point)
Tuesday, 10 am to 7 pm (Fleet Feet Blue Dome)
Wednesday, 10 am to 5 pm (both stores, closing early for Thanksgiving)
Packets can also be picked up on the race day at BOK Center, beginning at 8:30 am.
Race Start Times
1) 5 mile, 8:30 am 2) 1 mile fun run, 9:30 am
Parking
There is surface parking to the east of the BOK Center, and some surface parking to the west of the Convention Center. Many lots will be pay-lots. Please pay attention to the signs. We suggest arriving early to find parking.
Racing Timing
The 5 km run will be timed using the BIB-TAG system. Your race number will have a timing device attached to the back of the race number; don't remove or bend this device. Simply wear the Bib on the front of your body on the outside of your clothing so it is visible and facing forward. You don't need to return the Bib, which is disposable.
The Turkey Trot is also a kick-off event for our weekend long "FITNATIC" celebration---we also have a huge number of events and specials all weekend. For more information, please visit _ .
See you on Friday. | How long will the FITNATIC celebration last? | Two days | ['Seven days.', 'Five days', 'One day.'] |
With a busy life and job, pressure can make you look tired and aged.Kissi Health-Beauty Center gives classes, makes training plans according to your physical conditions, and sets up an individual file .All these things will help you to get to know your body and the way to keep it fit.
1)BODY-BUILDING
Imported gym equipment that will help you build up your body's muscle, making you look full of energy and strength.
2)GYMNASTIC EXERCISE
A bright and large exercise room with excellent equipment and music will give your body a chance to enjoy movement with rhythm.
3)SPECIAL "LAZY-BONE" FITNESS CENTER
'Lazy-bone' fitness equipment is the first body shaping set of seven beds in Beijing, which helps you to exercise your waist, abdomen, hips or legs.In the relaxing hours you may try them to strengthen your muscles and lose weight.
*Tuition: 'Lazy-bone' fitness card, 1,200 yuan/ month (gymnastic classes included)
*Class Time: Gymnastic Class, 18:30-19:30 every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
*Tel: 5918570
*Address: 16 Dongsanhuan Beilu, Chaoyang District, Beijing | Those who keep 'Lazy-bone' fitness cards are probably _ people. | lazy | ['rich', 'unhealthy', 'young'] |
I took my rabbit to the vet 's a few days ago to have his injection against myxamitosis . The vet performed the free health check and was poking around his rear end checking for fly eggs ( apparently ! ) . My rabbit did n't like this and went to jump out of her grasp ... her response to which was to grab his back legs and drag him back across the table ! | What may have happened after dragging the bunny . | She may have asked the woman to hold the bunny . | ['She may have checked her own ears for the bugs .', 'None of the above choices .', 'She may have found the easter egg in the bunny .'] |
One time I was walking my puppy (profile pic) who was then around 5 months, with my mum and grandma. By the time we were about to reach our house, we spot two dogs, a German Shepherd and a Husky, both male, on the other side of the street sniffing around with no owner in sight. I was ready to hightail out of there with my dog, but I knew if I ran they would chase, so we formed a wall in front of her to hide her. Of course she decides to stick out her head and start barking. Those two dogs whipped their heads so fast and came running towards us to see her. Since she is a puppy she has zero impulse control and starts throwing herself at them, at their backs, face, plus the fact that she doesn’t like being sniffed at her rear (which they are trying very hard to get to). Here I am nervously sweet talking to them, my voice trembling saying good boys. My grandma is her despair grabs the GS’s neck, and his hair bristled and growled for a second before turning back to our pup. At this point my baby girl is sitting down with her tail tucked close, ears flattened, and head down. I thought “Dear Lord someone’s losing a limb today.” When suddenly this car comes pulling up and this man comes out with a leash, the owner. He practically had to wrestle the GS into the car. A woman in a pickup truck comes next trying to get the husky but he ran away again, but my mom didn’t care, she scooped up our pup and ran, the leash trailing behind her, and even my grandma who has troubles in her knees speed walked. My mom would later laugh at me because I became so pale and because I tried to baby talk a dog to leave us alone. | How did the grandma feel about German Shepherds after that day? | She was scared of them | ['She wanted one', 'She loved them', 'not enough information'] |
Eight-year-old Bethany and seven-year-old Eliza are having a great time jumping around in the orchard of their home in a village near Penrith. They can play any time they like because they don't go to school. Instead, they are educated at home by their parents, Paul and Veronika Robinson. But they don't have lessons, have never used a timetable and learn only what and when they want to learn.
"I want my kids to have freedom in their childhood, not spend it in an institution," says 37-year-old Veronika, "School is all about control and following the rules." Veronika and her 56-year-old husband Paul have never experienced the daily rush to get dressed and out of the door that is common in most households with school-aged children. "We get up at our leisure - usually around 8:30," says Veronika. "We might visit a friend, or go to the library, and on Tuesdays we shop at the market. In summer, we spend most of our time outside and the girls entertain themselves a lot."
New research due to be published this spring reveals a very different picture of Britain's home educators. "Out of 297 families, 184 said that they never use a timetable," says Mike Fortune-Wood of Home Education UK. "Ninety per cent never or rarely use textbooks, and nearly all said that happiness, contentment and self-fulfillment were more important than academic achievement. Only 15% felt that planning what to learn was important."
So far, so good. But what, you might ask, are the children actually learning?
"It wasn't important to me that the girls could read by a certain age, but they both picked it up for themselves at around seven," says Robinson. "Weighing cooking ingredients uses maths, and making a shopping list teaches them to write. Observing five hens has taught the girls about survival of the fittest. "
But what about when the children grow up? Can they go to university? The home educators' answer is they can if they want to. There are a variety of routes into higher education, but probably the most common is to join a local college. This is what Gus Harris-Reid has done. "I was educated at home all my life. I'd never had a lesson or been inside a classroom until I started GCSEs," says the 18-year-old. "I'm now studying for 4 A-levels at Exeter College. I've had no problem with the work or with fitting in." When asked to reflect on his experience of home education, his considered response is, "Like a permanent holiday, really!" Not a bad start for someone who plans to take a mechanical engineering degree next year. | What is the topic of this article? | Home education in the UK | ['New ways of learning to read and write', 'Problems with UK schools', 'New methods of teaching'] |
Holidays are really important. Many of us will have childhood memories of summer holidays where we were taken away from home to experience new environments and learn in different ways.
But holidays are expensive and, for those on low wages or living on benefits, they are often unobtainable. Even the cheapest holidays require travel and other additional costs that are difficult for many families to meet.
For working parents, the long summer break can be a very difficult problem for childcare. When an annual leave allowance amounts to only five weeks, there is a need to spread this across the year. Couples can find themselves taking leave in turn in order to care for children who are on holiday. For some this makes even an affordable family holiday difficult.
The schools that I visit in Nottingham are full of experienced staff committed to giving our children a caring and inspiring learning environment. The number of children receiving free school meals is quite large in Nottingham and many schools have breakfast clubs to make sure that children get a healthy start to the day. Most schools undertake programs of group or individual educational support. Schools also have an important role in safeguarding children's welfare through the ongoing touch and support with their pupils. During the long summer holidays, much of this is missed.
While teachers are holidaying in the UK, many of their pupils spend the whole six weeks on the street where they live. The lack of free school meals for six weeks can result in pressure on a family budget and an inability to afford the inspiring experiences that help children to continue their learning.
In setting out its plans for a five-term year, Nottingham City Council is seeking to reduce the summer holiday down to four and a half weeks, with a more balanced five terms of roughly eight weeks, each followed by a two-week break. We believe this will give real "down time" for school staff and pupils alike but will be short enough not to cause a real break in learning.
We acknowledge that this change may be difficult for some school staff, particularly whose own children are educated in other authorities. However, this must be weighed against the benefits for city children for whom we all have the greatest duty of care. Ks5u | It can be inferred from the passage that _ . | some school staff will say " No" to the plans for a shorter summer holiday | ['working parents can enjoy a five-week break to care for their children', 'the suggested plans for a five-term school year can hardly be carried out', 'the long summer holiday gives teachers and students real "down time"'] |
Knowing when to use a comma and when to use a semicolon does n't make you a fiction writer , but any fiction writer who thinks the difference between a comma and a semicolon is irrelevant / silly / beneath them is n't likely to be any good . All a writer has is words , and every punctuation mark , every pause , makes a difference . True , there are copy editors and proofreaders out there who can correct your grammar and punctuation , and occasionally one does run across a gifted fiction writer who looks like they could n't pass freshman comp . | Based on this post , what may be my profession ? | Author | ['Artist', 'Software engineer', 'Mechanic'] |
One in five American families will move every year. Moving is one of the most stress-producing events a family has to go through. Experts say it can be harder for children. How do you help your child adjust to the changes?
The Ricardos moved from their old house to a new home. Same family, same dog-but it was harder for 9-year-old Elena. She hated the room, the house and everything. She hated leaving her friends the most.
" I was so emotional. I mean, saying goodbye to all my friends.....my very close friends, who was my neighbor, made me so sad," says Elena.
For some children, the emotional stress of moving is not much more different from the emotions when someone has died.
"There's that sense that, 'I've lost my friends, my friends, my base, my school, my teachers-everything I knew that made me feel safe is all gone now. I have to start over," says Dr. Tim Jordan.
Starting over is exactly Dr. Tim Jordan's advice. Make new friends, enter the new school and enter the new neighborhood. And here are some other pieces of advice.
* Explain clearly to the children why the move is necessary.
* Familiarize the children as much as possible with the new area with maps, photographs or the daily newspaper.
* After the move, got the children to join in activities in the place.
* Help the children keep in touch with friends from the neighborhood before through telephone, letters, e-mail, and personal visits. | Which of the following is useful to reduce the children's stress before the move? | Try letting children accept the fact of moving. | ['Let doctors give children some advice.', 'Let children keep in touch with their former friends.', 'Copy the new environment in the old home.'] |
It may seem as though the 2020 U.S. presidential election is a long way off. But good luck telling that to President Donald Trump or a dozen or so Democrats contemplating a White House bid two years from now.
Trump has already been out on the campaign trail testing themes for his expected re-election bid. "Our new slogan for 2020. Do you know what it is? Keep America great!" Trump told cheering supporters at a recent rally in Elkhart, Indiana.
But Trump also made it clear he is concerned about this year's congressional midterm elections, in which opposition Democrats are favored to make gains.
"And all of the great momentum that we are having as a country on jobs, on safety, on security, on our military — it is all at stake in November," Trump warned at the Indiana rally.
