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Question: People Born in Autumn Live Longer People born in the autumn live longer than those born in the spring and are less likely to fall chronically ill when they are older, according to an Austrian scientist. Using census data for more than one million people in Austria, Denmark and Australia, scientists at the Max Planck Institute in the northern German town of Rostock found the month of birth was related to life expectancy over the age of 50. Seasonal differences in what mothers ate during pregnancy, and infections occurring at different times of the year could both have an impact on the health of a new-born baby and could influence its life expectancy in older age. "A mother giving birth in spring spends the last phase of her pregnancy in winter, when she will eat less vitamins than in summer," said Gabriele Doblhammer, one of a team of scientists who carried out the research. "When she stops breast-feeding and starts giving her baby normal food, it's in the hot weeks of summer when babies are prone to infections of the digestive system." In Austria, adults born in autumn (October-December) lived about seven months longer than those born in spring (April-June), and in Denmark adults with birthdays in autumn outlived those born in spring by about four months. In the southern hemisphere, the picture was similar. Adults born in the Australian autumn--the European spring--lived about four months longer than those born in the Australian spring. The study focused on people born at the beginning of the 20th century, using death certificates and census data. Although nutrition at all times of the year has improved since then, the seasonal pattern persists, Doblhammer said. But on the other hand, according to a study of more 40,000 people, those born in spring and summer report themselves luckier than those born in autumn or winter. Professor Richard Wise-man who led the research explained that the temperature at the time of birth might influence the development of the brain and seasonal factors make a difference as well. The census data of the following countries is used for research EXCEPT _ .
A. Germany.
B. Denmark.
C. Australia.
D. Austria.
Answer: A | mmlu |
Question: TOSHIBA ELEVATORS LTD is one of the leading elevator companies in the world with more than 120 branch companies around the globe. SHENYANG TOSHIBA ELEVATORS LTD in Shenyang produces high-quality elevators. We are offering the following positions: * Plant Manager: Excellent Senior Engineer with experience in this field to manage our plant in Shenyang * Senior Engineers (Mechanical and Electrical): For production and Engineering Department, good command of Internet * Junior positions: For those who wish for success * One purchaser : Preferably with experience in a mechanical engineering company and international markets * Cost Accountant : 5 years experience in mechanical factory costing, good knowledge in Office 2000, CET level. For these senior level Positions, we expect preferably a university degree or an excellent job record. 3-5 years of experience on the job and good command of English. If you are ready to work with us, we will offer attractive salary packet and bright future. SHENYANG TOSHIBA ELEVATORS LTD Shenyang (024-82846556) Liaoning Province TOWER DAIRY PRODUCT COMPANY LTD is a well-known food company in Suzhou. We're offering the following positions: (1) Secretary * University graduate * Good at English speaking, writing&translating * Good PC knowledge and typing skill * Pleasant character with good personal skill (2) Accountants * College or university graduate * Good command of English and PC operation * Work experience (3) Production Trainees * College or university graduate * Food engineering/machinery or chemistry * Good command of English * 1-2 years experience in food factory * Leadership ability and PC knowledge (4) Production workers * Polytechnic school graduate * Food technology or chemistry * Knowledge of basic English *1-2 years experience in food factory TOWER DAIRY PRODUCT COMPANY LTD Suzhou (0512-86734157) Jiangsu Province If you don't know how to use a computer, you had better ask for the position of _ .
A. a secretary in TOWER
B. a production worker in TOWER
C. a senior engineer in TOSHIBA
D. a cost accountant in TOSHIBA
Answer: B | mmlu |
Question: Chicago is considering firm measures to prevent the Asian carp,a giant fish native to the Far East,from coming into North America's Great Lakes in large numbers.Such a move could cost up to$18bn,a heavy economic burden to the city. This species,more than a metre in length,was originally introduced to southern US states three decades ago to control weeds in sewage treatment plants.But they escaped into the Mississippi River and increased in number quickly,making their way north towards the Great Lakes and threatening the native fish species along the way. "Dozens of them will often leap out of the water as boats approach.''Michael Beecham,a local environmental expert,described how frightening the scene was."I've gone down the river and seen these fish jump up and hit me in the face.It is a big problem for our native species," he said. A meeting has been organized to find a technological solution to the carp problem,one of which involves blocking parts of Chicago's canal system.Listening at the meeting was John Goss,who was worried about the effect that having barriers in the canal system would have on industry."It would certainly increase the cost of transportation,"he told."It is currently very cheap and efficient to bring materials and finished goods down the Chicago ship canal.'' Another cheaper option is to eat the fish out of existence.Dirk Fucik is selling carp burger at his fish shop not far from downtown Chicago.He thinks the carps are a great resource."To catch it and throw it away is a waste,"he says."Eating them helps solve the problem and also provides jobs."But the idea has not yet caught on.So far,he is the only person in Chicago selling carp burgers. According to Michael Beecham,the Asian carp
A. jumps out of the water to eat weeds
B. always attacks people if disturbed
C. is a big threat to the local species
D. forms a beautiful scene on the river
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: Another cultural aspect of nonverbal communication is one that you might not think about: space. Every person perceives himself to have a sort of invisible shield surrounding his physical body. When someone comes too close, he feels uncomfortable. When he bumps onto someone, he feels obligated to apologize. But the size of a person's "comfort zone" depends on his cultural ethnic origin. For example, in casual conversation, many Americans stand about four feet apart. In other words, they like to keep each other "at arm's length", people in Latin or Arab cultures, in contrast, stand very close to each other, and touch each other often. If someone from one of those cultures stands too close to an American while in conversation, the American may feel uncomfortable and back away. When Americans are talking, they expect others to respond to what they are saying. To Americans, polite conversationalists empathize by displaying expressions of excitement or disgust, shock or sadness. People with a "poker face", whose emotions are hidden by a deadpan expression, are looked upon with suspicion. Americans also indicate their attentiveness in a conversation by raising their eyebrows, nodding, smiling politely and maintaining good eye contact. Whereas some cultures view direct eye contact as impolite or threatening, Americans see it as a sign of genuineness and honesty. If a person doesn't look you in the eye, American might say, you should question his motives--or assume that he doesn't like you. Yet with all the concern for eye contact, Americans still consider staring--especially at strangers--to be rude. What the author discussed in the previous section is most probably about _ .
A. classification of nonverbal communication
B. the reasons why people should think about space
C. the relationship between communication and space
D. some other cultural aspects of nonverbal communication
Answer: D | mmlu |
Question: Upon reaching an appropriate age (usually between 18 and 21 years), children are encouraged, but not forced, to "leave the nest" and begin an independent life. After children leave home, they often find social relationship and financial support outside the family. Parents do not arrange marriages for their children, nor do children usually ask permission of their parents to get married. Romantic love is most often the basis for marriage in the United States; young adults meet their future spouses through other friends, at jobs, and in organizations and religious institutions. Although children choose their own spouses, they still hope their parents will approve of their choices. In many families, parents feel that children should make major life decisions by themselves. A parent may try to influence a child to follow a particular profession but the child is free to choose another career. Sometimes children do exactly the opposite of what their parents wish in order to be independent. A son may decide not to go into his father's business on purpose because of a fear that he will lose his autonomy in his father's workplace. This independence from parents is not an indication that parents and children do not love each other. Strong love between parents and children is universal and this is no exception in the American family. Coexisting with such love in the American family are cultural values of self-reliance and independence. From the passage we can know that _ .
A. American young adults are likely to obey their parents
B. most American people never make major decisions for their children
C. American young adults possess cultural values of independence
D. once a young person steps into his twenties, he will leave his home permanently
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: Dress codes cause us arguments The first day of school is always a chaotic time. For many students in the US, this year was even more so. It was all due to one extra school policy. They are now required to wear clothes that meet a new standardized dress code . According to the handbooks of all high schools in Allentown, Pennsylvania, students must wear short or long sleeve polo shirts and khaki or black pants. Skinny jeans, leggings , and open toe shoes are not allowed. Allentown schools are not alone. Overall, about 57 percent of American public schools now have a "strict dress code", up from more than 47 percent a decade earlier, said USA Today. Some students don't mind wearing a similar attire every day. "It takes away the daily fashion show and helps level the playing fields a little bit with the haves and have-nots," longtime school safety consultant Ken Trump told USA Today. But others aren't happy, claiming that uniforms rob students of individuality . While school uniforms have been a popular topic to discuss recently in the US, however, in the UK there are much fewer questions about them-they are a tradition. School uniforms in England were first introduced during the reign of King Henry VIII in the 16thcentury. They became popular following the Elementary Education Act of 1870. The UK Department of Education's website states: "The Department strongly encourages schools to have a uniform as it can...contribute to the beliefs of a school and set the correct tone. The uniform is now a strong part of school culture in the UK. Schools sometimes even have "Mufti" days on which students can wear their own clothes if they make a small donation to charity. However, the tradition does not mean that school uniforms are popular there. Many "children hate them", according to Aisha on the BBC Newsround website. Ask UK students why they wear a school uniform and their answer will mostly likely be, "because we have to". We can learn from the article that students' attitudes towards dress codes are _
A. negative
B. divided
C. supportive
D. doubtful
Answer: B | mmlu |
Question: One night I was sitting in my room half-listening as my 15-year-old brother Tommy fought with my 12-year-old brother Kevin. I didn't pay attention when Kevin rushed up the stairs with the hurt on his face. About 20 minutes later, as I was walking upstairs I heard Kevin crying inside the bathroom. I knocked on the door and asked, "Hey Kevin, do you want to talk?" No answer. I tried again, "Why don't you come out of there?" Again, no answer. So, joking around, I grabbed a stack of cards and a pencil and wrote, "If you don't want to talk, we can write notes to each other." An hour later I was still sitting on the floor outside the bathroom with two stacks of cards in front of me. One was blank and one was cards from Kevin on which he had translated all his _ feelings into words for me. As I read one of Kevin's notes, tears came to my eyes. It said, "Nobody in this family cares about me. I'm not the youngest, and I'm not the oldest. Tommy thinks I'm silly and Dad wishes he had the other Kevin as a kid because he's better at basketball. And you're never around to even notice me." Tears came to my eyes as I wrote back to him. "You know Kevin, I really do love you and I'm sorry I don't always show it. I am here for you and you are loved in this family." There was no answer for a while, but then I heard a tearing sound coming from inside the bathroom. Kevin, who had run out of cards wrote on a torn paper cup. "Thanks." I wrote back "For what?" it returned to me with "Loving me" on it. Since then, I try my best to never only half-notice my family members any more. Kevin and I have a closer relationship now. And sometimes when one of us notices that the other is upset, we'll smile and say "Write it on a paper cup." What could be the reason that Kevin's Dad doesn't like him?
A. Kevin is not as clever as his brother.
B. He is neither the youngest nor the oldest.
C. Kevin doesn't like to make friends with others.
D. Kevin is not good at playing basketball.
Answer: D | mmlu |
Question: Three friends, Tom, David and John, came to New York for their holiday. They stayed in a very large hotel. Their room was on the 45thfloor. In the evening, the three men went to the cinema and came back to the hotel very late. "I'm very sorry," said the man of the hotel, "but our lifts do not work tonight. If you don't want to walk up to your room, I'll make beds for you in the hall . " "No, thanks," said Tom, "we don't want to sleep in the hall. We will walk up to the 45thfloor. But I know how to make it easier. On the way to our room, I'll tell you some jokes. Then you, David, will sing us some songs. Then you, John, will tell us some stories, all right?" So they began to walk upstairs. Tom told them many jokes. David sang them some songs. At last they came to the 34thfloor. They were tired and had a rest. "Well," said Tom. "Now it's your turn, John. After all these jokes and songs, tell us a long and interesting story with a sad ending. " "OK, I'll tell a sad story," said John, "It's not long but very sad. I forgot to bring the key to our room with me. It's still in the hall. " The three friends came to New York to _ .
A. sing songs
B. tell jokes
C. spend their holiday
D. find work
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: Modern smart phones are fast becoming the must-have item. But what's in store for the next generation of smart phones? Tired of carrying around that heavy wallet? Soon you won't need to! The next generation of smart phones will have NFC technology, which lets you pay for things with your smart phones. All you do is enter your credit card information into your phone. Then, when you are in a shop that allows NFC payments, you just wave your phone over a special instrument at the checkout. The purchase is instantly charged to your credit card. Ever seen someone wearing something and wished you knew where to get it? Soon it will be easy with PicCommerce, new technology that uses image-recognition software. Here's how it works. If you see something you like, simply take a photo of it with your smart phone. Then, your phone will send the image to a special server, which will respond with information about where you can buy it and how much it will cost. Sick of your smart phone battery going flat? With so many applications draining the battery, the latest phones need to be charged every day. But next generation smart phones will come with built-in chips that can connect to an antenna in your home. And as long as your phone is within range of the antenna, you will be able to charge your smartphone wirelessly, even if it is in your pocket. Worried about getting your smart phones wet in the rain? A company called Hz0 has invented WaterBlock, new technology that makes your phone completely waterproof. And it's so effective that your phone will even work underwater. Fed up with carrying a heavy phone around? Soon, you will be able to get a PaperPhone! "Flexible phones are the future," said scientist Roel Vertegaal. So, what are the benefits of flexible phones? Well, it means that instead of carrying your phone in your pocket, you could wear it wrapped around your wrist, for example. Of course, there is just the problem: with so much new smart phone technology around, you will soon need to buy a new phone! What can be the best title for the text?
A. The Future of Smart phones
B. Basic Functions of Smart phones
C. Advantages of Modern Smart phones
D. The Development of Phone Technology
Answer: A | mmlu |
Question: Water runs downhill from mountaintops to streams to rivers to oceans. But downhill isn't the only way that water moves .A new study measures how water travels from country to country for human consumption. This flow isn't the type we usually think about .These scientists looked at the water used to grow and make the products which get shipped from nation to nation as imports or exports. They call this a flow of"virtual water ". We typically think about water as the liquid that flows from a tap. However,92%of the water used by people goes into growing crops,according to water researcher Arjen Hoekstra. He recently studied the hidden travels of virtual water used in products made from things like crops and meats .These products are shipped around the world. For example.consider a sugary soft drink. Hoekstra estimated that to produce one half-liter of the drink requires between 170 and 310litersofthewater--about 95%--is used to grow and process the ingredients .Another 4%goes into the packaging and labeling. In Hoekstra's calculation, when one country produces a half-liter of soda and sells it abroad,it exports as much virtual water as would fill a large refrigerator. According to Hoekstra's new report,dry countries like Israel and Kuwait,both in the Middle East, get the majority of their virtual water from other countries,through imported products. More surprisingly, some wetter countries,like the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, also get the majority of their virtual water from other places. That means that most of the water used to grow or produce the products and food consumed in those countries came from other countries. In the United States most of the virtual water used comes from American sources .In China even less of the water associated with its products The passage is most probably a _ .
A. science news report
B. book review
C. newspaper advertisement
D. science fiction story
Answer: A | mmlu |
Question: Egyptian researchers believe they have recognized the mummy of Hatshepsut, the most famous queen to rule ancient Egypt, found in an average tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Kings. Researchers said the mummy was one of two females found in 1903 in a small tomb believed to be that of Hatshepsut's nurse, Sitre In. In fact, there has been the idea over the years that one of the mummies may be that of the queen, who ruled from between 1503 and 1482 BC - at the height of ancient prefix = st1 /Egypt's power. The decisive truth-telling fact was a tooth in a wooden box marked with the queen's name, Hawass said. The box was found in 1881 in a hiding place of royal mummies collected and hidden away at the Deir al-Bahari temple about 1,000 metres away from the tomb. Checking all the mummies which might be Hatshepsut's, Yehya Zakariya, a medicine professor, found that the tooth was a perfect fit in a hole in the upper jaw of one of the two females, a fat woman believed to have suffered from cancer and diabetes. "The recognition of the tooth with the jaw can show this is Hatshepsut," Hawass said. "A tooth is like a fingerprint." Another researcher Elizabeth Thomas _ many years ago that one of the mummies was Hatshepsut's because how the right arm was put over the woman's chest suggested royalty . It was guessed that the mummy might have been hidden in the tomb for safekeeping because her stepson and successor , Tuthmosis III, tried to wipe out her memory. Hatshepsut stole the power from her young stepson. After her death, records were destroyed and her body was dug out. According to the passage, Hatshepsut _ .
