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[
"a bad impact on other industries",
"a change of tourists' customs",
"overcrowdedness of places of interest",
"pressure on traffic"
] | Too much tourism can cause all these problems EXCEPT _ . | Without proper planning, tourism can cause problems. For example, too many tourists can crowd public places that are also enjoyed by the inhabitants of a country. If tourists create too much traffic, the inhabitants become annoyed and unhappy. They begin to dislike tourists and to treat them impolitely. They forget how much tourism can help the country's economy. It is important to think about the people of a destination(） country and how tourism affects them. Tourism should help a country keep the customs and beauty that attract tourists. Tourism should also advance the well-being (health and happiness） of local inhabitants.
Too much tourism can be a problem. If tourism grows too quickly, people leave other jobs to work in the tourism industry. This means that other parts of the country's economy can suffer
On the other hand, if there is not enough tourism, people can lose jobs. Businesses can also lose money. It costs a great deal of money to build large hotels, airports, air terminals, first-class roads, and other support facilities(） needed by tourist attractions. For example, a major international-class tourism hotel can cost as much as 50 thousand dollars per room to build. If this room is not used most of the time, the owners of the hotel lose money.
Building a hotel is just a beginning. There must be many support facilities as well, including roads to get to the hotel, electricity, sewers (） to handle waste, and water. All of these support facilities cost money. If they are not used because there are not enough tourists, jobs and money are lost. | 3574.txt | 0 |
[
"an increase of unemployment",
"a decrease in tourist attractions",
"the higher cost of support facilities",
"a rise in price and a fall in pay"
] | Not enough tourism can lead to _ . | Without proper planning, tourism can cause problems. For example, too many tourists can crowd public places that are also enjoyed by the inhabitants of a country. If tourists create too much traffic, the inhabitants become annoyed and unhappy. They begin to dislike tourists and to treat them impolitely. They forget how much tourism can help the country's economy. It is important to think about the people of a destination(） country and how tourism affects them. Tourism should help a country keep the customs and beauty that attract tourists. Tourism should also advance the well-being (health and happiness） of local inhabitants.
Too much tourism can be a problem. If tourism grows too quickly, people leave other jobs to work in the tourism industry. This means that other parts of the country's economy can suffer
On the other hand, if there is not enough tourism, people can lose jobs. Businesses can also lose money. It costs a great deal of money to build large hotels, airports, air terminals, first-class roads, and other support facilities(） needed by tourist attractions. For example, a major international-class tourism hotel can cost as much as 50 thousand dollars per room to build. If this room is not used most of the time, the owners of the hotel lose money.
Building a hotel is just a beginning. There must be many support facilities as well, including roads to get to the hotel, electricity, sewers (） to handle waste, and water. All of these support facilities cost money. If they are not used because there are not enough tourists, jobs and money are lost. | 3574.txt | 3 |
[
"use up a large amount of water",
"weaken their economy",
"help establish their traditions",
"help improve their life"
] | It is good for local people to be well aware that tourism will _ . | Without proper planning, tourism can cause problems. For example, too many tourists can crowd public places that are also enjoyed by the inhabitants of a country. If tourists create too much traffic, the inhabitants become annoyed and unhappy. They begin to dislike tourists and to treat them impolitely. They forget how much tourism can help the country's economy. It is important to think about the people of a destination(） country and how tourism affects them. Tourism should help a country keep the customs and beauty that attract tourists. Tourism should also advance the well-being (health and happiness） of local inhabitants.
Too much tourism can be a problem. If tourism grows too quickly, people leave other jobs to work in the tourism industry. This means that other parts of the country's economy can suffer
On the other hand, if there is not enough tourism, people can lose jobs. Businesses can also lose money. It costs a great deal of money to build large hotels, airports, air terminals, first-class roads, and other support facilities(） needed by tourist attractions. For example, a major international-class tourism hotel can cost as much as 50 thousand dollars per room to build. If this room is not used most of the time, the owners of the hotel lose money.
Building a hotel is just a beginning. There must be many support facilities as well, including roads to get to the hotel, electricity, sewers (） to handle waste, and water. All of these support facilities cost money. If they are not used because there are not enough tourists, jobs and money are lost. | 3574.txt | 3 |
[
"carry away",
"pick up",
"get in",
"take down"
] | The word handle in the last paragraph most probably means _ . | Without proper planning, tourism can cause problems. For example, too many tourists can crowd public places that are also enjoyed by the inhabitants of a country. If tourists create too much traffic, the inhabitants become annoyed and unhappy. They begin to dislike tourists and to treat them impolitely. They forget how much tourism can help the country's economy. It is important to think about the people of a destination(） country and how tourism affects them. Tourism should help a country keep the customs and beauty that attract tourists. Tourism should also advance the well-being (health and happiness） of local inhabitants.
Too much tourism can be a problem. If tourism grows too quickly, people leave other jobs to work in the tourism industry. This means that other parts of the country's economy can suffer
On the other hand, if there is not enough tourism, people can lose jobs. Businesses can also lose money. It costs a great deal of money to build large hotels, airports, air terminals, first-class roads, and other support facilities(） needed by tourist attractions. For example, a major international-class tourism hotel can cost as much as 50 thousand dollars per room to build. If this room is not used most of the time, the owners of the hotel lose money.
Building a hotel is just a beginning. There must be many support facilities as well, including roads to get to the hotel, electricity, sewers (） to handle waste, and water. All of these support facilities cost money. If they are not used because there are not enough tourists, jobs and money are lost. | 3574.txt | 0 |
[
"They overstate the government's interference with the food industry.",
"They are overoptimistic about the safety of their food.",
"They overestimate the hazards of their food.",
"They overlook the risks of the food they eat."
] | What does the author think of the Americans' view of their food? | Many Americans harbour a grossly distorted and exaggerated view of most of the risks surrounding food. Fergus Clydesdale, head of the department of food science and nutrition at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, says bluntly that if the dangers from bacterially contaminated chicken were as great as some people believe, "the streets would be littered with people lying here and there."
Though the public increasingly demands no-risk food, there is no such thing. Bruce Ames, chairman of the biochemistry department at the University of California, Berkeley, points out that up to 10% of a plant's weight is made up of natural pesticides . Says he: "Since plants do not have jaws or teeth to protect themselves, they employ chemical warfare." And many naturally produced chemicals, though occurring in tiny amounts, prove in laboratory tests to be strong carcinogens-a substance which can cause cancer. Mushrooms might be banned if they were judged by the same standards that apply to food additives . Declares Christina Stark, a nutritionist at Cornell University: "We've got fat worse natural chemicals in the food supply than anything man-made."
Yet the issues are not that simple. While Americans have no reason to be terrified to sit down at the dinner table, they have every reason to demand significant improvements in food and water safety. They unconsciously and unwillingly take in too much of too many dangerous chemicals. If food already contains natural carcinogens, it does not make much sense to add dozens of new man-made ones. Though most people will withstand the small amounts of contaminants generally found in food and water, at least a few individuals will probably get cancer one day be cause of what they eat and drink.
To make good food and water supplies even better, the Government needs to tighten its regulatory standards, stiffen its inspection program and strengthen its enforcement policies. The food industry should modify some long-accepted practices or turn to less hazardous alternatives. Perhaps most important, consumers will have to do a better job of learning how to handle and cook food properly. The problems that need to be tackled exist all along the food-supply chain, from fields to processing plants to kitchens. | 3350.txt | 2 |
[
"no food is free from pollution in the environment",
"pesticides are widely used in agriculture",
"many vegetables contain dangerous natural chemicals",
"almost all foods have additives"
] | The author considers it impossible to obtain no-risk food because ________. | Many Americans harbour a grossly distorted and exaggerated view of most of the risks surrounding food. Fergus Clydesdale, head of the department of food science and nutrition at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, says bluntly that if the dangers from bacterially contaminated chicken were as great as some people believe, "the streets would be littered with people lying here and there."
Though the public increasingly demands no-risk food, there is no such thing. Bruce Ames, chairman of the biochemistry department at the University of California, Berkeley, points out that up to 10% of a plant's weight is made up of natural pesticides . Says he: "Since plants do not have jaws or teeth to protect themselves, they employ chemical warfare." And many naturally produced chemicals, though occurring in tiny amounts, prove in laboratory tests to be strong carcinogens-a substance which can cause cancer. Mushrooms might be banned if they were judged by the same standards that apply to food additives . Declares Christina Stark, a nutritionist at Cornell University: "We've got fat worse natural chemicals in the food supply than anything man-made."
Yet the issues are not that simple. While Americans have no reason to be terrified to sit down at the dinner table, they have every reason to demand significant improvements in food and water safety. They unconsciously and unwillingly take in too much of too many dangerous chemicals. If food already contains natural carcinogens, it does not make much sense to add dozens of new man-made ones. Though most people will withstand the small amounts of contaminants generally found in food and water, at least a few individuals will probably get cancer one day be cause of what they eat and drink.
To make good food and water supplies even better, the Government needs to tighten its regulatory standards, stiffen its inspection program and strengthen its enforcement policies. The food industry should modify some long-accepted practices or turn to less hazardous alternatives. Perhaps most important, consumers will have to do a better job of learning how to handle and cook food properly. The problems that need to be tackled exist all along the food-supply chain, from fields to processing plants to kitchens. | 3350.txt | 2 |
[
"plants produce certain chemicals to combat pests and diseases",
"plants absorb useful chemicals to promote their growth",
"farmers use man-made chemicals to dissolve the natural chemicals in plants",
"farmers use chemicals to protect plants against pests and diseases"
] | By saying "they employ chemical warfare" (Line 4, Para. 2), Bruce Ames means "________". | Many Americans harbour a grossly distorted and exaggerated view of most of the risks surrounding food. Fergus Clydesdale, head of the department of food science and nutrition at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, says bluntly that if the dangers from bacterially contaminated chicken were as great as some people believe, "the streets would be littered with people lying here and there."
Though the public increasingly demands no-risk food, there is no such thing. Bruce Ames, chairman of the biochemistry department at the University of California, Berkeley, points out that up to 10% of a plant's weight is made up of natural pesticides . Says he: "Since plants do not have jaws or teeth to protect themselves, they employ chemical warfare." And many naturally produced chemicals, though occurring in tiny amounts, prove in laboratory tests to be strong carcinogens-a substance which can cause cancer. Mushrooms might be banned if they were judged by the same standards that apply to food additives . Declares Christina Stark, a nutritionist at Cornell University: "We've got fat worse natural chemicals in the food supply than anything man-made."
Yet the issues are not that simple. While Americans have no reason to be terrified to sit down at the dinner table, they have every reason to demand significant improvements in food and water safety. They unconsciously and unwillingly take in too much of too many dangerous chemicals. If food already contains natural carcinogens, it does not make much sense to add dozens of new man-made ones. Though most people will withstand the small amounts of contaminants generally found in food and water, at least a few individuals will probably get cancer one day be cause of what they eat and drink.
To make good food and water supplies even better, the Government needs to tighten its regulatory standards, stiffen its inspection program and strengthen its enforcement policies. The food industry should modify some long-accepted practices or turn to less hazardous alternatives. Perhaps most important, consumers will have to do a better job of learning how to handle and cook food properly. The problems that need to be tackled exist all along the food-supply chain, from fields to processing plants to kitchens. | 3350.txt | 0 |
[
"the government",
"the consumer",
"the processor",
"the grower"
] | The reduction of the possible hazards in food ultimately depends on ________. | Many Americans harbour a grossly distorted and exaggerated view of most of the risks surrounding food. Fergus Clydesdale, head of the department of food science and nutrition at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, says bluntly that if the dangers from bacterially contaminated chicken were as great as some people believe, "the streets would be littered with people lying here and there."
Though the public increasingly demands no-risk food, there is no such thing. Bruce Ames, chairman of the biochemistry department at the University of California, Berkeley, points out that up to 10% of a plant's weight is made up of natural pesticides . Says he: "Since plants do not have jaws or teeth to protect themselves, they employ chemical warfare." And many naturally produced chemicals, though occurring in tiny amounts, prove in laboratory tests to be strong carcinogens-a substance which can cause cancer. Mushrooms might be banned if they were judged by the same standards that apply to food additives . Declares Christina Stark, a nutritionist at Cornell University: "We've got fat worse natural chemicals in the food supply than anything man-made."
Yet the issues are not that simple. While Americans have no reason to be terrified to sit down at the dinner table, they have every reason to demand significant improvements in food and water safety. They unconsciously and unwillingly take in too much of too many dangerous chemicals. If food already contains natural carcinogens, it does not make much sense to add dozens of new man-made ones. Though most people will withstand the small amounts of contaminants generally found in food and water, at least a few individuals will probably get cancer one day be cause of what they eat and drink.
To make good food and water supplies even better, the Government needs to tighten its regulatory standards, stiffen its inspection program and strengthen its enforcement policies. The food industry should modify some long-accepted practices or turn to less hazardous alternatives. Perhaps most important, consumers will have to do a better job of learning how to handle and cook food properly. The problems that need to be tackled exist all along the food-supply chain, from fields to processing plants to kitchens. | 3350.txt | 1 |
[
"Eating and drinking have become more hazardous than before.",
"Immediate measures must be taken to improve food production and processing.",
"Health food is not a dream in modern society.",
"There is reason for caution but no cause for alarm with regard to food consumption."
] | What is the message the author wants to convey in the passage? | Many Americans harbour a grossly distorted and exaggerated view of most of the risks surrounding food. Fergus Clydesdale, head of the department of food science and nutrition at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, says bluntly that if the dangers from bacterially contaminated chicken were as great as some people believe, "the streets would be littered with people lying here and there."
Though the public increasingly demands no-risk food, there is no such thing. Bruce Ames, chairman of the biochemistry department at the University of California, Berkeley, points out that up to 10% of a plant's weight is made up of natural pesticides . Says he: "Since plants do not have jaws or teeth to protect themselves, they employ chemical warfare." And many naturally produced chemicals, though occurring in tiny amounts, prove in laboratory tests to be strong carcinogens-a substance which can cause cancer. Mushrooms might be banned if they were judged by the same standards that apply to food additives . Declares Christina Stark, a nutritionist at Cornell University: "We've got fat worse natural chemicals in the food supply than anything man-made."
Yet the issues are not that simple. While Americans have no reason to be terrified to sit down at the dinner table, they have every reason to demand significant improvements in food and water safety. They unconsciously and unwillingly take in too much of too many dangerous chemicals. If food already contains natural carcinogens, it does not make much sense to add dozens of new man-made ones. Though most people will withstand the small amounts of contaminants generally found in food and water, at least a few individuals will probably get cancer one day be cause of what they eat and drink.
To make good food and water supplies even better, the Government needs to tighten its regulatory standards, stiffen its inspection program and strengthen its enforcement policies. The food industry should modify some long-accepted practices or turn to less hazardous alternatives. Perhaps most important, consumers will have to do a better job of learning how to handle and cook food properly. The problems that need to be tackled exist all along the food-supply chain, from fields to processing plants to kitchens. | 3350.txt | 3 |
[
"mechanical memorization",
"academic training",
"practical ability",
"pioneering spirit"
] | A broken bike chain is mentioned to show students' lack of______. | It is curious that Stephen Koziatek feels almost as though he has to justify his efforts to give his students a better future.
Mr. Koziatek is part of something pioneering. He is a teacher at a New Hampshire high school where learning is not something of books and tests and mechanical memorization, but practical. When did it become accepted wisdom that students should be able to name the 13th president of the United States but be utterly overwhelmed by a broken bike chain?
As Koziatek knows, there is learning in just about everything. Nothing is necessarily gained by forcing students to learn geometry at a graffitied desk stuck with generations of discarded chewing gum. They can also learn geometry by assembling a bicycle.
But he's also found a kind of insidious prejudice. Working with your hands is seen as almost a mark of inferiority. Schools in the family of vocational education "have that stereotype..that it's for kids who can't make it academically," he says.
On one hand, that viewpoint is a logical product of America's evolution. Manufacturing is not the economic engine that it once was. The job security that the US economy once offered to high school graduates has largely evaporated. More education is the new principle. We want more for our kids, and rightfully so.
But the headlong push into bachelor's degrees for all -and the subtle devaluing of anything less-misses an important point: That's not the only thing the American economy needs. Yes, a bachelor's degree opens more doors. But even now, 54 percent of the jobs in the country are middle-skill jobs, such as construction and high-skill manufacturing. But only 44 percent of workers are adequately trained.
In other words, at a time when the working class has turned the country on its political head, frustrated that the opportunity that once defined America is vanishing, one obvious solution is staring us in the face. There is a gap in working-class jobs, but the workers who need those jobs most aren't equipped to do them. Koziatek's Manchester School of Technology High School is trying to fill that gap.
Koziatek's school is a wake-up call. When education becomes one-size-fits-all, it risks overlooking a nation's diversity of gifts. | 467.txt | 2 |
[
"are financially disadvantaged",
"are not academically successful",
"have a stereotyped mind",
"have no career motivation"
] | There exists the prejudice that vocational education is for kids who______. | It is curious that Stephen Koziatek feels almost as though he has to justify his efforts to give his students a better future.
Mr. Koziatek is part of something pioneering. He is a teacher at a New Hampshire high school where learning is not something of books and tests and mechanical memorization, but practical. When did it become accepted wisdom that students should be able to name the 13th president of the United States but be utterly overwhelmed by a broken bike chain?
As Koziatek knows, there is learning in just about everything. Nothing is necessarily gained by forcing students to learn geometry at a graffitied desk stuck with generations of discarded chewing gum. They can also learn geometry by assembling a bicycle.
But he's also found a kind of insidious prejudice. Working with your hands is seen as almost a mark of inferiority. Schools in the family of vocational education "have that stereotype..that it's for kids who can't make it academically," he says.
On one hand, that viewpoint is a logical product of America's evolution. Manufacturing is not the economic engine that it once was. The job security that the US economy once offered to high school graduates has largely evaporated. More education is the new principle. We want more for our kids, and rightfully so.
But the headlong push into bachelor's degrees for all -and the subtle devaluing of anything less-misses an important point: That's not the only thing the American economy needs. Yes, a bachelor's degree opens more doors. But even now, 54 percent of the jobs in the country are middle-skill jobs, such as construction and high-skill manufacturing. But only 44 percent of workers are adequately trained.
In other words, at a time when the working class has turned the country on its political head, frustrated that the opportunity that once defined America is vanishing, one obvious solution is staring us in the face. There is a gap in working-class jobs, but the workers who need those jobs most aren't equipped to do them. Koziatek's Manchester School of Technology High School is trying to fill that gap.
Koziatek's school is a wake-up call. When education becomes one-size-fits-all, it risks overlooking a nation's diversity of gifts. | 467.txt | 1 |
[
"are entitled to more educational privileges",
"are reluctant to work in manufacturing",
"used to have more job opportunities",
"used to have big financial concerns"
] | We can infer from Paragraph 5 that high school graduates______. | It is curious that Stephen Koziatek feels almost as though he has to justify his efforts to give his students a better future.
Mr. Koziatek is part of something pioneering. He is a teacher at a New Hampshire high school where learning is not something of books and tests and mechanical memorization, but practical. When did it become accepted wisdom that students should be able to name the 13th president of the United States but be utterly overwhelmed by a broken bike chain?
As Koziatek knows, there is learning in just about everything. Nothing is necessarily gained by forcing students to learn geometry at a graffitied desk stuck with generations of discarded chewing gum. They can also learn geometry by assembling a bicycle.
But he's also found a kind of insidious prejudice. Working with your hands is seen as almost a mark of inferiority. Schools in the family of vocational education "have that stereotype..that it's for kids who can't make it academically," he says.
On one hand, that viewpoint is a logical product of America's evolution. Manufacturing is not the economic engine that it once was. The job security that the US economy once offered to high school graduates has largely evaporated. More education is the new principle. We want more for our kids, and rightfully so.
But the headlong push into bachelor's degrees for all -and the subtle devaluing of anything less-misses an important point: That's not the only thing the American economy needs. Yes, a bachelor's degree opens more doors. But even now, 54 percent of the jobs in the country are middle-skill jobs, such as construction and high-skill manufacturing. But only 44 percent of workers are adequately trained.
In other words, at a time when the working class has turned the country on its political head, frustrated that the opportunity that once defined America is vanishing, one obvious solution is staring us in the face. There is a gap in working-class jobs, but the workers who need those jobs most aren't equipped to do them. Koziatek's Manchester School of Technology High School is trying to fill that gap.
Koziatek's school is a wake-up call. When education becomes one-size-fits-all, it risks overlooking a nation's diversity of gifts. | 467.txt | 2 |
[
"helps create a lot of middle-skill jobs",
"may narrow the gap in working-class jobs",
"is expected to yield a better-trained workforce",
"indicates the overvaluing of higher education"
] | The headlong push into bachelor's degrees for all_____. | It is curious that Stephen Koziatek feels almost as though he has to justify his efforts to give his students a better future.