2020 is expected to produce a bumper crop of Democratic presidential contenders who will vie for their party's nomination. Those in the group range from the well-known like former Vice President Joe Biden and 2016 contender Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont to a younger, less recognizable contingent that includes California Senator Kamala Harris and New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
Several potential Democratic presidential contenders spoke about the party's future at a recent conference in Washington hosted by the Center for American Progress, a Democratic-leaning public policy institute in Washington.
Among the speakers was Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, who said Democrats face an uphill battle to win back control of Congress this year because of long-standing Republican advantages in winning a majority in the House of Representatives.
"We can't climb that hill by ignoring the millions of Americans who are angry and scared about the damage this president and this Republican Party have done to our democracy," Warren told the conference to a round of applause. "We can't ignore it and we shouldn't want to ignore it." | How long did the washington conference last? | a day | ['not enough information', 'a week', '4 days'] |
With almost two years left of my law degree, and with no intention of doing anything so idiotic as actually attending lectures or studying law, I had plenty of time to come up with my next bid for online fame. The Griff Rhys Jones TV project had stalled after a couple of meetings when everyone involved realised that the idea - to pipe broadband comedy programming into the nation's workplaces under the noses of bosses - was a bit of a non-starter. But I had become quite good friends with Rhys Jones's partner in the project, a comedy writer called Charlie Skelton, and he, Clare and I frequently met to brainstorm possible projects we might work on together. It was during one of these meetings that Clare proposed the idea of starting a comedy magazine - something like Private Eye, but for the Internet generation.
My days as a school magazine publisher had taught me that printing magazines and distributing them was a royal pain in the arse and, anyway, if it was to be a magazine for the Internet generation then shouldn't it actually be on the Internet? The Zingin.com newsletter had attracted a ton of subscribers and had a distribution cost of basically nothing so why, I suggested, didn't we start a weekly comedy ezine, sent out by email? And, in a nod to Charlie's failed office comedy project, we could target it at bored office workers, sending the email to them on a Friday afternoon to cure the crushing boredom of those final few hours of the working week.
And with that, The Friday Thing was born.
To promote our fledgling publication we came up with a brilliant ruse: an online petition to have Friday afternoons declared a national holiday. British people worked harder than any other Europeans (we made up) and so it was only fair that our working week should end at noon on a Friday. We created an official website explaining our demands, registered a web address - letsgetitoff.com (snigger) - and sent a press release to the media. Clearly we had tapped into a seam of strong feeling among the nation's overworked journalists and the campaign was picked up by just about every major newspaper, local radio station and even made it on to the BBC. | The character in the story: | Has a sense of humor | ['not enough information', 'Is old', 'Is competitive'] |
I do n't know , I do n't understand , it just felt forced and trite even in comparison to Terrance Dicks which is just weird . ) It had lots of lovely moments , and Sarah 's reaction in both parts to the Daleks and Davros was wicked cool , and yes I jumped up & down a lot and screamed " MICKEY ! " when he popped up at the beginning of this episode , but ... disappointment and inarticulate , mostly at the ending . | Why were you jumping up and down ? | I really like Mickey | ['I was excited to see TV commercials', 'I was exercising', 'None of the above choices .'] |
Although the 2008 US presidential elections are still a long way off, candidates are already getting ready for the campaigns ahead.
For the Democrats , the two leading candidates are a surprising pair. The first is Hillary Clinton, 60, the wife of former President Bill Clinton. The second is Barack Obama, 45, a Harvard educated senator .
It is the first time that the leading presidential candidates for a political party are either a woman or black. The energetic pair has certainly gotten people's attention. But the question remains, is America ready for either one?
It's not a simple question to answer. For the past 220 years, Americans have elected only white males to the nation's highest office. That can hardly be called a tradition of diversity. However, many people believe that 2008 will be the year that this changes.
"The white men that have been running the country recently have done such a bad job, at home and abroad, that maybe now is the time for a change," said Dorian Cool of San Francisco, California.
The polling numbers seem to back up his opinion: 86 percent of Americans say they would vote for a qualified woman. An impressive 93 percent say they would vote for a black man if he seemed right for the job. These numbers are much higher than they were just 20 years ago. They may suggest that Americans are ready to be led by a different type of person.
Still, there is a lot to overcome. Although women represent 51 percent of the American population, there are only nine female governors out of 50. Out of 100 senators, only 16 are women. The numbers are significantly lower for blacks in office.
Since the American Civil War, only two blacks have been elected governor and only three have been elected to the Senate.
Surely both candidates face difficult odds, but never before has there been so much support for either a female or a black candidate.
As Barack Obama himself said, "There is not a black America and a white America, a Latino America and an Asian America -- there's the United States of America." If others share his vision, maybe the United States will end up with a new type of leader. | We can infer from the passage that _ . | Barack Obama is well educated . | ['Hillary Clinton is less likely to win the election.', 'the two leading candidates represent different parties.', 'the public pay little attention to the 2008 presidential elections.'] |
Dear Mom, Clear My Calendar
September is around the corner, and some of us are already complaining about summer's end. But parents have a special reason to do so. The end of summer means the start of school. And these days, planning a young child's schedule is a big challenge. The challenge is no longer finding activities to fill a child's day; it is saying no to the hundreds of options available. Our mailbox is filled with brochures urging us to sign our kids up for classes from cooking to martial arts .
Educators are themselves discouraged by the number of special classes that many children attend. In the name of "enrichment," three-year-olds not only go to preschool in the morning but study French or gymnastics after lunch. One teacher tells of a four-year-old asking for help in the toilet before hurrying off to tennis. Another teacher says that children sometimes hold on to her at pickup time. What happened to unstructured time?
A generous explanation is that we enjoy giving children opportunities we never had. The truth however is that many parents have doubts about how much time they spend away from their families. And one way to reduce this guilt is to believe that time spent in these classes is somehow more beneficial to children than the time we know we should be giving them ourselves.
David Elkind, an expert on children, suggests that the 1960s gave birth to the belief that earlier is better. Parents hope that early music lessons, for example will build a child's confidence. The truth, however, is that any time children are asked to do too much, too soon, they are at greater risk for feelings of failure.
A child's time does not have to be planned to be meaningful. Remember the lazy days of summer? Some children sleep late and play with the kids across the street until it's time to come home for dinner. However, with the majority of mothers working, fewer children enjoy that idle time now.
Come September, children across the country will finish a full day of kindergarten, only to attend an after-school program until 6 P.M., when a working mom or dad comes to take them home. That's too much for a five-year old. Finances, of course, do limit some parents. But let's be honest with ourselves - our own busy schedules, whatever they involve, are no excuse for burdening a young child's. | The author holds that it's a challenge to plan a schedule for a child mainly because _ . | parents are stuck in numerous choices | ["a child's schedule is too complex", 'activities suitable for kids are limited', "children always say no to parents' advice"] |
Construction workers in Southern California have made a wild discovery. They were digging at a building site in San Timoteo Canyon when they unearthed hundreds of ancient animal fossils. Researchers say the bones hold important clues about the history of the region.
Nearly 1, 500 fossils were recovered from the dusty canyon. The remains are about 1.4 million years old. They include the bones of a new species of deer, several small rodents and more. A giant cat fossil was also found. Scientists believe the animal was an ancestor of the saber- toothed tiger. Signs of plant life were uncovered as well.
"This is a huge find," says Rick Greenwood, a scientist studying the site. "I don't think most people had any idea that those types of animals were wandering around here more than a million years ago."
San Timoteo Canyon is located about 85 miles from Los Angeles. The area of the canyon where the fossils were found was once part of a green river valley. Today, the region is dry and plant life is rare.
Most of the fossils are well preserved. Experts say a muddy lake bed may have trapped thirty animals that wandered over for a drink. The mud helped to protect the animal fossils.
The remains are a million years older than those discovered at the famous La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. Scientists studying the bones will be able to learn more about how the animals adapted to changes in the environment.
"We have a confused view of what this time period was like, " says another scientist. "A discovery like this could really be an important contribution."
About 35 different animal species are represented in the fossil collection. Scientists began removing bones from the site last fall. The project was completed this summer. Starting next year, the fossils will be on display at the Western Science Center in the nearby city of Hemet, California. | What do we know about the fossils from the passage? | They will be on show in the near future. | ['All of them are of new species.', 'Some of them have been destroyed', "They were looked for under experts' guidance."] |
Music lessons may improve memory and learning ability in your children by promoting different patterns of brain development, a study shows.
After a year of musical training, children aged between 4 and 6 performed better at a standard memory test than did children who were not taught music.The findings suggest that music could be useful for building the learning capacity of your minds.
Earlier studies have shown that older children given music lessons become better at IQ tests than those who are musically untrained, but this is the first to show such a benefit in children so young.
Professor Laurek Trainor, of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, also found clear differences in the ways in which children's brains responded to sound after a year of musical training.'This is the first study to show that brain responses in young, musically trained and untrained children change differently over the course of a year," she said."These changes are likely to be related to the cognitive( )benefit that is seen with musical training."
Professor Trainer's team looked at 12 children, 6 of whom had just started extra-curricular music lessons and 6 of whom were not being taught any music except that included as a standard part of their school curriculum .
During the year all 12 children had their brains examined four times using magneto-encephalography (MEG), and each child was played two types of sound --white noise and a violin tone.The MEG measurements showed that all children responded more to violin sounds than to white noise, reflecting a preferable for meaningful tones, and their response times fell over the course of the year as their brains matured. | We know from the MEG measurements that _ . | human brains prefer musical sounds to white noise | ['the older a child is, the more quickly he/she responds to sounds', 'children of different ages respond to sounds at the same speed', 'all the twelve children like to learn to play the violin very much'] |
Cyber language is popular among Chinese netizens, who create English words to reflect novel phenomenon in society.
"Gelivable", combining pinyin of Chinese characters Geili (giving strength) with the English suffix for adjectives, literally means "giving power" or "cool". Similarly, "Hengelivable" means "very cool", and "ungelivable" means "dull, not cool at al". "Antizen" referred to the group of college graduates who, earning a poor salary and living in small rented apartments, are like the tiny and laborious ants.
David Tool, a professor with the Beijing International Studies University said it's very interesting to combine Chinese with English to create new words. "English is no longer mysterious to the Chinese people. They can use the language in a flexible way according to their own experiences," he said. Chinese words and expressions were created, as well, by netizens. One example was "Suan Ni Hen". This three-character expression, which originally meant "you win" with the first character carrying the same pronunciation as garlic in Chinese, is used to satirize high garlic and food prices this winter.