A. was the only queen ever ruling Egypt
B. died of cancer and diabetes
C. lived between 1503 and 1482 BC
D. was buried together with her nurse
Answer: D | mmlu |
Question: Indonesia is my mother's homeland and one of my favorite countries. Since I was young, I had learned a lot about the country and become interested in it. For a long time I had wanted to do something for the country and people there, and I thought volunteering would be a good and fun way to do so. I received the greatest pleasure from being with the children. Teaching my first English class in Aceh was exciting but I was rather nervous. As time passed by, I learned how to be a better teacher. Teaching was actually the most enjoyable of my many responsibilities . Many children were shy at first. But when they relaxed, they would start talking and telling you a lot of funny things. I believe we were helping them build up their confidence. For the children who are more in need, The Education Program (TEP) will collect donations to help them. As a volunteer, I had to visit the TEP children at home once a month and help them write a thank-you letter to their This was a way for the children to communicate with their sponsors. Sometimes the sponsors would write back to the children. Seeing the children's happy faces, I had a great sense of pleasure. The writer believed volunteering would be a good way to _
A. play outdoors
B. get the greatest pleasure
C. learn more about Indonesia
D. do something for Indonesia
Answer: D | mmlu |
Question: Hello! I'm Paul. I'm from America and I' m in China with my parents now. I like China and Chinese food. I have breakfast at home. I eat an egg and some chicken for it. I don't like salad, but Mom says that it's healthy. I should eat it. I have lunch at school. The lunch in my school is good. I can eat different food. I eat a hamburger, a banana and some vegetables. Sometimes I have chicken and French fries . I have dinner at home and I like to eat some fruit and ice-cream. Paul doesn't like _ .
A. eggs
B. vegetables
C. salad
D. hamburgers
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: You've probably known the crazy traffic in Beijing. Sometimes the cars could hardly move for a long time. The terrible traffic is caused by the poor road and China's ability to cope with so many cars on the road at the same time. With more Chinese people buying cars every day, the problem seems to only get worse. But a design company called Shenzhen Hashi Future Parking Equipment has a possible solution: the super bus. The super bus would carry up to 1,400 people in its passenger compartment . It would travel on a rail system that would be elevated above the roads, so cars could drive under it. The bus will run on electricity and solar power, creating far less pollution than that from the cars it would be replacing . Beijing authorities haven't decided whether to create railways for the super bus throughout the city. But they are willing to give it a test drive. Later 2010, the company will test for the first time and in 2011 and 2012, the company will test the super bus with passengers. According to the government, Beijing is probably to have five million cars on the road by the end of 2010. So it seems to be necessary to start taking the bus instead soon. What is Shenzhen Hashi Future Parking Equipment?
A. It is an interesting park.
B. It is a super bus.
C. It is a kind of equipment.
D. It is a design company.
Answer: D | mmlu |
Question: Killer bees started in Brazil in 1957. A scientist in Sao Paulo wanted bees to make more honey. So he put forty-six African bees with some Brazilian bees. _ . But the new bees were a mistake. They did not want to make more honey. They wanted to attack. Then, by accident, twenty-six African bees escaped and bred with the Brazilian bees outside. Scientists could not control the problem. The bees spread. They went from Brazil to Venezuela. Then they went to Central America. Now they are in North America. They travel about 390 miles a year. Each group of bees, or colony , grows four times a year. This means one million new colonies every five years. Why are people afraid of killer bees? People are afraid for two reasons. First, the bees sting (, ) many more times than a normal bee. Killer bees can sting sixty times a minute non-stop for two hours. Second, killer bees attack in groups. Four hundred bee stings can kill a person. Already several hundred people are dead. Now killer bees are in Texas. In a few years they will spread all over the United States. People can do nothing but wait. Why are people afraid of killer bees?
A. Because they sting Brazilian bees.
B. Because they sting more and attack in groups.
C. Because they won't make any honey.
D. Because each group of bees grows four times a year.
Answer: B | mmlu |
Question: E - The Environmental Magazine If you're concerned about your health, your family's health and the future of our planet, and want to know "What Can I Do?" to make a difference, you'll love reading E - The Environmental Magazine. A 12-time Independent Press Awards winner andnominee , E is full of everything environmental -- from recycling to rainforests, and from the global village to our own backyards. 1 year (6 issues) -- $24.95 2 years (12 issues) -- $34.95 Add $10.00 / year for Canadian postage Add $40.00 / year for foreign postage Edinburgh Young Carers Project We work with young carers aged 5-18. We want to colour the lives of some of these young people by introducing them to someone who will try to understand them, listen, work towards agreed goals and have some FUN! Is that person you? Are you aged 18-25, could you help and encourage a young person to recognise what they want and work towards getting it?You can encourage and help someone and in return help yourself! You will learn new skills and build on your own experience. Contact: Sue Mackay email: sue.mackay@yahoocarers.org.uk Belvedere Castle Exhibit Date(s): February 16, 2008 - February 16, 2018 Time(s): 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Event scheduling: Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday Event details: The exhibit covers two floors of the Castle, and currently features an informational panel on the importance of trees and a display of common birds that can be found in surrounding areas. All Ages. Free; reservations required for groups of 25 people or more. Call 212-772-0210 for information. (click to show map) Tennis Skills Camp August 2-6, 2010 Registration deadline: July 15, 2010 This camp, held on the Alfred University Tennis Courts, is for boys and girls entering grades 7-12. Training at the beginner through advanced levels will be provided. The camp is directed and coached by Dave Brady, tennis coach at Alfred-Almond Central School. Camp sessions will be held Monday through Friday, from 4:00-6:30 p.m. Cost: $150 per person From the first ad, we know E - The Environmental Magazine _ .
A. is a monthly publication
B. mainly deals with health problems
C. costs a Canadian reader $ 34.95 a year
D. has won Independent Press Awards 12 times
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: Walk through the Amazon rainforest today and you will find it steamy, warm, damp and thick. But if you had been there around 15,000 years ago, during the last ice age, would it have been the same? For more than 30 years, scientists have been arguing about how rainforests might have reacted to the cold, dry climate of the ice ages, but till now, no one has reached a satisfying answer. Rainforests like the Amazon are important for mopping up CO2 from the atmosphere and helping to solve global warming. Currently the trees in the Amazon take in around 500 million tons of CO2 each year: equal to the total amount of CO2 given off in the UK each year. But how will the Amazon react to the future climate change? If it gets drier, will it survive and continue to draw down CO2? Scientists hope that they will be able to learn in advance how the rainforest will manage in the future by understanding how rainforests reacted to climate change in the past. Unfortunately, collecting information is incredibly difficult. To study the past climate, scientists need to look at fossilized pollen kept in lake mud, Going back to the last ice age means drilling down into lake sediments , which requires specialized equipment and heavy machinery. There are very few roads and paths, or places to land helicopters and aeroplanes. Rivers tend to be the easiest way to enter the forest, but this still leaves vast areas between the rivers completely unsampled . So far, only a handful of cores have been drilled that go back to the last ice age and none of them provide enough information to prove how the Amazon forest reacts to climate change. Where is the passage most probably taken from?
A. A medical journal.
B. A news report
C. A travel brochure.
D. A science magazine.
Answer: D | mmlu |
Question: A murder will occur this weekend in the peaceful seaside town of Langley, Washington. In fact, a murder has occurred there every February for the past 25 years. But don't panic! It's all part of the town's yearly Mystery Weekend. What began as a local event in 1984 now attracts visitors from over the U.S. and even abroad. Would-be detectives arrive and check in at the visitor center on Saturday. There, they receive a packet, including a newspaper with details about the crime and information telling where to find clues . Participants then travel to various shops, restaurants and other downtown locations, picking up clues as they go. Along the way, they encounter and interview suspects played by local townspeople. Most Langley residents participate in some way in the Mystery Weekend, a true community event. Amateur detectives have until Sunday at 4:00 p.m. to solve the crime and turn in their guesses. Then as everyone gathers, the murderer is found and arrested, and prizes are awarded for correct answers. It's the perfect ending for a murder mystery and enormous fun for those who get to play detective. For visitors, Mystery Weekend is not only fun but also a great introduction to the charms of Langley. It's a very attractive community with historic buildings, exciting ocean views and above all, friendly people. Since Langley is on an island, a fun way to get there is by taking a car ferry to the nearby town of Clinton and then driving the rest of the way. Langley has a delightful selection of inns with bed and breakfasts that are open all year round. And activities in Langley aren't limited to Mystery Weekend. There is also great hiking, biking, golfing and diving to enjoy. And for a special adventure, visitors can book on one of the whale - watching ships that leave nearby harbors each day. We learn from the text that Mystery Weekend _ .
A. aims to decrease crime rate
B. is an annual local event
C. is intended for detectives
D. offers visitors a chance to make money
Answer: B | mmlu |
Question: We all like watching online videos of dogs and cats doing funny things. But if you had to decide, which of the two animals would you say you might like better? Your answer may say something about your personality. According to a 2010 study led by Sam Gosling, a scientist at the University of Texas, US, dog people are about 15 percent more outgoing and 13 percent more pleasant to be friends with than cat people. This is not hard to understand, since cats and dogs behave differently themselves. "Cats will occasionally _ social activities, but usually after only a few minutes, they will abandon the game. Dogs, on the other hand, will often engage in play, like fetching a thrown ball, for hours at a time," said Modern Dog Magazine. Although cat people are less social, Gosling's study showed that they are 11 percent more open-minded than dog people. They usually like art, adventures and unusual ideas. They also have more imagination and curiosity. But dog people are more likely to stick to old beliefs and traditional interests. However, their love of a free lifestyle also means that cat people dislike making plans. They just follow whatever ideas pop into their heads without planning ahead. But dog people are different. They usually have strong self-control and like to carry out their plans. Despite these big differences between dog people and cat people, there are some things that they have in common, "Both types of people consider themselves close to nature, dislike animal-print clothing, and are generally optimists," noted Mother Nature Network. But can personality change? Can a cat person become a dog person, or the other way around? In a study done by Stanley Coren, a scientist based in Canada, he asked cat owners: "If you had enough living space and there were no objections form other people in your life, and someone gave you a puppy as a gift, would you keep it?" About 68 percent of them said they would not accept a dog as a pet. But when dog owners were asked the same question about a kitten, almost 70 percent said they would allow a cat into their lives. According to the article, dog people _ cat people.
A. perform better in school than
B. are more open-minded than
C. have closer friends than
D. are more traditional than
Answer: D | mmlu |
Question: Wang Jiaming from Beijing Chenjinglun High School says he is a lucky boy. He's happy that he's sitting the senior high school entrance exam in 2014 instead of 2016. On Oct 22, Beijing Municipal Commission of Education announced that, from 2016, the English scores in the senior high school entrance exam will be reduced from 120 to 100. Of the 100 points, the listening ability scores will increase to 50. Meanwhile, the points for Chinese will increase from 120 to 150. "The change won't affect me. I feel so lucky because English is my strongest subject," said Wang. Why such a change? It places the importance on Chinese in our study, and reduces students' stress, said Li Yi, spokesman of the commission. "The change will also push us to pay attention to the practical usage of English," said Li. "Students will be encouraged to learn to understand English menus and read English news on mobile phones." There isn't news that other cities will have the same change. But several places are making changes to English tests in the college entrance exams. For example, Shandong is considering taking out the listening part of the English exam in its college entrance exams. But, "being tested for less points doesn't mean the subject _ ," Bai Ping wrote in China Daily. English has long been the world's most commonly used language. Former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji once said: "In a globalizing economy , if you cannot communicate with foreigners, how can one be part of the world economy?" Wang Jiaming said he understood the change. "Chinese, not English, is our mother tongue ," he said. "But still, I think English is both interesting and useful." What does Bai Ping think of the reforms ?
A. They make students spend less time on English.
B. They make it harder to get a high score.
C. Studying English is still important for the students.
D. English is both interesting and useful.
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: WASHINGTON - Barack Obama swept to victory as the first black president in the US history Tuesday night in an electoral college landslide that overcame racial barriers as old as America itself. "Change has come," he told a huge group of cheering supporters. In his first speech as victor, Obama catalogued the challenges ahead. "The greatest of a lifetime," he said, "two wars, a planet in danger, the worst financial crisis in a century." He added, "There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face." The son of a black father from Kenya and a white mother from Kansas, the Democratic senator from Illinois sealed his historic triumph by defeating Republican Sen. John McCain in a string of wins in hard-fought battleground states -- Ohio, Florida, Virginia, Iowa and more. In his speech, Obama invoked the words of Lincoln and echoed John F. Kennedy. "So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder," he said. He and his running mate, Joseph Biden of Delaware, will take their oaths of office as president and vice president on Jan. 20, 2009. Obama will move into the Oval Office as leader of a country that is almost certainly in recession , and fighting two long wars, one in Iraq, the other in Afghanistan. Obama has said his first order of presidential business will be to tackle the economy. He has also pledged to withdraw most US combat troops from Iraq within 16 months. What Obama emphasized in his first speech were _ .
A. dangers
B. wars
C. challenges
D. financial problems
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: Sometimes people call each other "freaked-cat", but have you ever thought about this expression? When a cat is frightened, its heart starts beating faster, its muscles get tense, and there are changes in the chemicals in its bloodstream.Although the cat doesn't realize this, its body is getting ready for action.If the danger continues, the animal will do one of two things.It will defend itself, or it will run away as fast as it can. Something like this also happens to people.When we are excited, angry, scared, or aroused by other emotions (feelings), our bodies go through many physical changes.Our hearts beat faster, and our muscles get tense.All of these changes make us more alert and ready to react.We, too.get ready to defend ourselves or run. Human beings, however, have a problem that animals never face.If we give way to our feelings and let them take over, we can get into trouble.Have you ever said something in anger --or hit somebody--and regretted it later? Have you ever shouted at a teacher, told somebody you were lonely, or said you were in love, and then wished later you had kept your mouth shut? It isn't always clever to express your feelings freely. Does this mean that it's smarter always to hide our feelings? No! If you keep feelings of anger, sadness, and bitterness hidden away or bottled up inside, your body stays tense.Physical illness can develop.It can actually be bad for your health.(It isn't good to keep pleasant feelings inside either; all feelings need to be expressed.) Feelings that you keep all bottled up inside don't just go away.It's as if you bought some bananas and stuck them in a cupboard.You might not be able to see them.but before long you' d smell them.And if you opened the cupboard, chances are that you'd see little fruit flies flying all over them.They'd be rotten. You can try to treat emotions as if they were bananas in the cupboard.You can hide them and you can pretend they don't exist, but they'll still be around.And at last you'll have to deal with them.just like those bananas. According to the passage, we may conclude that we human beings _ .
A. have fewer problems than animals
B. have the same problems as animals
C. have more problems than animals
D. have cleverer problems than animals
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: We may not be aware of it, but ordinary family homes in the U.S. and the rest of the world are not energy-efficient. Most of their energy goes to heating and cooling, and a lot of it is wasted, as warm air and cool air escape through fireplace chimneys and thin or poorly fitting windows and doors. A passive house loses almost none."Imagine a thermos ,"said housing developer Brendan O'Neill."You have insulation everywhere, and it's basically completely sealed. And so the idea is to build a house like a thermos. So the windows are sealed. There's insulation completely surrounding the building. We make it as sealed as possible." A 147-square-meter passive house, presented by O'Neill Development Corp. as a demonstration unit just outside Washington, was brought to the site in two boxes."Once it's set and put together, it takes about four weeks to complete the outside construction, to put down carpets,"O'Neill said."If everything is set in place, you put a house like this together in about four months."The total cost of building it was $325,000, or about 17 percent more than constructing an ordinary house. But its utility bill is only around $20 monthly, or one-tenth the amount for the average house of the same size. While passive houses have been around for a long time, the idea has never taken root in the U.S. There was no driving force to push it. However, David Peabody, an architect who designs passive houses said,"I think climate change is now becoming a larger issue. And I think building standards are catching on to that. So people are becoming more aware of energy."Peabody said the cost of building passive houses could come down."What really makes sense for truly affordable housing,"he said,"is to build multi-storey buildings." What is the feature of a passive house?