Mr. Koziatek is part of something pioneering. He is a teacher at a New Hampshire high school where learning is not something of books and tests and mechanical memorization, but practical. When did it become accepted wisdom that students should be able to name the 13th president of the United States but be utterly overwhelmed by a broken bike chain?
As Koziatek knows, there is learning in just about everything. Nothing is necessarily gained by forcing students to learn geometry at a graffitied desk stuck with generations of discarded chewing gum. They can also learn geometry by assembling a bicycle.
But he's also found a kind of insidious prejudice. Working with your hands is seen as almost a mark of inferiority. Schools in the family of vocational education "have that stereotype..that it's for kids who can't make it academically," he says.
On one hand, that viewpoint is a logical product of America's evolution. Manufacturing is not the economic engine that it once was. The job security that the US economy once offered to high school graduates has largely evaporated. More education is the new principle. We want more for our kids, and rightfully so.
But the headlong push into bachelor's degrees for all -and the subtle devaluing of anything less-misses an important point: That's not the only thing the American economy needs. Yes, a bachelor's degree opens more doors. But even now, 54 percent of the jobs in the country are middle-skill jobs, such as construction and high-skill manufacturing. But only 44 percent of workers are adequately trained.
In other words, at a time when the working class has turned the country on its political head, frustrated that the opportunity that once defined America is vanishing, one obvious solution is staring us in the face. There is a gap in working-class jobs, but the workers who need those jobs most aren't equipped to do them. Koziatek's Manchester School of Technology High School is trying to fill that gap.
Koziatek's school is a wake-up call. When education becomes one-size-fits-all, it risks overlooking a nation's diversity of gifts. | 467.txt | 3 |
[
"supportive",
"disappointed",
"tolerant",
"cautious"
] | The author's attitude toward Koziatek's school can be described as_____. | It is curious that Stephen Koziatek feels almost as though he has to justify his efforts to give his students a better future.
Mr. Koziatek is part of something pioneering. He is a teacher at a New Hampshire high school where learning is not something of books and tests and mechanical memorization, but practical. When did it become accepted wisdom that students should be able to name the 13th president of the United States but be utterly overwhelmed by a broken bike chain?
As Koziatek knows, there is learning in just about everything. Nothing is necessarily gained by forcing students to learn geometry at a graffitied desk stuck with generations of discarded chewing gum. They can also learn geometry by assembling a bicycle.
But he's also found a kind of insidious prejudice. Working with your hands is seen as almost a mark of inferiority. Schools in the family of vocational education "have that stereotype..that it's for kids who can't make it academically," he says.
On one hand, that viewpoint is a logical product of America's evolution. Manufacturing is not the economic engine that it once was. The job security that the US economy once offered to high school graduates has largely evaporated. More education is the new principle. We want more for our kids, and rightfully so.
But the headlong push into bachelor's degrees for all -and the subtle devaluing of anything less-misses an important point: That's not the only thing the American economy needs. Yes, a bachelor's degree opens more doors. But even now, 54 percent of the jobs in the country are middle-skill jobs, such as construction and high-skill manufacturing. But only 44 percent of workers are adequately trained.
In other words, at a time when the working class has turned the country on its political head, frustrated that the opportunity that once defined America is vanishing, one obvious solution is staring us in the face. There is a gap in working-class jobs, but the workers who need those jobs most aren't equipped to do them. Koziatek's Manchester School of Technology High School is trying to fill that gap.
Koziatek's school is a wake-up call. When education becomes one-size-fits-all, it risks overlooking a nation's diversity of gifts. | 467.txt | 0 |
[
"people who broadcast weather on TV",
"people who are in charge of weather forecast",
"experts who study the earth's atmosphere and its changes",
"experts who study the earth's crust, rocks, strata and the history of its development"
] | The word "meteorologists" in the first paragraph means | Wouldn't it be great if you could just look up at the sky and read the weather forecast right away? Well, you can The forecast is written in clouds. If you can read that writing, you can tell something about the atmosphere. With some practice, you can become a pretty good weather forecaster. Who knows, you might even do as well as meteorologists.
Meteorologists use much more information than just the appearance of the clouds to make their forecast. They collect data from all over the world. Then they put it into powerful, high speed computers. This does give the meteorologists an advantage, because they can track weather patterns as they move from west to east across the country. But you have an advantage, too. You can look at the sky and get your data directly. A meteorologist uses a computer forecast that's several hours old to make a local forecast.
What are you seeing when you look at a cloud? "A picture of moisture is doing in the atmosphere," says meteorologist Peter Leavitt. There's moisture throughout the atmosphere. Most of the time you don't see it, because it's in the form of an invisible gas called water vapor. Sometimes, the temperature of the air gets cold enough to cause the water vapor to change to liquid water. It's called condensation, and we see it happen all the time (for example, when humid air from the shower hits the cold glasses of a mirror). When enough water vapor condenses, droplets come in the air. These droplets scatter light. A cloud is seen.
Watching clouds over a day or two tells you a lot more than a single cloud about the weather to come. Changes in clouds show changes in the atmosphere. You should begin to notice patterns. Certain clouds, following each other in order, can signal an approaching storm. But don't take our word for it; see for yourself. | 1550.txt | 2 |
[
"with some simple practice looking up at the sky",
"with the help of the high-speed computers",
"through a complex instruments",
"consulting a weather station"
] | According to the passage, an ordinary person might do as well as meteorologist in weather forecast | Wouldn't it be great if you could just look up at the sky and read the weather forecast right away? Well, you can The forecast is written in clouds. If you can read that writing, you can tell something about the atmosphere. With some practice, you can become a pretty good weather forecaster. Who knows, you might even do as well as meteorologists.
Meteorologists use much more information than just the appearance of the clouds to make their forecast. They collect data from all over the world. Then they put it into powerful, high speed computers. This does give the meteorologists an advantage, because they can track weather patterns as they move from west to east across the country. But you have an advantage, too. You can look at the sky and get your data directly. A meteorologist uses a computer forecast that's several hours old to make a local forecast.
What are you seeing when you look at a cloud? "A picture of moisture is doing in the atmosphere," says meteorologist Peter Leavitt. There's moisture throughout the atmosphere. Most of the time you don't see it, because it's in the form of an invisible gas called water vapor. Sometimes, the temperature of the air gets cold enough to cause the water vapor to change to liquid water. It's called condensation, and we see it happen all the time (for example, when humid air from the shower hits the cold glasses of a mirror). When enough water vapor condenses, droplets come in the air. These droplets scatter light. A cloud is seen.
Watching clouds over a day or two tells you a lot more than a single cloud about the weather to come. Changes in clouds show changes in the atmosphere. You should begin to notice patterns. Certain clouds, following each other in order, can signal an approaching storm. But don't take our word for it; see for yourself. | 1550.txt | 0 |
[
"by using information of the appearance of the clouds only",
"by collecting data from parts of the world",
"by calculating and analyzing this data",
"by watching the sky"
] | Meteorologists can make their weather forecast | Wouldn't it be great if you could just look up at the sky and read the weather forecast right away? Well, you can The forecast is written in clouds. If you can read that writing, you can tell something about the atmosphere. With some practice, you can become a pretty good weather forecaster. Who knows, you might even do as well as meteorologists.
Meteorologists use much more information than just the appearance of the clouds to make their forecast. They collect data from all over the world. Then they put it into powerful, high speed computers. This does give the meteorologists an advantage, because they can track weather patterns as they move from west to east across the country. But you have an advantage, too. You can look at the sky and get your data directly. A meteorologist uses a computer forecast that's several hours old to make a local forecast.
What are you seeing when you look at a cloud? "A picture of moisture is doing in the atmosphere," says meteorologist Peter Leavitt. There's moisture throughout the atmosphere. Most of the time you don't see it, because it's in the form of an invisible gas called water vapor. Sometimes, the temperature of the air gets cold enough to cause the water vapor to change to liquid water. It's called condensation, and we see it happen all the time (for example, when humid air from the shower hits the cold glasses of a mirror). When enough water vapor condenses, droplets come in the air. These droplets scatter light. A cloud is seen.
Watching clouds over a day or two tells you a lot more than a single cloud about the weather to come. Changes in clouds show changes in the atmosphere. You should begin to notice patterns. Certain clouds, following each other in order, can signal an approaching storm. But don't take our word for it; see for yourself. | 1550.txt | 2 |
[
"you have a high-speed computer",
"you observe the sky and obtain your data directly",
"you have more instruments at home",
"you can track weather patterns as they move from west to east across the country"
] | According to the passage, your advantage in weather forecasts is that | Wouldn't it be great if you could just look up at the sky and read the weather forecast right away? Well, you can The forecast is written in clouds. If you can read that writing, you can tell something about the atmosphere. With some practice, you can become a pretty good weather forecaster. Who knows, you might even do as well as meteorologists.
Meteorologists use much more information than just the appearance of the clouds to make their forecast. They collect data from all over the world. Then they put it into powerful, high speed computers. This does give the meteorologists an advantage, because they can track weather patterns as they move from west to east across the country. But you have an advantage, too. You can look at the sky and get your data directly. A meteorologist uses a computer forecast that's several hours old to make a local forecast.
What are you seeing when you look at a cloud? "A picture of moisture is doing in the atmosphere," says meteorologist Peter Leavitt. There's moisture throughout the atmosphere. Most of the time you don't see it, because it's in the form of an invisible gas called water vapor. Sometimes, the temperature of the air gets cold enough to cause the water vapor to change to liquid water. It's called condensation, and we see it happen all the time (for example, when humid air from the shower hits the cold glasses of a mirror). When enough water vapor condenses, droplets come in the air. These droplets scatter light. A cloud is seen.
Watching clouds over a day or two tells you a lot more than a single cloud about the weather to come. Changes in clouds show changes in the atmosphere. You should begin to notice patterns. Certain clouds, following each other in order, can signal an approaching storm. But don't take our word for it; see for yourself. | 1550.txt | 1 |
[
"train yourself as a meteorologist",
"be an assistant to a meteorologist",
"forecast the weather by ourselves",
"broadcast the weather forecast"
] | This passage mainly tells us about how to | Wouldn't it be great if you could just look up at the sky and read the weather forecast right away? Well, you can The forecast is written in clouds. If you can read that writing, you can tell something about the atmosphere. With some practice, you can become a pretty good weather forecaster. Who knows, you might even do as well as meteorologists.
Meteorologists use much more information than just the appearance of the clouds to make their forecast. They collect data from all over the world. Then they put it into powerful, high speed computers. This does give the meteorologists an advantage, because they can track weather patterns as they move from west to east across the country. But you have an advantage, too. You can look at the sky and get your data directly. A meteorologist uses a computer forecast that's several hours old to make a local forecast.
What are you seeing when you look at a cloud? "A picture of moisture is doing in the atmosphere," says meteorologist Peter Leavitt. There's moisture throughout the atmosphere. Most of the time you don't see it, because it's in the form of an invisible gas called water vapor. Sometimes, the temperature of the air gets cold enough to cause the water vapor to change to liquid water. It's called condensation, and we see it happen all the time (for example, when humid air from the shower hits the cold glasses of a mirror). When enough water vapor condenses, droplets come in the air. These droplets scatter light. A cloud is seen.
Watching clouds over a day or two tells you a lot more than a single cloud about the weather to come. Changes in clouds show changes in the atmosphere. You should begin to notice patterns. Certain clouds, following each other in order, can signal an approaching storm. But don't take our word for it; see for yourself. | 1550.txt | 2 |
[
"Women usually worked outside the home for wages.",
"Men and women's roles were easily exchanged in the past.",
"Men's roles at home were more firmly fixed than women's.",
"Men and women's roles were usually quite separated in the past."
] | Which of the following best express the main idea of Paragraph 1? | Once it was possible to define male and female roles easily by the division of labor. Men worked outside the home and earned the income to support their families, while women cooked the meals and took care of the home and the children. These roles were firmly fixed for most people, and there was not much opportunity for women to exchange their roles. But by the middle of this century, men's and women's roles were becoming less firmly fixed.
In the 1950s, economic and social success was the goal of the typical American. But in the 1960s a new force developed called the counterculture. The people involved in this movement did not value the middle-class American goals. The counterculture presented men and women with new role choices. Taking more interest in childcare, men began to share child-raising tasks with their wives. In fact, some young men and women moved to communal homes or farms where the economic and childcare responsibilities were shared equally by both sexes. In addition, many Americans did not value the traditional male role of soldier. Some young men refused to be drafted as soldiers to fight in the war in Vietnam.
In terms of numbers, the counterculture was not a very large group of people. But its influence spread to many parts of American society. Working men of all classes began to change their economic and social patterns. Industrial workers and business executives alike cut down on "overtime" work so that they could spend more leisure time with their families. Some doctors, lawyers, and teachers turned away from high paying situations to practice their professions in poorer neighborhoods.
In the 1970s, the feminist movement, or women's liberation, produced additional economic and social changes. Women of all ages and at all levels of society were entering the work force in greater numbers. Most of them still took traditional women's jobs as public school teaching, nursing, and secretarial work. But some women began to enter traditionally male occupations: police work, banking, dentistry, and construction work. Women were asking for equal work, and equal opportunities for promotion.
Today the experts generally agree that important changes are taking place in the roles of men and women. Naturally, there are difficulties in adjusting to these transformations. | 83.txt | 3 |
[
"The first sentence.",
"The second and the third sentences.",
"The fourth sentence.",
"The last sentence."
] | Which sentence best expresses the main idea of Paragraph 2? | Once it was possible to define male and female roles easily by the division of labor. Men worked outside the home and earned the income to support their families, while women cooked the meals and took care of the home and the children. These roles were firmly fixed for most people, and there was not much opportunity for women to exchange their roles. But by the middle of this century, men's and women's roles were becoming less firmly fixed.
In the 1950s, economic and social success was the goal of the typical American. But in the 1960s a new force developed called the counterculture. The people involved in this movement did not value the middle-class American goals. The counterculture presented men and women with new role choices. Taking more interest in childcare, men began to share child-raising tasks with their wives. In fact, some young men and women moved to communal homes or farms where the economic and childcare responsibilities were shared equally by both sexes. In addition, many Americans did not value the traditional male role of soldier. Some young men refused to be drafted as soldiers to fight in the war in Vietnam.
In terms of numbers, the counterculture was not a very large group of people. But its influence spread to many parts of American society. Working men of all classes began to change their economic and social patterns. Industrial workers and business executives alike cut down on "overtime" work so that they could spend more leisure time with their families. Some doctors, lawyers, and teachers turned away from high paying situations to practice their professions in poorer neighborhoods.
In the 1970s, the feminist movement, or women's liberation, produced additional economic and social changes. Women of all ages and at all levels of society were entering the work force in greater numbers. Most of them still took traditional women's jobs as public school teaching, nursing, and secretarial work. But some women began to enter traditionally male occupations: police work, banking, dentistry, and construction work. Women were asking for equal work, and equal opportunities for promotion.
Today the experts generally agree that important changes are taking place in the roles of men and women. Naturally, there are difficulties in adjusting to these transformations. | 83.txt | 2 |
[
"destroyed the United States.",
"transformed some American values.",
"was not important in the United States.",
"brought people more leisure time with their families."
] | In the passage the author proposes that the counterculture _ . | Once it was possible to define male and female roles easily by the division of labor. Men worked outside the home and earned the income to support their families, while women cooked the meals and took care of the home and the children. These roles were firmly fixed for most people, and there was not much opportunity for women to exchange their roles. But by the middle of this century, men's and women's roles were becoming less firmly fixed.
In the 1950s, economic and social success was the goal of the typical American. But in the 1960s a new force developed called the counterculture. The people involved in this movement did not value the middle-class American goals. The counterculture presented men and women with new role choices. Taking more interest in childcare, men began to share child-raising tasks with their wives. In fact, some young men and women moved to communal homes or farms where the economic and childcare responsibilities were shared equally by both sexes. In addition, many Americans did not value the traditional male role of soldier. Some young men refused to be drafted as soldiers to fight in the war in Vietnam.
In terms of numbers, the counterculture was not a very large group of people. But its influence spread to many parts of American society. Working men of all classes began to change their economic and social patterns. Industrial workers and business executives alike cut down on "overtime" work so that they could spend more leisure time with their families. Some doctors, lawyers, and teachers turned away from high paying situations to practice their professions in poorer neighborhoods.
In the 1970s, the feminist movement, or women's liberation, produced additional economic and social changes. Women of all ages and at all levels of society were entering the work force in greater numbers. Most of them still took traditional women's jobs as public school teaching, nursing, and secretarial work. But some women began to enter traditionally male occupations: police work, banking, dentistry, and construction work. Women were asking for equal work, and equal opportunities for promotion.
Today the experts generally agree that important changes are taking place in the roles of men and women. Naturally, there are difficulties in adjusting to these transformations. | 83.txt | 1 |
[
"men and women will never share the same goals.",
"some men will be willing to exchange their traditional male roles.",
"most men will be happy to share some of the household responsibilities with their wives.",
"more American households are headed by women than ever before."
] | It could be inferred from the passage that _ . | Once it was possible to define male and female roles easily by the division of labor. Men worked outside the home and earned the income to support their families, while women cooked the meals and took care of the home and the children. These roles were firmly fixed for most people, and there was not much opportunity for women to exchange their roles. But by the middle of this century, men's and women's roles were becoming less firmly fixed.
In the 1950s, economic and social success was the goal of the typical American. But in the 1960s a new force developed called the counterculture. The people involved in this movement did not value the middle-class American goals. The counterculture presented men and women with new role choices. Taking more interest in childcare, men began to share child-raising tasks with their wives. In fact, some young men and women moved to communal homes or farms where the economic and childcare responsibilities were shared equally by both sexes. In addition, many Americans did not value the traditional male role of soldier. Some young men refused to be drafted as soldiers to fight in the war in Vietnam.
In terms of numbers, the counterculture was not a very large group of people. But its influence spread to many parts of American society. Working men of all classes began to change their economic and social patterns. Industrial workers and business executives alike cut down on "overtime" work so that they could spend more leisure time with their families. Some doctors, lawyers, and teachers turned away from high paying situations to practice their professions in poorer neighborhoods.
In the 1970s, the feminist movement, or women's liberation, produced additional economic and social changes. Women of all ages and at all levels of society were entering the work force in greater numbers. Most of them still took traditional women's jobs as public school teaching, nursing, and secretarial work. But some women began to enter traditionally male occupations: police work, banking, dentistry, and construction work. Women were asking for equal work, and equal opportunities for promotion.
Today the experts generally agree that important changes are taking place in the roles of men and women. Naturally, there are difficulties in adjusting to these transformations. | 83.txt | 2 |
[
"Results of Feminist Movements",
"New influence in American Life",
"Counterculture and Its consequence",
"Traditional Division of Male and Female Roles."
] | The best title for the passage may be _ . | Once it was possible to define male and female roles easily by the division of labor. Men worked outside the home and earned the income to support their families, while women cooked the meals and took care of the home and the children. These roles were firmly fixed for most people, and there was not much opportunity for women to exchange their roles. But by the middle of this century, men's and women's roles were becoming less firmly fixed.
In the 1950s, economic and social success was the goal of the typical American. But in the 1960s a new force developed called the counterculture. The people involved in this movement did not value the middle-class American goals. The counterculture presented men and women with new role choices. Taking more interest in childcare, men began to share child-raising tasks with their wives. In fact, some young men and women moved to communal homes or farms where the economic and childcare responsibilities were shared equally by both sexes. In addition, many Americans did not value the traditional male role of soldier. Some young men refused to be drafted as soldiers to fight in the war in Vietnam.
In terms of numbers, the counterculture was not a very large group of people. But its influence spread to many parts of American society. Working men of all classes began to change their economic and social patterns. Industrial workers and business executives alike cut down on "overtime" work so that they could spend more leisure time with their families. Some doctors, lawyers, and teachers turned away from high paying situations to practice their professions in poorer neighborhoods.
In the 1970s, the feminist movement, or women's liberation, produced additional economic and social changes. Women of all ages and at all levels of society were entering the work force in greater numbers. Most of them still took traditional women's jobs as public school teaching, nursing, and secretarial work. But some women began to enter traditionally male occupations: police work, banking, dentistry, and construction work. Women were asking for equal work, and equal opportunities for promotion.
Today the experts generally agree that important changes are taking place in the roles of men and women. Naturally, there are difficulties in adjusting to these transformations. | 83.txt | 1 |
[
"in a far away place",
"on the high hills",
"in a city",
"in a village"
] | A city man was on holiday _ . | A city man was on holiday in the mountains. He talked with a mountain man and found that the man was stupid. So he suggested they play a game. " We'll ask each other questions, " he said, " and the person will pay a dollar if he can't answer one question." The mountain man thought about this for a few minutes, then said that the city man paid a dollar and he paid only 50 cents. The city man agreed.
" What has three legs and can fly?" asked the mountain man. The city man thought a while, then answered " I don't know. Here is your dollar."