Chinese people use the character "bei" before a verb to show a passive voice, and it is used by netizens to show the helplessness in front of false conclusions and fake media reports. For instance, "zisha" means "suicide" while "beizisha" means "be officially presumed to have committed suicide", and xiaokang means "fairly comfortable life" while "beixiaokang" means "be said to be living a fairly comfortable life".
Wu Zhongmin, a professor at the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, saw the phenomenon of word creation as a natural response of young people to social issues. "Cyber language is more vivid and it shortens people's distances," he said. | Which of the following is NOT true? | Suan Ni Hen refers to the highest food prices ever. | ['Ungeilivable means "dull, not cool at all".', 'Antizens live in small rented apartments with small salaries.', 'Beixiaokang means "be said" to be living a comfortable life.'] |
“Hey, Natalie! Nice sweatshirt!”
I was passing through the hallways of school last year, being messenger boy for the teachers, when this girl walked up to me. I had no clue who she was, but I thought she was a year younger than me. That’s why I thought it was weird that she said my name. But the “nice sweatshirt” bit was what really got me.
I wasn’t even wearing my sweatshirt.
So. There was a substitute teacher in my literacy class, so my class was split. half of us did actual work, and the other half watched a documentary. Ben, Evan, Isabelle and myself were put together in the class watching the super boring documentary. We got bored, so, when Ben left the classroom for a bit and left his jacket behind, I don’t remember why, but, I put on his sweatshirt and traded it for mine. This turned into everyone swapping sweatshirts for the next hour until school was out. At one point I was called to the office to deliver a message to a different classroom. I walked out of the office with the information, and turned around at the sound of my name.
“Hey, Natalie! Nice sweatshirt!” I smiled and thanked her like the nice human being I want people to think I am. Once she started down the stairs I looked down at my sweatshirt. Black and orange? Nike? But my sweatshirt’s gray and purple! Then I remembered our little game of “try not to get caught swapping sweatshirts and giggling”. I wasn’t wearing my sweatshirt. Someone else had it. I was wearing Evan’s.
It’s also kind of sad because that was one of the only compliments I’ve gotten from a stranger all year. Complimented on something that wasn’t even mine… Welcome to my life, everybody! | What did the students do after the bell? | got their correct sweatshirts back | ['not enough information', 'all went to the office', 'found the girl who complimented the sweatshirts'] |
Ok , so Day 1 . The ride to Okayama lasted from about 9:30 - 3 , with a few stops in the middle for bathroom breaks and lunch . Once we got into the prefecture , I snapped a couple of pictures of the scenic rural Okayama landscape : Soon we arrived at the school : And students were waving to greet us : They seemed pretty excited , but I knew that they 'd probably clam up and get all shy as soon as we got in . | What will be the reaction between the visiting students and the students in Okayama ? | They will be cordial and friendly to one another . | ["They will be acting as if they 've know each other forever .", 'None of the above choices .', 'They will be difficult to work with .'] |
My friend Alice decided to be a nurse when she was four years old. She always to play at "doctors and nurses" with her playmates. When she left school last year, she still wanted to be a real nurse.
Late September she started her studies in a big hospital in Newcastle. She had to work very hard. She went to classes every day and studied late at night. Then a really important day came: her first day in a ward . At last she was really helping sick people, not just sitting in classes or learning from books.
At first, student nurses do lots of odd jobs in the ward. They help to serve meals, or wash the patients. They also keep the ward tidy and make the beds. But they cannot give injections or help the doctors.
One of Alice's first jobs was in a ward of old people. She was told to clean all the patients' false teeth. She collected all the teeth and took them to the bathroom. Instead of cleaning each set of teeth one by one, she put them all into a big bowl.
"It'll be quicker this way," she said to herself. "Then I can give back everyone's teeth in a few minutes."
Give back everyone's teeth! Alice stood in the middle of the ward with her big bowl of teeth. She had no idea which teeth belonged to which old man! You can imagine the confusion of the next half-hour when each patient came to find his own teeth! | Alice made up her mind to be a nurse _ . | when she was just a little child | ['when she was at school four years ago', 'after she was at school four years ago', 'when she began to study in a big hospital'] |
Tom was quite excited about his new Connecticut state custom steak branding irons . He had good reason to be excited about his Connecticut steak brands , they were da bomb . We all had to learn more about Tom 's custom steak brands . | What will Tom be eating later ? | Tom will be having meat . | ['Tom will be having chicken .', 'None of the above choices .', 'Tom will be having vegetables .'] |
An average 30-year-old person who has eaten three meals a day since birth has eaten more than 30,000 meals to date. Even if you've only eaten half that much, you have to admit this: you've let some of that breakfast, lunch or dinner go to waste. And it turns out that we're all to blame for this shaming fact: 30% of all food produced in the world each year is wasted or lost. That's about 1.3 billion tons, according to a new report by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization.
That's the weight of more than 8.6 million full-grown blue whales, the largest creatures on earth. That's the weight of more than 2.3 million Airbus A380s, the largest planes in existence. That's as if each person in China, the world's most populous country with more than 1.3 billion people, had one ton mass of food they could just throw into the dustbin. It's almost _ ,isn't it?
Setting aside that big number, we find the people with the most money are the ones who waste the most. Per capita( ), European and North American countries waste between 95 and 115 kilograms of food. Sub-Saharan African, South Asian and Southeast Asian countries waste much less -- between 6 and 11 kilograms per person.
Here's another statistic: all the food that the world's richest countries waste is about equal to all the food that sub-Saharan Africa produces. The numbers: 222 million tons and 230 million tons, respectively( ). Basically, the wasted food of the rich could feed much of the African continent. And these numbers come as we've just been reporting about rising food prices around the world in the past week.
And my own personal tip: if I eat at a restaurant and can't finish it all, I ask for a doggie bag. I used to be a waiter years ago and will never forget the amounts of food I saw left on the table after the bill was paid. There's no reason to waste food. It's up to all of us to use our common sense to eat and shop just a bit more wisely. | The author gave his personal tip based on the fact that _ . | he once worked in a restaurant | ['he was once very poor', 'he was once a farmer', 'the price of food is very high'] |
Each child has his individual pattern of social, as well as physical, development. Some of it depends on his home life and his relationships with the people who love him. Children in large families learn how to get along with others through normal brother- sister play and tussles . An only child, on the other hand , may have to learn his lessons in social living through hard experiences on the playground or in the classroom. Twins who always have one another to lean on may be slow in responding to others because they do not need anyone else.
A child who is constantly scolded and made to feel he does everything wrong may have a difficult time developing socially. He may be so afraid of displeasing the adults around him that he keeps to himself (where he can't get into trouble)or he may take the opposite route and go out of his way to create trouble. Like the deserted child, he too may return to infantile pleasures, developing habits that will satisfy him, but create barriers toward social contact. | Where does the passage say the only child learns his social lessons? | Classroom and playground | ['School and home', 'Home and playground', 'All of the above'] |
Pot likker soup is basically the rich soup that 's left in the bottom of the pot after they ' ve made their greens . I know ... does n't sound that appetizing , but trust me ... it 's delicious . For appetizers , the fried green tomatoes ( $ 4.95 ) come with a parmesan horseradish dipping sauce . So do the fried okra ( $ 3.95 ) . | How could the prices of these appetizers be described ? | They are reasonable . | ['None of the above choices .', 'They are expensive .', 'They are high end .'] |
Several parents and children escaped the summer heat and enjoyed a refreshing "Leap Into a Good Book".About 30 children and parents gathered as volunteers for both agencies.
After the readings,refreshments were offered and children and parents were given books,a gift bag and a bookmark with information on adult literacy programs.
Learn to Read of Northwest Florida Inc.and Even Start coordinated the event with hopes that combining their programs will help target functionally illiterate adults and their families.A functionally illiterate adult is one who has reading skills below a seventhgrade level.That often means they have difficulty filling out job applications,understanding a lease,reading medication labels or to their children.
Merelin Hernandez,9,a fourthgrader at Warrington Elementary School,understands the importance of reading.She also says it makes her happy when she is bored."Reading helps me go to another grade,"she says."I feel proud when I get a B because then I know I am reading well."Monae Walker,7,a student at Oakcrest Elementary School,says reading teaches her and makes her happy.
Learn to Read of Northwest Florida Inc.provides oneonone tutoring for basic reading and writing skills to adults 16 and older who are not in school.Tutors go through a 12hour workshop and tutor their students 3 hours per week.The program currently has 150 active tutors.
Even Start is a family education program at McMillan Learning Center,which offers adult education classes and infant,toddler and prekindergarten services at no cost to families.Linda Harris,a teacher in charge of the Escambia Even Start program,says the program equips parents so they can help their children. | The event "Leap Into a Good Book" _ . | was held to enjoy reading in summer | ['was mainly held by Learn to Read', 'targeted functionally literate parents', 'was attended by about 30 volunteers'] |
Friday I ' m missing training , because I have class at one . Now , if I AM able to go to the MLK location ( as the letter says ANY location ) , then I can get it done on Friday , before class . I could have done it TODAY , if I skipped sleeping last night , but that did n't happen , so now I ' m in all sorts of grr - ness over it ... So , providing I get over this speed bump in the only thing that 's gone right regarding a job in eight months , I 'll have an interesting next quarter . | Why is the narrator missing out on training ? | They have academics to take care of . | ['They have a quarterly review .', 'They have a class for a speeding ticket to make up .', 'They have a job interview .'] |
Our children and grandchildren may not have a chance to visit many of the most famous places around the world. War, weather, age, traffic and pollution damage these famous places. Looking after these places often costs more than one country can afford.
In the early 1970s, world governments decided that if they joined together, they would be able to preserve our history. If every country paid some money, they said, it would be possible to look after important historic places. Also, if they discovered that a monument needed urgent help, they would have money for repairs. For these reasons, countries around the world united to form the World Heritage Organization in 1972. Today, the organization helps to maintain and restore the most important places from our history.
However, one of the biggest problems for historic places is vandalism. People sometimes enter the sites and destroy or damage the buildings. At some sites, such as Stonehenge in England, governments have built high fences to protect the site from vandals.
