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[
"unemployed",
"disabled",
"sick",
"poor"
] | The author use " the displaced" (Line 9, Para. 2) to refer to those who are _ . | As you all know, the United States is a country on wheels. Nearly eight million new cars are made each year; four households out of five own at least one car, and more than a quarter have two each. Yet you‘ll be surprised to learn that some of the car-owners even suffer from malnutrition.
In 1968, a nation-wide survey of malnutrition was made for the first time. It found that 10 million people are suffering in health through inadequate feeding; the causes of their plight were varied. Unemployment over a long period should be considered as the main factor. And unemployment, strange to say, nine times out of ten results from automation, both in industrial and agricultural areas. For example, in the rural South when a cotton plantation suddenly cuts its force from 100 people to three, the problem to help the displaced arises. So is the case with industrial automation. In fact, probably 2 million jobs are made unnecessary each year in the whole country as a result of the automation process, thus making unemployment a chief social concern. According to government statistics, the number of people unemployed was over 5 percent for the period from 1958 to 1963. In July 1981, it rose to 7.8 percent. As a matter of fact, it has long been known that even during the most prosperous periods there have been people without enough to eat. So I think that‘s why President Kennedy said in his inauguration speech in 1961, if the government did not help the poor, it could not save the rich.
In 1966, the Social Security Administration calculated that a family of four needed an income of $3,355 a year to be above the line of poverty. And in 1977, the average poverty line of the country was slightly more than $6,200 annual income for a non-farm family of four. According to the Social Security Act, families of that size below poverty line are eligible to receive benefits from the special welfare program. The average weekly payment of benefits now is equivalent to 36 percent of the worker‘s normal wage. And the number of people who receive government benefits is increasing. In 1973, social insurance payments by governments, mainly to old age pensioners and people who had lost their jobs or were off work through illness, amounted to $86,000 million. Those not fully qualified for insurance payments received $29,000 million in public aid.
But problems still exist. Many people are not reached by the anti-poverty program, because local authorities and agencies do not want to play their part or do not gave the resources to do so. Some poor people will not accept help for various reasons. Of course, there are some more important factors which lie in the structure of the society, but I don‘t consider it necessary to dig into them here. Yet we will perhaps agree that social welfare programs have solved to some extent the problems of feeding, clothing and housing those below the poverty line. On the whole, it perhaps might be said that American people are living a better life than people in most other countries. | 3973.txt | 0 |
[
"necessary",
"urgent",
"needed",
"worthy"
] | The word " eligible" (Line 6, Para.3) is synonymous with " _ " | As you all know, the United States is a country on wheels. Nearly eight million new cars are made each year; four households out of five own at least one car, and more than a quarter have two each. Yet you‘ll be surprised to learn that some of the car-owners even suffer from malnutrition.
In 1968, a nation-wide survey of malnutrition was made for the first time. It found that 10 million people are suffering in health through inadequate feeding; the causes of their plight were varied. Unemployment over a long period should be considered as the main factor. And unemployment, strange to say, nine times out of ten results from automation, both in industrial and agricultural areas. For example, in the rural South when a cotton plantation suddenly cuts its force from 100 people to three, the problem to help the displaced arises. So is the case with industrial automation. In fact, probably 2 million jobs are made unnecessary each year in the whole country as a result of the automation process, thus making unemployment a chief social concern. According to government statistics, the number of people unemployed was over 5 percent for the period from 1958 to 1963. In July 1981, it rose to 7.8 percent. As a matter of fact, it has long been known that even during the most prosperous periods there have been people without enough to eat. So I think that‘s why President Kennedy said in his inauguration speech in 1961, if the government did not help the poor, it could not save the rich.
In 1966, the Social Security Administration calculated that a family of four needed an income of $3,355 a year to be above the line of poverty. And in 1977, the average poverty line of the country was slightly more than $6,200 annual income for a non-farm family of four. According to the Social Security Act, families of that size below poverty line are eligible to receive benefits from the special welfare program. The average weekly payment of benefits now is equivalent to 36 percent of the worker‘s normal wage. And the number of people who receive government benefits is increasing. In 1973, social insurance payments by governments, mainly to old age pensioners and people who had lost their jobs or were off work through illness, amounted to $86,000 million. Those not fully qualified for insurance payments received $29,000 million in public aid.
But problems still exist. Many people are not reached by the anti-poverty program, because local authorities and agencies do not want to play their part or do not gave the resources to do so. Some poor people will not accept help for various reasons. Of course, there are some more important factors which lie in the structure of the society, but I don‘t consider it necessary to dig into them here. Yet we will perhaps agree that social welfare programs have solved to some extent the problems of feeding, clothing and housing those below the poverty line. On the whole, it perhaps might be said that American people are living a better life than people in most other countries. | 3973.txt | 3 |
[
"many Americans receive benefits from the special welfare program",
"some poor people can receive help for some reason or other",
"there is the anti-poverty program in the U.S.",
"social welfare programs have some measure settled the problems of those below the poverty line."
] | Americans are living a better life than those in most of other countries because, to some degree, _ . | As you all know, the United States is a country on wheels. Nearly eight million new cars are made each year; four households out of five own at least one car, and more than a quarter have two each. Yet you‘ll be surprised to learn that some of the car-owners even suffer from malnutrition.
In 1968, a nation-wide survey of malnutrition was made for the first time. It found that 10 million people are suffering in health through inadequate feeding; the causes of their plight were varied. Unemployment over a long period should be considered as the main factor. And unemployment, strange to say, nine times out of ten results from automation, both in industrial and agricultural areas. For example, in the rural South when a cotton plantation suddenly cuts its force from 100 people to three, the problem to help the displaced arises. So is the case with industrial automation. In fact, probably 2 million jobs are made unnecessary each year in the whole country as a result of the automation process, thus making unemployment a chief social concern. According to government statistics, the number of people unemployed was over 5 percent for the period from 1958 to 1963. In July 1981, it rose to 7.8 percent. As a matter of fact, it has long been known that even during the most prosperous periods there have been people without enough to eat. So I think that‘s why President Kennedy said in his inauguration speech in 1961, if the government did not help the poor, it could not save the rich.
In 1966, the Social Security Administration calculated that a family of four needed an income of $3,355 a year to be above the line of poverty. And in 1977, the average poverty line of the country was slightly more than $6,200 annual income for a non-farm family of four. According to the Social Security Act, families of that size below poverty line are eligible to receive benefits from the special welfare program. The average weekly payment of benefits now is equivalent to 36 percent of the worker‘s normal wage. And the number of people who receive government benefits is increasing. In 1973, social insurance payments by governments, mainly to old age pensioners and people who had lost their jobs or were off work through illness, amounted to $86,000 million. Those not fully qualified for insurance payments received $29,000 million in public aid.
But problems still exist. Many people are not reached by the anti-poverty program, because local authorities and agencies do not want to play their part or do not gave the resources to do so. Some poor people will not accept help for various reasons. Of course, there are some more important factors which lie in the structure of the society, but I don‘t consider it necessary to dig into them here. Yet we will perhaps agree that social welfare programs have solved to some extent the problems of feeding, clothing and housing those below the poverty line. On the whole, it perhaps might be said that American people are living a better life than people in most other countries. | 3973.txt | 3 |
[
"material",
"ordinary",
"valued",
"useful"
] | The word "mundane" in the passage is closest in meaning to | After the Roman Empire's conquest of Britain in the first century A.D., the presence of administrators, merchants, and troops on British soil, along with the natural flow of ideas and goods from the rest of the empire, had an enormous influence on life in the British Isles. Cultural influences were of three types: the bringing of objects, the transfer of craft workers, and the introduction of massive civil architecture. Many objects were not art in even the broadest sense and comprised utilitarian items of clothing, utensils, and equipment. We should not underestimate the social status associated with such mundane possessions which had not previously been available. The flooding of Britain with red-gloss pottery form Gaul (modern-day France), decorated with scenes from Classical mythology, probably brought many into contact with the styles and artistic concepts of the Greco-Roman world for the first time, whether or not the symbolism was understood. Mass-produced goods were accompanied by fewer more aesthetically impressive objects such as statuettes. Such pieces perhaps first came with officials for their own religious worship; others were then acquired by native leaders as diplomatic gifts or by purchase. Once seen by the natives, such objects created a fashion which rapidly spread through the province.
In the most extreme instances, natives literally bought the whole package of Roman culture. The Fishbourne villa, built in the third quarter of the first century A.D., probably for the native client king Cogidubnus, amply illustrates his Roman pretensions. It was constructed in the latest Italian style with imported marbles and stylish mosaics. It was lavishly furnished with imported sculptures and other Classical objects. A visitor from Rome would have recognized its owner as a participant in the contemporary culture of the empire, not at all provincial in taste. Even if those from the traditional families looked down on him, they would have been unable to dismiss him as uncultured. Although exceptional, this demonstrates how new cultural symbols bound provincials to the identity of the Roman world.
Such examples established a standard to be copied. One result was an influx of craft worker, particularly those skilled in artistic media like stone-carving which had not existed before the conquest. Civilian workers came mostly from Gaul and Germany. The magnificent temple built beside the sacred spring at Bath was constructed only about twenty years after the conquest. Its detail shows that it was carved by artists from northeast Gaul. In the absence of a tradition of Classical stone-carving and building, the desire to develop Roman amenities would have been difficult to fulfill. Administrators thus used their personal contacts to put the Britons in touch with architects and masons. As many of the officials in Britain had strong links with Gaul, it is not surprising that early Roman Britain owes much to craft workers from that area. Local workshops did develop and stylistically similar groups of sculpture show how skills in this new medium became widerspread. Likewise skills in the use of mosaic, wall painting, ceramic decoration, and metal-working developed throughout the province with the eventual emergence of characteristically Romano-British styles.
This art had a major impact on the native peoples, and one of the most importance factors was a change in the scale of buildings. Pre-Roman Britain was highly localized, with people rarely traveling beyond their own region. On occasion large groups amassed for war or religious festivals, but society remained centered on small communities. Architecture of this era reflected this with even the largest of the fortified towns and hill forts containing no more than clusters of medium-sized structures. The spaces inside even the largest roundhouses were modest, and the use of rounded shapes and organic building materials gave buildings a human scale. But the effect of Roman civil architecture was significant. The sheer size of space enclosed within buildings like the basilica of London must have been astonishing. This was an architecture of dominance in which subject peoples were literally made to feel small by buildings that epitomized imperial power. Supremacy was accentuated by the unyielding straight lines of both individual buildings and planned settlements since these too provided a marked contrast with the natural curvilinear shapes dominant in the native realm. | 2220.txt | 1 |
[
"improved quality of utilitarian items",
"Understanding the symbolism of Classical mythology",
"higher social standing",
"Learning to mass-produce pottery for a profit"
] | Paragraph 1 suggests that one benefit for British natives in buying such items as red-gloss pottery made in Gaul was | After the Roman Empire's conquest of Britain in the first century A.D., the presence of administrators, merchants, and troops on British soil, along with the natural flow of ideas and goods from the rest of the empire, had an enormous influence on life in the British Isles. Cultural influences were of three types: the bringing of objects, the transfer of craft workers, and the introduction of massive civil architecture. Many objects were not art in even the broadest sense and comprised utilitarian items of clothing, utensils, and equipment. We should not underestimate the social status associated with such mundane possessions which had not previously been available. The flooding of Britain with red-gloss pottery form Gaul (modern-day France), decorated with scenes from Classical mythology, probably brought many into contact with the styles and artistic concepts of the Greco-Roman world for the first time, whether or not the symbolism was understood. Mass-produced goods were accompanied by fewer more aesthetically impressive objects such as statuettes. Such pieces perhaps first came with officials for their own religious worship; others were then acquired by native leaders as diplomatic gifts or by purchase. Once seen by the natives, such objects created a fashion which rapidly spread through the province.
In the most extreme instances, natives literally bought the whole package of Roman culture. The Fishbourne villa, built in the third quarter of the first century A.D., probably for the native client king Cogidubnus, amply illustrates his Roman pretensions. It was constructed in the latest Italian style with imported marbles and stylish mosaics. It was lavishly furnished with imported sculptures and other Classical objects. A visitor from Rome would have recognized its owner as a participant in the contemporary culture of the empire, not at all provincial in taste. Even if those from the traditional families looked down on him, they would have been unable to dismiss him as uncultured. Although exceptional, this demonstrates how new cultural symbols bound provincials to the identity of the Roman world.
Such examples established a standard to be copied. One result was an influx of craft worker, particularly those skilled in artistic media like stone-carving which had not existed before the conquest. Civilian workers came mostly from Gaul and Germany. The magnificent temple built beside the sacred spring at Bath was constructed only about twenty years after the conquest. Its detail shows that it was carved by artists from northeast Gaul. In the absence of a tradition of Classical stone-carving and building, the desire to develop Roman amenities would have been difficult to fulfill. Administrators thus used their personal contacts to put the Britons in touch with architects and masons. As many of the officials in Britain had strong links with Gaul, it is not surprising that early Roman Britain owes much to craft workers from that area. Local workshops did develop and stylistically similar groups of sculpture show how skills in this new medium became widerspread. Likewise skills in the use of mosaic, wall painting, ceramic decoration, and metal-working developed throughout the province with the eventual emergence of characteristically Romano-British styles.
This art had a major impact on the native peoples, and one of the most importance factors was a change in the scale of buildings. Pre-Roman Britain was highly localized, with people rarely traveling beyond their own region. On occasion large groups amassed for war or religious festivals, but society remained centered on small communities. Architecture of this era reflected this with even the largest of the fortified towns and hill forts containing no more than clusters of medium-sized structures. The spaces inside even the largest roundhouses were modest, and the use of rounded shapes and organic building materials gave buildings a human scale. But the effect of Roman civil architecture was significant. The sheer size of space enclosed within buildings like the basilica of London must have been astonishing. This was an architecture of dominance in which subject peoples were literally made to feel small by buildings that epitomized imperial power. Supremacy was accentuated by the unyielding straight lines of both individual buildings and planned settlements since these too provided a marked contrast with the natural curvilinear shapes dominant in the native realm. | 2220.txt | 2 |
[
"They were sufficient for native Britons to become familiar with everyday Roman objects.",
"They were not sufficient for even very basic aspects of the culture of the Roman Empire to find their way into British life.",
"They were not sufficient for British to have heard of the power of the Roman Empire.",
"They were sufficient for individual Britons to become very interested in trying to participate in the culture of the Roman Empire."
] | Paragraph 1 supports which of the following ideas about contacts that existed between Britain and the Roman Empire before the Roman conquest of Britain? | After the Roman Empire's conquest of Britain in the first century A.D., the presence of administrators, merchants, and troops on British soil, along with the natural flow of ideas and goods from the rest of the empire, had an enormous influence on life in the British Isles. Cultural influences were of three types: the bringing of objects, the transfer of craft workers, and the introduction of massive civil architecture. Many objects were not art in even the broadest sense and comprised utilitarian items of clothing, utensils, and equipment. We should not underestimate the social status associated with such mundane possessions which had not previously been available. The flooding of Britain with red-gloss pottery form Gaul (modern-day France), decorated with scenes from Classical mythology, probably brought many into contact with the styles and artistic concepts of the Greco-Roman world for the first time, whether or not the symbolism was understood. Mass-produced goods were accompanied by fewer more aesthetically impressive objects such as statuettes. Such pieces perhaps first came with officials for their own religious worship; others were then acquired by native leaders as diplomatic gifts or by purchase. Once seen by the natives, such objects created a fashion which rapidly spread through the province.
In the most extreme instances, natives literally bought the whole package of Roman culture. The Fishbourne villa, built in the third quarter of the first century A.D., probably for the native client king Cogidubnus, amply illustrates his Roman pretensions. It was constructed in the latest Italian style with imported marbles and stylish mosaics. It was lavishly furnished with imported sculptures and other Classical objects. A visitor from Rome would have recognized its owner as a participant in the contemporary culture of the empire, not at all provincial in taste. Even if those from the traditional families looked down on him, they would have been unable to dismiss him as uncultured. Although exceptional, this demonstrates how new cultural symbols bound provincials to the identity of the Roman world.
Such examples established a standard to be copied. One result was an influx of craft worker, particularly those skilled in artistic media like stone-carving which had not existed before the conquest. Civilian workers came mostly from Gaul and Germany. The magnificent temple built beside the sacred spring at Bath was constructed only about twenty years after the conquest. Its detail shows that it was carved by artists from northeast Gaul. In the absence of a tradition of Classical stone-carving and building, the desire to develop Roman amenities would have been difficult to fulfill. Administrators thus used their personal contacts to put the Britons in touch with architects and masons. As many of the officials in Britain had strong links with Gaul, it is not surprising that early Roman Britain owes much to craft workers from that area. Local workshops did develop and stylistically similar groups of sculpture show how skills in this new medium became widerspread. Likewise skills in the use of mosaic, wall painting, ceramic decoration, and metal-working developed throughout the province with the eventual emergence of characteristically Romano-British styles.
This art had a major impact on the native peoples, and one of the most importance factors was a change in the scale of buildings. Pre-Roman Britain was highly localized, with people rarely traveling beyond their own region. On occasion large groups amassed for war or religious festivals, but society remained centered on small communities. Architecture of this era reflected this with even the largest of the fortified towns and hill forts containing no more than clusters of medium-sized structures. The spaces inside even the largest roundhouses were modest, and the use of rounded shapes and organic building materials gave buildings a human scale. But the effect of Roman civil architecture was significant. The sheer size of space enclosed within buildings like the basilica of London must have been astonishing. This was an architecture of dominance in which subject peoples were literally made to feel small by buildings that epitomized imperial power. Supremacy was accentuated by the unyielding straight lines of both individual buildings and planned settlements since these too provided a marked contrast with the natural curvilinear shapes dominant in the native realm. | 2220.txt | 1 |
[
"exclusively",
"additionally",
"appropriately",
"richly"
] | The word "lavishly" in the passage is closest in meaning to | After the Roman Empire's conquest of Britain in the first century A.D., the presence of administrators, merchants, and troops on British soil, along with the natural flow of ideas and goods from the rest of the empire, had an enormous influence on life in the British Isles. Cultural influences were of three types: the bringing of objects, the transfer of craft workers, and the introduction of massive civil architecture. Many objects were not art in even the broadest sense and comprised utilitarian items of clothing, utensils, and equipment. We should not underestimate the social status associated with such mundane possessions which had not previously been available. The flooding of Britain with red-gloss pottery form Gaul (modern-day France), decorated with scenes from Classical mythology, probably brought many into contact with the styles and artistic concepts of the Greco-Roman world for the first time, whether or not the symbolism was understood. Mass-produced goods were accompanied by fewer more aesthetically impressive objects such as statuettes. Such pieces perhaps first came with officials for their own religious worship; others were then acquired by native leaders as diplomatic gifts or by purchase. Once seen by the natives, such objects created a fashion which rapidly spread through the province.
In the most extreme instances, natives literally bought the whole package of Roman culture. The Fishbourne villa, built in the third quarter of the first century A.D., probably for the native client king Cogidubnus, amply illustrates his Roman pretensions. It was constructed in the latest Italian style with imported marbles and stylish mosaics. It was lavishly furnished with imported sculptures and other Classical objects. A visitor from Rome would have recognized its owner as a participant in the contemporary culture of the empire, not at all provincial in taste. Even if those from the traditional families looked down on him, they would have been unable to dismiss him as uncultured. Although exceptional, this demonstrates how new cultural symbols bound provincials to the identity of the Roman world.
Such examples established a standard to be copied. One result was an influx of craft worker, particularly those skilled in artistic media like stone-carving which had not existed before the conquest. Civilian workers came mostly from Gaul and Germany. The magnificent temple built beside the sacred spring at Bath was constructed only about twenty years after the conquest. Its detail shows that it was carved by artists from northeast Gaul. In the absence of a tradition of Classical stone-carving and building, the desire to develop Roman amenities would have been difficult to fulfill. Administrators thus used their personal contacts to put the Britons in touch with architects and masons. As many of the officials in Britain had strong links with Gaul, it is not surprising that early Roman Britain owes much to craft workers from that area. Local workshops did develop and stylistically similar groups of sculpture show how skills in this new medium became widerspread. Likewise skills in the use of mosaic, wall painting, ceramic decoration, and metal-working developed throughout the province with the eventual emergence of characteristically Romano-British styles.
This art had a major impact on the native peoples, and one of the most importance factors was a change in the scale of buildings. Pre-Roman Britain was highly localized, with people rarely traveling beyond their own region. On occasion large groups amassed for war or religious festivals, but society remained centered on small communities. Architecture of this era reflected this with even the largest of the fortified towns and hill forts containing no more than clusters of medium-sized structures. The spaces inside even the largest roundhouses were modest, and the use of rounded shapes and organic building materials gave buildings a human scale. But the effect of Roman civil architecture was significant. The sheer size of space enclosed within buildings like the basilica of London must have been astonishing. This was an architecture of dominance in which subject peoples were literally made to feel small by buildings that epitomized imperial power. Supremacy was accentuated by the unyielding straight lines of both individual buildings and planned settlements since these too provided a marked contrast with the natural curvilinear shapes dominant in the native realm. | 2220.txt | 3 |
[
"cultured according to the contemporary standards of the empire",
"caught between native and Roman traditions",
"originally a visitor from Rome",
"a member of a socially inferior family"
] | According to paragraph 2, the style and furnishings of the Fishbourne villa suggest that the person for whom it was built was | After the Roman Empire's conquest of Britain in the first century A.D., the presence of administrators, merchants, and troops on British soil, along with the natural flow of ideas and goods from the rest of the empire, had an enormous influence on life in the British Isles. Cultural influences were of three types: the bringing of objects, the transfer of craft workers, and the introduction of massive civil architecture. Many objects were not art in even the broadest sense and comprised utilitarian items of clothing, utensils, and equipment. We should not underestimate the social status associated with such mundane possessions which had not previously been available. The flooding of Britain with red-gloss pottery form Gaul (modern-day France), decorated with scenes from Classical mythology, probably brought many into contact with the styles and artistic concepts of the Greco-Roman world for the first time, whether or not the symbolism was understood. Mass-produced goods were accompanied by fewer more aesthetically impressive objects such as statuettes. Such pieces perhaps first came with officials for their own religious worship; others were then acquired by native leaders as diplomatic gifts or by purchase. Once seen by the natives, such objects created a fashion which rapidly spread through the province.
In the most extreme instances, natives literally bought the whole package of Roman culture. The Fishbourne villa, built in the third quarter of the first century A.D., probably for the native client king Cogidubnus, amply illustrates his Roman pretensions. It was constructed in the latest Italian style with imported marbles and stylish mosaics. It was lavishly furnished with imported sculptures and other Classical objects. A visitor from Rome would have recognized its owner as a participant in the contemporary culture of the empire, not at all provincial in taste. Even if those from the traditional families looked down on him, they would have been unable to dismiss him as uncultured. Although exceptional, this demonstrates how new cultural symbols bound provincials to the identity of the Roman world.