Then he asked the same question: " What has three legs and can fly?" " I don't know, either," said the mountain man. " Here is your 50 cents." | 694.txt | 1 |
[
"not clever",
"on the high hills",
"clever",
"strong"
] | The city man found the mountain man was _ . | A city man was on holiday in the mountains. He talked with a mountain man and found that the man was stupid. So he suggested they play a game. " We'll ask each other questions, " he said, " and the person will pay a dollar if he can't answer one question." The mountain man thought about this for a few minutes, then said that the city man paid a dollar and he paid only 50 cents. The city man agreed.
" What has three legs and can fly?" asked the mountain man. The city man thought a while, then answered " I don't know. Here is your dollar."
Then he asked the same question: " What has three legs and can fly?" " I don't know, either," said the mountain man. " Here is your 50 cents." | 694.txt | 0 |
[
"fight each other",
"help each other",
"ask each other questions",
"look at each other"
] | The city man said, " We'll _ ." | A city man was on holiday in the mountains. He talked with a mountain man and found that the man was stupid. So he suggested they play a game. " We'll ask each other questions, " he said, " and the person will pay a dollar if he can't answer one question." The mountain man thought about this for a few minutes, then said that the city man paid a dollar and he paid only 50 cents. The city man agreed.
" What has three legs and can fly?" asked the mountain man. The city man thought a while, then answered " I don't know. Here is your dollar."
Then he asked the same question: " What has three legs and can fly?" " I don't know, either," said the mountain man. " Here is your 50 cents." | 694.txt | 2 |
[
"knew the answer himself",
"didn't know the answer himself",
"told the answer to the city man",
"didn't want to tell the city man the answer"
] | The mountain man _ . | A city man was on holiday in the mountains. He talked with a mountain man and found that the man was stupid. So he suggested they play a game. " We'll ask each other questions, " he said, " and the person will pay a dollar if he can't answer one question." The mountain man thought about this for a few minutes, then said that the city man paid a dollar and he paid only 50 cents. The city man agreed.
" What has three legs and can fly?" asked the mountain man. The city man thought a while, then answered " I don't know. Here is your dollar."
Then he asked the same question: " What has three legs and can fly?" " I don't know, either," said the mountain man. " Here is your 50 cents." | 694.txt | 1 |
[
"the city man got one dollar",
"the city man got 50 cents",
"the mountain man got one dollar",
"the mountain man got 50 cents"
] | At last _ . | A city man was on holiday in the mountains. He talked with a mountain man and found that the man was stupid. So he suggested they play a game. " We'll ask each other questions, " he said, " and the person will pay a dollar if he can't answer one question." The mountain man thought about this for a few minutes, then said that the city man paid a dollar and he paid only 50 cents. The city man agreed.
" What has three legs and can fly?" asked the mountain man. The city man thought a while, then answered " I don't know. Here is your dollar."
Then he asked the same question: " What has three legs and can fly?" " I don't know, either," said the mountain man. " Here is your 50 cents." | 694.txt | 3 |
[
"Their economy is plunging",
"They can't afford trips to Europe",
"Their currency has slumped",
"They have lost half of their assets."
] | Why do Americans feel humiliated? | Imagine waking up and finding the value of your assets has been halved. No, you're not an investor in one of those hedge funds that failed completely. With the dollar slumping to a 26-year low against the pound, already-expensive London has become quite unaffordable. A coffee at Starbucks, just as unavoidable in England as it is in the United States, runs about $8.
The once all-powerful dollar isn't doing a Titanic against just the pound. It is sitting at a record low against the euro and at a 30-year low against the Canadian dollar. Even the Argentine peso and Brazilian real are thriving against the dollar.
The weak dollar is a source of humiliation, for a nation's self-esteem rests in part on the strength of its currency. It's also a potential economic problem, since a declining dollar makes imported food more expensive and exerts upward pressure on interest rates. And yet there are substantial sectors of the vast U.S. economy-from giant companies like Coca-Cola to mom-and-pop restaurant operators in Miami-for which the weak dollar is most excellent news.
Many Europeans may view the U.S. as an arrogant superpower that has become hostile to foreigners. But nothing makes people think more warmly of the U.S. than a weak dollar. Through April, the total number of visitors from abroad was up 6.8 percent from last year. Should the trend continue, the number of tourists this year will finally top the 2000 peak? Many Europeans now apparently view the U.S. the way many Americans view Mexico-as a cheap place to vacation, shop and party, all while ignoring the fact that the poorer locals can't afford to join the merrymaking.
The money tourists spend helps decrease our chronic trade deficit. So do exports, which thanks in part to the weak dollar, soared 11 percent between May 2006 and May 2007. For first five months of 2007, the trade deficit actually fell 7 percent from 2006.
If you own shares in large American corporations, you're a winner in the weak-dollar gamble. Last week Coca-Cola's stick bubbled to a five-year high after it reported a fantastic quarter. Foreign sales accounted for 65 percent of Coke's beverage business. Other American companies profiting from this trend include McDonald's and IBM.
American tourists, however, shouldn't expect any relief soon. The dollar lost strength the way many marriages break up- slowly, and then all at once. And currencies don't turn on a dime. So if you want to avoid the pain inflicted by the increasingly pathetic dollar, cancel that summer vacation to England and look to New England. There, the dollar is still treated with a little respect. | 901.txt | 1 |
[
"They have to cancel their vacations in New England.",
"They find it unaffordable to dine in mom-and-pop restaurants.",
"They have to spend more money when buying imported goods.",
"They might lose their jobs due to potential economic problems."
] | How does the current dollar affect the life of ordinary Americans? | Imagine waking up and finding the value of your assets has been halved. No, you're not an investor in one of those hedge funds that failed completely. With the dollar slumping to a 26-year low against the pound, already-expensive London has become quite unaffordable. A coffee at Starbucks, just as unavoidable in England as it is in the United States, runs about $8.
The once all-powerful dollar isn't doing a Titanic against just the pound. It is sitting at a record low against the euro and at a 30-year low against the Canadian dollar. Even the Argentine peso and Brazilian real are thriving against the dollar.
The weak dollar is a source of humiliation, for a nation's self-esteem rests in part on the strength of its currency. It's also a potential economic problem, since a declining dollar makes imported food more expensive and exerts upward pressure on interest rates. And yet there are substantial sectors of the vast U.S. economy-from giant companies like Coca-Cola to mom-and-pop restaurant operators in Miami-for which the weak dollar is most excellent news.
Many Europeans may view the U.S. as an arrogant superpower that has become hostile to foreigners. But nothing makes people think more warmly of the U.S. than a weak dollar. Through April, the total number of visitors from abroad was up 6.8 percent from last year. Should the trend continue, the number of tourists this year will finally top the 2000 peak? Many Europeans now apparently view the U.S. the way many Americans view Mexico-as a cheap place to vacation, shop and party, all while ignoring the fact that the poorer locals can't afford to join the merrymaking.
The money tourists spend helps decrease our chronic trade deficit. So do exports, which thanks in part to the weak dollar, soared 11 percent between May 2006 and May 2007. For first five months of 2007, the trade deficit actually fell 7 percent from 2006.
If you own shares in large American corporations, you're a winner in the weak-dollar gamble. Last week Coca-Cola's stick bubbled to a five-year high after it reported a fantastic quarter. Foreign sales accounted for 65 percent of Coke's beverage business. Other American companies profiting from this trend include McDonald's and IBM.
American tourists, however, shouldn't expect any relief soon. The dollar lost strength the way many marriages break up- slowly, and then all at once. And currencies don't turn on a dime. So if you want to avoid the pain inflicted by the increasingly pathetic dollar, cancel that summer vacation to England and look to New England. There, the dollar is still treated with a little respect. | 901.txt | 2 |
[
"They feel contemptuous of it",
"They are sympathetic with it.",
"They regard it as a superpower on the decline.",
"They think of it as a good tourist destination."
] | How do many Europeans feel about the U.S with the devalued dollar? | Imagine waking up and finding the value of your assets has been halved. No, you're not an investor in one of those hedge funds that failed completely. With the dollar slumping to a 26-year low against the pound, already-expensive London has become quite unaffordable. A coffee at Starbucks, just as unavoidable in England as it is in the United States, runs about $8.
The once all-powerful dollar isn't doing a Titanic against just the pound. It is sitting at a record low against the euro and at a 30-year low against the Canadian dollar. Even the Argentine peso and Brazilian real are thriving against the dollar.
The weak dollar is a source of humiliation, for a nation's self-esteem rests in part on the strength of its currency. It's also a potential economic problem, since a declining dollar makes imported food more expensive and exerts upward pressure on interest rates. And yet there are substantial sectors of the vast U.S. economy-from giant companies like Coca-Cola to mom-and-pop restaurant operators in Miami-for which the weak dollar is most excellent news.
Many Europeans may view the U.S. as an arrogant superpower that has become hostile to foreigners. But nothing makes people think more warmly of the U.S. than a weak dollar. Through April, the total number of visitors from abroad was up 6.8 percent from last year. Should the trend continue, the number of tourists this year will finally top the 2000 peak? Many Europeans now apparently view the U.S. the way many Americans view Mexico-as a cheap place to vacation, shop and party, all while ignoring the fact that the poorer locals can't afford to join the merrymaking.
The money tourists spend helps decrease our chronic trade deficit. So do exports, which thanks in part to the weak dollar, soared 11 percent between May 2006 and May 2007. For first five months of 2007, the trade deficit actually fell 7 percent from 2006.
If you own shares in large American corporations, you're a winner in the weak-dollar gamble. Last week Coca-Cola's stick bubbled to a five-year high after it reported a fantastic quarter. Foreign sales accounted for 65 percent of Coke's beverage business. Other American companies profiting from this trend include McDonald's and IBM.
American tourists, however, shouldn't expect any relief soon. The dollar lost strength the way many marriages break up- slowly, and then all at once. And currencies don't turn on a dime. So if you want to avoid the pain inflicted by the increasingly pathetic dollar, cancel that summer vacation to England and look to New England. There, the dollar is still treated with a little respect. | 901.txt | 3 |
[
"They treat the dollar with a little respect",
"They try to win in the weak-dollar gamble",
"They vacation at home rather than abroad",
"They treasure their marriages all the more."
] | what is the author's advice to Americans? | Imagine waking up and finding the value of your assets has been halved. No, you're not an investor in one of those hedge funds that failed completely. With the dollar slumping to a 26-year low against the pound, already-expensive London has become quite unaffordable. A coffee at Starbucks, just as unavoidable in England as it is in the United States, runs about $8.
The once all-powerful dollar isn't doing a Titanic against just the pound. It is sitting at a record low against the euro and at a 30-year low against the Canadian dollar. Even the Argentine peso and Brazilian real are thriving against the dollar.
The weak dollar is a source of humiliation, for a nation's self-esteem rests in part on the strength of its currency. It's also a potential economic problem, since a declining dollar makes imported food more expensive and exerts upward pressure on interest rates. And yet there are substantial sectors of the vast U.S. economy-from giant companies like Coca-Cola to mom-and-pop restaurant operators in Miami-for which the weak dollar is most excellent news.
Many Europeans may view the U.S. as an arrogant superpower that has become hostile to foreigners. But nothing makes people think more warmly of the U.S. than a weak dollar. Through April, the total number of visitors from abroad was up 6.8 percent from last year. Should the trend continue, the number of tourists this year will finally top the 2000 peak? Many Europeans now apparently view the U.S. the way many Americans view Mexico-as a cheap place to vacation, shop and party, all while ignoring the fact that the poorer locals can't afford to join the merrymaking.
The money tourists spend helps decrease our chronic trade deficit. So do exports, which thanks in part to the weak dollar, soared 11 percent between May 2006 and May 2007. For first five months of 2007, the trade deficit actually fell 7 percent from 2006.
If you own shares in large American corporations, you're a winner in the weak-dollar gamble. Last week Coca-Cola's stick bubbled to a five-year high after it reported a fantastic quarter. Foreign sales accounted for 65 percent of Coke's beverage business. Other American companies profiting from this trend include McDonald's and IBM.
American tourists, however, shouldn't expect any relief soon. The dollar lost strength the way many marriages break up- slowly, and then all at once. And currencies don't turn on a dime. So if you want to avoid the pain inflicted by the increasingly pathetic dollar, cancel that summer vacation to England and look to New England. There, the dollar is still treated with a little respect. | 901.txt | 2 |
[
"The dollar's value will not increase in the short term.",
"The value of a dollar will not be reduced to a dime",
"The dollar's value will drop, but within a small margin.",
"Few Americans will change dollars into other currencies."
] | What does the author imply by saying "currencies don't turn on a dime" (Line 2,Para 7)? | Imagine waking up and finding the value of your assets has been halved. No, you're not an investor in one of those hedge funds that failed completely. With the dollar slumping to a 26-year low against the pound, already-expensive London has become quite unaffordable. A coffee at Starbucks, just as unavoidable in England as it is in the United States, runs about $8.
The once all-powerful dollar isn't doing a Titanic against just the pound. It is sitting at a record low against the euro and at a 30-year low against the Canadian dollar. Even the Argentine peso and Brazilian real are thriving against the dollar.
The weak dollar is a source of humiliation, for a nation's self-esteem rests in part on the strength of its currency. It's also a potential economic problem, since a declining dollar makes imported food more expensive and exerts upward pressure on interest rates. And yet there are substantial sectors of the vast U.S. economy-from giant companies like Coca-Cola to mom-and-pop restaurant operators in Miami-for which the weak dollar is most excellent news.
Many Europeans may view the U.S. as an arrogant superpower that has become hostile to foreigners. But nothing makes people think more warmly of the U.S. than a weak dollar. Through April, the total number of visitors from abroad was up 6.8 percent from last year. Should the trend continue, the number of tourists this year will finally top the 2000 peak? Many Europeans now apparently view the U.S. the way many Americans view Mexico-as a cheap place to vacation, shop and party, all while ignoring the fact that the poorer locals can't afford to join the merrymaking.
The money tourists spend helps decrease our chronic trade deficit. So do exports, which thanks in part to the weak dollar, soared 11 percent between May 2006 and May 2007. For first five months of 2007, the trade deficit actually fell 7 percent from 2006.
If you own shares in large American corporations, you're a winner in the weak-dollar gamble. Last week Coca-Cola's stick bubbled to a five-year high after it reported a fantastic quarter. Foreign sales accounted for 65 percent of Coke's beverage business. Other American companies profiting from this trend include McDonald's and IBM.
American tourists, however, shouldn't expect any relief soon. The dollar lost strength the way many marriages break up- slowly, and then all at once. And currencies don't turn on a dime. So if you want to avoid the pain inflicted by the increasingly pathetic dollar, cancel that summer vacation to England and look to New England. There, the dollar is still treated with a little respect. | 901.txt | 0 |
[
"their executives to be active",
"judges to rule out gene patenting",
"genes to be patentable",
"the BIO to issue a warning"
] | It can be learned from paragraph I that the biotech companies would like _____. | In 2010, a federal judge shook America's biotech industry to its core. Companies had won patents for isolated DNA for decades-by 2005 some 20% of human genes were patented. But in March 2010 a judge ruled that genes were unpatentable. Executives were violently agitated. The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), a trade group, assured members that this was just a "preliminary step" in a longer battle.
On July 29th they were relieved, at least temporarily. A federal appeals court overturned the prior decision, ruling that Myriad Genetics could indeed hold patents to two genes that help forecast a woman's risk of breast cancer. The chief executive of Myriad, a company in Utah, said the ruling was a blessing to firms and patients alike.
But as companies continue their attempts at personalized medicine, the courts will remain rather busy. The Myriad case itself is probably not over. Critics make three main arguments against gene patents: a gene is a product of nature, so it may not be patented; gene patents suppress innovation rather than reward it; and patents' monopolies restrict access to genetic tests such as Myriad's. A growing number seem to agree. Last year a federal task-force urged reform for patents related to genetic tests. In October the Department of Justice filed a brief in the Myriad case, arguing that an isolated DNA molecule "is no less a product of nature...than are cotton fibers that have been separated from cotton seeds."
Despite the appeals court's decision, big questions remain unanswered. For example, it is unclear whether the sequencing of a whole genome violates the patents of individual genes within it. The case may yet reach the Supreme Court.
AS the industry advances, however, other suits may have an even greater impact. Companies are unlikely to file many more patents for human DNA molecules-most are already patented or in the public domain. Firms are now studying how genes interact, looking for correlations that might be used to determine the causes of disease or predict a drug's efficacy, companies are eager to win patents for ‘connecting the dots', explains Hans Sauer, a lawyer for the BIO.
Their success may be determined by a suit related to this issue, brought by the Mayo Clinic, which the Supreme Court will hear in its next term. The BIO recently held a convention which included sessions to coach lawyers on the shifting landscape for patents. Each meeting was packed. | 4027.txt | 2 |
[
"genetic tests are not reliable",
"only man-made products are patentable",
"patents on genes depend much on innovation",
"courts should restrict access to genetic tests"
] | Those who are against gene patents believe that _____. | In 2010, a federal judge shook America's biotech industry to its core. Companies had won patents for isolated DNA for decades-by 2005 some 20% of human genes were patented. But in March 2010 a judge ruled that genes were unpatentable. Executives were violently agitated. The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), a trade group, assured members that this was just a "preliminary step" in a longer battle.
On July 29th they were relieved, at least temporarily. A federal appeals court overturned the prior decision, ruling that Myriad Genetics could indeed hold patents to two genes that help forecast a woman's risk of breast cancer. The chief executive of Myriad, a company in Utah, said the ruling was a blessing to firms and patients alike.
But as companies continue their attempts at personalized medicine, the courts will remain rather busy. The Myriad case itself is probably not over. Critics make three main arguments against gene patents: a gene is a product of nature, so it may not be patented; gene patents suppress innovation rather than reward it; and patents' monopolies restrict access to genetic tests such as Myriad's. A growing number seem to agree. Last year a federal task-force urged reform for patents related to genetic tests. In October the Department of Justice filed a brief in the Myriad case, arguing that an isolated DNA molecule "is no less a product of nature...than are cotton fibers that have been separated from cotton seeds."
Despite the appeals court's decision, big questions remain unanswered. For example, it is unclear whether the sequencing of a whole genome violates the patents of individual genes within it. The case may yet reach the Supreme Court.
AS the industry advances, however, other suits may have an even greater impact. Companies are unlikely to file many more patents for human DNA molecules-most are already patented or in the public domain. Firms are now studying how genes interact, looking for correlations that might be used to determine the causes of disease or predict a drug's efficacy, companies are eager to win patents for ‘connecting the dots', explains Hans Sauer, a lawyer for the BIO.
Their success may be determined by a suit related to this issue, brought by the Mayo Clinic, which the Supreme Court will hear in its next term. The BIO recently held a convention which included sessions to coach lawyers on the shifting landscape for patents. Each meeting was packed. | 4027.txt | 1 |
[
"establishing disease correlations",
"discovering gene interactions",
"drawing pictures of genes",
"identifying human DNA"
] | According to Hans Sauer, companies are eager to win patents for _____. | In 2010, a federal judge shook America's biotech industry to its core. Companies had won patents for isolated DNA for decades-by 2005 some 20% of human genes were patented. But in March 2010 a judge ruled that genes were unpatentable. Executives were violently agitated. The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), a trade group, assured members that this was just a "preliminary step" in a longer battle.
On July 29th they were relieved, at least temporarily. A federal appeals court overturned the prior decision, ruling that Myriad Genetics could indeed hold patents to two genes that help forecast a woman's risk of breast cancer. The chief executive of Myriad, a company in Utah, said the ruling was a blessing to firms and patients alike.
But as companies continue their attempts at personalized medicine, the courts will remain rather busy. The Myriad case itself is probably not over. Critics make three main arguments against gene patents: a gene is a product of nature, so it may not be patented; gene patents suppress innovation rather than reward it; and patents' monopolies restrict access to genetic tests such as Myriad's. A growing number seem to agree. Last year a federal task-force urged reform for patents related to genetic tests. In October the Department of Justice filed a brief in the Myriad case, arguing that an isolated DNA molecule "is no less a product of nature...than are cotton fibers that have been separated from cotton seeds."
Despite the appeals court's decision, big questions remain unanswered. For example, it is unclear whether the sequencing of a whole genome violates the patents of individual genes within it. The case may yet reach the Supreme Court.
AS the industry advances, however, other suits may have an even greater impact. Companies are unlikely to file many more patents for human DNA molecules-most are already patented or in the public domain. Firms are now studying how genes interact, looking for correlations that might be used to determine the causes of disease or predict a drug's efficacy, companies are eager to win patents for ‘connecting the dots', explains Hans Sauer, a lawyer for the BIO.
Their success may be determined by a suit related to this issue, brought by the Mayo Clinic, which the Supreme Court will hear in its next term. The BIO recently held a convention which included sessions to coach lawyers on the shifting landscape for patents. Each meeting was packed. | 4027.txt | 1 |
[
"the Supreme Court was authoritative",
"the BIO was a powerful organization",
"gene patenting was a great concern",
"lawyers were keen to attend conventions"
] | By saying "each meeting was packed" (Line 4, Para. 6), the author means that _____. | In 2010, a federal judge shook America's biotech industry to its core. Companies had won patents for isolated DNA for decades-by 2005 some 20% of human genes were patented. But in March 2010 a judge ruled that genes were unpatentable. Executives were violently agitated. The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), a trade group, assured members that this was just a "preliminary step" in a longer battle.