There are many different ideas about how to solve the problem of vandalism. Some experts say that if guards patrolled the sites, vandals would not be able to get in. Some experts say that if they fixed more television cameras, they would not need so many guards. Other experts say that the best solution is education. If people learned to respect history, they would not destroy or damage it. They would also want to spend money looking after old places. For this reason, the World Heritage Organization helps to spread information about the value of historic sites. | What's the best way to solve the biggest problem of vandalism? | To make people know information about the value of historic sites. | ['Every country spends more money looking after these places often.', 'To form the World Heritage Organization.', 'Too many guards are needed to prevent vandals getting in.'] |
President Donald Trump capped what has been a difficult week politically with an all-out push for tax reform Friday. In a speech to the National Association of Manufacturers in Washington, Trump promised to deliver on a “giant, beautiful, massive, the biggest ever in our country, tax cut.”
Trump is eager to move past setbacks on health care reform and the results of a Republican Senate primary Tuesday in Alabama where he found himself on the losing side. The president and his administration also have been on the defensive over hurricane recovery efforts in Puerto Rico.
Senate Republicans put off a vote on a plan to repeal and replace Obamacare after it became clear they did not have enough votes to pass the measure, thanks to a handful of Republican defectors.
Democrats expressed relief they had beaten back another attempt to undo former President Barack Obama’s signature achievement, the Affordable Care Act.
“The reason this bill failed is because millions of Americans didn’t want it,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told reporters at the Capitol.
On the same day, Christian conservative and former judge Roy Moore easily won a Republican Senate primary in Alabama, defeating incumbent Luther Strange, whom Trump had supported.
“We are put here on Earth for a short time, and for that short time our duty it to serve almighty God,” Moore said in his victory speech.
Moore has made controversial statements on a number of issues in the past, but he is considered the favorite in a race against Democrat Doug Jones in a general election Dec. 12.
Trump had appeared with Strange the week before at a rally in Alabama, but even some analysts said his heart did not appear to be in it.
“Trump was campaigning for Luther Strange, but you could tell he was having some second thoughts about that,” said Republican strategist John Feehery.
Moore’s victory, aided by the active support of former Trump White House strategist Steve Bannon, signals what could be a series of divisive Republican primary battles heading into next year’s midterm congressional elections. | Who put off a vote on replacing Obamacare thanks to some defectors? | Republicans | ['not enough information', 'Democrats', 'Libetarians'] |
The sighting of a killer whale (or orca) can be rare, but they do love to hunt and play in the waters between Vancouver and Seattle, so one of the activities we absolutely wanted to do (in addition to the harbour seaplane flight) was to go whale watching.
Just South of Vancouver, in the quaint Historic fishing village of Steveston we hopped aboard our boat, and spent the day on the water cruising the coast looking for whales, other marine mammals and seabirds. The regular chug-chug-chug of the boat motor for a couple of hours lulled me into a meditate state as we sped our way over the State line from Vancouver, back down to the waters of Washington State.
The shimmer of the water all dappled in the sunlight, the slow, measured tones of our guide and snuggling into my warm jacket against the sharp breeze off the coast was just enough to make me forget my worries, and zone out from all of my modern day dilemmas.
Honestly, it needs to be prescribed on the NHS.
Forget hauling yoga mats and sitting in sweaty concrete rooms with patterns trying to hide the utilitarian backdrop, just hop on a boat out from Vancouver. Not having much success closer to the British Columbia shores, our captain decided to head south past the Canadian/American border.
Incredibly, the resident killer whales of the San Juan Islands are the most studied whales in the world; they, in turn, have observed humans for at least six thousand years.
Stable family groups, called pods, represent several generations and include grandmothers (the pod leaders), adolescents, infants, and huge bulls. Each family member is recognized by its distinctive markings and can live as long as a human. Much of what is known about the orca whale’s highly-organized social life has been learned from the resident pods in the San Juan Islands of Washington. | What is the author's occupation? | not enough information | ['scuba diver', 'whale trainer', 'marine biologist'] |
The Tramadol has no effect . Pain is getting worse , but I can still tell hot from cold , though I do n't do so good at the vibration tests . I use a lot of post - it notes and such to help me remember things and my wife helps as well . I have slowed my work load down some and this helps with the dystonia . | What may happen if the Tramadol has no effect ? | I may have to go to the hospital and get new medicine . | ['I may have to make my new medicine from scratch .', 'None of the above choices .', 'I may have to go to the doctor and ask for more .'] |
U.S. President Donald Trump filed his annual financial disclosure form this week with the Office of Government Ethics, the U.S. government's ethics watchdog.
Under U.S. law, all top government officials are required to file annual financial disclosure documents with the agency.
In Tuesday's 92-page filing, Trump acknowledged that he'd reimbursed his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, last year for more than $100,000 for unspecified expenses incurred in 2016.
Trump’s lawyers have previously said the president reimbursed Cohen for $130,000 that Cohen paid to an adult film star to keep her quiet about a sexual tryst she said she had with Trump 10 years earlier. Trump has denied having the tryst but recently confirmed reimbursing Cohen to stop “false and extortionist accusations” about it.
The financial disclosure did not say why Trump had not listed the payment in his previous financial filing, but the ethics agency said the reimbursement constituted a loan that should have been reported.
That has set off a firestorm of criticism and calls for an investigation into whether Trump violated federal law by omitting the payment from his 2017 disclosure.
The controversy has overshadowed other details in Trump's financial disclosure, which is the only publicly available snapshot into the president's finances — his debts, assets and income from dozens of companies and partnerships around the world.
Here are six noteworthy takeaways from the report:
Golf losses. Trump, an avid golfer who frequently visits his golf courses, sometimes in the company of world leaders, listed 17 golf companies in his disclosure form, with 13 reporting losses. Overall, golf-related revenue plunged to $210 million from nearly $300 million from the previous reporting period. However, the president's struggling golf courses in Turnberry, Scotland, and Doonbeg, Ireland, improved their earnings, with income at the Turnberry property growing to more than $20 million from $14 million. Trump plans to travel to Scotland during his visit to Britain this summer. | How long did the affair, if true, between Trump and the adult film star most likely continue? | several months to a couple of years | ['a few weeks', 'not enough information', 'one night'] |
For active people, regular training is as important part of maintaining and increasing fitness. About the only real downside to regular exercise is the transient toll it takes on the body after a hard training session. The pain and soreness after training needs sufficient time to recover from before another hard session can be performed.
A very plausible theory pushed for many years is that the post-exercise oxidative stress in the body is the primary cause of the muscle damage and fatigue experienced. If you could reduce this oxidative stress, then it would allow quicker recovery, and then more time spent training. What this theory ignores though is that oxidative damage is a natural part of how the body adapts to stressful exercise, allowing the body to repair and grow stronger to allow higher levels of performance in the future.
A small scale study has previously found that trained and untrained individuals who dose up on antioxidant supplements impair important exercise training adaptations such as improved insulin sensitivity and production of oxidative stress defence proteins. Now researchers have extended this study by looking at the effect of antioxidants in trained female runners, and published their findings in the European Journal of Sports Science.
Twenty-three well trained female runners took part in three separate 3-week training blocks where they took either 1 gram of vitamin C, blackcurrant juice, or a placebo drink for each of the training blocks. Each of the dietary interventions involved drinking a similar volume of fruit drink of a total of half a litre per day split over the morning and evening.
The training performance of each runner was carefully measured at the beginning and end of each 3-week treatment period. The runners stuck to a set training schedule which allowed a more accurate assessment of any changes in performance over the training period. | After the story the researchers: | Put their findings in a book | ['was carefully measured', 'not enough information', 'had a 3 week treatment program'] |
If you lose your wallet, how often do you think someone will be kind enough to return it to you, with cash and credit cards?
Some people may be greedy, and others are simply too lazy to bother with the trip to the post office to send back a wallet to a stranger. But according to a psychology study by Dr. Richard Wiseman, there's one thing that'll greatly increase your odds of being reunited with a lost wallet: a photograph of a cute baby.
In the study, hundreds of wallets were scattered around the streets of Edinburgh, Scotland. The psychologists wanted to see how many strangers would take the trouble to return them to the addresses listed on the drivers' licenses inside--but more than that, they wanted to find out what would make a person more likely to help out a stranger.
To finish this, they included personal things in most of the wallets: some included a photo of a happy elderly couple, some contained a cute puppy, some contained a family portrait, and some held a photo of a lovely baby. Others had receipts showing that the wallet's owner had recently donated to a charity . Some contained no personal details.
As the psychologists soon discovered, the sight of a smiling baby is enough to warm nearly any heart: only one in ten of the strangers who _ such wallets did not return them. In contrast, the second most successful image, the puppy, had a 53% return rate. When the wallet included no photograph, it stood only a one in seven chance of being returned to the owner.
The success of the baby photograph shows a human compassion for the young that's been passed down through the ages, according to Dr. Wiseman. "The baby kicked off a caring feeling in people, which is not surprising from an evolutionary perspective ," he told theTimes.
To ensure our species' survival, scientists think that we must feel empathy and compassion for our young. Scientists say that this study supports the argument that we won't feel compassion only for our own babies, but for any that we see--hence, the strong desire a stranger would feel to return a wallet to the baby's parent.
On a more basic level, the study also provides a great tip to help ensure that if your wallet is ever lost, you're more likely to get it back. "If you want to increase the chances of your wallet being returned if lost, gain a photograph of the cutest baby you can find and ensure that it is clearly displayed," said Dr. Wiseman. | If there are 30 lost wallets with a photograph of a cute baby, how many of them will probably be returned? | About 27. | ['Only 3.', 'About 15.', '20 or so.'] |
We can see how the product life cycle works by looking at the introduction of instant coffee. When it was introduced, most people did not like it as well as "regular" coffee, and it took several years to gain general acceptance(introduction stage).At one point, though, instant coffee grew rapidly in popularity, and many brands were introduced(stage of rapid growth). After a while, people became attached to one brand and sales leveled off(stage of maturity). Sales went into a slight decrease when freeze-dried coffees were introduced(stage of decline).
The importance of the product life cycle to marketers is this: Different stages in the product life cycle call for different strategies. The goal is to extend product life so that sales and profits do not drop. One strategy is called market modification. It means that marketing managers look for new users and market sections. Did you know, for example, that the backpacks that so many students carry today were originally designed for the soldiers?
Market modification also means searching for increased usage among present customers or going for a different market, such as senior citizens. A marketer may re-position the product to appeal to new market sections.
