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[
"it can help them learn more about society",
"it teaches them how to set realistic goals for themselves",
"it enables them to find flaws in themselves",
"it can provide them with valuable experiences"
]
| According to the passage sport is positive for young people in that _ . | Sport is not only physically challenging, but it can also be mentally challenging. Criticism from coaches, parents, and other teammates, as well as pressure to win can create an excessive amount of anxiety or stress for young athletes . Stress can be physical, emotional, or psychological, and research has indicated that it can lead to burnout. Burnout has been described as dropping or quitting of an activity that was at one time enjoyable.
The early years of development are critical years for learning abut oneself. The sport setting is one where valuable experiences can take place. Young athletes can, for example, learn how to cooperate with others, make friends, and gain other social skills that will be used throughout their lives. Coaches and parents should be aware, at all times, that their feedback to youngsters can greatly affect their children. Youngsters may take their parents' and coaches' criticisms to heart and find a flaw in themselves.
Coaches and parents should also be cautious that youth sport participation does not become work for children. The outcome of the game should not be more important than the process of learning the sport and other life lessons. In today's youth sport setting, young athletes may be worrying more about who will win instead of enjoying themselves and the sport. Following a game, many parents and coaches focus on the outcome and find fault with youngsters' performances. Positive reinforcement should be provided regardless of the outcome. Research indicates that positive reinforcement motivates and has a greater effect on learning than criticism. Again, criticism can create high levels of stress, which can lead to burnout. | 946.txt | 3 |
[
"without realizing criticism may destroy their self confidence",
"in order to make them remember life's lessons",
"believing that criticism is beneficial for their early development",
"so as to put more pressure on them"
]
| Many coaches and parents are in the habit of criticizing young athletes _ . | Sport is not only physically challenging, but it can also be mentally challenging. Criticism from coaches, parents, and other teammates, as well as pressure to win can create an excessive amount of anxiety or stress for young athletes . Stress can be physical, emotional, or psychological, and research has indicated that it can lead to burnout. Burnout has been described as dropping or quitting of an activity that was at one time enjoyable.
The early years of development are critical years for learning abut oneself. The sport setting is one where valuable experiences can take place. Young athletes can, for example, learn how to cooperate with others, make friends, and gain other social skills that will be used throughout their lives. Coaches and parents should be aware, at all times, that their feedback to youngsters can greatly affect their children. Youngsters may take their parents' and coaches' criticisms to heart and find a flaw in themselves.
Coaches and parents should also be cautious that youth sport participation does not become work for children. The outcome of the game should not be more important than the process of learning the sport and other life lessons. In today's youth sport setting, young athletes may be worrying more about who will win instead of enjoying themselves and the sport. Following a game, many parents and coaches focus on the outcome and find fault with youngsters' performances. Positive reinforcement should be provided regardless of the outcome. Research indicates that positive reinforcement motivates and has a greater effect on learning than criticism. Again, criticism can create high levels of stress, which can lead to burnout. | 946.txt | 0 |
[
"help children to win every game",
"pay more attention to letting children enjoy sports",
"enable children to understand the positive aspect of sports",
"train children to cope with stress"
]
| According to the passage parents and coaches should _ . | Sport is not only physically challenging, but it can also be mentally challenging. Criticism from coaches, parents, and other teammates, as well as pressure to win can create an excessive amount of anxiety or stress for young athletes . Stress can be physical, emotional, or psychological, and research has indicated that it can lead to burnout. Burnout has been described as dropping or quitting of an activity that was at one time enjoyable.
The early years of development are critical years for learning abut oneself. The sport setting is one where valuable experiences can take place. Young athletes can, for example, learn how to cooperate with others, make friends, and gain other social skills that will be used throughout their lives. Coaches and parents should be aware, at all times, that their feedback to youngsters can greatly affect their children. Youngsters may take their parents' and coaches' criticisms to heart and find a flaw in themselves.
Coaches and parents should also be cautious that youth sport participation does not become work for children. The outcome of the game should not be more important than the process of learning the sport and other life lessons. In today's youth sport setting, young athletes may be worrying more about who will win instead of enjoying themselves and the sport. Following a game, many parents and coaches focus on the outcome and find fault with youngsters' performances. Positive reinforcement should be provided regardless of the outcome. Research indicates that positive reinforcement motivates and has a greater effect on learning than criticism. Again, criticism can create high levels of stress, which can lead to burnout. | 946.txt | 1 |
[
"to persuade young children not to worry about criticism",
"to stress the importance of positive reinforcement to children",
"to discuss the skill of combining criticism with encouragement",
"to teach young athletes how to avoid burnout"
]
| The author's purpose in writing the passage is _ . | Sport is not only physically challenging, but it can also be mentally challenging. Criticism from coaches, parents, and other teammates, as well as pressure to win can create an excessive amount of anxiety or stress for young athletes . Stress can be physical, emotional, or psychological, and research has indicated that it can lead to burnout. Burnout has been described as dropping or quitting of an activity that was at one time enjoyable.
The early years of development are critical years for learning abut oneself. The sport setting is one where valuable experiences can take place. Young athletes can, for example, learn how to cooperate with others, make friends, and gain other social skills that will be used throughout their lives. Coaches and parents should be aware, at all times, that their feedback to youngsters can greatly affect their children. Youngsters may take their parents' and coaches' criticisms to heart and find a flaw in themselves.
Coaches and parents should also be cautious that youth sport participation does not become work for children. The outcome of the game should not be more important than the process of learning the sport and other life lessons. In today's youth sport setting, young athletes may be worrying more about who will win instead of enjoying themselves and the sport. Following a game, many parents and coaches focus on the outcome and find fault with youngsters' performances. Positive reinforcement should be provided regardless of the outcome. Research indicates that positive reinforcement motivates and has a greater effect on learning than criticism. Again, criticism can create high levels of stress, which can lead to burnout. | 946.txt | 1 |
[
"They asked their kids to come home.",
"They borrowed $20,000 from the school.",
"They encouraged their twin sons to do part-time jobs.",
"They got help from the school and the federal government."
]
| How did the Jacobs manage to solve their problem? | Diana Jacobs thought her family had a workable plan to pay for college for her 21-year-old twin sons: a combination of savings, income, scholarships, and a modest amount of borrowing. Then her husband lost his job, and the plan fell apart.
"I have two kids in college, and I want to say ‘come home,' but at the same time I want to provide them with a good education," says Jacobs.
The Jacobs family did work out a solution: They asked and received more aid from the schools, and each son increased his borrowing to the maximum amount through the federal loan program. They will each graduate with $20,000 of debt, but at least they will be able to finish school.
With unemployment rising, financial aid administrators expect to hear more families like the Jacobs. More students are applying for aid, and more families expect to need student loans. College administrators are concerned that they will not have enough aid money to go around.
At the same time, tuitioncontinues to rise. A report from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education found that college tuition and fees increased 439% from 1982 to 2007, while average family income rose just 147%. Student borrowing has more than doubled in the last decade,"If we go on this way for another 25years, we won't have an affordable system of higher education," says Patrick M. Callan, president of the center. "The middle class families have been financing it through debt. They will send kids to college whatever it takes, even if that means a huge amount of debt."
Financial aid administrators have been having a hard time as many companies decide that student loans are not profitable enough and have stopped making them. The good news, however, is that federal loans account for about three quarters of student borrowing, and the government says that money will flow uninterrupted. | 3750.txt | 3 |
[
"more families will face the same problem as the Jacobses",
"the government will receive more letters of complaint",
"college tuition fees will double soon",
"America's unemployment will fall"
]
| Financial aid administrators believe that _ . | Diana Jacobs thought her family had a workable plan to pay for college for her 21-year-old twin sons: a combination of savings, income, scholarships, and a modest amount of borrowing. Then her husband lost his job, and the plan fell apart.
"I have two kids in college, and I want to say ‘come home,' but at the same time I want to provide them with a good education," says Jacobs.
The Jacobs family did work out a solution: They asked and received more aid from the schools, and each son increased his borrowing to the maximum amount through the federal loan program. They will each graduate with $20,000 of debt, but at least they will be able to finish school.
With unemployment rising, financial aid administrators expect to hear more families like the Jacobs. More students are applying for aid, and more families expect to need student loans. College administrators are concerned that they will not have enough aid money to go around.
At the same time, tuitioncontinues to rise. A report from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education found that college tuition and fees increased 439% from 1982 to 2007, while average family income rose just 147%. Student borrowing has more than doubled in the last decade,"If we go on this way for another 25years, we won't have an affordable system of higher education," says Patrick M. Callan, president of the center. "The middle class families have been financing it through debt. They will send kids to college whatever it takes, even if that means a huge amount of debt."
Financial aid administrators have been having a hard time as many companies decide that student loans are not profitable enough and have stopped making them. The good news, however, is that federal loans account for about three quarters of student borrowing, and the government says that money will flow uninterrupted. | 3750.txt | 0 |
[
"They blamed the government for the tuition increase.",
"Their income remained steady in the last decade.",
"They will try their best to send kids to college.",
"Their debts will be paid off within 25 years."
]
| What can we learn about the middle class families from the text? | Diana Jacobs thought her family had a workable plan to pay for college for her 21-year-old twin sons: a combination of savings, income, scholarships, and a modest amount of borrowing. Then her husband lost his job, and the plan fell apart.
"I have two kids in college, and I want to say ‘come home,' but at the same time I want to provide them with a good education," says Jacobs.
The Jacobs family did work out a solution: They asked and received more aid from the schools, and each son increased his borrowing to the maximum amount through the federal loan program. They will each graduate with $20,000 of debt, but at least they will be able to finish school.
With unemployment rising, financial aid administrators expect to hear more families like the Jacobs. More students are applying for aid, and more families expect to need student loans. College administrators are concerned that they will not have enough aid money to go around.
At the same time, tuitioncontinues to rise. A report from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education found that college tuition and fees increased 439% from 1982 to 2007, while average family income rose just 147%. Student borrowing has more than doubled in the last decade,"If we go on this way for another 25years, we won't have an affordable system of higher education," says Patrick M. Callan, president of the center. "The middle class families have been financing it through debt. They will send kids to college whatever it takes, even if that means a huge amount of debt."
Financial aid administrators have been having a hard time as many companies decide that student loans are not profitable enough and have stopped making them. The good news, however, is that federal loans account for about three quarters of student borrowing, and the government says that money will flow uninterrupted. | 3750.txt | 2 |
[
"provide most students will scholarships",
"dismiss some financial aid administrators",
"stop the companies from making student loans",
"go on providing financial support for college students"
]
| According to the last paragraph, the government will. | Diana Jacobs thought her family had a workable plan to pay for college for her 21-year-old twin sons: a combination of savings, income, scholarships, and a modest amount of borrowing. Then her husband lost his job, and the plan fell apart.
"I have two kids in college, and I want to say ‘come home,' but at the same time I want to provide them with a good education," says Jacobs.
The Jacobs family did work out a solution: They asked and received more aid from the schools, and each son increased his borrowing to the maximum amount through the federal loan program. They will each graduate with $20,000 of debt, but at least they will be able to finish school.
With unemployment rising, financial aid administrators expect to hear more families like the Jacobs. More students are applying for aid, and more families expect to need student loans. College administrators are concerned that they will not have enough aid money to go around.
At the same time, tuitioncontinues to rise. A report from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education found that college tuition and fees increased 439% from 1982 to 2007, while average family income rose just 147%. Student borrowing has more than doubled in the last decade,"If we go on this way for another 25years, we won't have an affordable system of higher education," says Patrick M. Callan, president of the center. "The middle class families have been financing it through debt. They will send kids to college whatever it takes, even if that means a huge amount of debt."
Financial aid administrators have been having a hard time as many companies decide that student loans are not profitable enough and have stopped making them. The good news, however, is that federal loans account for about three quarters of student borrowing, and the government says that money will flow uninterrupted. | 3750.txt | 3 |
[
"the former provides answers to theoretical questions while the latter to practical problems",
"the former seeks to comprehend the universe while the latter helps change the material world",
"the former aims to discover the inter-connections of facts and the rules that explain them while the latter, to discover new designs and ways of making the things we use in our daily life",
"all of the above"
]
| The difference between science and technology lies in that _ . | There is a difference between science and technology. Science is a method of answering theoretical questions; technology is a method of solving practical problems. Science has to do with discovering the facts and relationships between observable phenomena in nature and with establishing theories that serve to organize these facts and relationships; technology has to do with tools, techniques, and procedures for implementing the finding of science.
Another distinction between science and technology has to do with the progress in each.
Progress in science excludes the human factor. Scientists, who seek to comprehend the universe and know the truth within the highest degree of accuracy and certainty, cannot pay attention to their own or other people's likes or dislikes or to popular ideas about the fitness of things. What scientists discover may shock or anger people-as did Darwin's theory of evolution. But even an unpleasant truth is more than likely to be useful; besides, we have the choice of refusing to believe it! But hardly so with technology; we do not have the choice of refusing to hear the sonic boom produced by a supersonic aircraft flying overhead; we do not have the option of refusing to breathe polluted air; and we do not have the option of living in a non-atomic age. Unlike science progress, technology must be measured in terms of the human factor. The legitimate purpose of technology is to serve people in general, not merely some people; and future generations, not merely those who presently wish to gain advantage for themselves. Technology must be humanistic if it is to lead to a better world. | 744.txt | 3 |
[
"The improvement of people's life.",
"The theory of people's life.",
"Farming tools.",
"Mass production."
]
| Which of the following may be representative of science? | There is a difference between science and technology. Science is a method of answering theoretical questions; technology is a method of solving practical problems. Science has to do with discovering the facts and relationships between observable phenomena in nature and with establishing theories that serve to organize these facts and relationships; technology has to do with tools, techniques, and procedures for implementing the finding of science.
Another distinction between science and technology has to do with the progress in each.
Progress in science excludes the human factor. Scientists, who seek to comprehend the universe and know the truth within the highest degree of accuracy and certainty, cannot pay attention to their own or other people's likes or dislikes or to popular ideas about the fitness of things. What scientists discover may shock or anger people-as did Darwin's theory of evolution. But even an unpleasant truth is more than likely to be useful; besides, we have the choice of refusing to believe it! But hardly so with technology; we do not have the choice of refusing to hear the sonic boom produced by a supersonic aircraft flying overhead; we do not have the option of refusing to breathe polluted air; and we do not have the option of living in a non-atomic age. Unlike science progress, technology must be measured in terms of the human factor. The legitimate purpose of technology is to serve people in general, not merely some people; and future generations, not merely those who presently wish to gain advantage for themselves. Technology must be humanistic if it is to lead to a better world. | 744.txt | 1 |
[
"must be strictly objective",
"usually take into consideration people's likes and dislikes",
"should conform to popular opinions",
"always appear in perfect and finished forms"
]
| According to the author, scientific theories _ . | There is a difference between science and technology. Science is a method of answering theoretical questions; technology is a method of solving practical problems. Science has to do with discovering the facts and relationships between observable phenomena in nature and with establishing theories that serve to organize these facts and relationships; technology has to do with tools, techniques, and procedures for implementing the finding of science.
Another distinction between science and technology has to do with the progress in each.
Progress in science excludes the human factor. Scientists, who seek to comprehend the universe and know the truth within the highest degree of accuracy and certainty, cannot pay attention to their own or other people's likes or dislikes or to popular ideas about the fitness of things. What scientists discover may shock or anger people-as did Darwin's theory of evolution. But even an unpleasant truth is more than likely to be useful; besides, we have the choice of refusing to believe it! But hardly so with technology; we do not have the choice of refusing to hear the sonic boom produced by a supersonic aircraft flying overhead; we do not have the option of refusing to breathe polluted air; and we do not have the option of living in a non-atomic age. Unlike science progress, technology must be measured in terms of the human factor. The legitimate purpose of technology is to serve people in general, not merely some people; and future generations, not merely those who presently wish to gain advantage for themselves. Technology must be humanistic if it is to lead to a better world. | 744.txt | 0 |
[
"is responsible for widespread pollution and resource exhaustion",
"should serve those who wish to gain advantage for themselves",
"will lead to a better world if put to wise use",
"will inevitably be for bad purpose"
]
| The author states that technology itself _ . | There is a difference between science and technology. Science is a method of answering theoretical questions; technology is a method of solving practical problems. Science has to do with discovering the facts and relationships between observable phenomena in nature and with establishing theories that serve to organize these facts and relationships; technology has to do with tools, techniques, and procedures for implementing the finding of science.
Another distinction between science and technology has to do with the progress in each.
Progress in science excludes the human factor. Scientists, who seek to comprehend the universe and know the truth within the highest degree of accuracy and certainty, cannot pay attention to their own or other people's likes or dislikes or to popular ideas about the fitness of things. What scientists discover may shock or anger people-as did Darwin's theory of evolution. But even an unpleasant truth is more than likely to be useful; besides, we have the choice of refusing to believe it! But hardly so with technology; we do not have the choice of refusing to hear the sonic boom produced by a supersonic aircraft flying overhead; we do not have the option of refusing to breathe polluted air; and we do not have the option of living in a non-atomic age. Unlike science progress, technology must be measured in terms of the human factor. The legitimate purpose of technology is to serve people in general, not merely some people; and future generations, not merely those who presently wish to gain advantage for themselves. Technology must be humanistic if it is to lead to a better world. | 744.txt | 2 |
[
"positive",
"negative",
"factual",
"critical"
]
| The tone of the author in this passage is _ . | There is a difference between science and technology. Science is a method of answering theoretical questions; technology is a method of solving practical problems. Science has to do with discovering the facts and relationships between observable phenomena in nature and with establishing theories that serve to organize these facts and relationships; technology has to do with tools, techniques, and procedures for implementing the finding of science.
Another distinction between science and technology has to do with the progress in each.
Progress in science excludes the human factor. Scientists, who seek to comprehend the universe and know the truth within the highest degree of accuracy and certainty, cannot pay attention to their own or other people's likes or dislikes or to popular ideas about the fitness of things. What scientists discover may shock or anger people-as did Darwin's theory of evolution. But even an unpleasant truth is more than likely to be useful; besides, we have the choice of refusing to believe it! But hardly so with technology; we do not have the choice of refusing to hear the sonic boom produced by a supersonic aircraft flying overhead; we do not have the option of refusing to breathe polluted air; and we do not have the option of living in a non-atomic age. Unlike science progress, technology must be measured in terms of the human factor. The legitimate purpose of technology is to serve people in general, not merely some people; and future generations, not merely those who presently wish to gain advantage for themselves. Technology must be humanistic if it is to lead to a better world. | 744.txt | 2 |
[
"Water the field with sea water.",
"Grow asparagus in hot places.",
"Grow cool climate vegetables in hot areas.",
"Cool the soil."
]
| What does the new system enable the gardeners to do? | Do you know that vegetables can grow in the climates they are not used to do?Cool climate vegetables like asparagus are now able to be grown in placesashot as Hawaii.In Hawaii,marine engineers have been able to actually let you believe such vegetables that they are living in cooler climates.In that way they grow faster and taste better.What these engineers have been using is very simply cold sea water.How did they use it? They place pipes in the soil and cold water flowing through them cools the earth.This causes plant groh and enables gardeners in tropical climates to grow crops from cooler climates.Also some of these pipes are exposed to the air and they make the air"wet" and thus water the gardens.What especially makes people happy about this process is that nothing to the natural conditions is being used.Another new use for cold ocean water is to cool buildings.Engineers believe that for example the entire west coast of the United States could be airconditioned using sea water. | 4045.txt | 2 |
[
"water the farms",
"water the gardens",
"cool the air",
"make the earth cool"
]
| Sea water mentioned in the passage is mainly used to _ . | Do you know that vegetables can grow in the climates they are not used to do?Cool climate vegetables like asparagus are now able to be grown in placesashot as Hawaii.In Hawaii,marine engineers have been able to actually let you believe such vegetables that they are living in cooler climates.In that way they grow faster and taste better.What these engineers have been using is very simply cold sea water.How did they use it? They place pipes in the soil and cold water flowing through them cools the earth.This causes plant groh and enables gardeners in tropical climates to grow crops from cooler climates.Also some of these pipes are exposed to the air and they make the air"wet" and thus water the gardens.What especially makes people happy about this process is that nothing to the natural conditions is being used.Another new use for cold ocean water is to cool buildings.Engineers believe that for example the entire west coast of the United States could be airconditioned using sea water. | 4045.txt | 3 |
[
"How to grow vegetables in hot areas.",
"How to grow crops in tropical climates.",
"How to cool the soil.",
"How to use sea water."