On July 29th they were relieved, at least temporarily. A federal appeals court overturned the prior decision, ruling that Myriad Genetics could indeed hold patents to two genes that help forecast a woman's risk of breast cancer. The chief executive of Myriad, a company in Utah, said the ruling was a blessing to firms and patients alike.
But as companies continue their attempts at personalized medicine, the courts will remain rather busy. The Myriad case itself is probably not over. Critics make three main arguments against gene patents: a gene is a product of nature, so it may not be patented; gene patents suppress innovation rather than reward it; and patents' monopolies restrict access to genetic tests such as Myriad's. A growing number seem to agree. Last year a federal task-force urged reform for patents related to genetic tests. In October the Department of Justice filed a brief in the Myriad case, arguing that an isolated DNA molecule "is no less a product of nature...than are cotton fibers that have been separated from cotton seeds."
Despite the appeals court's decision, big questions remain unanswered. For example, it is unclear whether the sequencing of a whole genome violates the patents of individual genes within it. The case may yet reach the Supreme Court.
AS the industry advances, however, other suits may have an even greater impact. Companies are unlikely to file many more patents for human DNA molecules-most are already patented or in the public domain. Firms are now studying how genes interact, looking for correlations that might be used to determine the causes of disease or predict a drug's efficacy, companies are eager to win patents for ‘connecting the dots', explains Hans Sauer, a lawyer for the BIO.
Their success may be determined by a suit related to this issue, brought by the Mayo Clinic, which the Supreme Court will hear in its next term. The BIO recently held a convention which included sessions to coach lawyers on the shifting landscape for patents. Each meeting was packed. | 4027.txt | 2 |
[
"critical",
"supportive",
"scornful",
"objective"
] | Generally speaking, the author's attitude toward gene patenting is _____. | In 2010, a federal judge shook America's biotech industry to its core. Companies had won patents for isolated DNA for decades-by 2005 some 20% of human genes were patented. But in March 2010 a judge ruled that genes were unpatentable. Executives were violently agitated. The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), a trade group, assured members that this was just a "preliminary step" in a longer battle.
On July 29th they were relieved, at least temporarily. A federal appeals court overturned the prior decision, ruling that Myriad Genetics could indeed hold patents to two genes that help forecast a woman's risk of breast cancer. The chief executive of Myriad, a company in Utah, said the ruling was a blessing to firms and patients alike.
But as companies continue their attempts at personalized medicine, the courts will remain rather busy. The Myriad case itself is probably not over. Critics make three main arguments against gene patents: a gene is a product of nature, so it may not be patented; gene patents suppress innovation rather than reward it; and patents' monopolies restrict access to genetic tests such as Myriad's. A growing number seem to agree. Last year a federal task-force urged reform for patents related to genetic tests. In October the Department of Justice filed a brief in the Myriad case, arguing that an isolated DNA molecule "is no less a product of nature...than are cotton fibers that have been separated from cotton seeds."
Despite the appeals court's decision, big questions remain unanswered. For example, it is unclear whether the sequencing of a whole genome violates the patents of individual genes within it. The case may yet reach the Supreme Court.
AS the industry advances, however, other suits may have an even greater impact. Companies are unlikely to file many more patents for human DNA molecules-most are already patented or in the public domain. Firms are now studying how genes interact, looking for correlations that might be used to determine the causes of disease or predict a drug's efficacy, companies are eager to win patents for ‘connecting the dots', explains Hans Sauer, a lawyer for the BIO.
Their success may be determined by a suit related to this issue, brought by the Mayo Clinic, which the Supreme Court will hear in its next term. The BIO recently held a convention which included sessions to coach lawyers on the shifting landscape for patents. Each meeting was packed. | 4027.txt | 3 |
[
"the reproduction model of the new species is totally different from the other existing species.",
"the new species was originally living in the wild in Madagascar which is different from the new environment.",
"the new species has never been identified before Dr. Jones' research.",
"the new species will threat the existence of the other species."
] | The import of the marble crayfish leads to an unplanned evolutionary experiment because | Sex is a mystery-and not just to those who indulge in it. By combining her genes witha male's, a female halves her genetic contribution to her offspring, and subsequentgenerations see it halved again and again. On top of that, the need for each individual tohave two parents means the population can grow only half as rapidly as it otherwise might.Why, therefore, bother with the whole messy business in the first place?
Julia Jones of the University of Wales, Bangor, and her colleagues may soon have theanswer to that question. They have found a species of crayfish that follows the logic ofasexuality and does, indeed, clone itself. Though Dr Jones did not actually discover thisspecies, she was the person who identified it in the wild-in Madagascar. Her interviewssuggest it was imported in about 2003, by people working on a road bypassingAntananarivo, the country's capital. As a result of this accidental import, the stage is set foran unplanned evolutionary experiment. Brute mathematics predict the new species, knownas the marbled crayfish, will outcompete the locals. Those who ponder the purpose of sex,though, think the newcomer will eventually face its come-uppance.
The reason, according to those ponders, is that the genetic diversity promoted by sexis a protection against disease. An asexual female who clones herself ten times is likesomeone who buys ten raffle tickets, each with the same number. A female who reproducessexually gets only five tickets for her effort, but they are all different. This, however, is araffle that the female wants to lose. That is because the prize is premature death for herdescendants at the hands of an infection particularly adapted to the winning number-or,rather, the losing combination of genes. If this explanation is right, the marbled crayfish willdo very well for an indeterminate period, and will then suddenly vanish.
At the moment, those who work in the paddy fields outside Antananarivo are enjoyingthe upward part of the trajectory. They are selling marbled crayfish by thecondensed-milk-tin load along all the main roads from the city. And the rest of the country islikely to follow suit soon, as the crustacean now appears to be striking out from itsbridgehead.
A group of experts has gathered in Antananarivo to draw up a list of questions thatneed researching. One of their concerns is that the marbled crayfish's sexual cousins havecaused havoc elsewhere. The red swamp crayfish, for example, has tucked into the paddyfields of the Iberian peninsula with gusto, eating rice seedlings and burrowing into thebanks of drainage channels, causing them to collapse. The enthusiasm that many Malagasyseem to have for spreading their new and fecund friends around the country, to provide anadditional "crop", may thus backfire.
Another worry is that the red swamp invader has helped unleash a deadly fungaldisease on native crayfish populations around Europe-a plague to which it is, itself,resistant. That bodes ill for Madagascar's local species. If the theoreticians are correct, aplague will be exactly what gets rid of the newcomer, but it could also spread to the natives,reducing their numbers as well. Until then, however, the researchers can look forward to anexperiment involving many a tasty barbecue. | 770.txt | 0 |
[
"the marbled crayfish will outnumber the locals finally.",
"the marbled crayfish will die out after they exist for a period of time.",
"the marbled crayfish will have a lot of problems in the future .",
"the marbled crayfish will get the upper hand eventually."
] | Towards the marbled crayfish, those who ponder the purpose of the sex hold the view that ____ | Sex is a mystery-and not just to those who indulge in it. By combining her genes witha male's, a female halves her genetic contribution to her offspring, and subsequentgenerations see it halved again and again. On top of that, the need for each individual tohave two parents means the population can grow only half as rapidly as it otherwise might.Why, therefore, bother with the whole messy business in the first place?
Julia Jones of the University of Wales, Bangor, and her colleagues may soon have theanswer to that question. They have found a species of crayfish that follows the logic ofasexuality and does, indeed, clone itself. Though Dr Jones did not actually discover thisspecies, she was the person who identified it in the wild-in Madagascar. Her interviewssuggest it was imported in about 2003, by people working on a road bypassingAntananarivo, the country's capital. As a result of this accidental import, the stage is set foran unplanned evolutionary experiment. Brute mathematics predict the new species, knownas the marbled crayfish, will outcompete the locals. Those who ponder the purpose of sex,though, think the newcomer will eventually face its come-uppance.
The reason, according to those ponders, is that the genetic diversity promoted by sexis a protection against disease. An asexual female who clones herself ten times is likesomeone who buys ten raffle tickets, each with the same number. A female who reproducessexually gets only five tickets for her effort, but they are all different. This, however, is araffle that the female wants to lose. That is because the prize is premature death for herdescendants at the hands of an infection particularly adapted to the winning number-or,rather, the losing combination of genes. If this explanation is right, the marbled crayfish willdo very well for an indeterminate period, and will then suddenly vanish.
At the moment, those who work in the paddy fields outside Antananarivo are enjoyingthe upward part of the trajectory. They are selling marbled crayfish by thecondensed-milk-tin load along all the main roads from the city. And the rest of the country islikely to follow suit soon, as the crustacean now appears to be striking out from itsbridgehead.
A group of experts has gathered in Antananarivo to draw up a list of questions thatneed researching. One of their concerns is that the marbled crayfish's sexual cousins havecaused havoc elsewhere. The red swamp crayfish, for example, has tucked into the paddyfields of the Iberian peninsula with gusto, eating rice seedlings and burrowing into thebanks of drainage channels, causing them to collapse. The enthusiasm that many Malagasyseem to have for spreading their new and fecund friends around the country, to provide anadditional "crop", may thus backfire.
Another worry is that the red swamp invader has helped unleash a deadly fungaldisease on native crayfish populations around Europe-a plague to which it is, itself,resistant. That bodes ill for Madagascar's local species. If the theoreticians are correct, aplague will be exactly what gets rid of the newcomer, but it could also spread to the natives,reducing their numbers as well. Until then, however, the researchers can look forward to anexperiment involving many a tasty barbecue. | 770.txt | 2 |
[
"the asexual reproduction is of high risk.",
"the sexual reproduction promote the genetic diversity.",
"the sexual reproduction is of more evolutionary advantage than the asexual reproduction.",
"the asexual reproduction is no better than the sexual reproduction."
] | Reproduction is compared to buying raffle tickets in order to illustrate that ___ | Sex is a mystery-and not just to those who indulge in it. By combining her genes witha male's, a female halves her genetic contribution to her offspring, and subsequentgenerations see it halved again and again. On top of that, the need for each individual tohave two parents means the population can grow only half as rapidly as it otherwise might.Why, therefore, bother with the whole messy business in the first place?
Julia Jones of the University of Wales, Bangor, and her colleagues may soon have theanswer to that question. They have found a species of crayfish that follows the logic ofasexuality and does, indeed, clone itself. Though Dr Jones did not actually discover thisspecies, she was the person who identified it in the wild-in Madagascar. Her interviewssuggest it was imported in about 2003, by people working on a road bypassingAntananarivo, the country's capital. As a result of this accidental import, the stage is set foran unplanned evolutionary experiment. Brute mathematics predict the new species, knownas the marbled crayfish, will outcompete the locals. Those who ponder the purpose of sex,though, think the newcomer will eventually face its come-uppance.
The reason, according to those ponders, is that the genetic diversity promoted by sexis a protection against disease. An asexual female who clones herself ten times is likesomeone who buys ten raffle tickets, each with the same number. A female who reproducessexually gets only five tickets for her effort, but they are all different. This, however, is araffle that the female wants to lose. That is because the prize is premature death for herdescendants at the hands of an infection particularly adapted to the winning number-or,rather, the losing combination of genes. If this explanation is right, the marbled crayfish willdo very well for an indeterminate period, and will then suddenly vanish.
At the moment, those who work in the paddy fields outside Antananarivo are enjoyingthe upward part of the trajectory. They are selling marbled crayfish by thecondensed-milk-tin load along all the main roads from the city. And the rest of the country islikely to follow suit soon, as the crustacean now appears to be striking out from itsbridgehead.
A group of experts has gathered in Antananarivo to draw up a list of questions thatneed researching. One of their concerns is that the marbled crayfish's sexual cousins havecaused havoc elsewhere. The red swamp crayfish, for example, has tucked into the paddyfields of the Iberian peninsula with gusto, eating rice seedlings and burrowing into thebanks of drainage channels, causing them to collapse. The enthusiasm that many Malagasyseem to have for spreading their new and fecund friends around the country, to provide anadditional "crop", may thus backfire.
Another worry is that the red swamp invader has helped unleash a deadly fungaldisease on native crayfish populations around Europe-a plague to which it is, itself,resistant. That bodes ill for Madagascar's local species. If the theoreticians are correct, aplague will be exactly what gets rid of the newcomer, but it could also spread to the natives,reducing their numbers as well. Until then, however, the researchers can look forward to anexperiment involving many a tasty barbecue. | 770.txt | 0 |
[
"is living in the upward part of the trajectory outside Antananarivo.",
"is enjoying promising market prospect in the city of Antananarivo.",
"is shrinking in quantity due to the spread of their cousin crayfish.",
"is spreading from Antananarivo to the rest of the country being packed with condensed milk."
] | At present , the marbled crayfish in Antananarivo_____ | Sex is a mystery-and not just to those who indulge in it. By combining her genes witha male's, a female halves her genetic contribution to her offspring, and subsequentgenerations see it halved again and again. On top of that, the need for each individual tohave two parents means the population can grow only half as rapidly as it otherwise might.Why, therefore, bother with the whole messy business in the first place?
Julia Jones of the University of Wales, Bangor, and her colleagues may soon have theanswer to that question. They have found a species of crayfish that follows the logic ofasexuality and does, indeed, clone itself. Though Dr Jones did not actually discover thisspecies, she was the person who identified it in the wild-in Madagascar. Her interviewssuggest it was imported in about 2003, by people working on a road bypassingAntananarivo, the country's capital. As a result of this accidental import, the stage is set foran unplanned evolutionary experiment. Brute mathematics predict the new species, knownas the marbled crayfish, will outcompete the locals. Those who ponder the purpose of sex,though, think the newcomer will eventually face its come-uppance.
The reason, according to those ponders, is that the genetic diversity promoted by sexis a protection against disease. An asexual female who clones herself ten times is likesomeone who buys ten raffle tickets, each with the same number. A female who reproducessexually gets only five tickets for her effort, but they are all different. This, however, is araffle that the female wants to lose. That is because the prize is premature death for herdescendants at the hands of an infection particularly adapted to the winning number-or,rather, the losing combination of genes. If this explanation is right, the marbled crayfish willdo very well for an indeterminate period, and will then suddenly vanish.
At the moment, those who work in the paddy fields outside Antananarivo are enjoyingthe upward part of the trajectory. They are selling marbled crayfish by thecondensed-milk-tin load along all the main roads from the city. And the rest of the country islikely to follow suit soon, as the crustacean now appears to be striking out from itsbridgehead.
A group of experts has gathered in Antananarivo to draw up a list of questions thatneed researching. One of their concerns is that the marbled crayfish's sexual cousins havecaused havoc elsewhere. The red swamp crayfish, for example, has tucked into the paddyfields of the Iberian peninsula with gusto, eating rice seedlings and burrowing into thebanks of drainage channels, causing them to collapse. The enthusiasm that many Malagasyseem to have for spreading their new and fecund friends around the country, to provide anadditional "crop", may thus backfire.
Another worry is that the red swamp invader has helped unleash a deadly fungaldisease on native crayfish populations around Europe-a plague to which it is, itself,resistant. That bodes ill for Madagascar's local species. If the theoreticians are correct, aplague will be exactly what gets rid of the newcomer, but it could also spread to the natives,reducing their numbers as well. Until then, however, the researchers can look forward to anexperiment involving many a tasty barbecue. | 770.txt | 1 |
[
"The red swamp crayfish is a subtype of the marbled crayfish.",
"The red swamp crayfish carries the virus of a deadly fungal disease.",
"Malagasy originally planned to grow the red swamp crayfish to increase the crop output.",
"There is no doubt that the red swamp will get rid of the local species eventually."
] | Which one of the following statement is TRUE of the red swamp crayfish? | Sex is a mystery-and not just to those who indulge in it. By combining her genes witha male's, a female halves her genetic contribution to her offspring, and subsequentgenerations see it halved again and again. On top of that, the need for each individual tohave two parents means the population can grow only half as rapidly as it otherwise might.Why, therefore, bother with the whole messy business in the first place?
Julia Jones of the University of Wales, Bangor, and her colleagues may soon have theanswer to that question. They have found a species of crayfish that follows the logic ofasexuality and does, indeed, clone itself. Though Dr Jones did not actually discover thisspecies, she was the person who identified it in the wild-in Madagascar. Her interviewssuggest it was imported in about 2003, by people working on a road bypassingAntananarivo, the country's capital. As a result of this accidental import, the stage is set foran unplanned evolutionary experiment. Brute mathematics predict the new species, knownas the marbled crayfish, will outcompete the locals. Those who ponder the purpose of sex,though, think the newcomer will eventually face its come-uppance.
The reason, according to those ponders, is that the genetic diversity promoted by sexis a protection against disease. An asexual female who clones herself ten times is likesomeone who buys ten raffle tickets, each with the same number. A female who reproducessexually gets only five tickets for her effort, but they are all different. This, however, is araffle that the female wants to lose. That is because the prize is premature death for herdescendants at the hands of an infection particularly adapted to the winning number-or,rather, the losing combination of genes. If this explanation is right, the marbled crayfish willdo very well for an indeterminate period, and will then suddenly vanish.
At the moment, those who work in the paddy fields outside Antananarivo are enjoyingthe upward part of the trajectory. They are selling marbled crayfish by thecondensed-milk-tin load along all the main roads from the city. And the rest of the country islikely to follow suit soon, as the crustacean now appears to be striking out from itsbridgehead.
A group of experts has gathered in Antananarivo to draw up a list of questions thatneed researching. One of their concerns is that the marbled crayfish's sexual cousins havecaused havoc elsewhere. The red swamp crayfish, for example, has tucked into the paddyfields of the Iberian peninsula with gusto, eating rice seedlings and burrowing into thebanks of drainage channels, causing them to collapse. The enthusiasm that many Malagasyseem to have for spreading their new and fecund friends around the country, to provide anadditional "crop", may thus backfire.
Another worry is that the red swamp invader has helped unleash a deadly fungaldisease on native crayfish populations around Europe-a plague to which it is, itself,resistant. That bodes ill for Madagascar's local species. If the theoreticians are correct, aplague will be exactly what gets rid of the newcomer, but it could also spread to the natives,reducing their numbers as well. Until then, however, the researchers can look forward to anexperiment involving many a tasty barbecue. | 770.txt | 1 |
[
"Critical.",
"Prejudiced.",
"Indifferent.",
"Positive."
] | What is the author's attitude toward high-tech communications equipment? | New technology links the world as never before. Our planet has shrunk. It's now a "global village" where countries are only seconds away by fax or phone or satellite link. And, of course, our ability to benefit from this high-tech communications equipment is greatly enhanced by foreign language skills.
Deeply involved with this new technology is a breed of modern business people who have a growing respect for the economic value of doing business abroad. In modern markets, success overseas often helps support domestic business efforts.
Overseas assignments are becoming increasingly important to advancement within executive ranks. The executive stationed in another country no longer need fear being "out of sight and out of mind." He or she canbe sure that the overseas effort is central to the company's plan for success, and that promotions often follow or accompany an assignment abroad. If an employee can succeed in a difficult assignment overseas, superiors will have greater confidence in his or her ability to cope back in the United States where cross-cultural considerations and foreign language issues are becoming more and more prevalent .
Thanks to a variety of relatively inexpensive communications devices with business applications, even small businesses in the United States are able to get into international markets.
English is still the international language of business. But there is an ever-growing need for people who can speak another language. A second language isn't generally required to get a job in business, but having language skills gives a candidate the edge when other qualifications appear to be equal.
The employee posted abroad who speaks the country's principal language has an opportunity to fast-forwardcertain negotiations, and cam have the cultural insight to know when it is better to move more slowly. Theemployee at the home office who can communicate well with foreign clients over the telephone or by fax machine is an obvious asset to the firm. | 845.txt | 3 |
[
"have to get familiar with modern technology",
"are gaining more economic benefits from domestic operations",
"are attaching more importance to their overseas business",
"are eager to work overseas"
] | With the increased use of high-tech communications equipment, businesspeople _ . | New technology links the world as never before. Our planet has shrunk. It's now a "global village" where countries are only seconds away by fax or phone or satellite link. And, of course, our ability to benefit from this high-tech communications equipment is greatly enhanced by foreign language skills.
Deeply involved with this new technology is a breed of modern business people who have a growing respect for the economic value of doing business abroad. In modern markets, success overseas often helps support domestic business efforts.
Overseas assignments are becoming increasingly important to advancement within executive ranks. The executive stationed in another country no longer need fear being "out of sight and out of mind." He or she canbe sure that the overseas effort is central to the company's plan for success, and that promotions often follow or accompany an assignment abroad. If an employee can succeed in a difficult assignment overseas, superiors will have greater confidence in his or her ability to cope back in the United States where cross-cultural considerations and foreign language issues are becoming more and more prevalent .