A. There're no windows or chimneys.
B. There's little space to place furniture.
C. Its building cost is ly high.
D. It takes about four weeks to build one.
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: There is a saying that the British like a nice cup of tea in the morning and a nice cup of tea at night. And at half past seven, their idea of heaven is a nice cup of tea. They like a nice cup of tea with their dinner and a nice cup of tea time, and before they go to bed, there is a lot to be said about a nice cup of tea! Sometime it seems that no one likes tea as much as the British does. But in fact, tea is liked in countries around the world. In China and Japan tea was first used as a medicine, many years later, people there drank tea as a beverage . People in the world like to drink different kinds of tea -- green, black or red as some people call it. It is served in different ways. But they all know that drinking tea is good for one's health. The sentence "there is a lot to be said about a nice cup of tea" means _ .
A. they enjoy drinking a nice cup of tea
B. there is a lot of tea
C. they talk much about a nice cup of tea
D. there is a talk while drinking tea
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: Mr. Zhang was a sports fan. He worked in a hospital in the capital. He was busy all the time and had little time to have a rest. And one day he felt unwell and couldn't go on working. He decided to spend a week's holiday in a quiet village where he could go swimming or fishing. He got off at a small railway station and soon got to a quiet village. He took a room hotel and went to sleep as soon as he had a good meal. At first Mr. Zhang enjoyed himself there. He could do everything he wanted and went wherever he liked. Nobody disturbed him and knocked at the door at midnight. But on the fourth day he was in trouble. After lunch it was very hot. He went swimming in the river. Suddenly he saw a beautiful bird in a big tree. He wanted to catch it, so he walked to it, but it found him and flew away ans soon as gone. He began to pick some flowers in the forest and before long he lost his way. The sun had gone down and night had fallen before Mr. Zhang found a small restaurant in another village. He came in and told them to bring him some bread, two eggs and a glass of tea. After a while his food was brought. Soon he ate up all the bread and eggs. When he was going to have the tea, he found there was a fly in the glass. " What's in my tea?" Mr. Zhang called out, " A fly" " It's impossible, sir." said the owner of the restaurant, " I had told them to pick all the flies out of your tea before they brought it to you!" Mr. Zhang decided to take this holiday because _ .
A. he was too tired to go on working
B. he was very busy all the time
C. he was paid a lot of money
D. he liked swimming and fishing
Answer: A | mmlu |
Question: One cold day in winter, my wife and I were walking back home from the grocery store as usual when we suddenly decided to walk into a coffee shop. My wife ordered a coffee at the counter. Just then, I saw a young woman in her thirties helping with a rather weak Mexican woman into the shop. Maybe it was the gentleness of their difficult experiences or an unclear familiarity with the situation that drew my full attention. I immediately had a strong wish to do something for them. Unfortunately, before I could think of anything reasonable to say, they left the coffee shop without ordering anything! When my wife returned, I told her about the two women and said, "I missed the chance to do something for them." Strangely enough, though, they came back into the same coffee shop five minutes later. Unbelievable! "This is my chance," I thought out loud as my wife shared some creative possibilities. The two women ordered, took their place card and left the counter. After quickly finishing our coffee, we walked up to the counter and asked the smiling cashier , "What is your most popular dessert ?" Chocolate Cake," she answered. With a childlike feeling of happiness, my wife made an unusual order. "Can I buy a chocolate cake for the two women who were here just before us? But don't tell them it is from us. Just give them this card," she said while taking out a smile card. The cashier couldn't believe it. " Do you do this all the time?" she asked. " Not all the time, but just whenever the heart calls for it," I answered with a natural smile. We, my wife and I, are people of middle income . That night, we had planned to have our once-in-a-while dinner at a restaurant. But walking out of that coffee shop, both of us stood upright and said, "Let's eat at home today." It's more filling to give a chocolate cake than to eat it. Why did the author and his wife decide to eat at home?
A. They had no money left.
B. They had drunk enough coffee.
C. They were full of happiness from giving.
D. They wanted to go home to take a rest earlier.
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: Is It Worth Buying Organic Food? Organic food, grown without artificial chemicals, is increasingly popular nowadays. Consumers have been willing to pay up to twice as much for goods with organic labels . However, if you think paying a little more for organic food gets you a more nutritious and safer product, you might want to save your money. A study led by researchers at Stanford University says that organic products aren't necessarily more nutritious, and they're no less likely to suffer from disease-causing bacteria, either. The latest results, published in the Annuals of Internal Medicine, suggest that buyers may be wasting their money. "We did not find strong evidence that organic food is more nutritious or healthier," says Dr. Crystal Smith-Spangler from Stanford. "So consumers shouldn't assume that one type of food has a lower risk or is safer." For their new study, Smith-Spangler and her colleagues conducted a review of two categories of research, including 17 studies that compared health outcomes between consumers of organic against traditional food products, and 223 studies that analyzed the nutritional content of the foods, including key vitamins, minerals and fats. While the researchers found little difference in nutritional content, they did find that organic fruit and vegetables were 20% less likely to have chemicals remaining on the surfaces. Neither organic nor traditional foods showed levels of chemicals high enough to go beyond food safety standards. And both organic and traditional meats, such as chicken and pork, were equally likely to be harmed by bacteria at very low rates. The researchers did find that organic milk and chicken contained higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, a healthy fat also found in fish that can reduce the risk of heart disease. However, these nutritional differences were too small, and the researchers were unwilling to make much of them until further studies confirm the trends. Organic food is produced with fewer chemicals and more natural-growing practices, but that doesn't always translate into a more nutritious or healthier product. The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) states that "whether you buy organic or not, finding the freshest foods available may have the biggest effect on taste." Fresh food is at least as good as anything marketed as organic. What is the author's attitude toward organic food?
A. Sceptical.
B. Neutral.
C. Unconcerned.
D. Approving.
Answer: A | mmlu |
Question: WASHINGTON--Two-thirds of the world's polar bear population could be gone by 2050 if predictions of melting sea ice hold true, the US Geological Survey reported on Friday. The fate of polar bears could be even worse than that estimate, because sea ice in the Arctic might be disappearing faster than the available computer models predict, the geological survey said in a report aimed at determining whether the big white bear should be listed as a threatened species. "There is a definite link between changes in the sea ice and the welfare of polar bears," said Steve Amstrup, who led the research team. He says Arctic sea ice is already at the lowest this year and is expected to retreat farther this month. That means that polar bears--some 16,000 of them -- will disappear by 2050 from parts of the Arctic where sea ice is melting most rapidly, along the north coasts of Alaska and Russia, researchers said in a telephone briefing . Other polar bears could survive beyond that date but many of those could be gone by 2100, Amstrup said. By this century's end, the only polar bears left might live in the Canadian Arctic islands and along the west coast of Greenland. "It is likely to result in loss of approximately two-thirds of the world's current polar bear population by the mid 21st century," the report's executive summary said. "Because the observed trajectory of Arctic sea ice decline appears to be underestimated by currently available models, this assessment of future polar bear status may be conservative ." In January, the US Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing the polar bear as a threatened species, noting polar bears depend on sea ice as a platform to hunt seals, their main food. Without enough sea ice, polar bears would be forced onto land, but they are poor hunters once they get out of the water and ice, the researchers said. The bears' disappearance would probably take place as young cubs failed to survive to adulthood and females were unable to reproduce successfully. What causes the polar bears to disappear by 2050?
A. The pollution of the Arctic region.
B. The sea ice melting at high speed
C. Fewer food sources being left.
D. The temperature getting colder.
Answer: B | mmlu |
Question: An interesting experiment is being done at the Children's Hospital I in London. Animals, such as dogs, cats, and even horses help sick children to get better. There are many reasons why this treatment is important. Dr. Marcus Finch of the Children's Hospital said, "Children and teenagers have many changes as they are growing up. When they have problems, it is not easy for them to open up any talk. However, when they are with a pet animal, they calm down, relax, and smile. Animals do not speak and so they do not criticize . They listen and they do not stop the children. Children can talk to animals because they can trust them. Animals know how to keep a secret! Also, the children feel needed because they help to feed the animals and look after them." At the Children's Hospital, you can find children playing with cats, dogs, goats, and riding horses. The doctors just watch and take notes and wonder at the power of pets! Pet animals are good with children at the Children's Hospital because _ .
A. they look after the children
B. they make doctors relax
C. they are good listeners
D. they are easy to feel
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: My transportation was unexpectedly smooth and I arrived at the meeting half an hour earlier. I kept my eyes on the restaurant door. Several customers entered, but not my friend. At 6:00 pm, she sent me a text message: "Urgent work to finish. Will be 20 minutes late." I had left my book in the office, so I spent the time thinking of my experiences of being late in China. On my first visit in 1985, punctuality was deeply rooted in the Chinese hearts. There were no traffic jams then. As a teacher in Canada, I always insisted on punctuality. I would open the classroom door to a late student for the first time and the second, but not the third. During the six years I worked for CCTV, I had a Chinese friend whom I often saw at lunch time, or after work. We used to meet at the subway station nearby. He was always late by 10-20 minutes. To my question, "You were busy?" he would surprisingly answer, " No." Once I asked him to check the clock in his office, he smiled. In March 2015, I got permanent residence in China. The ceremony was scheduled for 9:00 am at the Public Security Bureau on the Second Ring Road. I told my driver I had to get there by 8:40 am. "No problem," he replied. But he thought he had time to drop someone off at the airport before picking me up. I desperately waited for him. Then, to rub salt into my wound, he had to stop at the exit of a gas station. Finally, I entered the room at 9:07 am -- the last guest to arrive! If the author's student comes late for the third time, _ .
A. he will let him/her remain outside
B. he will open the door for him/her again
C. he will shout at him/her loudly
D. he will tell him/her to take care next time
Answer: A | mmlu |
Question: You will go to college some day and college is one of the most exciting stages of one's life.If you wish to make the most of your campus experience and become a better person after those four years,then first you ought to make friends.Close friends contribute to your selfgrowth for they provide you with moral support that is so important to survive the stressful college life.Friends can lend a helping hand when necessary like collecting your homework when you're too sick to leave your dorm,and help you develop the right attitude by pointing out to you your weaknesses. Being home most of your life and then suddenly finding yourself on your own in a large campus without your parents to hold your hand can be annoying.However,rather than thinking about your missing home too much,why not see this new stage in your life as an opportunity for selfgrowth and develop the right attitude that will prepare you for the rigors of postgraduation life,particularly when you join the workforce? Specialinterest clubs or organizations are great for selfgrowth.Here,not only do you get the opportunity to meet with likeminded people,you can also discover more things about your field of interest.Club meetings usually include lively discussions,so go there with the right attitude.You should try to build a good name in the organization by being respectful,active and considerate to others. You might not like all of your professors,but they are there to provide knowledge you need to be successful in your chosen field.Thus,show up for each class with the right attitude and determination to learn.Whether you get along well with your professors or not has a huge effect on your selfgrowth as it is a measure of how well you can respect authority and obey requirements. Actively participating in a class debate or lecture contributes to your selfgrowth as it helps you build confidence in speaking up and improves your communication skills.It also helps you develop the right attitude by exercising diplomacy when you choose your words carefully especially when discussing a very politically sensitive issue and exercising patience when dealing with classmates who shoot down your ideas. According to the text,college students should do many things EXCEPT _ .
A. forget the family
B. be respectful at club meetings
C. try to attend each class
D. take an active part in a class debate
Answer: A | mmlu |
Question: Studies have documented that smiling is a universal and effective way to lift mood. But in the latest research on the power of the smile, researchers led by Marcus Munafo of the University of Bristol in England found that even seeing smiles on the faces of others can have a profound effect on a person's tendency toward violence or aggression -- that is, as long as that person recognizes the smile as one of happiness, and not as a sneer . Munafo and his colleagues conducted a series of experiments involving normal adults and highly aggressive teens referred to a youth program, either by educational authorities or the courts. About 70% of the teens already had a criminal record. In the first experiment, 40 healthy adults, aged 1830, looked at facial expressions on the computer ranging from happy to angry with increasingly difficult ones to _ in between. Participants were asked how angry they felt and then had to rate the images as displaying either happiness or anger -- there was no option for "unclear" or "unable to tell". From these ratings, the scientists could generate a score of their preference toward happiness or anger. Previous research found that aggressive people -- including violent offenders -- tend to consider even a common expression as an unfriendly one. "You looking at me?" can easily turn a simple question into a tragic fight. Based on their original scores, half of the participants were then told by the computer that some of the unclear faces that they had rated as angry should have been scored as happy. This was intended to guide them toward judging the inbetween faces more positively. The other 20 received feedback that simply proved their first choices, creating a control group. After this training, both groups were tested again and the group that received the biased feedback shifted its ratings of unclear faces toward the happy side. Participants were also asked to rate their level of angry feelings again after completing the second round of testing. Those who were trained to consider unclear faces as happier reported feeling less angry afterward. The researchers next focused on the 46 adolescents from the high risk youth program. These teens completed the same testing, but both the youth and the staff reported on the teens' levels of aggressive behavior before the testing started and for two weeks afterward. The teens trained to interpret unclear facial expressions more positively were significantly less aggressive two weeks later. "The results of our experiments strongly suggest that the understanding of emotional facial expressions plays a causal role in subjective anger and aggressive behavior,"the authors conclude. That doesn't mean that smiles alone are the answer to violence among adolescents -- previous research in which antisocial youth were trained to better recognize emotions, for example, did not have any effect on their level of aggressive behavior. But this earlier study focused on improving teens' understanding of clear facial signals, not unclear ones. Since unclear signals are more likely to be misunderstood, it may be that violent behavior in some youth exists with their constant misunderstanding of angry expressions where they don't exist, which push them to aggressive responses. The findings suggest that helping young people, particularly those easy to be violent, to learn to give others the benefit of the doubt when they see what they think is a threatening face could help end the vicious cycle of violence. The method Munafo and his colleagues used in their research is _ .
A. field investigation
B. case study
C. observation and analysis
D. experiment and comparison
Answer: D | mmlu |
Question: Homework and stress are rarely reduced inside the classroom.Meanwhile,outside the classroom,the pressure is on to find scholarships for college. According to Braintrack,a higher education database with worldwide reach,more than 3 billion US dollars (18 billion yuan) in private scholarships are awarded to college students annually.Average awards range from $2,000 to $3,000. The scholarship application process is similar to the college application process: forms to be completed,test scores and transcripts to be sent,essays to be written and often interviews to be prepared for. A few great places to start looking for scholarships are: www.fastweb. com,www.Finaid. org and www.collegexpress.com.Check out the annual scholarship guidebooks Scholarships,Grants & Prizes by Peterson's and the Ultimate Scholarship Book: Billions of Dollars in Scholarships,Grants and Prizes by Gen Tanabe and Kelly Tanabe. Be selective.Thoroughly research the qualifications required by each of the scholarships.Don't waste your time applying for those that are need based if you can't produce the appropriate documents. Research past recipients .Check out the websites of the organizations sponsoring the scholarships.Many post the biographies of past recipients.You don't need to have cured cancer,but if you don't think your resume measures up to the past winners',you might be better served by moving onto the next scholarship on your list.Prepare for the interview. You'll want to dazzle them with your personality,but above all you'll want to be prepareD. Find someone you trust to conduct a similar interview with you - someone who will be honest with you and provide valuable suggestions. Let your personality shine through in your essays.The essays are the best way for students to share who they are,where they've come from,what they've overcome and so on.Tell your story in an interesting and persuasive way.And if you do have an interview,send a thank you note afterward. By Lee Bierer What is the author's main purpose in writing the article?