]
| What is the report mainly about? | Do you know that vegetables can grow in the climates they are not used to do?Cool climate vegetables like asparagus are now able to be grown in placesashot as Hawaii.In Hawaii,marine engineers have been able to actually let you believe such vegetables that they are living in cooler climates.In that way they grow faster and taste better.What these engineers have been using is very simply cold sea water.How did they use it? They place pipes in the soil and cold water flowing through them cools the earth.This causes plant groh and enables gardeners in tropical climates to grow crops from cooler climates.Also some of these pipes are exposed to the air and they make the air"wet" and thus water the gardens.What especially makes people happy about this process is that nothing to the natural conditions is being used.Another new use for cold ocean water is to cool buildings.Engineers believe that for example the entire west coast of the United States could be airconditioned using sea water. | 4045.txt | 3 |
[
"sea water can act as an air conditioner",
"asparagus are only grown in hot places",
"the writer wants to tell us something about scientific advance",
"sea water has many advantages"
]
| It can be inferred from the passage that _ . | Do you know that vegetables can grow in the climates they are not used to do?Cool climate vegetables like asparagus are now able to be grown in placesashot as Hawaii.In Hawaii,marine engineers have been able to actually let you believe such vegetables that they are living in cooler climates.In that way they grow faster and taste better.What these engineers have been using is very simply cold sea water.How did they use it? They place pipes in the soil and cold water flowing through them cools the earth.This causes plant groh and enables gardeners in tropical climates to grow crops from cooler climates.Also some of these pipes are exposed to the air and they make the air"wet" and thus water the gardens.What especially makes people happy about this process is that nothing to the natural conditions is being used.Another new use for cold ocean water is to cool buildings.Engineers believe that for example the entire west coast of the United States could be airconditioned using sea water. | 4045.txt | 2 |
[
"frightened",
"troubled",
"very happy",
"very angry"
]
| What do the words "on cloud nine" in Paragraph 2 probably mean? | "I didn't hear them call my name," explained Shelley Hennig to Active Teens (AT) as she talked about that exciting moment on national television when she won the honor of Miss Teen USA 2004. "Are you ready?" is what she heard. Then she said, "I shook my head no, and then they said‘yes' and it was announced again."
It was four days after that life changing moment for the seventeen-year-old high school student from Destrehan, Louisiana----she was still on cloud nine.
"I was so shocked! I never believed that it could actually really happen." Present in the audiencethat day were: her mother and father, older brother, her friends, and her dance teacher.
Understanding why members of her family and her friends would be there, AT asked why her
dance teacher had traveled so far to see her compete."She's always been my role model.I've danced with her since I was six. She's been through so many difficulties and came through them all. I've learned to get over bad life's experiences and learned how to move on because of her."
One of those bad life's experiences for Shelley happened three years ago when her brother Brad was killed in a drunk driving accident. He was 18. She found writing helped her get through the rough days. She said, "I write a lot about my brother. I write a lot, a lot, a lot..."
As Miss Louisiana Teen, she traveled around the state speaking to teensabout the dangers of drinking and driving. In her role as Miss Teen USA,
Sheiley will continue to speak to youth about safe driving, in addition to many other things to help the youth.
When AT asked Miss Teen USA if she had any advice for our readers, she said, "Don't let anyone change you. Hang out with people that make you feel good about yourself. That way, it is easy to be yourself." | 2264.txt | 2 |
[
"determined",
"friendly",
"strict",
"experienced"
]
| Shelley takes her dance teacher as a role model mainly because she is _ . | "I didn't hear them call my name," explained Shelley Hennig to Active Teens (AT) as she talked about that exciting moment on national television when she won the honor of Miss Teen USA 2004. "Are you ready?" is what she heard. Then she said, "I shook my head no, and then they said‘yes' and it was announced again."
It was four days after that life changing moment for the seventeen-year-old high school student from Destrehan, Louisiana----she was still on cloud nine.
"I was so shocked! I never believed that it could actually really happen." Present in the audiencethat day were: her mother and father, older brother, her friends, and her dance teacher.
Understanding why members of her family and her friends would be there, AT asked why her
dance teacher had traveled so far to see her compete."She's always been my role model.I've danced with her since I was six. She's been through so many difficulties and came through them all. I've learned to get over bad life's experiences and learned how to move on because of her."
One of those bad life's experiences for Shelley happened three years ago when her brother Brad was killed in a drunk driving accident. He was 18. She found writing helped her get through the rough days. She said, "I write a lot about my brother. I write a lot, a lot, a lot..."
As Miss Louisiana Teen, she traveled around the state speaking to teensabout the dangers of drinking and driving. In her role as Miss Teen USA,
Sheiley will continue to speak to youth about safe driving, in addition to many other things to help the youth.
When AT asked Miss Teen USA if she had any advice for our readers, she said, "Don't let anyone change you. Hang out with people that make you feel good about yourself. That way, it is easy to be yourself." | 2264.txt | 0 |
[
"1.",
"2.",
"3.",
"4."
]
| How many children did the Hennigs have according to the text? | "I didn't hear them call my name," explained Shelley Hennig to Active Teens (AT) as she talked about that exciting moment on national television when she won the honor of Miss Teen USA 2004. "Are you ready?" is what she heard. Then she said, "I shook my head no, and then they said‘yes' and it was announced again."
It was four days after that life changing moment for the seventeen-year-old high school student from Destrehan, Louisiana----she was still on cloud nine.
"I was so shocked! I never believed that it could actually really happen." Present in the audiencethat day were: her mother and father, older brother, her friends, and her dance teacher.
Understanding why members of her family and her friends would be there, AT asked why her
dance teacher had traveled so far to see her compete."She's always been my role model.I've danced with her since I was six. She's been through so many difficulties and came through them all. I've learned to get over bad life's experiences and learned how to move on because of her."
One of those bad life's experiences for Shelley happened three years ago when her brother Brad was killed in a drunk driving accident. He was 18. She found writing helped her get through the rough days. She said, "I write a lot about my brother. I write a lot, a lot, a lot..."
As Miss Louisiana Teen, she traveled around the state speaking to teensabout the dangers of drinking and driving. In her role as Miss Teen USA,
Sheiley will continue to speak to youth about safe driving, in addition to many other things to help the youth.
When AT asked Miss Teen USA if she had any advice for our readers, she said, "Don't let anyone change you. Hang out with people that make you feel good about yourself. That way, it is easy to be yourself." | 2264.txt | 2 |
[
"She visited drunken drivers.",
"She gave dance performances.",
"She made speeches on safe driving.",
"She helped other teens with their studies."
]
| What did Shelley often do after she became Miss Louisiana Teen? | "I didn't hear them call my name," explained Shelley Hennig to Active Teens (AT) as she talked about that exciting moment on national television when she won the honor of Miss Teen USA 2004. "Are you ready?" is what she heard. Then she said, "I shook my head no, and then they said‘yes' and it was announced again."
It was four days after that life changing moment for the seventeen-year-old high school student from Destrehan, Louisiana----she was still on cloud nine.
"I was so shocked! I never believed that it could actually really happen." Present in the audiencethat day were: her mother and father, older brother, her friends, and her dance teacher.
Understanding why members of her family and her friends would be there, AT asked why her
dance teacher had traveled so far to see her compete."She's always been my role model.I've danced with her since I was six. She's been through so many difficulties and came through them all. I've learned to get over bad life's experiences and learned how to move on because of her."
One of those bad life's experiences for Shelley happened three years ago when her brother Brad was killed in a drunk driving accident. He was 18. She found writing helped her get through the rough days. She said, "I write a lot about my brother. I write a lot, a lot, a lot..."
As Miss Louisiana Teen, she traveled around the state speaking to teensabout the dangers of drinking and driving. In her role as Miss Teen USA,
Sheiley will continue to speak to youth about safe driving, in addition to many other things to help the youth.
When AT asked Miss Teen USA if she had any advice for our readers, she said, "Don't let anyone change you. Hang out with people that make you feel good about yourself. That way, it is easy to be yourself." | 2264.txt | 2 |
[
"Be yourself with the support of friends.",
"Meet friends whenever possible.",
"Go easy on yourself and others.",
"Have a good role model."
]
| What suggestion does Shelley give to the teens? | "I didn't hear them call my name," explained Shelley Hennig to Active Teens (AT) as she talked about that exciting moment on national television when she won the honor of Miss Teen USA 2004. "Are you ready?" is what she heard. Then she said, "I shook my head no, and then they said‘yes' and it was announced again."
It was four days after that life changing moment for the seventeen-year-old high school student from Destrehan, Louisiana----she was still on cloud nine.
"I was so shocked! I never believed that it could actually really happen." Present in the audiencethat day were: her mother and father, older brother, her friends, and her dance teacher.
Understanding why members of her family and her friends would be there, AT asked why her
dance teacher had traveled so far to see her compete."She's always been my role model.I've danced with her since I was six. She's been through so many difficulties and came through them all. I've learned to get over bad life's experiences and learned how to move on because of her."
One of those bad life's experiences for Shelley happened three years ago when her brother Brad was killed in a drunk driving accident. He was 18. She found writing helped her get through the rough days. She said, "I write a lot about my brother. I write a lot, a lot, a lot..."
As Miss Louisiana Teen, she traveled around the state speaking to teensabout the dangers of drinking and driving. In her role as Miss Teen USA,
Sheiley will continue to speak to youth about safe driving, in addition to many other things to help the youth.
When AT asked Miss Teen USA if she had any advice for our readers, she said, "Don't let anyone change you. Hang out with people that make you feel good about yourself. That way, it is easy to be yourself." | 2264.txt | 0 |
[
"has attracted much attention",
"involves certain political factors",
"shoulders too much responsibility",
"has lost its real value in economy"
]
| The author believes that the housing sector ____. | When the government talks about infrastructure contributing to the economy, the focus is usually on roads, railways, broadband and energy. Housing is seldom mentioned.
Why is that? To some extent the housing sector must shoulder the blame. We have not been good at communicating the real value that housing can contribute to economic growth. Then there is the scale of the typical housing project. It is hard to shove for attention among multibillion-pound infrastructure project, so it is inevitable that the attention is focused elsewhere. But perhaps the most significant reason is that the issue has always been so politically charged.
Nevertheless, the affordable housing situation is desperate. Waiting lists increase all the time and we are simply not building enough new homes.
The comprehensive spending review offers an opportunity for the government to help rectify this. It needs to put historical prejudices to one side and take some steps to address our urgent housing need.
There are some indications that it is preparing to do just that. The communities' minister, Don Foster, has hinted that George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, may introduce more flexibility to the current cap on the amount that local authorities can borrow against their housing stock debt. Evidence shows that 60,000 extra new homes could be built over the next five years if the cap were lifted, increasing GDP by 0.6%.
Ministers should also look at creating greater certainty in the rental environment, which would have a significant impact on the ability of registered providers to fund new developments from revenues.
But it is not just down to the government. While these measures would be welcome in the short term, we must face up to the fact that the existing £ 4. 5bn programme of grants to fund new affordable housing, set to expire in 2015, is unlikely to be extended beyond then. The Labour party has recently announced that it will retain a large part of the coalition's spending plans if returns to power. The housing sector needs to accept that we are very unlikely to ever return to era of large-scale public grants. We need to adjust to this changing climate. | 4181.txt | 1 |
[
"increased its home supply",
"offered spending opportunities",
"suffered government biases",
"disappointed the government"
]
| It can be learned that affordable housing has____. | When the government talks about infrastructure contributing to the economy, the focus is usually on roads, railways, broadband and energy. Housing is seldom mentioned.
Why is that? To some extent the housing sector must shoulder the blame. We have not been good at communicating the real value that housing can contribute to economic growth. Then there is the scale of the typical housing project. It is hard to shove for attention among multibillion-pound infrastructure project, so it is inevitable that the attention is focused elsewhere. But perhaps the most significant reason is that the issue has always been so politically charged.
Nevertheless, the affordable housing situation is desperate. Waiting lists increase all the time and we are simply not building enough new homes.
The comprehensive spending review offers an opportunity for the government to help rectify this. It needs to put historical prejudices to one side and take some steps to address our urgent housing need.
There are some indications that it is preparing to do just that. The communities' minister, Don Foster, has hinted that George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, may introduce more flexibility to the current cap on the amount that local authorities can borrow against their housing stock debt. Evidence shows that 60,000 extra new homes could be built over the next five years if the cap were lifted, increasing GDP by 0.6%.
Ministers should also look at creating greater certainty in the rental environment, which would have a significant impact on the ability of registered providers to fund new developments from revenues.
But it is not just down to the government. While these measures would be welcome in the short term, we must face up to the fact that the existing £ 4. 5bn programme of grants to fund new affordable housing, set to expire in 2015, is unlikely to be extended beyond then. The Labour party has recently announced that it will retain a large part of the coalition's spending plans if returns to power. The housing sector needs to accept that we are very unlikely to ever return to era of large-scale public grants. We need to adjust to this changing climate. | 4181.txt | 2 |
[
"allow greater government debt for housing",
"stop local authorities from building homes",
"prepare to reduce housing stock debt",
"release a lifted GDP growth forecast"
]
| According to Paragraph 5, George Osborne may _____. | When the government talks about infrastructure contributing to the economy, the focus is usually on roads, railways, broadband and energy. Housing is seldom mentioned.
Why is that? To some extent the housing sector must shoulder the blame. We have not been good at communicating the real value that housing can contribute to economic growth. Then there is the scale of the typical housing project. It is hard to shove for attention among multibillion-pound infrastructure project, so it is inevitable that the attention is focused elsewhere. But perhaps the most significant reason is that the issue has always been so politically charged.
Nevertheless, the affordable housing situation is desperate. Waiting lists increase all the time and we are simply not building enough new homes.
The comprehensive spending review offers an opportunity for the government to help rectify this. It needs to put historical prejudices to one side and take some steps to address our urgent housing need.
There are some indications that it is preparing to do just that. The communities' minister, Don Foster, has hinted that George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, may introduce more flexibility to the current cap on the amount that local authorities can borrow against their housing stock debt. Evidence shows that 60,000 extra new homes could be built over the next five years if the cap were lifted, increasing GDP by 0.6%.
Ministers should also look at creating greater certainty in the rental environment, which would have a significant impact on the ability of registered providers to fund new developments from revenues.
But it is not just down to the government. While these measures would be welcome in the short term, we must face up to the fact that the existing £ 4. 5bn programme of grants to fund new affordable housing, set to expire in 2015, is unlikely to be extended beyond then. The Labour party has recently announced that it will retain a large part of the coalition's spending plans if returns to power. The housing sector needs to accept that we are very unlikely to ever return to era of large-scale public grants. We need to adjust to this changing climate. | 4181.txt | 0 |
[
"lower the costs of registered providers",
"lessen the impact of government interference",
"contribute to funding new developments",
"relieve the ministers of responsibilities"
]
| It can be inferred that a stable rental environment would _____. | When the government talks about infrastructure contributing to the economy, the focus is usually on roads, railways, broadband and energy. Housing is seldom mentioned.
Why is that? To some extent the housing sector must shoulder the blame. We have not been good at communicating the real value that housing can contribute to economic growth. Then there is the scale of the typical housing project. It is hard to shove for attention among multibillion-pound infrastructure project, so it is inevitable that the attention is focused elsewhere. But perhaps the most significant reason is that the issue has always been so politically charged.
Nevertheless, the affordable housing situation is desperate. Waiting lists increase all the time and we are simply not building enough new homes.
The comprehensive spending review offers an opportunity for the government to help rectify this. It needs to put historical prejudices to one side and take some steps to address our urgent housing need.
There are some indications that it is preparing to do just that. The communities' minister, Don Foster, has hinted that George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, may introduce more flexibility to the current cap on the amount that local authorities can borrow against their housing stock debt. Evidence shows that 60,000 extra new homes could be built over the next five years if the cap were lifted, increasing GDP by 0.6%.
Ministers should also look at creating greater certainty in the rental environment, which would have a significant impact on the ability of registered providers to fund new developments from revenues.
But it is not just down to the government. While these measures would be welcome in the short term, we must face up to the fact that the existing £ 4. 5bn programme of grants to fund new affordable housing, set to expire in 2015, is unlikely to be extended beyond then. The Labour party has recently announced that it will retain a large part of the coalition's spending plans if returns to power. The housing sector needs to accept that we are very unlikely to ever return to era of large-scale public grants. We need to adjust to this changing climate. | 4181.txt | 2 |
[
"implement more policies to support housing",
"review the need for large-scale public grants",
"renew the affordable housing grants programme",
"stop generous funding to the housing sector"
]
| The author believes that after 2015, the government may _____. | When the government talks about infrastructure contributing to the economy, the focus is usually on roads, railways, broadband and energy. Housing is seldom mentioned.
Why is that? To some extent the housing sector must shoulder the blame. We have not been good at communicating the real value that housing can contribute to economic growth. Then there is the scale of the typical housing project. It is hard to shove for attention among multibillion-pound infrastructure project, so it is inevitable that the attention is focused elsewhere. But perhaps the most significant reason is that the issue has always been so politically charged.
Nevertheless, the affordable housing situation is desperate. Waiting lists increase all the time and we are simply not building enough new homes.
The comprehensive spending review offers an opportunity for the government to help rectify this. It needs to put historical prejudices to one side and take some steps to address our urgent housing need.
There are some indications that it is preparing to do just that. The communities' minister, Don Foster, has hinted that George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, may introduce more flexibility to the current cap on the amount that local authorities can borrow against their housing stock debt. Evidence shows that 60,000 extra new homes could be built over the next five years if the cap were lifted, increasing GDP by 0.6%.
Ministers should also look at creating greater certainty in the rental environment, which would have a significant impact on the ability of registered providers to fund new developments from revenues.
But it is not just down to the government. While these measures would be welcome in the short term, we must face up to the fact that the existing £ 4. 5bn programme of grants to fund new affordable housing, set to expire in 2015, is unlikely to be extended beyond then. The Labour party has recently announced that it will retain a large part of the coalition's spending plans if returns to power. The housing sector needs to accept that we are very unlikely to ever return to era of large-scale public grants. We need to adjust to this changing climate. | 4181.txt | 3 |
[
"created goodwill between the nations",
"bred only false national pride",
"barely showed any international friendship",
"led to more and more misunderstanding and hatred"
]
| According to the author, recent Olympic Games have . | Some people believe that international sport creates goodwill between the nations and that if countries play games together they will learn to live together. Others say that the opposite is true: that international contests encourage false national pride and lead to misunderstanding and hatred. There is probably some truth in both arguments, but in recent years the Olympic Games have done little to support the view that sports encourages international brotherhood. Not only was there the tragic incident involving the murder of athletes, but the Games were also ruined by lesser incidents caused principally by minor national contests.
One country received its second-place medals with visible indignation after the hockey final. There had been noisy scenes at the end of the hockey match, the losers objecting to the final decisions. They were convinced that one of their goals should not have been disallowed and that their opponents' victory was unfair. Their manager was ina rage when he said: "This wasn't hockey. Hockey and the International Hockey Federation are finished." The president of the Federation said later that such behavior could result in the suspension of the team for at least three years.
The American basketball team announced that they would not yield first place to Russia, after a disputable end to their contest. The game had ended in disturbance. It was thought at first that the United States had won, by a single point, but it was announced that there were three seconds still to play. A Russian player then threw the ball from one end of the court to the other, and another player popped it into the basket. It was the first time the USA had ever lost an Olympic basketball match. An appeal jury debated the matter for four and a half hours before announcing that the result would stand. The American players then voted not to receive the silver medals.
Incidents of this kind will continue as long as sport is played competitively rather than for the love of the game. The suggestion that athletes should compete as individuals, or in non-national teams, might be too much to hope for. But in the present organization of the Olympics there is far too much that encourages aggressive patriotism. | 3647.txt | 2 |
[
"His team would no longer take part in international games.",
"Hockey and the Federation are both ruined by the unfair decisions.",
"There should be no more hockey matches organized by the Federation.",
"The Federation should be dissolved."
]
| What did the manager mean by saying, "... Hockey and the International Hockey Federation are finished"? | Some people believe that international sport creates goodwill between the nations and that if countries play games together they will learn to live together. Others say that the opposite is true: that international contests encourage false national pride and lead to misunderstanding and hatred. There is probably some truth in both arguments, but in recent years the Olympic Games have done little to support the view that sports encourages international brotherhood. Not only was there the tragic incident involving the murder of athletes, but the Games were also ruined by lesser incidents caused principally by minor national contests.
One country received its second-place medals with visible indignation after the hockey final. There had been noisy scenes at the end of the hockey match, the losers objecting to the final decisions. They were convinced that one of their goals should not have been disallowed and that their opponents' victory was unfair. Their manager was ina rage when he said: "This wasn't hockey. Hockey and the International Hockey Federation are finished." The president of the Federation said later that such behavior could result in the suspension of the team for at least three years.
The American basketball team announced that they would not yield first place to Russia, after a disputable end to their contest. The game had ended in disturbance. It was thought at first that the United States had won, by a single point, but it was announced that there were three seconds still to play. A Russian player then threw the ball from one end of the court to the other, and another player popped it into the basket. It was the first time the USA had ever lost an Olympic basketball match. An appeal jury debated the matter for four and a half hours before announcing that the result would stand. The American players then voted not to receive the silver medals.
Incidents of this kind will continue as long as sport is played competitively rather than for the love of the game. The suggestion that athletes should compete as individuals, or in non-national teams, might be too much to hope for. But in the present organization of the Olympics there is far too much that encourages aggressive patriotism. | 3647.txt | 1 |
[
"too much patriotism was displayed in the incident",
"the announcement to prolong the match was wrong",
"the appeal jury was too hesitant in making the decision",
"the American team was right in rejecting the silver medals"
]
| The basketball example implied that . | Some people believe that international sport creates goodwill between the nations and that if countries play games together they will learn to live together. Others say that the opposite is true: that international contests encourage false national pride and lead to misunderstanding and hatred. There is probably some truth in both arguments, but in recent years the Olympic Games have done little to support the view that sports encourages international brotherhood. Not only was there the tragic incident involving the murder of athletes, but the Games were also ruined by lesser incidents caused principally by minor national contests.
One country received its second-place medals with visible indignation after the hockey final. There had been noisy scenes at the end of the hockey match, the losers objecting to the final decisions. They were convinced that one of their goals should not have been disallowed and that their opponents' victory was unfair. Their manager was ina rage when he said: "This wasn't hockey. Hockey and the International Hockey Federation are finished." The president of the Federation said later that such behavior could result in the suspension of the team for at least three years.