Thanks to a variety of relatively inexpensive communications devices with business applications, even small businesses in the United States are able to get into international markets.
English is still the international language of business. But there is an ever-growing need for people who can speak another language. A second language isn't generally required to get a job in business, but having language skills gives a candidate the edge when other qualifications appear to be equal.
The employee posted abroad who speaks the country's principal language has an opportunity to fast-forwardcertain negotiations, and cam have the cultural insight to know when it is better to move more slowly. Theemployee at the home office who can communicate well with foreign clients over the telephone or by fax machine is an obvious asset to the firm. | 845.txt | 2 |
[
"being unable to think properly for lack of insight",
"being totally out of touch with business at home",
"missing opportunities for promotion when abroad",
"leaving all care and worry behind"
] | In this passage,"out of sight and out of mind" (Lines 2-3, Para. 3) probably means _ . | New technology links the world as never before. Our planet has shrunk. It's now a "global village" where countries are only seconds away by fax or phone or satellite link. And, of course, our ability to benefit from this high-tech communications equipment is greatly enhanced by foreign language skills.
Deeply involved with this new technology is a breed of modern business people who have a growing respect for the economic value of doing business abroad. In modern markets, success overseas often helps support domestic business efforts.
Overseas assignments are becoming increasingly important to advancement within executive ranks. The executive stationed in another country no longer need fear being "out of sight and out of mind." He or she canbe sure that the overseas effort is central to the company's plan for success, and that promotions often follow or accompany an assignment abroad. If an employee can succeed in a difficult assignment overseas, superiors will have greater confidence in his or her ability to cope back in the United States where cross-cultural considerations and foreign language issues are becoming more and more prevalent .
Thanks to a variety of relatively inexpensive communications devices with business applications, even small businesses in the United States are able to get into international markets.
English is still the international language of business. But there is an ever-growing need for people who can speak another language. A second language isn't generally required to get a job in business, but having language skills gives a candidate the edge when other qualifications appear to be equal.
The employee posted abroad who speaks the country's principal language has an opportunity to fast-forwardcertain negotiations, and cam have the cultural insight to know when it is better to move more slowly. Theemployee at the home office who can communicate well with foreign clients over the telephone or by fax machine is an obvious asset to the firm. | 845.txt | 2 |
[
"Connections with businesses overseas.",
"Ability to speak the client's language.",
"Technical know-how.",
"Business experience."
] | According to the passage, what is an important consideration of international corporationsin employingpeople today? | New technology links the world as never before. Our planet has shrunk. It's now a "global village" where countries are only seconds away by fax or phone or satellite link. And, of course, our ability to benefit from this high-tech communications equipment is greatly enhanced by foreign language skills.
Deeply involved with this new technology is a breed of modern business people who have a growing respect for the economic value of doing business abroad. In modern markets, success overseas often helps support domestic business efforts.
Overseas assignments are becoming increasingly important to advancement within executive ranks. The executive stationed in another country no longer need fear being "out of sight and out of mind." He or she canbe sure that the overseas effort is central to the company's plan for success, and that promotions often follow or accompany an assignment abroad. If an employee can succeed in a difficult assignment overseas, superiors will have greater confidence in his or her ability to cope back in the United States where cross-cultural considerations and foreign language issues are becoming more and more prevalent .
Thanks to a variety of relatively inexpensive communications devices with business applications, even small businesses in the United States are able to get into international markets.
English is still the international language of business. But there is an ever-growing need for people who can speak another language. A second language isn't generally required to get a job in business, but having language skills gives a candidate the edge when other qualifications appear to be equal.
The employee posted abroad who speaks the country's principal language has an opportunity to fast-forwardcertain negotiations, and cam have the cultural insight to know when it is better to move more slowly. Theemployee at the home office who can communicate well with foreign clients over the telephone or by fax machine is an obvious asset to the firm. | 845.txt | 1 |
[
"better control the whole negotiation process",
"easily find new approaches to meet market needs",
"fast-forward their proposals to headquarters",
"easily make friends with businesspeople abroad"
] | The advantage of employees having foreign language skills is that they can _ . | New technology links the world as never before. Our planet has shrunk. It's now a "global village" where countries are only seconds away by fax or phone or satellite link. And, of course, our ability to benefit from this high-tech communications equipment is greatly enhanced by foreign language skills.
Deeply involved with this new technology is a breed of modern business people who have a growing respect for the economic value of doing business abroad. In modern markets, success overseas often helps support domestic business efforts.
Overseas assignments are becoming increasingly important to advancement within executive ranks. The executive stationed in another country no longer need fear being "out of sight and out of mind." He or she canbe sure that the overseas effort is central to the company's plan for success, and that promotions often follow or accompany an assignment abroad. If an employee can succeed in a difficult assignment overseas, superiors will have greater confidence in his or her ability to cope back in the United States where cross-cultural considerations and foreign language issues are becoming more and more prevalent .
Thanks to a variety of relatively inexpensive communications devices with business applications, even small businesses in the United States are able to get into international markets.
English is still the international language of business. But there is an ever-growing need for people who can speak another language. A second language isn't generally required to get a job in business, but having language skills gives a candidate the edge when other qualifications appear to be equal.
The employee posted abroad who speaks the country's principal language has an opportunity to fast-forwardcertain negotiations, and cam have the cultural insight to know when it is better to move more slowly. Theemployee at the home office who can communicate well with foreign clients over the telephone or by fax machine is an obvious asset to the firm. | 845.txt | 0 |
[
"identify human faces more efficiently",
"tell a friend from a mere acquaintance",
"store an unlimited number of human faces",
"perceive images invisible to the human eye"
] | Compared with human memory, machines can ________. | Human memory is notoriously unreliable. Even people with the sharpest facial-recognition skills can only remember so much.
It's tough to quantify how good a person is at remembering. No one really knows how many different faces someone can recall, for example, but various estimates tend to hover in the thousands-based on the number of acquaintances a person might have.
Machines aren't limited this way. Give the right computer a massive database of faces, and it can process what it sees-then recognize a face it's told to find-with remarkable speed and precision. This skill is what supports the enormous promise of facial-recognition software in the 21st century. It's also what makes contemporary surveillance systems so scary.
The thing is, machines still have limitations when it comes to facial recognition. And scientists are only just beginning to understand what those constraints are. To begin to figure out how computers are struggling, researchers at the University of Washington created a massive database of faces-they call it MegaFace-and tested a variety of facial-recognition algorithms as they scaled up in complexity. The idea was to test the machines on a database that included up to 1 million different images of nearly 700,000 different people-and not just a large database featuring a relatively small number of different faces, more consistent with what's been used in other research.
As the databases grew, machine accuracy dipped across the board. Algorithms that were right 95% of the time when they were dealing with a 13,000-image database, for example, were accurate about 70% of the time when confronted with 1 million images. That's still pretty good, says one of the researchers, Ira Kemelmacher-Shlizerman. "Much better than we expected," she said.
Machines also had difficulty adjusting for people who look a lot alike-either doppelgangers , whom the machine would have trouble identifying as two separate people, or the same person who appeared in different photos at different ages or in different lighting, whom the machine would incorrectly view as separate people.
"Once we scale up, algorithms must be sensitive to tiny changes in identities and at the same time invariant to lighting, pose, age," Kemelmacher-Shlizerman said.
The trouble is, for many of the researchers who'd like to design systems to address these challenges, massive datasets for experimentation just don't exist-at least, not in formats that are accessible to academic researchers. Training sets like the ones Google and Facebook have are private. There are no public databases that contain millions of faces. MegaFace's creators say it's the largest publicly available facial-recognition dataset out there.
"An ultimate face recognition algorithm should perform with billions of people in a dataset," the researchers wrote. | 2057.txt | 0 |
[
"To enlarge the volume of the facial-recognition database.",
"To increase the variety of facial-recognition software.",
"To understand computers' problems with facial recognition.",
"To reduce the complexity of facial-recognition algorithms."
] | Why did researchers create MegaFace? | Human memory is notoriously unreliable. Even people with the sharpest facial-recognition skills can only remember so much.
It's tough to quantify how good a person is at remembering. No one really knows how many different faces someone can recall, for example, but various estimates tend to hover in the thousands-based on the number of acquaintances a person might have.
Machines aren't limited this way. Give the right computer a massive database of faces, and it can process what it sees-then recognize a face it's told to find-with remarkable speed and precision. This skill is what supports the enormous promise of facial-recognition software in the 21st century. It's also what makes contemporary surveillance systems so scary.
The thing is, machines still have limitations when it comes to facial recognition. And scientists are only just beginning to understand what those constraints are. To begin to figure out how computers are struggling, researchers at the University of Washington created a massive database of faces-they call it MegaFace-and tested a variety of facial-recognition algorithms as they scaled up in complexity. The idea was to test the machines on a database that included up to 1 million different images of nearly 700,000 different people-and not just a large database featuring a relatively small number of different faces, more consistent with what's been used in other research.
As the databases grew, machine accuracy dipped across the board. Algorithms that were right 95% of the time when they were dealing with a 13,000-image database, for example, were accurate about 70% of the time when confronted with 1 million images. That's still pretty good, says one of the researchers, Ira Kemelmacher-Shlizerman. "Much better than we expected," she said.
Machines also had difficulty adjusting for people who look a lot alike-either doppelgangers , whom the machine would have trouble identifying as two separate people, or the same person who appeared in different photos at different ages or in different lighting, whom the machine would incorrectly view as separate people.
"Once we scale up, algorithms must be sensitive to tiny changes in identities and at the same time invariant to lighting, pose, age," Kemelmacher-Shlizerman said.
The trouble is, for many of the researchers who'd like to design systems to address these challenges, massive datasets for experimentation just don't exist-at least, not in formats that are accessible to academic researchers. Training sets like the ones Google and Facebook have are private. There are no public databases that contain millions of faces. MegaFace's creators say it's the largest publicly available facial-recognition dataset out there.
"An ultimate face recognition algorithm should perform with billions of people in a dataset," the researchers wrote. | 2057.txt | 2 |
[
"It falls short of researchers' expectations.",
"It improves with added computing power.",
"It varies greatly with different algorithms.",
"It decreases as the database size increases."
] | What does the passage say about machine accuracy? | Human memory is notoriously unreliable. Even people with the sharpest facial-recognition skills can only remember so much.
It's tough to quantify how good a person is at remembering. No one really knows how many different faces someone can recall, for example, but various estimates tend to hover in the thousands-based on the number of acquaintances a person might have.
Machines aren't limited this way. Give the right computer a massive database of faces, and it can process what it sees-then recognize a face it's told to find-with remarkable speed and precision. This skill is what supports the enormous promise of facial-recognition software in the 21st century. It's also what makes contemporary surveillance systems so scary.
The thing is, machines still have limitations when it comes to facial recognition. And scientists are only just beginning to understand what those constraints are. To begin to figure out how computers are struggling, researchers at the University of Washington created a massive database of faces-they call it MegaFace-and tested a variety of facial-recognition algorithms as they scaled up in complexity. The idea was to test the machines on a database that included up to 1 million different images of nearly 700,000 different people-and not just a large database featuring a relatively small number of different faces, more consistent with what's been used in other research.
As the databases grew, machine accuracy dipped across the board. Algorithms that were right 95% of the time when they were dealing with a 13,000-image database, for example, were accurate about 70% of the time when confronted with 1 million images. That's still pretty good, says one of the researchers, Ira Kemelmacher-Shlizerman. "Much better than we expected," she said.
Machines also had difficulty adjusting for people who look a lot alike-either doppelgangers , whom the machine would have trouble identifying as two separate people, or the same person who appeared in different photos at different ages or in different lighting, whom the machine would incorrectly view as separate people.
"Once we scale up, algorithms must be sensitive to tiny changes in identities and at the same time invariant to lighting, pose, age," Kemelmacher-Shlizerman said.
The trouble is, for many of the researchers who'd like to design systems to address these challenges, massive datasets for experimentation just don't exist-at least, not in formats that are accessible to academic researchers. Training sets like the ones Google and Facebook have are private. There are no public databases that contain millions of faces. MegaFace's creators say it's the largest publicly available facial-recognition dataset out there.
"An ultimate face recognition algorithm should perform with billions of people in a dataset," the researchers wrote. | 2057.txt | 3 |
[
"They cannot easily tell apart people with near-identical appearances.",
"They have difficulty identifying changes in facial expressions.",
"They are not sensitive to minute changes in people's mood.",
"They have problems distinguishing people of the same age."
] | What is said to be a shortcoming-of facial-recognition machines? | Human memory is notoriously unreliable. Even people with the sharpest facial-recognition skills can only remember so much.
It's tough to quantify how good a person is at remembering. No one really knows how many different faces someone can recall, for example, but various estimates tend to hover in the thousands-based on the number of acquaintances a person might have.
Machines aren't limited this way. Give the right computer a massive database of faces, and it can process what it sees-then recognize a face it's told to find-with remarkable speed and precision. This skill is what supports the enormous promise of facial-recognition software in the 21st century. It's also what makes contemporary surveillance systems so scary.
The thing is, machines still have limitations when it comes to facial recognition. And scientists are only just beginning to understand what those constraints are. To begin to figure out how computers are struggling, researchers at the University of Washington created a massive database of faces-they call it MegaFace-and tested a variety of facial-recognition algorithms as they scaled up in complexity. The idea was to test the machines on a database that included up to 1 million different images of nearly 700,000 different people-and not just a large database featuring a relatively small number of different faces, more consistent with what's been used in other research.
As the databases grew, machine accuracy dipped across the board. Algorithms that were right 95% of the time when they were dealing with a 13,000-image database, for example, were accurate about 70% of the time when confronted with 1 million images. That's still pretty good, says one of the researchers, Ira Kemelmacher-Shlizerman. "Much better than we expected," she said.
Machines also had difficulty adjusting for people who look a lot alike-either doppelgangers , whom the machine would have trouble identifying as two separate people, or the same person who appeared in different photos at different ages or in different lighting, whom the machine would incorrectly view as separate people.
"Once we scale up, algorithms must be sensitive to tiny changes in identities and at the same time invariant to lighting, pose, age," Kemelmacher-Shlizerman said.
The trouble is, for many of the researchers who'd like to design systems to address these challenges, massive datasets for experimentation just don't exist-at least, not in formats that are accessible to academic researchers. Training sets like the ones Google and Facebook have are private. There are no public databases that contain millions of faces. MegaFace's creators say it's the largest publicly available facial-recognition dataset out there.
"An ultimate face recognition algorithm should perform with billions of people in a dataset," the researchers wrote. | 2057.txt | 0 |
[
"No computer is yet able to handle huge datasets of human faces.",
"There do not exist public databases with sufficient face samples.",
"There are no appropriate algorithms to process the face samples.",
"They have trouble converting face datasets into the right format."
] | What is the difficulty confronting researchers of facial-recognition machines? | Human memory is notoriously unreliable. Even people with the sharpest facial-recognition skills can only remember so much.
It's tough to quantify how good a person is at remembering. No one really knows how many different faces someone can recall, for example, but various estimates tend to hover in the thousands-based on the number of acquaintances a person might have.
Machines aren't limited this way. Give the right computer a massive database of faces, and it can process what it sees-then recognize a face it's told to find-with remarkable speed and precision. This skill is what supports the enormous promise of facial-recognition software in the 21st century. It's also what makes contemporary surveillance systems so scary.
The thing is, machines still have limitations when it comes to facial recognition. And scientists are only just beginning to understand what those constraints are. To begin to figure out how computers are struggling, researchers at the University of Washington created a massive database of faces-they call it MegaFace-and tested a variety of facial-recognition algorithms as they scaled up in complexity. The idea was to test the machines on a database that included up to 1 million different images of nearly 700,000 different people-and not just a large database featuring a relatively small number of different faces, more consistent with what's been used in other research.
As the databases grew, machine accuracy dipped across the board. Algorithms that were right 95% of the time when they were dealing with a 13,000-image database, for example, were accurate about 70% of the time when confronted with 1 million images. That's still pretty good, says one of the researchers, Ira Kemelmacher-Shlizerman. "Much better than we expected," she said.
Machines also had difficulty adjusting for people who look a lot alike-either doppelgangers , whom the machine would have trouble identifying as two separate people, or the same person who appeared in different photos at different ages or in different lighting, whom the machine would incorrectly view as separate people.
"Once we scale up, algorithms must be sensitive to tiny changes in identities and at the same time invariant to lighting, pose, age," Kemelmacher-Shlizerman said.
The trouble is, for many of the researchers who'd like to design systems to address these challenges, massive datasets for experimentation just don't exist-at least, not in formats that are accessible to academic researchers. Training sets like the ones Google and Facebook have are private. There are no public databases that contain millions of faces. MegaFace's creators say it's the largest publicly available facial-recognition dataset out there.
"An ultimate face recognition algorithm should perform with billions of people in a dataset," the researchers wrote. | 2057.txt | 1 |
[
"they believe that their shoes are popular with people of different age groups",
"new production lines have been added to produce inexpensive shoes",
"\"yuppies\" usually evokes a negative image",
"the term makes people think of prohibitive prices"
] | One reason why Reebok's managerial personnel don't like their shoes to be called "footwear for yuppies" is that ________. | Reebok executives do not like to hear their stylish athletic shoes called "footwear for yuppies (,)". They contend that Reebok shoes appeal to diverse market segments, especially now that the company offers basketball and children's shoes for the under-18 set and walking shoes for older customers not interested in aerobics or running. The executives also point out that through recent acquisitions they have added hiking boots, dress and casual shoes, and high-performance athletic footwear to their product lines, all of which should attract new and varied groups of customers.
Still, despite its emphasis on new markets, Reebok plans few changes in the upmarket retailing network that helped push sales to $1 billion annually, ahead of all other sports shoe marketers. Reebok shoes, which are priced from $27 to $85, will continue to be sold only in better specialty, sporting goods, and department stores, in accordance with the company's view that consumers judge the quality of the brand by the quality of its distribution.
In the past few years, the Massachusetts-based company has imposed limits on the number of its distributors (and the number of shoes supplied to stores), partly out of necessity. At times the unexpected demand for Reebok's exceeded supply, and the company could barely keep up with orders from the dealers it already had. These fulfillment problems seem to be under control now, but the company is still selective about its distributors. At present, Reebok shoes are available in about five thousand retail stores in the United States.
Reebok has already anticipated that walking shoes will be the next fitness-related craze, replacing aerobics shoes the same way its brightly colored, soft leather exercise footwear replaced conventional running shoes. Through product diversification and careful market research, Reebok hopes to avoid the distribution problems Nike came across several years ago, when Nike misjudged the strength of the aerobics shoe craze and was forced to unload huge inventories of running shoes through discount stores. | 3755.txt | 0 |
[
"the quality of a brand is measured by the service quality of the store selling it",
"the quality of a product determines the quality of its distributors",
"the popularity of a brand is determined by the stores that sell it",
"consumers believe that first-rate products are only sold by high-quality stores"
] | Reebok's view that "consumers judge the quality of the brand by the quality of its distribution" (Line 5, Para. 2) implies that ________. | Reebok executives do not like to hear their stylish athletic shoes called "footwear for yuppies (,)". They contend that Reebok shoes appeal to diverse market segments, especially now that the company offers basketball and children's shoes for the under-18 set and walking shoes for older customers not interested in aerobics or running. The executives also point out that through recent acquisitions they have added hiking boots, dress and casual shoes, and high-performance athletic footwear to their product lines, all of which should attract new and varied groups of customers.
Still, despite its emphasis on new markets, Reebok plans few changes in the upmarket retailing network that helped push sales to $1 billion annually, ahead of all other sports shoe marketers. Reebok shoes, which are priced from $27 to $85, will continue to be sold only in better specialty, sporting goods, and department stores, in accordance with the company's view that consumers judge the quality of the brand by the quality of its distribution.
In the past few years, the Massachusetts-based company has imposed limits on the number of its distributors (and the number of shoes supplied to stores), partly out of necessity. At times the unexpected demand for Reebok's exceeded supply, and the company could barely keep up with orders from the dealers it already had. These fulfillment problems seem to be under control now, but the company is still selective about its distributors. At present, Reebok shoes are available in about five thousand retail stores in the United States.
Reebok has already anticipated that walking shoes will be the next fitness-related craze, replacing aerobics shoes the same way its brightly colored, soft leather exercise footwear replaced conventional running shoes. Through product diversification and careful market research, Reebok hopes to avoid the distribution problems Nike came across several years ago, when Nike misjudged the strength of the aerobics shoe craze and was forced to unload huge inventories of running shoes through discount stores. | 3755.txt | 3 |
[
"its supply of products fell short of demand",
"too many distributors would cut into its profits",
"the reduction of distributors could increase its share of the market",
"it wanted to enhance consumer confidence in its products"
] | Reebok once had to limit the number of its distributors because ________. | Reebok executives do not like to hear their stylish athletic shoes called "footwear for yuppies (,)". They contend that Reebok shoes appeal to diverse market segments, especially now that the company offers basketball and children's shoes for the under-18 set and walking shoes for older customers not interested in aerobics or running. The executives also point out that through recent acquisitions they have added hiking boots, dress and casual shoes, and high-performance athletic footwear to their product lines, all of which should attract new and varied groups of customers.