Another product extension strategy is called product modification. It involves changing product quality, features, or style to attract new users or more usage from present users. American auto manufacturers are using quality improvement as one way to regain world markets. Note, also, how auto manufacturers once changed styles eagerly from year to year to keep demand from falling. | The author mentions the example of "backpacks" (Para.2) to show the importance of _ . | exploring new market sections | ['pleasing the young as well as the old', 'increasing usage among students', 'finding creative product designers'] |
It's axiomatic that all cultures reserve a special place for food in their daily and social lives. For something as simple as a cuppa joe, we schedule and juggle our time to meet at predetermined locations to share conversation and libation. Meals require even more effort and the social ramifications increase. One is expected to show up on time, sometimes dress to certain standards and bring one or many bottles of wine as a thoughtful gift to the hosts. And of course, the food is just an excuse to get together with friends to enjoy a meal, share stories, to discuss or seduce, to seal an agreement or act as a prelude to a severance of relations (frequently unintentionally). I was first introduced to dining for pleasure as opposed to sustenance while at the University of New Brunswick. I lived in Bridges House, one of the men's residences. The young, eager, bright-eyed students in each residence were kept more or less in check by a Don. Each residence had its share of maniacs and troublemakers who were at university to get some form of education, alcohol poisoning or a social disease; sometimes all three. The Don's job was to act as a mentor and prison warden. Imagine a building housing up to 100 young adult men. It doesn't take much to start a riot. In our case, the Don was Locutus. When we met him, he must have been in his forties but looked to us adolescents to be older than Father Time. He was immediately dubbed 'Grandpa Munster'. With the tender sensitivity of males of our age, we didn't bother to hide this from him and he took it in good humour. In point of fact, Locutus was a great Don; firm when he needed to be and understanding and helpful as appropriate. You crossed this guy at your peril, but he was generally pretty tolerant. | Why was Locutus called Grandpa Munster by his residents? | He looked to the adolescent males as if he was older than Father Time. | ['not enough information', 'Because he had so many grandchildren.', 'Because he had a sister who was a vampire.'] |
The big screen is never short of films about World WarII. When Nazi Germany is featured in these films, cruel Nazi officers and brutal concentration camps most often represent it. But the new Hollywood movie Valkyrie tells a different story, "a chapter of German history which is little known abroad", according to the German Cultural Minister Bernd Neumann.
Valkyrie is based on a true incident that took place in 1944. Colonel Stauffenberg had been a loyal soldier for his entire military career. However, after losing an eye, a hand, and three fingers in an Allied bombing, _ . The destruction that his country had brought to its European neighbors had become too terrible for the colonel to bear in silence. He hoped that someone would find a way to stop Adolf Hitler, one of the most evil tyrants the world has ever known. Realizing that time was running out, he decided that he must take action himself and joined the German resistance. These men drew up Operation Valkyrie, a plot to assassinate Hitler and to overthrow his Nazi government from the inside. This plot is what the film is named after and focuses on.
The Hollywood star Tom Cruise plays the lead role. "This was a very challenging film to make. We carried a huge responsibility to correctly portray history," Cruise said.
However, the production has drawn criticism for lacking depth and for simplifying the motives behind the plot. | What does the sentence " _ " probably mean? | He decided to make a historic change in life. | ['He narrowly escaped being killed.', "He couldn't reach out his arm for anything.", 'He was rewarded for his brave attempts.'] |
He had apparently spaced out for a second or two. When he came to, a large, annoyed woman was leaning in toward him. "Mister? Mister, are you even listening to me?"
He looked at the receding rows of fluorescent lights on the struts of the cavernous ceiling, the gleaming linoleum floors, the pallets of sale-priced plastic coolers and Special K and motor oil, and then he looked at the rack of merchandise at his back and understood that he was in a Wal-Mart, behind the returns counter.
He heard his own voice saying, as if by reflex, "Do you have your receipt?"
*
At the first opportunity, he locked himself in a bathroom stall and dug out his wallet. His driver's license showed the right name, birthdate, and photo, but it had been issued by the State of North Carolina, and it listed an address he'd never heard of.
He scrubbed his face at the sink. It was him in the mirror, a tanned and healthy 56, hair mostly gray but still all there. He felt groggy, as if he'd woken prematurely. It was only the numbness, he thought, that kept the panic at bay.
If he didn't push, he found he knew the answers to some questions. He was due to clock out in an hour. When he left the parking lot he would go under the highway, turn left, and merge.
*
He found his way to a battered white Toyota pickup in the employee section. The key in his pocket started the engine. He forced himself not to think too hard as he drove, taking the turns that seemed to have a certain inevitability. He wound up on a dirt road near someplace called Pittsboro, in front of a small brick house surrounded by high yellow grass, pines, and live oaks. | Where is he from | not enough information | ['Florida', 'Chicago', 'Seattle'] |
A fierce earthquake struck HaitionJanuary 12, 2010, causing a crowded hospital to fall down and countless houses and buildings were destroyed.
The earthquake, the worst in the region in more than 200 years, with a magnitude estimated at 7.0, struck just before 5 p.m. about 10 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince, leaving the region nearly in ruins. As night fell in Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital, fires burned near the shoreline downtown, but otherwise the city fell into darkness. The electricity was out, telephones were not working and relief workers struggled to make their way through blocked streets.
In this earthquake, it was not possible for officials to determine how many people had been killed and injured. It was reported that the headquarters of the United Nations mission was seriously damaged and many employees were missing. Part of the national palace had fallen to the ground. A hospital was totally ruined in Petionville, which is home to many diplomats and wealthy Haitians. A New York reporter said that a wall at the front of the Hotel Oloffson had fallen, killing a passer-by. A number of nearby buildings was badly damaged, trapping people. People were screaming, calling for help from every corner.
Haiti sits on a large fault between the much larger North American plate to the north and the Caribbean plate to the south. The earthquake on Tuesday happened when what appears to be part of the southern fault zone broke. With many poor people living in tin-roof shacks and with many of the buildings in Port-au-Prince and elsewhere in the country of questionable quality, it was expected that the quake caused major damage to buildings and great loss of life. | In Haiti, one way to reduce losses in earthquakes is probably to _ . | improve the quality of the buildings | ['repair the Southern fault zone', 'move to the seaside', 'live in tin-roof buildings'] |
The drive up to Rick's place in the hills always made me sick. Just after he bought the house with his ill gotten gains from his band's over-hyped, over-marketed, and over-bought sophomore Disc, he drove me out to see it in his beautiful but nauseating '70 Datsun 240 Z. All the smog combined with the pinball effects of winding up the hill at teeth-numbing speeds had me puking for an hour after we got there.
I took the last turn at the top of the hill and watched the rising sun crest over the black blocks of the city, her angel wings soiled and cheapened with the soot of 12 million get-away drivers. Rick's house came into view out of the fog, its large glass panes sparkling like the last clean surface of an oversized ashtray.
I parked between a blue hatchback and Rick's favorite toy: a 350 horsepower Impreza he had smuggled here from Japan. All his more expensive rides were in the garage, collecting dust and gaining vintage resale value.
I rang the bell. I waited and watched a couple of squirrels fight over a small treasure in the bushes. The door opened.
"Dingo."
"Hey, Luna."
Her job as Rick's assistant was to take care of his place while he was out being a rock star. She made sure all his bills were paid, his animals were fed, and that the subsequent fallout from any parties she might have in his absence didn't leave any lasting damage.
She was pretty by most standards, gorgeous by others. Short with a tight schoolgirl body and raven hair that teased her avian shoulders. But by whatever standard, her beauty was like a rare and exotic bird she kept caged behind the bars of her perfect teeth. As soon as she opened her mouth it flew away. | The narrator parked at Rick's house: | before talking to Rick's assistant | ['not enough information', "while talking to Rick's assistant", "after talking to Rick's assistant"] |
It has become increasingly common for academics to use social media to communicate with wider audiences. Twitter, like many other social platforms, typically measures success in terms of numbers of followers, likes and retweets, but this only tells us something about the spreading of messages but not necessarily whether the content of the messages is understood or embraced. One way to ascertain this is through network and language analysis, which, used together, can tell us how effective the communication is.
Economists tweet less, mention fewer people and have fewer conversations with strangers than a comparable group of experts in the sciences, and use less accessible language with words that are more complex, with more abbreviations and with a more distant tone. Their tweets are less personal and less inclusive than those used by scientists.
This is what appeared in April 2017 when we gathered data on tens of thousands of tweets from the Twitter accounts of both the top 25 economists and 25 scientists as identified by IDEAS and Science, including the top three economists at the time, Paul Krugman, Joseph Stiglitz, and Erik Brynjolfsson and, on the other side, the top three scientists, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Brian Cox, and Richard Dawkins. At that time those accounts covered roughly two thirds of all the following.
The timing is significant because 2016 has been declared the year of post-truth politics, the year in which appeals to emotions (pathos) superseded the significance of factual evidence-based information (logos), affecting people’s constructions and interpretations of events. This has been accompanied by the growing prominence of political “alt” movements (e.g. UKIP, the Alt-right) and their aggressive, provocative, and populist narratives, and “fake news” leading to political shock events such as Brexit and the Trump election.
The relatively low traction of economists in these public debates has been and continues to be an important issue. Does the public not trust economists? Don’t they understand what economists do and how they work? Is their work misrepresented in the media? And how do economists themselves interact with public opinion? | How long did the analyzing the tweets between the two groups take? | A month | ['not enough information', 'two years', 'a year'] |
Very few people look forward to and enjoy exams. That doesn't have to mean that you should be afraid of them, though. The following tips will help you get through that terrible exam period.
Here are eight steps to help you during exams:
1. Make sure you know how much time you will have in the exam, and how many questions there will be. Then you can divide your time among the questions to make sure that they all get answered.
2. When you're doing an exam that involves long answers, it is a good idea to leave some space at the end of the answer so that you can add any extra comments that might come to mind when you reread your paper.
3. Don't spend all of your time only on questions that you know the answer to because you will get a worse mark for answering some questions very well and some not at all.
4. It is worth taking a little extra time to make sure that your handwriting is neat. Then the examiner will be able to read it! Try to _ spelling mistakes too!
5. The more prepared you are, the more likely you are to succeed.
6. Keep calm. If you feel yourself getting worried, take a deep breath.
7. Don't try to discuss the exam after you've finished it. If you've got different answers from your friends, there's no point worrying about it.
8. Once an exam is over, just forget about it. There is nothing more you can do about it. The best thing you can do is to go home and prepare for the next one. | You can get a better mark if _ . | you go over your notes carefully for the exam | ['you spend all of your time on questions that you are not good at', 'you discuss the answers with your friends after exams', 'you spend most of your time on questions that you know well'] |
And , being the cautious people that they are , they are n't quite sure if we 're evil yet or not ( the massacre , at this point , had n't occurred ) , and decided to send their spy ( me - my characters do n't get a lot of breaks in this session , unfortunately as you will see ) in to do some spying stuff . The DM at this point looks over to me and assures me that he will survive . Blinded ( which can be cured easy ) , but survive . | Why was the spy sent into the territory they were ? | To get info on a pending battle . | ['None of the above choices .', 'To get info on a pending investment .', 'To get info on a pending business deal .'] |
The World Health Organization reports a number of people have died of the Ebola virus in central Africa during the last few months. Ebola, also known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever or Ebola viral disease, is a rare and deadly illness with high death rates in humans and primates. The natural source of Ebola virus remains unknown, although bats seem to be the most likely source.