The American basketball team announced that they would not yield first place to Russia, after a disputable end to their contest. The game had ended in disturbance. It was thought at first that the United States had won, by a single point, but it was announced that there were three seconds still to play. A Russian player then threw the ball from one end of the court to the other, and another player popped it into the basket. It was the first time the USA had ever lost an Olympic basketball match. An appeal jury debated the matter for four and a half hours before announcing that the result would stand. The American players then voted not to receive the silver medals.
Incidents of this kind will continue as long as sport is played competitively rather than for the love of the game. The suggestion that athletes should compete as individuals, or in non-national teams, might be too much to hope for. But in the present organization of the Olympics there is far too much that encourages aggressive patriotism. | 3647.txt | 0 |
[
"how false national pride led to undesirable incidents in international games",
"that sportsmen have been more obedient than they used to be",
"that competitiveness in the games discourages international friendship",
"that unfair decisions are common in Olympic Games"
]
| The author gives the two examples in Paragraphs 2 and 3 to show . | Some people believe that international sport creates goodwill between the nations and that if countries play games together they will learn to live together. Others say that the opposite is true: that international contests encourage false national pride and lead to misunderstanding and hatred. There is probably some truth in both arguments, but in recent years the Olympic Games have done little to support the view that sports encourages international brotherhood. Not only was there the tragic incident involving the murder of athletes, but the Games were also ruined by lesser incidents caused principally by minor national contests.
One country received its second-place medals with visible indignation after the hockey final. There had been noisy scenes at the end of the hockey match, the losers objecting to the final decisions. They were convinced that one of their goals should not have been disallowed and that their opponents' victory was unfair. Their manager was ina rage when he said: "This wasn't hockey. Hockey and the International Hockey Federation are finished." The president of the Federation said later that such behavior could result in the suspension of the team for at least three years.
The American basketball team announced that they would not yield first place to Russia, after a disputable end to their contest. The game had ended in disturbance. It was thought at first that the United States had won, by a single point, but it was announced that there were three seconds still to play. A Russian player then threw the ball from one end of the court to the other, and another player popped it into the basket. It was the first time the USA had ever lost an Olympic basketball match. An appeal jury debated the matter for four and a half hours before announcing that the result would stand. The American players then voted not to receive the silver medals.
Incidents of this kind will continue as long as sport is played competitively rather than for the love of the game. The suggestion that athletes should compete as individuals, or in non-national teams, might be too much to hope for. But in the present organization of the Olympics there is far too much that encourages aggressive patriotism. | 3647.txt | 2 |
[
"The organization of the Olympic Games must be improved.",
"Athletes should compete as individual in the Olympic Games.",
"Sport should be played competitively rather than for the love of the game.",
"International contests are liable for misunderstanding between nations."
]
| What conclusion can be drawn from the passage? | Some people believe that international sport creates goodwill between the nations and that if countries play games together they will learn to live together. Others say that the opposite is true: that international contests encourage false national pride and lead to misunderstanding and hatred. There is probably some truth in both arguments, but in recent years the Olympic Games have done little to support the view that sports encourages international brotherhood. Not only was there the tragic incident involving the murder of athletes, but the Games were also ruined by lesser incidents caused principally by minor national contests.
One country received its second-place medals with visible indignation after the hockey final. There had been noisy scenes at the end of the hockey match, the losers objecting to the final decisions. They were convinced that one of their goals should not have been disallowed and that their opponents' victory was unfair. Their manager was ina rage when he said: "This wasn't hockey. Hockey and the International Hockey Federation are finished." The president of the Federation said later that such behavior could result in the suspension of the team for at least three years.
The American basketball team announced that they would not yield first place to Russia, after a disputable end to their contest. The game had ended in disturbance. It was thought at first that the United States had won, by a single point, but it was announced that there were three seconds still to play. A Russian player then threw the ball from one end of the court to the other, and another player popped it into the basket. It was the first time the USA had ever lost an Olympic basketball match. An appeal jury debated the matter for four and a half hours before announcing that the result would stand. The American players then voted not to receive the silver medals.
Incidents of this kind will continue as long as sport is played competitively rather than for the love of the game. The suggestion that athletes should compete as individuals, or in non-national teams, might be too much to hope for. But in the present organization of the Olympics there is far too much that encourages aggressive patriotism. | 3647.txt | 0 |
[
"People are free to develop their power of imagination.",
"People who are honest and work hard can succeed.",
"People are free from exploitation and oppression.",
"People can fully enjoy individual freedom."
]
| What is the essence of the American Dream according to Crevecoeur? | Ask most people how they define the American Dream and chances are they'll say, "Success." The dream of individual opportunity has been home in American since Europeans discovered a "new world" in the Western Hemisphere. Early immigrants like Hector St. Jean de Crevecoeur praised highly the freedom and opportunity to be found in this new land. His glowing descriptions of a classless society where anyone could attain success through honesty and hard work fired the imaginations of many European readers: in Letters from an American Farmer (1782) he wrote. "We are all excited at the spirit of an industry which is unfettered and unrestrained, because each person works for himself ... We have no princes, for whom we toil ,starve, and bleed: we are the most perfect society now existing in the world." The promise of a land where "the rewards of a man's industry follow with equal steps the progress of his labor" drew poor immigrants from Europe and fueled national expansion into the western territories.
Our national mythology is full of illustration the American success story. There's Benjamin Franklin, the very model of the self-educated, self-made man, who rose from modest origins to become a well-known scientist, philosopher, and statesman. In the nineteenth century, Horatio Alger, a writer of fiction for young boys, became American's best-selling author with rags-to-riches tales. The notion of success haunts us: we spend million every year reading about the rich and famous, learning how to "make a fortune in real estate with no money down," and "dressing for success." The myth of success has even invaded our personal relationships: today it's as important to be "successful" in marriage or parenthoods as it is to come out on top in business.
But dreams easily turn into nightmares. Every American who hopes to "make it" also knows the fear of failure, because the myth of success inevitably implies comparison between the haves and the have-nots, the stars and the anonymous crowd. Under pressure of the myth, we become indulged in status symbols: we try to live in the "right" neighborhoods, wear the "right" clothes, eat the "right" foods. These symbols of distinction assure us and others that we believe strongly in the fundamental equality of all, yet strive as hard as we can to separate ourselves from our fellow citizens. | 621.txt | 3 |
[
"the more diligent one is, the bigger his returns",
"laborious work ensures the growth of an industry",
"a man's business should be developed step by step",
"a company's success depends on its employees' hard work"
]
| By saying "the rewards of a man's industry follow with equal steps the progress of his labor" (Line 10, Para. 1), the author means ________. | Ask most people how they define the American Dream and chances are they'll say, "Success." The dream of individual opportunity has been home in American since Europeans discovered a "new world" in the Western Hemisphere. Early immigrants like Hector St. Jean de Crevecoeur praised highly the freedom and opportunity to be found in this new land. His glowing descriptions of a classless society where anyone could attain success through honesty and hard work fired the imaginations of many European readers: in Letters from an American Farmer (1782) he wrote. "We are all excited at the spirit of an industry which is unfettered and unrestrained, because each person works for himself ... We have no princes, for whom we toil ,starve, and bleed: we are the most perfect society now existing in the world." The promise of a land where "the rewards of a man's industry follow with equal steps the progress of his labor" drew poor immigrants from Europe and fueled national expansion into the western territories.
Our national mythology is full of illustration the American success story. There's Benjamin Franklin, the very model of the self-educated, self-made man, who rose from modest origins to become a well-known scientist, philosopher, and statesman. In the nineteenth century, Horatio Alger, a writer of fiction for young boys, became American's best-selling author with rags-to-riches tales. The notion of success haunts us: we spend million every year reading about the rich and famous, learning how to "make a fortune in real estate with no money down," and "dressing for success." The myth of success has even invaded our personal relationships: today it's as important to be "successful" in marriage or parenthoods as it is to come out on top in business.
But dreams easily turn into nightmares. Every American who hopes to "make it" also knows the fear of failure, because the myth of success inevitably implies comparison between the haves and the have-nots, the stars and the anonymous crowd. Under pressure of the myth, we become indulged in status symbols: we try to live in the "right" neighborhoods, wear the "right" clothes, eat the "right" foods. These symbols of distinction assure us and others that we believe strongly in the fundamental equality of all, yet strive as hard as we can to separate ourselves from our fellow citizens. | 621.txt | 0 |
[
"succeed in real estate investment",
"earned enormous fortunes by chances",
"became wealthy after starting life very poor",
"became famous despite their modest origins"
]
| The characters described in Horatio Alger's novels are people who ________. | Ask most people how they define the American Dream and chances are they'll say, "Success." The dream of individual opportunity has been home in American since Europeans discovered a "new world" in the Western Hemisphere. Early immigrants like Hector St. Jean de Crevecoeur praised highly the freedom and opportunity to be found in this new land. His glowing descriptions of a classless society where anyone could attain success through honesty and hard work fired the imaginations of many European readers: in Letters from an American Farmer (1782) he wrote. "We are all excited at the spirit of an industry which is unfettered and unrestrained, because each person works for himself ... We have no princes, for whom we toil ,starve, and bleed: we are the most perfect society now existing in the world." The promise of a land where "the rewards of a man's industry follow with equal steps the progress of his labor" drew poor immigrants from Europe and fueled national expansion into the western territories.
Our national mythology is full of illustration the American success story. There's Benjamin Franklin, the very model of the self-educated, self-made man, who rose from modest origins to become a well-known scientist, philosopher, and statesman. In the nineteenth century, Horatio Alger, a writer of fiction for young boys, became American's best-selling author with rags-to-riches tales. The notion of success haunts us: we spend million every year reading about the rich and famous, learning how to "make a fortune in real estate with no money down," and "dressing for success." The myth of success has even invaded our personal relationships: today it's as important to be "successful" in marriage or parenthoods as it is to come out on top in business.
But dreams easily turn into nightmares. Every American who hopes to "make it" also knows the fear of failure, because the myth of success inevitably implies comparison between the haves and the have-nots, the stars and the anonymous crowd. Under pressure of the myth, we become indulged in status symbols: we try to live in the "right" neighborhoods, wear the "right" clothes, eat the "right" foods. These symbols of distinction assure us and others that we believe strongly in the fundamental equality of all, yet strive as hard as we can to separate ourselves from our fellow citizens. | 621.txt | 2 |
[
"business success often contributes to a successful marriage",
"Americans wish to succeed in every aspect of life",
"good personal relationships lead to business success",
"successful business people provide good care for their children"
]
| It can be inferred from the last sentence of the second paragraph that ________. | Ask most people how they define the American Dream and chances are they'll say, "Success." The dream of individual opportunity has been home in American since Europeans discovered a "new world" in the Western Hemisphere. Early immigrants like Hector St. Jean de Crevecoeur praised highly the freedom and opportunity to be found in this new land. His glowing descriptions of a classless society where anyone could attain success through honesty and hard work fired the imaginations of many European readers: in Letters from an American Farmer (1782) he wrote. "We are all excited at the spirit of an industry which is unfettered and unrestrained, because each person works for himself ... We have no princes, for whom we toil ,starve, and bleed: we are the most perfect society now existing in the world." The promise of a land where "the rewards of a man's industry follow with equal steps the progress of his labor" drew poor immigrants from Europe and fueled national expansion into the western territories.
Our national mythology is full of illustration the American success story. There's Benjamin Franklin, the very model of the self-educated, self-made man, who rose from modest origins to become a well-known scientist, philosopher, and statesman. In the nineteenth century, Horatio Alger, a writer of fiction for young boys, became American's best-selling author with rags-to-riches tales. The notion of success haunts us: we spend million every year reading about the rich and famous, learning how to "make a fortune in real estate with no money down," and "dressing for success." The myth of success has even invaded our personal relationships: today it's as important to be "successful" in marriage or parenthoods as it is to come out on top in business.
But dreams easily turn into nightmares. Every American who hopes to "make it" also knows the fear of failure, because the myth of success inevitably implies comparison between the haves and the have-nots, the stars and the anonymous crowd. Under pressure of the myth, we become indulged in status symbols: we try to live in the "right" neighborhoods, wear the "right" clothes, eat the "right" foods. These symbols of distinction assure us and others that we believe strongly in the fundamental equality of all, yet strive as hard as we can to separate ourselves from our fellow citizens. | 621.txt | 1 |
[
"The American road to success is full of nightmares.",
"Status symbols are not a real indicator of a person's wealth.",
"The American Dream is nothing but an empty dream.",
"What Americans strive after often contradicts their beliefs."
]
| What is the paradox of American culture according to the author? | Ask most people how they define the American Dream and chances are they'll say, "Success." The dream of individual opportunity has been home in American since Europeans discovered a "new world" in the Western Hemisphere. Early immigrants like Hector St. Jean de Crevecoeur praised highly the freedom and opportunity to be found in this new land. His glowing descriptions of a classless society where anyone could attain success through honesty and hard work fired the imaginations of many European readers: in Letters from an American Farmer (1782) he wrote. "We are all excited at the spirit of an industry which is unfettered and unrestrained, because each person works for himself ... We have no princes, for whom we toil ,starve, and bleed: we are the most perfect society now existing in the world." The promise of a land where "the rewards of a man's industry follow with equal steps the progress of his labor" drew poor immigrants from Europe and fueled national expansion into the western territories.
Our national mythology is full of illustration the American success story. There's Benjamin Franklin, the very model of the self-educated, self-made man, who rose from modest origins to become a well-known scientist, philosopher, and statesman. In the nineteenth century, Horatio Alger, a writer of fiction for young boys, became American's best-selling author with rags-to-riches tales. The notion of success haunts us: we spend million every year reading about the rich and famous, learning how to "make a fortune in real estate with no money down," and "dressing for success." The myth of success has even invaded our personal relationships: today it's as important to be "successful" in marriage or parenthoods as it is to come out on top in business.
But dreams easily turn into nightmares. Every American who hopes to "make it" also knows the fear of failure, because the myth of success inevitably implies comparison between the haves and the have-nots, the stars and the anonymous crowd. Under pressure of the myth, we become indulged in status symbols: we try to live in the "right" neighborhoods, wear the "right" clothes, eat the "right" foods. These symbols of distinction assure us and others that we believe strongly in the fundamental equality of all, yet strive as hard as we can to separate ourselves from our fellow citizens. | 621.txt | 3 |
[
"for visitors to see",
"for kings to live in",
"as the kings tombs",
"for king Khufu"
]
| In ancient Egypt pyramids were built _ . | The kings of ancient Egypt planned strong tombs to keep their bodies safe after death and to hold their treasures. The Great Pyramid was built thousands of years ago for a king called Khufu. It stands on the west bank of the Nile River not far from Cairo. In fact all the pyramids along the Nile are on its west bank. The ancient Egyptians compared the rising of the sun to the beginning of life and the setting of the sun to the end of life. This is why their dead bodies were buried on the west bank of the Nile. The people of Mexico also built pyramids. They did not build the pyramids for tombs. They used to build a pyramid and then a temple on top of it. The pyramids of Mexico are not as high as the pyramids of Egypt, but they are big. Each of the pyramids has a wide stairway that goes from the bottom to the top.
More pyramids were built in the Americas than in Egypt. About 90 pyramids are known to have stood in Egypt, while several hundred small pyramids are scattered across Central and South America. The biggest pyramid in Mexico is almost 2,000 years old. Scientists think it took 10,000 men more than ten years to build it. On the top they built a temple of the sun. The temple is no longer there but people still called it the Pyramid of the Sun. Near it is another huge pyramid, the Pyramid of the Moon. | 648.txt | 2 |
[
"they died in the west",
"the sun sets in the west",
"the end of their lives was like the setting of the sun",
"they would go to the west after death"
]
| All the pyramids along the Nile are on its west bank, because in ancient Egypt people thought _ . | The kings of ancient Egypt planned strong tombs to keep their bodies safe after death and to hold their treasures. The Great Pyramid was built thousands of years ago for a king called Khufu. It stands on the west bank of the Nile River not far from Cairo. In fact all the pyramids along the Nile are on its west bank. The ancient Egyptians compared the rising of the sun to the beginning of life and the setting of the sun to the end of life. This is why their dead bodies were buried on the west bank of the Nile. The people of Mexico also built pyramids. They did not build the pyramids for tombs. They used to build a pyramid and then a temple on top of it. The pyramids of Mexico are not as high as the pyramids of Egypt, but they are big. Each of the pyramids has a wide stairway that goes from the bottom to the top.
More pyramids were built in the Americas than in Egypt. About 90 pyramids are known to have stood in Egypt, while several hundred small pyramids are scattered across Central and South America. The biggest pyramid in Mexico is almost 2,000 years old. Scientists think it took 10,000 men more than ten years to build it. On the top they built a temple of the sun. The temple is no longer there but people still called it the Pyramid of the Sun. Near it is another huge pyramid, the Pyramid of the Moon. | 648.txt | 2 |
[
"for the kings",
"for the people",
"for wars",
"for the gods"
]
| The pyramids in ancient Mexico were built _ . | The kings of ancient Egypt planned strong tombs to keep their bodies safe after death and to hold their treasures. The Great Pyramid was built thousands of years ago for a king called Khufu. It stands on the west bank of the Nile River not far from Cairo. In fact all the pyramids along the Nile are on its west bank. The ancient Egyptians compared the rising of the sun to the beginning of life and the setting of the sun to the end of life. This is why their dead bodies were buried on the west bank of the Nile. The people of Mexico also built pyramids. They did not build the pyramids for tombs. They used to build a pyramid and then a temple on top of it. The pyramids of Mexico are not as high as the pyramids of Egypt, but they are big. Each of the pyramids has a wide stairway that goes from the bottom to the top.
More pyramids were built in the Americas than in Egypt. About 90 pyramids are known to have stood in Egypt, while several hundred small pyramids are scattered across Central and South America. The biggest pyramid in Mexico is almost 2,000 years old. Scientists think it took 10,000 men more than ten years to build it. On the top they built a temple of the sun. The temple is no longer there but people still called it the Pyramid of the Sun. Near it is another huge pyramid, the Pyramid of the Moon. | 648.txt | 3 |
[
"we shouldn't put every word into our own language",
"we should look up every word in the dictionary",
"we need to put every word into our own language",
"we must read word by word"
]
| From the passage we know that _ when we are learning English. | When you are learning English, you find it not clever to put an English sentence, word for word, into your own language. Take the sentence " How do you do?" as an example. If you look up each word in the dictionary, one at a time, what is your translation? It must be a wrong sentence in your own language.
Languages do not just have different sounds, they are different in many ways. It's important to
master the rules for word order in the study of English, too. If the speaker puts words in a wrong order, the listener can't understand the speaker's sentence easily. Sometimes when the order of words in an English sentence is changed, the meaning of the sentence changes, But sometimes the order is changed, the meaning of the sentence doesn't change. Let's see the difference between the two pairs of sentences.
"She only likes apples.""Only she likes apples.""I have seen the film already.""I have already seen the film."
When you are learning English, you must do your best to get the spirit of the language and use it as the English speaker does. | 3422.txt | 0 |
[
"difficult to understand different sounds",
"possible to remember the word order",
"important to master the rules in different ways",
"easy to master the rules for word order"
]
| The writer thinks it is _ in learning English. | When you are learning English, you find it not clever to put an English sentence, word for word, into your own language. Take the sentence " How do you do?" as an example. If you look up each word in the dictionary, one at a time, what is your translation? It must be a wrong sentence in your own language.
Languages do not just have different sounds, they are different in many ways. It's important to
master the rules for word order in the study of English, too. If the speaker puts words in a wrong order, the listener can't understand the speaker's sentence easily. Sometimes when the order of words in an English sentence is changed, the meaning of the sentence changes, But sometimes the order is changed, the meaning of the sentence doesn't change. Let's see the difference between the two pairs of sentences.
"She only likes apples.""Only she likes apples.""I have seen the film already.""I have already seen the film."
When you are learning English, you must do your best to get the spirit of the language and use it as the English speaker does. | 3422.txt | 1 |
[
"the meaning of an English sentence always changes with the order of the words",
"The order of words can never change the meaning of an English sentence",
"sometimes different order of words has a different meaning",
"if the order of words is different, the meaning of the sentence must be different"
]
| We can learn from the passage that _ . | When you are learning English, you find it not clever to put an English sentence, word for word, into your own language. Take the sentence " How do you do?" as an example. If you look up each word in the dictionary, one at a time, what is your translation? It must be a wrong sentence in your own language.
Languages do not just have different sounds, they are different in many ways. It's important to
master the rules for word order in the study of English, too. If the speaker puts words in a wrong order, the listener can't understand the speaker's sentence easily. Sometimes when the order of words in an English sentence is changed, the meaning of the sentence changes, But sometimes the order is changed, the meaning of the sentence doesn't change. Let's see the difference between the two pairs of sentences.
"She only likes apples.""Only she likes apples.""I have seen the film already.""I have already seen the film."
When you are learning English, you must do your best to get the spirit of the language and use it as the English speaker does. | 3422.txt | 2 |
[
"is the same as \"Only she likes apples.\"",
"is different from \"Only she likes apples.\"",
"means \"She likes fruit except apples.\"",
"means \"She doesn't like apples.\""
]
| "She only likes apples." _ . | When you are learning English, you find it not clever to put an English sentence, word for word, into your own language. Take the sentence " How do you do?" as an example. If you look up each word in the dictionary, one at a time, what is your translation? It must be a wrong sentence in your own language.