Such examples established a standard to be copied. One result was an influx of craft worker, particularly those skilled in artistic media like stone-carving which had not existed before the conquest. Civilian workers came mostly from Gaul and Germany. The magnificent temple built beside the sacred spring at Bath was constructed only about twenty years after the conquest. Its detail shows that it was carved by artists from northeast Gaul. In the absence of a tradition of Classical stone-carving and building, the desire to develop Roman amenities would have been difficult to fulfill. Administrators thus used their personal contacts to put the Britons in touch with architects and masons. As many of the officials in Britain had strong links with Gaul, it is not surprising that early Roman Britain owes much to craft workers from that area. Local workshops did develop and stylistically similar groups of sculpture show how skills in this new medium became widerspread. Likewise skills in the use of mosaic, wall painting, ceramic decoration, and metal-working developed throughout the province with the eventual emergence of characteristically Romano-British styles.
This art had a major impact on the native peoples, and one of the most importance factors was a change in the scale of buildings. Pre-Roman Britain was highly localized, with people rarely traveling beyond their own region. On occasion large groups amassed for war or religious festivals, but society remained centered on small communities. Architecture of this era reflected this with even the largest of the fortified towns and hill forts containing no more than clusters of medium-sized structures. The spaces inside even the largest roundhouses were modest, and the use of rounded shapes and organic building materials gave buildings a human scale. But the effect of Roman civil architecture was significant. The sheer size of space enclosed within buildings like the basilica of London must have been astonishing. This was an architecture of dominance in which subject peoples were literally made to feel small by buildings that epitomized imperial power. Supremacy was accentuated by the unyielding straight lines of both individual buildings and planned settlements since these too provided a marked contrast with the natural curvilinear shapes dominant in the native realm. | 2220.txt | 0 |
[
"holy",
"ancient",
"natural",
"Secret"
] | The word "sacred" in the passage is closet in meaning to | After the Roman Empire's conquest of Britain in the first century A.D., the presence of administrators, merchants, and troops on British soil, along with the natural flow of ideas and goods from the rest of the empire, had an enormous influence on life in the British Isles. Cultural influences were of three types: the bringing of objects, the transfer of craft workers, and the introduction of massive civil architecture. Many objects were not art in even the broadest sense and comprised utilitarian items of clothing, utensils, and equipment. We should not underestimate the social status associated with such mundane possessions which had not previously been available. The flooding of Britain with red-gloss pottery form Gaul (modern-day France), decorated with scenes from Classical mythology, probably brought many into contact with the styles and artistic concepts of the Greco-Roman world for the first time, whether or not the symbolism was understood. Mass-produced goods were accompanied by fewer more aesthetically impressive objects such as statuettes. Such pieces perhaps first came with officials for their own religious worship; others were then acquired by native leaders as diplomatic gifts or by purchase. Once seen by the natives, such objects created a fashion which rapidly spread through the province.
In the most extreme instances, natives literally bought the whole package of Roman culture. The Fishbourne villa, built in the third quarter of the first century A.D., probably for the native client king Cogidubnus, amply illustrates his Roman pretensions. It was constructed in the latest Italian style with imported marbles and stylish mosaics. It was lavishly furnished with imported sculptures and other Classical objects. A visitor from Rome would have recognized its owner as a participant in the contemporary culture of the empire, not at all provincial in taste. Even if those from the traditional families looked down on him, they would have been unable to dismiss him as uncultured. Although exceptional, this demonstrates how new cultural symbols bound provincials to the identity of the Roman world.
Such examples established a standard to be copied. One result was an influx of craft worker, particularly those skilled in artistic media like stone-carving which had not existed before the conquest. Civilian workers came mostly from Gaul and Germany. The magnificent temple built beside the sacred spring at Bath was constructed only about twenty years after the conquest. Its detail shows that it was carved by artists from northeast Gaul. In the absence of a tradition of Classical stone-carving and building, the desire to develop Roman amenities would have been difficult to fulfill. Administrators thus used their personal contacts to put the Britons in touch with architects and masons. As many of the officials in Britain had strong links with Gaul, it is not surprising that early Roman Britain owes much to craft workers from that area. Local workshops did develop and stylistically similar groups of sculpture show how skills in this new medium became widerspread. Likewise skills in the use of mosaic, wall painting, ceramic decoration, and metal-working developed throughout the province with the eventual emergence of characteristically Romano-British styles.
This art had a major impact on the native peoples, and one of the most importance factors was a change in the scale of buildings. Pre-Roman Britain was highly localized, with people rarely traveling beyond their own region. On occasion large groups amassed for war or religious festivals, but society remained centered on small communities. Architecture of this era reflected this with even the largest of the fortified towns and hill forts containing no more than clusters of medium-sized structures. The spaces inside even the largest roundhouses were modest, and the use of rounded shapes and organic building materials gave buildings a human scale. But the effect of Roman civil architecture was significant. The sheer size of space enclosed within buildings like the basilica of London must have been astonishing. This was an architecture of dominance in which subject peoples were literally made to feel small by buildings that epitomized imperial power. Supremacy was accentuated by the unyielding straight lines of both individual buildings and planned settlements since these too provided a marked contrast with the natural curvilinear shapes dominant in the native realm. | 2220.txt | 0 |
[
"the fact that long before the conquest many civilian workers from Gaul and Germany had settled in Britain",
"the rapid development of characteristically Romano-British styles",
"the availability, in northeast Gaul, of structures that could serve as standards to be copied",
"the use, by administrators, of personal connections to bring craft workers form Gaul into contact with Britons"
] | According to paragraph 3, one factor contributing to success of the earliest Roman-style construction projects in Britain was | After the Roman Empire's conquest of Britain in the first century A.D., the presence of administrators, merchants, and troops on British soil, along with the natural flow of ideas and goods from the rest of the empire, had an enormous influence on life in the British Isles. Cultural influences were of three types: the bringing of objects, the transfer of craft workers, and the introduction of massive civil architecture. Many objects were not art in even the broadest sense and comprised utilitarian items of clothing, utensils, and equipment. We should not underestimate the social status associated with such mundane possessions which had not previously been available. The flooding of Britain with red-gloss pottery form Gaul (modern-day France), decorated with scenes from Classical mythology, probably brought many into contact with the styles and artistic concepts of the Greco-Roman world for the first time, whether or not the symbolism was understood. Mass-produced goods were accompanied by fewer more aesthetically impressive objects such as statuettes. Such pieces perhaps first came with officials for their own religious worship; others were then acquired by native leaders as diplomatic gifts or by purchase. Once seen by the natives, such objects created a fashion which rapidly spread through the province.
In the most extreme instances, natives literally bought the whole package of Roman culture. The Fishbourne villa, built in the third quarter of the first century A.D., probably for the native client king Cogidubnus, amply illustrates his Roman pretensions. It was constructed in the latest Italian style with imported marbles and stylish mosaics. It was lavishly furnished with imported sculptures and other Classical objects. A visitor from Rome would have recognized its owner as a participant in the contemporary culture of the empire, not at all provincial in taste. Even if those from the traditional families looked down on him, they would have been unable to dismiss him as uncultured. Although exceptional, this demonstrates how new cultural symbols bound provincials to the identity of the Roman world.
Such examples established a standard to be copied. One result was an influx of craft worker, particularly those skilled in artistic media like stone-carving which had not existed before the conquest. Civilian workers came mostly from Gaul and Germany. The magnificent temple built beside the sacred spring at Bath was constructed only about twenty years after the conquest. Its detail shows that it was carved by artists from northeast Gaul. In the absence of a tradition of Classical stone-carving and building, the desire to develop Roman amenities would have been difficult to fulfill. Administrators thus used their personal contacts to put the Britons in touch with architects and masons. As many of the officials in Britain had strong links with Gaul, it is not surprising that early Roman Britain owes much to craft workers from that area. Local workshops did develop and stylistically similar groups of sculpture show how skills in this new medium became widerspread. Likewise skills in the use of mosaic, wall painting, ceramic decoration, and metal-working developed throughout the province with the eventual emergence of characteristically Romano-British styles.
This art had a major impact on the native peoples, and one of the most importance factors was a change in the scale of buildings. Pre-Roman Britain was highly localized, with people rarely traveling beyond their own region. On occasion large groups amassed for war or religious festivals, but society remained centered on small communities. Architecture of this era reflected this with even the largest of the fortified towns and hill forts containing no more than clusters of medium-sized structures. The spaces inside even the largest roundhouses were modest, and the use of rounded shapes and organic building materials gave buildings a human scale. But the effect of Roman civil architecture was significant. The sheer size of space enclosed within buildings like the basilica of London must have been astonishing. This was an architecture of dominance in which subject peoples were literally made to feel small by buildings that epitomized imperial power. Supremacy was accentuated by the unyielding straight lines of both individual buildings and planned settlements since these too provided a marked contrast with the natural curvilinear shapes dominant in the native realm. | 2220.txt | 3 |
[
"To suggest that the Roman conquest of Britain increased the standard of living for natives",
"To indicate that pre-Roman Britain was more interested in festivals and community life than conquering other regions",
"To explain why architecture during this period was not built to be particularly large",
"To illustrate how the traditional roundhouse evolved under the influence of Roman civil architecture"
] | In paragraph 4, why does the author mention that "Pre-Roman Britain was highly localized, with people rarely traveling beyond their own region"? | After the Roman Empire's conquest of Britain in the first century A.D., the presence of administrators, merchants, and troops on British soil, along with the natural flow of ideas and goods from the rest of the empire, had an enormous influence on life in the British Isles. Cultural influences were of three types: the bringing of objects, the transfer of craft workers, and the introduction of massive civil architecture. Many objects were not art in even the broadest sense and comprised utilitarian items of clothing, utensils, and equipment. We should not underestimate the social status associated with such mundane possessions which had not previously been available. The flooding of Britain with red-gloss pottery form Gaul (modern-day France), decorated with scenes from Classical mythology, probably brought many into contact with the styles and artistic concepts of the Greco-Roman world for the first time, whether or not the symbolism was understood. Mass-produced goods were accompanied by fewer more aesthetically impressive objects such as statuettes. Such pieces perhaps first came with officials for their own religious worship; others were then acquired by native leaders as diplomatic gifts or by purchase. Once seen by the natives, such objects created a fashion which rapidly spread through the province.
In the most extreme instances, natives literally bought the whole package of Roman culture. The Fishbourne villa, built in the third quarter of the first century A.D., probably for the native client king Cogidubnus, amply illustrates his Roman pretensions. It was constructed in the latest Italian style with imported marbles and stylish mosaics. It was lavishly furnished with imported sculptures and other Classical objects. A visitor from Rome would have recognized its owner as a participant in the contemporary culture of the empire, not at all provincial in taste. Even if those from the traditional families looked down on him, they would have been unable to dismiss him as uncultured. Although exceptional, this demonstrates how new cultural symbols bound provincials to the identity of the Roman world.
Such examples established a standard to be copied. One result was an influx of craft worker, particularly those skilled in artistic media like stone-carving which had not existed before the conquest. Civilian workers came mostly from Gaul and Germany. The magnificent temple built beside the sacred spring at Bath was constructed only about twenty years after the conquest. Its detail shows that it was carved by artists from northeast Gaul. In the absence of a tradition of Classical stone-carving and building, the desire to develop Roman amenities would have been difficult to fulfill. Administrators thus used their personal contacts to put the Britons in touch with architects and masons. As many of the officials in Britain had strong links with Gaul, it is not surprising that early Roman Britain owes much to craft workers from that area. Local workshops did develop and stylistically similar groups of sculpture show how skills in this new medium became widerspread. Likewise skills in the use of mosaic, wall painting, ceramic decoration, and metal-working developed throughout the province with the eventual emergence of characteristically Romano-British styles.
This art had a major impact on the native peoples, and one of the most importance factors was a change in the scale of buildings. Pre-Roman Britain was highly localized, with people rarely traveling beyond their own region. On occasion large groups amassed for war or religious festivals, but society remained centered on small communities. Architecture of this era reflected this with even the largest of the fortified towns and hill forts containing no more than clusters of medium-sized structures. The spaces inside even the largest roundhouses were modest, and the use of rounded shapes and organic building materials gave buildings a human scale. But the effect of Roman civil architecture was significant. The sheer size of space enclosed within buildings like the basilica of London must have been astonishing. This was an architecture of dominance in which subject peoples were literally made to feel small by buildings that epitomized imperial power. Supremacy was accentuated by the unyielding straight lines of both individual buildings and planned settlements since these too provided a marked contrast with the natural curvilinear shapes dominant in the native realm. | 2220.txt | 2 |
[
"comfortable",
"limited in number",
"poorly lit",
"not large"
] | The word "modest" in the passage in closet in meaning to | After the Roman Empire's conquest of Britain in the first century A.D., the presence of administrators, merchants, and troops on British soil, along with the natural flow of ideas and goods from the rest of the empire, had an enormous influence on life in the British Isles. Cultural influences were of three types: the bringing of objects, the transfer of craft workers, and the introduction of massive civil architecture. Many objects were not art in even the broadest sense and comprised utilitarian items of clothing, utensils, and equipment. We should not underestimate the social status associated with such mundane possessions which had not previously been available. The flooding of Britain with red-gloss pottery form Gaul (modern-day France), decorated with scenes from Classical mythology, probably brought many into contact with the styles and artistic concepts of the Greco-Roman world for the first time, whether or not the symbolism was understood. Mass-produced goods were accompanied by fewer more aesthetically impressive objects such as statuettes. Such pieces perhaps first came with officials for their own religious worship; others were then acquired by native leaders as diplomatic gifts or by purchase. Once seen by the natives, such objects created a fashion which rapidly spread through the province.
In the most extreme instances, natives literally bought the whole package of Roman culture. The Fishbourne villa, built in the third quarter of the first century A.D., probably for the native client king Cogidubnus, amply illustrates his Roman pretensions. It was constructed in the latest Italian style with imported marbles and stylish mosaics. It was lavishly furnished with imported sculptures and other Classical objects. A visitor from Rome would have recognized its owner as a participant in the contemporary culture of the empire, not at all provincial in taste. Even if those from the traditional families looked down on him, they would have been unable to dismiss him as uncultured. Although exceptional, this demonstrates how new cultural symbols bound provincials to the identity of the Roman world.
Such examples established a standard to be copied. One result was an influx of craft worker, particularly those skilled in artistic media like stone-carving which had not existed before the conquest. Civilian workers came mostly from Gaul and Germany. The magnificent temple built beside the sacred spring at Bath was constructed only about twenty years after the conquest. Its detail shows that it was carved by artists from northeast Gaul. In the absence of a tradition of Classical stone-carving and building, the desire to develop Roman amenities would have been difficult to fulfill. Administrators thus used their personal contacts to put the Britons in touch with architects and masons. As many of the officials in Britain had strong links with Gaul, it is not surprising that early Roman Britain owes much to craft workers from that area. Local workshops did develop and stylistically similar groups of sculpture show how skills in this new medium became widerspread. Likewise skills in the use of mosaic, wall painting, ceramic decoration, and metal-working developed throughout the province with the eventual emergence of characteristically Romano-British styles.
This art had a major impact on the native peoples, and one of the most importance factors was a change in the scale of buildings. Pre-Roman Britain was highly localized, with people rarely traveling beyond their own region. On occasion large groups amassed for war or religious festivals, but society remained centered on small communities. Architecture of this era reflected this with even the largest of the fortified towns and hill forts containing no more than clusters of medium-sized structures. The spaces inside even the largest roundhouses were modest, and the use of rounded shapes and organic building materials gave buildings a human scale. But the effect of Roman civil architecture was significant. The sheer size of space enclosed within buildings like the basilica of London must have been astonishing. This was an architecture of dominance in which subject peoples were literally made to feel small by buildings that epitomized imperial power. Supremacy was accentuated by the unyielding straight lines of both individual buildings and planned settlements since these too provided a marked contrast with the natural curvilinear shapes dominant in the native realm. | 2220.txt | 3 |
[
"architecture that seemed imperial in size",
"small communities",
"large roundhouses",
"fortified towns"
] | According to paragraph 4, people in pre-Roman Britain lived, for the most part, in | After the Roman Empire's conquest of Britain in the first century A.D., the presence of administrators, merchants, and troops on British soil, along with the natural flow of ideas and goods from the rest of the empire, had an enormous influence on life in the British Isles. Cultural influences were of three types: the bringing of objects, the transfer of craft workers, and the introduction of massive civil architecture. Many objects were not art in even the broadest sense and comprised utilitarian items of clothing, utensils, and equipment. We should not underestimate the social status associated with such mundane possessions which had not previously been available. The flooding of Britain with red-gloss pottery form Gaul (modern-day France), decorated with scenes from Classical mythology, probably brought many into contact with the styles and artistic concepts of the Greco-Roman world for the first time, whether or not the symbolism was understood. Mass-produced goods were accompanied by fewer more aesthetically impressive objects such as statuettes. Such pieces perhaps first came with officials for their own religious worship; others were then acquired by native leaders as diplomatic gifts or by purchase. Once seen by the natives, such objects created a fashion which rapidly spread through the province.
In the most extreme instances, natives literally bought the whole package of Roman culture. The Fishbourne villa, built in the third quarter of the first century A.D., probably for the native client king Cogidubnus, amply illustrates his Roman pretensions. It was constructed in the latest Italian style with imported marbles and stylish mosaics. It was lavishly furnished with imported sculptures and other Classical objects. A visitor from Rome would have recognized its owner as a participant in the contemporary culture of the empire, not at all provincial in taste. Even if those from the traditional families looked down on him, they would have been unable to dismiss him as uncultured. Although exceptional, this demonstrates how new cultural symbols bound provincials to the identity of the Roman world.
Such examples established a standard to be copied. One result was an influx of craft worker, particularly those skilled in artistic media like stone-carving which had not existed before the conquest. Civilian workers came mostly from Gaul and Germany. The magnificent temple built beside the sacred spring at Bath was constructed only about twenty years after the conquest. Its detail shows that it was carved by artists from northeast Gaul. In the absence of a tradition of Classical stone-carving and building, the desire to develop Roman amenities would have been difficult to fulfill. Administrators thus used their personal contacts to put the Britons in touch with architects and masons. As many of the officials in Britain had strong links with Gaul, it is not surprising that early Roman Britain owes much to craft workers from that area. Local workshops did develop and stylistically similar groups of sculpture show how skills in this new medium became widerspread. Likewise skills in the use of mosaic, wall painting, ceramic decoration, and metal-working developed throughout the province with the eventual emergence of characteristically Romano-British styles.
This art had a major impact on the native peoples, and one of the most importance factors was a change in the scale of buildings. Pre-Roman Britain was highly localized, with people rarely traveling beyond their own region. On occasion large groups amassed for war or religious festivals, but society remained centered on small communities. Architecture of this era reflected this with even the largest of the fortified towns and hill forts containing no more than clusters of medium-sized structures. The spaces inside even the largest roundhouses were modest, and the use of rounded shapes and organic building materials gave buildings a human scale. But the effect of Roman civil architecture was significant. The sheer size of space enclosed within buildings like the basilica of London must have been astonishing. This was an architecture of dominance in which subject peoples were literally made to feel small by buildings that epitomized imperial power. Supremacy was accentuated by the unyielding straight lines of both individual buildings and planned settlements since these too provided a marked contrast with the natural curvilinear shapes dominant in the native realm. | 2220.txt | 1 |
[
"Because straight lines were in contrast to the shapes found in pre-Roman architecture",
"Because unlike curved lines, which are shaped in all sorts of different ways, straight lines do no differ",
"Because the dominant lines in entire settlements were the same as those in individual buildings",
"Because building and settlements were easier to construct when the dominant lines were straight lines"
] | According to paragraph 4, why did straight lines in buildings and settlements emphasize the dominance of those who introduced them ? | After the Roman Empire's conquest of Britain in the first century A.D., the presence of administrators, merchants, and troops on British soil, along with the natural flow of ideas and goods from the rest of the empire, had an enormous influence on life in the British Isles. Cultural influences were of three types: the bringing of objects, the transfer of craft workers, and the introduction of massive civil architecture. Many objects were not art in even the broadest sense and comprised utilitarian items of clothing, utensils, and equipment. We should not underestimate the social status associated with such mundane possessions which had not previously been available. The flooding of Britain with red-gloss pottery form Gaul (modern-day France), decorated with scenes from Classical mythology, probably brought many into contact with the styles and artistic concepts of the Greco-Roman world for the first time, whether or not the symbolism was understood. Mass-produced goods were accompanied by fewer more aesthetically impressive objects such as statuettes. Such pieces perhaps first came with officials for their own religious worship; others were then acquired by native leaders as diplomatic gifts or by purchase. Once seen by the natives, such objects created a fashion which rapidly spread through the province.
In the most extreme instances, natives literally bought the whole package of Roman culture. The Fishbourne villa, built in the third quarter of the first century A.D., probably for the native client king Cogidubnus, amply illustrates his Roman pretensions. It was constructed in the latest Italian style with imported marbles and stylish mosaics. It was lavishly furnished with imported sculptures and other Classical objects. A visitor from Rome would have recognized its owner as a participant in the contemporary culture of the empire, not at all provincial in taste. Even if those from the traditional families looked down on him, they would have been unable to dismiss him as uncultured. Although exceptional, this demonstrates how new cultural symbols bound provincials to the identity of the Roman world.
Such examples established a standard to be copied. One result was an influx of craft worker, particularly those skilled in artistic media like stone-carving which had not existed before the conquest. Civilian workers came mostly from Gaul and Germany. The magnificent temple built beside the sacred spring at Bath was constructed only about twenty years after the conquest. Its detail shows that it was carved by artists from northeast Gaul. In the absence of a tradition of Classical stone-carving and building, the desire to develop Roman amenities would have been difficult to fulfill. Administrators thus used their personal contacts to put the Britons in touch with architects and masons. As many of the officials in Britain had strong links with Gaul, it is not surprising that early Roman Britain owes much to craft workers from that area. Local workshops did develop and stylistically similar groups of sculpture show how skills in this new medium became widerspread. Likewise skills in the use of mosaic, wall painting, ceramic decoration, and metal-working developed throughout the province with the eventual emergence of characteristically Romano-British styles.
This art had a major impact on the native peoples, and one of the most importance factors was a change in the scale of buildings. Pre-Roman Britain was highly localized, with people rarely traveling beyond their own region. On occasion large groups amassed for war or religious festivals, but society remained centered on small communities. Architecture of this era reflected this with even the largest of the fortified towns and hill forts containing no more than clusters of medium-sized structures. The spaces inside even the largest roundhouses were modest, and the use of rounded shapes and organic building materials gave buildings a human scale. But the effect of Roman civil architecture was significant. The sheer size of space enclosed within buildings like the basilica of London must have been astonishing. This was an architecture of dominance in which subject peoples were literally made to feel small by buildings that epitomized imperial power. Supremacy was accentuated by the unyielding straight lines of both individual buildings and planned settlements since these too provided a marked contrast with the natural curvilinear shapes dominant in the native realm. | 2220.txt | 0 |
[
"their outside and inside dimensions",
"the impact they had on people",
"the geometric shapes in which they were built",
"the positioning of buildings in clusters"
] | According to paragraph 4, buildings from the pre-Roman period differed sharply from buildings reflection Roman civil architecture in each of the following respects EXCEPT | After the Roman Empire's conquest of Britain in the first century A.D., the presence of administrators, merchants, and troops on British soil, along with the natural flow of ideas and goods from the rest of the empire, had an enormous influence on life in the British Isles. Cultural influences were of three types: the bringing of objects, the transfer of craft workers, and the introduction of massive civil architecture. Many objects were not art in even the broadest sense and comprised utilitarian items of clothing, utensils, and equipment. We should not underestimate the social status associated with such mundane possessions which had not previously been available. The flooding of Britain with red-gloss pottery form Gaul (modern-day France), decorated with scenes from Classical mythology, probably brought many into contact with the styles and artistic concepts of the Greco-Roman world for the first time, whether or not the symbolism was understood. Mass-produced goods were accompanied by fewer more aesthetically impressive objects such as statuettes. Such pieces perhaps first came with officials for their own religious worship; others were then acquired by native leaders as diplomatic gifts or by purchase. Once seen by the natives, such objects created a fashion which rapidly spread through the province.