The Ebola virus began spreading after victims were discovered in northeastern Gabon. So far, it is the third time Ebola has spread through Gabon since 1994. Health officials believe people moving across the border spread the disease from Gabon to Congo. Ebola is highly infectious and kills up to 80% of its victims. Researchers do not know the method with which the virus first appears in humans, but they believe it is through infected animals. The disease then spreads from person to person through blood and other body liquids.
Ebola victims treated early have the base chance of survival. Signs of Ebola include a high temperature, diarrhea, muscle pains and bleeding inside the body, in severe cases, victims experience chest pains and death. There is no known cure for the disease and no way yet to prevent it.
Scientists at the American National institutes of Health are working to develop a vaccine to prevent Ebola. Doctor Cary Nobel is leading the research effort at N-l-H testing center in the eastern state of Maryland. He says that during the past two years, the vaccine has been tested on small animals and monkeys for safety and effectiveness.
In the most recent study, four monkeys who had been given the vaccine were completely protected from a deadly injection of the Ebola virus. The study was described in November in Nature magazine. Doctor Nobel says the tests appear to have moved scientists one step closer to a vaccine for humans. | What is Doctor Nobel's attitude towards the tests? | Positive. | ['Discouraged.', 'Doubtful.', 'Not mentioned.'] |
Jason had been sitting alone at his table, staring at the tall, platinum blonde for an hour. His imagination ran wild with thoughts of kissing her full lips while his hands explored her lean, muscled body. Tonight he didn't need the whiskey to warm him up. But he kept drinking it anyway. She stepped away from the mike, sat her acoustic guitar on its stand, and walked down from the small stage. Jason beat all the other losers to the bar and sat down beside her. "You must be pretty thirsty after all that beautiful singing." How many times had she heard that line? But at age 33, she'd probably heard every pickup line known to man. "Yeah," she said, giving him a quick glance. He wasn't a bad looking guy. Probably a couple of inches shorter than her. At six-foot-two, she was accustomed to that. But a lot of men couldn't deal with her height. They liked to be the tall one in the relationship. Not that she'd had many relationships. Mostly one-nighters. Without her saying a word, the bartender sat a glass of ice down in front of her, and poured her a can of Diet Coke. "Thanks, Joe." She took a sip as he walked away. "I'm Jason." "Sondra," she said, looking straight ahead as she took another sip. "I really enjoyed your music--especially that last song. Did you write it yourself?" "Yeah." "Wow. It was sad, but moving. You've got talent." Here we go, she thought. And I suppose you're a talent agent or a record producer, or you've got a friend in the business. And you'd be more than happy to get me a record deal--assuming I'd be willing to go with you right now to some sleazy motel. "I'm sick of this business. In fact, you just heard my last performance. First thing Monday morning I'm going out to find me a real job. One that will pay the bills." | How long has Sondra been probably performing for? | a few days | ['a couple of decades', 'several years', 'not enough information'] |
In the near future, we may be using our eyes to operate our smartphones and tablets, even when it comes to playing popular games like Fruit Ninja.
The GazeGroup has been developing eye-controlled computer technology for nearly 20 years. But those devices have been mainly designed to aid those with disabilities, and are very expensive.
"After a while, we figured out that probably the best way is to go for a mass-market approach," says Gaze's Sune Alstrup Johansen, "where everybody would have this available."
Johansen and some of his colleagues have formed a new company, The Eye Tribe, which is hoping to develop the technology on a mass commercial level.
The technology works by sending an infrared light from the computing device toward the user's face. After measuring the user's eye movements, the technology is then able to easily know where a person's eyes are moving, allowing the eyes to control a cursor .
A software can determine the location of the eyes and tell where the user is looking on the screen. It even knows which image he is looking at.
There has been a gradual change toward hands-free technology in recent years, particularly in the gaming world. Following Nintendo's popular Wii system, Xbox released the Kinect device, which lets users control their Xbox and play certain games using only their hands, legs and voices.
Since most smartphones and other mobile devices can't come standard with an infrared device, Johansen said a replaceable filter would be an inexpensive, convenient choice for most consumers.
And even as companies like The Eye Tribe work to create a commercially practical product for the average user, making the eye-controlled technology more accessible and less expensive will have similar benefits for disabled users.
"Then I can go to any computer, and then I can control it and I can use it, instead of just bringing my own," said Stig Langvad, who heads up Denmark's umbrella organization for people with disabilities. "So I'll be a part of society on an equal foot, instead of being a special solution." | We can learn from the passage that _ . | the development of eye-controlled computer technology began a very long time ago | ["the Kinect device was released earlier than Nintendo's Wii system", 'cheap eye-controlled devices completely changed the gaming world many years ago', 'with no help of special devices, a large number of people are now using their eyes to operate devices'] |
Valentine’s Day sucks. Which may sound odd coming from someone who ceaselessly praises love and sex, but it is true. I am not a fan.
My mother and father were married in a small Baptist Church on Valentine’s Day in 1959. They are no longer together. They are still technically married but my father now lives in a residential care home for dementia patients and my mother lives alone. My father’s disease makes him angry and aggressive leaving my mother with blurred and fading memories of his kindness. It is a sad day for all those whose partners are transformed into strangers by illnesses.
Some things aren’t fair.
It is my step(ish) daughter’s birthday on Valentine’s Day (I am not married to my boyfriend so I can’t claim to be a step-mum and there is no other term for it). The end of my boyfriend’s marriage has put continents between him and his children. When he hangs up the phone after talking to his daughter, his eyes are dark with pain. It is a sad day for all those whose love is diluted by oceans.
Some things can’t be changed.
I remember the last Valentine’s Day I spent with my ex-husband. I was a couple of weeks away from moving out but I hadn’t told him yet. I felt sick and scared and heartbroken. My husband and I passed the entire day without speaking. As I stood on the edge of the cliff summoning up the courage to jump, I felt entirely alone. It is a sad day for all those whose love has withered away.
Some things can’t be fixed.
I want to believe that “love is all you need” because it feels as though it could almost be true, but then I remember, on days like this, that for as many hearts that sing, there are equally as many that struggle to beat. | When did the author leave her husband? | Near the beginning of March | ["Last Valentine's day", "Valentine's day 1959", 'not enough information'] |
seems like the trick to my life right now is taking each individual moment for whatever it is sperate from all the other moments . yesterday was good . i had very little pain , I was bussy and reasonably productive all day . it was a good day . | How would taking each individual moment separately be helpful ? | It would help focus on the good things . | ['You can make long term plans', 'You can contact the police if something is going wrong .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
I just realized exactly how long it had been since I opened up lj and posted or read anything . For all my complaining this summer 2007 was a pretty good year overall . It was a rather crazy fall semester , I transferred schools , and the place where I am going now is about 10 times larger that the one I was at before . It was a bit overwhelming at times . | Why was going to a much larger school overwhelming for the speaker ? | They did n't know anyone at the new school and it would take some time to adjust to this | ["Because it was n't a good fit for them and they were looking for an excuse to leave the school", 'None of the above choices .', "Because they had n't been accepted into the school and had to explain this to their parents"] |
Most of the time, we choose colors for decorating based on our personal taste and our sense of aesthetics . But, a number of color experts believe that colors have an effect on our emotions and that it would be wise of us to be conscious of that before settling on a definite choice.
Some of the effects of colors are well known and accepted by most people. In fact, those effects have been the subject of serious research and experiments and have been scientifically proven. But not all scientists agree on the validity of the results.
When we become interested in the psychological effects of colors, it is important to know that not all societies share our opinion of those effects on our emotions. What we hold as an "objective" observation on a color is often nothing more than a reflection of our cultural belongingness, which has attributed properties to that color for generations.
Why is it not possible for us to hold a really objective discourse on the subject? In part, because it is very difficult to separate the psychological from the symbolic, the symbolic aspects are definitely cultural. Often, and this without our realizing it, they influence our understanding of colors and the following emotions - both psychological aspects. Black and white are good examples. In western countries, black is considered serious, dramatic and sometimes sad. People are warned against its potentially depressing effects on decoration. Black is the traditional color of mourning. White, on the other hand, is associated with purity, peace and optimism. For those reasons, white is the traditional color of bridal dresses. No one would think of attending a funeral in white. Any more than it would occur to a bride to wear black. We simply remain convinced that it is not in the "nature" of those colors. Yet, in certain oriental countries, it is white, not black that is the color of mourning.
That having been said, there is some "overlapping" in the properties different cultures attribute to certain colors. For example, Feng Shui, the traditional Chinese philosophy that distinguishes between good and evil influences explains colors much in the same way as the majority of western color specialists. Is that to say that colors have real natural properties which all humans perceive in the same way or is the phenomenon an example of the cross-influences that affect the thinking of cultures brought closer to one another by a certain Venetian called Marco Polo? It is difficult to say.
But, be that as it may, colors do affect us. And if you feel emotions for a certain color, note them and remember them. You may even wish to consider them next time you are planning to decorate. The decision is yours! | In western countries, white is _ . | preferred by bridals | ['used in a funerals sometimes', 'depressing in decoration', 'pure in its nature'] |
As it turned out, Greg would have had a hard time canceling the check, even if he'd changed his mind. Chloe's crew had already sprung into action as soon as they left the building. The company used a computer controlled switchboard to route phone calls and this immediately went down, same for their Internet access. Meanwhile, a crude but effective denial of service attack was launched against their company Web site. If Greg decided to use his cell phone there wasn't much they could do, but the hope was that he'd be so tied up with all this other crap that he wouldn't have time to think of that.
Paul didn't think any of that was necessary. Greg had given in and he wasn't going to call and cancel the check now. He'd agreed for a reason, and once Greg had a reason for making a decision it was usually impossible to change his mind. And it didn't make sense anyway. All he would have done is buy himself a little more time. Chloe and Paul would just march right back in and start all over again - probably after sending out pics of Evan in drag to all the employees. From his point of view, there was no reason for Greg to do that.