A. To explain where to find scholarships for US colleges.
B. To inform readers of the scholarship application process.
C. To introduce some typical scholarships offered by US colleges.
D. To give tips on applying for US college scholarships.
Answer: D | mmlu |
Question: what celestial body is after the 8th one in this solar system?
A. earth
B. venus
C. pluto
D. jupiter
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: After a serious earthquake happened, a father left his wife safely at home and rushed to his son's school, only to find that the building where his son studied had collapsed and looked like a pancake. He was shocked. He didn't know what he should do for a while, then he remembered the words he had said to his son, "No matter what happens, I'll always be there for you! "And tears began to fill his eyes. He started digging through the ruins . As he was digging, other helpless parents and the firemen arrived and tried to pull him off the ruins, saying, "It's too late! They're all dead! There's nothing you can do! " To them he replied with one line, "Are you going to help me now? " And then he kept on digging. No one helped, however. He went on alone because he needed to know for himself: "Is my boy alive or is he dead? " He dug for eight hours. . . 12 hours. . . 24 hours. . . 36 hours. . . then, in the 39th hour, he pulled back a rock and heard his son's words. He shouted his son's name, "ARMAND! " He heard back, "Dad!?! It's me, Dad! I told the other kids not to worry. I told them that if you were alive, you'd save me and when you saved me, they'd be saved. You promised, 'No matter what happens, I'll always be there for you!' You did it, Dad! " "What's going on in there? How is it? " the father asked. "There are 14 of us left out of 33, Dad. We're frightened, hungry, thirsty and thankful you're here. When t he building fell down, it made a triangle , and it saved us. " "Come out, boy! " "No, Dad! Let the other kids out first, because I know you'll get me! No matter what happens, I know you'll always be there for me! " Who came to help the father when he was digging?
A. His wife.
B. Other parents.
C. The firemen.
D. No one.
Answer: D | mmlu |
Question: It is important to learn business English if you are going to be successful in another country where English is the primary language. It will also be a great idea to practice speaking and writing in business English. If a university offers a course on business English, it will be a good idea to take the class. Reading, writing and speaking English is necessary to start a business. Business English is different from asking where to find the nearest hotel. There are classes you can take to help you but there are things that you can learn on your own. Vocabulary and grammar are a good place to start with. You need to know what words mean. Later, try to pronounce the words and then look them up in the dictionary. Try using them in a sentence and ask someone who is good at English to help you. Once you have an understanding of English, you can use it in business English. In business you will have to learn such things as taking messages, answering the phones with proper words and communicating with your co-workers. You may have to learn how to make travel plans. Business English is very different than spoken English. Grammar is the same but you have to learn things like expressing yourself in a proper manner or maybe making a report in your office. If you are working in the customer service sector , you really have to learn business English. Dealing with the public is sometimes more important than asking your boss for a raise . Most businesses offer training classes and some companies offer classes on how to do the job with proper business English. What's the text mainly about?
A. The development of business English.
B. The tips on learning business English.
C. The introduction to business English.
D. The comparison between business English and daily English.
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: Perfume has been in existence for a long time. These days, certain perfumes are considered comparable to great works of art. Here are a few of the most famous perfumes in history. Chanel No.5 This perfume is probably the best-selling scent in the history of fragrance . Created by Ernst Beaux for Coco Chanel in 1921, it has been described as "the world's most legendary fragrance", and remains the company's most famous perfume. Shalimar Jacques Guerlain created this vanilla fragrance in 1925. The perfume takes its name from the Garden of Shalimar, which was built by Emperor Shah Jehan for one of his wives. It was an immediate hit in 1925 and is still extremely popular today. Joy Joy is famous for having been the most expensive perfume in the world at one point. It was created in 1930 by Henri Almeras for Jean Patou to lift the bad mood that had swept over the world after the 1929 stock market crash. L'Air duTemps Francis Farbon created Nina Ricci's L'Air du Temps in 1948. The fragrance is known for its spicy carnation and gardenia scents as well as its beautiful crystal bottle (designed by Lalique). Eternity Calvin Klein's second perfume was created by Sophia Grojsman in 1988. Known for its light, flowery scent, the perfume was listed in the Fragrance Hall of Fame in 2003. It is recommended for daytime wear. Angel This wildly popular perfume was created in 1992 by Olivier Cresp for Thierry Mugler. The perfume was an instant success. The perfume has often been described as "delicious", owing to its chocolatey scent. The perfume comes in beautiful star-shaped bottles. Angel perfume also comes in several bath and body products. Which of the following perfumes is known for its wonderful crystal bottle?
A. Shalimar.
B. Chanel No. 5
C. L'Air du Temps.
D. Eternity.
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: Which of these natural events occurs at time intervals that are the most regular?
A. drought and flooding
B. high tides and low tides
C. clear skies and cloudy skies
D. hot weather and cool weather
Answer: B | mmlu |
Question: 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?
A. Ungeilivable means "dull, not cool at all".
B. Antizens live in small rented apartments with small salaries.
C. Suan Ni Hen refers to the highest food prices ever.
D. Beixiaokang means "be said" to be living a comfortable life.
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: My grandmother seems to be wrong when she says that good manners will never go out of style. Several days ago, I tried entering a lift with one of my arms fixed in a bandage while carrying a computer bag in the other. Not being fast enough, I was passed by two young people who managed to get into the lift before me. The lift door closed only after I entered. Having already pressed their wanted floor button, the young people waited impatiently for me to press the button for where I was going. If they had decided to help, we could have moved much faster. But they had not. So I did my best and pressed the button with my arm. The two young people looked very angry with me. I was losing heart. The memory of this incident has stayed with me because it followed shortly after my building's watchman refused to help me carry a heavy box full of books. His answer was that he could not carry the books a few meters because it was not his job. However, I remembered myself helping people for so many years carrying boxes, shopping bags, or pushing wheelchairs upon the request of a stranger in need or when my conscience called on me. "Oh, this young generation, they have no manners, "my grandmother would say. The idea of good manners refers to the considering of other people's feelings. We need more and more people to have good manners. Good manners should be-come part of our lives. We can infer from the passage that the author _ .
A. always offers help to people in need
B. always has difficulty carrying things
C. has a better memory than anyone else
D. agreed with her grandmother at first
Answer: A | mmlu |
Question: That was my grandmother's first Christmas without Grandfather. When my parents and I arrived at her little house ,we found she had waited up all night for us. Grandfather had always said that the Christmas tree was the most important decoration of all. So first we took out the beautiful tree that was stored in the closet . But the star was _ . It was my grandmother's favorite part of the tree. "Why? It must be somewhere in the closet," my grandmother said. As we opened up boxes one by one and found no star, my grandmother's eyes were full of tears. Grandfather had given it to her some fifty years ago, on their first Christmas together. But on her first Christmas without him, the star was gone. The next morning, my family sat down together to open the presents. "The last gift is to Grandmother from Grandfather," Father said, in a strange voice. "From whom?" There was surprise in my grandmother's voice. "I found this gift in Grandfather's closet when we got the tree down," Mother explained. My grandmother opened the box. There was a shinning golden star and a note in it: Don't be angry with me, dear. I broke your star while putting away the decorations, and I couldn't bear to tell you. I hope it brings you as much happiness as the first one. Merry Christmas! Love, Bryant ,A, B, C, D,. (10) The family couldn't find the star on the Christmas tree because _ .
A. the grandfather had taken it away with him
B. the grandfather put it in a box
C. the grandfather had broken it
D. the family didn't look carefully enough for it
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: Gasoline for cars is produced from fossil fuels. Using gasoline can most likely lead to which environmental problem?
A. soil erosion
B. water pollution
C. wildlife extinction
D. global warming
Answer: D | mmlu |
Question: prefix = st1 /Los Angeles' Shopping Malls Let's take a look around the mall . You will find various malls inLos Angeles. Stores vary by mall . To better understand shopping at the mall , let's take a look at the basic structure of malls. Basic Structure Most of the malls are two or three layer buildings including their parking lots. _ ), but some malls like Beverly Hills Center are located on top of the parking lot . Most of the malls have pathways between the department stores and a food court , a central place for dining . You can also find theaters in malls. Services of the mall It's easy to find the places you want to go from the directories in each mall. Usually the directory is located in several places throughout the mall . You can also carry printouts of the directory while shopping . If you have questions , ask employees for more details. Most shops do not wrap gifts so you will have to use the department gift service center for wrapping . Make sure you have your receipts when you go to have the gifts wrapped . Each mall has a variety of service facilities including restrooms . public phones , diaper changing rooms . ATM machines , stamp machines and vending machines. Which of the following statements in NOTtrue ?
A. A food court in the mall is a big dining place .
B. You need to bring receipts when having gifts wrapped
C. You can have your gifts wrapped at any shop in a mall with a receipt
D. You can take your young baby with you when shopping in the mall.
Answer: D | mmlu |
Question: New research finds a link between poverty and poor decision making. The findings may explain why poor people sometimes make bad choices that continue their hardship. Earlier studies have found the poor less likely to escape poverty. But there has been little research on why the poor make decisions that make their lives harder. Until recently, it was economists who studied poverty, not psychologists. Eldar Shafir, a psychologist in Princeton University says now scientists from both fields work together. Mr. Shafir and his team did two experiments. One took place at a shopping center in New Jersey. Another was carried out among sugar cane farmers in rural India. The New Jersey experiment involved individuals with low paying jobs and others belonged to the middle class. All the volunteers were asked what they would do if their cars needed repairs. The volunteers were given two imaginary situations. In the first, the car repairs cost $ 150. In the second, $ 1,500. "And what we found is that the poor and the rich performed equally well on almost all the tests. " Not so when the researchers raised the repair costs to $ 1,500. "Now the poor performed significantly worse. " The poorer lost about 13 IQ points on average. This is about the loss experienced when a person has not slept for one night. The scientists then wondered if the same person reacted differently when he was rich and when he was poor. The Indian sugar cane farmers earn most of their money once a year, when the harvest comes in. But the money often does not last through the year. "So they find themselves basically rich after the harvest when the income comes in and poor just before the harvest. The researchers gave them tests similar to the ones taken by the people in New Jersey. They tested the Indian farmers before the harvest and after. And the results were much the same as with the mall shoppers. "They performed much more slowly and with many more mistakes when they were poorer than when they were richer. " Mr. Shafir says the results support 50 years of research that shows all humans have limited mental power to deal with things in life. "And so the insight here is that, having not enough of something in a way makes it harder to make good decisions for everything else. " In the first experiment, the poor performed worse because_( )
A. they had not slept for one night
B. it was just an imaginary situation
C. the increased price affected their decision
D. they didn't take the second situation seriously
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: Last week, my granddaughter started primary school. And I wished her every success. But part of me didn't. I really wanted her to fail in some ways because I believe that failure can be good for us to grow up. Success is that you can do something that you already know you can do, or doing something correctly the first time. First -time success is usually a luck. First-time failure, in fact, is supposed to be the natural order of things. Failure is how we learn. I make my living by writing articles for a daily newspaper. Each week I thought that the article that I write would be the worst. I try my best every day. A successful article usually means that I am discussing the subjects I know well, writing in the way I am used to or saying the same things as anyone else but in an excellent way. My younger daughter is a trapeze artist.she spent three years putting together a show, and she did it successfully for years. There was no reason for her to change it but she did anyway. She was afraid to be bored. She met failure when she tried some new ways in her show. But she did his only in order to feed her soul. My granddaughter is a perfectionist. She will feel her failures, and I will want to _ her. But I will also, I hope, remind her of what she learned, and how she can do better next time. I hope I can tell her, though, that it's not the end of the world. With luck, it is the beginning. the writer talked about his own experience to show that _
A. we cannot depend on luck to live a good life
B. we should try every possible way to avoid failure
C. past failures made him afraid of writing more
D. the thought of failure will make you work even harder
Answer: D | mmlu |
Question: There's no shortage of web sites offering deals-everything from daily deals to members-only private sales.But when it comes to real jaw-dropping deals, there's one company that seems to have figured out a out a way to really deliver. The company is called QuiBids and they auction the hottest, in-demand electronics like Apple ipads and ipods, as well as other items like gift cards from the top retailers .Unlike other sites, the prices people pay are nowhere near retail.How low are the prices? $33.84 for a new Apple ipad 32 GB(retail $600) $22.10 for a new Nikon D90 Digital SLR Camera(retail $1070) Our first reaction on seeing these prices was disbelief.After all, how cold QuiBids possibly afford to sell these items for so little-surely they must be losing a lot of money. That's where its unique business model comes into play.You see, for every bid a buyer places for an item on QuiBids, the company collects a small fee from the bidder.The fee to bid is only about 60 cents, but based on the volume of sales and bids, the company is able to collect enough to make up for the ridiculous prices the items sell for. But best of all, participating in the QuiBids auction is incredibly fun.Because each each bid costs a little to place, shoppers can strategize when to place their bids.Each auction has a strict time limit.When you place your bid, the system adds a little time to the auction to see if any other bids cone in.If you have the winning bid when the cock runs out-you win the item for that price. But the best part of Quibids may be the "Buy-It-Now"feature.This allows bidders who did not win an auction to still buy the product they want and apply the cost of the bids they placed as a discount on the regular product price. So you still get the item and the bids you placed previously in the auction don't cost you anything! Which might be the most suitable title for the passage ?
A. How to Buy New Must -have Electronics
B. Buy Products for Next to Nothing
C. The Most Successful Shopping Website
D. Tips on Shopping Online
Answer: B | mmlu |
Question: Elizabeth Bishop, who was famous for the poetry A Prodigal, Filling Station , Sandpiper, Manuelzinho and so on, was an influential American poet of the 20th century. Her poetry often shows things that concerned her throughout her life, such as her search for a sense of home. Her troubled childhood and feelings of loneliness from this time affected her character and poetry. Bishop's painful childhood is apparent in some of her poems. Her father died when she was eight months old and her mother was mad when she was five. Bishop was raised firstly by her mother's parents and then by her father's parents. This experience left her confused about belonging. She had no home and this was shown in her poetry. In "A Prodigal", when the character in the poem makes up his mind to go home, there is a sense of pessimism for Bishop who has no home. The lack of a sense of home has contributed to her depression all her life. Bishop attempts to make small, everyday experiences extraordinary in her poems such as "Filling Station" .In "Filling Station ", Bishop describes the beautyof a family filling station. Although it is "dirty" there is order in it. Simple family life is celebrated in it. She recognizes the value of home and beauty in everyday life, but she is only an observer of these. Distance remains between her and the family at the filling station. Bishop's struggle to locate herself in the world is seen no more clearly than in "sandpiper". It deals with searching for something in a confusing world. She uses the metaphor of the bird which is "looking for something". The "something" isn't specific . It seems as if the bird doesn't know what he wants; the only certain thing is that he is searching. Bishop's poems are personal on a more subtle level, especially when her childhood, travels, etc, are taken into consideration. It is believed that Bishop is a complex poet who uses her poetry to find this feeling of belonging. When reading Bishop's poems, people can find her search for _
A. the true nature of human being
B. a happy family life
C. parental love
D. the feeling of belonging
Answer: D | mmlu |
Question: The holiday is upon us. Finally, after months of study, you have some time to yourself. So, why not read a book? Well, some people will say, "Why bother with books? We have the Internet and other media that offer a lot of more colorful entertainment. Books are history!" But don't be fooled. I'm sure there's still a lot to be said for reading. One clear reason is that a well-chosen book is a wonderful source of vocabulary, so long as you have a good dictionary, of course. Believe me, it's far easier to get new English words and phrases from a book or an article than it is from the TV or the Internet. But another more important point is that books give you something that modern media simply can not. The average webpage is picture-heavy and the text is often designed to make it as easy to read as possible. While "easy" may be attractive, unfortunately it's of little use for any long-term development of reading skills and the general language level. Because of that, there's still no substitute of a book. But perhaps the best single reason is that simply choosing what you read and doing it independently means that it's something you do by and for yourself. You can choose what you want to read. It's hard work, but somewhere down the line, you'll find that what once seemed like a duty is now a pleasure. The passage is written mainly to _ .