Languages do not just have different sounds, they are different in many ways. It's important to
master the rules for word order in the study of English, too. If the speaker puts words in a wrong order, the listener can't understand the speaker's sentence easily. Sometimes when the order of words in an English sentence is changed, the meaning of the sentence changes, But sometimes the order is changed, the meaning of the sentence doesn't change. Let's see the difference between the two pairs of sentences.
"She only likes apples.""Only she likes apples.""I have seen the film already.""I have already seen the film."
When you are learning English, you must do your best to get the spirit of the language and use it as the English speaker does. | 3422.txt | 1 |
[
"Different Orders, Different Meanings",
"How to Speak English",
"How to Put English into Our Own Language",
"How to Learn English"
]
| Which is the best title for this passage? | When you are learning English, you find it not clever to put an English sentence, word for word, into your own language. Take the sentence " How do you do?" as an example. If you look up each word in the dictionary, one at a time, what is your translation? It must be a wrong sentence in your own language.
Languages do not just have different sounds, they are different in many ways. It's important to
master the rules for word order in the study of English, too. If the speaker puts words in a wrong order, the listener can't understand the speaker's sentence easily. Sometimes when the order of words in an English sentence is changed, the meaning of the sentence changes, But sometimes the order is changed, the meaning of the sentence doesn't change. Let's see the difference between the two pairs of sentences.
"She only likes apples.""Only she likes apples.""I have seen the film already.""I have already seen the film."
When you are learning English, you must do your best to get the spirit of the language and use it as the English speaker does. | 3422.txt | 3 |
[
"The police work hard on hopeless offences to create a lawful culture.",
"The police make the punishment harsher for all kinds of crime.",
"People are encouraged to give an immediate report about the crime nearby.",
"Burglars are given a severe punishment."
]
| Which one of the following actions may be carried out according to the "broken windows" philosophy? | In the 1990s New York City's success in cutting crime became a model for America and the world. Innovative policing methods, guided by the "broken windows" philosophy of cracking down on minor offences to encourage a culture of lawfulness, showed that a seemingly hopeless situation could be turned around. It made the name of the mayor, Rudy Giuliani, now a presidential aspirant.
Hopeless is how many people feel about America's government-funded public schools, particularly in the dodgier parts of big cities, where graduation rates are shockingly low and many fail to achieve basic levels of literacy and numeracy. As with urban crime, failing urban schools are preoccupying countries the world over. And just as New York pointed the way on fighting crime, under another mayor, Michael Bloomberg, it is now emerging as a model for school reform.
On November 5th Mr Bloomberg announced a new "report card" for the city's schools, designed to make them accountable for their performance. The highest-graded schools will get an increased budget and perhaps a bonus for the principal. Schools that fail will not be tolerated: unless their performance improves, their principals will be fired, and if that does not do the trick, they will be closed. This is the culmination of a series of reforms that began when Mr Bloomberg campaigned for, and won, direct control of the school system after becoming mayor in 2002. Even before the "report cards", there have been impressive signs of improvement, including higher test scores and better graduation rates.
Mr Bloomberg has not been as brave with schools as Mr Giuliani was with crime. Oddly given his belief in competition, the former media mogul shunned the most radical option-vouchers that allow parents to shop around beyond the public-schools system for their children's education. On the other hand, even supporters of school choice, like this newspaper, have to admit it is proving hard to sell. Nor has Mr Bloomberg made a big push to introduce large numbers of independent charter schools as exist, say, in Los Angeles.
Against this, Mr Bloomberg has provided an example of what a mayor with control of schools can do even without embracing such controversial ideas. He has avoided inflammatory political terms-"merit pay" and "vouchers" are red rags to teachers' unions. Instead, by using the carrot of pay rises to extract performance concessions from principals and teachers, and by persuading philanthropists such as Bill Gates to pay for innovations that might be hard to sell to the public if the public had to pay for them, he has put in place a system based on transparency, accountability and competition that he hopes will achieve much the same effect.
Will it? A lot will depend on whether Mr Bloomberg's actions continue to match his tough talk. Unless bad schools are indeed closed, his scheme will be as much good as a blackboard with no chalk. But there are some parallels with Mr Giuliani's crime reforms. For the New York Police Department's giant CompStat database, which provided useful insight into crime patterns, read a new schools information system for students, parents, teachers and schools administrators designed by IBM. For the concept of making precinct police captains personally accountable for reducing crime, read the grading of schools and firing of failing principals. | 3589.txt | 3 |
[
"a rampant growth of the urban crime.",
"low rate of graduation and student literacy.",
"the poor management of the schools in terms of teaching method and teacher qualification.",
"certain reasons which are not mentioned in the passage."
]
| The poor performance of America's government-funded public schools in big cities is most probably due to _ | In the 1990s New York City's success in cutting crime became a model for America and the world. Innovative policing methods, guided by the "broken windows" philosophy of cracking down on minor offences to encourage a culture of lawfulness, showed that a seemingly hopeless situation could be turned around. It made the name of the mayor, Rudy Giuliani, now a presidential aspirant.
Hopeless is how many people feel about America's government-funded public schools, particularly in the dodgier parts of big cities, where graduation rates are shockingly low and many fail to achieve basic levels of literacy and numeracy. As with urban crime, failing urban schools are preoccupying countries the world over. And just as New York pointed the way on fighting crime, under another mayor, Michael Bloomberg, it is now emerging as a model for school reform.
On November 5th Mr Bloomberg announced a new "report card" for the city's schools, designed to make them accountable for their performance. The highest-graded schools will get an increased budget and perhaps a bonus for the principal. Schools that fail will not be tolerated: unless their performance improves, their principals will be fired, and if that does not do the trick, they will be closed. This is the culmination of a series of reforms that began when Mr Bloomberg campaigned for, and won, direct control of the school system after becoming mayor in 2002. Even before the "report cards", there have been impressive signs of improvement, including higher test scores and better graduation rates.
Mr Bloomberg has not been as brave with schools as Mr Giuliani was with crime. Oddly given his belief in competition, the former media mogul shunned the most radical option-vouchers that allow parents to shop around beyond the public-schools system for their children's education. On the other hand, even supporters of school choice, like this newspaper, have to admit it is proving hard to sell. Nor has Mr Bloomberg made a big push to introduce large numbers of independent charter schools as exist, say, in Los Angeles.
Against this, Mr Bloomberg has provided an example of what a mayor with control of schools can do even without embracing such controversial ideas. He has avoided inflammatory political terms-"merit pay" and "vouchers" are red rags to teachers' unions. Instead, by using the carrot of pay rises to extract performance concessions from principals and teachers, and by persuading philanthropists such as Bill Gates to pay for innovations that might be hard to sell to the public if the public had to pay for them, he has put in place a system based on transparency, accountability and competition that he hopes will achieve much the same effect.
Will it? A lot will depend on whether Mr Bloomberg's actions continue to match his tough talk. Unless bad schools are indeed closed, his scheme will be as much good as a blackboard with no chalk. But there are some parallels with Mr Giuliani's crime reforms. For the New York Police Department's giant CompStat database, which provided useful insight into crime patterns, read a new schools information system for students, parents, teachers and schools administrators designed by IBM. For the concept of making precinct police captains personally accountable for reducing crime, read the grading of schools and firing of failing principals. | 3589.txt | 3 |
[
"He was encouraged to establish a transparent and accountable system without controversial ideas.",
"He was intentionally copying Mr Giuliani's models in most aspects.",
"He was moderate in taking measures to change the schools system.",
"He adopted measures that were difficult for people to understand."
]
| Which one of the following is TURE of Mr Bloomberg's reform on publcih schools? | In the 1990s New York City's success in cutting crime became a model for America and the world. Innovative policing methods, guided by the "broken windows" philosophy of cracking down on minor offences to encourage a culture of lawfulness, showed that a seemingly hopeless situation could be turned around. It made the name of the mayor, Rudy Giuliani, now a presidential aspirant.
Hopeless is how many people feel about America's government-funded public schools, particularly in the dodgier parts of big cities, where graduation rates are shockingly low and many fail to achieve basic levels of literacy and numeracy. As with urban crime, failing urban schools are preoccupying countries the world over. And just as New York pointed the way on fighting crime, under another mayor, Michael Bloomberg, it is now emerging as a model for school reform.
On November 5th Mr Bloomberg announced a new "report card" for the city's schools, designed to make them accountable for their performance. The highest-graded schools will get an increased budget and perhaps a bonus for the principal. Schools that fail will not be tolerated: unless their performance improves, their principals will be fired, and if that does not do the trick, they will be closed. This is the culmination of a series of reforms that began when Mr Bloomberg campaigned for, and won, direct control of the school system after becoming mayor in 2002. Even before the "report cards", there have been impressive signs of improvement, including higher test scores and better graduation rates.
Mr Bloomberg has not been as brave with schools as Mr Giuliani was with crime. Oddly given his belief in competition, the former media mogul shunned the most radical option-vouchers that allow parents to shop around beyond the public-schools system for their children's education. On the other hand, even supporters of school choice, like this newspaper, have to admit it is proving hard to sell. Nor has Mr Bloomberg made a big push to introduce large numbers of independent charter schools as exist, say, in Los Angeles.
Against this, Mr Bloomberg has provided an example of what a mayor with control of schools can do even without embracing such controversial ideas. He has avoided inflammatory political terms-"merit pay" and "vouchers" are red rags to teachers' unions. Instead, by using the carrot of pay rises to extract performance concessions from principals and teachers, and by persuading philanthropists such as Bill Gates to pay for innovations that might be hard to sell to the public if the public had to pay for them, he has put in place a system based on transparency, accountability and competition that he hopes will achieve much the same effect.
Will it? A lot will depend on whether Mr Bloomberg's actions continue to match his tough talk. Unless bad schools are indeed closed, his scheme will be as much good as a blackboard with no chalk. But there are some parallels with Mr Giuliani's crime reforms. For the New York Police Department's giant CompStat database, which provided useful insight into crime patterns, read a new schools information system for students, parents, teachers and schools administrators designed by IBM. For the concept of making precinct police captains personally accountable for reducing crime, read the grading of schools and firing of failing principals. | 3589.txt | 2 |
[
"the bottom line.",
"controversial ideas.",
"irritative factors.",
"sensitive topics."
]
| The phrase "red rag" (Line 3, Paragraph 5) most probably means _ | In the 1990s New York City's success in cutting crime became a model for America and the world. Innovative policing methods, guided by the "broken windows" philosophy of cracking down on minor offences to encourage a culture of lawfulness, showed that a seemingly hopeless situation could be turned around. It made the name of the mayor, Rudy Giuliani, now a presidential aspirant.
Hopeless is how many people feel about America's government-funded public schools, particularly in the dodgier parts of big cities, where graduation rates are shockingly low and many fail to achieve basic levels of literacy and numeracy. As with urban crime, failing urban schools are preoccupying countries the world over. And just as New York pointed the way on fighting crime, under another mayor, Michael Bloomberg, it is now emerging as a model for school reform.
On November 5th Mr Bloomberg announced a new "report card" for the city's schools, designed to make them accountable for their performance. The highest-graded schools will get an increased budget and perhaps a bonus for the principal. Schools that fail will not be tolerated: unless their performance improves, their principals will be fired, and if that does not do the trick, they will be closed. This is the culmination of a series of reforms that began when Mr Bloomberg campaigned for, and won, direct control of the school system after becoming mayor in 2002. Even before the "report cards", there have been impressive signs of improvement, including higher test scores and better graduation rates.
Mr Bloomberg has not been as brave with schools as Mr Giuliani was with crime. Oddly given his belief in competition, the former media mogul shunned the most radical option-vouchers that allow parents to shop around beyond the public-schools system for their children's education. On the other hand, even supporters of school choice, like this newspaper, have to admit it is proving hard to sell. Nor has Mr Bloomberg made a big push to introduce large numbers of independent charter schools as exist, say, in Los Angeles.
Against this, Mr Bloomberg has provided an example of what a mayor with control of schools can do even without embracing such controversial ideas. He has avoided inflammatory political terms-"merit pay" and "vouchers" are red rags to teachers' unions. Instead, by using the carrot of pay rises to extract performance concessions from principals and teachers, and by persuading philanthropists such as Bill Gates to pay for innovations that might be hard to sell to the public if the public had to pay for them, he has put in place a system based on transparency, accountability and competition that he hopes will achieve much the same effect.
Will it? A lot will depend on whether Mr Bloomberg's actions continue to match his tough talk. Unless bad schools are indeed closed, his scheme will be as much good as a blackboard with no chalk. But there are some parallels with Mr Giuliani's crime reforms. For the New York Police Department's giant CompStat database, which provided useful insight into crime patterns, read a new schools information system for students, parents, teachers and schools administrators designed by IBM. For the concept of making precinct police captains personally accountable for reducing crime, read the grading of schools and firing of failing principals. | 3589.txt | 2 |
[
"his scheme is only empty talk.",
"his scheme has not been implemented.",
"his scheme sounds too good to be true.",
"his scheme awaits to be rectified."
]
| Mr. Bloomberg's scheme is compared to a blackboard with no chalk because _ | In the 1990s New York City's success in cutting crime became a model for America and the world. Innovative policing methods, guided by the "broken windows" philosophy of cracking down on minor offences to encourage a culture of lawfulness, showed that a seemingly hopeless situation could be turned around. It made the name of the mayor, Rudy Giuliani, now a presidential aspirant.
Hopeless is how many people feel about America's government-funded public schools, particularly in the dodgier parts of big cities, where graduation rates are shockingly low and many fail to achieve basic levels of literacy and numeracy. As with urban crime, failing urban schools are preoccupying countries the world over. And just as New York pointed the way on fighting crime, under another mayor, Michael Bloomberg, it is now emerging as a model for school reform.
On November 5th Mr Bloomberg announced a new "report card" for the city's schools, designed to make them accountable for their performance. The highest-graded schools will get an increased budget and perhaps a bonus for the principal. Schools that fail will not be tolerated: unless their performance improves, their principals will be fired, and if that does not do the trick, they will be closed. This is the culmination of a series of reforms that began when Mr Bloomberg campaigned for, and won, direct control of the school system after becoming mayor in 2002. Even before the "report cards", there have been impressive signs of improvement, including higher test scores and better graduation rates.
Mr Bloomberg has not been as brave with schools as Mr Giuliani was with crime. Oddly given his belief in competition, the former media mogul shunned the most radical option-vouchers that allow parents to shop around beyond the public-schools system for their children's education. On the other hand, even supporters of school choice, like this newspaper, have to admit it is proving hard to sell. Nor has Mr Bloomberg made a big push to introduce large numbers of independent charter schools as exist, say, in Los Angeles.
Against this, Mr Bloomberg has provided an example of what a mayor with control of schools can do even without embracing such controversial ideas. He has avoided inflammatory political terms-"merit pay" and "vouchers" are red rags to teachers' unions. Instead, by using the carrot of pay rises to extract performance concessions from principals and teachers, and by persuading philanthropists such as Bill Gates to pay for innovations that might be hard to sell to the public if the public had to pay for them, he has put in place a system based on transparency, accountability and competition that he hopes will achieve much the same effect.
Will it? A lot will depend on whether Mr Bloomberg's actions continue to match his tough talk. Unless bad schools are indeed closed, his scheme will be as much good as a blackboard with no chalk. But there are some parallels with Mr Giuliani's crime reforms. For the New York Police Department's giant CompStat database, which provided useful insight into crime patterns, read a new schools information system for students, parents, teachers and schools administrators designed by IBM. For the concept of making precinct police captains personally accountable for reducing crime, read the grading of schools and firing of failing principals. | 3589.txt | 1 |
[
"the wife's inheritance from her father",
"a gift of money to the new husband",
"a protection of the wife's right",
"a written contract"
]
| A decimum was _ . | It is not often realized that women held a high place in southern European societies in the 10th and 11th centuries. As a wife, the woman was protected by the setting up of a dowry . Admittedly, the purposeof this was to protect her against the risk of desertion, but in reality its function in the social and family life of the time was much more important. The dowry was the wife's right to receive a tenth of all her husband's property. The wife had the right to with hold consent, in all transactions the husband wouldmake, and more than just a right; the documents show that she enjoyed a real power of decision, equal to that of her husband. In no case do the documents indicate any degree of difference in the legal status of husband and wife.
The wife shared in the management of her husband's personal property, but the opposite was not always true. Women seemed perfectly prepared to defend their own inheritance against husbands who tried to exceed their rights, and on occasion they showed a fine fighting spirit. A case in point is that of Maria Vivas. Having agreed with her husband Miro to sell a field she had inherited, for the needs of the household, she insisted on compensation. None being offered, she succeeded in dragging her husband to the scribe to have a contract duly drawn up assigning her a piece of land from Miro's personal inheritance. The unfortunate husband was obliged to agree, as the contract says, " for the sake of peace." Either through the dowry or through being hot-tempered, the wife knew how to win herself, with the context of the family, a powerful economic position.ric illnesses including depression often do not manifest themselves until the late teens or early 20s. | 818.txt | 2 |
[
"higher than men's",
"as high as men's",
"lower than men's",
"never recognized"
]
| In the 10th and11th centuries in southern European, women's social position was _ . | It is not often realized that women held a high place in southern European societies in the 10th and 11th centuries. As a wife, the woman was protected by the setting up of a dowry . Admittedly, the purposeof this was to protect her against the risk of desertion, but in reality its function in the social and family life of the time was much more important. The dowry was the wife's right to receive a tenth of all her husband's property. The wife had the right to with hold consent, in all transactions the husband wouldmake, and more than just a right; the documents show that she enjoyed a real power of decision, equal to that of her husband. In no case do the documents indicate any degree of difference in the legal status of husband and wife.
The wife shared in the management of her husband's personal property, but the opposite was not always true. Women seemed perfectly prepared to defend their own inheritance against husbands who tried to exceed their rights, and on occasion they showed a fine fighting spirit. A case in point is that of Maria Vivas. Having agreed with her husband Miro to sell a field she had inherited, for the needs of the household, she insisted on compensation. None being offered, she succeeded in dragging her husband to the scribe to have a contract duly drawn up assigning her a piece of land from Miro's personal inheritance. The unfortunate husband was obliged to agree, as the contract says, " for the sake of peace." Either through the dowry or through being hot-tempered, the wife knew how to win herself, with the context of the family, a powerful economic position.ric illnesses including depression often do not manifest themselves until the late teens or early 20s. | 818.txt | 1 |
[
"to show women had the same rights as,if not more than,their husband",
"to prove hot-tempered woman held a powerful economic position",
"to tell the readers the real situations in some countries",
"to show the fight spirits of woman"
]
| The purpose of mentioning the case of Maria Vivas _ | It is not often realized that women held a high place in southern European societies in the 10th and 11th centuries. As a wife, the woman was protected by the setting up of a dowry . Admittedly, the purposeof this was to protect her against the risk of desertion, but in reality its function in the social and family life of the time was much more important. The dowry was the wife's right to receive a tenth of all her husband's property. The wife had the right to with hold consent, in all transactions the husband wouldmake, and more than just a right; the documents show that she enjoyed a real power of decision, equal to that of her husband. In no case do the documents indicate any degree of difference in the legal status of husband and wife.
The wife shared in the management of her husband's personal property, but the opposite was not always true. Women seemed perfectly prepared to defend their own inheritance against husbands who tried to exceed their rights, and on occasion they showed a fine fighting spirit. A case in point is that of Maria Vivas. Having agreed with her husband Miro to sell a field she had inherited, for the needs of the household, she insisted on compensation. None being offered, she succeeded in dragging her husband to the scribe to have a contract duly drawn up assigning her a piece of land from Miro's personal inheritance. The unfortunate husband was obliged to agree, as the contract says, " for the sake of peace." Either through the dowry or through being hot-tempered, the wife knew how to win herself, with the context of the family, a powerful economic position.ric illnesses including depression often do not manifest themselves until the late teens or early 20s. | 818.txt | 0 |
[
"Yes, if she agreed.",
"No, under no circumstances.",
"Yes, whenever he wished to.",
"Yes, if his father-in-law agreed."
]
| Could a husband sell his wife's inheritance? | It is not often realized that women held a high place in southern European societies in the 10th and 11th centuries. As a wife, the woman was protected by the setting up of a dowry . Admittedly, the purposeof this was to protect her against the risk of desertion, but in reality its function in the social and family life of the time was much more important. The dowry was the wife's right to receive a tenth of all her husband's property. The wife had the right to with hold consent, in all transactions the husband wouldmake, and more than just a right; the documents show that she enjoyed a real power of decision, equal to that of her husband. In no case do the documents indicate any degree of difference in the legal status of husband and wife.
The wife shared in the management of her husband's personal property, but the opposite was not always true. Women seemed perfectly prepared to defend their own inheritance against husbands who tried to exceed their rights, and on occasion they showed a fine fighting spirit. A case in point is that of Maria Vivas. Having agreed with her husband Miro to sell a field she had inherited, for the needs of the household, she insisted on compensation. None being offered, she succeeded in dragging her husband to the scribe to have a contract duly drawn up assigning her a piece of land from Miro's personal inheritance. The unfortunate husband was obliged to agree, as the contract says, " for the sake of peace." Either through the dowry or through being hot-tempered, the wife knew how to win herself, with the context of the family, a powerful economic position.ric illnesses including depression often do not manifest themselves until the late teens or early 20s. | 818.txt | 0 |
[
"The husband had to share the power of decision in marriage.",
"The wife could manage her husband's personal property.",
"The wife gained a powerful economic position.",
"The wife would not be deserted by her husband."