In the most extreme instances, natives literally bought the whole package of Roman culture. The Fishbourne villa, built in the third quarter of the first century A.D., probably for the native client king Cogidubnus, amply illustrates his Roman pretensions. It was constructed in the latest Italian style with imported marbles and stylish mosaics. It was lavishly furnished with imported sculptures and other Classical objects. A visitor from Rome would have recognized its owner as a participant in the contemporary culture of the empire, not at all provincial in taste. Even if those from the traditional families looked down on him, they would have been unable to dismiss him as uncultured. Although exceptional, this demonstrates how new cultural symbols bound provincials to the identity of the Roman world.
Such examples established a standard to be copied. One result was an influx of craft worker, particularly those skilled in artistic media like stone-carving which had not existed before the conquest. Civilian workers came mostly from Gaul and Germany. The magnificent temple built beside the sacred spring at Bath was constructed only about twenty years after the conquest. Its detail shows that it was carved by artists from northeast Gaul. In the absence of a tradition of Classical stone-carving and building, the desire to develop Roman amenities would have been difficult to fulfill. Administrators thus used their personal contacts to put the Britons in touch with architects and masons. As many of the officials in Britain had strong links with Gaul, it is not surprising that early Roman Britain owes much to craft workers from that area. Local workshops did develop and stylistically similar groups of sculpture show how skills in this new medium became widerspread. Likewise skills in the use of mosaic, wall painting, ceramic decoration, and metal-working developed throughout the province with the eventual emergence of characteristically Romano-British styles.
This art had a major impact on the native peoples, and one of the most importance factors was a change in the scale of buildings. Pre-Roman Britain was highly localized, with people rarely traveling beyond their own region. On occasion large groups amassed for war or religious festivals, but society remained centered on small communities. Architecture of this era reflected this with even the largest of the fortified towns and hill forts containing no more than clusters of medium-sized structures. The spaces inside even the largest roundhouses were modest, and the use of rounded shapes and organic building materials gave buildings a human scale. But the effect of Roman civil architecture was significant. The sheer size of space enclosed within buildings like the basilica of London must have been astonishing. This was an architecture of dominance in which subject peoples were literally made to feel small by buildings that epitomized imperial power. Supremacy was accentuated by the unyielding straight lines of both individual buildings and planned settlements since these too provided a marked contrast with the natural curvilinear shapes dominant in the native realm. | 2220.txt | 3 |
[
"There are many more men applying than women.",
"Chances for women to get the positions are scare.",
"More males than females are likely to get outstanding letters of recommendation.",
"Male applicants have more interest in these positions than their female counterparts."
] | What do we learn about applicants to postdoctoral positions in geosciences? | Female applicants to postdoctoral positions in geosciences were nearly half as likely to receive excellent letters of recommendation, compared with their male counterparts. Christopher Intagliata reports.
As in many other fields, gender bias is widespread in the sciences. Men score higher starting salaries, have more mentoring , and have better odds of being hired. Studies show they're also perceived as more competent than women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.fields. And new research reveals that men are more likely to receive excellent letters of recommendation, too.
"Say, you know, this is the best student I've ever had," says Kuheli Dutt, a social scientist and diversity officer at Columbia University's Lamont campus. "Compare those excellent letters with a merely good letter: 'The candidate was productive, or intelligent, or a solid scientist or something that's clearly solid praise,' but nothing that singles out the candidate as exceptional or one of a kind."
Dutt and her colleagues studied more than 1,200 letters of recommendation for postdoctoral positions in geoscience. They were all edited for gender and other identifying information, so Dutt and her team could assign them a score without knowing the gender of the student. They found that female applicants were only half as likely to get outstanding letters, compared with their male counterparts. That includes letters of recommendation from all over the world, and written by, yes, men and women. The findings are in the journal Nature Geoscience.
Dutt says they were not able to evaluate the actual scientific qualifications of the applicants using the data in the files. But she says the results still suggest women in geoscience are at a potential disadvantage from the very beginning of their careers starting with those less than outstanding letters of recommendation.
"We're not trying to assign blame or criticize anyone or call anyone conscious sexist. Rather, the point is to use the results of this study to open up meaningful dialogues on implicit gender bias, be it at a departmental level or an institutional level or even a discipline level." Which may lead to some recommendations for the letter writers themselves. | 340.txt | 2 |
[
"Women engaged in postdoctoral work are quickly catching up.",
"Fewer women are applying for postdoctoral positions due to gender bias.",
"Men are believed to be better able to excel in STEM disciplines.",
"Women who are keenly interested in STEM fields are often exceptional."
] | What do studies about men and women in scientific research show? | Female applicants to postdoctoral positions in geosciences were nearly half as likely to receive excellent letters of recommendation, compared with their male counterparts. Christopher Intagliata reports.
As in many other fields, gender bias is widespread in the sciences. Men score higher starting salaries, have more mentoring , and have better odds of being hired. Studies show they're also perceived as more competent than women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.fields. And new research reveals that men are more likely to receive excellent letters of recommendation, too.
"Say, you know, this is the best student I've ever had," says Kuheli Dutt, a social scientist and diversity officer at Columbia University's Lamont campus. "Compare those excellent letters with a merely good letter: 'The candidate was productive, or intelligent, or a solid scientist or something that's clearly solid praise,' but nothing that singles out the candidate as exceptional or one of a kind."
Dutt and her colleagues studied more than 1,200 letters of recommendation for postdoctoral positions in geoscience. They were all edited for gender and other identifying information, so Dutt and her team could assign them a score without knowing the gender of the student. They found that female applicants were only half as likely to get outstanding letters, compared with their male counterparts. That includes letters of recommendation from all over the world, and written by, yes, men and women. The findings are in the journal Nature Geoscience.
Dutt says they were not able to evaluate the actual scientific qualifications of the applicants using the data in the files. But she says the results still suggest women in geoscience are at a potential disadvantage from the very beginning of their careers starting with those less than outstanding letters of recommendation.
"We're not trying to assign blame or criticize anyone or call anyone conscious sexist. Rather, the point is to use the results of this study to open up meaningful dialogues on implicit gender bias, be it at a departmental level or an institutional level or even a discipline level." Which may lead to some recommendations for the letter writers themselves. | 340.txt | 2 |
[
"They are hardly ever supported by concrete examples.",
"They contain nothing that distinguishes the applicants.",
"They provide objective information without exaggeration.",
"They are often filled with praise for exceptional applicants."
] | What do the studies find about the recommendation letters for women applicants? | Female applicants to postdoctoral positions in geosciences were nearly half as likely to receive excellent letters of recommendation, compared with their male counterparts. Christopher Intagliata reports.
As in many other fields, gender bias is widespread in the sciences. Men score higher starting salaries, have more mentoring , and have better odds of being hired. Studies show they're also perceived as more competent than women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.fields. And new research reveals that men are more likely to receive excellent letters of recommendation, too.
"Say, you know, this is the best student I've ever had," says Kuheli Dutt, a social scientist and diversity officer at Columbia University's Lamont campus. "Compare those excellent letters with a merely good letter: 'The candidate was productive, or intelligent, or a solid scientist or something that's clearly solid praise,' but nothing that singles out the candidate as exceptional or one of a kind."
Dutt and her colleagues studied more than 1,200 letters of recommendation for postdoctoral positions in geoscience. They were all edited for gender and other identifying information, so Dutt and her team could assign them a score without knowing the gender of the student. They found that female applicants were only half as likely to get outstanding letters, compared with their male counterparts. That includes letters of recommendation from all over the world, and written by, yes, men and women. The findings are in the journal Nature Geoscience.
Dutt says they were not able to evaluate the actual scientific qualifications of the applicants using the data in the files. But she says the results still suggest women in geoscience are at a potential disadvantage from the very beginning of their careers starting with those less than outstanding letters of recommendation.
"We're not trying to assign blame or criticize anyone or call anyone conscious sexist. Rather, the point is to use the results of this study to open up meaningful dialogues on implicit gender bias, be it at a departmental level or an institutional level or even a discipline level." Which may lead to some recommendations for the letter writers themselves. | 340.txt | 1 |
[
"They asked unbiased scholars to evaluate them.",
"They invited women professionals to edit them.",
"They assigned them randomly to reviewers.",
"They deleted all information about gender."
] | What did Dutt and her colleagues do with the more than 1,200 letters of recommendation? | Female applicants to postdoctoral positions in geosciences were nearly half as likely to receive excellent letters of recommendation, compared with their male counterparts. Christopher Intagliata reports.
As in many other fields, gender bias is widespread in the sciences. Men score higher starting salaries, have more mentoring , and have better odds of being hired. Studies show they're also perceived as more competent than women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.fields. And new research reveals that men are more likely to receive excellent letters of recommendation, too.
"Say, you know, this is the best student I've ever had," says Kuheli Dutt, a social scientist and diversity officer at Columbia University's Lamont campus. "Compare those excellent letters with a merely good letter: 'The candidate was productive, or intelligent, or a solid scientist or something that's clearly solid praise,' but nothing that singles out the candidate as exceptional or one of a kind."
Dutt and her colleagues studied more than 1,200 letters of recommendation for postdoctoral positions in geoscience. They were all edited for gender and other identifying information, so Dutt and her team could assign them a score without knowing the gender of the student. They found that female applicants were only half as likely to get outstanding letters, compared with their male counterparts. That includes letters of recommendation from all over the world, and written by, yes, men and women. The findings are in the journal Nature Geoscience.
Dutt says they were not able to evaluate the actual scientific qualifications of the applicants using the data in the files. But she says the results still suggest women in geoscience are at a potential disadvantage from the very beginning of their careers starting with those less than outstanding letters of recommendation.
"We're not trying to assign blame or criticize anyone or call anyone conscious sexist. Rather, the point is to use the results of this study to open up meaningful dialogues on implicit gender bias, be it at a departmental level or an institutional level or even a discipline level." Which may lead to some recommendations for the letter writers themselves. | 340.txt | 3 |
[
"Raise recommendation writers' awareness of gender bias in their letters.",
"Open up fresh avenues for women post-doctors to join in research work.",
"Alert women researchers to all types of gender bias in the STEM disciplines.",
"Start a public discussion on how to raise women's status in academic circles."
] | What does Dutt aim to do with her study? | Female applicants to postdoctoral positions in geosciences were nearly half as likely to receive excellent letters of recommendation, compared with their male counterparts. Christopher Intagliata reports.
As in many other fields, gender bias is widespread in the sciences. Men score higher starting salaries, have more mentoring , and have better odds of being hired. Studies show they're also perceived as more competent than women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.fields. And new research reveals that men are more likely to receive excellent letters of recommendation, too.
"Say, you know, this is the best student I've ever had," says Kuheli Dutt, a social scientist and diversity officer at Columbia University's Lamont campus. "Compare those excellent letters with a merely good letter: 'The candidate was productive, or intelligent, or a solid scientist or something that's clearly solid praise,' but nothing that singles out the candidate as exceptional or one of a kind."
Dutt and her colleagues studied more than 1,200 letters of recommendation for postdoctoral positions in geoscience. They were all edited for gender and other identifying information, so Dutt and her team could assign them a score without knowing the gender of the student. They found that female applicants were only half as likely to get outstanding letters, compared with their male counterparts. That includes letters of recommendation from all over the world, and written by, yes, men and women. The findings are in the journal Nature Geoscience.
Dutt says they were not able to evaluate the actual scientific qualifications of the applicants using the data in the files. But she says the results still suggest women in geoscience are at a potential disadvantage from the very beginning of their careers starting with those less than outstanding letters of recommendation.
"We're not trying to assign blame or criticize anyone or call anyone conscious sexist. Rather, the point is to use the results of this study to open up meaningful dialogues on implicit gender bias, be it at a departmental level or an institutional level or even a discipline level." Which may lead to some recommendations for the letter writers themselves. | 340.txt | 0 |
[
"escape fund helps one through rainy days",
"days are getting harder and harder",
"women are money sensitive",
"financial conflicts often occur"
] | The trend to keep a secret bank account is growing because_ ¡£ | According to a recent survey on money and relationships, 36 percent of people are keeping a bank account from their partner. While this financial unfaithfulness may appear as distrust in a relationship , in truth it may just be a form of financial protection¡£
With almost half of all marriages ending in divorce, men and women are realizing they need to be financially savvy, regardless of whether they are in a relationship¡£
The financial hardship on individuals after a divorce can be extremely difficult, even more so when children are involved. The lack of permanency in relationships, jobs and family life may be the cause of a growing trend to keep a secret bank account hidden from a partner; in other words, an ¡±escape fund¡±¡£
Margaret's story is far from unique. She is a representative of a growing number of women in long-term relationships who are becoming protective of their own earnings¡£
Every month on pay day, she banks hundreds of dollars into a savings account she keeps from her husband. She has been doing this throughout their six-year marriage and has built a nest egg worth an incredible $100,000 on top of her pension¡£
Margaret says if her husband found out about her secret savings he¡¯d hurt and would interpret this as a sign she wasn't sure of the marriage¡£¡± He¡¯d think it was my escape fun so that financially I could afford to get out of the relationship if it went wrong. I know you should approach marriage as being forever and I hope ours is, but you can never be sure¡£¡±
Like many of her fellow secret savers, Margaret was stung in a former relationship and has since been very guarded about her own money¡£
Coming clean to your partner about being a secret saver may not be all that bad. Take Colleen for example, who had been saving secretly for a few years before she confessed to her partner. ¡±I decided to open a savings account and start building a nest egg of my own. I wanted to prove to myself that I could put money in the bank and leave it there for a rainy day¡£¡±
¡°When John found out about my secret savings, he was a little suspicious of my motives. I reassured him that this was certainly not an escape fund that I feel very secure in out relationship. I have to admit that it does feel good to have my own money on reserve if ever there are rainy days in the future. It's sensible to build and protect your personal financial security¡£¡± | 1181.txt | 0 |
[
"suspicious",
"secure",
"shrewd",
"simple"
] | The word ¡°savvy¡±(Line2,Para 2)probably means_ ¡£ | According to a recent survey on money and relationships, 36 percent of people are keeping a bank account from their partner. While this financial unfaithfulness may appear as distrust in a relationship , in truth it may just be a form of financial protection¡£
With almost half of all marriages ending in divorce, men and women are realizing they need to be financially savvy, regardless of whether they are in a relationship¡£
The financial hardship on individuals after a divorce can be extremely difficult, even more so when children are involved. The lack of permanency in relationships, jobs and family life may be the cause of a growing trend to keep a secret bank account hidden from a partner; in other words, an ¡±escape fund¡±¡£
Margaret's story is far from unique. She is a representative of a growing number of women in long-term relationships who are becoming protective of their own earnings¡£
Every month on pay day, she banks hundreds of dollars into a savings account she keeps from her husband. She has been doing this throughout their six-year marriage and has built a nest egg worth an incredible $100,000 on top of her pension¡£
Margaret says if her husband found out about her secret savings he¡¯d hurt and would interpret this as a sign she wasn't sure of the marriage¡£¡± He¡¯d think it was my escape fun so that financially I could afford to get out of the relationship if it went wrong. I know you should approach marriage as being forever and I hope ours is, but you can never be sure¡£¡±
Like many of her fellow secret savers, Margaret was stung in a former relationship and has since been very guarded about her own money¡£
Coming clean to your partner about being a secret saver may not be all that bad. Take Colleen for example, who had been saving secretly for a few years before she confessed to her partner. ¡±I decided to open a savings account and start building a nest egg of my own. I wanted to prove to myself that I could put money in the bank and leave it there for a rainy day¡£¡±
¡°When John found out about my secret savings, he was a little suspicious of my motives. I reassured him that this was certainly not an escape fund that I feel very secure in out relationship. I have to admit that it does feel good to have my own money on reserve if ever there are rainy days in the future. It's sensible to build and protect your personal financial security¡£¡± | 1181.txt | 2 |
[
"She is a unique woman.",
"She was once divorced¡£",
"She is going to retire.",
"She has many children¡£"
] | Which inference can we make about Margaret? | According to a recent survey on money and relationships, 36 percent of people are keeping a bank account from their partner. While this financial unfaithfulness may appear as distrust in a relationship , in truth it may just be a form of financial protection¡£
With almost half of all marriages ending in divorce, men and women are realizing they need to be financially savvy, regardless of whether they are in a relationship¡£
The financial hardship on individuals after a divorce can be extremely difficult, even more so when children are involved. The lack of permanency in relationships, jobs and family life may be the cause of a growing trend to keep a secret bank account hidden from a partner; in other words, an ¡±escape fund¡±¡£
Margaret's story is far from unique. She is a representative of a growing number of women in long-term relationships who are becoming protective of their own earnings¡£
Every month on pay day, she banks hundreds of dollars into a savings account she keeps from her husband. She has been doing this throughout their six-year marriage and has built a nest egg worth an incredible $100,000 on top of her pension¡£
Margaret says if her husband found out about her secret savings he¡¯d hurt and would interpret this as a sign she wasn't sure of the marriage¡£¡± He¡¯d think it was my escape fun so that financially I could afford to get out of the relationship if it went wrong. I know you should approach marriage as being forever and I hope ours is, but you can never be sure¡£¡±
Like many of her fellow secret savers, Margaret was stung in a former relationship and has since been very guarded about her own money¡£
Coming clean to your partner about being a secret saver may not be all that bad. Take Colleen for example, who had been saving secretly for a few years before she confessed to her partner. ¡±I decided to open a savings account and start building a nest egg of my own. I wanted to prove to myself that I could put money in the bank and leave it there for a rainy day¡£¡±
¡°When John found out about my secret savings, he was a little suspicious of my motives. I reassured him that this was certainly not an escape fund that I feel very secure in out relationship. I have to admit that it does feel good to have my own money on reserve if ever there are rainy days in the future. It's sensible to build and protect your personal financial security¡£¡± | 1181.txt | 1 |
[
"any couple can avoid marriage conflicts",
"privacy within marriage should be respected",
"everyone can save a fortune with a happy marriage",
"financial disclosure is not necessarily bad"
] | The author mentions Colleen's example to show_ ¡£ | According to a recent survey on money and relationships, 36 percent of people are keeping a bank account from their partner. While this financial unfaithfulness may appear as distrust in a relationship , in truth it may just be a form of financial protection¡£
With almost half of all marriages ending in divorce, men and women are realizing they need to be financially savvy, regardless of whether they are in a relationship¡£
The financial hardship on individuals after a divorce can be extremely difficult, even more so when children are involved. The lack of permanency in relationships, jobs and family life may be the cause of a growing trend to keep a secret bank account hidden from a partner; in other words, an ¡±escape fund¡±¡£
Margaret's story is far from unique. She is a representative of a growing number of women in long-term relationships who are becoming protective of their own earnings¡£
Every month on pay day, she banks hundreds of dollars into a savings account she keeps from her husband. She has been doing this throughout their six-year marriage and has built a nest egg worth an incredible $100,000 on top of her pension¡£
Margaret says if her husband found out about her secret savings he¡¯d hurt and would interpret this as a sign she wasn't sure of the marriage¡£¡± He¡¯d think it was my escape fun so that financially I could afford to get out of the relationship if it went wrong. I know you should approach marriage as being forever and I hope ours is, but you can never be sure¡£¡±
Like many of her fellow secret savers, Margaret was stung in a former relationship and has since been very guarded about her own money¡£
Coming clean to your partner about being a secret saver may not be all that bad. Take Colleen for example, who had been saving secretly for a few years before she confessed to her partner. ¡±I decided to open a savings account and start building a nest egg of my own. I wanted to prove to myself that I could put money in the bank and leave it there for a rainy day¡£¡±
¡°When John found out about my secret savings, he was a little suspicious of my motives. I reassured him that this was certainly not an escape fund that I feel very secure in out relationship. I have to admit that it does feel good to have my own money on reserve if ever there are rainy days in the future. It's sensible to build and protect your personal financial security¡£¡± | 1181.txt | 3 |
[
"Secret Savers",
"Love Is What It's Worth",
"Banking Honesty",
"Once Bitten, Twice Shy"
] | Which of the following best summary this passage? | According to a recent survey on money and relationships, 36 percent of people are keeping a bank account from their partner. While this financial unfaithfulness may appear as distrust in a relationship , in truth it may just be a form of financial protection¡£
With almost half of all marriages ending in divorce, men and women are realizing they need to be financially savvy, regardless of whether they are in a relationship¡£
The financial hardship on individuals after a divorce can be extremely difficult, even more so when children are involved. The lack of permanency in relationships, jobs and family life may be the cause of a growing trend to keep a secret bank account hidden from a partner; in other words, an ¡±escape fund¡±¡£
Margaret's story is far from unique. She is a representative of a growing number of women in long-term relationships who are becoming protective of their own earnings¡£
Every month on pay day, she banks hundreds of dollars into a savings account she keeps from her husband. She has been doing this throughout their six-year marriage and has built a nest egg worth an incredible $100,000 on top of her pension¡£
Margaret says if her husband found out about her secret savings he¡¯d hurt and would interpret this as a sign she wasn't sure of the marriage¡£¡± He¡¯d think it was my escape fun so that financially I could afford to get out of the relationship if it went wrong. I know you should approach marriage as being forever and I hope ours is, but you can never be sure¡£¡±
Like many of her fellow secret savers, Margaret was stung in a former relationship and has since been very guarded about her own money¡£
Coming clean to your partner about being a secret saver may not be all that bad. Take Colleen for example, who had been saving secretly for a few years before she confessed to her partner. ¡±I decided to open a savings account and start building a nest egg of my own. I wanted to prove to myself that I could put money in the bank and leave it there for a rainy day¡£¡±
¡°When John found out about my secret savings, he was a little suspicious of my motives. I reassured him that this was certainly not an escape fund that I feel very secure in out relationship. I have to admit that it does feel good to have my own money on reserve if ever there are rainy days in the future. It's sensible to build and protect your personal financial security¡£¡± | 1181.txt | 0 |
[
"a sense of humor.",
"A sense of satire.",
"A sense of laughter.",
"A sense of history."
] | The most important of all human qualities is | A Sense of Humor
Biologically, there is only one quality which distinguishes us from animals: the ability to laugh. In a universe which appears to be utterly devoid of humor, we enjoy this supreme luxury. Andit is a luxury, for unlike any other bodily process, laughter doesnot seem to serve a biologically useful purpose. In a divideworld, laughter is a unifying force. Human beings oppose eachother on a great many issues. Nations may disagree aboutsystems of government and human relations may be plaguedby ideological factions and political camps, but we all share the ability to laugh. And laughter, inturn, depends on that most complex and subtle of all human qualities: a sense of humor Certaincomic stereotypes have a universal appeal. This can best be seen from the world-wide popularity ofCharlie Chaplin's early films. The little man at odds with society never fails to amuse no matterwhich country we come from. As that great commentator on human affairs, Dr. Samuel Johnson,once remarked, ‘Men have been wise in very different modes; but they have always laughed in thesame way.'