A. share the pleasure of reading books
B. advise readers to read books
C. stress the importance of reading online
D. help readers to choose good books
Answer: B | mmlu |
Question: Greg Heffely is 11 years old. He is a student. In his class, some students get to school on foot.. Some get to school by bus. He lives far from school. He always gets to school by car. He is clever and naughty He always has a lot of ideas .He likes writing diaries. In his diary, he often writes many interesting stories about his life. He also draws pictures in his diary. He has a lot of problems in school. And he makes a lot of trouble ,too. He runs away from a school basketball game. He often plays tricks on others. But he always makes a fool of himself. He is not good at making friends. But he wants to be the most popular in his school. He also has some problems at home. Sometimes he pulls the cat's tail and knock at others' door then run away. Greg is not a good model. We shouldn't do things like Greg. But US children like reading his diaries. Do you want to read about him ? Go and read the book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid(<<>> ). It is very popular in the US. Greg makes _ at school.
A. a lot of friends
B. lots of trouble
C. a lot of noise
D. many delicious dishes
Answer: B | mmlu |
Question: You know how wonderful you are, and you know that others know how wonderful you are, but what do you do when admiration crosses over the line into jealousy ? For most teens there will come a day when you realize that one of your friends is jealous and that this jealousy is hurting your friendship. When this happens it can seem like there is nothing that you can do, but the good news is that there is. Don't let jealousy spoil your relationships. Deal withitconfidently and you might be back to normal much sooner than you think. It can be hard to walk up to a friend and ask them what the problem is, but if you want to save your friendship you'll have to do just that. Don't approach them and ask why they are jealous of you unless of course you want to appear totally conceited , just take some time alone with them and let them know that you've been feeling like there's been something coming between you. If they refuse to respond, then use the opportunity to explain how you have been feeling. Chances are that something you say will strike a nerve and your friend will open up as well. When you figure out what is annoying your friend, ask him or her what (s)he thinks would make the situation better. If, for example, (s)he says that (s)he feels like (s)he doesn't get to spend any time with you because of your being off with your new friends from the swim team then maybe you could invite her along the next time or block off one day a week for just the two of you. Remember, though, that whatever solution you decide on should be a compromise. Don't limit your own talents or opportunities simply because your friend is unhappy. Try instead to include him or her in your new life and see how that works out. Even the best of friendships can be ruined by jealousy. This destructive emotion is rarely productive and can turn best friends into worst enemies. Before taking extreme action, chat with your jealous friend to see if the two of you can work out a compromise. If you can't, be prepared to know exactly how far you will go to keep your friend and how far you won't. This passage is mainly intended for _ .
A. female readers
B. students
C. teenagers
D. best friends
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: Every day at noon, when it was time for recess, Mrs. Snooter would honk a loud horn. This was the signal that told her third grade class to go outside and start playtime. The students in Mrs. Snooter's class always tried to get to the front of the line in order to make sure they were the first outside. As soon as the doors opened, the whole class would race to the seesaw at the back of the playground. However, it was not an easy race. There were many things between the door and the seesaw that needed to be passed, and Mrs. Snooter's third grade class enjoyed the excitement that they added to the race. First, the students had to pass the kindergartener's sandbox. This may sound simple, but the kindergarteners would often trap students by digging large holes in the sandbox. If students jumped over the holes, they might have sand thrown in their eyes. If a student could pass the sandbox test, the next problem was the jungle gym. The fifth grade class came to recess before Mrs. Snooter's class and would hang out on top of the jungle gym. They thought they were cool because they were the oldest kids in the whole school, and would not let any other classes come near the jungle gym. It was difficult, but some students in Mrs. Snooter's class would make it past. Finally, there was a long run to the seesaw. Only a few students would still be racing at this point, and they would run as fast as they could. Every day, there was one boy who would push himself a little harder than the other students. Most of the time, he was the winner of the race, and would play on the seesaw with his friends. Which of the following things could happen to the students at recess
A. fall off a jungle gym
B. trip on the seesaw
C. get chased by a dog
D. have sand thrown in their eyes
Answer: D | mmlu |
Question: Scientists have created a " human-like robot" that can dance and do the housework. " Mahru" has been developed to imitate humans and can move its lips, eyebrows and pupils . The machine can also move its upper and lower body freely and automatically stop itself when walking. In addition, it has been programmed to give out two kinds of pleasant smells to match its emotions. The 1.5 tall robot was produced by researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and is the first South Korean- developed machine of its kind. "'Mahru' will open the way for the commercial use of humanoid robots doing housework," You Bum-Jae, leader of the development research team ,said. "'Mahru' can dance while walking on its legs and is able to work in place of a human." Through an advanced motion capture system, "Mahru" can follow a variety of human movements and move its hands freely enough to deal with any obstacles that may get in its way when walking. State-funded KIST showed the robot during a presentation at its head office in Seoul. People here were treated to an entertaining demonstration which saw the robot show off the full range of its skills, most notably s series of dance moves. The research team added that they had designed another " Mahru", this time with sensors allowing it to distinguish between faces and objects. The showing of " Mahru" came a week after researcher in Japan said they had created the "most human-like" robot in the world. A team at robotics department of Osaka University in Japan claimed that " robogirl", Repliee R-1, " looks, moves and interacts like a human, and has silicone skin that feels almost human to the touch." Mahru made by KIST can do the following things EXCEPT _
A. dance with other human -like robots
B. move its body freely
C. stop automatically when walking
D. express certain feelings through smells
Answer: A | mmlu |
Question: A mystery surrounds my grandmother's collection of salt cellars . No one in the family seems to know when she started collecting them, or exactly how many she had. My grandmother died just over two years ago. At 91, she had spent 30 years without her right leg, which was removed due to cancer the year I was born. She was a poet, an artist, a food lover and a salt cellar collector. The funny thing about the salts, as she called them -- I never once heard her say salt cellar -- was that although everybody knew they were her hobby and everyone was always searching for them at yard sales or in stores, nobody seemed to know what they meant to her and they just wanted to make her happy. Grandma kept her salts in a dark wooden corner display case in the living room. Since her death the case has remained exactly as she left it. Grandpa tries his best to preserve his memories of her just as they are. Now I am collecting, too. Collecting memories about my grandmother's hobby, a way she spent her time. And as I hold one of them in my hand, I picture her holding it in her hand on the day she got it. She is smiling. My mother and her two sisters all have small collections, but my mother admits that she was more interested in finding salts to send to Grandma. Grandma once wrote a poem titled "When April Comes". The poem contains the line, "When April comes and I am not around, remember me when daffodils are found." Now, Grandpa is working on a poem with the line, "April came and you were not around". But she was, somehow. She was there in the memories left behind by her possessions. It can be inferred from the text that the author's family_.
A. are very proud of their interesting family history
B. value the wonderful poems Grandma wrote
C. are much influenced by Grandma's interest
D. know much about grandparents' love
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: In 1938, a fishing boat off the coast of Africa pulled up its nets. One net held a very strange fish, five feet long and bright blue. Strangest of all, it had fins that looked like legs! In the nets, only this fish stayed alive for several hours. Before the fish began to rot ( ), a young woman made a drawing of it. She sent her drawing to a scientist on sea life, Professor J. B. Smith. Upon seeing her drawing of the fish, Smith couldn't believe his eyes. Could it be true? It just didn't seem possible, but there it was. It could be only one thing, a coelacanth, a fish people believe having died out fifty million years ago. How could the fish be swimming about only a few days before? If we found one, there must be others. The professor put up posters offering a reward for catching such a fish. Other scientists laughed at Smith. They thought the search was a waste of time. Years passed. It seemed the other scientists were right. But Smith never gave up hope. One day, fourteen years later, the professor received a telegram. Afish had been caught that looked like the one in the poster. Would the scientist fly to the region and check the fish? Smith did. With shaking fingers the professor raised the cloth around the fish. It was exactly like the one in the young woman's drawing. It was a coelacanth,a missing link with the past! After the discovery of the coelacanth, scientists began to wonder. Is it possible that an even stranger creature will someday be discovered? Which is TRUE about the first coelacanth in the passage?
A. It had four legs.
B. It was bright blue.
C. It was six feet long.
D. It died when caught.
Answer: B | mmlu |
Question: A food additive is any substance that is added to food. Many people are put off by the idea of "chemicals in food". The truth is that all food is made up of chemicals. Natural substances like milk, as well as man-made ones like drinks on sale in the market, can be described by chemical formulas . Some chemical substances are indeed harmful, but a person who refused to consume any chemicals would find nothing to eat. The things we eat can be divided into natural and man-made substances. Some people feel that only natural foods are healthy and that all man-made ingredients are to be avoided. But many natural chemicals, found in plants and animals, are harmful when eaten, and some laboratory----made substances increase the nutritional value of food.Other chemicals have natural and man-made forms that are exactly alike: vitamin C is vitamin C, whether it comes from a test tube or from an orange.Like "chemical", "man-made" doesn't necessarily mean "not fit to eat". Food additives are used for many reasons. We add sugar and salt and other things to foods we prepare at home to make them taste better. Food producers have developed a range of additives that stabilize, thicken, harden, keep dry, keep wet, keep firm, or improve the appearance of their products. Additives can make food more convenient or nutritious, give it a longer shelf life, and make it more attractive to the consumer, thus increasing the sales and profits of the producers. Food additives are presently the centre of a storm of serious argument. Food producers have been known to use additives that have not been proved safe; some substances in common use have been proved unsafe and have been taken off the market. Many people feel there's a risk of eating food to which anything has been added. But food additives are now regulated by the FDA of the federal government, and new additives are subjected to strict testing before they can be placed on the market. For most people, the chances of developing serious side effects from the long-term use of presently approved food additives are very slim. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Foods with more additives have higher nutritional value.
B. To ensure food safety, the FDA will ban food additives.
C. Foods free of additives can keep a much longer shelf life.
D. Food additives can improve the quality of foods in many ways.
Answer: D | mmlu |
Question: The largest known outbreak of the lethal Ebola virus in West Africa is prompting authorities as far away as Asia to take preventive measures, although scientists say a global spread of the disease is unlikely. At South Korea's Incheon International airport, a major hub for air travel in Asia, quarantine inspections of arriving passengers are being enhanced. Authorities say all passengers are being recorded by an infrared camera to detect fevers because Ebola is becoming a big concern. The incubation period of the Ebola virus is between two and 21 days, during which time an infected person might not show any signs of infection. In Hong Kong, the Center for Health Protection says public hospitals will begin to report and test all those who developed fever who, within the past 21 days, traveled to the three affected African countries. Singapore's health ministry is urging the public there "not to be alarmed." It has issued a statement deeming Ebola to pose "a low public health risk to Singapore," in part because "there is low travel connectivity to West Africa where the current outbreak remains limited to." Some airlines have suspended flights into the affected region. But health authorities say there is little risk of passengers contracting the virus on a flight from an infected person.Dr. Day, a tropical medicine researcher, explains Ebola is only spread through direct contact with blood, saliva and other bodily fluids. Since March, there have been more than 1,200 confirmed Ebola cases in West Africa. This is believed to be a new strain of the virus and nearly 700 of those infected in this worst-known outbreak have died.There is no known cure for Ebola. It was first recognized in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) in 1976. There is no approved vaccine, but at least four are under development. Why does Singapore's health ministry urge the public not to be alarmed?
A. Because people in Singapore are healthy enough to resist the virus.
B. Because there is low travel connectivity between West Africa and Singapore.
C. Because there are some cures for the virus.
D. Because Singapore has no connection with countries in West Africa.
Answer: B | mmlu |
Question: It is said that most people have not more than 30 friends at any given time, and 400 over the whole of their lives. However, on social networking sites, most users have about 150 friends. If these numbers are correct, then friendship means different things in different situations. Also, there are no rules about friendship. There are no instructions about how to make friends, how to keep friendships going, and how to finish friendships if we want to move on. People have very different opinions about this: some people would die for their friends and they value them more than family. Others say that friends are temporary, only there to help each other until they are no longer needed. If people with such different views become friends, this can lead to problems. Because of these different definitions of friendship, it is easy to be unhappy about our friendships. We may want them to be deeper or closer, or we may want to have more friends in our lives. Sometimes we simply do not have the time to develop our friendships, or we fear we have left it too late in life to start. If we move to another country or city, we have to find ways to make new friends again. This dissatisfaction shows us how important friendships are for most of us. We should not think that it could be too late to build friendships. We also need to understand that the need to be around other people is one that is shared by many. Therefore, we should not be too frightened about starting to talk to people who in the future may become our friends: it is likely that they too would like to get closer to us. Remember what people say: strangers are friends we have not met yet. We can learn from the text that most of us _ .
A. need to be with others
B. build friendships late in life
C. are dissatisfied with our friends
D. are frightened to talk to people
Answer: A | mmlu |
Question: Reached My Destination "Ego has an enormous appetite, the more you feed it, the hungrier it gets." --Nathaniel Bronner Jr. It has been two years, we have not met. Last time was when we were departing at Rome Airport as a procedure of joining different competitive firms. We exchanged our personal email IDs and I never realized my email ID was one with an error. We had been in six years of professional relationship that ended with a small misunderstanding. We never realized that we might not get a chance to clear it. We both had tough ego levels to shed off. In these two years work has always kept me busy. There have been instances where I wanted to write to him for his expertise advice but my ego always stopped me. And then one day flying to London for a conference was taking away my peace of mind. I knew he would be there as a part of the event from his firm. I thought to ignore him and behave professionally as an employee. Finally, I entered the conference hall. I was quick enough to realize that he would take over participants' attention with his confidence, and all I would do sitting there would be appreciating him, nodding my head as "Yes to Yes" and "No to No". Finally, he approached the stage. The very first line that fell into my ears was my name as he continued, "I am proud to be here with 8 years of experience and I would like to share my best practices with all of you. This is a journey I completed with one of my best colleagues and my best friend 'my name' who supported me through day and night with the toughest projects and killing deadlines". For a moment I fell numbed and completely lost. All I could remember were my thoughts for him before entering the room and his greatness to acknowledge my presence. Finally, the conference ended and we all left for refreshment. I was struggling hard to face him. I saw him coming towards me with a gift. I asked him, "Why this gift?" He was very humble to answer, 'This is a small symbol of friendship to tell how much I missed my friend when I wanted her the most. A small token to represent that even when you were not with me, your teachings helped me to work on difficult projects." I asked curiously, "But you never wrote to me, if I was so important and helpful." He replied, "You left me with an email ID that is not reachable, maybe you missed a letter. I had no number to call you either but when I read your name in the list, I did all these arrangements. We never know when we meet again in life, so this gift is for you my friend." Finally, we again departed to our respective destinations but this time with a smile. We can infer from the story that _ .
A. the writer and her friend treasured their friendship
B. the writer felt at ease when her friend came to greet her
C. the writer and her friend restored their professional relationship
D. the writer felt her self-respect achieved at her friend's remarks
Answer: A | mmlu |
Question: One of the latest trend in American Childcare is Chinese au pairs. Au Pair in Stamford, for example, has got increasing numbers of request for Chinese au pairs from aero to around 4,000 since 2004. And that's true all across the country. "I thought it would be useful for him to learn Chinese at an early age" Joseph Stocke, the managing director of s company, says of his 2-year old son. "I would at least like to give him the chance to use the language in the future," After only six months of being cared by 25-year-old woman from China, the boy can already understand basic Chinese daily expressions, his dad says. Li Drake, a Chinese native raising two children in Minnesota with an American husband, had another reason for looking for an au pair from China. She didn't want her children to miss out on their roots." Because I am Chinese, my husband and I wanted the children to keep exposed to the language and culture." she says. "Staying with a native speaker is better for children than simply sitting in a classroom," says Suzanne Flynn, a professor in language education of Children."But parents must understand that just one year with au pair is unlikely to produce wonders. Complete mastery demands continued learning until the age of 10 or 12." The popularity if au pairs from china has been strengthened by the increasing numbers of American parents who want their children who want their children to learn Chinese. It is expected that American demand for au pairs will continue to rise in the next few years. What does that term" au pair" in the text mean?