]
| Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an effect of the dowry system? | It is not often realized that women held a high place in southern European societies in the 10th and 11th centuries. As a wife, the woman was protected by the setting up of a dowry . Admittedly, the purposeof this was to protect her against the risk of desertion, but in reality its function in the social and family life of the time was much more important. The dowry was the wife's right to receive a tenth of all her husband's property. The wife had the right to with hold consent, in all transactions the husband wouldmake, and more than just a right; the documents show that she enjoyed a real power of decision, equal to that of her husband. In no case do the documents indicate any degree of difference in the legal status of husband and wife.
The wife shared in the management of her husband's personal property, but the opposite was not always true. Women seemed perfectly prepared to defend their own inheritance against husbands who tried to exceed their rights, and on occasion they showed a fine fighting spirit. A case in point is that of Maria Vivas. Having agreed with her husband Miro to sell a field she had inherited, for the needs of the household, she insisted on compensation. None being offered, she succeeded in dragging her husband to the scribe to have a contract duly drawn up assigning her a piece of land from Miro's personal inheritance. The unfortunate husband was obliged to agree, as the contract says, " for the sake of peace." Either through the dowry or through being hot-tempered, the wife knew how to win herself, with the context of the family, a powerful economic position.ric illnesses including depression often do not manifest themselves until the late teens or early 20s. | 818.txt | 3 |
[
"classified advertisement charges less money",
"it is easier to attract the attention of the target consumers",
"it provides more information for the readers",
"it does not have to rely too much on display type"
]
| All of the following facts are advantages of classified advertisement for advertisers EXCEPT that _ . | Classified advertising is that advertising which is grouped in certain sections of the paper and is thus distinguished from display advertising. Such groupings as "Help Wanted", "Real Estate", "Lost and Found" are made, the rate charged being less than for display advertising. Classified advertisements are a convenience to the reader and a saving to the advertiser.
The reader who is interested in a particular kind of advertisement finds all advertisements of that type grouped for him. The advertisers may, on this account, use a very small advertisement if it were placed among larger advertisements in the paper. It is evident that the reader approaches the classified advertisement in a different frame of mind from that in which he approaches the other advertisements in the paper. He turns to a page of classified advertisements to search for the particular advertisement that will meet his needs. As his attention is voluntary, the advertiser does not need to rely too much extent on display type to get the reader's attention. Formerly all classified advertisements were of the same size and did not have display type. With the increase in the number of such advertisements, however, each advertiser within a certain group is competing with others in the same group for the reader's attention. In many cases, the result has been an increase in the size of the space used and the addition of headlines and pictures. In that way, the classified advertisement has in reality advertisement. This is particularly true of real estate advertising? | 380.txt | 2 |
[
"houses for sale",
"people who are asking for help",
"people who are lost",
"job vacancies"
]
| One of the examples given of types of classified advertisement is _ | Classified advertising is that advertising which is grouped in certain sections of the paper and is thus distinguished from display advertising. Such groupings as "Help Wanted", "Real Estate", "Lost and Found" are made, the rate charged being less than for display advertising. Classified advertisements are a convenience to the reader and a saving to the advertiser.
The reader who is interested in a particular kind of advertisement finds all advertisements of that type grouped for him. The advertisers may, on this account, use a very small advertisement if it were placed among larger advertisements in the paper. It is evident that the reader approaches the classified advertisement in a different frame of mind from that in which he approaches the other advertisements in the paper. He turns to a page of classified advertisements to search for the particular advertisement that will meet his needs. As his attention is voluntary, the advertiser does not need to rely too much extent on display type to get the reader's attention. Formerly all classified advertisements were of the same size and did not have display type. With the increase in the number of such advertisements, however, each advertiser within a certain group is competing with others in the same group for the reader's attention. In many cases, the result has been an increase in the size of the space used and the addition of headlines and pictures. In that way, the classified advertisement has in reality advertisement. This is particularly true of real estate advertising? | 380.txt | 0 |
[
"They are in the frame of mind to buy anything.",
"They are looking for something they need.",
"They feel lost because there are so many advertisements.",
"They feel the same as when they look at display advertisements."
]
| What sort of attitude do people have when they look at classified advertisement, according to the writer? | Classified advertising is that advertising which is grouped in certain sections of the paper and is thus distinguished from display advertising. Such groupings as "Help Wanted", "Real Estate", "Lost and Found" are made, the rate charged being less than for display advertising. Classified advertisements are a convenience to the reader and a saving to the advertiser.
The reader who is interested in a particular kind of advertisement finds all advertisements of that type grouped for him. The advertisers may, on this account, use a very small advertisement if it were placed among larger advertisements in the paper. It is evident that the reader approaches the classified advertisement in a different frame of mind from that in which he approaches the other advertisements in the paper. He turns to a page of classified advertisements to search for the particular advertisement that will meet his needs. As his attention is voluntary, the advertiser does not need to rely too much extent on display type to get the reader's attention. Formerly all classified advertisements were of the same size and did not have display type. With the increase in the number of such advertisements, however, each advertiser within a certain group is competing with others in the same group for the reader's attention. In many cases, the result has been an increase in the size of the space used and the addition of headlines and pictures. In that way, the classified advertisement has in reality advertisement. This is particularly true of real estate advertising? | 380.txt | 1 |
[
"They depend more on display type.",
"More money is charged for them.",
"They are divided into more groups.",
"They are less formal."
]
| According to the passage, in which way have the classified advertisements changed nowadays? | Classified advertising is that advertising which is grouped in certain sections of the paper and is thus distinguished from display advertising. Such groupings as "Help Wanted", "Real Estate", "Lost and Found" are made, the rate charged being less than for display advertising. Classified advertisements are a convenience to the reader and a saving to the advertiser.
The reader who is interested in a particular kind of advertisement finds all advertisements of that type grouped for him. The advertisers may, on this account, use a very small advertisement if it were placed among larger advertisements in the paper. It is evident that the reader approaches the classified advertisement in a different frame of mind from that in which he approaches the other advertisements in the paper. He turns to a page of classified advertisements to search for the particular advertisement that will meet his needs. As his attention is voluntary, the advertiser does not need to rely too much extent on display type to get the reader's attention. Formerly all classified advertisements were of the same size and did not have display type. With the increase in the number of such advertisements, however, each advertiser within a certain group is competing with others in the same group for the reader's attention. In many cases, the result has been an increase in the size of the space used and the addition of headlines and pictures. In that way, the classified advertisement has in reality advertisement. This is particularly true of real estate advertising? | 380.txt | 0 |
[
"Because people no longer want headlines and pictures.",
"Because real estate advertising is particularly truthful now.",
"Because the increase in the number of such advertisements means they have to be small now.",
"Because there are more advertisements now and more competition among advertisers."
]
| Why have classified advertisements changed in appearance? | Classified advertising is that advertising which is grouped in certain sections of the paper and is thus distinguished from display advertising. Such groupings as "Help Wanted", "Real Estate", "Lost and Found" are made, the rate charged being less than for display advertising. Classified advertisements are a convenience to the reader and a saving to the advertiser.
The reader who is interested in a particular kind of advertisement finds all advertisements of that type grouped for him. The advertisers may, on this account, use a very small advertisement if it were placed among larger advertisements in the paper. It is evident that the reader approaches the classified advertisement in a different frame of mind from that in which he approaches the other advertisements in the paper. He turns to a page of classified advertisements to search for the particular advertisement that will meet his needs. As his attention is voluntary, the advertiser does not need to rely too much extent on display type to get the reader's attention. Formerly all classified advertisements were of the same size and did not have display type. With the increase in the number of such advertisements, however, each advertiser within a certain group is competing with others in the same group for the reader's attention. In many cases, the result has been an increase in the size of the space used and the addition of headlines and pictures. In that way, the classified advertisement has in reality advertisement. This is particularly true of real estate advertising? | 380.txt | 3 |
[
"make everyone work for you",
"get everyone willing to help you",
"let people know you have the final say",
"keep sending out orders to them"
]
| The author tells us that to succeed in a project you are in charge of you should _ . | If you‘re in charge of a project, the key tosuccess is getting everyone to want to help you. As adirector. I point. I gently push the actors in thedirection I want them to go.
In the 1986 movie nothing in common, JackieGleason‘s character, Max Basner, gets fired from hisjob as a clothing salesman. The scene, shot on aboat, shows Max‘s despair about being out of work. I was looking for some gesture that wouldallow Max to show his feelings. Jackie had far more experience at everything than I did, and atfirst I was frightened. What could I possibly tell ―The Great One‖ about acting? Out of fear Idecided to direct by suggestion, and I sat down with Gleason to talk about the scene. ―So Maxis and, right?‖ I said. Gleason nodded. ―And he‘s probably still carrying his pens with his nameon them - the ones he used to hand out to his customers, right?‖ Gleason nodded. ―So whatwould you want to do with the pens after you were fired?‖ He was silent for a moment. ―Whydon‘t I throw them overboard?‖ I stood up and turned toward the crew. ―Hey, everybody.Jackie has a wonderful idea. Let‘s shoot it‖. After filming the scene, Gleason called me over andsaid with a smile, ―Garry, what kind of wonderful idea am I going to have tomorrow?‖ You andyour team can discover the answers to problems together. When there are no prizes or goldstars. For who gets the solution first, you‘ll all benefit when everything turns out right. | 2588.txt | 1 |
[
"Jackie Gleason is the director of the film Nothing in Common",
"Jackie Gleason is very angry when he is fired from his job.",
"Max, a character in film, is in very low spirits when he loses his job.",
"Jackie Gleason is the writer of the film Nothing in Common."
]
| It can be inferred that _ . | If you‘re in charge of a project, the key tosuccess is getting everyone to want to help you. As adirector. I point. I gently push the actors in thedirection I want them to go.
In the 1986 movie nothing in common, JackieGleason‘s character, Max Basner, gets fired from hisjob as a clothing salesman. The scene, shot on aboat, shows Max‘s despair about being out of work. I was looking for some gesture that wouldallow Max to show his feelings. Jackie had far more experience at everything than I did, and atfirst I was frightened. What could I possibly tell ―The Great One‖ about acting? Out of fear Idecided to direct by suggestion, and I sat down with Gleason to talk about the scene. ―So Maxis and, right?‖ I said. Gleason nodded. ―And he‘s probably still carrying his pens with his nameon them - the ones he used to hand out to his customers, right?‖ Gleason nodded. ―So whatwould you want to do with the pens after you were fired?‖ He was silent for a moment. ―Whydon‘t I throw them overboard?‖ I stood up and turned toward the crew. ―Hey, everybody.Jackie has a wonderful idea. Let‘s shoot it‖. After filming the scene, Gleason called me over andsaid with a smile, ―Garry, what kind of wonderful idea am I going to have tomorrow?‖ You andyour team can discover the answers to problems together. When there are no prizes or goldstars. For who gets the solution first, you‘ll all benefit when everything turns out right. | 2588.txt | 2 |
[
"Gleason",
"the director himself",
"Max",
"Max‘s boss"
]
| The Great One‖ in paragraph 3 refers to _ . | If you‘re in charge of a project, the key tosuccess is getting everyone to want to help you. As adirector. I point. I gently push the actors in thedirection I want them to go.
In the 1986 movie nothing in common, JackieGleason‘s character, Max Basner, gets fired from hisjob as a clothing salesman. The scene, shot on aboat, shows Max‘s despair about being out of work. I was looking for some gesture that wouldallow Max to show his feelings. Jackie had far more experience at everything than I did, and atfirst I was frightened. What could I possibly tell ―The Great One‖ about acting? Out of fear Idecided to direct by suggestion, and I sat down with Gleason to talk about the scene. ―So Maxis and, right?‖ I said. Gleason nodded. ―And he‘s probably still carrying his pens with his nameon them - the ones he used to hand out to his customers, right?‖ Gleason nodded. ―So whatwould you want to do with the pens after you were fired?‖ He was silent for a moment. ―Whydon‘t I throw them overboard?‖ I stood up and turned toward the crew. ―Hey, everybody.Jackie has a wonderful idea. Let‘s shoot it‖. After filming the scene, Gleason called me over andsaid with a smile, ―Garry, what kind of wonderful idea am I going to have tomorrow?‖ You andyour team can discover the answers to problems together. When there are no prizes or goldstars. For who gets the solution first, you‘ll all benefit when everything turns out right. | 2588.txt | 0 |
[
"thought his wonderful idea was accepted by the latter",
"succeeded in hitting upon a wonderful idea.",
"was confident about his work the next day",
"appreciated the latter‘s way of directing films"
]
| Why did Gleason call the director over and smile at him? Because Gleason _ . | If you‘re in charge of a project, the key tosuccess is getting everyone to want to help you. As adirector. I point. I gently push the actors in thedirection I want them to go.
In the 1986 movie nothing in common, JackieGleason‘s character, Max Basner, gets fired from hisjob as a clothing salesman. The scene, shot on aboat, shows Max‘s despair about being out of work. I was looking for some gesture that wouldallow Max to show his feelings. Jackie had far more experience at everything than I did, and atfirst I was frightened. What could I possibly tell ―The Great One‖ about acting? Out of fear Idecided to direct by suggestion, and I sat down with Gleason to talk about the scene. ―So Maxis and, right?‖ I said. Gleason nodded. ―And he‘s probably still carrying his pens with his nameon them - the ones he used to hand out to his customers, right?‖ Gleason nodded. ―So whatwould you want to do with the pens after you were fired?‖ He was silent for a moment. ―Whydon‘t I throw them overboard?‖ I stood up and turned toward the crew. ―Hey, everybody.Jackie has a wonderful idea. Let‘s shoot it‖. After filming the scene, Gleason called me over andsaid with a smile, ―Garry, what kind of wonderful idea am I going to have tomorrow?‖ You andyour team can discover the answers to problems together. When there are no prizes or goldstars. For who gets the solution first, you‘ll all benefit when everything turns out right. | 2588.txt | 3 |
[
"Directing Film",
"The Key to Success",
"A Wonderful Experience",
"Working with Film Stars"
]
| The most suitable title for the passage is _ . | If you‘re in charge of a project, the key tosuccess is getting everyone to want to help you. As adirector. I point. I gently push the actors in thedirection I want them to go.
In the 1986 movie nothing in common, JackieGleason‘s character, Max Basner, gets fired from hisjob as a clothing salesman. The scene, shot on aboat, shows Max‘s despair about being out of work. I was looking for some gesture that wouldallow Max to show his feelings. Jackie had far more experience at everything than I did, and atfirst I was frightened. What could I possibly tell ―The Great One‖ about acting? Out of fear Idecided to direct by suggestion, and I sat down with Gleason to talk about the scene. ―So Maxis and, right?‖ I said. Gleason nodded. ―And he‘s probably still carrying his pens with his nameon them - the ones he used to hand out to his customers, right?‖ Gleason nodded. ―So whatwould you want to do with the pens after you were fired?‖ He was silent for a moment. ―Whydon‘t I throw them overboard?‖ I stood up and turned toward the crew. ―Hey, everybody.Jackie has a wonderful idea. Let‘s shoot it‖. After filming the scene, Gleason called me over andsaid with a smile, ―Garry, what kind of wonderful idea am I going to have tomorrow?‖ You andyour team can discover the answers to problems together. When there are no prizes or goldstars. For who gets the solution first, you‘ll all benefit when everything turns out right. | 2588.txt | 1 |
[
"Water cycle.",
"Water vapour.",
"How rain forms.",
"Water, vapour, rain."
]
| What is the main idea of the passage? | Weather changes when the temperature and the amount of water in the atmosphere change. We can see and feel water coming from the atmosphere when we have rain. But the water must somehow get back to the atmosphere. Meteorologists call this the water cycle.
There are many stages in the water cycle. Rain falls when water vapour in clouds condenses. Drops of water form and fall to the ground. The water soaks into the ground and feeds streams and rivers. A lot of rain falls into the sea. The heat of the sun evaporates some of the water in the ground and in the rivers, lakes, and the sea. It changes the liquid water into water vapour. The vapour rises onto the air. Water vapour is normally invisible. On a very damp or humid day, however, you can sometimes see water vapour rising from a puddle or pond in a mist above the water. Water vapour also gets into the air from living things. Trees and other plants take in water through their roots and give off water vapour from their leaves. People and land animals drink water and breathe out water vapour. In all these ways the water returns to the air. There it gathers to form clouds and condenses to form rain. The rain falls to earth, and the cycle starts again. It continues even if snow or hail fall instead because both eventually melt to form water. The amount of water vapour in the air depends on the temperature. The air is more moist in the tropics than in the cold polar regions. | 2845.txt | 0 |
[
"Two.",
"Three.",
"Four.",
"Five."
]
| How many ways of the water returning to the air are discussed in the text? | Weather changes when the temperature and the amount of water in the atmosphere change. We can see and feel water coming from the atmosphere when we have rain. But the water must somehow get back to the atmosphere. Meteorologists call this the water cycle.
There are many stages in the water cycle. Rain falls when water vapour in clouds condenses. Drops of water form and fall to the ground. The water soaks into the ground and feeds streams and rivers. A lot of rain falls into the sea. The heat of the sun evaporates some of the water in the ground and in the rivers, lakes, and the sea. It changes the liquid water into water vapour. The vapour rises onto the air. Water vapour is normally invisible. On a very damp or humid day, however, you can sometimes see water vapour rising from a puddle or pond in a mist above the water. Water vapour also gets into the air from living things. Trees and other plants take in water through their roots and give off water vapour from their leaves. People and land animals drink water and breathe out water vapour. In all these ways the water returns to the air. There it gathers to form clouds and condenses to form rain. The rain falls to earth, and the cycle starts again. It continues even if snow or hail fall instead because both eventually melt to form water. The amount of water vapour in the air depends on the temperature. The air is more moist in the tropics than in the cold polar regions. | 2845.txt | 1 |
[
"how much water is evaporated",
"how good your eyes are",
"in which way water is evaporated",
"climate or weather"
]
| Whether water vapour can be seen or not depends on _ . | Weather changes when the temperature and the amount of water in the atmosphere change. We can see and feel water coming from the atmosphere when we have rain. But the water must somehow get back to the atmosphere. Meteorologists call this the water cycle.
There are many stages in the water cycle. Rain falls when water vapour in clouds condenses. Drops of water form and fall to the ground. The water soaks into the ground and feeds streams and rivers. A lot of rain falls into the sea. The heat of the sun evaporates some of the water in the ground and in the rivers, lakes, and the sea. It changes the liquid water into water vapour. The vapour rises onto the air. Water vapour is normally invisible. On a very damp or humid day, however, you can sometimes see water vapour rising from a puddle or pond in a mist above the water. Water vapour also gets into the air from living things. Trees and other plants take in water through their roots and give off water vapour from their leaves. People and land animals drink water and breathe out water vapour. In all these ways the water returns to the air. There it gathers to form clouds and condenses to form rain. The rain falls to earth, and the cycle starts again. It continues even if snow or hail fall instead because both eventually melt to form water. The amount of water vapour in the air depends on the temperature. The air is more moist in the tropics than in the cold polar regions. | 2845.txt | 3 |
[
"there is more water vapour in the air in the tropics than in cold polar regions",
"there is more water vapour in the air in cold polar region than in the tropics",
"it gets more rain in the tropics than in cold polar regions because there is less vapour",
"the amount of water vapour in the air depends on how often it rains"
]
| From the passage we get to know _ . | Weather changes when the temperature and the amount of water in the atmosphere change. We can see and feel water coming from the atmosphere when we have rain. But the water must somehow get back to the atmosphere. Meteorologists call this the water cycle.
There are many stages in the water cycle. Rain falls when water vapour in clouds condenses. Drops of water form and fall to the ground. The water soaks into the ground and feeds streams and rivers. A lot of rain falls into the sea. The heat of the sun evaporates some of the water in the ground and in the rivers, lakes, and the sea. It changes the liquid water into water vapour. The vapour rises onto the air. Water vapour is normally invisible. On a very damp or humid day, however, you can sometimes see water vapour rising from a puddle or pond in a mist above the water. Water vapour also gets into the air from living things. Trees and other plants take in water through their roots and give off water vapour from their leaves. People and land animals drink water and breathe out water vapour. In all these ways the water returns to the air. There it gathers to form clouds and condenses to form rain. The rain falls to earth, and the cycle starts again. It continues even if snow or hail fall instead because both eventually melt to form water. The amount of water vapour in the air depends on the temperature. The air is more moist in the tropics than in the cold polar regions. | 2845.txt | 0 |
[
"Language as Means of Communication.",
"Language and Psychology.",
"Language and the Individual.",
"Language as a Social Phenomenon."
]
| What is the best title for this passage? | The first way we can approach language is as a phenomenon of the individual person. It is concerned with describing and explaining language as a matter of human behavior. People speak and write; they also evidently read and understand what they hear. They are not born doing so; they have to acquire these skills. Not everybody seems to develop them to the same degree. People may suffer accidents or diseases, which impair their performance. Language is thus seen as part of human psychology, a particular sort of behavior, the behavior, which has as its principal, function that of communication.