A sense of humor may take various forms and laughter may be anything from a refined tingle toan earth quaking roar, but the effect is always the same. Humor helps us to maintain a correctsense of values. It is the one quality which political fanatics appear to lack. If we can see the funnyside, we never make the mistake of taking ourselves too seriously. We are always reminded thattragedy is not really far removed from comedy, so we never get a lop sided view of things.
This is one of the chief functions of satire and irony. Human pain and suffering are so grim; wehover so often on the brink of war; political realities are usually enough to plunge us into totaldespair. In such circumstances, cartoons and satirical accounts of somber political events redressthe balance. They take the wind out of pompous and arrogant politicians who have lost their senseof proportion. They enable us to see that many of our most profound actions are merely comic orabsurd. We laugh when a great satirist like Swift writes about war in Gulliver's Travels. TheLilliputians and their neighbors attack each other because they can't agree which end to break anegg. We laugh because we meant to laugh; but we are meant to weep too. It is too powerful aweapon to be allowed to flourish.
The sense of humor must be singled out as man's most important quality because it is associatedwith laughter. And laughter, in turn, is associated with happiness. Courage, determination, initiative- these are qualities we share with other forms of life. But the sense of humor is uniquely human. Ifhappiness is one of the great goals of life, then it is the sense of humor that provides the key. | 225.txt | 0 |
[
"they can amuse people.",
"Human beings are different from animals.",
"They show that certain comic stereotypes have a universal appeal.",
"They show that people have the same ability to laugh."
] | The author mentions about Charlie Chaplin's early films because | A Sense of Humor
Biologically, there is only one quality which distinguishes us from animals: the ability to laugh. In a universe which appears to be utterly devoid of humor, we enjoy this supreme luxury. Andit is a luxury, for unlike any other bodily process, laughter doesnot seem to serve a biologically useful purpose. In a divideworld, laughter is a unifying force. Human beings oppose eachother on a great many issues. Nations may disagree aboutsystems of government and human relations may be plaguedby ideological factions and political camps, but we all share the ability to laugh. And laughter, inturn, depends on that most complex and subtle of all human qualities: a sense of humor Certaincomic stereotypes have a universal appeal. This can best be seen from the world-wide popularity ofCharlie Chaplin's early films. The little man at odds with society never fails to amuse no matterwhich country we come from. As that great commentator on human affairs, Dr. Samuel Johnson,once remarked, ‘Men have been wise in very different modes; but they have always laughed in thesame way.'
A sense of humor may take various forms and laughter may be anything from a refined tingle toan earth quaking roar, but the effect is always the same. Humor helps us to maintain a correctsense of values. It is the one quality which political fanatics appear to lack. If we can see the funnyside, we never make the mistake of taking ourselves too seriously. We are always reminded thattragedy is not really far removed from comedy, so we never get a lop sided view of things.
This is one of the chief functions of satire and irony. Human pain and suffering are so grim; wehover so often on the brink of war; political realities are usually enough to plunge us into totaldespair. In such circumstances, cartoons and satirical accounts of somber political events redressthe balance. They take the wind out of pompous and arrogant politicians who have lost their senseof proportion. They enable us to see that many of our most profound actions are merely comic orabsurd. We laugh when a great satirist like Swift writes about war in Gulliver's Travels. TheLilliputians and their neighbors attack each other because they can't agree which end to break anegg. We laugh because we meant to laugh; but we are meant to weep too. It is too powerful aweapon to be allowed to flourish.
The sense of humor must be singled out as man's most important quality because it is associatedwith laughter. And laughter, in turn, is associated with happiness. Courage, determination, initiative- these are qualities we share with other forms of life. But the sense of humor is uniquely human. Ifhappiness is one of the great goals of life, then it is the sense of humor that provides the key. | 225.txt | 2 |
[
"to show absurdity of actions.",
"to redress balance.",
"to take the wind out of politicians.",
"to show too much grimness in the world."
] | One of the chief functions of irony and satire is | A Sense of Humor
Biologically, there is only one quality which distinguishes us from animals: the ability to laugh. In a universe which appears to be utterly devoid of humor, we enjoy this supreme luxury. Andit is a luxury, for unlike any other bodily process, laughter doesnot seem to serve a biologically useful purpose. In a divideworld, laughter is a unifying force. Human beings oppose eachother on a great many issues. Nations may disagree aboutsystems of government and human relations may be plaguedby ideological factions and political camps, but we all share the ability to laugh. And laughter, inturn, depends on that most complex and subtle of all human qualities: a sense of humor Certaincomic stereotypes have a universal appeal. This can best be seen from the world-wide popularity ofCharlie Chaplin's early films. The little man at odds with society never fails to amuse no matterwhich country we come from. As that great commentator on human affairs, Dr. Samuel Johnson,once remarked, ‘Men have been wise in very different modes; but they have always laughed in thesame way.'
A sense of humor may take various forms and laughter may be anything from a refined tingle toan earth quaking roar, but the effect is always the same. Humor helps us to maintain a correctsense of values. It is the one quality which political fanatics appear to lack. If we can see the funnyside, we never make the mistake of taking ourselves too seriously. We are always reminded thattragedy is not really far removed from comedy, so we never get a lop sided view of things.
This is one of the chief functions of satire and irony. Human pain and suffering are so grim; wehover so often on the brink of war; political realities are usually enough to plunge us into totaldespair. In such circumstances, cartoons and satirical accounts of somber political events redressthe balance. They take the wind out of pompous and arrogant politicians who have lost their senseof proportion. They enable us to see that many of our most profound actions are merely comic orabsurd. We laugh when a great satirist like Swift writes about war in Gulliver's Travels. TheLilliputians and their neighbors attack each other because they can't agree which end to break anegg. We laugh because we meant to laugh; but we are meant to weep too. It is too powerful aweapon to be allowed to flourish.
The sense of humor must be singled out as man's most important quality because it is associatedwith laughter. And laughter, in turn, is associated with happiness. Courage, determination, initiative- these are qualities we share with other forms of life. But the sense of humor is uniquely human. Ifhappiness is one of the great goals of life, then it is the sense of humor that provides the key. | 225.txt | 1 |
[
"It can reveal the truth of political events with satire.",
"It can arouse people to riot.",
"It shows tragedy and comedy are related.",
"It can make people laugh."
] | What do we learn from the sentence ‘it is too powerful a weapon to be allowed to flourish intotalitarian regimes?' | A Sense of Humor
Biologically, there is only one quality which distinguishes us from animals: the ability to laugh. In a universe which appears to be utterly devoid of humor, we enjoy this supreme luxury. Andit is a luxury, for unlike any other bodily process, laughter doesnot seem to serve a biologically useful purpose. In a divideworld, laughter is a unifying force. Human beings oppose eachother on a great many issues. Nations may disagree aboutsystems of government and human relations may be plaguedby ideological factions and political camps, but we all share the ability to laugh. And laughter, inturn, depends on that most complex and subtle of all human qualities: a sense of humor Certaincomic stereotypes have a universal appeal. This can best be seen from the world-wide popularity ofCharlie Chaplin's early films. The little man at odds with society never fails to amuse no matterwhich country we come from. As that great commentator on human affairs, Dr. Samuel Johnson,once remarked, ‘Men have been wise in very different modes; but they have always laughed in thesame way.'
A sense of humor may take various forms and laughter may be anything from a refined tingle toan earth quaking roar, but the effect is always the same. Humor helps us to maintain a correctsense of values. It is the one quality which political fanatics appear to lack. If we can see the funnyside, we never make the mistake of taking ourselves too seriously. We are always reminded thattragedy is not really far removed from comedy, so we never get a lop sided view of things.
This is one of the chief functions of satire and irony. Human pain and suffering are so grim; wehover so often on the brink of war; political realities are usually enough to plunge us into totaldespair. In such circumstances, cartoons and satirical accounts of somber political events redressthe balance. They take the wind out of pompous and arrogant politicians who have lost their senseof proportion. They enable us to see that many of our most profound actions are merely comic orabsurd. We laugh when a great satirist like Swift writes about war in Gulliver's Travels. TheLilliputians and their neighbors attack each other because they can't agree which end to break anegg. We laugh because we meant to laugh; but we are meant to weep too. It is too powerful aweapon to be allowed to flourish.
The sense of humor must be singled out as man's most important quality because it is associatedwith laughter. And laughter, in turn, is associated with happiness. Courage, determination, initiative- these are qualities we share with other forms of life. But the sense of humor is uniquely human. Ifhappiness is one of the great goals of life, then it is the sense of humor that provides the key. | 225.txt | 0 |
[
"A novelist.",
"A poet.",
"A dramatist.",
"A essayist."
] | Who is Swift? | A Sense of Humor
Biologically, there is only one quality which distinguishes us from animals: the ability to laugh. In a universe which appears to be utterly devoid of humor, we enjoy this supreme luxury. Andit is a luxury, for unlike any other bodily process, laughter doesnot seem to serve a biologically useful purpose. In a divideworld, laughter is a unifying force. Human beings oppose eachother on a great many issues. Nations may disagree aboutsystems of government and human relations may be plaguedby ideological factions and political camps, but we all share the ability to laugh. And laughter, inturn, depends on that most complex and subtle of all human qualities: a sense of humor Certaincomic stereotypes have a universal appeal. This can best be seen from the world-wide popularity ofCharlie Chaplin's early films. The little man at odds with society never fails to amuse no matterwhich country we come from. As that great commentator on human affairs, Dr. Samuel Johnson,once remarked, ‘Men have been wise in very different modes; but they have always laughed in thesame way.'
A sense of humor may take various forms and laughter may be anything from a refined tingle toan earth quaking roar, but the effect is always the same. Humor helps us to maintain a correctsense of values. It is the one quality which political fanatics appear to lack. If we can see the funnyside, we never make the mistake of taking ourselves too seriously. We are always reminded thattragedy is not really far removed from comedy, so we never get a lop sided view of things.
This is one of the chief functions of satire and irony. Human pain and suffering are so grim; wehover so often on the brink of war; political realities are usually enough to plunge us into totaldespair. In such circumstances, cartoons and satirical accounts of somber political events redressthe balance. They take the wind out of pompous and arrogant politicians who have lost their senseof proportion. They enable us to see that many of our most profound actions are merely comic orabsurd. We laugh when a great satirist like Swift writes about war in Gulliver's Travels. TheLilliputians and their neighbors attack each other because they can't agree which end to break anegg. We laugh because we meant to laugh; but we are meant to weep too. It is too powerful aweapon to be allowed to flourish.
The sense of humor must be singled out as man's most important quality because it is associatedwith laughter. And laughter, in turn, is associated with happiness. Courage, determination, initiative- these are qualities we share with other forms of life. But the sense of humor is uniquely human. Ifhappiness is one of the great goals of life, then it is the sense of humor that provides the key. | 225.txt | 0 |
[
"the value of failur",
"how people would fail",
"famous failures",
"the cause of failure"
] | This passage deals with two sides of failure. In paragraph 1, the author talks mainly about _ . | In one way of thinking, failure is a part of life. In another way, failure may be a way towards success. The ―spider story‖ is often told. Robert Bruce, leader of the Scots in the 13th century, was hiding in a cave from the English. He watched a spider spinning a web. The spider tried to reach across a rough place in the rock. He tried six times without success. On the seventh time he made it and went on to spin his web. Bruce is said to have taken heart and to have gone on to defeat the English? Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, made hundreds of models that failed before he found the right way to make one.
So what? First, always think about your failure. What caused it? Were conditions right? Were you in top from yourself? What can you change so things will go right next time?
Second, is the goalyou're trying to reach the right one? Try to do some thinking about what your real goals may be. Think about his question, "If I do succeed in this, where will it get me?"This may help you prevent failure in things you shouldn't be doing anyway.
The third thing to bear in mind about failure is that it's a part of life. Learn to ―live with yourself even though you may have failed. Remember, ―You can't win them all. | 2485.txt | 0 |
[
"productive",
"straight forward",
"sorrowful",
"deep"
] | The lesson the spider taught Robert Bruce seems _ . | In one way of thinking, failure is a part of life. In another way, failure may be a way towards success. The ―spider story‖ is often told. Robert Bruce, leader of the Scots in the 13th century, was hiding in a cave from the English. He watched a spider spinning a web. The spider tried to reach across a rough place in the rock. He tried six times without success. On the seventh time he made it and went on to spin his web. Bruce is said to have taken heart and to have gone on to defeat the English? Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, made hundreds of models that failed before he found the right way to make one.
So what? First, always think about your failure. What caused it? Were conditions right? Were you in top from yourself? What can you change so things will go right next time?
Second, is the goalyou're trying to reach the right one? Try to do some thinking about what your real goals may be. Think about his question, "If I do succeed in this, where will it get me?"This may help you prevent failure in things you shouldn't be doing anyway.
The third thing to bear in mind about failure is that it's a part of life. Learn to ―live with yourself even though you may have failed. Remember, ―You can't win them all. | 2485.txt | 3 |
[
"The think about the cause of your failure",
"to check out whether your goals are right for you",
"to consider failure as a part or life",
"to bear in mind that you will never fail in your life"
] | The author tells you to do all things except _ . | In one way of thinking, failure is a part of life. In another way, failure may be a way towards success. The ―spider story‖ is often told. Robert Bruce, leader of the Scots in the 13th century, was hiding in a cave from the English. He watched a spider spinning a web. The spider tried to reach across a rough place in the rock. He tried six times without success. On the seventh time he made it and went on to spin his web. Bruce is said to have taken heart and to have gone on to defeat the English? Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, made hundreds of models that failed before he found the right way to make one.
So what? First, always think about your failure. What caused it? Were conditions right? Were you in top from yourself? What can you change so things will go right next time?
Second, is the goalyou're trying to reach the right one? Try to do some thinking about what your real goals may be. Think about his question, "If I do succeed in this, where will it get me?"This may help you prevent failure in things you shouldn't be doing anyway.
The third thing to bear in mind about failure is that it's a part of life. Learn to ―live with yourself even though you may have failed. Remember, ―You can't win them all. | 2485.txt | 3 |
[
"Bruce and Edison were successful examples.",
"Failure may be regarded as a way toward success.",
"Edison learned a lot from the lesson the spider taught Robert Bruce.",
"One may often raise a question whether his goals are worth attempting."
] | Which of the following is NOT true? | In one way of thinking, failure is a part of life. In another way, failure may be a way towards success. The ―spider story‖ is often told. Robert Bruce, leader of the Scots in the 13th century, was hiding in a cave from the English. He watched a spider spinning a web. The spider tried to reach across a rough place in the rock. He tried six times without success. On the seventh time he made it and went on to spin his web. Bruce is said to have taken heart and to have gone on to defeat the English? Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, made hundreds of models that failed before he found the right way to make one.
So what? First, always think about your failure. What caused it? Were conditions right? Were you in top from yourself? What can you change so things will go right next time?
Second, is the goalyou're trying to reach the right one? Try to do some thinking about what your real goals may be. Think about his question, "If I do succeed in this, where will it get me?"This may help you prevent failure in things you shouldn't be doing anyway.
The third thing to bear in mind about failure is that it's a part of life. Learn to ―live with yourself even though you may have failed. Remember, ―You can't win them all. | 2485.txt | 2 |
[
"The skin of young animals.",
"A kind of paper made from the skin of certain young animals.",
"The paper used by European countries.",
"The paper of Egypt."
] | What's the meaning for the word " parchment" ? | Paper is one of the most important products ever invented by man. Wide spread use of written language would not have been possible without some cheap and practical material to write on. The invention of paper meant that more people could be educated because more books could be printed and distributed. Together with the printing press, paper provided an extremely important way to communicate knowledge.
How much paper do you use every year? Probably you cannot answer that question quickly. In 1990 the world's use of paper was about one kilogram for each person a year. Now some countries use as much as 50 kilograms of paper for each person a year. Countries like the United States, England and Sweden use more paper than other countries.
Paper, like many other things that we use today, was first made in China. In Egypt and the West, paper was not very commonly used before the year 1400. The Egyptians wrote on a kind of material made of a water plant. Europeans used parchment for many hundreds of year. Parchment was very strong; it was made from the skin of certain young animals. We have learnt of the most important facts of European history from records that were kept on parchment. | 713.txt | 0 |
[
"More jobs could be provided than before.",
"More people could be educated than before.",
"More books could be printed and distributed.",
"More ways could be used to exchange knowledge."
] | Which of the following is not mentioned about the invention of paper? | Paper is one of the most important products ever invented by man. Wide spread use of written language would not have been possible without some cheap and practical material to write on. The invention of paper meant that more people could be educated because more books could be printed and distributed. Together with the printing press, paper provided an extremely important way to communicate knowledge.
How much paper do you use every year? Probably you cannot answer that question quickly. In 1990 the world's use of paper was about one kilogram for each person a year. Now some countries use as much as 50 kilograms of paper for each person a year. Countries like the United States, England and Sweden use more paper than other countries.
Paper, like many other things that we use today, was first made in China. In Egypt and the West, paper was not very commonly used before the year 1400. The Egyptians wrote on a kind of material made of a water plant. Europeans used parchment for many hundreds of year. Parchment was very strong; it was made from the skin of certain young animals. We have learnt of the most important facts of European history from records that were kept on parchment. | 713.txt | 0 |
[
"Around 1400.",
"Around 1900.",
"Around 400.",
"Around 900."
] | When did the Egyptians begin to use paper widely? | Paper is one of the most important products ever invented by man. Wide spread use of written language would not have been possible without some cheap and practical material to write on. The invention of paper meant that more people could be educated because more books could be printed and distributed. Together with the printing press, paper provided an extremely important way to communicate knowledge.
How much paper do you use every year? Probably you cannot answer that question quickly. In 1990 the world's use of paper was about one kilogram for each person a year. Now some countries use as much as 50 kilograms of paper for each person a year. Countries like the United States, England and Sweden use more paper than other countries.
Paper, like many other things that we use today, was first made in China. In Egypt and the West, paper was not very commonly used before the year 1400. The Egyptians wrote on a kind of material made of a water plant. Europeans used parchment for many hundreds of year. Parchment was very strong; it was made from the skin of certain young animals. We have learnt of the most important facts of European history from records that were kept on parchment. | 713.txt | 0 |
[
"China",
"Sweden",
"Egypt",
"Japan"
] | Which of the following countries uses more paper for each person a year? | Paper is one of the most important products ever invented by man. Wide spread use of written language would not have been possible without some cheap and practical material to write on. The invention of paper meant that more people could be educated because more books could be printed and distributed. Together with the printing press, paper provided an extremely important way to communicate knowledge.
How much paper do you use every year? Probably you cannot answer that question quickly. In 1990 the world's use of paper was about one kilogram for each person a year. Now some countries use as much as 50 kilograms of paper for each person a year. Countries like the United States, England and Sweden use more paper than other countries.
Paper, like many other things that we use today, was first made in China. In Egypt and the West, paper was not very commonly used before the year 1400. The Egyptians wrote on a kind of material made of a water plant. Europeans used parchment for many hundreds of year. Parchment was very strong; it was made from the skin of certain young animals. We have learnt of the most important facts of European history from records that were kept on parchment. | 713.txt | 1 |
[
"More and more paper is being consumed nowadays.",
"Paper enables people to receive education more easily.",
"The invention of paper is of great significance to man.",
"Paper contributes a lot to the keeping of historical records."
] | What is the main idea of this short talk? | Paper is one of the most important products ever invented by man. Wide spread use of written language would not have been possible without some cheap and practical material to write on. The invention of paper meant that more people could be educated because more books could be printed and distributed. Together with the printing press, paper provided an extremely important way to communicate knowledge.
How much paper do you use every year? Probably you cannot answer that question quickly. In 1990 the world's use of paper was about one kilogram for each person a year. Now some countries use as much as 50 kilograms of paper for each person a year. Countries like the United States, England and Sweden use more paper than other countries.
Paper, like many other things that we use today, was first made in China. In Egypt and the West, paper was not very commonly used before the year 1400. The Egyptians wrote on a kind of material made of a water plant. Europeans used parchment for many hundreds of year. Parchment was very strong; it was made from the skin of certain young animals. We have learnt of the most important facts of European history from records that were kept on parchment. | 713.txt | 2 |
[
"by both the local and state governments",
"exclusively by the local government",
"mainly by the state government",
"by the National Education Association"
] | We learn from the passage that schools in Kalkaska, Michigan, are funded ________. | When school officials in Kalkaska, Michigan, closed classes last week, the media flocked to the story, portraying the town's 2,305 students as victims of stingy taxpayers. There is some truth to that; the property-tax rate here is one-third lower than the state average. But shutting their schools also allowed Kalkask's educators and the state's largest teachers' union, the Michigan Education Association, to make a political point. Their aim was to spur passage of legislation Michigan lawmakers are debating to increase the state's share of school funding.
It was no coincidence that Kalkaska shut its schools two weeks after residents rejected a 28 percent property-tax increase. The school board argued that without the increase it lacked the $1.5 million needed to keep schools open.
But the school system had not done all it could to keep the schools open. Officials declined to borrow against next year's state aid, they refused to trim extra curricular activities and they did not consider seeking a smaller-perhaps more acceptable-tax increase. In fact, closing early is costing Kalkaska a significant amount, including $600,000 in unemployment payments to teachers and staff and $250,000 in lost state aid. In February, the school system promised teachers and staff two months of retirement payments in case schools closed early, a deal that will cost the district $275,000 more.
Other signs suggest school authorities were at least as eager to make a political statement as to keep schools open. The Michigan Education Association hired a public relations firm to stage a rally marking the school closing, which attracted 14 local and national television stations and networks. The president of the National Education Association, the MEA's parent organization, flew from Washington, D. C., for the event. And the union tutored school officials in the art of television interviews. School supervisor Doyle Disbrow acknowledges the district could have kept schools open by cutting programs but denies the moves were politically motivated.
Michigan lawmakers have reacted angrily to the closings. The state Senate has al ready voted to put the system into receivership and reopen schools immediately; the Michigan House plans to consider the bill this week. | 4075.txt | 0 |
[
"to avoid paying retirement benefits to teachers and staff",
"to draw the attention of local taxpayers to political issues",
"to make the financial difficulties of their teachers and staff known to the public",
"to pressure Michigan lawmakers into increasing state funds for local schools"
] | One of the purposes for which school officials closed classes was ________. | When school officials in Kalkaska, Michigan, closed classes last week, the media flocked to the story, portraying the town's 2,305 students as victims of stingy taxpayers. There is some truth to that; the property-tax rate here is one-third lower than the state average. But shutting their schools also allowed Kalkask's educators and the state's largest teachers' union, the Michigan Education Association, to make a political point. Their aim was to spur passage of legislation Michigan lawmakers are debating to increase the state's share of school funding.
It was no coincidence that Kalkaska shut its schools two weeks after residents rejected a 28 percent property-tax increase. The school board argued that without the increase it lacked the $1.5 million needed to keep schools open.
But the school system had not done all it could to keep the schools open. Officials declined to borrow against next year's state aid, they refused to trim extra curricular activities and they did not consider seeking a smaller-perhaps more acceptable-tax increase. In fact, closing early is costing Kalkaska a significant amount, including $600,000 in unemployment payments to teachers and staff and $250,000 in lost state aid. In February, the school system promised teachers and staff two months of retirement payments in case schools closed early, a deal that will cost the district $275,000 more.