Still, despite its emphasis on new markets, Reebok plans few changes in the upmarket retailing network that helped push sales to $1 billion annually, ahead of all other sports shoe marketers. Reebok shoes, which are priced from $27 to $85, will continue to be sold only in better specialty, sporting goods, and department stores, in accordance with the company's view that consumers judge the quality of the brand by the quality of its distribution.
In the past few years, the Massachusetts-based company has imposed limits on the number of its distributors (and the number of shoes supplied to stores), partly out of necessity. At times the unexpected demand for Reebok's exceeded supply, and the company could barely keep up with orders from the dealers it already had. These fulfillment problems seem to be under control now, but the company is still selective about its distributors. At present, Reebok shoes are available in about five thousand retail stores in the United States.
Reebok has already anticipated that walking shoes will be the next fitness-related craze, replacing aerobics shoes the same way its brightly colored, soft leather exercise footwear replaced conventional running shoes. Through product diversification and careful market research, Reebok hopes to avoid the distribution problems Nike came across several years ago, when Nike misjudged the strength of the aerobics shoe craze and was forced to unload huge inventories of running shoes through discount stores. | 3755.txt | 0 |
[
"does not want to further expand its retailing network",
"still limits the number of shoes supplied to stores",
"is still particular about who sells its products",
"still carefully chooses the manufacturers of its products"
] | Although the Reebok Company has solved the problem of fulfilling its orders, it ________. | Reebok executives do not like to hear their stylish athletic shoes called "footwear for yuppies (,)". They contend that Reebok shoes appeal to diverse market segments, especially now that the company offers basketball and children's shoes for the under-18 set and walking shoes for older customers not interested in aerobics or running. The executives also point out that through recent acquisitions they have added hiking boots, dress and casual shoes, and high-performance athletic footwear to their product lines, all of which should attract new and varied groups of customers.
Still, despite its emphasis on new markets, Reebok plans few changes in the upmarket retailing network that helped push sales to $1 billion annually, ahead of all other sports shoe marketers. Reebok shoes, which are priced from $27 to $85, will continue to be sold only in better specialty, sporting goods, and department stores, in accordance with the company's view that consumers judge the quality of the brand by the quality of its distribution.
In the past few years, the Massachusetts-based company has imposed limits on the number of its distributors (and the number of shoes supplied to stores), partly out of necessity. At times the unexpected demand for Reebok's exceeded supply, and the company could barely keep up with orders from the dealers it already had. These fulfillment problems seem to be under control now, but the company is still selective about its distributors. At present, Reebok shoes are available in about five thousand retail stores in the United States.
Reebok has already anticipated that walking shoes will be the next fitness-related craze, replacing aerobics shoes the same way its brightly colored, soft leather exercise footwear replaced conventional running shoes. Through product diversification and careful market research, Reebok hopes to avoid the distribution problems Nike came across several years ago, when Nike misjudged the strength of the aerobics shoe craze and was forced to unload huge inventories of running shoes through discount stores. | 3755.txt | 2 |
[
"A company should not sell its high quality shoes in discount stores.",
"A company should not limit its distribution network.",
"A company should do follow-up surveys of its products.",
"A company should correctly evaluate the impact of a new craze on the market."
] | What lesson has Reebok learned from Nike's distribution problems? | Reebok executives do not like to hear their stylish athletic shoes called "footwear for yuppies (,)". They contend that Reebok shoes appeal to diverse market segments, especially now that the company offers basketball and children's shoes for the under-18 set and walking shoes for older customers not interested in aerobics or running. The executives also point out that through recent acquisitions they have added hiking boots, dress and casual shoes, and high-performance athletic footwear to their product lines, all of which should attract new and varied groups of customers.
Still, despite its emphasis on new markets, Reebok plans few changes in the upmarket retailing network that helped push sales to $1 billion annually, ahead of all other sports shoe marketers. Reebok shoes, which are priced from $27 to $85, will continue to be sold only in better specialty, sporting goods, and department stores, in accordance with the company's view that consumers judge the quality of the brand by the quality of its distribution.
In the past few years, the Massachusetts-based company has imposed limits on the number of its distributors (and the number of shoes supplied to stores), partly out of necessity. At times the unexpected demand for Reebok's exceeded supply, and the company could barely keep up with orders from the dealers it already had. These fulfillment problems seem to be under control now, but the company is still selective about its distributors. At present, Reebok shoes are available in about five thousand retail stores in the United States.
Reebok has already anticipated that walking shoes will be the next fitness-related craze, replacing aerobics shoes the same way its brightly colored, soft leather exercise footwear replaced conventional running shoes. Through product diversification and careful market research, Reebok hopes to avoid the distribution problems Nike came across several years ago, when Nike misjudged the strength of the aerobics shoe craze and was forced to unload huge inventories of running shoes through discount stores. | 3755.txt | 3 |
[
"A means of diversion in which suffering is transformed into joy",
"An art form that sometimes stifles creative energy",
"A bridge between the mundane and the unreal",
"A medium for conveying important information"
] | It can be inferred from the passage that the author considers poetry to be which of the following? | The Black experience, one might automatically assume, is known to every Black author. Henry James was pondering a similar assumption when he said: "You were to suffer your fate.That was not necessarily to know it." This disparity between an experience and knowledge of that experience is the longest bridge an artist must cross. Don L. Lee, in his picture of the Black poet "studying his own poetry and poetry of other Black poets," touches on the crucial point. In order to transform his own suffering-or joys-as a Black person into usable knowledge for his readers, the author must first order his experiences in his mind. Only then can be create feelingly and coherently the combination of fact and meaning that Black audiences require for the reexploration of their lives. A cultural community of Black authors studying one another's best works systematically would represent a dynamic interchange of the spirit-corrective and instructive and increasingly beautiful in its recorded expression. | 1968.txt | 3 |
[
"Courses that promote cultural awareness through the study of contemporary art",
"The development of creative writing courses that encourage mutual criticism of student work",
"Growing interest in extemporaneous writing that records experiences as they occur",
"A shift in interest from abstract philosophical poetry to concrete autobiographical poetry"
] | It can be inferred from the passage that the author would be LEAST likely to approve of which of the following? | The Black experience, one might automatically assume, is known to every Black author. Henry James was pondering a similar assumption when he said: "You were to suffer your fate.That was not necessarily to know it." This disparity between an experience and knowledge of that experience is the longest bridge an artist must cross. Don L. Lee, in his picture of the Black poet "studying his own poetry and poetry of other Black poets," touches on the crucial point. In order to transform his own suffering-or joys-as a Black person into usable knowledge for his readers, the author must first order his experiences in his mind. Only then can be create feelingly and coherently the combination of fact and meaning that Black audiences require for the reexploration of their lives. A cultural community of Black authors studying one another's best works systematically would represent a dynamic interchange of the spirit-corrective and instructive and increasingly beautiful in its recorded expression. | 1968.txt | 2 |
[
"support his own perception of \"the longest bridge (line 9)",
"illustrate a coherent \"combination of fact and meaning (line 20)",
"provide an example of \"dynamic interchange of the spirit(line 26)",
"establish the pervasiveness of lack of self-knowledge"
] | The author refers to Henry James primarily in order to | The Black experience, one might automatically assume, is known to every Black author. Henry James was pondering a similar assumption when he said: "You were to suffer your fate.That was not necessarily to know it." This disparity between an experience and knowledge of that experience is the longest bridge an artist must cross. Don L. Lee, in his picture of the Black poet "studying his own poetry and poetry of other Black poets," touches on the crucial point. In order to transform his own suffering-or joys-as a Black person into usable knowledge for his readers, the author must first order his experiences in his mind. Only then can be create feelingly and coherently the combination of fact and meaning that Black audiences require for the reexploration of their lives. A cultural community of Black authors studying one another's best works systematically would represent a dynamic interchange of the spirit-corrective and instructive and increasingly beautiful in its recorded expression. | 1968.txt | 0 |
[
"to pull down hospital buildings",
"to decorate hospitals with art collections",
"to improve the quality of treatment in hospitals",
"to make the corners of hospital buildings round"
] | According to the passage, "to soften the hard edges of modern buildings" means | The medical world is gradually realizing that the quality of the environment in hospitals may play a significant role in the process of recovery from illness.
As part of a nationwide effort in Britain to bring art out of the galleries and into public places, some of the country's most talented artists have been called in to transform older hospitals and to soften the hard edges of modern buildings. Of the 2,500 National Health Service hospitals in Britain, almost 100 now have significant collections of contemporary art in corridors, waiting areas and treatment rooms.
These recent initiatives owe a great deal to one artist, Peter Senior, who set up his studio at a Manchester hospital in northeastern England during the early 1970s. He felt the artist had lost his place in modern society, and that art should be enjoyed by a wider audience.
A typical hospital waiting room might have as many as 500 visitors each week. What better place to hold regular exhibitions of art? Senior held the first exhibition of his own paintings in the out-patients waiting area of the Manchester Royal Hospital in 1975. Believed to be Britain's first hospital artist, Senior was so much in demand that he was soon joined by a team of six young art school graduates.
The effect is striking. Now in the corridors and waiting rooms the visitor experiences a full view of fresh colors, playful images and restful courtyards.
The quality of the environment may reduce the need for expensive drugs when a patient is recovering from an illness. A study has shown that patients who had a view onto a garden needed half the number of strong pain killers compared with patients who had no view at all or only a brick wall to look at. | 773.txt | 1 |
[
"He is a pioneer in introducing art into hospitals.",
"He is a doctor interested in painting.",
"He is an artist who has a large collection of paintings.",
"He is a faithful follower of hospital art."
] | What can we say of Peter Senior? | The medical world is gradually realizing that the quality of the environment in hospitals may play a significant role in the process of recovery from illness.
As part of a nationwide effort in Britain to bring art out of the galleries and into public places, some of the country's most talented artists have been called in to transform older hospitals and to soften the hard edges of modern buildings. Of the 2,500 National Health Service hospitals in Britain, almost 100 now have significant collections of contemporary art in corridors, waiting areas and treatment rooms.
These recent initiatives owe a great deal to one artist, Peter Senior, who set up his studio at a Manchester hospital in northeastern England during the early 1970s. He felt the artist had lost his place in modern society, and that art should be enjoyed by a wider audience.
A typical hospital waiting room might have as many as 500 visitors each week. What better place to hold regular exhibitions of art? Senior held the first exhibition of his own paintings in the out-patients waiting area of the Manchester Royal Hospital in 1975. Believed to be Britain's first hospital artist, Senior was so much in demand that he was soon joined by a team of six young art school graduates.
The effect is striking. Now in the corridors and waiting rooms the visitor experiences a full view of fresh colors, playful images and restful courtyards.
The quality of the environment may reduce the need for expensive drugs when a patient is recovering from an illness. A study has shown that patients who had a view onto a garden needed half the number of strong pain killers compared with patients who had no view at all or only a brick wall to look at. | 773.txt | 0 |
[
"art is losing its audience in modern society",
"art galleries should be changed into hospitals",
"patients should be encouraged to learn painting",
"art should be encouraged in British hospitals"
] | According to Peter Senior, _ . | The medical world is gradually realizing that the quality of the environment in hospitals may play a significant role in the process of recovery from illness.
As part of a nationwide effort in Britain to bring art out of the galleries and into public places, some of the country's most talented artists have been called in to transform older hospitals and to soften the hard edges of modern buildings. Of the 2,500 National Health Service hospitals in Britain, almost 100 now have significant collections of contemporary art in corridors, waiting areas and treatment rooms.
These recent initiatives owe a great deal to one artist, Peter Senior, who set up his studio at a Manchester hospital in northeastern England during the early 1970s. He felt the artist had lost his place in modern society, and that art should be enjoyed by a wider audience.
A typical hospital waiting room might have as many as 500 visitors each week. What better place to hold regular exhibitions of art? Senior held the first exhibition of his own paintings in the out-patients waiting area of the Manchester Royal Hospital in 1975. Believed to be Britain's first hospital artist, Senior was so much in demand that he was soon joined by a team of six young art school graduates.
The effect is striking. Now in the corridors and waiting rooms the visitor experiences a full view of fresh colors, playful images and restful courtyards.
The quality of the environment may reduce the need for expensive drugs when a patient is recovering from an illness. A study has shown that patients who had a view onto a garden needed half the number of strong pain killers compared with patients who had no view at all or only a brick wall to look at. | 773.txt | 3 |
[
"patients no longer need drugs in their recovery",
"patients are no longer wholly dependent on expensive drugs",
"patients need good-quality drugs in their recovery",
"patients use fewer pain killers in their recovery"
] | After the improvement of the hospital environment, _ . | The medical world is gradually realizing that the quality of the environment in hospitals may play a significant role in the process of recovery from illness.
As part of a nationwide effort in Britain to bring art out of the galleries and into public places, some of the country's most talented artists have been called in to transform older hospitals and to soften the hard edges of modern buildings. Of the 2,500 National Health Service hospitals in Britain, almost 100 now have significant collections of contemporary art in corridors, waiting areas and treatment rooms.
These recent initiatives owe a great deal to one artist, Peter Senior, who set up his studio at a Manchester hospital in northeastern England during the early 1970s. He felt the artist had lost his place in modern society, and that art should be enjoyed by a wider audience.
A typical hospital waiting room might have as many as 500 visitors each week. What better place to hold regular exhibitions of art? Senior held the first exhibition of his own paintings in the out-patients waiting area of the Manchester Royal Hospital in 1975. Believed to be Britain's first hospital artist, Senior was so much in demand that he was soon joined by a team of six young art school graduates.
The effect is striking. Now in the corridors and waiting rooms the visitor experiences a full view of fresh colors, playful images and restful courtyards.
The quality of the environment may reduce the need for expensive drugs when a patient is recovering from an illness. A study has shown that patients who had a view onto a garden needed half the number of strong pain killers compared with patients who had no view at all or only a brick wall to look at. | 773.txt | 1 |
[
"Peter's enterprise is developing greatly",
"Peter Senior enjoys great popularity",
"they are talented hospital artists",
"the role of hospital environment is being recognized"
] | The fact that six young art school graduates joined Peter shows that _ . | The medical world is gradually realizing that the quality of the environment in hospitals may play a significant role in the process of recovery from illness.
As part of a nationwide effort in Britain to bring art out of the galleries and into public places, some of the country's most talented artists have been called in to transform older hospitals and to soften the hard edges of modern buildings. Of the 2,500 National Health Service hospitals in Britain, almost 100 now have significant collections of contemporary art in corridors, waiting areas and treatment rooms.
These recent initiatives owe a great deal to one artist, Peter Senior, who set up his studio at a Manchester hospital in northeastern England during the early 1970s. He felt the artist had lost his place in modern society, and that art should be enjoyed by a wider audience.
A typical hospital waiting room might have as many as 500 visitors each week. What better place to hold regular exhibitions of art? Senior held the first exhibition of his own paintings in the out-patients waiting area of the Manchester Royal Hospital in 1975. Believed to be Britain's first hospital artist, Senior was so much in demand that he was soon joined by a team of six young art school graduates.
The effect is striking. Now in the corridors and waiting rooms the visitor experiences a full view of fresh colors, playful images and restful courtyards.
The quality of the environment may reduce the need for expensive drugs when a patient is recovering from an illness. A study has shown that patients who had a view onto a garden needed half the number of strong pain killers compared with patients who had no view at all or only a brick wall to look at. | 773.txt | 3 |
[
"Sleep",
"Good Health",
"Dreams",
"Work and Rest"
] | A good title for this passage is _ . | After a busy day of work and play, the body needs to rest. Sleep is necessary for good health. During this time, the body recovers from the activities of the previous day. The rest that you get while sleeping enables your body to prepare itself for the next day.
There are four levels of sleep, each being a little deeper than the one before. As you sleep, your muscles relax little by little. Your heart beats more slowly, and your brain slows down. After you reach the fourth level, your body shifts back and forth from one level of sleep to the other.
Although your mind slows down, from time to time you will dream. Scientists who study sleep state that when dreaming occurs, your eyeballs begin to move more quickly (Although your eyelids are closeD. This stage of sleep is called REM, which stands for rapid eye movement.
If you have trouble falling asleep, some people recommend breathing very deeply. Other people believe that drinking warm milk will help make you drowsy. There is also an old suggestion the counting sheep will put you to sleep! | 4126.txt | 0 |
[
"sick",
"stand up",
"asleep",
"a little sleepy"
] | The word drowsy in the last paragraph means _ . | After a busy day of work and play, the body needs to rest. Sleep is necessary for good health. During this time, the body recovers from the activities of the previous day. The rest that you get while sleeping enables your body to prepare itself for the next day.
There are four levels of sleep, each being a little deeper than the one before. As you sleep, your muscles relax little by little. Your heart beats more slowly, and your brain slows down. After you reach the fourth level, your body shifts back and forth from one level of sleep to the other.
Although your mind slows down, from time to time you will dream. Scientists who study sleep state that when dreaming occurs, your eyeballs begin to move more quickly (Although your eyelids are closeD. This stage of sleep is called REM, which stands for rapid eye movement.
If you have trouble falling asleep, some people recommend breathing very deeply. Other people believe that drinking warm milk will help make you drowsy. There is also an old suggestion the counting sheep will put you to sleep! | 4126.txt | 3 |
[
"dream more often",
"have poor health",
"nervous",
"breathe quickly"
] | This passage suggests that not getting enough sleep might make you _ . | After a busy day of work and play, the body needs to rest. Sleep is necessary for good health. During this time, the body recovers from the activities of the previous day. The rest that you get while sleeping enables your body to prepare itself for the next day.
There are four levels of sleep, each being a little deeper than the one before. As you sleep, your muscles relax little by little. Your heart beats more slowly, and your brain slows down. After you reach the fourth level, your body shifts back and forth from one level of sleep to the other.
Although your mind slows down, from time to time you will dream. Scientists who study sleep state that when dreaming occurs, your eyeballs begin to move more quickly (Although your eyelids are closeD. This stage of sleep is called REM, which stands for rapid eye movement.
If you have trouble falling asleep, some people recommend breathing very deeply. Other people believe that drinking warm milk will help make you drowsy. There is also an old suggestion the counting sheep will put you to sleep! | 4126.txt | 1 |
[
"your eyes move quickly",
"you dream",
"you are restless",
"both A and B"
] | During REM, _ . | After a busy day of work and play, the body needs to rest. Sleep is necessary for good health. During this time, the body recovers from the activities of the previous day. The rest that you get while sleeping enables your body to prepare itself for the next day.
There are four levels of sleep, each being a little deeper than the one before. As you sleep, your muscles relax little by little. Your heart beats more slowly, and your brain slows down. After you reach the fourth level, your body shifts back and forth from one level of sleep to the other.
Although your mind slows down, from time to time you will dream. Scientists who study sleep state that when dreaming occurs, your eyeballs begin to move more quickly (Although your eyelids are closeD. This stage of sleep is called REM, which stands for rapid eye movement.
If you have trouble falling asleep, some people recommend breathing very deeply. Other people believe that drinking warm milk will help make you drowsy. There is also an old suggestion the counting sheep will put you to sleep! | 4126.txt | 3 |
[
"approximately six hours",
"around ten hours",
"about eight hours",
"not stated here"
] | The average number of hours of sleep that an adult needs is _ . | After a busy day of work and play, the body needs to rest. Sleep is necessary for good health. During this time, the body recovers from the activities of the previous day. The rest that you get while sleeping enables your body to prepare itself for the next day.
There are four levels of sleep, each being a little deeper than the one before. As you sleep, your muscles relax little by little. Your heart beats more slowly, and your brain slows down. After you reach the fourth level, your body shifts back and forth from one level of sleep to the other.
Although your mind slows down, from time to time you will dream. Scientists who study sleep state that when dreaming occurs, your eyeballs begin to move more quickly (Although your eyelids are closeD. This stage of sleep is called REM, which stands for rapid eye movement.
If you have trouble falling asleep, some people recommend breathing very deeply. Other people believe that drinking warm milk will help make you drowsy. There is also an old suggestion the counting sheep will put you to sleep! | 4126.txt | 3 |
[
"takes on heavier work",
"does more housework",
"is the main breadwinner",
"is the master of the house"
] | According to the "well-known pattern" in Paragraph 1, a married man _ . | Having a husband means an extra seven hours of housework each week for women, according to a new study. For men, getting married saves an hour of housework a week. "It's a well-known pattern," said lead researcher Frank Stafford at University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. "Men usually work more outside the home, while women take on more of the housework."
He points out that differences among householdsexist. But in general, marriage means more housework for women and less for men. "And the situation gets worse for women when they have children," Stafford said.