Of course, it was still a huge risk for Chloe and Paul. If Greg just wanted a delay to get the lawyers involved, then they were in trouble. Chloe and he had broken a fist full of laws in the past twelve hours. They needed to cash that check and disappear as soon as they could.
The bank put up a bit of a fuss about the check, which was one more reason Paul hated Bank of Fucking America. They always had some rule to screw a customer. But Chloe made a bunch of noise and actually jumped up and down at one point and eventually they walked out of the bank with a cashier's check. | Where did Paul and Chloe cash the check? | Bank of America. | ['At their company.', "At Greg's credit union.", 'not enough information'] |
In the end , she paid $ 4300 for everything and ended up having to put her dog down . I know there are probably a lot of details I ' m sketchy on here -- all I know is she feels they did n't take proper care of him . She wanted to know if there were any resources on how to pursue this kind of thing . She thinks she has a case and ultimately , since she ca n't have her beloved dog back , she 'd like to NOT have to pay them the money when she feels they did n't do their job . | Why was so much money shelled out ? | It costs money to go to a vet . | ['The store charged a lot .', 'None of the above choices .', 'It costs money to go to a doctor .'] |
With the start of the new term, students around the country exchange their fun and fashionable clothes for boring school uniforms. But not all campuses are fashion deserts. Colorful sports shoes, school bags, T-shirts and even drink containers are breathing life into campuses.
_ especially when we are doing morning exercises on the playground," and Qing Pei, a Senior 2 students from Shanghai Qibao High School. "But boys wear different sports shoes and girls have different decorations in their hair. These are the areas where you can express yourself," said Qing.
Although it might be strange for boys to talk about fashion, they do care about what they wear in school, especially shoes, according to Qing.
"Nike and Adidas basketball shoes, although they are still the must-have items for many of my friends, are becoming out-of-date," Qing added. He explained, "Since Liu Xiang ran so fast in Athens, running shoes are becoming popular in this autumn."
"Still in fashion are the various baseball caps and American-style T-shirts with some English words printed on them," said Qing. Besides sports shoes and T-shirts, styles and colors of schoolbags are another chance for students to express their taste in fashion. Some bags are made more eye-catching by decorating them with small dolls.
Other fashionable items are colorful drink containers, which are now popular with girls this term.
"Some teachers are surprised to see a teenager sucking a bottle like this at school and criticize it as childish regression . But some girls just love it," said Yang Rui, a Senior 3 student. | How do girls express themselves on campus? | They have different decorations in their hair. | ['They wear different spots shoes.', 'They wear school uniforms.', 'They drink coffee from colorful drink containers.'] |
A Nobel Prize is considered by most people one of the highest international honors a person can receive. As you know, the prizes were started by a Sweden called Sweden Alfred Nobel. Alfred Nobel was born in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, and lived from 1833 to 1896.
Alfred Nobel was a chemist and inventor. He made two important inventions, so he became very rich. Although he was rich, Nobel was not a happy man. He never married or had children. Also, he was a sick man in large part of his life. Nobel died at the age of sixty-three. When he died, he left a fund of $9,000,000. The money was to be used in giving prizes to those who made outstanding achievement in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and the promotion of the world peace.
The first Nobel Prize were given on December 10th,1901, five years after Nobel's death. Many famous people all over the world have been given Nobel Prizes for their achievements. Albert Einstein was one of them.
Each prize has three parts. The first part is a gold medal. Second, a winner of a Nobel Prize is given a diploma saying that he has been given the prize. The third part of the prize is a large amount of money---about $40,000.
Often a prize is given to just one person, but not always. Sometimes a prize is shared. It might be given to two or more people who have worked together. It is also sometimes true that a prize is not given at all if there is no outstanding achievement. In 1972, for example, not a Nobel Prize was given. It is the Nobel Foundation in Stockholm that decides whether to give the prize or not. | When he died, Nobel left an amount of money _ . | to be spent on setting five prizes | ['to his wife and children', 'to the university he used to study in', 'to his parents and his studies'] |
It was going through my head as he embraced me and I hated it . It was putrid water in my mouth . Sense , nothing makes sense . I pushed him off me . " I have to get out of here Pa. " I said . | What will happen if I stay ? | I will not be able to be happy | ['None of the above choices .', 'I will have a lot of dates', 'I will take me time moving to the next step'] |
Thank god for some sunshine at last . Over the weekend we had a walk down into Greenwich ( via lunch in a very nice pub ) , around various markets , and back via a source of kitchenware where I bought a wok and a tiny frying pan . On Sunday went to Mudchute farm which is A : free , B : has pigs in it ( I like pigs ) , and C : sold us them most fantastic bacon sandwiches I ' ve ever eaten ( I also like bacon ) . Also there were giant bunnies , obese ducks , friendly sheep , cake , and for no apparent reason , guinnea - pigs . | What country may I currently be living in ? | None of the above choices . | ['United States', 'Spain', 'Ireland'] |
*Share flats happy valley big flat, 1 room ready for use immediately. quiet and convenient, fully furnished, park view. $6, 800 including bills with maid. female nonsmoker. no pet. sara 25720836 or 10077809.
* moving sale 2 armchairs, red/brown at $400 each; coffee table, black, wood, $800; oil painting, big, $900; tianjin carpet, green 3x7, $600; double bed, $500; mirror, big, square, $500; fridge, big, double-door, $1000; old pictures, $140, up, each; plants, big and small. tel: weekend, 2521-6011/weekday, 2524-5867.
* part-time laboratory assistant wanted required by busy electronics company to help with development of computer. should have an electronics degree and some practical experience of working in an electronics laboratory. hours 9:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. mon.-fri. fourteen days paid leave. salary Y=6598-Y=10230 dependent on experience. letter of application to: mrs. g chan, nova electronics, 45 gordon rd, hung hom kowloon. | The one who put on the first ad probably wants to _ . | find another lady to share the cost to rent a flat | ['rent a beautiful flat of her own in happy valley', 'share her room in a flat with whoever has no pet', 'take on a maid to look after herself and the flat'] |
usually at the very beginning of the day , before food or water or anything , the scale reads 136 or 137 . monday morning it said 132 . last time i checked it was only at 133 , and i ' ve been non - stop re - hydrating and eating as much as i can handle . that is n't much , though . yesterday i was able to have a little soup , some crackers , a tiny bit of white rice and like , one piece of steamed cauliflower . then i felt like i was going to die again . | What may happen after the beginning of Monday morning ? | My reading on the scale is lower than normal . | ['None of the above choices .', 'I knew the scale would give me the reading of 136 or 137 as it usually did .', 'I had a little soup , some crackers , a tiny bit of white rice and one piece of steamed cauliflower .'] |
Throughout your life, you spend the most time being with or dealing with yourself, but it is exactly yourself that you have the least understanding of. When you are going upwards in life, you tend to think too highly of yourself. When you are going downhill, you tend to have too low an opinion of yourself. It's likely that you think it wise for yourself to know your place and keep yourself from lacking courage to face whatever problem you meet with, in which case your energy and creativity would remain far from enough for your age.
To get a thorough understanding of oneself is to gain a correct view of oneself and be a clear-minded realistic person-knowing both one's strength and shortage. You may look forward hopefully to the future but be sure not to expect too much, for dreams can never be fully realized. You may be brave to meet challenges, but it should be clear to you where to direct your efforts.
To get a thorough understanding of oneself needs self-appreciation. Whether you hold yourself as a big tree or a thin piece of grass, whether you think you are a high mountain or a small stone, you show a state of nature that has its own reason of existence. If you really admire yourself, you'll have a real sense of self-appreciation which will give you self-confidence. As soon as you gain full confidence in yourself, you'll be enabled to fight and defeat any trouble that will otherwise defeat you.
To get a thorough understanding of oneself also requires that you show yourself loving concern about your health and daily life. Unless you know perfectly well when and how to do yourself a favor, you won't be confident and ready enough even to resist the attack of illness.
Therefore, just do yourself a favor whenever it's needed. In time of anger, do yourself a favor by giving an exit to it in a quiet place so that you won't be hurt by the anger itself; in time of sadness, do yourself a favor by sharing it with your friends so as to change a sad mood into a cheerful one; in time of tiredness, do yourself a favor by getting a good sleep or some other relaxation.
All in all, to get a thorough understanding of oneself is to get a full control one's life. Then one will find one's life full of color1, pleasure and achievement. | Where does our self-confidence come from? | Our self-appreciation. | ['Our courage to fight.', 'Our natural existence.', 'Our strength and shortage.'] |
If you have a watch, don't go to a watchmaker's unless something is wrong with the machinery. Once I had a beautiful watch. And it had kept perfect time. But one night it happened that I forgot to _ it _ . Next morning I went to a watchmaker as I wanted my perfect watch to be set by the exact time. He examined it and said, "The regulator must be pushed up as your watch is four minutes slow.
I tried to stop him from doing so, but he didn't listen and pushed the regulator.
My beautiful watch began to gain. It gained faster and faster day by day. By the end of the second month it had left all the clocks and watches of the town far behind.
I could do nothing but take it to another watchmaker to be regulated. I expected him to regulate the watch at once, but he asked me to come in a week's time. When at last I got my watch back from him, it began to slow down. And I failed to be in time for trains, business affairs, and even missed my dinners.
Now I went to a third watchmaker. When I was waiting for him to repair my poor watch, he took it to pieces and said that he would try to finish this work in three or four days. What I could do was to nod my head. After that, my watch went for half a day, and then stopped. So I kept taking my watch from one watchmaker to another. But each watchmaker disappointed me.
My watch had cost me two hundred dollars, but I paid for repairs more than two hundred. At last I decided to buy another watch, which I did. | The watch went faster than it used to be _ . | after it was repaired | ['before it was repaired', 'during the time when it was being repaired', 'if it was repaired'] |
"That'll be $9.87."
Rebecca Ranghorn flipped up the top of the box, pulled out a glazed donut, and took bite.
The young secretary behind her looked on in disbelief. She was so ready for the weekend. But first she had to get to the office and put in her lousy eight hours. Why couldn't this woman just pay and get out of the way?
Rebecca tossed the box at the clerk. A couple of donuts flew out and fell on the floor behind the counter.
"Those are yesterday's donuts. I told you to give me the fresh ones."
"But, ma'am, these are the fresh--." The look in her eyes stopped him cold. He dumped the box in the trash and picked out a fresher dozen.
"Now, that'll be $9.87, please."
"Keep your drawers on, Jack." She sampled the new batch. "That's more like it." She threw a ten dollar bill on the counter and walked out with her donuts and large bottle of orange juice.