Other signs suggest school authorities were at least as eager to make a political statement as to keep schools open. The Michigan Education Association hired a public relations firm to stage a rally marking the school closing, which attracted 14 local and national television stations and networks. The president of the National Education Association, the MEA's parent organization, flew from Washington, D. C., for the event. And the union tutored school officials in the art of television interviews. School supervisor Doyle Disbrow acknowledges the district could have kept schools open by cutting programs but denies the moves were politically motivated.
Michigan lawmakers have reacted angrily to the closings. The state Senate has al ready voted to put the system into receivership and reopen schools immediately; the Michigan House plans to consider the bill this week. | 4075.txt | 3 |
[
"the Michigan lawmakers' endless debating",
"the shutting of schools in Kalkaska",
"the involvement of the mass media",
"delaying the passage of the school funding legislation"
] | The author seems to disapprove of ________. | When school officials in Kalkaska, Michigan, closed classes last week, the media flocked to the story, portraying the town's 2,305 students as victims of stingy taxpayers. There is some truth to that; the property-tax rate here is one-third lower than the state average. But shutting their schools also allowed Kalkask's educators and the state's largest teachers' union, the Michigan Education Association, to make a political point. Their aim was to spur passage of legislation Michigan lawmakers are debating to increase the state's share of school funding.
It was no coincidence that Kalkaska shut its schools two weeks after residents rejected a 28 percent property-tax increase. The school board argued that without the increase it lacked the $1.5 million needed to keep schools open.
But the school system had not done all it could to keep the schools open. Officials declined to borrow against next year's state aid, they refused to trim extra curricular activities and they did not consider seeking a smaller-perhaps more acceptable-tax increase. In fact, closing early is costing Kalkaska a significant amount, including $600,000 in unemployment payments to teachers and staff and $250,000 in lost state aid. In February, the school system promised teachers and staff two months of retirement payments in case schools closed early, a deal that will cost the district $275,000 more.
Other signs suggest school authorities were at least as eager to make a political statement as to keep schools open. The Michigan Education Association hired a public relations firm to stage a rally marking the school closing, which attracted 14 local and national television stations and networks. The president of the National Education Association, the MEA's parent organization, flew from Washington, D. C., for the event. And the union tutored school officials in the art of television interviews. School supervisor Doyle Disbrow acknowledges the district could have kept schools open by cutting programs but denies the moves were politically motivated.
Michigan lawmakers have reacted angrily to the closings. The state Senate has al ready voted to put the system into receivership and reopen schools immediately; the Michigan House plans to consider the bill this week. | 4075.txt | 1 |
[
"a raise in the property-tax rate in Michigan",
"reopening the schools there immediately",
"the attitude of the MEA's parent organization",
"making a political issue of the closing of the schools"
] | We learn from the passage that school authorities in Kalkaska are concerned about ________. | When school officials in Kalkaska, Michigan, closed classes last week, the media flocked to the story, portraying the town's 2,305 students as victims of stingy taxpayers. There is some truth to that; the property-tax rate here is one-third lower than the state average. But shutting their schools also allowed Kalkask's educators and the state's largest teachers' union, the Michigan Education Association, to make a political point. Their aim was to spur passage of legislation Michigan lawmakers are debating to increase the state's share of school funding.
It was no coincidence that Kalkaska shut its schools two weeks after residents rejected a 28 percent property-tax increase. The school board argued that without the increase it lacked the $1.5 million needed to keep schools open.
But the school system had not done all it could to keep the schools open. Officials declined to borrow against next year's state aid, they refused to trim extra curricular activities and they did not consider seeking a smaller-perhaps more acceptable-tax increase. In fact, closing early is costing Kalkaska a significant amount, including $600,000 in unemployment payments to teachers and staff and $250,000 in lost state aid. In February, the school system promised teachers and staff two months of retirement payments in case schools closed early, a deal that will cost the district $275,000 more.
Other signs suggest school authorities were at least as eager to make a political statement as to keep schools open. The Michigan Education Association hired a public relations firm to stage a rally marking the school closing, which attracted 14 local and national television stations and networks. The president of the National Education Association, the MEA's parent organization, flew from Washington, D. C., for the event. And the union tutored school officials in the art of television interviews. School supervisor Doyle Disbrow acknowledges the district could have kept schools open by cutting programs but denies the moves were politically motivated.
Michigan lawmakers have reacted angrily to the closings. The state Senate has al ready voted to put the system into receivership and reopen schools immediately; the Michigan House plans to consider the bill this week. | 4075.txt | 3 |
[
"the complexity of the problem",
"the political motives on the part of the educators",
"the weak response of the state officials",
"the strong protest on the part of the students' parents"
] | According to the passage, the closing of the schools developed into a crisis because of ________. | When school officials in Kalkaska, Michigan, closed classes last week, the media flocked to the story, portraying the town's 2,305 students as victims of stingy taxpayers. There is some truth to that; the property-tax rate here is one-third lower than the state average. But shutting their schools also allowed Kalkask's educators and the state's largest teachers' union, the Michigan Education Association, to make a political point. Their aim was to spur passage of legislation Michigan lawmakers are debating to increase the state's share of school funding.
It was no coincidence that Kalkaska shut its schools two weeks after residents rejected a 28 percent property-tax increase. The school board argued that without the increase it lacked the $1.5 million needed to keep schools open.
But the school system had not done all it could to keep the schools open. Officials declined to borrow against next year's state aid, they refused to trim extra curricular activities and they did not consider seeking a smaller-perhaps more acceptable-tax increase. In fact, closing early is costing Kalkaska a significant amount, including $600,000 in unemployment payments to teachers and staff and $250,000 in lost state aid. In February, the school system promised teachers and staff two months of retirement payments in case schools closed early, a deal that will cost the district $275,000 more.
Other signs suggest school authorities were at least as eager to make a political statement as to keep schools open. The Michigan Education Association hired a public relations firm to stage a rally marking the school closing, which attracted 14 local and national television stations and networks. The president of the National Education Association, the MEA's parent organization, flew from Washington, D. C., for the event. And the union tutored school officials in the art of television interviews. School supervisor Doyle Disbrow acknowledges the district could have kept schools open by cutting programs but denies the moves were politically motivated.
Michigan lawmakers have reacted angrily to the closings. The state Senate has al ready voted to put the system into receivership and reopen schools immediately; the Michigan House plans to consider the bill this week. | 4075.txt | 1 |
[
"positive information should be focused",
"all options should be carefully diagnosed",
"negative information should be considered",
"maladaptive information should be avoided"
] | The author holds that when making decisions, _ | We maintain that in general a focus on positive information benefits welbbeing.However，there are probably conditions when a chronic tendency to focus on positive material is maladaptive.One such context，we presumed，is decisionmaking，especially when options include both positive and negative features.①When making decisions，negative features of options often have higher diagnostic value.If a person who is deciding whether to renew a health care plan remembers that she likes her physician but forgets that the plan does not pay for the hip surgery she needs，a suboptimal decision could be made.② Corinna and I designed another study with two primary aims：to see whether in a decision context older people would review positive features of options more than negative features；and if this was the case，to see if we could eliminate the effect by modifying goals with instructions.③Using computer-based decision scenarios，60 0lder and 60 younger adults were presented with positive，negative，and neutral information about ostensible health care options.Some scenarios presented characteristics of physicians. Others presented features of health care plans.The information was hidden behind colored squares，and participants had to click on the square to see the information.They were told that positive information was behind white squares and negative information was behind black squares.We then observed how often participants examined the positive information versus the negative information.Later we tested their memory for the information.As we predicted，older adults reviewed and recalled a greater proportion of positive information than did younger adults.Most important，participants in one group were repeatedly reminded t0"focus on the facts"and in this group the preference for positive information disappeared.
Human need is the basis for virtually all of science.If we rise to the challenge of an aging population by systematically applying science and technology to questions that improve quality of life in adulthood and old age，longer-lived populations will inspire breakthroughs in the social，physical，and biological sciences that will improve the quality of life at all ages.④Longevity science will reveal ways to improve learning from birth to advanced ages and to deter age-related slowing in cognitive processin9.Longevity science will draw enormously on insights about individuals'genomic predispositions and the environmental conditions that trigger the onset of disease.⑤Longevity science will help us understand how stress slowly but surely affects health.Most of the challenges of longer-lived populations will require interdisciplinary collaborations.Psychological science must be a part of this process. [414 words] | 1202.txt | 2 |
[
"a suboptimal decision originates from negative information",
"an optimal decision primarily results from positive information",
"negative information is less beneficial than positive information",
"both positive and negative information is needed for decision making"
] | It can be inferred from the text that_ | We maintain that in general a focus on positive information benefits welbbeing.However，there are probably conditions when a chronic tendency to focus on positive material is maladaptive.One such context，we presumed，is decisionmaking，especially when options include both positive and negative features.①When making decisions，negative features of options often have higher diagnostic value.If a person who is deciding whether to renew a health care plan remembers that she likes her physician but forgets that the plan does not pay for the hip surgery she needs，a suboptimal decision could be made.② Corinna and I designed another study with two primary aims：to see whether in a decision context older people would review positive features of options more than negative features；and if this was the case，to see if we could eliminate the effect by modifying goals with instructions.③Using computer-based decision scenarios，60 0lder and 60 younger adults were presented with positive，negative，and neutral information about ostensible health care options.Some scenarios presented characteristics of physicians. Others presented features of health care plans.The information was hidden behind colored squares，and participants had to click on the square to see the information.They were told that positive information was behind white squares and negative information was behind black squares.We then observed how often participants examined the positive information versus the negative information.Later we tested their memory for the information.As we predicted，older adults reviewed and recalled a greater proportion of positive information than did younger adults.Most important，participants in one group were repeatedly reminded t0"focus on the facts"and in this group the preference for positive information disappeared.
Human need is the basis for virtually all of science.If we rise to the challenge of an aging population by systematically applying science and technology to questions that improve quality of life in adulthood and old age，longer-lived populations will inspire breakthroughs in the social，physical，and biological sciences that will improve the quality of life at all ages.④Longevity science will reveal ways to improve learning from birth to advanced ages and to deter age-related slowing in cognitive processin9.Longevity science will draw enormously on insights about individuals'genomic predispositions and the environmental conditions that trigger the onset of disease.⑤Longevity science will help us understand how stress slowly but surely affects health.Most of the challenges of longer-lived populations will require interdisciplinary collaborations.Psychological science must be a part of this process. [414 words] | 1202.txt | 3 |
[
"older people focus more on positive information",
"there are more positive features than negative ones",
"younger people focus more on negative information",
"it is easier for positive information to be remembered"
] | The study made by the author and Corrinna shows that_ | We maintain that in general a focus on positive information benefits welbbeing.However，there are probably conditions when a chronic tendency to focus on positive material is maladaptive.One such context，we presumed，is decisionmaking，especially when options include both positive and negative features.①When making decisions，negative features of options often have higher diagnostic value.If a person who is deciding whether to renew a health care plan remembers that she likes her physician but forgets that the plan does not pay for the hip surgery she needs，a suboptimal decision could be made.② Corinna and I designed another study with two primary aims：to see whether in a decision context older people would review positive features of options more than negative features；and if this was the case，to see if we could eliminate the effect by modifying goals with instructions.③Using computer-based decision scenarios，60 0lder and 60 younger adults were presented with positive，negative，and neutral information about ostensible health care options.Some scenarios presented characteristics of physicians. Others presented features of health care plans.The information was hidden behind colored squares，and participants had to click on the square to see the information.They were told that positive information was behind white squares and negative information was behind black squares.We then observed how often participants examined the positive information versus the negative information.Later we tested their memory for the information.As we predicted，older adults reviewed and recalled a greater proportion of positive information than did younger adults.Most important，participants in one group were repeatedly reminded t0"focus on the facts"and in this group the preference for positive information disappeared.
Human need is the basis for virtually all of science.If we rise to the challenge of an aging population by systematically applying science and technology to questions that improve quality of life in adulthood and old age，longer-lived populations will inspire breakthroughs in the social，physical，and biological sciences that will improve the quality of life at all ages.④Longevity science will reveal ways to improve learning from birth to advanced ages and to deter age-related slowing in cognitive processin9.Longevity science will draw enormously on insights about individuals'genomic predispositions and the environmental conditions that trigger the onset of disease.⑤Longevity science will help us understand how stress slowly but surely affects health.Most of the challenges of longer-lived populations will require interdisciplinary collaborations.Psychological science must be a part of this process. [414 words] | 1202.txt | 0 |
[
"improves the quality of life for both old and young",
"contributes to the improvement of biological functions",
"meets the challenge of longer life in developed nations",
"inspires breakthroughs in various disciplines of sciences"
] | The author argues that longevity science_ | We maintain that in general a focus on positive information benefits welbbeing.However，there are probably conditions when a chronic tendency to focus on positive material is maladaptive.One such context，we presumed，is decisionmaking，especially when options include both positive and negative features.①When making decisions，negative features of options often have higher diagnostic value.If a person who is deciding whether to renew a health care plan remembers that she likes her physician but forgets that the plan does not pay for the hip surgery she needs，a suboptimal decision could be made.② Corinna and I designed another study with two primary aims：to see whether in a decision context older people would review positive features of options more than negative features；and if this was the case，to see if we could eliminate the effect by modifying goals with instructions.③Using computer-based decision scenarios，60 0lder and 60 younger adults were presented with positive，negative，and neutral information about ostensible health care options.Some scenarios presented characteristics of physicians. Others presented features of health care plans.The information was hidden behind colored squares，and participants had to click on the square to see the information.They were told that positive information was behind white squares and negative information was behind black squares.We then observed how often participants examined the positive information versus the negative information.Later we tested their memory for the information.As we predicted，older adults reviewed and recalled a greater proportion of positive information than did younger adults.Most important，participants in one group were repeatedly reminded t0"focus on the facts"and in this group the preference for positive information disappeared.
Human need is the basis for virtually all of science.If we rise to the challenge of an aging population by systematically applying science and technology to questions that improve quality of life in adulthood and old age，longer-lived populations will inspire breakthroughs in the social，physical，and biological sciences that will improve the quality of life at all ages.④Longevity science will reveal ways to improve learning from birth to advanced ages and to deter age-related slowing in cognitive processin9.Longevity science will draw enormously on insights about individuals'genomic predispositions and the environmental conditions that trigger the onset of disease.⑤Longevity science will help us understand how stress slowly but surely affects health.Most of the challenges of longer-lived populations will require interdisciplinary collaborations.Psychological science must be a part of this process. [414 words] | 1202.txt | 0 |
[
"the negative features of options",
"the dark side of the positive effect",
"the challenge of an aging population",
"the typical process of decision making"
] | According to the text，it is advisable to be aware of_ | We maintain that in general a focus on positive information benefits welbbeing.However，there are probably conditions when a chronic tendency to focus on positive material is maladaptive.One such context，we presumed，is decisionmaking，especially when options include both positive and negative features.①When making decisions，negative features of options often have higher diagnostic value.If a person who is deciding whether to renew a health care plan remembers that she likes her physician but forgets that the plan does not pay for the hip surgery she needs，a suboptimal decision could be made.② Corinna and I designed another study with two primary aims：to see whether in a decision context older people would review positive features of options more than negative features；and if this was the case，to see if we could eliminate the effect by modifying goals with instructions.③Using computer-based decision scenarios，60 0lder and 60 younger adults were presented with positive，negative，and neutral information about ostensible health care options.Some scenarios presented characteristics of physicians. Others presented features of health care plans.The information was hidden behind colored squares，and participants had to click on the square to see the information.They were told that positive information was behind white squares and negative information was behind black squares.We then observed how often participants examined the positive information versus the negative information.Later we tested their memory for the information.As we predicted，older adults reviewed and recalled a greater proportion of positive information than did younger adults.Most important，participants in one group were repeatedly reminded t0"focus on the facts"and in this group the preference for positive information disappeared.
Human need is the basis for virtually all of science.If we rise to the challenge of an aging population by systematically applying science and technology to questions that improve quality of life in adulthood and old age，longer-lived populations will inspire breakthroughs in the social，physical，and biological sciences that will improve the quality of life at all ages.④Longevity science will reveal ways to improve learning from birth to advanced ages and to deter age-related slowing in cognitive processin9.Longevity science will draw enormously on insights about individuals'genomic predispositions and the environmental conditions that trigger the onset of disease.⑤Longevity science will help us understand how stress slowly but surely affects health.Most of the challenges of longer-lived populations will require interdisciplinary collaborations.Psychological science must be a part of this process. [414 words] | 1202.txt | 1 |
[
"They lost balance in excitement.",
"they showed strong disbelief.",
"they expressed little interest.",
"they burst into cheers."
] | How did the architects react to Garner's design requirements? | A few years ago, Paul Gerner began to gather a group of architects in Las vegas to ask them what it would take to design a public school that used 50 percent less energy, cost much less to build and obviously improved student learning. "I think half of then fell off their chairs," Gerner says.
Gerner manages school facilities for Clark county, Nevada, a district roughly the size of Massachusetts. By 2018, 143, 000 additional students will enter the already crowded public-education system. Gerner needs 73 new schools to house them. Four architecture teams have nearly finished designing primary school prototypes ; They plan to construct their schools starting in 2009. The district will then assess how well the schools perform, and three winners will copy those designs in 50 to 70 new buildings.
Green schools are appearing all over , but in Clark County, which stands out for its vastness, such aggressive targets are difficult because design requirements like more natural light for students go against the realities of a desert climate. "One of the biggest challenges is getting the right site orientation, " Mark McGinty, a director at SH Architecture, says. His firm recently completed a high school in Las Vegas. "You have the same building, same set of windows, but if its orientation is incorrect and it faces the sun, it will be really expensive to cool."
Surprisingly, the man responsible for one of re most progressive green-design competitions has doubts about ideas of eco-friendly buildings. "I don't believe in the new green religion," Gerner says. "Gerner says."Some of the building technologies that you get are impractical. I'm interested in those that work. "But he wouldn't mind if some green features inspire students. He says he hopes to set up green energy systems that allow them to learn about the process of harvesting wind and solar power. "You never know what's going to start the interest of a child to study math and science,"he says. | 3529.txt | 1 |
[
"Assessment-Prototype-Design-Construction.",
"Assessment-Design-Prototype-Construction.",
"Design-Assessment-Prototype-Construction.",
"Design-Prototype-Assessment-Construction."
] | Which order of steps is followed in carrying out the project? | A few years ago, Paul Gerner began to gather a group of architects in Las vegas to ask them what it would take to design a public school that used 50 percent less energy, cost much less to build and obviously improved student learning. "I think half of then fell off their chairs," Gerner says.
Gerner manages school facilities for Clark county, Nevada, a district roughly the size of Massachusetts. By 2018, 143, 000 additional students will enter the already crowded public-education system. Gerner needs 73 new schools to house them. Four architecture teams have nearly finished designing primary school prototypes ; They plan to construct their schools starting in 2009. The district will then assess how well the schools perform, and three winners will copy those designs in 50 to 70 new buildings.
Green schools are appearing all over , but in Clark County, which stands out for its vastness, such aggressive targets are difficult because design requirements like more natural light for students go against the realities of a desert climate. "One of the biggest challenges is getting the right site orientation, " Mark McGinty, a director at SH Architecture, says. His firm recently completed a high school in Las Vegas. "You have the same building, same set of windows, but if its orientation is incorrect and it faces the sun, it will be really expensive to cool."
Surprisingly, the man responsible for one of re most progressive green-design competitions has doubts about ideas of eco-friendly buildings. "I don't believe in the new green religion," Gerner says. "Gerner says."Some of the building technologies that you get are impractical. I'm interested in those that work. "But he wouldn't mind if some green features inspire students. He says he hopes to set up green energy systems that allow them to learn about the process of harvesting wind and solar power. "You never know what's going to start the interest of a child to study math and science,"he says. | 3529.txt | 3 |
[
"The large size.",
"Limited facilities.",
"The desert climate.",
"Poor natural resources."
] | What makes it difficult to build green schools in Clark County? | A few years ago, Paul Gerner began to gather a group of architects in Las vegas to ask them what it would take to design a public school that used 50 percent less energy, cost much less to build and obviously improved student learning. "I think half of then fell off their chairs," Gerner says.
Gerner manages school facilities for Clark county, Nevada, a district roughly the size of Massachusetts. By 2018, 143, 000 additional students will enter the already crowded public-education system. Gerner needs 73 new schools to house them. Four architecture teams have nearly finished designing primary school prototypes ; They plan to construct their schools starting in 2009. The district will then assess how well the schools perform, and three winners will copy those designs in 50 to 70 new buildings.
Green schools are appearing all over , but in Clark County, which stands out for its vastness, such aggressive targets are difficult because design requirements like more natural light for students go against the realities of a desert climate. "One of the biggest challenges is getting the right site orientation, " Mark McGinty, a director at SH Architecture, says. His firm recently completed a high school in Las Vegas. "You have the same building, same set of windows, but if its orientation is incorrect and it faces the sun, it will be really expensive to cool."
Surprisingly, the man responsible for one of re most progressive green-design competitions has doubts about ideas of eco-friendly buildings. "I don't believe in the new green religion," Gerner says. "Gerner says."Some of the building technologies that you get are impractical. I'm interested in those that work. "But he wouldn't mind if some green features inspire students. He says he hopes to set up green energy systems that allow them to learn about the process of harvesting wind and solar power. "You never know what's going to start the interest of a child to study math and science,"he says. | 3529.txt | 2 |
[
"They are questionable.",
"They are out of date.",
"They are advanced.",
"They are practical."
] | What does Gerner think of the ideas of green schools? | A few years ago, Paul Gerner began to gather a group of architects in Las vegas to ask them what it would take to design a public school that used 50 percent less energy, cost much less to build and obviously improved student learning. "I think half of then fell off their chairs," Gerner says.
Gerner manages school facilities for Clark county, Nevada, a district roughly the size of Massachusetts. By 2018, 143, 000 additional students will enter the already crowded public-education system. Gerner needs 73 new schools to house them. Four architecture teams have nearly finished designing primary school prototypes ; They plan to construct their schools starting in 2009. The district will then assess how well the schools perform, and three winners will copy those designs in 50 to 70 new buildings.
Green schools are appearing all over , but in Clark County, which stands out for its vastness, such aggressive targets are difficult because design requirements like more natural light for students go against the realities of a desert climate. "One of the biggest challenges is getting the right site orientation, " Mark McGinty, a director at SH Architecture, says. His firm recently completed a high school in Las Vegas. "You have the same building, same set of windows, but if its orientation is incorrect and it faces the sun, it will be really expensive to cool."
Surprisingly, the man responsible for one of re most progressive green-design competitions has doubts about ideas of eco-friendly buildings. "I don't believe in the new green religion," Gerner says. "Gerner says."Some of the building technologies that you get are impractical. I'm interested in those that work. "But he wouldn't mind if some green features inspire students. He says he hopes to set up green energy systems that allow them to learn about the process of harvesting wind and solar power. "You never know what's going to start the interest of a child to study math and science,"he says. | 3529.txt | 0 |
[
"made Helen suffer a lot",
"satisfied their mother",
"Helen was not satisfied with",
"gave Helen much trouble"
] | The children always resisted going to bed, which. | Joe and Helen Mills had two small children. One was six and the other four. They always resisted going to bed, and Helen was always complaining about this and asking Joe for help. But as he did not come home until after they had gone, to bed during the week, he was unable to help except at weekends.