The trouble with the term " behavior" is that it is often taken to refer only to more or less overt, and describable, physical movements and acts. Yet part of language behavior-that of understanding spoken or written language, for example-has little or no physically observable signs. It is true we can sometimes infer that understanding has taken place by the changes that take place in the other person's behavior. When someone has been prohibited from doing something, we may infer that he has understood the prohibition by observing that thereafter he never behaves in that way. We cannot, of course, be absolutely sure that his subsequent behavior is a result of his understanding; it might be due to a loss of interest or inclination. So behavior must be taken to include unobservable activity, often only to be inferred from other observable behavior.
Once we admit that the study of language behavior involves describing and explaining the unobservable, the situation becomes much more complicated, because we have to postulate some set of processes, some internal mechanism, which operates when we speak and understand. We have to postulate something we can call a mind. The study of language from this point of view can then be seen as a study of the specific properties, processes and states of the mind whose outward manifestations are observable behavior; what we have to know in order to perform linguistically.This approach to language, as a phenomenon of the individual, is thus principally concerned with explaining how we acquire language, and its relation to general human cognitive systems, and with the psychological mechanisms underlying the comprehension and production of speech; much less with the problem of what language is for, that is, its function as communication, since this necessarily involves more than a single individual. | 3966.txt | 2 |
[
"Language is often regarded as part of human psychology.",
"People develop language skills of different degrees as a result of different personal experiences.",
"Language is a special kind of psychological behavior that is born with an individual.",
"People learn to speak and write through imitation and training."
]
| According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true? | The first way we can approach language is as a phenomenon of the individual person. It is concerned with describing and explaining language as a matter of human behavior. People speak and write; they also evidently read and understand what they hear. They are not born doing so; they have to acquire these skills. Not everybody seems to develop them to the same degree. People may suffer accidents or diseases, which impair their performance. Language is thus seen as part of human psychology, a particular sort of behavior, the behavior, which has as its principal, function that of communication.
The trouble with the term " behavior" is that it is often taken to refer only to more or less overt, and describable, physical movements and acts. Yet part of language behavior-that of understanding spoken or written language, for example-has little or no physically observable signs. It is true we can sometimes infer that understanding has taken place by the changes that take place in the other person's behavior. When someone has been prohibited from doing something, we may infer that he has understood the prohibition by observing that thereafter he never behaves in that way. We cannot, of course, be absolutely sure that his subsequent behavior is a result of his understanding; it might be due to a loss of interest or inclination. So behavior must be taken to include unobservable activity, often only to be inferred from other observable behavior.
Once we admit that the study of language behavior involves describing and explaining the unobservable, the situation becomes much more complicated, because we have to postulate some set of processes, some internal mechanism, which operates when we speak and understand. We have to postulate something we can call a mind. The study of language from this point of view can then be seen as a study of the specific properties, processes and states of the mind whose outward manifestations are observable behavior; what we have to know in order to perform linguistically.This approach to language, as a phenomenon of the individual, is thus principally concerned with explaining how we acquire language, and its relation to general human cognitive systems, and with the psychological mechanisms underlying the comprehension and production of speech; much less with the problem of what language is for, that is, its function as communication, since this necessarily involves more than a single individual. | 3966.txt | 2 |
[
"It refers to observable and physical movements and acts.",
"It refers to the part of language behavior that involves understanding or interpretation.",
"It refers to both the overt and the unobservable language behaviors in communicating.",
"It refers to acts of speaking and writing."
]
| What does the term " behavior" in the second paragraph especially refer to in this passage? | The first way we can approach language is as a phenomenon of the individual person. It is concerned with describing and explaining language as a matter of human behavior. People speak and write; they also evidently read and understand what they hear. They are not born doing so; they have to acquire these skills. Not everybody seems to develop them to the same degree. People may suffer accidents or diseases, which impair their performance. Language is thus seen as part of human psychology, a particular sort of behavior, the behavior, which has as its principal, function that of communication.
The trouble with the term " behavior" is that it is often taken to refer only to more or less overt, and describable, physical movements and acts. Yet part of language behavior-that of understanding spoken or written language, for example-has little or no physically observable signs. It is true we can sometimes infer that understanding has taken place by the changes that take place in the other person's behavior. When someone has been prohibited from doing something, we may infer that he has understood the prohibition by observing that thereafter he never behaves in that way. We cannot, of course, be absolutely sure that his subsequent behavior is a result of his understanding; it might be due to a loss of interest or inclination. So behavior must be taken to include unobservable activity, often only to be inferred from other observable behavior.
Once we admit that the study of language behavior involves describing and explaining the unobservable, the situation becomes much more complicated, because we have to postulate some set of processes, some internal mechanism, which operates when we speak and understand. We have to postulate something we can call a mind. The study of language from this point of view can then be seen as a study of the specific properties, processes and states of the mind whose outward manifestations are observable behavior; what we have to know in order to perform linguistically.This approach to language, as a phenomenon of the individual, is thus principally concerned with explaining how we acquire language, and its relation to general human cognitive systems, and with the psychological mechanisms underlying the comprehension and production of speech; much less with the problem of what language is for, that is, its function as communication, since this necessarily involves more than a single individual. | 3966.txt | 2 |
[
"Secret machine.",
"Mental processes.",
"Overt system.",
"Mechanic operation."
]
| What does " internal mechanism" (Line 3, Para. 3) mean? | The first way we can approach language is as a phenomenon of the individual person. It is concerned with describing and explaining language as a matter of human behavior. People speak and write; they also evidently read and understand what they hear. They are not born doing so; they have to acquire these skills. Not everybody seems to develop them to the same degree. People may suffer accidents or diseases, which impair their performance. Language is thus seen as part of human psychology, a particular sort of behavior, the behavior, which has as its principal, function that of communication.
The trouble with the term " behavior" is that it is often taken to refer only to more or less overt, and describable, physical movements and acts. Yet part of language behavior-that of understanding spoken or written language, for example-has little or no physically observable signs. It is true we can sometimes infer that understanding has taken place by the changes that take place in the other person's behavior. When someone has been prohibited from doing something, we may infer that he has understood the prohibition by observing that thereafter he never behaves in that way. We cannot, of course, be absolutely sure that his subsequent behavior is a result of his understanding; it might be due to a loss of interest or inclination. So behavior must be taken to include unobservable activity, often only to be inferred from other observable behavior.
Once we admit that the study of language behavior involves describing and explaining the unobservable, the situation becomes much more complicated, because we have to postulate some set of processes, some internal mechanism, which operates when we speak and understand. We have to postulate something we can call a mind. The study of language from this point of view can then be seen as a study of the specific properties, processes and states of the mind whose outward manifestations are observable behavior; what we have to know in order to perform linguistically.This approach to language, as a phenomenon of the individual, is thus principally concerned with explaining how we acquire language, and its relation to general human cognitive systems, and with the psychological mechanisms underlying the comprehension and production of speech; much less with the problem of what language is for, that is, its function as communication, since this necessarily involves more than a single individual. | 3966.txt | 1 |
[
"Its individualistic approach to language is meant to study the psychological processes of language acquisition.",
"The individualistic approach to language is mainly concerned with how language functions in society.",
"The study of language is sure to involve more than a single individual.",
"Psychological approach to language is concerned with the comprehension and production of speech."
]
| What can you infer from the passage? | The first way we can approach language is as a phenomenon of the individual person. It is concerned with describing and explaining language as a matter of human behavior. People speak and write; they also evidently read and understand what they hear. They are not born doing so; they have to acquire these skills. Not everybody seems to develop them to the same degree. People may suffer accidents or diseases, which impair their performance. Language is thus seen as part of human psychology, a particular sort of behavior, the behavior, which has as its principal, function that of communication.
The trouble with the term " behavior" is that it is often taken to refer only to more or less overt, and describable, physical movements and acts. Yet part of language behavior-that of understanding spoken or written language, for example-has little or no physically observable signs. It is true we can sometimes infer that understanding has taken place by the changes that take place in the other person's behavior. When someone has been prohibited from doing something, we may infer that he has understood the prohibition by observing that thereafter he never behaves in that way. We cannot, of course, be absolutely sure that his subsequent behavior is a result of his understanding; it might be due to a loss of interest or inclination. So behavior must be taken to include unobservable activity, often only to be inferred from other observable behavior.
Once we admit that the study of language behavior involves describing and explaining the unobservable, the situation becomes much more complicated, because we have to postulate some set of processes, some internal mechanism, which operates when we speak and understand. We have to postulate something we can call a mind. The study of language from this point of view can then be seen as a study of the specific properties, processes and states of the mind whose outward manifestations are observable behavior; what we have to know in order to perform linguistically.This approach to language, as a phenomenon of the individual, is thus principally concerned with explaining how we acquire language, and its relation to general human cognitive systems, and with the psychological mechanisms underlying the comprehension and production of speech; much less with the problem of what language is for, that is, its function as communication, since this necessarily involves more than a single individual. | 3966.txt | 0 |
[
"He wanted to know the difference between a general and an ordinary people.",
"He looked down upon Napoleon, for he thought a great man shouldn't be defeated. ",
"He showed his sympathy to Napoleon in time of danger. ",
"He was interested in other's failure, especially Napoleon's."
]
| Why did the innkeeper ask Napoleon to tell him how Napoleon felt when he was being looked for? | Once Napoleon stayed in a small inn. The next morning, he went to thank the innkeeper. "You, have served me well, innkeeper, "said Napoleon. "I wish to reward you. Tell me what you want." "Sir, we want nothing, "said the innkeeper. "But will you tell us something?" "What is it?" Napoleon asked.
"We have heard a story." said the innkeeper, "that once during the war, a small village was taken by the Russians. You happened to be in the village. You hid while they looked for you. Will you tell us how you felt when they were looking for you?" Napoleon looked very angry. He called in two of his soldiers. Then he pointed to the door. The soldiers took the innkeeper and his wife out into the yard.
At the end of the yard was a wall. The innkeeper and his wife were led to the wall. The soldiers tied the hands of the innkeeper and his wife. Napoleon watched, saying nothing.
"Please, sir." begged the innkeeper, "Don't kill us! we meant nothing!" The soldiers moved back. The innkeeper saw them raising their guns. Then Napoleon called: "Ready! Aim!" The wife screamed. "Stop!" said Napoleon. He went to the innkeeper, "Now, you know the answer to the question you asked me just now, don't you?" | 2970.txt | 0 |
[
"Because he wanted to teach the innkeeper a good lesson for bothering him.",
"Because he wanted to kill the couple to get rid of his anger.",
"Because he wanted to show that he was so admiring a general that nobody could upset him.",
"Because he wanted to made the innkeeper know that a general like him had the same feeling as the ordinary people in face of danger."
]
| Why did Napoleon ordered his men to tie the couple? | Once Napoleon stayed in a small inn. The next morning, he went to thank the innkeeper. "You, have served me well, innkeeper, "said Napoleon. "I wish to reward you. Tell me what you want." "Sir, we want nothing, "said the innkeeper. "But will you tell us something?" "What is it?" Napoleon asked.
"We have heard a story." said the innkeeper, "that once during the war, a small village was taken by the Russians. You happened to be in the village. You hid while they looked for you. Will you tell us how you felt when they were looking for you?" Napoleon looked very angry. He called in two of his soldiers. Then he pointed to the door. The soldiers took the innkeeper and his wife out into the yard.
At the end of the yard was a wall. The innkeeper and his wife were led to the wall. The soldiers tied the hands of the innkeeper and his wife. Napoleon watched, saying nothing.
"Please, sir." begged the innkeeper, "Don't kill us! we meant nothing!" The soldiers moved back. The innkeeper saw them raising their guns. Then Napoleon called: "Ready! Aim!" The wife screamed. "Stop!" said Napoleon. He went to the innkeeper, "Now, you know the answer to the question you asked me just now, don't you?" | 2970.txt | 3 |
[
"university researchers know little about the commercial world",
"there is little exchange between industry and academia",
"few industrial scientists would quit to work in a university",
"few university professors are willing to do industrial research"
]
| By "a one-way street" (Line 1, Para. 1), the author means _ . | It is pretty much a one-way street. While it may be common for university researchers to try their luck in the commercial world, there is very little traffic in the opposite direction. Pay has always been the biggest deterrent, as people with families often feel they cannot afford the drop in salary when moving to a university job. For some industrial scientists, however, the attractions of academia outweigh any financial considerations.
Helen Lee took a 70% cut in salary when she moved from a senior post in Abbott Laboratories to a medical department at the University of Cambridge. Her main reason for returning to academia mid-career was to take advantage of the greater freedom to choose research questions. Some areas of inquiry have few prospects of a commercial return, and Lee's is one of them.
The impact of a salary cut is probably less severe for a scientist in the early stages of a career. Guy Grant, now a research associate at the Unilever Centre for Molecular Informatics at the University of Cambridge, spent two years working for a pharmaceutical company before returning to university as a post-doctoral researcher. He took a 30% salary cut but felt it worthwhile for the greater intellectual opportunities.
Higher up the ladder, where a pay cut is usually more significant, the demand for scientists with a wealth of experience in industry is forcing universities to make the transition to academia more attractive, according to Lee. Industrial scientists tend to receive training that academics do not, such as how to build a multidisciplinary team, manage budgets and negotiate contracts. They are also well placed to bring something extra to the teaching side of an academic role that will help students get a job when they graduate, says Lee, perhaps experience in manufacturing practice or product development. "Only a small number of undergraduates will continue in an academic career. So someone leaving university who already has the skills needed to work in an industrial lab has far more potential in the job market than someone who has spent all their time on a narrow research project." | 2008.txt | 2 |
[
"keeps someone from taking action",
"helps to move the traffic",
"attracts people's attention",
"brings someone a financial burden"
]
| The word "deterrent" (Line 2, Para. 1) most probably refers to something that _ . | It is pretty much a one-way street. While it may be common for university researchers to try their luck in the commercial world, there is very little traffic in the opposite direction. Pay has always been the biggest deterrent, as people with families often feel they cannot afford the drop in salary when moving to a university job. For some industrial scientists, however, the attractions of academia outweigh any financial considerations.
Helen Lee took a 70% cut in salary when she moved from a senior post in Abbott Laboratories to a medical department at the University of Cambridge. Her main reason for returning to academia mid-career was to take advantage of the greater freedom to choose research questions. Some areas of inquiry have few prospects of a commercial return, and Lee's is one of them.
The impact of a salary cut is probably less severe for a scientist in the early stages of a career. Guy Grant, now a research associate at the Unilever Centre for Molecular Informatics at the University of Cambridge, spent two years working for a pharmaceutical company before returning to university as a post-doctoral researcher. He took a 30% salary cut but felt it worthwhile for the greater intellectual opportunities.
Higher up the ladder, where a pay cut is usually more significant, the demand for scientists with a wealth of experience in industry is forcing universities to make the transition to academia more attractive, according to Lee. Industrial scientists tend to receive training that academics do not, such as how to build a multidisciplinary team, manage budgets and negotiate contracts. They are also well placed to bring something extra to the teaching side of an academic role that will help students get a job when they graduate, says Lee, perhaps experience in manufacturing practice or product development. "Only a small number of undergraduates will continue in an academic career. So someone leaving university who already has the skills needed to work in an industrial lab has far more potential in the job market than someone who has spent all their time on a narrow research project." | 2008.txt | 0 |
[
"Flexible work hours.",
"Her research interests.",
"Her preference for the lifestyle on campus.",
"Prospects of academic accomplishments."
]
| What was Helen Lee's major consideration when she changed her job in the middle of her career? | It is pretty much a one-way street. While it may be common for university researchers to try their luck in the commercial world, there is very little traffic in the opposite direction. Pay has always been the biggest deterrent, as people with families often feel they cannot afford the drop in salary when moving to a university job. For some industrial scientists, however, the attractions of academia outweigh any financial considerations.
Helen Lee took a 70% cut in salary when she moved from a senior post in Abbott Laboratories to a medical department at the University of Cambridge. Her main reason for returning to academia mid-career was to take advantage of the greater freedom to choose research questions. Some areas of inquiry have few prospects of a commercial return, and Lee's is one of them.
The impact of a salary cut is probably less severe for a scientist in the early stages of a career. Guy Grant, now a research associate at the Unilever Centre for Molecular Informatics at the University of Cambridge, spent two years working for a pharmaceutical company before returning to university as a post-doctoral researcher. He took a 30% salary cut but felt it worthwhile for the greater intellectual opportunities.
Higher up the ladder, where a pay cut is usually more significant, the demand for scientists with a wealth of experience in industry is forcing universities to make the transition to academia more attractive, according to Lee. Industrial scientists tend to receive training that academics do not, such as how to build a multidisciplinary team, manage budgets and negotiate contracts. They are also well placed to bring something extra to the teaching side of an academic role that will help students get a job when they graduate, says Lee, perhaps experience in manufacturing practice or product development. "Only a small number of undergraduates will continue in an academic career. So someone leaving university who already has the skills needed to work in an industrial lab has far more potential in the job market than someone who has spent all their time on a narrow research project." | 2008.txt | 1 |
[
"do financially more rewarding work",
"raise his status in the academic world",
"enrich his experience in medical research",
"exploit better intellectual opportunities"
]
| Guy Grant chose to work as a researcher at Cambridge in order to _ . | It is pretty much a one-way street. While it may be common for university researchers to try their luck in the commercial world, there is very little traffic in the opposite direction. Pay has always been the biggest deterrent, as people with families often feel they cannot afford the drop in salary when moving to a university job. For some industrial scientists, however, the attractions of academia outweigh any financial considerations.
Helen Lee took a 70% cut in salary when she moved from a senior post in Abbott Laboratories to a medical department at the University of Cambridge. Her main reason for returning to academia mid-career was to take advantage of the greater freedom to choose research questions. Some areas of inquiry have few prospects of a commercial return, and Lee's is one of them.
The impact of a salary cut is probably less severe for a scientist in the early stages of a career. Guy Grant, now a research associate at the Unilever Centre for Molecular Informatics at the University of Cambridge, spent two years working for a pharmaceutical company before returning to university as a post-doctoral researcher. He took a 30% salary cut but felt it worthwhile for the greater intellectual opportunities.
Higher up the ladder, where a pay cut is usually more significant, the demand for scientists with a wealth of experience in industry is forcing universities to make the transition to academia more attractive, according to Lee. Industrial scientists tend to receive training that academics do not, such as how to build a multidisciplinary team, manage budgets and negotiate contracts. They are also well placed to bring something extra to the teaching side of an academic role that will help students get a job when they graduate, says Lee, perhaps experience in manufacturing practice or product development. "Only a small number of undergraduates will continue in an academic career. So someone leaving university who already has the skills needed to work in an industrial lab has far more potential in the job market than someone who has spent all their time on a narrow research project." | 2008.txt | 3 |
[
"Increase its graduates' competitiveness in the job market.",
"Develop its students' potential in research.",
"Help it to obtain financial support from industry.",
"Gear its research towards practical applications."
]
| What contribution can industrial scientists make when they come to teach in a university? | It is pretty much a one-way street. While it may be common for university researchers to try their luck in the commercial world, there is very little traffic in the opposite direction. Pay has always been the biggest deterrent, as people with families often feel they cannot afford the drop in salary when moving to a university job. For some industrial scientists, however, the attractions of academia outweigh any financial considerations.
Helen Lee took a 70% cut in salary when she moved from a senior post in Abbott Laboratories to a medical department at the University of Cambridge. Her main reason for returning to academia mid-career was to take advantage of the greater freedom to choose research questions. Some areas of inquiry have few prospects of a commercial return, and Lee's is one of them.
The impact of a salary cut is probably less severe for a scientist in the early stages of a career. Guy Grant, now a research associate at the Unilever Centre for Molecular Informatics at the University of Cambridge, spent two years working for a pharmaceutical company before returning to university as a post-doctoral researcher. He took a 30% salary cut but felt it worthwhile for the greater intellectual opportunities.
Higher up the ladder, where a pay cut is usually more significant, the demand for scientists with a wealth of experience in industry is forcing universities to make the transition to academia more attractive, according to Lee. Industrial scientists tend to receive training that academics do not, such as how to build a multidisciplinary team, manage budgets and negotiate contracts. They are also well placed to bring something extra to the teaching side of an academic role that will help students get a job when they graduate, says Lee, perhaps experience in manufacturing practice or product development. "Only a small number of undergraduates will continue in an academic career. So someone leaving university who already has the skills needed to work in an industrial lab has far more potential in the job market than someone who has spent all their time on a narrow research project." | 2008.txt | 0 |
[
"Philosophy's overriding interest in basic human questions is a legacy primarily of the work of Kant.",
"Philosophy was deeply involved in the seventeenth-century warfare between science and religion.",
"The set of problems of primary importance to philosophers has remained relatively constant since antiquity.",
"The status of philosophy as an independent intellectual pursuit is a relatively recent development."
]
| Which of the following best expresses the author's main point? | Present-day philosophers usually envision their discipline as an endeavor that has been, since antiquity, distinct from and superior to any particular intellectual discipline, such as theology or science. Such philosoph- ical concerns as the mind-body problem or, more generally, the nature of human knowledge they believe, are basic human questions whose tentative philosophical solutions have served as the necessary foundations on which all other intellectual speculation has rested.
The basis for this view, however, lies in a serious misinterpretation of the past, a projection of modern concerns onto past events. The idea of an autonomous discipline called "philosophy," distinct from and sitting in judgment on such pursuits as theology and science turns out, on close examination, to be of quite recent origin. When, in the seventeenth century, Descartes and Hobbes rejected medieval philosophy, they did not think of themselves, as modern philosophers do, as proposing a new and better philosophy, but rather as furthering "the warfare between science and theology." They were fighting, albeit discreetly, to open the intellectual world to the new science and to liberate intellectual life from ecclesiastical philosophy and envisioned their work as contributing to the growth, not of philosophy, but of research in mathematics and physics. This link between philosophical interests and scientific practice persisted until the nineteenth century, when decline in ecclesiastical power over scholarship and changes in the nature of science provoked the final separation of philosophy from both.