A. A mother raising her children on her own
B. A child learning a foreign language at home
C. A professor in language education of children
D. A young foreign woman taking care of children.
Answer: D | mmlu |
Question: Mary had a nice summer vacation last year. She went to Hawaii in July. Mary likes fruits, and the Hawaiian bananas and oranges were great. The weather was very fine, but sometimes it rained heavily. On Monday she went to the museum. It was an interesting place and not very crowded . On Tuesday she went to the mountains. On Wednesday she visited an old friend. They went to the movies in the evening. The movie was so funny that they laughed again and again. On vacation she felt like she she was a flying bird! The vacation cost her about 600 dollars, but Mary had a fun time. How was Mary's vacation last year?
A. It was boring.
B. It was great.
C. It was sad.
D. It was difficult.
Answer: B | mmlu |
Question: Which of these human activities in a forest has a positive effect on the ecosystem?
A. Clearing the land to build new homes
B. Planting new trees where old ones were cut down
C. Building a new highway through the area
D. Cutting down trees to make farmland
Answer: B | mmlu |
Question: Phonetics Professor Henry Higgins first meets Eliza Doolittle, a flower girl, near the Royal Opera House, late on a cold March night. Eliza is selling flowers. Higgins is out on his endless search for new dialects of prefix = st1 /London's speech. Higgins makes a bet with Colonel Pickering that he can turn the cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, into a lady within three months. To do so, he must change her thick Londonaccent, teach her to speak proper English and teach her manners. Higgins looks upon her not as a person but as raw material for his experiment. He trains Eliza for weeks. When no progress is made, Eliza, loses her courage, Higgins loses his temper, and even Pickering's patience wears thin. At last she improves. In order to test Eliza, he decides to introduce her to his mother's guests at the Ascot Race Meeting. Eliza proves to be a success. Pickering and Higgins are very proud, and neither of them takes into account Eliza's personal accomplishments in the matter. Eliza has absorbed the sophistication and the courage to see the unfairness of this, and she _ , demanding recognition. The Professor is astonished. It is as though a statue has come to life and spoken. Eliza rushes out of the house angrily. Higgins discovers that he is hurt because Eliza leaves him. He meets her at his mother's flat where she has gone for advice. They argue violently and she storms out. It is only a moment after her departure that Higgins finally wakes up to the fact that Eliza has become an entirely independent and admirable human being. He realizes that he will have a difficult time getting on without her. Higgins does all of the following to turn Eliza into a lady EXCEPT _ .
A. teach her proper English
B. teach her manners
C. buy her flowers every day
D. change her thick Londonaccent
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: Have you seen Avatar(<<>> )? It's a popular 3D movie, and you may have to wear 3D glasses to see it. The 3D glasses make the images from the movie look as if they were coming straight towards you. More and more 3D movies are coming to theaters. Some say that 3D TV sets will come into our homes in the near future. 3D technology can make TV and movies are more exciting. However, people with eye problems may get headaches if they spend too much time watching 3D movies. Why? When we look at an object , each eye sees it at a different angle . Our eyes send the two images to our brain , and the brain puts them together. 3D technology uses two film projectors . One projects a left-eye-image and the other projects a right-eye-image. 3D glasses allow us to see a different image in each eye. So, when we are watching a 3D movie, our brain can't put together the images sent to our eyes. The brain needs to work harder at "reading" the images. That makes it easier for people with eye problems to get dizzy or have headaches. A famous eye doctor said if your eyes can't focus on the same object at once, you will have trouble watching 3D movies. . According to the passage, Avatar is a _ .
A. digital camera
B. digital TV set
C. 3D movie
D. 4D movie
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: Doctors' moonlighting is becoming popular in hospitals around China. It has not only raised a lot of heated discussions in the media, but also caught the attention of the central government in Beijing. On December 26, a spokesman of the Ministry of Health stressed that the ministry was firmly against doctors' moonlighting, while strict regulations should be applied to doctors taking part-time jobs, the Xinhua News Agency reported. Last year, the Ministry sent out a notice to a variety of health organizations to speed up the reform of their personnel system. According to the notice, medical organizations can hire medical experts as part-time doctors but such activities should take place under the hospital's management and regulations . As for moonlighting--meaning that the doctor provides medical service without the permission of the original hospital--such activity goes against China's Practicing Doctor Law, Xinhua reported. In China, doctors used to be controlled by hospitals and they could work for only one hospital. However, as China's medical personnel system reform developed, it has been recognized that medical human resources, just like human resources in other areas, should be shared by the whole society. But on the other hand, doctors' taking part-time jobs should follow the relative regulations applied in the medical field. First of all, they should follow relative government laws and regulations. They should also follow the rules and regulations set by the medical organizations they work for. In addition, they should pay taxes for their income from the part-time jobs. What matters most is that they should first finish their regular jobs as required and be responsible for patients to ensure qualified and safe medical treatment. According to the passage, we have got to know that _ .
A. all doctors around China prefer moonlighting to part-time jobs
B. moonlighting has been permitted by China's practicing Doctor Law
C. taxes should be paid for the money doctors get from their part-time jobs
D. strict management policies have been adopted to direct the moonlighting
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: The Beets were a new couple . The things in their rooms, such as the television, the computer, the fridge, furniture and so on, were all left by their parents. They only paid some money for their food and clothes. But they tried their best to save money. If they had something important to tell their friends, they always visited them instead of calling them. One day, it was a quarter past nine. Mr. Beet didn't come back. His wife was a little worried. The supper was cold and she had waited for two hours. She was sitting by the table in the dark room. Suddenly the woman heard someone coming upstairs. It was her husband's step. She hurried to open the door. In the dark she could hear his deep breathing . As soon as he sat down, she turned on the light and found he looked very tired. "Why do you come back so late, dear?" asked the woman. "Haven't you caught a bus?" "Yes, but I didn't take it." "Why not?" "I ran after it so that I saved two dollars this evening." "That's great!" the woman said happily. "Run after a taxi next time and you'll save both more time and money." When Mr. Beet got home that evening, _ .
A. his wife was angry with him
B. he was very tired
C. he was too hungry to say a word
D. his wife felt sorry
Answer: B | mmlu |
Question: When we can see well, we do not think about our eyes often: It is only when we cannot see perfectly that we come to see how important our eyes are. People who are nearsighted can only see things that are very close to their eyes. Many people who do a lot of close work, such as writing and reading, become nearsighted. Then they have to wear glasses in order to see distant things clearly. People who are farsighted face just the opposite problem. They can see things that are far away, but they have difficulty reading a book if they don't hold it at arm's length. If they want to do much reading, they must get glasses too. Other people do not see clearly because their eyes are not exactly the right shape. This, too, can be corrected by glasses. Some people's eyes become cloudy because of cataracts . Long ago these people often became blind. Now, however, it is possible to operate on the cataracts and remove them. When night falls, colors become fainter to the eyes and finally disappear. After your eyes have grown used to the dark, you can see better if you use the side of your eyes rather than the centers. Sometimes, after dark, you see a small thing to one side of you. It seems to disappear if you turn your head in its direction. This is because when you turn your head, you are looking at the thing too directly. Men on guard duty sometimes think they see something moving to one side of them. When they turn to look straight at it, they cannot see it anymore, and they believe they were mistaken. However, this mistake happens because the center of the eye, which is very sensitive in daylight, is not as sensitive as the sides of the eye after dark, People who are farsighted _ .
A. cannot do a lot of close work without glasses
B. can only see things that are very close to their eyes
C. have the same problem as the nearsighted people
D. have difficulty reading a book if they hold it at arm's length
Answer: A | mmlu |
Question: Amazon. com has received a patent right to send its products to customers by drone planes. The company is the largest US-based online seller of products by mail and other services. Now, the company has received a patent for its planned drone delivery system. In March, federal officials allowed Amazon to test its drone delivery plan. But even with a patent and the ability of drones to make deliveries, it does not appear the company will put its new delivery system in place any time soon. The US Patent Office published the document, which describes Amazon's plans to use GPS to deliver products to homes and to wherever people are. The drone will use a customer's mobile device --- usually a smartphone ---to avoid hitting people or buildings and to find a _ area to land. The company wants to deliver products within 30 minutes after people order them on its website.[:++Z+X+X+K] However, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is worried about the safety. Although it allowed Amazon to test the system, the agency said the operators must be able to see the planes. That greatly limits the delivery area. Loretta Alkalay is a professor at the Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology in New York. Although Amazon is not yet offering drone delivery, Professor Alkalay says it will not be long before it does. She says there are worries that the drones will hit buildings or people, or that the products and drones will be stolen or damaged by people on purpose. But she says that is because many people believe the drones would only deliver the products to the front door of a house. "However, it is possible that homes will one day have special area on their roofs designed to receive product deliveries," she adds. What is special about the new delivery system?
A. It can deliver heavy products by plane.
B. It uses planes without human operators.
C. It can delivery many products at a time.
D. It is much safer than other delivery ways.
Answer: B | mmlu |
Question: Walter Wetzel had met Ryan Lamantia nearly eight years ago in a hospital waiting room. Both were very sick----Ryan with brain cancer, Walter with leukemia . Ryan, who was 3 at the time, began making silly faces at Walter and chatted about going home to change into his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles costume. Several days later, Ryan moved to another hospital. Though they saw each other only a handful of times after that, Walter never forgot Ryan. "He inspired me to fight against my cancer," said Walter, now 17, a football player. Then one day, Walter saw a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shirt at a mall, which made him decide to search out Ryan. Back home, Walter typed in "Ryan Lake in the Hills brain cancer" on his computer, and a link to a Facebook page for Ryan came up. But, the news was shocking. Ryan had died on Sept. 8, 2005. He was 6. The Facebook page was for the Ryan Lamantia Foundation, a non-profit organization that Ryan's family formed after his death to raise money for brain cancer research. Walter left this message right away: ."Ryan is my hero. My trips to the hospital were always horrible, until the day I met Ryan." Ryan's mom's eyes were filled with tears as she read Waiter's message. "We always knew Ryan was special, but to hear it from somebody else, it really means the world to us," Lamantia said. Walter wasn't the only person who was greatly impressed with Ryan. "He was a little superhero," said Wendy Stellpflug, a nurse at Children' s Memorial Hospital. "Ryan always kept his spirits high, even after he suffered hearing loss and experienced 14 operations." "Ryan didn' t let his illness stop him. He always had a smile on his face," said Dr. Stewart Goldman, the doctor who treated Ryan. Walter and his family have been in touch with the Lamantias for the past few weeks. And last week, they met for the first time since Ryan's death. The families told stories of being affected by cancer so young and Walter expressed his hope to volunteer with Ryan' s foundation. Which of the following can best describe Ryan?
A. Determined and considerate.
B. Optimistic and brave.
C. Friendly and patient.
D. Brave and proud.
Answer: B | mmlu |
Question: "In the online world you don't need to fill buildings or lecture theatres with people and you don't need to be trapped into a lecture timetable," says Peter Scott, director of the Open University's Knowledge Media Institute. The Open University, the UK's open access university, which allows people to study from home in their own time, has been an international pioneer of degree courses online. The university, with more than 263,000 students in 23 countries, has become a record breaker on the iTunes U service, which provides a digital library of materials for university students and staff.Instead of music or movies, Apple's iTunes U provides a download service for lectures and resources from universities around the world.Top universities from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard in the US to Oxford and Cambridge in the UK have been making their materials available, with no charge to the users. There have been 31 million downloads of OU materials, more than any other university, representing roughly 10% of all iTunes U downloads.Nearly 90% of these users are from outside the UK.In this online era, the OU student is also getting younger.A quarter of students are aged under-25 and only 10% are aged 50 or over.That change can only be accelerated as the cost of going to university increases in many countries.The prospect of learning from Harvard from your own bedroom is getting closer. "We have a belief that a degree and an opportunity are rights for all citizens.And we have got to enable the population of students attending higher education to scale up.What I am most excited about is that the privilege of going for higher education is not something only for the wealthy or for the smartest or for the most well-equipped students in the future," an American educator says.Online education will be a way of opening up more choices and getting beyond the big brand names of the most exclusive universities. At the Open University, Peter Scott says they are trying to develop services that give students exactly what they want, from face-to-face learning to the fully online experience."We can produce brilliant televisual material and get it to you on YouTube, on iTunes U or even on the web. According to the passage, online education has many advantages EXCEPT that _ .
A. students don't have to go to the classrooms according to the timetable
B. it provides people with more chances to get higher education
C. students don't need to have courses or lectures any more
D. it's convenient for people to study at home in their free time
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: Krakatau volcano is in a small island in Indonesia. It had been peaceful for about 200 years before it erupted in 1883. The first signs of the activity of the volcano appeared in May 1883, when fire and smoke could be seen at the top of the mountain. Great noise could be heard even in Jakarta a hundred miles away. Later the activity grew much greater. The peak was covered with smoke and fire; the smoke at one time was seventeen miles high in the air. The lava--soft and hot rock--shot up into the air and rolled down the sides of the mountain. The mouth of the volcano was not at the peak of the mountain but on its side, close to the sea. As it grew bigger and bigger with the eruption, the sea water got into it. When the sea water reached the lava inside the volcano, it made the upper part of the lava colder and harder. And this sealed off the rest of the lava below. As the inside of the lava could not break through the seal, the pressure built up until the mountain blew up. The eruption of the volcano was followed by several earthquakes which brought about bad result. About 36000 people were killed and many towns and villages near the sea were completely destroyed by the great waves which the earthquake caused. Where is the mouth of a volcano?
A. At the peak of the mountain.
B. On the side of the mountain near the sea.
C. At the foot of the mountain.
D. In side the mountain.
Answer: B | mmlu |
Question: Today's Britain is full of TV shows like Fame Academy, which claim to offer young hopefuls an instant passport to fame and riches. But a very different kind of academy may provide a new generation of Brits with a slower, steadier path to wealth. A 'pig academy' in the east of England is aiming to train up new pig farmers to help promote local agriculture and meet the UK's growing demand for pork. Last year consumption of pork products increased by 6,000 tonnes. But British farmers have not benefited from this rise in demand. A combination of increasing feed prices, competition from cheaper imports and an outbreak of foot and mouth disease have all eaten into their profits. Pig numbers in the UK have actually almost halved in the last decade. Now, Fresh Start Pig Academy in Lincolnshire is launching a course which intends to redress the balance. They say pig husbandry is a growth industry and newcomers are welcome. For those of you who fancy _ , the course will teach you everything you need to know, from keeping pigs healthy to raising the capital needed to start up. Pig farmer Anne Longthorp followed her father into the industry and believes that farming pigs is very rewarding work: "They're great, curious animals to work with. Just watching their behaviour - it's really interesting work. There is a lot more to pig farming than people give us credit for. It's very scientific." So, while most of Britain's young people may continue to dream of overnight stardom, others will hope a more traditional career will help them bring home the bacon. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A. Anne Longthorp loves the job of farming pigs.
B. Anne Longthorp's family all like raising pigs.[:Z*xx*k.Com]
C. Most young people in Britain will like the career of farming pigs.
D. People who farm pigs are allowed to bring home many bacons.
Answer: A | mmlu |
Question: Mr.Brown got up late this morning. He was going to be late for work. Lt was raining hard and the streets were wet. He drove so fast that he didin't see the red lights. He couldn't stop his car and hit a car. An old man got out of the car and called out angrily, "What are you doing? How can you drive so fast?" "l'm sorry,sir," said Mr.brown, "l didn't see the lights turn red." Then he brought out a bottle of wine and gave it to the old man. "It's cold today, sir," said Mr.Brown. "Please drink a little, and then you'll get warm." The old man drank some wine and became happy. He asked, "l'm felling much better now. Why don't you drink any?" "l can't drink anything now ,sir, "answered Mr. Brown ,"l'm waiting for the policeman. Only drunkards cause accidents, you kown !" Why did Mr.Brown drive so fast?