Joe considered himself a good singer, but really his voice was not at all musical. However, he decided that, if he sang to the children when they went to bed, it would help them to relax, and they would soon go to sleep.
He did this every Saturday and Sunday night until he heard his small son whispered to his younger sister, "If you pretend that you're asleep, he stops." | 1835.txt | 2 |
[
"because he returned from work too late",
"since his voice sounded like a singer's",
"except on Saturday and Sunday",
"for he did not come home until after the children had gone to bed weekends"
] | The husband couldn't help the wife to look after the children. | Joe and Helen Mills had two small children. One was six and the other four. They always resisted going to bed, and Helen was always complaining about this and asking Joe for help. But as he did not come home until after they had gone, to bed during the week, he was unable to help except at weekends.
Joe considered himself a good singer, but really his voice was not at all musical. However, he decided that, if he sang to the children when they went to bed, it would help them to relax, and they would soon go to sleep.
He did this every Saturday and Sunday night until he heard his small son whispered to his younger sister, "If you pretend that you're asleep, he stops." | 1835.txt | 2 |
[
"all the week including Saturday and Sunday",
"during the week including the weekends",
"every day but Saturday and Sunday",
"every week except on Sunday"
] | Joe worked. | Joe and Helen Mills had two small children. One was six and the other four. They always resisted going to bed, and Helen was always complaining about this and asking Joe for help. But as he did not come home until after they had gone, to bed during the week, he was unable to help except at weekends.
Joe considered himself a good singer, but really his voice was not at all musical. However, he decided that, if he sang to the children when they went to bed, it would help them to relax, and they would soon go to sleep.
He did this every Saturday and Sunday night until he heard his small son whispered to his younger sister, "If you pretend that you're asleep, he stops." | 1835.txt | 2 |
[
"Joe's song did help the children to relax.",
"With Joe's help, the children went to sleep.",
"The wife must be thankful to her husband for the great help.",
"The children were so tired of their father's voice that they pretended to be asleep."
] | Which of the following conclusions can we draw from the above story? | Joe and Helen Mills had two small children. One was six and the other four. They always resisted going to bed, and Helen was always complaining about this and asking Joe for help. But as he did not come home until after they had gone, to bed during the week, he was unable to help except at weekends.
Joe considered himself a good singer, but really his voice was not at all musical. However, he decided that, if he sang to the children when they went to bed, it would help them to relax, and they would soon go to sleep.
He did this every Saturday and Sunday night until he heard his small son whispered to his younger sister, "If you pretend that you're asleep, he stops." | 1835.txt | 3 |
[
"Joe and Helen",
"Helen's trouble",
"Joe's foolery",
"the bright idea of the two small children"
] | This joke tells about. | Joe and Helen Mills had two small children. One was six and the other four. They always resisted going to bed, and Helen was always complaining about this and asking Joe for help. But as he did not come home until after they had gone, to bed during the week, he was unable to help except at weekends.
Joe considered himself a good singer, but really his voice was not at all musical. However, he decided that, if he sang to the children when they went to bed, it would help them to relax, and they would soon go to sleep.
He did this every Saturday and Sunday night until he heard his small son whispered to his younger sister, "If you pretend that you're asleep, he stops." | 1835.txt | 2 |
[
"it has more or less lost faith in markets",
"even its supporters begin to feel concerned",
"some of its member countries plan to abandon euro",
"it intends to deny the possibility of devaluation"
] | The EU is faced with so many problems that _ . | Will the European Union make it? The question would have sounded strange not long ago. Now even the project's greatest cheerleaders talk of a continent facing a "Bermuda triangle" of debt, population decline and lower growth.
As well as those chronic problems, the EU face an acute crisis in its economic core, the 16 countries that use the single currency. Markets have lost faith that the euro zone's economies, weaker or stronger, will one day converge thanks to the discipline of sharing a single currency, which denies uncompetitive members the quick fix of devaluation.
Yet the debate about how to save Europe's single currency from disintegration is stuck. It is stuck because the euro zone's dominant powers, France and Germany, agree on the need for greater harmonization within the euro zone, but disagree about what to harmonies.
Germany thinks the euro must be saved by stricter rules on borrow spending and competitiveness, backed by quasi- automatic sanctions for governments that do not obey. These might include threats to freeze EU funds for poorer regions and EU mega-projects and even the suspension of a country's voting rights in EU ministerial councils. It insists that economic co-ordination should involve all 27 members of the EU club, among whom there is a small majority for free-market liberalism and economic rigour; in the inner core alone, Germany fears, a small majority favour French interference.
A "southern" camp headed by French wants something different: "European economic government" within an inner core of euro-zone members. Translated, that means politicians intervening in monetary policy and a system of redistribution from richer to poorer members, via cheaper borrowing for governments through common Eurobonds or complete fiscal transfers. Finally, figures close to the France government have murmured, euro-zone members should agree to some fiscal and social harmonization: e.g., curbing competition in corporate-tax rates or labour costs.
It is too soon to write off the EU. It remains the world's largest trading block. At its best, the European project is remarkably liberal: built around a single market of 27 rich and poor countries, its internal borders are far more open to goods, capital and labour than any comparable trading area. It is an ambitious attempt to blunt the sharpest edges of globalization, and make capitalism benign. | 3885.txt | 1 |
[
"are competing for the leading position",
"are busy handling their own crises",
"fail to reach an agreement on harmonization",
"disagree on the steps towards disintegration"
] | The debate over the EU's single currency is stuck because the dominant powers _ . | Will the European Union make it? The question would have sounded strange not long ago. Now even the project's greatest cheerleaders talk of a continent facing a "Bermuda triangle" of debt, population decline and lower growth.
As well as those chronic problems, the EU face an acute crisis in its economic core, the 16 countries that use the single currency. Markets have lost faith that the euro zone's economies, weaker or stronger, will one day converge thanks to the discipline of sharing a single currency, which denies uncompetitive members the quick fix of devaluation.
Yet the debate about how to save Europe's single currency from disintegration is stuck. It is stuck because the euro zone's dominant powers, France and Germany, agree on the need for greater harmonization within the euro zone, but disagree about what to harmonies.
Germany thinks the euro must be saved by stricter rules on borrow spending and competitiveness, backed by quasi- automatic sanctions for governments that do not obey. These might include threats to freeze EU funds for poorer regions and EU mega-projects and even the suspension of a country's voting rights in EU ministerial councils. It insists that economic co-ordination should involve all 27 members of the EU club, among whom there is a small majority for free-market liberalism and economic rigour; in the inner core alone, Germany fears, a small majority favour French interference.
A "southern" camp headed by French wants something different: "European economic government" within an inner core of euro-zone members. Translated, that means politicians intervening in monetary policy and a system of redistribution from richer to poorer members, via cheaper borrowing for governments through common Eurobonds or complete fiscal transfers. Finally, figures close to the France government have murmured, euro-zone members should agree to some fiscal and social harmonization: e.g., curbing competition in corporate-tax rates or labour costs.
It is too soon to write off the EU. It remains the world's largest trading block. At its best, the European project is remarkably liberal: built around a single market of 27 rich and poor countries, its internal borders are far more open to goods, capital and labour than any comparable trading area. It is an ambitious attempt to blunt the sharpest edges of globalization, and make capitalism benign. | 3885.txt | 2 |
[
"EU funds for poor regions be increased",
"stricter regulations be imposed",
"only core members be involved in economic co-ordination",
"voting rights of the EU members be guaranteed"
] | To solve the euro problem, Germany proposed that _ . | Will the European Union make it? The question would have sounded strange not long ago. Now even the project's greatest cheerleaders talk of a continent facing a "Bermuda triangle" of debt, population decline and lower growth.
As well as those chronic problems, the EU face an acute crisis in its economic core, the 16 countries that use the single currency. Markets have lost faith that the euro zone's economies, weaker or stronger, will one day converge thanks to the discipline of sharing a single currency, which denies uncompetitive members the quick fix of devaluation.
Yet the debate about how to save Europe's single currency from disintegration is stuck. It is stuck because the euro zone's dominant powers, France and Germany, agree on the need for greater harmonization within the euro zone, but disagree about what to harmonies.
Germany thinks the euro must be saved by stricter rules on borrow spending and competitiveness, backed by quasi- automatic sanctions for governments that do not obey. These might include threats to freeze EU funds for poorer regions and EU mega-projects and even the suspension of a country's voting rights in EU ministerial councils. It insists that economic co-ordination should involve all 27 members of the EU club, among whom there is a small majority for free-market liberalism and economic rigour; in the inner core alone, Germany fears, a small majority favour French interference.
A "southern" camp headed by French wants something different: "European economic government" within an inner core of euro-zone members. Translated, that means politicians intervening in monetary policy and a system of redistribution from richer to poorer members, via cheaper borrowing for governments through common Eurobonds or complete fiscal transfers. Finally, figures close to the France government have murmured, euro-zone members should agree to some fiscal and social harmonization: e.g., curbing competition in corporate-tax rates or labour costs.
It is too soon to write off the EU. It remains the world's largest trading block. At its best, the European project is remarkably liberal: built around a single market of 27 rich and poor countries, its internal borders are far more open to goods, capital and labour than any comparable trading area. It is an ambitious attempt to blunt the sharpest edges of globalization, and make capitalism benign. | 3885.txt | 1 |
[
"poor countries are more likely to get funds",
"strict monetary policy will be applied to poor countries",
"loans will be readily available to rich countries",
"rich countries will basically control Eurobonds"
] | The French proposal of handling the crisis implies that _ _ . | Will the European Union make it? The question would have sounded strange not long ago. Now even the project's greatest cheerleaders talk of a continent facing a "Bermuda triangle" of debt, population decline and lower growth.
As well as those chronic problems, the EU face an acute crisis in its economic core, the 16 countries that use the single currency. Markets have lost faith that the euro zone's economies, weaker or stronger, will one day converge thanks to the discipline of sharing a single currency, which denies uncompetitive members the quick fix of devaluation.
Yet the debate about how to save Europe's single currency from disintegration is stuck. It is stuck because the euro zone's dominant powers, France and Germany, agree on the need for greater harmonization within the euro zone, but disagree about what to harmonies.
Germany thinks the euro must be saved by stricter rules on borrow spending and competitiveness, backed by quasi- automatic sanctions for governments that do not obey. These might include threats to freeze EU funds for poorer regions and EU mega-projects and even the suspension of a country's voting rights in EU ministerial councils. It insists that economic co-ordination should involve all 27 members of the EU club, among whom there is a small majority for free-market liberalism and economic rigour; in the inner core alone, Germany fears, a small majority favour French interference.
A "southern" camp headed by French wants something different: "European economic government" within an inner core of euro-zone members. Translated, that means politicians intervening in monetary policy and a system of redistribution from richer to poorer members, via cheaper borrowing for governments through common Eurobonds or complete fiscal transfers. Finally, figures close to the France government have murmured, euro-zone members should agree to some fiscal and social harmonization: e.g., curbing competition in corporate-tax rates or labour costs.
It is too soon to write off the EU. It remains the world's largest trading block. At its best, the European project is remarkably liberal: built around a single market of 27 rich and poor countries, its internal borders are far more open to goods, capital and labour than any comparable trading area. It is an ambitious attempt to blunt the sharpest edges of globalization, and make capitalism benign. | 3885.txt | 0 |
[
"pessimistic",
"desperate",
"conceited",
"hopeful"
] | Regarding the future of the EU, the author seems to feel _ _ . | Will the European Union make it? The question would have sounded strange not long ago. Now even the project's greatest cheerleaders talk of a continent facing a "Bermuda triangle" of debt, population decline and lower growth.
As well as those chronic problems, the EU face an acute crisis in its economic core, the 16 countries that use the single currency. Markets have lost faith that the euro zone's economies, weaker or stronger, will one day converge thanks to the discipline of sharing a single currency, which denies uncompetitive members the quick fix of devaluation.
Yet the debate about how to save Europe's single currency from disintegration is stuck. It is stuck because the euro zone's dominant powers, France and Germany, agree on the need for greater harmonization within the euro zone, but disagree about what to harmonies.
Germany thinks the euro must be saved by stricter rules on borrow spending and competitiveness, backed by quasi- automatic sanctions for governments that do not obey. These might include threats to freeze EU funds for poorer regions and EU mega-projects and even the suspension of a country's voting rights in EU ministerial councils. It insists that economic co-ordination should involve all 27 members of the EU club, among whom there is a small majority for free-market liberalism and economic rigour; in the inner core alone, Germany fears, a small majority favour French interference.
A "southern" camp headed by French wants something different: "European economic government" within an inner core of euro-zone members. Translated, that means politicians intervening in monetary policy and a system of redistribution from richer to poorer members, via cheaper borrowing for governments through common Eurobonds or complete fiscal transfers. Finally, figures close to the France government have murmured, euro-zone members should agree to some fiscal and social harmonization: e.g., curbing competition in corporate-tax rates or labour costs.
It is too soon to write off the EU. It remains the world's largest trading block. At its best, the European project is remarkably liberal: built around a single market of 27 rich and poor countries, its internal borders are far more open to goods, capital and labour than any comparable trading area. It is an ambitious attempt to blunt the sharpest edges of globalization, and make capitalism benign. | 3885.txt | 3 |
[
"criticize scientists who believe that the deuterium-tritium fusion reaction can be made feasible as an energy source",
"admonish scientists who have failed to correctly calculate the amount of lithium",
"defend the continued short-term use of fossil fuels as a major energy source",
"caution against uncritical embrace of nuclear fusion power as a major energy source"
] | The primary purpose of the passage is to | It is a popular misconception that nuclear fusion power is free of radioactivity; in fact, the deuterium-tritium reaction that nuclear scientists are currently exploring with such zeal produces both alpha particles and neutrons, (The neutrons are used to produce tritium from a lithium blanket surrounding the reactor.) Another common misconception is that nuclear fusion power is a virtually unlimited source of energy because of the enormous quantity of deuterium in the sea. Actually, its limits are set by the amount of available lithium, which is about as plentiful as uranium in the Earth's crust. Research should certainly continue on controlled nuclear fusion,but no energy program should be premised on its existence until it has proven practical. For the immediate future, we must continue to use hydroelectric power, nuclear fission, and fossil fuels to meet our energy needs. The energy sources already in major use are in major use for good reason. | 2004.txt | 3 |
[
"The public has been deliberately misinformed about the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear fusion power.",
"The public is unaware of the principal advantage of nuclear fusion over nuclear fission as an energy source.",
"The public's awareness of the scientific facts concerning nuclear fusion power is somewhat distorted and incomplete",
"The public is not interested in increasing its awareness of the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear fusion power."
] | It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes which of the following about the current state of public awareness concerning nuclear fusion power? | It is a popular misconception that nuclear fusion power is free of radioactivity; in fact, the deuterium-tritium reaction that nuclear scientists are currently exploring with such zeal produces both alpha particles and neutrons, (The neutrons are used to produce tritium from a lithium blanket surrounding the reactor.) Another common misconception is that nuclear fusion power is a virtually unlimited source of energy because of the enormous quantity of deuterium in the sea. Actually, its limits are set by the amount of available lithium, which is about as plentiful as uranium in the Earth's crust. Research should certainly continue on controlled nuclear fusion,but no energy program should be premised on its existence until it has proven practical. For the immediate future, we must continue to use hydroelectric power, nuclear fission, and fossil fuels to meet our energy needs. The energy sources already in major use are in major use for good reason. | 2004.txt | 2 |
[
"What is likely to be the principal source of deuterium for nuclear fusion power",
"How much incidental radiation is produced in the deuterium-tritium fusion reaction",
"Why are scientists exploring the deuterium-tritium fusion reaction with such zeal",
"Why must the tritium for nuclear fusion be synthesized from lithium"
] | The passage provides information that would answer which of the following questions? | It is a popular misconception that nuclear fusion power is free of radioactivity; in fact, the deuterium-tritium reaction that nuclear scientists are currently exploring with such zeal produces both alpha particles and neutrons, (The neutrons are used to produce tritium from a lithium blanket surrounding the reactor.) Another common misconception is that nuclear fusion power is a virtually unlimited source of energy because of the enormous quantity of deuterium in the sea. Actually, its limits are set by the amount of available lithium, which is about as plentiful as uranium in the Earth's crust. Research should certainly continue on controlled nuclear fusion,but no energy program should be premised on its existence until it has proven practical. For the immediate future, we must continue to use hydroelectric power, nuclear fission, and fossil fuels to meet our energy needs. The energy sources already in major use are in major use for good reason. | 2004.txt | 0 |
[
"Nuclear scientists are not themselves aware of all of the facts surrounding the deuterium-tritium fusion reaction.",
"Nuclear scientists exploring the decuterium-tritium reaction have overlooked key facts in their eagerness to prove nuclear fusion practical.",
"Nuclear scientists may have overestimated the amount of lithium actually available in the Earth's crust.",
"Nuclear scientists have not been entirely dispassionate in their investigation of the deuterium-tritium reaction."
] | Which of the following statements concerning nuclear scientists is most directly suggested in the passage? | It is a popular misconception that nuclear fusion power is free of radioactivity; in fact, the deuterium-tritium reaction that nuclear scientists are currently exploring with such zeal produces both alpha particles and neutrons, (The neutrons are used to produce tritium from a lithium blanket surrounding the reactor.) Another common misconception is that nuclear fusion power is a virtually unlimited source of energy because of the enormous quantity of deuterium in the sea. Actually, its limits are set by the amount of available lithium, which is about as plentiful as uranium in the Earth's crust. Research should certainly continue on controlled nuclear fusion,but no energy program should be premised on its existence until it has proven practical. For the immediate future, we must continue to use hydroelectric power, nuclear fission, and fossil fuels to meet our energy needs. The energy sources already in major use are in major use for good reason. | 2004.txt | 3 |
[
"it is dangerous to hunt there",
"hunting is already out of date",
"hunters want to protect animals",
"there are few animals left to hunt"
] | Theere is no more hunting in India now partly because _ . | Hunting
The days of the hunter are almost over in India.This is partly because there is practically nothing left to kill,and partly because some steps have been taken,mainly by banning tiger-shooting,to protect those animals which still survive.
Some people say that Man is naturally a hunter.I disagree with this view.Surely out earliest fordfathers,who at forst possessed no weapons,spent their time digging for roots,and were no doubt themselves often hunted by meat-eating animals.
I believe the main reason why the modern hunter kills is that he thinkds people will adminre his courage in overpowering dangerous animals.Of course,there are some who truly believe that the killing is not really the important thing,and that the chief pleasure lies in the joy of the hunt and the beauties of the wild countrysidel.There are also those for whom hunting in fact offers a chance to prove themselves and risk death by design;these men go out after dangerous animals like tigers,even if they say they only do it to rid the countryside of a threat.I can respect reasons like these,but they are clearly different from the need to strengthen your high opinion of yourself.
The greatest big-game hunters expressed in their writings something of these finer motives.One of them wrote.
"You must properly respect what you are after and shoot it cleanly and on the animal's own territory。You must fix forever in your mind all the wonders of that particular day.This is better than letting him grow a few years older to be attacked and wounded by his own son and eventually eaten,half alive,by other animals,Hunting is not a cruel and senseless killing - not if you respect the thing you kill,not if you kill to enrich your memories,not if you kill to feed your people."
I can understand such beliefs,and can compare these hunters with those who hunted lions with spears and bravely caught them by the tail.But this is very different from many tiger-shoots I have seen,in which modern weapons were used.The so-called hunters fired from tall trees or from the backs of trained elephants.Such methods made tigers seem no more dangerous than rabbits. | 3390.txt | 3 |
[
"to make the countryside safe",
"to earn people's admiration",
"to gain power and influence",
"to improve their health"
] | The author thinks modern hunters kill mainly _ . | Hunting
The days of the hunter are almost over in India.This is partly because there is practically nothing left to kill,and partly because some steps have been taken,mainly by banning tiger-shooting,to protect those animals which still survive.
Some people say that Man is naturally a hunter.I disagree with this view.Surely out earliest fordfathers,who at forst possessed no weapons,spent their time digging for roots,and were no doubt themselves often hunted by meat-eating animals.
I believe the main reason why the modern hunter kills is that he thinkds people will adminre his courage in overpowering dangerous animals.Of course,there are some who truly believe that the killing is not really the important thing,and that the chief pleasure lies in the joy of the hunt and the beauties of the wild countrysidel.There are also those for whom hunting in fact offers a chance to prove themselves and risk death by design;these men go out after dangerous animals like tigers,even if they say they only do it to rid the countryside of a threat.I can respect reasons like these,but they are clearly different from the need to strengthen your high opinion of yourself.
The greatest big-game hunters expressed in their writings something of these finer motives.One of them wrote.
"You must properly respect what you are after and shoot it cleanly and on the animal's own territory。You must fix forever in your mind all the wonders of that particular day.This is better than letting him grow a few years older to be attacked and wounded by his own son and eventually eaten,half alive,by other animals,Hunting is not a cruel and senseless killing - not if you respect the thing you kill,not if you kill to enrich your memories,not if you kill to feed your people."
I can understand such beliefs,and can compare these hunters with those who hunted lions with spears and bravely caught them by the tail.But this is very different from many tiger-shoots I have seen,in which modern weapons were used.The so-called hunters fired from tall trees or from the backs of trained elephants.Such methods made tigers seem no more dangerous than rabbits. | 3390.txt | 1 |
[
"They hunt old animals",
"They mistreat animals",
"They hunt for food",
"They hunt for money"
] | What do we learn about the big-game hunters? | Hunting
The days of the hunter are almost over in India.This is partly because there is practically nothing left to kill,and partly because some steps have been taken,mainly by banning tiger-shooting,to protect those animals which still survive.
Some people say that Man is naturally a hunter.I disagree with this view.Surely out earliest fordfathers,who at forst possessed no weapons,spent their time digging for roots,and were no doubt themselves often hunted by meat-eating animals.
I believe the main reason why the modern hunter kills is that he thinkds people will adminre his courage in overpowering dangerous animals.Of course,there are some who truly believe that the killing is not really the important thing,and that the chief pleasure lies in the joy of the hunt and the beauties of the wild countrysidel.There are also those for whom hunting in fact offers a chance to prove themselves and risk death by design;these men go out after dangerous animals like tigers,even if they say they only do it to rid the countryside of a threat.I can respect reasons like these,but they are clearly different from the need to strengthen your high opinion of yourself.
The greatest big-game hunters expressed in their writings something of these finer motives.One of them wrote.
"You must properly respect what you are after and shoot it cleanly and on the animal's own territory。You must fix forever in your mind all the wonders of that particular day.This is better than letting him grow a few years older to be attacked and wounded by his own son and eventually eaten,half alive,by other animals,Hunting is not a cruel and senseless killing - not if you respect the thing you kill,not if you kill to enrich your memories,not if you kill to feed your people."