The demarcation of philosophy from science was facilitated by the development in the early nineteenth century of a new notion, that philosophy's core interest should be epistemology, the general explanation of what it means to know something. Modern philosophers now trace that notion back at least to Descartes and Spinoza, but it was not explicitly articulated until the late eighteenth century, by Kant, and did not become built into the structure of academic institutions and the standard self-descriptions of philosophy professors until the late nineteenth century. Without the idea of epistemology, the survival of philosophy in an age of modern science is hard to imagine. Metaphysics, philosophy's traditional core-considered as the most general description of how the heavens and the earth are put together-had been rendered almost completely meaningless by the spectacular progress of physics. Kant, however, by focusing philosophy on the problem of knowledge, managed to replace metaphysics with epistemology, and thus to transform the notion of philosophy as "queen of sciences" into the new notion of philosophy as a separate, foundational discipline. Philosophy became "primary" no longer in the sense of "highest" but in the sense of "underlying." After Kant, philosophers were able to reinterpret seventeenth-and eighteenth-century thinkers as attempting to discover "How is our knowledge possible?" and to project this question back even on the ancients. | 1874.txt | 3 |
[
"has implications primarily for philosophers",
"may be affected by recent advances in science",
"has shaped recent work in epistemology",
"has served as a basis for intellectual speculation since antiquity"
]
| According to the passage, present-day philosophers believe that the mind-body problem is an issue that | Present-day philosophers usually envision their discipline as an endeavor that has been, since antiquity, distinct from and superior to any particular intellectual discipline, such as theology or science. Such philosoph- ical concerns as the mind-body problem or, more generally, the nature of human knowledge they believe, are basic human questions whose tentative philosophical solutions have served as the necessary foundations on which all other intellectual speculation has rested.
The basis for this view, however, lies in a serious misinterpretation of the past, a projection of modern concerns onto past events. The idea of an autonomous discipline called "philosophy," distinct from and sitting in judgment on such pursuits as theology and science turns out, on close examination, to be of quite recent origin. When, in the seventeenth century, Descartes and Hobbes rejected medieval philosophy, they did not think of themselves, as modern philosophers do, as proposing a new and better philosophy, but rather as furthering "the warfare between science and theology." They were fighting, albeit discreetly, to open the intellectual world to the new science and to liberate intellectual life from ecclesiastical philosophy and envisioned their work as contributing to the growth, not of philosophy, but of research in mathematics and physics. This link between philosophical interests and scientific practice persisted until the nineteenth century, when decline in ecclesiastical power over scholarship and changes in the nature of science provoked the final separation of philosophy from both.
The demarcation of philosophy from science was facilitated by the development in the early nineteenth century of a new notion, that philosophy's core interest should be epistemology, the general explanation of what it means to know something. Modern philosophers now trace that notion back at least to Descartes and Spinoza, but it was not explicitly articulated until the late eighteenth century, by Kant, and did not become built into the structure of academic institutions and the standard self-descriptions of philosophy professors until the late nineteenth century. Without the idea of epistemology, the survival of philosophy in an age of modern science is hard to imagine. Metaphysics, philosophy's traditional core-considered as the most general description of how the heavens and the earth are put together-had been rendered almost completely meaningless by the spectacular progress of physics. Kant, however, by focusing philosophy on the problem of knowledge, managed to replace metaphysics with epistemology, and thus to transform the notion of philosophy as "queen of sciences" into the new notion of philosophy as a separate, foundational discipline. Philosophy became "primary" no longer in the sense of "highest" but in the sense of "underlying." After Kant, philosophers were able to reinterpret seventeenth-and eighteenth-century thinkers as attempting to discover "How is our knowledge possible?" and to project this question back even on the ancients. | 1874.txt | 3 |
[
"ancient period",
"medieval period",
"seventeenth century",
"nineteenth century"
]
| According to the author, philosophy became distinct from science and theology during the | Present-day philosophers usually envision their discipline as an endeavor that has been, since antiquity, distinct from and superior to any particular intellectual discipline, such as theology or science. Such philosoph- ical concerns as the mind-body problem or, more generally, the nature of human knowledge they believe, are basic human questions whose tentative philosophical solutions have served as the necessary foundations on which all other intellectual speculation has rested.
The basis for this view, however, lies in a serious misinterpretation of the past, a projection of modern concerns onto past events. The idea of an autonomous discipline called "philosophy," distinct from and sitting in judgment on such pursuits as theology and science turns out, on close examination, to be of quite recent origin. When, in the seventeenth century, Descartes and Hobbes rejected medieval philosophy, they did not think of themselves, as modern philosophers do, as proposing a new and better philosophy, but rather as furthering "the warfare between science and theology." They were fighting, albeit discreetly, to open the intellectual world to the new science and to liberate intellectual life from ecclesiastical philosophy and envisioned their work as contributing to the growth, not of philosophy, but of research in mathematics and physics. This link between philosophical interests and scientific practice persisted until the nineteenth century, when decline in ecclesiastical power over scholarship and changes in the nature of science provoked the final separation of philosophy from both.
The demarcation of philosophy from science was facilitated by the development in the early nineteenth century of a new notion, that philosophy's core interest should be epistemology, the general explanation of what it means to know something. Modern philosophers now trace that notion back at least to Descartes and Spinoza, but it was not explicitly articulated until the late eighteenth century, by Kant, and did not become built into the structure of academic institutions and the standard self-descriptions of philosophy professors until the late nineteenth century. Without the idea of epistemology, the survival of philosophy in an age of modern science is hard to imagine. Metaphysics, philosophy's traditional core-considered as the most general description of how the heavens and the earth are put together-had been rendered almost completely meaningless by the spectacular progress of physics. Kant, however, by focusing philosophy on the problem of knowledge, managed to replace metaphysics with epistemology, and thus to transform the notion of philosophy as "queen of sciences" into the new notion of philosophy as a separate, foundational discipline. Philosophy became "primary" no longer in the sense of "highest" but in the sense of "underlying." After Kant, philosophers were able to reinterpret seventeenth-and eighteenth-century thinkers as attempting to discover "How is our knowledge possible?" and to project this question back even on the ancients. | 1874.txt | 3 |
[
"pragmatic and hypocritical",
"cautious and inconsistent",
"daring and opportunistic",
"strong but prudent"
]
| The author suggests that Descartes' support for the new science of the seventeenth century can be characterized as | Present-day philosophers usually envision their discipline as an endeavor that has been, since antiquity, distinct from and superior to any particular intellectual discipline, such as theology or science. Such philosoph- ical concerns as the mind-body problem or, more generally, the nature of human knowledge they believe, are basic human questions whose tentative philosophical solutions have served as the necessary foundations on which all other intellectual speculation has rested.
The basis for this view, however, lies in a serious misinterpretation of the past, a projection of modern concerns onto past events. The idea of an autonomous discipline called "philosophy," distinct from and sitting in judgment on such pursuits as theology and science turns out, on close examination, to be of quite recent origin. When, in the seventeenth century, Descartes and Hobbes rejected medieval philosophy, they did not think of themselves, as modern philosophers do, as proposing a new and better philosophy, but rather as furthering "the warfare between science and theology." They were fighting, albeit discreetly, to open the intellectual world to the new science and to liberate intellectual life from ecclesiastical philosophy and envisioned their work as contributing to the growth, not of philosophy, but of research in mathematics and physics. This link between philosophical interests and scientific practice persisted until the nineteenth century, when decline in ecclesiastical power over scholarship and changes in the nature of science provoked the final separation of philosophy from both.
The demarcation of philosophy from science was facilitated by the development in the early nineteenth century of a new notion, that philosophy's core interest should be epistemology, the general explanation of what it means to know something. Modern philosophers now trace that notion back at least to Descartes and Spinoza, but it was not explicitly articulated until the late eighteenth century, by Kant, and did not become built into the structure of academic institutions and the standard self-descriptions of philosophy professors until the late nineteenth century. Without the idea of epistemology, the survival of philosophy in an age of modern science is hard to imagine. Metaphysics, philosophy's traditional core-considered as the most general description of how the heavens and the earth are put together-had been rendered almost completely meaningless by the spectacular progress of physics. Kant, however, by focusing philosophy on the problem of knowledge, managed to replace metaphysics with epistemology, and thus to transform the notion of philosophy as "queen of sciences" into the new notion of philosophy as a separate, foundational discipline. Philosophy became "primary" no longer in the sense of "highest" but in the sense of "underlying." After Kant, philosophers were able to reinterpret seventeenth-and eighteenth-century thinkers as attempting to discover "How is our knowledge possible?" and to project this question back even on the ancients. | 1874.txt | 3 |
[
"Nineteenth-century philosophy took science as its model for understanding the bases of knowledge.",
"The role of academic institutions in shaping metaphysical philosophy grew enormously during the nineteenth century.",
"Nineteenth-century philosophers carried out a program of investigation explicitly laid out by Descartes and Spinoza.",
"Kant had an overwhelming impact on the direction of nineteenth-century philosophy."
]
| The author of the passage implies which of the following in discussing the development of philosophy during the nineteenth century? | Present-day philosophers usually envision their discipline as an endeavor that has been, since antiquity, distinct from and superior to any particular intellectual discipline, such as theology or science. Such philosoph- ical concerns as the mind-body problem or, more generally, the nature of human knowledge they believe, are basic human questions whose tentative philosophical solutions have served as the necessary foundations on which all other intellectual speculation has rested.
The basis for this view, however, lies in a serious misinterpretation of the past, a projection of modern concerns onto past events. The idea of an autonomous discipline called "philosophy," distinct from and sitting in judgment on such pursuits as theology and science turns out, on close examination, to be of quite recent origin. When, in the seventeenth century, Descartes and Hobbes rejected medieval philosophy, they did not think of themselves, as modern philosophers do, as proposing a new and better philosophy, but rather as furthering "the warfare between science and theology." They were fighting, albeit discreetly, to open the intellectual world to the new science and to liberate intellectual life from ecclesiastical philosophy and envisioned their work as contributing to the growth, not of philosophy, but of research in mathematics and physics. This link between philosophical interests and scientific practice persisted until the nineteenth century, when decline in ecclesiastical power over scholarship and changes in the nature of science provoked the final separation of philosophy from both.
The demarcation of philosophy from science was facilitated by the development in the early nineteenth century of a new notion, that philosophy's core interest should be epistemology, the general explanation of what it means to know something. Modern philosophers now trace that notion back at least to Descartes and Spinoza, but it was not explicitly articulated until the late eighteenth century, by Kant, and did not become built into the structure of academic institutions and the standard self-descriptions of philosophy professors until the late nineteenth century. Without the idea of epistemology, the survival of philosophy in an age of modern science is hard to imagine. Metaphysics, philosophy's traditional core-considered as the most general description of how the heavens and the earth are put together-had been rendered almost completely meaningless by the spectacular progress of physics. Kant, however, by focusing philosophy on the problem of knowledge, managed to replace metaphysics with epistemology, and thus to transform the notion of philosophy as "queen of sciences" into the new notion of philosophy as a separate, foundational discipline. Philosophy became "primary" no longer in the sense of "highest" but in the sense of "underlying." After Kant, philosophers were able to reinterpret seventeenth-and eighteenth-century thinkers as attempting to discover "How is our knowledge possible?" and to project this question back even on the ancients. | 1874.txt | 3 |
[
"History should not emphasize the role played by ideas over the role played by individuals.",
"History should not be distorted by attributing present-day consciousness to historical figures.",
"History should not be focused primarily on those past events most relevant to the present.",
"History should be concerned with describing those aspects of the past that differ most from those of the present."
]
| With which of the following statements concerning the writing of history would the author of the passage be most likely to agree? | Present-day philosophers usually envision their discipline as an endeavor that has been, since antiquity, distinct from and superior to any particular intellectual discipline, such as theology or science. Such philosoph- ical concerns as the mind-body problem or, more generally, the nature of human knowledge they believe, are basic human questions whose tentative philosophical solutions have served as the necessary foundations on which all other intellectual speculation has rested.
The basis for this view, however, lies in a serious misinterpretation of the past, a projection of modern concerns onto past events. The idea of an autonomous discipline called "philosophy," distinct from and sitting in judgment on such pursuits as theology and science turns out, on close examination, to be of quite recent origin. When, in the seventeenth century, Descartes and Hobbes rejected medieval philosophy, they did not think of themselves, as modern philosophers do, as proposing a new and better philosophy, but rather as furthering "the warfare between science and theology." They were fighting, albeit discreetly, to open the intellectual world to the new science and to liberate intellectual life from ecclesiastical philosophy and envisioned their work as contributing to the growth, not of philosophy, but of research in mathematics and physics. This link between philosophical interests and scientific practice persisted until the nineteenth century, when decline in ecclesiastical power over scholarship and changes in the nature of science provoked the final separation of philosophy from both.
The demarcation of philosophy from science was facilitated by the development in the early nineteenth century of a new notion, that philosophy's core interest should be epistemology, the general explanation of what it means to know something. Modern philosophers now trace that notion back at least to Descartes and Spinoza, but it was not explicitly articulated until the late eighteenth century, by Kant, and did not become built into the structure of academic institutions and the standard self-descriptions of philosophy professors until the late nineteenth century. Without the idea of epistemology, the survival of philosophy in an age of modern science is hard to imagine. Metaphysics, philosophy's traditional core-considered as the most general description of how the heavens and the earth are put together-had been rendered almost completely meaningless by the spectacular progress of physics. Kant, however, by focusing philosophy on the problem of knowledge, managed to replace metaphysics with epistemology, and thus to transform the notion of philosophy as "queen of sciences" into the new notion of philosophy as a separate, foundational discipline. Philosophy became "primary" no longer in the sense of "highest" but in the sense of "underlying." After Kant, philosophers were able to reinterpret seventeenth-and eighteenth-century thinkers as attempting to discover "How is our knowledge possible?" and to project this question back even on the ancients. | 1874.txt | 1 |
[
"compare two competing models",
"analyze a difficult theory",
"present new evidence for a theory",
"correct an erroneous belief by describing its origins"
]
| The primary function of the passage as a whole is to | Present-day philosophers usually envision their discipline as an endeavor that has been, since antiquity, distinct from and superior to any particular intellectual discipline, such as theology or science. Such philosoph- ical concerns as the mind-body problem or, more generally, the nature of human knowledge they believe, are basic human questions whose tentative philosophical solutions have served as the necessary foundations on which all other intellectual speculation has rested.
The basis for this view, however, lies in a serious misinterpretation of the past, a projection of modern concerns onto past events. The idea of an autonomous discipline called "philosophy," distinct from and sitting in judgment on such pursuits as theology and science turns out, on close examination, to be of quite recent origin. When, in the seventeenth century, Descartes and Hobbes rejected medieval philosophy, they did not think of themselves, as modern philosophers do, as proposing a new and better philosophy, but rather as furthering "the warfare between science and theology." They were fighting, albeit discreetly, to open the intellectual world to the new science and to liberate intellectual life from ecclesiastical philosophy and envisioned their work as contributing to the growth, not of philosophy, but of research in mathematics and physics. This link between philosophical interests and scientific practice persisted until the nineteenth century, when decline in ecclesiastical power over scholarship and changes in the nature of science provoked the final separation of philosophy from both.
The demarcation of philosophy from science was facilitated by the development in the early nineteenth century of a new notion, that philosophy's core interest should be epistemology, the general explanation of what it means to know something. Modern philosophers now trace that notion back at least to Descartes and Spinoza, but it was not explicitly articulated until the late eighteenth century, by Kant, and did not become built into the structure of academic institutions and the standard self-descriptions of philosophy professors until the late nineteenth century. Without the idea of epistemology, the survival of philosophy in an age of modern science is hard to imagine. Metaphysics, philosophy's traditional core-considered as the most general description of how the heavens and the earth are put together-had been rendered almost completely meaningless by the spectacular progress of physics. Kant, however, by focusing philosophy on the problem of knowledge, managed to replace metaphysics with epistemology, and thus to transform the notion of philosophy as "queen of sciences" into the new notion of philosophy as a separate, foundational discipline. Philosophy became "primary" no longer in the sense of "highest" but in the sense of "underlying." After Kant, philosophers were able to reinterpret seventeenth-and eighteenth-century thinkers as attempting to discover "How is our knowledge possible?" and to project this question back even on the ancients. | 1874.txt | 3 |
[
"Severin Schwan believes that the entire business model is to destroy the industry",
"drugs with patent expired tend to make less profit in the market",
"Roche may switch its strategy to focus on generics and over-the-counter drugs",
"Roche's competitors will not answer the question raised by Severin Schwan"
]
| We can learn from the first paragraph that _ . | " The fundamental question is whether it is still worthwhile to invest in pharmaceutical science," says Severin Schwan, the newish boss of Roche, a once-stodgy Swiss drugs firm. A cursory glance at his rivals, who have been trying to concentrate less on coming up with new medicines and more on making simpler things such as" branded" generics and over-the-counter drugs, suggests that the answer is no. Indeed, some analysts claim that the industry's giants face such a precipitous decline in sales from drugs coming off patent, with so few promising new prospects to replace them, that their entire business model is collapsing.
That argument has Mr Schwan leaping out of his seat with indignation. Using a deck of PowerPoint slides he sets out to disprove" the chorus of gloom" . Drug making is" so crude" , he argues, that half of all known diseases cannot be treated at all, and the drugs for the other half work properly only half the time and with huge side effects. " Imagine a car that starts only half the time, and whose brakes often don't work," he says. He sees this sorry state of affairs as a huge business opportunity. In particular, he is convinced that rapid advances in diagnostics, genomics and biotechnology will bring" a brand new revolution" in personalised medicine.
Accordingly, Roche is betting big on research into new drugs, even as rivals seek to diversify and" de-risk" . Earlier this year it bought Genentech, a Californian biotech pioneer. It hopes these deals will put it in the vanguard, since developing drugs tailored to individuals will involve tying manufacturing to the results of genetic tests-as, for example, with Genentech's treatment for breast cancer, Herceptin.
By taking over Genentech, Roche has added promising drugs for cancer and other potentially lucrative treatments to its otherwise anaemic research pipeline. Tim Anderson of Bernstein Research calculates that Roche is now among the big drugs firms best positioned to cope with the coming generic assault. He projects that its revenues will grow by a quarter over the next five years and its earnings per share will increase by half.
Several potential snags could hold Roche back, however. One fear is that the bureaucracy of a big pharmaceutical firm will crush Genentech's more innovative culture(it has been called the Google of biotech). " There is no interference in the way we do things," insists Richard Scheller, head of research and early development at Genentech. That very few senior executives have left since the takeover supports his claim. Even so, scale is usually not an advantage when it comes to pharmaceutical research and a creative atmosphere can easily dissipate.
Another worry is that Roche's long-term vision may come at the expense of the shorter-term returns expected by some shareholders. Michael Leuchten of Barclays Capital, an investment bank, reckons that personalised medicine will not start generating profits for some time. That may be fine with Roche's patient founding family, which controls the firm thanks to its dual-share structure, but it could dismay other investors. Moreover, there is a risk of catastrophic failure. Mr Schwan notes that new drugs earn outsized rewards-but that is because they are much harder to make. It is anybody's guess whether Roche's newly filled pipeline of early-stage drugs will become commercial hits in ten or 20 years' time. | 582.txt | 1 |
[
"it is a new business model for the pharmaceutical industry",
"it will bring a brand new revolution to Roche",
"it may not be approved by Roche's shareholders",
"it may not be feasible in the new future"
]
| Speaking of personalised medicine, the author implies that _ . | " The fundamental question is whether it is still worthwhile to invest in pharmaceutical science," says Severin Schwan, the newish boss of Roche, a once-stodgy Swiss drugs firm. A cursory glance at his rivals, who have been trying to concentrate less on coming up with new medicines and more on making simpler things such as" branded" generics and over-the-counter drugs, suggests that the answer is no. Indeed, some analysts claim that the industry's giants face such a precipitous decline in sales from drugs coming off patent, with so few promising new prospects to replace them, that their entire business model is collapsing.
That argument has Mr Schwan leaping out of his seat with indignation. Using a deck of PowerPoint slides he sets out to disprove" the chorus of gloom" . Drug making is" so crude" , he argues, that half of all known diseases cannot be treated at all, and the drugs for the other half work properly only half the time and with huge side effects. " Imagine a car that starts only half the time, and whose brakes often don't work," he says. He sees this sorry state of affairs as a huge business opportunity. In particular, he is convinced that rapid advances in diagnostics, genomics and biotechnology will bring" a brand new revolution" in personalised medicine.
Accordingly, Roche is betting big on research into new drugs, even as rivals seek to diversify and" de-risk" . Earlier this year it bought Genentech, a Californian biotech pioneer. It hopes these deals will put it in the vanguard, since developing drugs tailored to individuals will involve tying manufacturing to the results of genetic tests-as, for example, with Genentech's treatment for breast cancer, Herceptin.
By taking over Genentech, Roche has added promising drugs for cancer and other potentially lucrative treatments to its otherwise anaemic research pipeline. Tim Anderson of Bernstein Research calculates that Roche is now among the big drugs firms best positioned to cope with the coming generic assault. He projects that its revenues will grow by a quarter over the next five years and its earnings per share will increase by half.