A. He was happy that day
B. He was good at driving
C. There were few cars in the street
D. He was afraid to be late
Answer: D | mmlu |
Question: Growth and repair in multicellular organisms are the result of
A. excretion
B. locomotion
C. cell division
D. decomposition
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: Last weekend three students went to London, and they visited many places. Did they enjoy the trip?Let's listen to them. "It was a fine day. I went to London with my friends Emily and James. We visited many places. The guide was very kind and funny. I really had a great time in London!"David said. "The train was so fast. It only took us half an hour. I read many books about London. When I saw it with my eyes today, I felt so excited!I took many photos. And I also bought some gifts for my sister. "Emily said. "We went to the science museum. All kinds of model robots are my favourites. I learned a lot about robots. The food in London was kind of expensive, but very delicious. All in all, it was a great trip." James said. What did Emily do during the trip?
A. Took many photos.
B. Visited the Eiffel Tower.
C. Went boating.
D. Read a book.
Answer: A | mmlu |
Question: 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 _ .
A. preferred by bridals
B. used in a funerals sometimes
C. depressing in decoration
D. pure in its nature
Answer: A | mmlu |
Question: Most kids hate to see their summer end, perhaps none more than the Murset children. This summer, the Murset family decided to travel across the country to help families in need, which proved to be a wonderful experience. People. comreported that Gregg Murset and his wife, Kami, decided to take their six children, ranging from 7 to 16 years old, from their home in Phoenix, Arizona, across the country to spend 20 days on the road to help 25 families in need. "I told the kids and my wife over breakfast that I wanted to do this," Gregg Murset, 40, told People. com. "They all looked at me like I was crazy," he said, "but when we started to read the stories of people we were going to help, their attitudes completely changed." Through Gregg's company, he was able to be matched with groups such as Autism Speaks, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and others that connected the Mursets to families with children who have cancer and other serious illnesses. "When you have a kid who is struggling, the last thing you're thinking of is cleaning the house," says Gregg. The family traveled to many cities in their journey, including Albuquerque, Denver, Kansas City, Chicago, and Buffalo. The trip covered 6,500 miles. "It's been amazing to watch my own children open their eyes and see that the world is bigger than they think," he said. "Even the little kids are learning from this experience." And the families they've helped feel blessed to have met them. "They showed up at 8 a.m. and we had a list of things we needed help with," said Jim Spencer, a 61-year-old father in Warren, Michigan, whose 12-year-old daughter, Lexi, was diagnosed with cancer a couple of years ago. The Mursets also used their travels as an opportunity to visit areas they had never been to, including the Statue of Liberty. But for Gregg, the main purpose of the trip was to teach his children to show concern for the happiness of other people rather than for themselves. "There is nothing wrong with your kid getting off the sofa, doing some work and sweating," said Gregg. "It's good for the kid and it's good for the soul." During the trip, Gregg most wanted his kids to _ .
A. increase physical exercise
B. gain more geography knowledge
C. learn to be concerned about others
D. improve their communication skills
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: One spring,when 1 was 1 0,during one of my father's layoffs,I could tell my mother was unhappy.I decided to cheer her up by buying her a special Mother's Day gift. One day after school I rode my bike to the Agins,which,I learned years later,was known for its high-end fashions and style.I introduced myself to Sylvia Agins,telling her I was looking for a Mother's Day present. "Do you think she'd like a purse ?"she asked."I think she might."I told her. She took out an Italian purse made of leather.She asked me what I thought,and I told her that my mom would like it. "How much money do you have?''she asked. "Twelve dollars,"I said. "You're in luck,"she told me."It's only $11.You have a dollar left over for the card." She wrapped the purse and thanked me for my business,and I rode off home with the package under my arm. When my mother opened the gift the next Sunday morning,she asked in an accusing tone,"Where did you get this?" "I bought it at the Agins.It cost me$1 1.''I said. My mother was shocked into silence. It wasn't until many years 1ater,when I learned that the purse was worth several hundred dollars,that I appreciated just how wonderful Sylvia Agins had been to me.I always felt regretful that I never had a chance to properly thank her. ''You know,my son,what really amazes me to this day,"my mother said.''Letting you have the purse for just a few dollars was unbelievable enough.But the fact that she let you leave the store with a dollar for the card was a touch of kindness that 9 11 never forget." Why did the author buy his mother a purse?
A. To thank his mother for buying him a bike.
B. To show his ability of making money.
C. To make his mother happy.
D. To surprise his mother.
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: Sometimes when we are lost in the day-to-day activities of life and work, we forget there is a part of us that wants to serve and make a difference in the world. It is also a good time to look for ways to express yourself through service to others. Most people want to live a life full of meaning. If you recognize you have a true desire to serve, voluntary work in the community and a spirit of giving can lead you to an understanding of what you care about, what your natural talents are, and what your life purpose is. It can start you on the path to a new life. To live your purpose as fully as possible, use your natural gifts when you serve others. If you are a naturally-born teacher, you could teach students who are struggling with basic reading skills. If you are good at encouraging people, you could visit people who are sick or in nursing home. Many of us forget how luck we are and how much support we have. When we reach out to others, we sometimes realize how our lives have been blessed. When you are aware of all the blessing that you have received, you can understand your true ability to make a difference. Service is a spirit for living as well as a set of actions. You live your life purpose every day. It's not just when you are volunteering at church or the local food bank. It's every time you interact with anyone. Through your actions, your words and your smiles, you have the capability to either uplift someone or put them down. Meaningful, purposeful lives are built every moment, not just in isolated times spent volunteering. Whether it's at work, in traffic, in the line at the grocery store, or at a concert, you have an opportunity to serve or change the world. Your efforts don't have to be extraordinary, but your life certainly will be. Through service you can do all of the following EXCEPT _ .
A. make a difference in the world
B. express yourself
C. find your life purpose
D. forget how lucky you are
Answer: D | mmlu |
Question: Visit one of the most outstanding prehistoric sites in the United Kingdom, and enjoy amazing historic English attractions. Please notice that every tour starts and ends in London. Have a tour with Visiting Britain. Stonehenge Direct Tour Visit one of the most outstanding prehistoric sites in England and in the world: Stonehenge. Duration: 1 day Price: Adults PS29.99, Children PS28.99 Stonehenge and Bath Tour Enjoy a late breakfast before heading to the Stonehenge site and end your day with an original visit of the Roman Baths. Duration: 10 hours (departure 10:30 am return 8:30 pm). Price: Adults PS64, Children PS60 Stonehenge, Bath and Windsor Castle Tour Explore three of England's most popular sites to visit: Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and the Roman Baths. Duration: 1 day (return 8:30 pm) Price: Adults PS64.80, Children PS61.20 Stonehenge, Lacock and Bath Tour Come and feel the warmth of Bath, see the pleasant village of Lacock, and solve the mystery of Stonehenge. Duration: 1 day (return 6 pm) Price: Adults PS85, Children PS78 Stonehenge, Windsor and Oxford Tour Choose Stonehenge, Windsor and Oxford Tour and enjoy ancient mysticism, royal history and illustrious knowledge. Duration: 1 day Price: Adults PS72, Children PS68 Stonehenge, Bath and Stratford Tour Take a tour to make the most of the English historic attractions: the Stonehenge site, Bath and Stratford, the birthplace of playwright William Shakespeare. Duration: 1 day (return 8 pm) Price: Adults PS79, Children PS68 If you plan to travel with your kid who is a fan of Shakespeare, you would choose _ .
A. Stonehenge Direct Tour
B. Stonehenge, Bath and Stratford Tour
C. Stonehenge, Windsor and Oxford Tour
D. Stonehenge, Bath and Windsor Castle Tour
Answer: B | mmlu |
Question: Disposing of waste has been a problem since humans started producing it. As more and more people choose to live close together in cities,the waste disposal problem becomes increasingly difficult. During the eighteenth century,it was usual for several neighboring towns to get together to select a faraway spot as a dump site. People would transport household rubbish,rotted wood and old possessions to the site. Regularly some of the trash was burned and the rest was buried. The unpleasant sights and smells caused no problem because nobody lived close by. Factories and some other industrial sites also had waste to be disposed of. Those located on rivers often just poured the unwanted remains into the water. Others built huge burners with chimneys to deal with the problem. Several facts make these choices unacceptable to modern society. The first problem is space. Dumps , are most needed in heavily populated areas. Such areas rarely have empty land suitable. Farm areas are refusing to accept rubbish from elsewhere,cheap land in major city areas to dispose wastes is nonexistent . Awareness of pollution dangers has resulted in more strict rules of waste disposal. Pollution of rivers,ground water,land and air is a price people can no longer pay to get rid of waste. The amount of waste,however, continues to grow. Recycling efforts have become commonplace,and many towns require their people to take part. Even the most efficient recycling programs,however,can hope to deal with only about 50 percent of a city's reusable waste,so more people should be involved in recycling programs. The main purpose of writing this article is to _ .
A. select a suitable dump site
B. warn people of the pollution dangers
C. call on people to take part in recycling programs
D. tell people a better way to get rid of the waste
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: This is Bruce's Noodle House. We have different kinds of noodles. A large bowl of noodles with mutton is only 4 dollars, and 3 dollars for a medium bowl. Each bowl of beef noodles is just 3.5 dollars. And a large bowl of chicken noodles is 2 dollars. Each bowl of pork noodles is just 3.5 dollars. One dollar is for a large bowl of vegetable noodles. Come and enjoy the delicious noodles here! If you order any meat noodles, fruit is free . If you are too busy to come. Please call us at 2888998, and you will get the food in half an hour. Our Noodle House is open for 24 hours a day, from Monday afternoon to Sunday. Bruce's Noodle House sells _ different kinds of noodles.
A. five
B. eight
C. seven
D. Four
Answer: A | mmlu |
Question: On August 16, 1977, Elvis Presley saved me. The previous afternoon, I played with my six-year-old peers in Heather Peters' backyard. I was enjoying my cake, when Heather asked me where my sleeping bag was. Only then did I know this party was a sleepover. The word "sleep-over" to a six-year-old bed-wetter is like what "cancer" means to an adult. But what if I told them I was a bed-wetter? At least with cancer, people gather at your bedside instead of running from it. I thought of a way to escape. I would explain that I needed my mother's permission to spend the nights. But as I called my Mom, Heather stood beside me to listen. She granted permission! Then I would be sleeping in the same living room as the other girls. I didn't bring my own nightdress, so Mrs. Peters offered me Heather's nightdress. As the other girls drifted into their sweet dreams, I tried to stay awake. "Do I need to go again? I'll stay up to go one more time...". Of course, I finally fell asleep. The next morning, I was the first to wake up. I was warm! I lay in panic for what seemed like hours before the other girls started to wake up. I did the only thing I could do--I pretended that the bed-wetting didn't happen. I got up, took off Heather's nightdress and changed into my clothes like the other girls. Mrs. Peters walked into the room, and before she could say anything, she stepped right onto the pile of my wet nightdress. My heart stopped as I watched her face burn red. "WHO DID THIS?" She screamed, with a look so scary. Should I answer? And that was when it happened--Mr. Peters came in and grabbed his wife, "Elvis Presley died!" The news of the King's death overtook Mrs. Peters, and I was narrowly excused. Then, we left Peters' together but without the other girls knowing what had happened. The author had to spend the night at Peters' because _ .
A. they had fun together and played too late
B. she was offered the nightdress
C. the famous singer Elvis Presley died that night
D. she and her friends were having a sleepover party
Answer: D | mmlu |
Question: I am not just a successful architect . I also like to play the piano. In my spare time I often turn some dry musical symbols into beautiful music. Many years ago, while I was in a university studying architecture, I worked in a workshop. During the break I found an old piano in the corner of the room. With the allowance of the boss I sat down to have a try. Following my fingers the keys danced brilliantly and at the same time beautiful music flew out and then to every part of the room. All my workmates suddenly stopped talking and made their ears ready for my music. After graduation, I began to devote myself to my profession. All my musical talent was wasted into zero. Then one evening we went to a concert at which Mr. Stevenson, one of the ordinary workers in my company, sang us some beautiful songs. His musical talents made us all surprised. We all enjoyed ourselves with his beautiful voice so much that we even thought him a professional singer. I was also reminded of my musical talent. I began to train in a training center. My teacher was strict with me. He encouraged me to train every weekend and each time he asked me to play better than the last. Now I can proudly say I am also a successful pianist because every time I played on the stage fresh flowers and warm clapping would come from my audience. So I say, my friends, don't busy yourself with your work too much. Find some time to develop your potential talent and your life will become more wonderful. According to the passage, the author is not only a successful architect but also a good _ .
A. worker
B. pianist
C. singer
D. basketball player
Answer: B | mmlu |
Question: Which of these cell structures converts nutrients to energy for cell functions?
A. cell membrane
B. chloroplasts
C. mitochondria
D. endoplasmic reticulum
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: Many people will remember the flight of the space shuttle Challenger, in June, 1983. The achievement of Sally Ride, America's first woman astronaut to fly into space, made this flight especially memorable. Students from two Camden, New Jersey, high schools, however, are probably to remember Norma rather than Sally whenever they think about the flight. Norma didn't travel alone. She brought about 100 companions along with her. Norma was an ant, a queen ant who, with her subject, made up the first ant colony to travel into space. The ants were part of a science experiment designed by students to test the effects of weightlessness on insects. The equipment designed by the students for their colony functioned perfectly throughout the long space trip. The young scientists and their teachers were very sad to find that their insect astronauts had all died at some point before the container was returned to the school and opened. The problem didn't occur in space, but on the ground after challenger had landed. The container remained in the desert for nearly a week before the ant colony was moved. The hot, dry desert air dried out the colony's container and the ants died from lack of moisture . The project was tested success because it did provide useful information. Students will continue their efforts to pinpoint what went wrong. They will try to prevent the same difficulties from recurring on future missions. They don't want to be discouraged either by the demise of the ants or by the $10,000 shuttle fare they will have to pay to send the next colony of ants into space. Ks5u We can conclude that ants _ on the next space trip.
A. will have to be kept alive in a container full of water
B. will have to be sent into space with the first woman astronaut
C. should be put into a container where there is enough food
D. should be put into a container which is not too dry
Answer: D | mmlu |
Question: A euphemism (from the Greek words eu--well and pheme--speak) is a word or expression that is used when people want to find a polite or less direct way of talking about difficult or embarrassing topics like death or the bodily functions.Most people,for example,would find it very difficult to say in plain language that they have arranged for their sick old dog to be killed.They would soften the pain by saying:We had Ruby put down or We had Ruby put to sleep.Many people prefer to call someone plain than ugly,or cuddly rather than fat. Euphemisms are an important part of every language,but it seems that English has an evergrowing number of them.The nonnative speaker not only has to make sense of the euphemisms he hears,he also has to learn which euphemisms are appropriate in any particular situation.He might be aware that his American friend needs to use the toilet when she asks where the bathroom (or restroom,or comfort station) is,but he is less likely to guess that his English friend has the same need when he says he has to see a man about a dog.He might have learned,for example,that in the family way is a euphemism for pregnant.If,however,he says to his boss,"Congratulations!I hear your wife is in the family way," he would be using an expression that is too familiar for the circumstances. Schools are full of euphemisms.At Frankfurt International School,for example,the special lessons given to students who are having difficulties in their school subjects are called Study Center (in the middle school) and Academic Workshop (in the high school).Teachers rightly do not want to upset students or parents by being too frank or straightforward,and usually choose a softer word or expression to convey the same message. At Frankfurt International School,the students who receive lessons in Study Center _ .