I can understand such beliefs,and can compare these hunters with those who hunted lions with spears and bravely caught them by the tail.But this is very different from many tiger-shoots I have seen,in which modern weapons were used.The so-called hunters fired from tall trees or from the backs of trained elephants.Such methods made tigers seem no more dangerous than rabbits. | 3390.txt | 2 |
[
"Modern hunters lack the courage to hunt face-to-face",
"Modern hunters should use more advanced weapons",
"Modern hunters like to hunt rabbits instead of tigers",
"Modern hunters should put their safety first"
] | What is the author's view on the tiger-shoots he has seen? | Hunting
The days of the hunter are almost over in India.This is partly because there is practically nothing left to kill,and partly because some steps have been taken,mainly by banning tiger-shooting,to protect those animals which still survive.
Some people say that Man is naturally a hunter.I disagree with this view.Surely out earliest fordfathers,who at forst possessed no weapons,spent their time digging for roots,and were no doubt themselves often hunted by meat-eating animals.
I believe the main reason why the modern hunter kills is that he thinkds people will adminre his courage in overpowering dangerous animals.Of course,there are some who truly believe that the killing is not really the important thing,and that the chief pleasure lies in the joy of the hunt and the beauties of the wild countrysidel.There are also those for whom hunting in fact offers a chance to prove themselves and risk death by design;these men go out after dangerous animals like tigers,even if they say they only do it to rid the countryside of a threat.I can respect reasons like these,but they are clearly different from the need to strengthen your high opinion of yourself.
The greatest big-game hunters expressed in their writings something of these finer motives.One of them wrote.
"You must properly respect what you are after and shoot it cleanly and on the animal's own territory。You must fix forever in your mind all the wonders of that particular day.This is better than letting him grow a few years older to be attacked and wounded by his own son and eventually eaten,half alive,by other animals,Hunting is not a cruel and senseless killing - not if you respect the thing you kill,not if you kill to enrich your memories,not if you kill to feed your people."
I can understand such beliefs,and can compare these hunters with those who hunted lions with spears and bravely caught them by the tail.But this is very different from many tiger-shoots I have seen,in which modern weapons were used.The so-called hunters fired from tall trees or from the backs of trained elephants.Such methods made tigers seem no more dangerous than rabbits. | 3390.txt | 0 |
[
"differences between simple and complex fungi",
"functions of chlorophyll in plants",
"functions of sugar in the walls of fungal cells",
"differences between fungi and plants"
] | What does paragraph 1 mainly discuss? | Fungi, of which there are over 100,000 species, including yeasts and other single-celled organisms as well as the common molds and mushrooms, were formerly classified as members of the plant kingdom. However, in reality they are very different from plants and today they are placed in a separate group altogether. The principal reason for this is that none of them possesses chlorophyll, and since they cannot synthesize their own carbohydrates, they obtain their supplies either from the breakdown of dead organic matter or from other living organisms. Furthermore the walls of fungal cells are not made of cellulose, as those of plants are, but of another complex sugarlike polymer called chitin, the material from which the hard outer skeletons of shrimps, spiders, and insects are made. The difference between the chemical composition of the cell walls of fungi and those of plants is of enormous importance because it enables the tips of the growing hyphae, the threadlike cells of the fungus, to secrete enzymes that break down the walls of plant cells without having any effect on those of the fungus itself. It is these cellulose-destroying enzymes that enable fungi to attack anything made from wood, wood pulp, cotton, flax, or other plant material.
The destructive power of fungi is impressive. They are a major cause of structural damage to building timbers, a cause of disease in animals and humans, and one of the greatest causes of agricultural losses. Entire crops can be wiped out by fungal attacks both before and after harvesting. Some fungi can grow at +50°C, while others can grow at -5°C, so even food in cold storage may not be completely safe from them. On the other hand, fungi bring about the decomposition of dead organic matter, thus enriching the soil and returning carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. They also enter into a number of mutually beneficial relationships with plants and other organisms. In addition, fungi are the source of many of the most potent antibiotics used in clinical medicine, including penicillin. | 2083.txt | 3 |
[
"Fungi are no longer classified as plants",
"Some single-cell organisms are no longer classified as fungi.",
"New methods of species identification have been introduced",
"Theories about the chemical composition of fungi have been revised."
] | Which of the following is mentioned as a major change in how scientists approach the study of fungi? | Fungi, of which there are over 100,000 species, including yeasts and other single-celled organisms as well as the common molds and mushrooms, were formerly classified as members of the plant kingdom. However, in reality they are very different from plants and today they are placed in a separate group altogether. The principal reason for this is that none of them possesses chlorophyll, and since they cannot synthesize their own carbohydrates, they obtain their supplies either from the breakdown of dead organic matter or from other living organisms. Furthermore the walls of fungal cells are not made of cellulose, as those of plants are, but of another complex sugarlike polymer called chitin, the material from which the hard outer skeletons of shrimps, spiders, and insects are made. The difference between the chemical composition of the cell walls of fungi and those of plants is of enormous importance because it enables the tips of the growing hyphae, the threadlike cells of the fungus, to secrete enzymes that break down the walls of plant cells without having any effect on those of the fungus itself. It is these cellulose-destroying enzymes that enable fungi to attack anything made from wood, wood pulp, cotton, flax, or other plant material.
The destructive power of fungi is impressive. They are a major cause of structural damage to building timbers, a cause of disease in animals and humans, and one of the greatest causes of agricultural losses. Entire crops can be wiped out by fungal attacks both before and after harvesting. Some fungi can grow at +50°C, while others can grow at -5°C, so even food in cold storage may not be completely safe from them. On the other hand, fungi bring about the decomposition of dead organic matter, thus enriching the soil and returning carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. They also enter into a number of mutually beneficial relationships with plants and other organisms. In addition, fungi are the source of many of the most potent antibiotics used in clinical medicine, including penicillin. | 2083.txt | 0 |
[
"true",
"main",
"logical",
"obvious"
] | The word "principal" in line 4 is closest in meaning to | Fungi, of which there are over 100,000 species, including yeasts and other single-celled organisms as well as the common molds and mushrooms, were formerly classified as members of the plant kingdom. However, in reality they are very different from plants and today they are placed in a separate group altogether. The principal reason for this is that none of them possesses chlorophyll, and since they cannot synthesize their own carbohydrates, they obtain their supplies either from the breakdown of dead organic matter or from other living organisms. Furthermore the walls of fungal cells are not made of cellulose, as those of plants are, but of another complex sugarlike polymer called chitin, the material from which the hard outer skeletons of shrimps, spiders, and insects are made. The difference between the chemical composition of the cell walls of fungi and those of plants is of enormous importance because it enables the tips of the growing hyphae, the threadlike cells of the fungus, to secrete enzymes that break down the walls of plant cells without having any effect on those of the fungus itself. It is these cellulose-destroying enzymes that enable fungi to attack anything made from wood, wood pulp, cotton, flax, or other plant material.
The destructive power of fungi is impressive. They are a major cause of structural damage to building timbers, a cause of disease in animals and humans, and one of the greatest causes of agricultural losses. Entire crops can be wiped out by fungal attacks both before and after harvesting. Some fungi can grow at +50°C, while others can grow at -5°C, so even food in cold storage may not be completely safe from them. On the other hand, fungi bring about the decomposition of dead organic matter, thus enriching the soil and returning carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. They also enter into a number of mutually beneficial relationships with plants and other organisms. In addition, fungi are the source of many of the most potent antibiotics used in clinical medicine, including penicillin. | 2083.txt | 1 |
[
"The absorb carbohydrates from their own cell walls.",
"They synthesize chlorophyll to produce carbohydrates.",
"They produce carbohydrates by breaking down chitin.",
"They acquire carbohydrates from other organic matter, both living and dead."
] | According to the passage,how do fungi obtain carbohydrates? | Fungi, of which there are over 100,000 species, including yeasts and other single-celled organisms as well as the common molds and mushrooms, were formerly classified as members of the plant kingdom. However, in reality they are very different from plants and today they are placed in a separate group altogether. The principal reason for this is that none of them possesses chlorophyll, and since they cannot synthesize their own carbohydrates, they obtain their supplies either from the breakdown of dead organic matter or from other living organisms. Furthermore the walls of fungal cells are not made of cellulose, as those of plants are, but of another complex sugarlike polymer called chitin, the material from which the hard outer skeletons of shrimps, spiders, and insects are made. The difference between the chemical composition of the cell walls of fungi and those of plants is of enormous importance because it enables the tips of the growing hyphae, the threadlike cells of the fungus, to secrete enzymes that break down the walls of plant cells without having any effect on those of the fungus itself. It is these cellulose-destroying enzymes that enable fungi to attack anything made from wood, wood pulp, cotton, flax, or other plant material.
The destructive power of fungi is impressive. They are a major cause of structural damage to building timbers, a cause of disease in animals and humans, and one of the greatest causes of agricultural losses. Entire crops can be wiped out by fungal attacks both before and after harvesting. Some fungi can grow at +50°C, while others can grow at -5°C, so even food in cold storage may not be completely safe from them. On the other hand, fungi bring about the decomposition of dead organic matter, thus enriching the soil and returning carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. They also enter into a number of mutually beneficial relationships with plants and other organisms. In addition, fungi are the source of many of the most potent antibiotics used in clinical medicine, including penicillin. | 2083.txt | 3 |
[
"can be destroyed by fungi",
"have unusual chemical compositions",
"contain a material found in the walls of fungal cells",
"secrete the same enzymes as the walls of fungal cells do"
] | The passage mentions shrimps, spiders, and insects in line 9 because their skeletons | Fungi, of which there are over 100,000 species, including yeasts and other single-celled organisms as well as the common molds and mushrooms, were formerly classified as members of the plant kingdom. However, in reality they are very different from plants and today they are placed in a separate group altogether. The principal reason for this is that none of them possesses chlorophyll, and since they cannot synthesize their own carbohydrates, they obtain their supplies either from the breakdown of dead organic matter or from other living organisms. Furthermore the walls of fungal cells are not made of cellulose, as those of plants are, but of another complex sugarlike polymer called chitin, the material from which the hard outer skeletons of shrimps, spiders, and insects are made. The difference between the chemical composition of the cell walls of fungi and those of plants is of enormous importance because it enables the tips of the growing hyphae, the threadlike cells of the fungus, to secrete enzymes that break down the walls of plant cells without having any effect on those of the fungus itself. It is these cellulose-destroying enzymes that enable fungi to attack anything made from wood, wood pulp, cotton, flax, or other plant material.
The destructive power of fungi is impressive. They are a major cause of structural damage to building timbers, a cause of disease in animals and humans, and one of the greatest causes of agricultural losses. Entire crops can be wiped out by fungal attacks both before and after harvesting. Some fungi can grow at +50°C, while others can grow at -5°C, so even food in cold storage may not be completely safe from them. On the other hand, fungi bring about the decomposition of dead organic matter, thus enriching the soil and returning carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. They also enter into a number of mutually beneficial relationships with plants and other organisms. In addition, fungi are the source of many of the most potent antibiotics used in clinical medicine, including penicillin. | 2083.txt | 2 |
[
"\"chlorophyll\" (line 5)",
"\"polymer\" (line 8)",
"\"hyphae\" (line 12)",
"\"enzymes\" (line 14)"
] | Which of the following terms is defined in the passage ? | Fungi, of which there are over 100,000 species, including yeasts and other single-celled organisms as well as the common molds and mushrooms, were formerly classified as members of the plant kingdom. However, in reality they are very different from plants and today they are placed in a separate group altogether. The principal reason for this is that none of them possesses chlorophyll, and since they cannot synthesize their own carbohydrates, they obtain their supplies either from the breakdown of dead organic matter or from other living organisms. Furthermore the walls of fungal cells are not made of cellulose, as those of plants are, but of another complex sugarlike polymer called chitin, the material from which the hard outer skeletons of shrimps, spiders, and insects are made. The difference between the chemical composition of the cell walls of fungi and those of plants is of enormous importance because it enables the tips of the growing hyphae, the threadlike cells of the fungus, to secrete enzymes that break down the walls of plant cells without having any effect on those of the fungus itself. It is these cellulose-destroying enzymes that enable fungi to attack anything made from wood, wood pulp, cotton, flax, or other plant material.
The destructive power of fungi is impressive. They are a major cause of structural damage to building timbers, a cause of disease in animals and humans, and one of the greatest causes of agricultural losses. Entire crops can be wiped out by fungal attacks both before and after harvesting. Some fungi can grow at +50°C, while others can grow at -5°C, so even food in cold storage may not be completely safe from them. On the other hand, fungi bring about the decomposition of dead organic matter, thus enriching the soil and returning carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. They also enter into a number of mutually beneficial relationships with plants and other organisms. In addition, fungi are the source of many of the most potent antibiotics used in clinical medicine, including penicillin. | 2083.txt | 2 |
[
"tips",
"hyphae",
"enzymes",
"walls"
] | The word "those" in line 13 refers to | Fungi, of which there are over 100,000 species, including yeasts and other single-celled organisms as well as the common molds and mushrooms, were formerly classified as members of the plant kingdom. However, in reality they are very different from plants and today they are placed in a separate group altogether. The principal reason for this is that none of them possesses chlorophyll, and since they cannot synthesize their own carbohydrates, they obtain their supplies either from the breakdown of dead organic matter or from other living organisms. Furthermore the walls of fungal cells are not made of cellulose, as those of plants are, but of another complex sugarlike polymer called chitin, the material from which the hard outer skeletons of shrimps, spiders, and insects are made. The difference between the chemical composition of the cell walls of fungi and those of plants is of enormous importance because it enables the tips of the growing hyphae, the threadlike cells of the fungus, to secrete enzymes that break down the walls of plant cells without having any effect on those of the fungus itself. It is these cellulose-destroying enzymes that enable fungi to attack anything made from wood, wood pulp, cotton, flax, or other plant material.
The destructive power of fungi is impressive. They are a major cause of structural damage to building timbers, a cause of disease in animals and humans, and one of the greatest causes of agricultural losses. Entire crops can be wiped out by fungal attacks both before and after harvesting. Some fungi can grow at +50°C, while others can grow at -5°C, so even food in cold storage may not be completely safe from them. On the other hand, fungi bring about the decomposition of dead organic matter, thus enriching the soil and returning carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. They also enter into a number of mutually beneficial relationships with plants and other organisms. In addition, fungi are the source of many of the most potent antibiotics used in clinical medicine, including penicillin. | 2083.txt | 3 |
[
"They grow hyphae.",
"They secrete enzymes.",
"They synthesize cellulose.",
"They destroy crops."
] | Fungi have all of the following characteristics EXCEPT | Fungi, of which there are over 100,000 species, including yeasts and other single-celled organisms as well as the common molds and mushrooms, were formerly classified as members of the plant kingdom. However, in reality they are very different from plants and today they are placed in a separate group altogether. The principal reason for this is that none of them possesses chlorophyll, and since they cannot synthesize their own carbohydrates, they obtain their supplies either from the breakdown of dead organic matter or from other living organisms. Furthermore the walls of fungal cells are not made of cellulose, as those of plants are, but of another complex sugarlike polymer called chitin, the material from which the hard outer skeletons of shrimps, spiders, and insects are made. The difference between the chemical composition of the cell walls of fungi and those of plants is of enormous importance because it enables the tips of the growing hyphae, the threadlike cells of the fungus, to secrete enzymes that break down the walls of plant cells without having any effect on those of the fungus itself. It is these cellulose-destroying enzymes that enable fungi to attack anything made from wood, wood pulp, cotton, flax, or other plant material.
The destructive power of fungi is impressive. They are a major cause of structural damage to building timbers, a cause of disease in animals and humans, and one of the greatest causes of agricultural losses. Entire crops can be wiped out by fungal attacks both before and after harvesting. Some fungi can grow at +50°C, while others can grow at -5°C, so even food in cold storage may not be completely safe from them. On the other hand, fungi bring about the decomposition of dead organic matter, thus enriching the soil and returning carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. They also enter into a number of mutually beneficial relationships with plants and other organisms. In addition, fungi are the source of many of the most potent antibiotics used in clinical medicine, including penicillin. | 2083.txt | 2 |
[
"certain",
"whole",
"mature",
"diseased"
] | The word "Entire" in line 18 is closest in meaning to | Fungi, of which there are over 100,000 species, including yeasts and other single-celled organisms as well as the common molds and mushrooms, were formerly classified as members of the plant kingdom. However, in reality they are very different from plants and today they are placed in a separate group altogether. The principal reason for this is that none of them possesses chlorophyll, and since they cannot synthesize their own carbohydrates, they obtain their supplies either from the breakdown of dead organic matter or from other living organisms. Furthermore the walls of fungal cells are not made of cellulose, as those of plants are, but of another complex sugarlike polymer called chitin, the material from which the hard outer skeletons of shrimps, spiders, and insects are made. The difference between the chemical composition of the cell walls of fungi and those of plants is of enormous importance because it enables the tips of the growing hyphae, the threadlike cells of the fungus, to secrete enzymes that break down the walls of plant cells without having any effect on those of the fungus itself. It is these cellulose-destroying enzymes that enable fungi to attack anything made from wood, wood pulp, cotton, flax, or other plant material.
The destructive power of fungi is impressive. They are a major cause of structural damage to building timbers, a cause of disease in animals and humans, and one of the greatest causes of agricultural losses. Entire crops can be wiped out by fungal attacks both before and after harvesting. Some fungi can grow at +50°C, while others can grow at -5°C, so even food in cold storage may not be completely safe from them. On the other hand, fungi bring about the decomposition of dead organic matter, thus enriching the soil and returning carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. They also enter into a number of mutually beneficial relationships with plants and other organisms. In addition, fungi are the source of many of the most potent antibiotics used in clinical medicine, including penicillin. | 2083.txt | 1 |
[
"buildings",
"animals",
"food",
"soil"
] | The passage describes the negative effects of fungi on all the following EXCEPT | Fungi, of which there are over 100,000 species, including yeasts and other single-celled organisms as well as the common molds and mushrooms, were formerly classified as members of the plant kingdom. However, in reality they are very different from plants and today they are placed in a separate group altogether. The principal reason for this is that none of them possesses chlorophyll, and since they cannot synthesize their own carbohydrates, they obtain their supplies either from the breakdown of dead organic matter or from other living organisms. Furthermore the walls of fungal cells are not made of cellulose, as those of plants are, but of another complex sugarlike polymer called chitin, the material from which the hard outer skeletons of shrimps, spiders, and insects are made. The difference between the chemical composition of the cell walls of fungi and those of plants is of enormous importance because it enables the tips of the growing hyphae, the threadlike cells of the fungus, to secrete enzymes that break down the walls of plant cells without having any effect on those of the fungus itself. It is these cellulose-destroying enzymes that enable fungi to attack anything made from wood, wood pulp, cotton, flax, or other plant material.
The destructive power of fungi is impressive. They are a major cause of structural damage to building timbers, a cause of disease in animals and humans, and one of the greatest causes of agricultural losses. Entire crops can be wiped out by fungal attacks both before and after harvesting. Some fungi can grow at +50°C, while others can grow at -5°C, so even food in cold storage may not be completely safe from them. On the other hand, fungi bring about the decomposition of dead organic matter, thus enriching the soil and returning carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. They also enter into a number of mutually beneficial relationships with plants and other organisms. In addition, fungi are the source of many of the most potent antibiotics used in clinical medicine, including penicillin. | 2083.txt | 3 |
[
"cause",
"join",
"take",
"include"
] | The phrase "bring about" in line 21 is closest in meaning to | Fungi, of which there are over 100,000 species, including yeasts and other single-celled organisms as well as the common molds and mushrooms, were formerly classified as members of the plant kingdom. However, in reality they are very different from plants and today they are placed in a separate group altogether. The principal reason for this is that none of them possesses chlorophyll, and since they cannot synthesize their own carbohydrates, they obtain their supplies either from the breakdown of dead organic matter or from other living organisms. Furthermore the walls of fungal cells are not made of cellulose, as those of plants are, but of another complex sugarlike polymer called chitin, the material from which the hard outer skeletons of shrimps, spiders, and insects are made. The difference between the chemical composition of the cell walls of fungi and those of plants is of enormous importance because it enables the tips of the growing hyphae, the threadlike cells of the fungus, to secrete enzymes that break down the walls of plant cells without having any effect on those of the fungus itself. It is these cellulose-destroying enzymes that enable fungi to attack anything made from wood, wood pulp, cotton, flax, or other plant material.
The destructive power of fungi is impressive. They are a major cause of structural damage to building timbers, a cause of disease in animals and humans, and one of the greatest causes of agricultural losses. Entire crops can be wiped out by fungal attacks both before and after harvesting. Some fungi can grow at +50°C, while others can grow at -5°C, so even food in cold storage may not be completely safe from them. On the other hand, fungi bring about the decomposition of dead organic matter, thus enriching the soil and returning carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. They also enter into a number of mutually beneficial relationships with plants and other organisms. In addition, fungi are the source of many of the most potent antibiotics used in clinical medicine, including penicillin. | 2083.txt | 0 |
[
"a medicine derived from plants",
"a beneficial use of fungi",
"a product of the relationship between plants and fungi",
"a type of fungi that grows at extreme temperatures."
] | The passage mentions "penicillin" in line 25 as an example of | Fungi, of which there are over 100,000 species, including yeasts and other single-celled organisms as well as the common molds and mushrooms, were formerly classified as members of the plant kingdom. However, in reality they are very different from plants and today they are placed in a separate group altogether. The principal reason for this is that none of them possesses chlorophyll, and since they cannot synthesize their own carbohydrates, they obtain their supplies either from the breakdown of dead organic matter or from other living organisms. Furthermore the walls of fungal cells are not made of cellulose, as those of plants are, but of another complex sugarlike polymer called chitin, the material from which the hard outer skeletons of shrimps, spiders, and insects are made. The difference between the chemical composition of the cell walls of fungi and those of plants is of enormous importance because it enables the tips of the growing hyphae, the threadlike cells of the fungus, to secrete enzymes that break down the walls of plant cells without having any effect on those of the fungus itself. It is these cellulose-destroying enzymes that enable fungi to attack anything made from wood, wood pulp, cotton, flax, or other plant material.
The destructive power of fungi is impressive. They are a major cause of structural damage to building timbers, a cause of disease in animals and humans, and one of the greatest causes of agricultural losses. Entire crops can be wiped out by fungal attacks both before and after harvesting. Some fungi can grow at +50°C, while others can grow at -5°C, so even food in cold storage may not be completely safe from them. On the other hand, fungi bring about the decomposition of dead organic matter, thus enriching the soil and returning carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. They also enter into a number of mutually beneficial relationships with plants and other organisms. In addition, fungi are the source of many of the most potent antibiotics used in clinical medicine, including penicillin. | 2083.txt | 1 |
[
"Achievement tests have failed to truly reflect the quality of teaching.",
"Public schools lack the resources to compete with private schools.",
"Little improvement in education has resulted from increased spending.",
"The number of students has increased much faster than that of teachers."
] | What do we learn from various studies on America's public education? | Various studies have shown that increased spending on education has not led to measurable improvements in learning. Between 1980 and 2008. staff and teachers at U.S. public schools grew roughly twice as fast as students. Yet students showed no additional learning in achievement tests.
Universities show similar trends of increased administration personnel and costs without greater learning, as documented in Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa's recent book Academically Adrift Limited Learning on College Campuses.
A survey shows that 63% of employers say that recent college graduates don't have the skills they need to succeed and 25% of employers say that entry-level writing skills are lacking.