Several potential snags could hold Roche back, however. One fear is that the bureaucracy of a big pharmaceutical firm will crush Genentech's more innovative culture(it has been called the Google of biotech). " There is no interference in the way we do things," insists Richard Scheller, head of research and early development at Genentech. That very few senior executives have left since the takeover supports his claim. Even so, scale is usually not an advantage when it comes to pharmaceutical research and a creative atmosphere can easily dissipate.
Another worry is that Roche's long-term vision may come at the expense of the shorter-term returns expected by some shareholders. Michael Leuchten of Barclays Capital, an investment bank, reckons that personalised medicine will not start generating profits for some time. That may be fine with Roche's patient founding family, which controls the firm thanks to its dual-share structure, but it could dismay other investors. Moreover, there is a risk of catastrophic failure. Mr Schwan notes that new drugs earn outsized rewards-but that is because they are much harder to make. It is anybody's guess whether Roche's newly filled pipeline of early-stage drugs will become commercial hits in ten or 20 years' time. | 582.txt | 2 |
[
"argue against Severin Schwan's point of view",
"predict the future of Roche",
"introduce Roche's fears",
"point out potential problems of Roche's approach"
]
| Paragraphs 5 and 6 are written to _ . | " The fundamental question is whether it is still worthwhile to invest in pharmaceutical science," says Severin Schwan, the newish boss of Roche, a once-stodgy Swiss drugs firm. A cursory glance at his rivals, who have been trying to concentrate less on coming up with new medicines and more on making simpler things such as" branded" generics and over-the-counter drugs, suggests that the answer is no. Indeed, some analysts claim that the industry's giants face such a precipitous decline in sales from drugs coming off patent, with so few promising new prospects to replace them, that their entire business model is collapsing.
That argument has Mr Schwan leaping out of his seat with indignation. Using a deck of PowerPoint slides he sets out to disprove" the chorus of gloom" . Drug making is" so crude" , he argues, that half of all known diseases cannot be treated at all, and the drugs for the other half work properly only half the time and with huge side effects. " Imagine a car that starts only half the time, and whose brakes often don't work," he says. He sees this sorry state of affairs as a huge business opportunity. In particular, he is convinced that rapid advances in diagnostics, genomics and biotechnology will bring" a brand new revolution" in personalised medicine.
Accordingly, Roche is betting big on research into new drugs, even as rivals seek to diversify and" de-risk" . Earlier this year it bought Genentech, a Californian biotech pioneer. It hopes these deals will put it in the vanguard, since developing drugs tailored to individuals will involve tying manufacturing to the results of genetic tests-as, for example, with Genentech's treatment for breast cancer, Herceptin.
By taking over Genentech, Roche has added promising drugs for cancer and other potentially lucrative treatments to its otherwise anaemic research pipeline. Tim Anderson of Bernstein Research calculates that Roche is now among the big drugs firms best positioned to cope with the coming generic assault. He projects that its revenues will grow by a quarter over the next five years and its earnings per share will increase by half.
Several potential snags could hold Roche back, however. One fear is that the bureaucracy of a big pharmaceutical firm will crush Genentech's more innovative culture(it has been called the Google of biotech). " There is no interference in the way we do things," insists Richard Scheller, head of research and early development at Genentech. That very few senior executives have left since the takeover supports his claim. Even so, scale is usually not an advantage when it comes to pharmaceutical research and a creative atmosphere can easily dissipate.
Another worry is that Roche's long-term vision may come at the expense of the shorter-term returns expected by some shareholders. Michael Leuchten of Barclays Capital, an investment bank, reckons that personalised medicine will not start generating profits for some time. That may be fine with Roche's patient founding family, which controls the firm thanks to its dual-share structure, but it could dismay other investors. Moreover, there is a risk of catastrophic failure. Mr Schwan notes that new drugs earn outsized rewards-but that is because they are much harder to make. It is anybody's guess whether Roche's newly filled pipeline of early-stage drugs will become commercial hits in ten or 20 years' time. | 582.txt | 3 |
[
"Roche will beat all the other rivals in terms of producing generic drugs",
"Roche is now capable of competing against generic drugs",
"Roche will acquire a much better capacity in anaemic research",
"Roche is giving the public its promises to produce more new drugs"
]
| By saying" Roche is now among the big drugs firms best positioned to cope with the coming generic assault" (Lines 3~4, Paragraph 4), Tim Anderson of Bernstein Research means that _ . | " The fundamental question is whether it is still worthwhile to invest in pharmaceutical science," says Severin Schwan, the newish boss of Roche, a once-stodgy Swiss drugs firm. A cursory glance at his rivals, who have been trying to concentrate less on coming up with new medicines and more on making simpler things such as" branded" generics and over-the-counter drugs, suggests that the answer is no. Indeed, some analysts claim that the industry's giants face such a precipitous decline in sales from drugs coming off patent, with so few promising new prospects to replace them, that their entire business model is collapsing.
That argument has Mr Schwan leaping out of his seat with indignation. Using a deck of PowerPoint slides he sets out to disprove" the chorus of gloom" . Drug making is" so crude" , he argues, that half of all known diseases cannot be treated at all, and the drugs for the other half work properly only half the time and with huge side effects. " Imagine a car that starts only half the time, and whose brakes often don't work," he says. He sees this sorry state of affairs as a huge business opportunity. In particular, he is convinced that rapid advances in diagnostics, genomics and biotechnology will bring" a brand new revolution" in personalised medicine.
Accordingly, Roche is betting big on research into new drugs, even as rivals seek to diversify and" de-risk" . Earlier this year it bought Genentech, a Californian biotech pioneer. It hopes these deals will put it in the vanguard, since developing drugs tailored to individuals will involve tying manufacturing to the results of genetic tests-as, for example, with Genentech's treatment for breast cancer, Herceptin.
By taking over Genentech, Roche has added promising drugs for cancer and other potentially lucrative treatments to its otherwise anaemic research pipeline. Tim Anderson of Bernstein Research calculates that Roche is now among the big drugs firms best positioned to cope with the coming generic assault. He projects that its revenues will grow by a quarter over the next five years and its earnings per share will increase by half.
Several potential snags could hold Roche back, however. One fear is that the bureaucracy of a big pharmaceutical firm will crush Genentech's more innovative culture(it has been called the Google of biotech). " There is no interference in the way we do things," insists Richard Scheller, head of research and early development at Genentech. That very few senior executives have left since the takeover supports his claim. Even so, scale is usually not an advantage when it comes to pharmaceutical research and a creative atmosphere can easily dissipate.
Another worry is that Roche's long-term vision may come at the expense of the shorter-term returns expected by some shareholders. Michael Leuchten of Barclays Capital, an investment bank, reckons that personalised medicine will not start generating profits for some time. That may be fine with Roche's patient founding family, which controls the firm thanks to its dual-share structure, but it could dismay other investors. Moreover, there is a risk of catastrophic failure. Mr Schwan notes that new drugs earn outsized rewards-but that is because they are much harder to make. It is anybody's guess whether Roche's newly filled pipeline of early-stage drugs will become commercial hits in ten or 20 years' time. | 582.txt | 1 |
[
"Roche's acquisition of other firms is to reduce its innovativeness.",
"Roche may emerge as the new Google of the biotechnology industry.",
"Roche's new drugs in research may not be commercialized in a decade.",
"Roche's shareholders support the company's R&D efforts in new drugs."
]
| To which of the following is the author likely to agree? | " The fundamental question is whether it is still worthwhile to invest in pharmaceutical science," says Severin Schwan, the newish boss of Roche, a once-stodgy Swiss drugs firm. A cursory glance at his rivals, who have been trying to concentrate less on coming up with new medicines and more on making simpler things such as" branded" generics and over-the-counter drugs, suggests that the answer is no. Indeed, some analysts claim that the industry's giants face such a precipitous decline in sales from drugs coming off patent, with so few promising new prospects to replace them, that their entire business model is collapsing.
That argument has Mr Schwan leaping out of his seat with indignation. Using a deck of PowerPoint slides he sets out to disprove" the chorus of gloom" . Drug making is" so crude" , he argues, that half of all known diseases cannot be treated at all, and the drugs for the other half work properly only half the time and with huge side effects. " Imagine a car that starts only half the time, and whose brakes often don't work," he says. He sees this sorry state of affairs as a huge business opportunity. In particular, he is convinced that rapid advances in diagnostics, genomics and biotechnology will bring" a brand new revolution" in personalised medicine.
Accordingly, Roche is betting big on research into new drugs, even as rivals seek to diversify and" de-risk" . Earlier this year it bought Genentech, a Californian biotech pioneer. It hopes these deals will put it in the vanguard, since developing drugs tailored to individuals will involve tying manufacturing to the results of genetic tests-as, for example, with Genentech's treatment for breast cancer, Herceptin.
By taking over Genentech, Roche has added promising drugs for cancer and other potentially lucrative treatments to its otherwise anaemic research pipeline. Tim Anderson of Bernstein Research calculates that Roche is now among the big drugs firms best positioned to cope with the coming generic assault. He projects that its revenues will grow by a quarter over the next five years and its earnings per share will increase by half.
Several potential snags could hold Roche back, however. One fear is that the bureaucracy of a big pharmaceutical firm will crush Genentech's more innovative culture(it has been called the Google of biotech). " There is no interference in the way we do things," insists Richard Scheller, head of research and early development at Genentech. That very few senior executives have left since the takeover supports his claim. Even so, scale is usually not an advantage when it comes to pharmaceutical research and a creative atmosphere can easily dissipate.
Another worry is that Roche's long-term vision may come at the expense of the shorter-term returns expected by some shareholders. Michael Leuchten of Barclays Capital, an investment bank, reckons that personalised medicine will not start generating profits for some time. That may be fine with Roche's patient founding family, which controls the firm thanks to its dual-share structure, but it could dismay other investors. Moreover, there is a risk of catastrophic failure. Mr Schwan notes that new drugs earn outsized rewards-but that is because they are much harder to make. It is anybody's guess whether Roche's newly filled pipeline of early-stage drugs will become commercial hits in ten or 20 years' time. | 582.txt | 2 |
[
"Her past record might stand in her way to a new life.",
"Her business went bankrupt while she was in prison.",
"Her release from prison has drawn little attention.",
"Her prison sentence might have been extended."
]
| What does the well-known columnist's remark about Martha Stewart suggest? | Martha Stewart was charged, tried and convicted of a crime in 2004.As she neared the end of herprison sentence, a well-known columnist wrote that she was "paying her dues," and that "there issimply no reason for anyone to attempt to deny her right to start anew."
Surely, the American ideal of second chances should not be reserved only for the rich andpowerful.Unfortunately, many federal and state laws impose post-conviction restrictions on ashockingly large number of Americans.who are prevented from ever fully paying their debt to society.
At least 65 million people in the United States have a criminal record.This can result in severepenalties that continue long after punishment is completed.
Many of these penalties are imposed regardless of the seriousness of the offense or the person'sindividual circumstances.Laws can restrict or ban voting, access to public housing, and professionaland business licensing.They can affect a person's ability to get a job and qualification for benefits.
In all, more than 45.000 laws and rules serve to exclude vast numbers of people from fullyparticipating in American life.
Some laws make sense.No one advocates letting someone convicted of pedophilia workin a school.But too often collateral consequences bear no relation to public safety.Should awoman who possessed a small amount of drugs years ago be permanently unable to be licensed as anurse?
These laws are also counterproductive, since they make it harder for people with criminal recordsto find housing or land a job, two key factors that reduce backsliding.
A recent report makes several recommendations, including the abolition of most post-convictionpenalties, except for those specifically needed to protect public safety.Where the penalties are not amust, they should be imposed only if the facts of a case support it.
The point is not to excuse or forget the crime.Rather, it is to recognize that in America's vastcriminal justice system, second chances are crucial.It is in no one's interest to keep a large segment ofthe population on the margins of society. | 2237.txt | 0 |
[
"They backslide after serving their terms in prison.",
"They are deprived of chances to turn over a new leaf.",
"They receive severe penalties for committing minor offenses.",
"They are convicted regardless of their individual circumstances."
]
| What do we learn from the second paragraph about many criminals in America? | Martha Stewart was charged, tried and convicted of a crime in 2004.As she neared the end of herprison sentence, a well-known columnist wrote that she was "paying her dues," and that "there issimply no reason for anyone to attempt to deny her right to start anew."
Surely, the American ideal of second chances should not be reserved only for the rich andpowerful.Unfortunately, many federal and state laws impose post-conviction restrictions on ashockingly large number of Americans.who are prevented from ever fully paying their debt to society.
At least 65 million people in the United States have a criminal record.This can result in severepenalties that continue long after punishment is completed.
Many of these penalties are imposed regardless of the seriousness of the offense or the person'sindividual circumstances.Laws can restrict or ban voting, access to public housing, and professionaland business licensing.They can affect a person's ability to get a job and qualification for benefits.
In all, more than 45.000 laws and rules serve to exclude vast numbers of people from fullyparticipating in American life.
Some laws make sense.No one advocates letting someone convicted of pedophilia workin a school.But too often collateral consequences bear no relation to public safety.Should awoman who possessed a small amount of drugs years ago be permanently unable to be licensed as anurse?
These laws are also counterproductive, since they make it harder for people with criminal recordsto find housing or land a job, two key factors that reduce backsliding.
A recent report makes several recommendations, including the abolition of most post-convictionpenalties, except for those specifically needed to protect public safety.Where the penalties are not amust, they should be imposed only if the facts of a case support it.
The point is not to excuse or forget the crime.Rather, it is to recognize that in America's vastcriminal justice system, second chances are crucial.It is in no one's interest to keep a large segment ofthe population on the margins of society. | 2237.txt | 1 |
[
"They remain poor for the rest of their lives.",
"They are deprived of all social benefits.",
"They are marginalized in society.",
"They are deserted by their family."
]
| What are the consequences for many Americans with a criminal record? | Martha Stewart was charged, tried and convicted of a crime in 2004.As she neared the end of herprison sentence, a well-known columnist wrote that she was "paying her dues," and that "there issimply no reason for anyone to attempt to deny her right to start anew."
Surely, the American ideal of second chances should not be reserved only for the rich andpowerful.Unfortunately, many federal and state laws impose post-conviction restrictions on ashockingly large number of Americans.who are prevented from ever fully paying their debt to society.
At least 65 million people in the United States have a criminal record.This can result in severepenalties that continue long after punishment is completed.
Many of these penalties are imposed regardless of the seriousness of the offense or the person'sindividual circumstances.Laws can restrict or ban voting, access to public housing, and professionaland business licensing.They can affect a person's ability to get a job and qualification for benefits.
In all, more than 45.000 laws and rules serve to exclude vast numbers of people from fullyparticipating in American life.
Some laws make sense.No one advocates letting someone convicted of pedophilia workin a school.But too often collateral consequences bear no relation to public safety.Should awoman who possessed a small amount of drugs years ago be permanently unable to be licensed as anurse?
These laws are also counterproductive, since they make it harder for people with criminal recordsto find housing or land a job, two key factors that reduce backsliding.
A recent report makes several recommendations, including the abolition of most post-convictionpenalties, except for those specifically needed to protect public safety.Where the penalties are not amust, they should be imposed only if the facts of a case support it.
The point is not to excuse or forget the crime.Rather, it is to recognize that in America's vastcriminal justice system, second chances are crucial.It is in no one's interest to keep a large segment ofthe population on the margins of society. | 2237.txt | 2 |
[
"They help to maintain social stability.",
"Some of them have long been outdated.",
"They are hardly understood by the public.",
"A lot of them have negative effects on society."
]
| What does the author think of the post-conviction laws and rules? | Martha Stewart was charged, tried and convicted of a crime in 2004.As she neared the end of herprison sentence, a well-known columnist wrote that she was "paying her dues," and that "there issimply no reason for anyone to attempt to deny her right to start anew."
Surely, the American ideal of second chances should not be reserved only for the rich andpowerful.Unfortunately, many federal and state laws impose post-conviction restrictions on ashockingly large number of Americans.who are prevented from ever fully paying their debt to society.
At least 65 million people in the United States have a criminal record.This can result in severepenalties that continue long after punishment is completed.
Many of these penalties are imposed regardless of the seriousness of the offense or the person'sindividual circumstances.Laws can restrict or ban voting, access to public housing, and professionaland business licensing.They can affect a person's ability to get a job and qualification for benefits.
In all, more than 45.000 laws and rules serve to exclude vast numbers of people from fullyparticipating in American life.
Some laws make sense.No one advocates letting someone convicted of pedophilia workin a school.But too often collateral consequences bear no relation to public safety.Should awoman who possessed a small amount of drugs years ago be permanently unable to be licensed as anurse?
These laws are also counterproductive, since they make it harder for people with criminal recordsto find housing or land a job, two key factors that reduce backsliding.
A recent report makes several recommendations, including the abolition of most post-convictionpenalties, except for those specifically needed to protect public safety.Where the penalties are not amust, they should be imposed only if the facts of a case support it.
The point is not to excuse or forget the crime.Rather, it is to recognize that in America's vastcriminal justice system, second chances are crucial.It is in no one's interest to keep a large segment ofthe population on the margins of society. | 2237.txt | 3 |
[
"To create opportunities for criminals to reform themselves.",
"To appeal for changes in America's criminal justice system.",
"To ensure that people with a criminal record live a decent life.",
"To call people's attention to prisoners' conditions in America."
]
| what is the author's main purpose in writing the passage? | Martha Stewart was charged, tried and convicted of a crime in 2004.As she neared the end of herprison sentence, a well-known columnist wrote that she was "paying her dues," and that "there issimply no reason for anyone to attempt to deny her right to start anew."
Surely, the American ideal of second chances should not be reserved only for the rich andpowerful.Unfortunately, many federal and state laws impose post-conviction restrictions on ashockingly large number of Americans.who are prevented from ever fully paying their debt to society.
At least 65 million people in the United States have a criminal record.This can result in severepenalties that continue long after punishment is completed.
Many of these penalties are imposed regardless of the seriousness of the offense or the person'sindividual circumstances.Laws can restrict or ban voting, access to public housing, and professionaland business licensing.They can affect a person's ability to get a job and qualification for benefits.
In all, more than 45.000 laws and rules serve to exclude vast numbers of people from fullyparticipating in American life.
Some laws make sense.No one advocates letting someone convicted of pedophilia workin a school.But too often collateral consequences bear no relation to public safety.Should awoman who possessed a small amount of drugs years ago be permanently unable to be licensed as anurse?
These laws are also counterproductive, since they make it harder for people with criminal recordsto find housing or land a job, two key factors that reduce backsliding.
A recent report makes several recommendations, including the abolition of most post-convictionpenalties, except for those specifically needed to protect public safety.Where the penalties are not amust, they should be imposed only if the facts of a case support it.
The point is not to excuse or forget the crime.Rather, it is to recognize that in America's vastcriminal justice system, second chances are crucial.It is in no one's interest to keep a large segment ofthe population on the margins of society. | 2237.txt | 1 |
[
"It makes noises.",
"It gets help from other plants.",
"It stands quietly",
"It sends out certain chemicals."
]
| What does a plant do when it is under attack? | Scientists have found that all kinds of plants give out VOCs when being attacked.It's a plant's way of crying out.But is anyone listening?Apparently.Because we can watch the neighbours react.
Some plants pump out smelly chemicals to keep insects away.But others do double duty.They pump out perfumes designed to attract different insects who are natural enemies to the attackers.Once they arrive,the tables are turned.The attacker who was lunching now becomes lunch.
In study after study,it appears that these chemical conversations help the neighbors.The damage is usually more serious on the first plant,but the neighbors ,relatively speaking ,stay safer because they heard the alarm and knew what to do.
Does this mean that plants talk to each other? Scientists don't know. Maybe the first plant just made a cry of pain or was sending a message to its own branches, and so, in effect, was talking to itself. Perhaps the neighbors just happened to "overhear" the cry. So information was exchanged, but it wasn't a true, intentional back and forth.
Charles Darwin, over 150 years ago, imagined a world far busier, noisier and more intimate than the world we can see and hear. Our senses are weak. There's a whole lot going on. | 3646.txt | 3 |
[
"The attackers get attacked.",
"The insects gather under the table.",
"The plants get ready to fight back.",
"The perfumes attract natural enemies."
]
| What does the author mean by "the tables are turned" in paragraph 3? | Scientists have found that all kinds of plants give out VOCs when being attacked.It's a plant's way of crying out.But is anyone listening?Apparently.Because we can watch the neighbours react.
Some plants pump out smelly chemicals to keep insects away.But others do double duty.They pump out perfumes designed to attract different insects who are natural enemies to the attackers.Once they arrive,the tables are turned.The attacker who was lunching now becomes lunch.
In study after study,it appears that these chemical conversations help the neighbors.The damage is usually more serious on the first plant,but the neighbors ,relatively speaking ,stay safer because they heard the alarm and knew what to do.
Does this mean that plants talk to each other? Scientists don't know. Maybe the first plant just made a cry of pain or was sending a message to its own branches, and so, in effect, was talking to itself. Perhaps the neighbors just happened to "overhear" the cry. So information was exchanged, but it wasn't a true, intentional back and forth.
Charles Darwin, over 150 years ago, imagined a world far busier, noisier and more intimate than the world we can see and hear. Our senses are weak. There's a whole lot going on. | 3646.txt | 0 |
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