Overall, times are changing in the American home. In 1976, women busied themselves with 26 weekly hours of sweeping-and-dusting work, compared with 17 hours in 2005. Men are taking on more housework, more than doubling their housework hours from six in 1976 to 13 in 2005.
Single women in their 20s and 30s did the least housework, about 12 weekly hours, while married women in their 60s and 70s did the most-about 21 hours a week.
Men showed a somewhat different pattern, with older men picking up the broom more often than younger men. Single men worked the hardest around the house, more than that of all other age groups of married men.
Having children increases housework even further. With more than three children, for example, wives took on more of the extra work, clocking about 28 hours a week compared with husbands'10 hours. | 3498.txt | 2 |
[
"About 23.",
"About 26.",
"About 13.",
"About y."
] | How many hours of housework did men do every week in the 1970s? | Having a husband means an extra seven hours of housework each week for women, according to a new study. For men, getting married saves an hour of housework a week. "It's a well-known pattern," said lead researcher Frank Stafford at University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. "Men usually work more outside the home, while women take on more of the housework."
He points out that differences among householdsexist. But in general, marriage means more housework for women and less for men. "And the situation gets worse for women when they have children," Stafford said.
Overall, times are changing in the American home. In 1976, women busied themselves with 26 weekly hours of sweeping-and-dusting work, compared with 17 hours in 2005. Men are taking on more housework, more than doubling their housework hours from six in 1976 to 13 in 2005.
Single women in their 20s and 30s did the least housework, about 12 weekly hours, while married women in their 60s and 70s did the most-about 21 hours a week.
Men showed a somewhat different pattern, with older men picking up the broom more often than younger men. Single men worked the hardest around the house, more than that of all other age groups of married men.
Having children increases housework even further. With more than three children, for example, wives took on more of the extra work, clocking about 28 hours a week compared with husbands'10 hours. | 3498.txt | 3 |
[
"An unmarried man.",
"An older married man.",
"A younger married man.",
"A married man with children."
] | What kind of man is doing most housework according to the text? | Having a husband means an extra seven hours of housework each week for women, according to a new study. For men, getting married saves an hour of housework a week. "It's a well-known pattern," said lead researcher Frank Stafford at University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. "Men usually work more outside the home, while women take on more of the housework."
He points out that differences among householdsexist. But in general, marriage means more housework for women and less for men. "And the situation gets worse for women when they have children," Stafford said.
Overall, times are changing in the American home. In 1976, women busied themselves with 26 weekly hours of sweeping-and-dusting work, compared with 17 hours in 2005. Men are taking on more housework, more than doubling their housework hours from six in 1976 to 13 in 2005.
Single women in their 20s and 30s did the least housework, about 12 weekly hours, while married women in their 60s and 70s did the most-about 21 hours a week.
Men showed a somewhat different pattern, with older men picking up the broom more often than younger men. Single men worked the hardest around the house, more than that of all other age groups of married men.
Having children increases housework even further. With more than three children, for example, wives took on more of the extra work, clocking about 28 hours a week compared with husbands'10 hours. | 3498.txt | 0 |
[
"Marriage gives men more freedom.",
"Marriage has effects on job choices.",
"Housework sharing changes over time.",
"Having children means doubled housework."
] | What can we conclude from Stafford's research? | Having a husband means an extra seven hours of housework each week for women, according to a new study. For men, getting married saves an hour of housework a week. "It's a well-known pattern," said lead researcher Frank Stafford at University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. "Men usually work more outside the home, while women take on more of the housework."
He points out that differences among householdsexist. But in general, marriage means more housework for women and less for men. "And the situation gets worse for women when they have children," Stafford said.
Overall, times are changing in the American home. In 1976, women busied themselves with 26 weekly hours of sweeping-and-dusting work, compared with 17 hours in 2005. Men are taking on more housework, more than doubling their housework hours from six in 1976 to 13 in 2005.
Single women in their 20s and 30s did the least housework, about 12 weekly hours, while married women in their 60s and 70s did the most-about 21 hours a week.
Men showed a somewhat different pattern, with older men picking up the broom more often than younger men. Single men worked the hardest around the house, more than that of all other age groups of married men.
Having children increases housework even further. With more than three children, for example, wives took on more of the extra work, clocking about 28 hours a week compared with husbands'10 hours. | 3498.txt | 2 |
[
"serves as a description of human history",
"serves as an introduction to the discussion",
"shows a disagreement of view",
"shows the popularity of the book"
] | A particular mention made of Stapledon‘s book in the opening paragraph _ . | Olaf Stapledon wrote a book called First and last Men, in which he looked millions of years ahead. He told of different men and of strange civilizations, broken up by long ?dark ages‘'in between. In his view, what is called the present time is no more than a moment in human history and we are just the First Men. In 2000 million years from now there will be the Eighteenth or Last Men.
However, most of our ideas about the future are really very short-sighted. Perhaps we can see some possibilities for the next fifty years. But the next hundred/the next thousand/the next million? That‘s much more difficult.
When men and women lived by hunting 50000 years ago, how could they have even begun to picture modern life? Yet to men of 50000 years from now, we may seem as primitive in our ideas as the Stone-Age hunters did to us. Perhaps they will spend their days gollocking to make new spundels, or struggling with their ballalators through the cribe. These words, which I have just made up, have to stand for things and ideas that we simply can‘t think of.
So why bother even to try imagining life far in the future? Here are two reasons. First, unless we remember how short our own lives are compared with whole human history, we are likely to think our own interests are much more important than they really are. If we make the earth a poor place to live on because we are careless or greedy or quarrelsome, our grandchildren will not bother to think of excuse for us.
Second, by trying to escape from present interests and imagine life far in the future, we may arrive at quite fresh ideas that we can use ourselves. For example, if we imagine that in the future man may give up farming, we can think of trying it now. So set your imagination free when you think about the future. | 2545.txt | 1 |
[
"human history is extremely long",
"life has changed a great deal",
"it is useless to plan for the next 50 years",
"it is difficult to tell what will happen in the future"
] | The text discusses men and woman 50000 yeas ago and 50000 years from now in order to show that _ . | Olaf Stapledon wrote a book called First and last Men, in which he looked millions of years ahead. He told of different men and of strange civilizations, broken up by long ?dark ages‘'in between. In his view, what is called the present time is no more than a moment in human history and we are just the First Men. In 2000 million years from now there will be the Eighteenth or Last Men.
However, most of our ideas about the future are really very short-sighted. Perhaps we can see some possibilities for the next fifty years. But the next hundred/the next thousand/the next million? That‘s much more difficult.
When men and women lived by hunting 50000 years ago, how could they have even begun to picture modern life? Yet to men of 50000 years from now, we may seem as primitive in our ideas as the Stone-Age hunters did to us. Perhaps they will spend their days gollocking to make new spundels, or struggling with their ballalators through the cribe. These words, which I have just made up, have to stand for things and ideas that we simply can‘t think of.
So why bother even to try imagining life far in the future? Here are two reasons. First, unless we remember how short our own lives are compared with whole human history, we are likely to think our own interests are much more important than they really are. If we make the earth a poor place to live on because we are careless or greedy or quarrelsome, our grandchildren will not bother to think of excuse for us.
Second, by trying to escape from present interests and imagine life far in the future, we may arrive at quite fresh ideas that we can use ourselves. For example, if we imagine that in the future man may give up farming, we can think of trying it now. So set your imagination free when you think about the future. | 2545.txt | 3 |
[
"serve the interests of the present and future generations",
"enable us to better understand human history",
"help us to improve farming",
"make life worth living"
] | According to the writer of the text, imagining the future will _ . | Olaf Stapledon wrote a book called First and last Men, in which he looked millions of years ahead. He told of different men and of strange civilizations, broken up by long ?dark ages‘'in between. In his view, what is called the present time is no more than a moment in human history and we are just the First Men. In 2000 million years from now there will be the Eighteenth or Last Men.
However, most of our ideas about the future are really very short-sighted. Perhaps we can see some possibilities for the next fifty years. But the next hundred/the next thousand/the next million? That‘s much more difficult.
When men and women lived by hunting 50000 years ago, how could they have even begun to picture modern life? Yet to men of 50000 years from now, we may seem as primitive in our ideas as the Stone-Age hunters did to us. Perhaps they will spend their days gollocking to make new spundels, or struggling with their ballalators through the cribe. These words, which I have just made up, have to stand for things and ideas that we simply can‘t think of.
So why bother even to try imagining life far in the future? Here are two reasons. First, unless we remember how short our own lives are compared with whole human history, we are likely to think our own interests are much more important than they really are. If we make the earth a poor place to live on because we are careless or greedy or quarrelsome, our grandchildren will not bother to think of excuse for us.
Second, by trying to escape from present interests and imagine life far in the future, we may arrive at quite fresh ideas that we can use ourselves. For example, if we imagine that in the future man may give up farming, we can think of trying it now. So set your imagination free when you think about the future. | 2545.txt | 0 |
[
"harmful",
"agreeable",
"pitiful",
"sorry"
] | The word "sympathetic" in Paragraph 2 most probably means _ . | Plastics are materials which are softened by heat and set into lasting form when shaped in a mold. Some are natural; some are semi-synthetic, the result of chemical action on natural substance; some are synthetic, built up from the constituents of oil or coal. All are based on the chemistry of carbon, with its capacity for forming chains. The molecules that compose them (monomers) link together in the setting or curing process to form chains (polymers) , which give plastics their flexible strength. Some plastics retain their ability to be softened and reshaped; like wax, they are thermoplastic. Others set permanently in the shapes they are given by heat and pressure; like eggs, they are thermosetting.
From industrial beginnings in the nineteenth century, plastics have struggled through a hundred and twenty years of glory, failure, disrepute and suspicion on the slow road to public acceptance. Now, at last, one can positively say that plastics are appreciated and enjoyed for what they are; that they make modern life richer, more comfortable and convenient, and also more fun. Plastics are warm materials, sympathetic to the human touch, and their transformation into things that come into contact with human beings is entirely appropriate.
The fact that there are plastic antiques comes as a shock to most people. How can a material that seems so essentially twentieth century, and one that is so much associated with cheap, disposable products, has a history at all? It is a young technology, and a great part of the fun of collecting plastics is that beautiful pieces of historical interest can still be found very cheaply. | 953.txt | 1 |
[
"plastics are synthetic materials",
"plastics won public acceptance 120 years ago",
"plastics are very harmful in modern life",
"plastics are cheap as antiques"
] | It can be concluded from this passage that _ . | Plastics are materials which are softened by heat and set into lasting form when shaped in a mold. Some are natural; some are semi-synthetic, the result of chemical action on natural substance; some are synthetic, built up from the constituents of oil or coal. All are based on the chemistry of carbon, with its capacity for forming chains. The molecules that compose them (monomers) link together in the setting or curing process to form chains (polymers) , which give plastics their flexible strength. Some plastics retain their ability to be softened and reshaped; like wax, they are thermoplastic. Others set permanently in the shapes they are given by heat and pressure; like eggs, they are thermosetting.
From industrial beginnings in the nineteenth century, plastics have struggled through a hundred and twenty years of glory, failure, disrepute and suspicion on the slow road to public acceptance. Now, at last, one can positively say that plastics are appreciated and enjoyed for what they are; that they make modern life richer, more comfortable and convenient, and also more fun. Plastics are warm materials, sympathetic to the human touch, and their transformation into things that come into contact with human beings is entirely appropriate.
The fact that there are plastic antiques comes as a shock to most people. How can a material that seems so essentially twentieth century, and one that is so much associated with cheap, disposable products, has a history at all? It is a young technology, and a great part of the fun of collecting plastics is that beautiful pieces of historical interest can still be found very cheaply. | 953.txt | 3 |
[
"Carbon.",
"Eggs.",
"Oil.",
"Coal."
] | Which of the following is essential to create any type of plastics? | Plastics are materials which are softened by heat and set into lasting form when shaped in a mold. Some are natural; some are semi-synthetic, the result of chemical action on natural substance; some are synthetic, built up from the constituents of oil or coal. All are based on the chemistry of carbon, with its capacity for forming chains. The molecules that compose them (monomers) link together in the setting or curing process to form chains (polymers) , which give plastics their flexible strength. Some plastics retain their ability to be softened and reshaped; like wax, they are thermoplastic. Others set permanently in the shapes they are given by heat and pressure; like eggs, they are thermosetting.
From industrial beginnings in the nineteenth century, plastics have struggled through a hundred and twenty years of glory, failure, disrepute and suspicion on the slow road to public acceptance. Now, at last, one can positively say that plastics are appreciated and enjoyed for what they are; that they make modern life richer, more comfortable and convenient, and also more fun. Plastics are warm materials, sympathetic to the human touch, and their transformation into things that come into contact with human beings is entirely appropriate.
The fact that there are plastic antiques comes as a shock to most people. How can a material that seems so essentially twentieth century, and one that is so much associated with cheap, disposable products, has a history at all? It is a young technology, and a great part of the fun of collecting plastics is that beautiful pieces of historical interest can still be found very cheaply. | 953.txt | 0 |
[
"chained",
"thermoplastic",
"synthetic",
"thermosetting"
] | Plastics that harden into permanent shapes are called _ . | Plastics are materials which are softened by heat and set into lasting form when shaped in a mold. Some are natural; some are semi-synthetic, the result of chemical action on natural substance; some are synthetic, built up from the constituents of oil or coal. All are based on the chemistry of carbon, with its capacity for forming chains. The molecules that compose them (monomers) link together in the setting or curing process to form chains (polymers) , which give plastics their flexible strength. Some plastics retain their ability to be softened and reshaped; like wax, they are thermoplastic. Others set permanently in the shapes they are given by heat and pressure; like eggs, they are thermosetting.
From industrial beginnings in the nineteenth century, plastics have struggled through a hundred and twenty years of glory, failure, disrepute and suspicion on the slow road to public acceptance. Now, at last, one can positively say that plastics are appreciated and enjoyed for what they are; that they make modern life richer, more comfortable and convenient, and also more fun. Plastics are warm materials, sympathetic to the human touch, and their transformation into things that come into contact with human beings is entirely appropriate.
The fact that there are plastic antiques comes as a shock to most people. How can a material that seems so essentially twentieth century, and one that is so much associated with cheap, disposable products, has a history at all? It is a young technology, and a great part of the fun of collecting plastics is that beautiful pieces of historical interest can still be found very cheaply. | 953.txt | 3 |
[
"The Importance of Plastics in the Nineteenth Century.",
"Why People Are Suspicious of Plastics.",
"The Development of Plastics as a Modern Material.",
"How Plastics Are Manufactured."
] | Which of the following is the best title for the passage? | Plastics are materials which are softened by heat and set into lasting form when shaped in a mold. Some are natural; some are semi-synthetic, the result of chemical action on natural substance; some are synthetic, built up from the constituents of oil or coal. All are based on the chemistry of carbon, with its capacity for forming chains. The molecules that compose them (monomers) link together in the setting or curing process to form chains (polymers) , which give plastics their flexible strength. Some plastics retain their ability to be softened and reshaped; like wax, they are thermoplastic. Others set permanently in the shapes they are given by heat and pressure; like eggs, they are thermosetting.
From industrial beginnings in the nineteenth century, plastics have struggled through a hundred and twenty years of glory, failure, disrepute and suspicion on the slow road to public acceptance. Now, at last, one can positively say that plastics are appreciated and enjoyed for what they are; that they make modern life richer, more comfortable and convenient, and also more fun. Plastics are warm materials, sympathetic to the human touch, and their transformation into things that come into contact with human beings is entirely appropriate.
The fact that there are plastic antiques comes as a shock to most people. How can a material that seems so essentially twentieth century, and one that is so much associated with cheap, disposable products, has a history at all? It is a young technology, and a great part of the fun of collecting plastics is that beautiful pieces of historical interest can still be found very cheaply. | 953.txt | 2 |
[
"the command post is stationed with people all the time.",
"the command post is crowed with people all the time.",
"there are clocks around the command post.",
"the clock in the command post is taken care of by the staff."
] | The main idea of the first sentence in the passage is that _ . | The government-run command post in Tunis is staffed around the clock by military personnel, meteorologists and civilians. On the wall are maps, crisscrossed with brightly colors arrows that painstakingly track the fearsome path of the enemy.
What kind of invader gives rise to such high-level monitoring? Not man, not beast, but the lowly desert locust. In recent months, billions of the 3-inch-long winged warriors have descended on Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia, blackening the sky and eating up crops and vegetation. The insect invasion, the worst in 30 years, is already creating great destruction in the Middle East and is now treating southern Europe. The current crisis began in late 1985 near the Red Sea. Unusually rainy weather moistened the sands of the Sudan, making them ideal breeding grounds for the locust, which lays its eggs in the earth. The insect onslaught threatens to create yet another African famine. Each locust can eat its weight (not quite a tenth of an ounce) in vegetation every 24 hours. A good-size swarm of 50 billion insects eats up 100,000 tons of grass, trees and crops in a single night.
All ﹩150 million may be needed this year. The U. S. has provided two spraying planes and about 50,000 gal. of pesticide. The European Community has donated ﹩3.8 million in aid and the Soviet Union, Canada, Japan and China have provided chemical-spraying aircraft to help wipe out the pests. But relief efforts are hampered by the relative mildness of approved pesticides, which quickly lose their deadly punch and require frequent replications. The most effective locust killer dieldrin has been linked to cancer and is banned by many Western countries and some of the affected African nations. More then 5 million acres have been dusted with locust-killing chemicals; another 5 million will be treated by the end of June.
On May 30, representatives of Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Mauritania will meet in Algiers to discuss tactics to wipe out the ravenous swarms. The move is an important step, but whatever plan is devised, the locust plague promised to get worse before the insects can be brought under control. | 1398.txt | 1 |
[
"rich soil.",
"wet land",
"paces covered crops and vegetation",
"the Red Sea"
] | The favorable breeding ground for the locust is _ . | The government-run command post in Tunis is staffed around the clock by military personnel, meteorologists and civilians. On the wall are maps, crisscrossed with brightly colors arrows that painstakingly track the fearsome path of the enemy.
What kind of invader gives rise to such high-level monitoring? Not man, not beast, but the lowly desert locust. In recent months, billions of the 3-inch-long winged warriors have descended on Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia, blackening the sky and eating up crops and vegetation. The insect invasion, the worst in 30 years, is already creating great destruction in the Middle East and is now treating southern Europe. The current crisis began in late 1985 near the Red Sea. Unusually rainy weather moistened the sands of the Sudan, making them ideal breeding grounds for the locust, which lays its eggs in the earth. The insect onslaught threatens to create yet another African famine. Each locust can eat its weight (not quite a tenth of an ounce) in vegetation every 24 hours. A good-size swarm of 50 billion insects eats up 100,000 tons of grass, trees and crops in a single night.
All ﹩150 million may be needed this year. The U. S. has provided two spraying planes and about 50,000 gal. of pesticide. The European Community has donated ﹩3.8 million in aid and the Soviet Union, Canada, Japan and China have provided chemical-spraying aircraft to help wipe out the pests. But relief efforts are hampered by the relative mildness of approved pesticides, which quickly lose their deadly punch and require frequent replications. The most effective locust killer dieldrin has been linked to cancer and is banned by many Western countries and some of the affected African nations. More then 5 million acres have been dusted with locust-killing chemicals; another 5 million will be treated by the end of June.
On May 30, representatives of Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Mauritania will meet in Algiers to discuss tactics to wipe out the ravenous swarms. The move is an important step, but whatever plan is devised, the locust plague promised to get worse before the insects can be brought under control. | 1398.txt | 1 |
[
"the insects are likely to create another African famine.",
"the insects may blacked the sky.",
"the number of the insects increases drastically.",
"the insects are gathering and moving in great speed."
] | People are alert at the threat of the locust because _ . | The government-run command post in Tunis is staffed around the clock by military personnel, meteorologists and civilians. On the wall are maps, crisscrossed with brightly colors arrows that painstakingly track the fearsome path of the enemy.
What kind of invader gives rise to such high-level monitoring? Not man, not beast, but the lowly desert locust. In recent months, billions of the 3-inch-long winged warriors have descended on Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia, blackening the sky and eating up crops and vegetation. The insect invasion, the worst in 30 years, is already creating great destruction in the Middle East and is now treating southern Europe. The current crisis began in late 1985 near the Red Sea. Unusually rainy weather moistened the sands of the Sudan, making them ideal breeding grounds for the locust, which lays its eggs in the earth. The insect onslaught threatens to create yet another African famine. Each locust can eat its weight (not quite a tenth of an ounce) in vegetation every 24 hours. A good-size swarm of 50 billion insects eats up 100,000 tons of grass, trees and crops in a single night.
All ﹩150 million may be needed this year. The U. S. has provided two spraying planes and about 50,000 gal. of pesticide. The European Community has donated ﹩3.8 million in aid and the Soviet Union, Canada, Japan and China have provided chemical-spraying aircraft to help wipe out the pests. But relief efforts are hampered by the relative mildness of approved pesticides, which quickly lose their deadly punch and require frequent replications. The most effective locust killer dieldrin has been linked to cancer and is banned by many Western countries and some of the affected African nations. More then 5 million acres have been dusted with locust-killing chemicals; another 5 million will be treated by the end of June.