A. have poor grades in the subjects
B. do well in school
C. work hard at their lessons
D. prefer to learn more
Answer: A | mmlu |
Question: Like many men at some point, I dream about opening a bar. I plan to call it Work Out. It will cater to married women in need of a little fun. On Friday nights, they will be able to come here and enjoy themselves. See, I have a gift for business. I am, as my wife Zsa Zsa likes to note, "A man with a million ideas, none of them very good." Speaking of Zsa Zsa, she is fed up with this plain little life I've made for us----too many kids, too many chores, mind - numbing debt. The other day, she said she thought we needed a new family car. _ I said, and saw my dear Zsa Zsa age about 20 years, and become her mother right before my eyes. Yes, money is our madness. Last year, we thought we had found a little _ when I published a book about the life here in suburban America. It sold 12 copies----six of them to my mother. Four other copies went to various aunts and uncles, who used them for martini coasters , then sold them at yard sales. The two remaining copies went to perfect strangers. (I think I owe you dinner, whoever you are. Call me, OK? We'll arrange something.) When the book didn't take off, I wrote a TV show. Then I penned a short novel based on the earlier TV idea that didn't sell. Currently, I am at work on a set of encyclopedias . In a month, I plan to sell them door - to - door. Such is the life of a writer, sending off the most personal thoughts possible to his hard drive. I am a writer, but also the breadwinner in my family. I'm at the keyboard at 6 almost every morning, hoping to tap out one idea----just one----that will take us up the hill, to the mountain, to the top. According to the passage, the author is leading a/an _ life.
A. enjoyable
B. wealthy
C. hard
D. comfortable
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: The journey to the moon had been the first step toward future exploration in space. The distance between the Moon and Earth is very short indeed when compared with the distances between Earth and the other planets. Mars, the nearest planet to Earth is millions of miles away. Traveling to the planets will be man's next aim. Such travels will be more challenging than the trip to the moon and certainly more adventurous. Recently, two American spaceships, Vikings 1 and 2, landed on Mars trying to discover whether that planet has any life on it. So far the signs of life on Mars has neither confirmed nor ruled out. Russians have discovered that the surface of Venus is so hot that it is almost certain that there is no life there. Also the atmosphere of Venus is extremely dense and the pressure is nearly a hundred times greater than that of the Earth's atmosphere. Scientists believe man may find planets which have the same conditions as those we have on Earth , but man should realize Earth will be his only home for a long time and begin to love and care for it. (www.ks5u.com) Which of the following is Not true?
A. Mars is nearer to the earth than the moon. (www.ks5u.com)
B. The moon is much nearer to the earth than Mars.
C. Of all the planets, Mars is the nearest to the earth.
D. All the planets are much farther to the earth than the moon
Answer: A | mmlu |
Question: Powers sued Debbs for battery. At trial, Powers's witness Wilson testified that Debbs had made an unprovoked attack on Powers. On cross-examination, Debbs asks Wilson about a false claim that Wilson once filed on an insurance policy. The question is
A. proper, because the conduct involved untruthfulness.
B. proper provided that the conduct resulted in conviction of Wilson.
C. improper, because the impeachment involved a specific instance of misconduct.
D. improper, because the claim form would be the best evidence
Answer: A | mmlu |
Question: Now people in England, the US and many other countries celebrate Mother's Day. Mother's Day is on the second* Sunday of May*. On this day, children give flowers, cards, chocolate and other things to their mothers, but they don't give money to them. And they also make presents for their mothers. And some of them get up early to cook breakfast for their mothers. They also help their mothers do housework. They want to show their love to their mothers. They know if* they have no mothers; they can't live a happy life. Many people in China celebrate this festival for their mothers because they want to show* their love to their mothers too. In every Chinese family, the mother looks after* the children, does the housework and cooks meals for the family, so she is quite _ and she is always busy in the family. Now more and more people celebrate Mother' Day in China.[:Zxxk.Com] What presents do mothers usually get on Mother's Day?
A. Flowers, money and cards.
B. Flowers, money and chocolate.
C. Flowers, cards and chocolate.
D. Money, cards and chocolate.
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: It was a winter morning,just a couple of weeks before Christmas of 2005. While most people were warming up their cars,Trevor,my husband,had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival,he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone. The bike,a black Kona 18 Speed,was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work,putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get foods, saving us from having to walk along long distances from where we live. I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that,several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike,then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before. People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another,but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it made us believe more in the beauty of humanity as a whole. And it has influenced us to be more mindful of ways we,too,can share with others. No matter how big or how small,an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can last forever. Why was the bike so important to the couple?
A. They used it for work and daily life.
B. It was their only possessions .
C. It was a nice Kona 18 Speed.
D. The man's job was bike racing.
Answer: A | mmlu |
Question: Listed here are four of the thousands of impressive museums around the world. The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Bilbao, Spain Built in 1997, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is one of the newest in the world. It has transformed the industrial city of Bilbao into a travelers' desired destination. The beautiful architecture of the museum has provided a dramatic background for movies and commercials. The Louvre in Paris, France Probably the most famous Louvre also holds the most famous painting in the world, the"Mona Lisa"by Leonardo da Vinci. Crowds can be found any day surrounding the small, but mysterious painting of the smiling woman. But, the Louvre is much more than a home to the"Mona Lisa". The Louvre is visited by more people each year than any other museum in the world. The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, America Just opened in its new downtown location in 2012, the Barnes Foundation is unique in that it is a completely reproduced display from one man's private collection. Dr. Albert C. Barnes started collecting art in the early 20th century and collected, among others, the largest number of original Renoir paintings in the world. The Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy Walking on the marbled floors feels like stepping back in time. The building itself is a beautiful palace-like structure with frescoes decorating the ceilings and walls. Viewers are bowled over by the works by Botticelli, such as"The Birth of Venus". Classic artworks from nearly 1,000 years ago describe religious events of the time. What makes the Barnes Foundation particular?
A. Its structure.
B. Its collection.
C. Its location.
D. Its history.
Answer: B | mmlu |
Question: Ask just about any college student you know,and he is likely to tell you that he is a member of facebook.com.Many students say they check their e-mail.It's so popular "facelooking"has become a verb "Everywhere everyone is doing it,"college student Katie Silverman said,"It's like everyone's center of life." Facebook is an online social meeting place where students create profiles ,share personal information, and meet other members. It is password protected and targeted to high school and college students;members must have an edu.email address to join. Many students say it has changed their social lives, giving them an easy way to find and chat with classmates who share their interests."Some people might be too shy to go to talk to someone they like in one of their classes,but on facebook it's a lot easier to strike up a conversation,"said Rahul Vanjani. The website was founded by two Harward University students who wanted to meet more of their classmates.It became so popular that the website is at 2,200 colleges and at 22,000 high schools.It says that it has 6 million active users,two--thirds of whom are on it every day.Many of the facebook members said their parents had no idea they were on it ."No way.My parents certainly don't know about it," said a college senior who asked us not to use his name. To keep it popular,Facebook says it stops students posting improper information.Some students have paid the price.At Fisher College in Boston,two students were kicked out for using facebook.com to do something that is against the law.At North Carolina State University,four students were punished for posting photos about drinking. We can learn about Facebook from the passage that _ .
A. the information that students offer to Facebook is secret to others
B. Facebook is at more colleges that at high schools
C. 6 million active users of Facebook are on it every day
D. many students don't want their parents to know they are facebooking
Answer: D | mmlu |
Question: I no longer run for the mail the way I used to. I remember, prior to the e-mail age, the sense of heightened expectation as the hour of mail delivery approached, wondering what slender , handwritten treasures would appear in my box. I once received a letter from a long-lost friend and swelled with such joy that I ran the mail carrier down and shook his hand, as if he had done a heroic deed in conveying the missive to me. I first learned to love the mail as a young boy. The first thing I ever received that was personally addressed to me was from my friend Duane. We had been the closest of 9-year-old boys. Then he moved away, to Massachusetts. The parting was difficult, but boys didn't cry. Within the week, however, there was a letter in my mailbox. It was from Duane, and it read, "I'm OK, but I miss you." That first conveyance to me of a written word from a great distance had all the significance of the first Morse code message: "What hath God wrought." It was at that moment that I became a letter writer, quickly discovering that the more letters I wrote, the more I received. I wrote letters through elementary school, high school, college, and beyond. It got to the point where I could comfortably expect to receive a letter a day. _ - something toward which my thoughts began to move upon waking. What quickened my blood, of course, was the element of surprise: From whom would the letter be today? And what would the news be? And then, seemingly in the blink of an eye, the earth shifted. E-mail had arrived. Despite being fascinated by the new technology, I promised myself that I would never stop writing letters by hand. However, I had no control over the habits of others, and slowly, inexorably , and then with quickened pace, the letters disappeared from my mailbox, having been replaced with electronic "messages" , a totally different beast --in contrast to letters, all e-mails look alike. What made the author become a letter writer?
A. A letter from a long -lost friend.
B. The desire to receive more letters.
C. The joy of reading the first letter from Duane.
D. The influence of the first Morse code message.
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: "You're leaving again?" asked my daughter as she saw me packing my carry-on. More than her words, it was her face that pierced my heart ---I could see how _ she was. "It's only for two nights, "I explained. But that didn't matter to her. It was just one more trip after barely being home for five days. I decided in that moment to travel less whenever possible and I managed to avoid flying altogether for most of the summer. As a result, it was a summer full of discoveries. I realized that my kids really were proud of me. In their time away from me they had learned lessons I couldn't have imagined. Recently I began traveling a lot again. But this time it was different, mainly due to the fact that I had seen firsthand that my children value strong female role models. They realize that hard work pays off. Being away from them even for a day at a time in many ways had done them a lot of good. In particular, being a working mom is teaching my daughter how important it is to be independent and that you can follow your dreams. In many ways, her idea of a professional woman is much more realistic than what I imagined when I was her age. I think that even at nine years old she already knows that for all the success you might achieve, there is a price to pay, whether it's long hours, spending time away from those you love, or simply not having the energy to have fun at times. I know the wishes I would devote all of my time to her, but honestly, even if I didn't work I would rather she learned not to depend on me for everything, She needs to realize that she can fly on her own --- and that isn't possible if I am hovering over her every single second of the day . I have also realized that having a career sets a good example for my son. He is not afraid of a strong woman, and has a great respect for them. When he's older, this will help him build healthier relationship. Therefore, for all the working moms out there who work long hours, remember to value the positive lessons you might be teaching your kids. How did the author feel about traveling a lot after the summer ?
A. She felt even worse than ever.
B. She felt quite proud of herself.
C. She felt very sorry for her kids.
D. She felt much better than before.
Answer: D | mmlu |
Question: It was the small hours of the morning when we reached London Airport. I had rung London from Amsterdam, and there was a hired car to meet, but there was one more unfortunate happening before I reached my flat. In all my travels I have never, but for that once, been required by the British customs to open a single bag or to do more than state that I carried no goods liable to duty, or rather, to declare. It was, of course, my fault; the extreme tiredness and nervous tension of the journey had destroyed my normal state of mind. I was, for whichever reason, so tired that I could hardly stand, and to the question, "have you read this?" I replied with extreme foolishness, "Yes, hundreds of times." "And you have nothing to declare?" "Nothing." "How long have you been out of this country?" "About three months." "And during that time you have acquired nothing?" "Nothing but what is on the list I have given you." He seemed momentarily at a loss, but then he attacked. The attack, when it came, was completely unexpected. "Where did you get that watch?" I could have kicked myself. Two days before, when playing water games with a friend in the bath, I had forgotten to take off my ROLEX OYSTER, and it had, not unnaturally, stopped. I had gone into the market and bought, for no more than ten pounds, an ugly time piece that made a strange noise. It had stopped twice, without any reason, during the journey. I explained, but I had already lost face. I produced my own watch from a pocket, and added that I should be grateful if he would _ the replacement. "It is not a question of confiscation; you will have it," he said, "there is a fine for failing to declare dutiable goods. And now may I please examine that Rolex?" It took another quarter of an hour to persuade him that the Rolex was not contraband ; then he began to search my luggage. What do you think is the tone of the story?
A. Serious.
B. Critical.
C. Humorous.
D. Objective.
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: Which event would most likely cause a rapid extinction of organisms?
A. a large asteroid impact
B. regional drought
C. new glacier formation
D. a decrease in the growth of weeds
Answer: A | mmlu |
Question: SYDNEY (AFP) -- Thousands of people sat down to breakfast on the Sydney Harbor Bridge on Sunday after the bridge was closed to traffic and carpeted with grass for the first time for a giant picnic. About 6,000 early riser were on the steel bridge from 6:30 am to take part in the two-hour event designed to show Sydney's best food and outdoor lifestyle. As music performers provided the background music, those who had won tickets to the picnic in a random lottery began to feast on fruit, pastries, muesli, yoghurt ... "It's amazing to see the bridge in this perspective ," said Don Fuchs who lives near the bridge, which is used by about 100,000 cars daily. "Usually you sit in the car, you cross it, and that's it." "It was beautiful," said Linda Curnow who attended the picnic with her family. "The grass was so thick that it was like being in your backyard." New South Wales state Premier Nathan said the event was set to become a mark of an annual Sydney's month-long October food festival. About 45,000 people applied for tickets to the breakfast for which people brought their own food but were able to taste samples from some of the state's best producers. Organizers used about 40 percent of the grass on Sydney parks. The bridge reopened at about 1:00 pm. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Welcome to Sydney
B. October -- Sydney's art festival
C. Thousands eat breakfast on Sydney Harbour bridge
D. What is the feature of Sydney?
Answer: C | mmlu |
Question: For the first time, researchers have discovered that some plants can kill insects in order to get additional nutrients. New research shows that they catch and kill small insects with their own sticky hairs near the roots and then absorb nutrients through their roots when the insects are killed and fall to the ground. Professor Mark Chase, of Kew and Queen Mary, University of London, said: "The cultivated tomatoes and potatoes still have the hairs. Tomatoes in particular are covered with these sticky hairs. They do trap small insects on a regular basis. They do kill insects." The number of these carnivorous plants is thought to have came up to 50 percent and many of them have until now been wrongly regarded as among the most harmless plants. Among them are species of petunia , some special tobacco plants and cabbages, some varieties of potatoes and tomatoes, etc. Researchers at Royal Botanical Gardens Kew, which carried out the study, now believe there are hundreds more killer plants than previously realized. It is thought that the technique was developed in the wild to get necessary nutrients in poor quality soil - and even various plants grown in your vegetable garden still have the ability. The researchers, publishing their finding in the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, said: "We may be surrounded by many more murderous plants than we think." "We are accustomed to thinking of plants as being immobile and harmless, and there is something deeply frightening about the thought of meat-eating plants," they added. The insect-killing technique of vegetables is developed most probably through _ .
A. evolution of species
B. helps from other garden plants
C. artificial cultivation
D. nutrients preserved in rich soil
Answer: A | mmlu |
Question: April 22,2010 will be the 18th celebration of the annual Take Our Daugluers to Work Day (TOD), a project the National Ms.Foundation for Women of America (NFW) developed to expose girls to expanding opportunities for women in the workplace. The program offers, millions of girls a first - hand view of the many career opportunities available in their futures.Now that women make up 46 peroent of the U.S.workforce, girls can find role models in every occupational field-from politics to molecular biology to professional athletics, to name just a few.TOD encourages girls to focus on their abilities and opportunities, not just their appearance. The NFW developed the project more than a decade ago to address the self - esteem problems that many girls experience when they enter adolescence.At school, boys often receive more encouragement in the classroom, especially in math.science and computer science, the academic fields that tend to lead to the highest salaries.Women receive on average only 73 cents for every dollar that men are paid.and remain vastly underrepresented in top executive positions and technology fields.TOD aims to give girls the confidence and inspiration they need to develop successful careers, particularly in non-traditional fields. Perhaps because the program had become so widespread and successful, TOD had been criticized for excluding boys.and it was expanded in 2003to include boys.The program's official website states that the program was changed in order to provide both boys and girls with opportunities to explore careers at an age when they are more flexible in tenns of gender stereotyped roles."We should also show boys that becoming a child care provider is as acceptable a choice as becoming a police officer or CEO," added Sara K.Gould.executive director of the NFW. The purpose for having a Take Our Daughters to Work Day is _
A. to encourage girls to get top paying jobs ,
B. to let girls spend more time with their mothers
C. to show girls possibilities for work and careers
D. to give girls a chance to visit their mothers' offices
Answer: C | mmlu |
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