Her enormous black 1979 Lincoln Continental Town Car was four feet longer and twice the weight of the young secretary's Toyota Corolla parked next to it. It was costing her a fortune to drive her dad's old car. But it made her feel close to him--even though he had been dead for eleven years. She rarely had an occasion to drive out of town--and it was not a big town. Sherman, Texas has about 36,000 residents.
She pulled into the old strip mall parking lot. Most of the stores and other businesses were barely hanging on. The place hadn't seen decent shopping traffic since the 1980s. But it was the perfect location for Rebecca and her partner. They didn't need shoppers. All they needed was cheap office space. Theirs was narrow, but deep, with a reception area, two offices and a bathroom. | What is most likely true about Rebecca? | She hates stale donuts | ['She loves stale donuts', 'not enough information', 'She dislikes donuts'] |
wow , just looked back at my last entry and this requires an update for surei feel a lot better . i was under the depressant effects of alcohol during my last entry ( thank you UMSAFE)i'm still kind of sleepy , but now that everyone 's back , i am getting to know new people , and classes have begun , i feel really goodi have decided this is going to be a year of less drinking and i think that 's a good thing . because when i feel like drinking , look out ! | How would you describe this person ? | They are a recovering alcohol addict . | ['They are being more social than they were last year .', 'They attend AA courses .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
If you like thrillers , Tell No One is a pretty solid one . Eight years after Dr. Alex Beck 's wife is murdered , two bodies are found in the same area - and Dr. Beck receives a mysterious email . | What legal actions should Dr. Beck take in handling the email ? | None of the above choices . | ['Take actions into his own hands .', 'Read the email', 'Investigate the bodies .'] |
Looking almost as fresh as the day it was bought, this McDonald's Happy Meal is in fact a staggering six months old. Photographed every day for the past half a year by Manhattan artist Sally Davies, the kids meal of fries and burger shows no sign of mould or decomposition .
In a work named The Happy Meal Project, Mrs. Davies, 54, tries to provide evidences that McDonald's food really is the worst you can put in your body.
Sitting on a shelf in her apartment, Sally has watched the Happy Meal with increasing shock and even her dogs have resisted the urge to try and steal a free tasty snack. "I bought the meal on April 10 of this year and brought it home with the intention of leaving it out to see how it changed," she said. "I chose McDonald's because it was nearest to my house. The first thing that struck me on day two of the experiment was that it no longer gave out any smell. And then the second point of note was that on the second day, my dogs stopped circling the shelf it was sitting on trying to see what was up there."
Expecting the food to begin moulding after a few days, Mrs Davies' surprise turned to shock as the fries and burger still had not shown any signs of decomposition after two weeks. "It was then that I realised that something strange might be going on with this food that I had bought," she explained. "The overall appearance of the food did not change as the weeks turned to months. And now, at six months old, the food is plastic to the touch. The only change that I can see is that it has become hard as a rock."
As a strict vegetarian, Mrs. Davies' experiment has brought her amusement rather than fear. "Maybe I would be frightened at seeing this if I was a meat eater. Why hasn't even the bread become with mould? It is strange. | Sally Davies had thought the meal she bought would _ . | be covered with mould | ['be eaten by her dogs', 'turn into plastic', 'became tasteless'] |
All writers dream of success. Yet some writers turn their back on success the moment it comes along. J.D. Salinger, the American author, is a good example.
On the face of it, the future did not look promising for the teenage Salinger. He seems always to have been running away from something. First it was school, then he dropped out of New York University. Finally, after failing to find a career in his father's food import business and dropping out of yet another college he decided that his destiny was to be a writer. In the same year he joined a writing class at Columbia University which was taught by Whit Burnett, founder and editor of a magazine called Story. The March-April issue contained a story written by Salinger entitled 'The Young Folks'. In it there are early versions of the moody, selfish youths that appear in his later fiction. Soon, his stories were appearing in various mass-circulation magazines but it was the famous New Yorker which he dreamed of, believing that publication within its covers would indicate his future potential as a serious writer.
Salinger has a huge reputation around the world yet it rests mainly on just one novel, The Catcher in the Rye. Published in 1951, it soon became highly popular with teenagers who identified with the hero's powerful sense of dissatisfaction. Its success made Salinger a public figure. Most writers, of course, would welcome this. Salinger, however, hated it and refused it. He moved to a small house in Cornish, New Hampshire, where he lived away from society until his death in 2010 at the age of 91.
For Salinger, fame and artistic honesty were not the same thing. Some people become writers because they wish their works to speak for themselves. Salinger appears to have been disgusted by the idea that he had become the spokesman for a generation. In death he has perhaps achieved his highest goal: to be out of the spotlight, represented only by his work. | According to the article, J.D. Salinger is an example of _ . | a serious writer who hates fame | ['a selfish and moody youth', 'a famous American author', 'someone who lives away from society'] |
Not only fashion and music are making a return--houses built in 1970s have proven to be better at cutting energy waste than those built today. The "tea cosy " design, created in the mid-1970s and built in the early 1980s for low-income people, could provide a _ for meeting the Government aims of producing less CO2from homes.
The 200 houses were designed to provide low-energy housing, and depend on an inner concrete structure that holds in heat, protected by highly insulated setting which produces a "tea cosy" effect. The ordinary-looking houses also depend on more windows on south-facing sides, with northerly facing doors protected by porches .
A study found the houses are 50 percent more energy efficient than the average home and use a quarter of the average energy for space heating. According to researchers, they use less than two-thirds of the power of homes built to meet 2010 building demands. And they will still be 25 percent more efficient than houses built to even more strict proposed demands for 2013. The design is one of the few that will be able to meet 2016 demands for zero-carbon homes.
They were in the beginning fixed with just one or two gas heaters per home, although most now have central heating, depending on the heat from the sun and high insulation to keep steady temperatures inside the house. To be comfortable, they only need to use heating for three to four months a year, compared with seven months for UK home on average, and can be lived with no heating at all.
With many house builders at present worrying that new homes are going to be much more expensive to build in order to meet the Government's ambitious targets, the"tea cosy"model meets this need perfectly. | According to the passage, "tea cosy" houses are better at _ . | saving heat for energy efficiency | ['producing solar energy at home', 'designing and building materials', 'saving building materials and energy'] |
For a long time people have believed that high self-esteem is the key to success. However, new research shows that focusing just on building self-esteem may not be helpful. In some cases, having high self-esteem can bring bad results if it makes you less likeable or more upset when you fail at something.
"Forget about self-esteem," says one of the psychologists involved in the new research. "It's not the most important thing."
This idea may sound a bit strange to you because studies also show that people with high self-esteem are less likely to be anxious, shy, or lonely than those with low self-esteem. In short, to feel good does you good.
But, after reviewing about 18,000 studies on self-esteem, Roy Baumeister, a psychologist at Florida State University, has found that building up your self-esteem will not necessarily make you a better person. He believes that violent and evil people often have the highest self-esteem of all. He also said, "There's no evidence that kids with high self-esteem do better in school."
All types of people have problems. "People with high self-esteem can have big egos that can make them less likeable to their peers," said Kathleen Vohs, a psychology professor at Columbia University. "People with high self-esteem tend to think more of themselves," Vohs says. People with low self-esteem are more likely to rely on their friends when they need help.
Researchers say it is best to listen to and support other people. Find positive ways to contribute to society. If you fail at something, try to learn from the experience. The best therapy , as they suggest, is to recognize your faults, accept yourself, understand your weaknesses and then do something about them. | What's the author's attitude towards high self-esteem ? | Objective. | ['Subjective.', 'Neutral.', 'Indifferent.'] |
Not so long ago almost student who successfully completed a university degree could find a good career quite easily. However. those days are gone, even in Hong Kong, and nowadays graduates often face strong competition in the search for jobs.
Job seekers first have to make a careful assessment of their own abilities. One area of assessment should be of their academic qualifications, which would include special skills within their subject area. Graduates should also consider their own personal values and attitudes, or the importance to themselves of such matters as money, security, leadership and caring for others.
The second stage is to study the opportunities available for employment.
Job application forms and letters should, of course, be filled in carefully and correctly, without grammar or spelling errors.
When graduates are asked to attend for interview, they should prepare properly by finding out all they can about the prospective employer. Dressing suitably and arriving for the interview on time are also obviously important. Interviewees should try to give positive and helpful answers and should not be afraid to ask questions about anything they are unsure about. This is much better than pretending to understand a question and giving an unsuitable answer.
It is true that it is hard to find a good job. But there will always be good career opportunities for people with ability, skills and determination; the secret to securing good jobs in to be one of them. | The word"prospective"is closest in meaning to_. | potential | ['ambiguous', 'reasonable', 'ambitious'] |
Another piece of his story . When we first brought Zeke and Kora home , the doctors did a myriad of test and work - ups . We expected the parasites and things like anemia to show up . But we knew the kids had been tested previously for most other things , so we did not anticipate any shocking revelations . | Where did we first brought Zeke and Kora home from ? | We adopted them from another country . | ['None of the above choices .', 'they were a different species .', 'They came from another planet .'] |
The nation's largest group of pediatricians on Monday urged its members to "firmly oppose boxing for any child or adolescent."
In a statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) said thousands of boys and girls take part in the sport in North America, despite risks of serious brain and facial injuries. The group's position was approved by some experts.
"There is very little one can do in order to increase the chance of having a healthy brain when you get old," said Dr. Hans Forstl, who has studied boxing injuries.
" One of the best things you can do is avoid boxing." He said.
According to the new statement, published in the journal Pediatrics, information from Canada shows a rise in boxing injuries over the past decade.
Pat Russo, a retired police officer who runs a boxing gym in Brooklyn, New York, said injuries are rare in amateur boxing. After 26 years and training thousands of kids, he has seen just one split lip among his students.
" If the gym is run properly, injuries are at an absolute minimum," Russo said. "Football is ten times more dangerous. While tennis or football might also help kids gain confidence, boxing holds a special attraction for children in poor neighborhoods, because it allows them to act tough while in trouble."
Dr. Robert Cantu, a surgeon at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Massachusetts, said AAP's attitude makes sense for upper-class and middle-class kids.
" Clearly boxing is safer today than it was 20 or 30 years ago, but it is still a very risky activity," he said.
"For kids in poor areas, however, the situation is different," said Cantu. " The most dangerous thing for the majority of people in boxing is just where they live. They are far safer in the ring , even taking blows to the head, than they are out in the neighborhood." | The statement released by AAP was _ . | strongly against boxing for children | ['approved by Pat Russo', 'focused on professional boxing', "based on Dr. Hans Forstl's research"] |