On May 30, representatives of Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Mauritania will meet in Algiers to discuss tactics to wipe out the ravenous swarms. The move is an important step, but whatever plan is devised, the locust plague promised to get worse before the insects can be brought under control. | 1398.txt | 0 |
[
"Once the pesticides are used, locust will die immediately.",
"Relief efforts are proved most fruitful due to the effectiveness of certain pesticides.",
"Dieldrin, the most effective locust killer, has been widely accepted in many countries.",
"Over 10 million acres of affected area will have been treated with locust-killing chemicals by the end of June."
] | Which of the following is true? | The government-run command post in Tunis is staffed around the clock by military personnel, meteorologists and civilians. On the wall are maps, crisscrossed with brightly colors arrows that painstakingly track the fearsome path of the enemy.
What kind of invader gives rise to such high-level monitoring? Not man, not beast, but the lowly desert locust. In recent months, billions of the 3-inch-long winged warriors have descended on Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia, blackening the sky and eating up crops and vegetation. The insect invasion, the worst in 30 years, is already creating great destruction in the Middle East and is now treating southern Europe. The current crisis began in late 1985 near the Red Sea. Unusually rainy weather moistened the sands of the Sudan, making them ideal breeding grounds for the locust, which lays its eggs in the earth. The insect onslaught threatens to create yet another African famine. Each locust can eat its weight (not quite a tenth of an ounce) in vegetation every 24 hours. A good-size swarm of 50 billion insects eats up 100,000 tons of grass, trees and crops in a single night.
All ﹩150 million may be needed this year. The U. S. has provided two spraying planes and about 50,000 gal. of pesticide. The European Community has donated ﹩3.8 million in aid and the Soviet Union, Canada, Japan and China have provided chemical-spraying aircraft to help wipe out the pests. But relief efforts are hampered by the relative mildness of approved pesticides, which quickly lose their deadly punch and require frequent replications. The most effective locust killer dieldrin has been linked to cancer and is banned by many Western countries and some of the affected African nations. More then 5 million acres have been dusted with locust-killing chemicals; another 5 million will be treated by the end of June.
On May 30, representatives of Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Mauritania will meet in Algiers to discuss tactics to wipe out the ravenous swarms. The move is an important step, but whatever plan is devised, the locust plague promised to get worse before the insects can be brought under control. | 1398.txt | 3 |
[
"to devise antilocust plans.",
"to wipe out the swarms in two years.",
"to call out for additional financial aid from other nations.",
"to bring the insects under control before the plague gets worse."
] | The purpose for affected nations to meet in Algiers on May 30 is _ . | The government-run command post in Tunis is staffed around the clock by military personnel, meteorologists and civilians. On the wall are maps, crisscrossed with brightly colors arrows that painstakingly track the fearsome path of the enemy.
What kind of invader gives rise to such high-level monitoring? Not man, not beast, but the lowly desert locust. In recent months, billions of the 3-inch-long winged warriors have descended on Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia, blackening the sky and eating up crops and vegetation. The insect invasion, the worst in 30 years, is already creating great destruction in the Middle East and is now treating southern Europe. The current crisis began in late 1985 near the Red Sea. Unusually rainy weather moistened the sands of the Sudan, making them ideal breeding grounds for the locust, which lays its eggs in the earth. The insect onslaught threatens to create yet another African famine. Each locust can eat its weight (not quite a tenth of an ounce) in vegetation every 24 hours. A good-size swarm of 50 billion insects eats up 100,000 tons of grass, trees and crops in a single night.
All ﹩150 million may be needed this year. The U. S. has provided two spraying planes and about 50,000 gal. of pesticide. The European Community has donated ﹩3.8 million in aid and the Soviet Union, Canada, Japan and China have provided chemical-spraying aircraft to help wipe out the pests. But relief efforts are hampered by the relative mildness of approved pesticides, which quickly lose their deadly punch and require frequent replications. The most effective locust killer dieldrin has been linked to cancer and is banned by many Western countries and some of the affected African nations. More then 5 million acres have been dusted with locust-killing chemicals; another 5 million will be treated by the end of June.
On May 30, representatives of Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Mauritania will meet in Algiers to discuss tactics to wipe out the ravenous swarms. The move is an important step, but whatever plan is devised, the locust plague promised to get worse before the insects can be brought under control. | 1398.txt | 0 |
[
"propose and defend a theory about the consequences of a certain historical event",
"present historical facts and offer a broader interpretation of those facts than has been offered in the past",
"describe the socioeconomic effects of a widely held attitude during a particular historical period",
"demonstrate the superiority of using an economic approach to historical analysis"
] | The primary purpose of the passage is to | Feelings of hopelessness among medieval workers trapped in the poverty cycle gradually lessened as it became possible for women's labor to supplement a family's money income by more than pennies. By 1300, women spinners could be found working on their own for wealthy sponsors, even after the introduction it Italy and France of a prohibition against advancing money for supplies to women spinners.Historians have usually interpreted this prohibition simply as evidence of women's economic subjection,since it obliged them to turn to usurers; however, it was also almost certainly a response to a trend toward differential reward for women's higher skill. Yarn can be spun irregularly and lumpily, but perfectly smooth yarn is worth more. Working for merchant entrepreneurs on time rates.women had been paid hardly more than children; working as entrepreneurs themselves and producing good work by the piece, they could break into the rational system of differential rewards. | 1973.txt | 1 |
[
"unfair and not rational",
"undesirable but unavoidable",
"efficient and profitable",
"advantageous to most women workers"
] | It can be inferred from the passage that the author views the system of paying all workers equally on time rates as | Feelings of hopelessness among medieval workers trapped in the poverty cycle gradually lessened as it became possible for women's labor to supplement a family's money income by more than pennies. By 1300, women spinners could be found working on their own for wealthy sponsors, even after the introduction it Italy and France of a prohibition against advancing money for supplies to women spinners.Historians have usually interpreted this prohibition simply as evidence of women's economic subjection,since it obliged them to turn to usurers; however, it was also almost certainly a response to a trend toward differential reward for women's higher skill. Yarn can be spun irregularly and lumpily, but perfectly smooth yarn is worth more. Working for merchant entrepreneurs on time rates.women had been paid hardly more than children; working as entrepreneurs themselves and producing good work by the piece, they could break into the rational system of differential rewards. | 1973.txt | 0 |
[
"Most of them worked independently for wealthy sponsors.",
"They were not typical of medieval women entrepreneurs.",
"Some of them were paid for their work after it was done, according to its value.",
"They would have been able to contribute substantial amounts to their families incomes were it not for the prohibition against advancing money to them."
] | The passage implies which of the following about women spinners in medieval Europe? | Feelings of hopelessness among medieval workers trapped in the poverty cycle gradually lessened as it became possible for women's labor to supplement a family's money income by more than pennies. By 1300, women spinners could be found working on their own for wealthy sponsors, even after the introduction it Italy and France of a prohibition against advancing money for supplies to women spinners.Historians have usually interpreted this prohibition simply as evidence of women's economic subjection,since it obliged them to turn to usurers; however, it was also almost certainly a response to a trend toward differential reward for women's higher skill. Yarn can be spun irregularly and lumpily, but perfectly smooth yarn is worth more. Working for merchant entrepreneurs on time rates.women had been paid hardly more than children; working as entrepreneurs themselves and producing good work by the piece, they could break into the rational system of differential rewards. | 1973.txt | 2 |
[
"resulted primarily from the lack of a rational system of differential rewards",
"disappeared completely once medieval textile workers were able to break the cycle of poverty",
"were more prevalent among female workers than among male workers",
"came into being in part because of women's limited earning capacity"
] | The passage implies that feeling of hopelessness among medieval workers | Feelings of hopelessness among medieval workers trapped in the poverty cycle gradually lessened as it became possible for women's labor to supplement a family's money income by more than pennies. By 1300, women spinners could be found working on their own for wealthy sponsors, even after the introduction it Italy and France of a prohibition against advancing money for supplies to women spinners.Historians have usually interpreted this prohibition simply as evidence of women's economic subjection,since it obliged them to turn to usurers; however, it was also almost certainly a response to a trend toward differential reward for women's higher skill. Yarn can be spun irregularly and lumpily, but perfectly smooth yarn is worth more. Working for merchant entrepreneurs on time rates.women had been paid hardly more than children; working as entrepreneurs themselves and producing good work by the piece, they could break into the rational system of differential rewards. | 1973.txt | 3 |
[
"Failed to give adequate consideration to the economic contribution of women during the medieval period",
"Overestimated the degree of hopelessness experienced by medieval workers trapped in the poverty cycle",
"ignored the fact that by 1300 many women spinners were working independently rather than for merchant entrepreneurs.",
"Overlooked part of the significant of a prohibition government one aspect of yarn production in medieval Europe."
] | The author suggests that historians have done which of the following? | Feelings of hopelessness among medieval workers trapped in the poverty cycle gradually lessened as it became possible for women's labor to supplement a family's money income by more than pennies. By 1300, women spinners could be found working on their own for wealthy sponsors, even after the introduction it Italy and France of a prohibition against advancing money for supplies to women spinners.Historians have usually interpreted this prohibition simply as evidence of women's economic subjection,since it obliged them to turn to usurers; however, it was also almost certainly a response to a trend toward differential reward for women's higher skill. Yarn can be spun irregularly and lumpily, but perfectly smooth yarn is worth more. Working for merchant entrepreneurs on time rates.women had been paid hardly more than children; working as entrepreneurs themselves and producing good work by the piece, they could break into the rational system of differential rewards. | 1973.txt | 3 |
[
"Because the economy is very interdependent.",
"Because the unions have been established a long time.",
"Because there are more unions in Britain than elsewhere.",
"Because there are many essential services offered by the unions."
] | Why is the trade union power crucial in Britain? | An industrial society, especially one as centralized and concentrated as that of Britain, is heavily dependent on certain essential services: for instance, electricity supply, water, rail and road transport, the harbors. The area of dependency has widened to include removing rubbish, hospital and ambulance services, and, as the economy develops, central computer and information services as well. If any of these services ceases to operate, the whole economic system is in danger.
It is this economic interdependency of the economic system which makes the power of trade unions such an important issue. Single trade unions have the ability to cut off many countries' economic blood supply.
This can happen more easily in Britain than in some other countries, in part because the labor force is highly organized. About 55 percent of British workers belong to unions, compared to under a quarter in the United States.
For historical reasons, Britain's unions have tended to develop along trade and occupational lines, rather than on an industry-by-industry basis, which makes a wages policy, democracy in industry and the improvement of procedures for fixing wage levels difficult to achieve.
There are considerable strains and tensions in the trade union movement, some of them arising from their outdated and inefficient structure. Some unions have lost many members because of their industrial changes.
Others are involved in arguments about who should represent workers in new trades. Unions for skilled trades are separate from general unions, which means that different levels of wages for certain jobs are often a source of bad feelings between unions. In traditional trades which are being pushed out of existence by advancing technologies,unions can fight for their members' disappointing jobs to the point where the jobs of other union members are threatened or destroyed. The printing of newspapers both in the United States and in Britain has frequently been halted by the efforts of printers to hold on to their traditional highly-paid jobs.
Trade unions have problems of internal communication just as managers in companies do, problems which multiply in very large unions or in those which bring workers in very different industries together into a single general union. Some trade union officials have to be re-elected regularly; others are elected, or even appointed, for life. Trade union officials have to work with a system of "shop stewards" in many unions, "shop stewards" being workers elected by other workers as their representatives at factory or work level. | 1044.txt | 0 |
[
"bargain for high enough wages",
"get new members to join",
"learn new technologies",
"change as industries change"
] | Because of their out-of-date organization, some unions find it difficult to _ . | An industrial society, especially one as centralized and concentrated as that of Britain, is heavily dependent on certain essential services: for instance, electricity supply, water, rail and road transport, the harbors. The area of dependency has widened to include removing rubbish, hospital and ambulance services, and, as the economy develops, central computer and information services as well. If any of these services ceases to operate, the whole economic system is in danger.
It is this economic interdependency of the economic system which makes the power of trade unions such an important issue. Single trade unions have the ability to cut off many countries' economic blood supply.
This can happen more easily in Britain than in some other countries, in part because the labor force is highly organized. About 55 percent of British workers belong to unions, compared to under a quarter in the United States.
For historical reasons, Britain's unions have tended to develop along trade and occupational lines, rather than on an industry-by-industry basis, which makes a wages policy, democracy in industry and the improvement of procedures for fixing wage levels difficult to achieve.
There are considerable strains and tensions in the trade union movement, some of them arising from their outdated and inefficient structure. Some unions have lost many members because of their industrial changes.
Others are involved in arguments about who should represent workers in new trades. Unions for skilled trades are separate from general unions, which means that different levels of wages for certain jobs are often a source of bad feelings between unions. In traditional trades which are being pushed out of existence by advancing technologies,unions can fight for their members' disappointing jobs to the point where the jobs of other union members are threatened or destroyed. The printing of newspapers both in the United States and in Britain has frequently been halted by the efforts of printers to hold on to their traditional highly-paid jobs.
Trade unions have problems of internal communication just as managers in companies do, problems which multiply in very large unions or in those which bring workers in very different industries together into a single general union. Some trade union officials have to be re-elected regularly; others are elected, or even appointed, for life. Trade union officials have to work with a system of "shop stewards" in many unions, "shop stewards" being workers elected by other workers as their representatives at factory or work level. | 1044.txt | 3 |
[
"try to win over members of other unions",
"ignore agreements",
"protect their own members at the expense of others",
"take over other unions' jobs"
] | Disagreements arise between unions because some of them _ . | An industrial society, especially one as centralized and concentrated as that of Britain, is heavily dependent on certain essential services: for instance, electricity supply, water, rail and road transport, the harbors. The area of dependency has widened to include removing rubbish, hospital and ambulance services, and, as the economy develops, central computer and information services as well. If any of these services ceases to operate, the whole economic system is in danger.
It is this economic interdependency of the economic system which makes the power of trade unions such an important issue. Single trade unions have the ability to cut off many countries' economic blood supply.
This can happen more easily in Britain than in some other countries, in part because the labor force is highly organized. About 55 percent of British workers belong to unions, compared to under a quarter in the United States.
For historical reasons, Britain's unions have tended to develop along trade and occupational lines, rather than on an industry-by-industry basis, which makes a wages policy, democracy in industry and the improvement of procedures for fixing wage levels difficult to achieve.
There are considerable strains and tensions in the trade union movement, some of them arising from their outdated and inefficient structure. Some unions have lost many members because of their industrial changes.
Others are involved in arguments about who should represent workers in new trades. Unions for skilled trades are separate from general unions, which means that different levels of wages for certain jobs are often a source of bad feelings between unions. In traditional trades which are being pushed out of existence by advancing technologies,unions can fight for their members' disappointing jobs to the point where the jobs of other union members are threatened or destroyed. The printing of newspapers both in the United States and in Britain has frequently been halted by the efforts of printers to hold on to their traditional highly-paid jobs.
Trade unions have problems of internal communication just as managers in companies do, problems which multiply in very large unions or in those which bring workers in very different industries together into a single general union. Some trade union officials have to be re-elected regularly; others are elected, or even appointed, for life. Trade union officials have to work with a system of "shop stewards" in many unions, "shop stewards" being workers elected by other workers as their representatives at factory or work level. | 1044.txt | 2 |
[
"They are both influential in company affairs.",
"They both face problems of internal communication.",
"They both work with a system of \"shop stewards\".",
"They both work efficiently."
] | Why does the author compare the trade unions with managers in companies? | An industrial society, especially one as centralized and concentrated as that of Britain, is heavily dependent on certain essential services: for instance, electricity supply, water, rail and road transport, the harbors. The area of dependency has widened to include removing rubbish, hospital and ambulance services, and, as the economy develops, central computer and information services as well. If any of these services ceases to operate, the whole economic system is in danger.
It is this economic interdependency of the economic system which makes the power of trade unions such an important issue. Single trade unions have the ability to cut off many countries' economic blood supply.
This can happen more easily in Britain than in some other countries, in part because the labor force is highly organized. About 55 percent of British workers belong to unions, compared to under a quarter in the United States.
For historical reasons, Britain's unions have tended to develop along trade and occupational lines, rather than on an industry-by-industry basis, which makes a wages policy, democracy in industry and the improvement of procedures for fixing wage levels difficult to achieve.
There are considerable strains and tensions in the trade union movement, some of them arising from their outdated and inefficient structure. Some unions have lost many members because of their industrial changes.
Others are involved in arguments about who should represent workers in new trades. Unions for skilled trades are separate from general unions, which means that different levels of wages for certain jobs are often a source of bad feelings between unions. In traditional trades which are being pushed out of existence by advancing technologies,unions can fight for their members' disappointing jobs to the point where the jobs of other union members are threatened or destroyed. The printing of newspapers both in the United States and in Britain has frequently been halted by the efforts of printers to hold on to their traditional highly-paid jobs.
Trade unions have problems of internal communication just as managers in companies do, problems which multiply in very large unions or in those which bring workers in very different industries together into a single general union. Some trade union officials have to be re-elected regularly; others are elected, or even appointed, for life. Trade union officials have to work with a system of "shop stewards" in many unions, "shop stewards" being workers elected by other workers as their representatives at factory or work level. | 1044.txt | 1 |
[
"British Trade Unions and Their Drawbacks",
"A Centralized and Concentrated Society",
"The Power of Trade Unions in Britain",
"The Structure of British Trade Unions"
] | The title which best expresses the idea of the text would be _ . | An industrial society, especially one as centralized and concentrated as that of Britain, is heavily dependent on certain essential services: for instance, electricity supply, water, rail and road transport, the harbors. The area of dependency has widened to include removing rubbish, hospital and ambulance services, and, as the economy develops, central computer and information services as well. If any of these services ceases to operate, the whole economic system is in danger.
It is this economic interdependency of the economic system which makes the power of trade unions such an important issue. Single trade unions have the ability to cut off many countries' economic blood supply.
This can happen more easily in Britain than in some other countries, in part because the labor force is highly organized. About 55 percent of British workers belong to unions, compared to under a quarter in the United States.
For historical reasons, Britain's unions have tended to develop along trade and occupational lines, rather than on an industry-by-industry basis, which makes a wages policy, democracy in industry and the improvement of procedures for fixing wage levels difficult to achieve.
There are considerable strains and tensions in the trade union movement, some of them arising from their outdated and inefficient structure. Some unions have lost many members because of their industrial changes.
Others are involved in arguments about who should represent workers in new trades. Unions for skilled trades are separate from general unions, which means that different levels of wages for certain jobs are often a source of bad feelings between unions. In traditional trades which are being pushed out of existence by advancing technologies,unions can fight for their members' disappointing jobs to the point where the jobs of other union members are threatened or destroyed. The printing of newspapers both in the United States and in Britain has frequently been halted by the efforts of printers to hold on to their traditional highly-paid jobs.
Trade unions have problems of internal communication just as managers in companies do, problems which multiply in very large unions or in those which bring workers in very different industries together into a single general union. Some trade union officials have to be re-elected regularly; others are elected, or even appointed, for life. Trade union officials have to work with a system of "shop stewards" in many unions, "shop stewards" being workers elected by other workers as their representatives at factory or work level. | 1044.txt | 0 |
[
"have never been so materialistic as today",
"have never been so interested in the arts",
"have never been so financially well off as today",
"have never attached so much importance to moral sense"
] | According to the author's observation, college students _ . | According to a survey, which was based on the responses of over 188,000 students, today's traditional-age college freshmen are "more materialistic and less altruistic " than at any time in the 17 years of the poll.
Not surprising in these hard times, the student's major objective "is to be financially well off. Less important than ever is developing a meaningful philosophy of life." It follows then that today the most popular course is not literature or history but accounting.
Interest in teaching, social service and the "altruistic" fields is at a low. On the other hand, enrollment in business programs, engineering and computer science is way up.
That's no surprise either. A friend of mine (a sales representative for a chemical company) was making twice the salary of her college instructors her first year on the job-even before she completed her two-year associate degree.
While it's true that we all need a career, it is equally true that our civilization has accumulated an incredible amount of knowledge in fields far removed from our own and that we are better for our understanding of these other contributions-be they scientific or artistic. It is equally true that, in studying the diverse wisdom of others, we learn how to think. More important, perhaps, education teaches us to see the connections between things, as well as to see beyond our immediate needs.
Weekly we read of unions who went on strike for higher wages, only to drive their employer out of business. No company; no job. How shortsighted in the long run!
But the most important argument for a broad education is that in studying the accumulated wisdom of the ages, we improve our moral sense. I saw a cartoon recently which shows a group of businessmen looking puzzled as they sit around a conference table; one of them is talking on the intercom : "Miss Baxter," he says, "could you please send in someone who can distinguish right from wrong?"
From the long-term point of view, that's what education really ought to be about. | 1205.txt | 0 |
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