Some simplistically attribute the decline in our public education system to the drain of the skilled students by private schools, but far more significant events were at work.
Public schools worked well until about the 1970s. In fact, until that time, public schools provided far better education than private ones. It was the underperforming students who were threw out of public schools and went to private ones.
A prominent reason public schools did well was that many highly qualified women had few options for working outside the house other than being teachers or nurses. They accepted relatively low pay, difficult working conditions, and gave their very best.
Having such a large supply of talented women teachers meant that society could pay less for their services. Women's liberation opened up new professional opportunities for women, and, over time, some of the best left teaching as a career option, bringing about a gradual decline in the quality of schooling.
Also around that time, regulations, government, and unions came to dictate pay, prevent adjustments, and introduce bureaucratic standard for adjustment. Large education bureaucracies and unions came to dominate the landscape, confusing activity with achievement. Bureaucrats regularly rewrite curriculums, talk nonsense about the theories of education, and require ever more administrators. The end result had been that, after all the spending, students have worse math and reading skills than both their foreign peers and earlier generations spending far less on education - as all the accumulating evidence now documents. | 2511.txt | 2 |
[
"Government investment does not meet school's needs.",
"Skilled students are moving for private schools.",
"Qualified teachers are far from adequately paid.",
"Training of students' basic skills is neglected."
] | How do some people explain the decline in public education? | Various studies have shown that increased spending on education has not led to measurable improvements in learning. Between 1980 and 2008. staff and teachers at U.S. public schools grew roughly twice as fast as students. Yet students showed no additional learning in achievement tests.
Universities show similar trends of increased administration personnel and costs without greater learning, as documented in Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa's recent book Academically Adrift Limited Learning on College Campuses.
A survey shows that 63% of employers say that recent college graduates don't have the skills they need to succeed and 25% of employers say that entry-level writing skills are lacking.
Some simplistically attribute the decline in our public education system to the drain of the skilled students by private schools, but far more significant events were at work.
Public schools worked well until about the 1970s. In fact, until that time, public schools provided far better education than private ones. It was the underperforming students who were threw out of public schools and went to private ones.
A prominent reason public schools did well was that many highly qualified women had few options for working outside the house other than being teachers or nurses. They accepted relatively low pay, difficult working conditions, and gave their very best.
Having such a large supply of talented women teachers meant that society could pay less for their services. Women's liberation opened up new professional opportunities for women, and, over time, some of the best left teaching as a career option, bringing about a gradual decline in the quality of schooling.
Also around that time, regulations, government, and unions came to dictate pay, prevent adjustments, and introduce bureaucratic standard for adjustment. Large education bureaucracies and unions came to dominate the landscape, confusing activity with achievement. Bureaucrats regularly rewrite curriculums, talk nonsense about the theories of education, and require ever more administrators. The end result had been that, after all the spending, students have worse math and reading skills than both their foreign peers and earlier generations spending far less on education - as all the accumulating evidence now documents. | 2511.txt | 1 |
[
"Well-behaved students.",
"Efficient administration.",
"Talented women teachers.",
"Generous pay for teachers."
] | What was significant contribution to the past glory of public schools? | Various studies have shown that increased spending on education has not led to measurable improvements in learning. Between 1980 and 2008. staff and teachers at U.S. public schools grew roughly twice as fast as students. Yet students showed no additional learning in achievement tests.
Universities show similar trends of increased administration personnel and costs without greater learning, as documented in Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa's recent book Academically Adrift Limited Learning on College Campuses.
A survey shows that 63% of employers say that recent college graduates don't have the skills they need to succeed and 25% of employers say that entry-level writing skills are lacking.
Some simplistically attribute the decline in our public education system to the drain of the skilled students by private schools, but far more significant events were at work.
Public schools worked well until about the 1970s. In fact, until that time, public schools provided far better education than private ones. It was the underperforming students who were threw out of public schools and went to private ones.
A prominent reason public schools did well was that many highly qualified women had few options for working outside the house other than being teachers or nurses. They accepted relatively low pay, difficult working conditions, and gave their very best.
Having such a large supply of talented women teachers meant that society could pay less for their services. Women's liberation opened up new professional opportunities for women, and, over time, some of the best left teaching as a career option, bringing about a gradual decline in the quality of schooling.
Also around that time, regulations, government, and unions came to dictate pay, prevent adjustments, and introduce bureaucratic standard for adjustment. Large education bureaucracies and unions came to dominate the landscape, confusing activity with achievement. Bureaucrats regularly rewrite curriculums, talk nonsense about the theories of education, and require ever more administrators. The end result had been that, after all the spending, students have worse math and reading skills than both their foreign peers and earlier generations spending far less on education - as all the accumulating evidence now documents. | 2511.txt | 2 |
[
"New career opportunities were made available to them by women's liberation.",
"Higher academic requirements made it difficult for them to stay in their jobs.",
"They were unhappy with the bureaucratic administration in their schools.",
"The heavy teaching loads left them little time and energy for family life."
] | Why did some of the best women teachers leave teaching? | Various studies have shown that increased spending on education has not led to measurable improvements in learning. Between 1980 and 2008. staff and teachers at U.S. public schools grew roughly twice as fast as students. Yet students showed no additional learning in achievement tests.
Universities show similar trends of increased administration personnel and costs without greater learning, as documented in Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa's recent book Academically Adrift Limited Learning on College Campuses.
A survey shows that 63% of employers say that recent college graduates don't have the skills they need to succeed and 25% of employers say that entry-level writing skills are lacking.
Some simplistically attribute the decline in our public education system to the drain of the skilled students by private schools, but far more significant events were at work.
Public schools worked well until about the 1970s. In fact, until that time, public schools provided far better education than private ones. It was the underperforming students who were threw out of public schools and went to private ones.
A prominent reason public schools did well was that many highly qualified women had few options for working outside the house other than being teachers or nurses. They accepted relatively low pay, difficult working conditions, and gave their very best.
Having such a large supply of talented women teachers meant that society could pay less for their services. Women's liberation opened up new professional opportunities for women, and, over time, some of the best left teaching as a career option, bringing about a gradual decline in the quality of schooling.
Also around that time, regulations, government, and unions came to dictate pay, prevent adjustments, and introduce bureaucratic standard for adjustment. Large education bureaucracies and unions came to dominate the landscape, confusing activity with achievement. Bureaucrats regularly rewrite curriculums, talk nonsense about the theories of education, and require ever more administrators. The end result had been that, after all the spending, students have worse math and reading skills than both their foreign peers and earlier generations spending far less on education - as all the accumulating evidence now documents. | 2511.txt | 0 |
[
"Increasing emphasis on theories of education.",
"Highly standardized teaching methods.",
"Students' improved academic performance.",
"An ever-growing number of administrators."
] | What docs the author think is one of the results of government involvement in education? | Various studies have shown that increased spending on education has not led to measurable improvements in learning. Between 1980 and 2008. staff and teachers at U.S. public schools grew roughly twice as fast as students. Yet students showed no additional learning in achievement tests.
Universities show similar trends of increased administration personnel and costs without greater learning, as documented in Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa's recent book Academically Adrift Limited Learning on College Campuses.
A survey shows that 63% of employers say that recent college graduates don't have the skills they need to succeed and 25% of employers say that entry-level writing skills are lacking.
Some simplistically attribute the decline in our public education system to the drain of the skilled students by private schools, but far more significant events were at work.
Public schools worked well until about the 1970s. In fact, until that time, public schools provided far better education than private ones. It was the underperforming students who were threw out of public schools and went to private ones.
A prominent reason public schools did well was that many highly qualified women had few options for working outside the house other than being teachers or nurses. They accepted relatively low pay, difficult working conditions, and gave their very best.
Having such a large supply of talented women teachers meant that society could pay less for their services. Women's liberation opened up new professional opportunities for women, and, over time, some of the best left teaching as a career option, bringing about a gradual decline in the quality of schooling.
Also around that time, regulations, government, and unions came to dictate pay, prevent adjustments, and introduce bureaucratic standard for adjustment. Large education bureaucracies and unions came to dominate the landscape, confusing activity with achievement. Bureaucrats regularly rewrite curriculums, talk nonsense about the theories of education, and require ever more administrators. The end result had been that, after all the spending, students have worse math and reading skills than both their foreign peers and earlier generations spending far less on education - as all the accumulating evidence now documents. | 2511.txt | 3 |
[
"the Clean Air Act has not produced the desired results",
"lead deposits in arctic snow are on the increase",
"lead will stay in soil and snow longer than expected",
"the is the major source of lead pollution in arctic snow"
] | The study published in the journal Nature indicates that _ . | Lead deposits, which accumulated in soil and snow during the s and s, were primarily the result of leaded gasoline emissions originating in the . In the twenty years that the Clean Air Act has mandated unleaded gas use in the , the lead accumulation worldwide has decreased significantly.
A study published recently in the journal Nature shows that air-borne leaded gas emissions from the were the leading contributor to the high concentration of lead in the snow in . The new study is a result of the continued research led by Dr. Charles Boutron, an expert on the impact of heavy metals on the environment at the for Scientific Research in . A study by Dr. Boutron published in 1991 showed that lead levels in arctic snow were declining.
In his new study, Dr. Boutron found the ratios of the different forms of lead in the leaded gasoline used in the were different from the ratios of European, Asian and Canadian gasolines and thus enabled scientists to differentiate the lead sources. The dominant lead ratio found in Greenland snow matched that found in gasoline from the .
In a study published in the journal Ambio, scientists found that lead levels in soil in the had decreased markedly since the introduction of unleaded gasoline.
Many scientists had believed that the lead would stay in soil and snow for a longer period.
The authors of the Ambio study examined samples of the upper layers of soil taken from the same sites of 30 forest floors in , and in 1980 and in 1990. The forest environment processed and redistributed the lead faster than the scientists had expected.
Scientists say both studies demonstrate that certain parts of the ecosystem respond rapidly to reductions in atmospheric pollution, but that these findings should not be used as a license to pollute. | 704.txt | 3 |
[
"was discouraged",
"was enforced by law",
"was prohibited by law",
"was introduced（B）"
] | Lead accumulation worldwide decreased significantly after the use of unleaded gas in the _ . | Lead deposits, which accumulated in soil and snow during the s and s, were primarily the result of leaded gasoline emissions originating in the . In the twenty years that the Clean Air Act has mandated unleaded gas use in the , the lead accumulation worldwide has decreased significantly.
A study published recently in the journal Nature shows that air-borne leaded gas emissions from the were the leading contributor to the high concentration of lead in the snow in . The new study is a result of the continued research led by Dr. Charles Boutron, an expert on the impact of heavy metals on the environment at the for Scientific Research in . A study by Dr. Boutron published in 1991 showed that lead levels in arctic snow were declining.
In his new study, Dr. Boutron found the ratios of the different forms of lead in the leaded gasoline used in the were different from the ratios of European, Asian and Canadian gasolines and thus enabled scientists to differentiate the lead sources. The dominant lead ratio found in Greenland snow matched that found in gasoline from the .
In a study published in the journal Ambio, scientists found that lead levels in soil in the had decreased markedly since the introduction of unleaded gasoline.
Many scientists had believed that the lead would stay in soil and snow for a longer period.
The authors of the Ambio study examined samples of the upper layers of soil taken from the same sites of 30 forest floors in , and in 1980 and in 1990. The forest environment processed and redistributed the lead faster than the scientists had expected.
Scientists say both studies demonstrate that certain parts of the ecosystem respond rapidly to reductions in atmospheric pollution, but that these findings should not be used as a license to pollute. | 704.txt | 1 |
[
"By analyzing the data published in journals like Nature and Ambio.",
"By observing the lead accumulations in different parts of the arctic area.",
"By studying the chemical elements of soil and snow in .",
"By comparing the chemical compositions of leaded gasoline used in various countries."
] | How did scientists discover the source of lead pollution in ? | Lead deposits, which accumulated in soil and snow during the s and s, were primarily the result of leaded gasoline emissions originating in the . In the twenty years that the Clean Air Act has mandated unleaded gas use in the , the lead accumulation worldwide has decreased significantly.
A study published recently in the journal Nature shows that air-borne leaded gas emissions from the were the leading contributor to the high concentration of lead in the snow in . The new study is a result of the continued research led by Dr. Charles Boutron, an expert on the impact of heavy metals on the environment at the for Scientific Research in . A study by Dr. Boutron published in 1991 showed that lead levels in arctic snow were declining.
In his new study, Dr. Boutron found the ratios of the different forms of lead in the leaded gasoline used in the were different from the ratios of European, Asian and Canadian gasolines and thus enabled scientists to differentiate the lead sources. The dominant lead ratio found in Greenland snow matched that found in gasoline from the .
In a study published in the journal Ambio, scientists found that lead levels in soil in the had decreased markedly since the introduction of unleaded gasoline.
Many scientists had believed that the lead would stay in soil and snow for a longer period.
The authors of the Ambio study examined samples of the upper layers of soil taken from the same sites of 30 forest floors in , and in 1980 and in 1990. The forest environment processed and redistributed the lead faster than the scientists had expected.
Scientists say both studies demonstrate that certain parts of the ecosystem respond rapidly to reductions in atmospheric pollution, but that these findings should not be used as a license to pollute. | 704.txt | 3 |
[
"forests get rid of lead pollution faster than expected",
"lead accumulations in forests are more difficult to deal with",
"lead deposits are widely distributed in the forests of the",
"the upper layers of soil in forests are easily polluted by lead emissions"
] | The authors of the Ambio study have found that _ . | Lead deposits, which accumulated in soil and snow during the s and s, were primarily the result of leaded gasoline emissions originating in the . In the twenty years that the Clean Air Act has mandated unleaded gas use in the , the lead accumulation worldwide has decreased significantly.
A study published recently in the journal Nature shows that air-borne leaded gas emissions from the were the leading contributor to the high concentration of lead in the snow in . The new study is a result of the continued research led by Dr. Charles Boutron, an expert on the impact of heavy metals on the environment at the for Scientific Research in . A study by Dr. Boutron published in 1991 showed that lead levels in arctic snow were declining.
In his new study, Dr. Boutron found the ratios of the different forms of lead in the leaded gasoline used in the were different from the ratios of European, Asian and Canadian gasolines and thus enabled scientists to differentiate the lead sources. The dominant lead ratio found in Greenland snow matched that found in gasoline from the .
In a study published in the journal Ambio, scientists found that lead levels in soil in the had decreased markedly since the introduction of unleaded gasoline.
Many scientists had believed that the lead would stay in soil and snow for a longer period.
The authors of the Ambio study examined samples of the upper layers of soil taken from the same sites of 30 forest floors in , and in 1980 and in 1990. The forest environment processed and redistributed the lead faster than the scientists had expected.
Scientists say both studies demonstrate that certain parts of the ecosystem respond rapidly to reductions in atmospheric pollution, but that these findings should not be used as a license to pollute. | 704.txt | 0 |
[
"are puzzled by the mystery of forest pollution",
"feel relieved by the use of unleaded gasoline",
"still consider lead pollution a problem",
"lack sufficient means to combat lead pollution"
] | It can be inferred from the last paragraph that scientists _ . | Lead deposits, which accumulated in soil and snow during the s and s, were primarily the result of leaded gasoline emissions originating in the . In the twenty years that the Clean Air Act has mandated unleaded gas use in the , the lead accumulation worldwide has decreased significantly.
A study published recently in the journal Nature shows that air-borne leaded gas emissions from the were the leading contributor to the high concentration of lead in the snow in . The new study is a result of the continued research led by Dr. Charles Boutron, an expert on the impact of heavy metals on the environment at the for Scientific Research in . A study by Dr. Boutron published in 1991 showed that lead levels in arctic snow were declining.
In his new study, Dr. Boutron found the ratios of the different forms of lead in the leaded gasoline used in the were different from the ratios of European, Asian and Canadian gasolines and thus enabled scientists to differentiate the lead sources. The dominant lead ratio found in Greenland snow matched that found in gasoline from the .
In a study published in the journal Ambio, scientists found that lead levels in soil in the had decreased markedly since the introduction of unleaded gasoline.
Many scientists had believed that the lead would stay in soil and snow for a longer period.
The authors of the Ambio study examined samples of the upper layers of soil taken from the same sites of 30 forest floors in , and in 1980 and in 1990. The forest environment processed and redistributed the lead faster than the scientists had expected.
Scientists say both studies demonstrate that certain parts of the ecosystem respond rapidly to reductions in atmospheric pollution, but that these findings should not be used as a license to pollute. | 704.txt | 2 |
[
"a simple idea for fixing school",
"flunking students who don't earn passing grades",
"making F more or less meaningless",
"a political movement"
] | ¡°Social promotion¡± is _ . | Ending "social promotion" sounds great. But L.A. discovers it could mean flunking half its students
In the past few years, reformers have embraced a disarmingly simple idea f
or fixing schools: Why not actually flunk those students who don't earn passing grades? Both Democrats and Republicans have begun attacking the practice of "social promotion"--shuttling bad students to the next grade, advancing them with peers even if they are failing. Make F truly mean failure, the movement says.
Last week in Los Angeles, the reformers learned just how ornery the current system can be. According to a plan released Tuesday by the L.A. school district, ending social promotion there will take at least four years, could cost hundreds of millions of dollars--and probably would require flunking about half the district's students. That's a pessimistic assessment, but it's not just bureaucrats' caterwauling. Rather, L.A. school superintendent Ruben Zacarias was an eager convert to the crusade against social promotion. In February he unveiled an ambitious plan to end unwarranted promotions in five grades during the 1999-2000 school year--a full year ahead of the timetable set by a state law.
At the time, Zacarias acknowledged that his goal would be hard to meet. He estimated that as many as 6 of every 10 students would flunk if they had to advance on merit. Zacarias wanted to spend $140 million in the first year alone to help these kids. Why so much? Because a mountain of research shows that ending social promotion doesn't work if it just means more Fs. Kids who are simply forced to repeat grades over and over usually don't improve academically and often drop out. Zacarias wanted more tutoring, summer school and intensive-learning classes. Unqualified students wouldn't rise to the next grade; nor would they be doomed to redo work they already failed. It was a forward-looking plan that Zacarias, 70, didn't have the clout to enact. He wasn't popular enough--the school board recently bought out his contract after a bitter power struggle--but even fellow reformers think his plan was too much, too soon. Says board member David Tokofsky: "You've got the unions who want their say. And, of course, there's the facilities issue: Where do you send all these eighth-graders if you can't send them to high school?" The district now says it will stop advancing low-achieving students only in two grades (second and eighth), and it will begin next year.
Los Angeles isn't the only place that has run into roadblocks while trying to end social promotion. In New York City, some advocates have said in lawsuits that parents weren't notified early enough that their kids were flunking. And in Chicago, which led the nation on the issue, a parents' group has filed civil rights complaints alleging that the promotion crackdown holds back a disproportionate number of black and Latino kids.
Still, the war on social promotion could have one salutary consequence: if every school district takes L.A.'s approach, struggling students will get a lot more teaching help, not just a kick in the rear as they finish another unproductive school year. | 1099.txt | 2 |
[
"it takes too long time, costs too much and may produce undesirable result",
"there is no feasible plan yet",
"it involves too many students",
"it is not approved by state legislature"
] | Education officials give the reform prospect a pessimistic assessment because_ . | Ending "social promotion" sounds great. But L.A. discovers it could mean flunking half its students
In the past few years, reformers have embraced a disarmingly simple idea f
or fixing schools: Why not actually flunk those students who don't earn passing grades? Both Democrats and Republicans have begun attacking the practice of "social promotion"--shuttling bad students to the next grade, advancing them with peers even if they are failing. Make F truly mean failure, the movement says.
Last week in Los Angeles, the reformers learned just how ornery the current system can be. According to a plan released Tuesday by the L.A. school district, ending social promotion there will take at least four years, could cost hundreds of millions of dollars--and probably would require flunking about half the district's students. That's a pessimistic assessment, but it's not just bureaucrats' caterwauling. Rather, L.A. school superintendent Ruben Zacarias was an eager convert to the crusade against social promotion. In February he unveiled an ambitious plan to end unwarranted promotions in five grades during the 1999-2000 school year--a full year ahead of the timetable set by a state law.
At the time, Zacarias acknowledged that his goal would be hard to meet. He estimated that as many as 6 of every 10 students would flunk if they had to advance on merit. Zacarias wanted to spend $140 million in the first year alone to help these kids. Why so much? Because a mountain of research shows that ending social promotion doesn't work if it just means more Fs. Kids who are simply forced to repeat grades over and over usually don't improve academically and often drop out. Zacarias wanted more tutoring, summer school and intensive-learning classes. Unqualified students wouldn't rise to the next grade; nor would they be doomed to redo work they already failed. It was a forward-looking plan that Zacarias, 70, didn't have the clout to enact. He wasn't popular enough--the school board recently bought out his contract after a bitter power struggle--but even fellow reformers think his plan was too much, too soon. Says board member David Tokofsky: "You've got the unions who want their say. And, of course, there's the facilities issue: Where do you send all these eighth-graders if you can't send them to high school?" The district now says it will stop advancing low-achieving students only in two grades (second and eighth), and it will begin next year.
Los Angeles isn't the only place that has run into roadblocks while trying to end social promotion. In New York City, some advocates have said in lawsuits that parents weren't notified early enough that their kids were flunking. And in Chicago, which led the nation on the issue, a parents' group has filed civil rights complaints alleging that the promotion crackdown holds back a disproportionate number of black and Latino kids.
Still, the war on social promotion could have one salutary consequence: if every school district takes L.A.'s approach, struggling students will get a lot more teaching help, not just a kick in the rear as they finish another unproductive school year. | 1099.txt | 0 |
[
"ending social promotion doesn't work",
"schools do not have the ability to enact his plan",
"plans like his are too ambitious",
"it's hard to reach agreement on the issue of ending social promotion"
] | The writer mentioned the case of Zacarias to show that _ . | Ending "social promotion" sounds great. But L.A. discovers it could mean flunking half its students
In the past few years, reformers have embraced a disarmingly simple idea f
or fixing schools: Why not actually flunk those students who don't earn passing grades? Both Democrats and Republicans have begun attacking the practice of "social promotion"--shuttling bad students to the next grade, advancing them with peers even if they are failing. Make F truly mean failure, the movement says.
Last week in Los Angeles, the reformers learned just how ornery the current system can be. According to a plan released Tuesday by the L.A. school district, ending social promotion there will take at least four years, could cost hundreds of millions of dollars--and probably would require flunking about half the district's students. That's a pessimistic assessment, but it's not just bureaucrats' caterwauling. Rather, L.A. school superintendent Ruben Zacarias was an eager convert to the crusade against social promotion. In February he unveiled an ambitious plan to end unwarranted promotions in five grades during the 1999-2000 school year--a full year ahead of the timetable set by a state law.
At the time, Zacarias acknowledged that his goal would be hard to meet. He estimated that as many as 6 of every 10 students would flunk if they had to advance on merit. Zacarias wanted to spend $140 million in the first year alone to help these kids. Why so much? Because a mountain of research shows that ending social promotion doesn't work if it just means more Fs. Kids who are simply forced to repeat grades over and over usually don't improve academically and often drop out. Zacarias wanted more tutoring, summer school and intensive-learning classes. Unqualified students wouldn't rise to the next grade; nor would they be doomed to redo work they already failed. It was a forward-looking plan that Zacarias, 70, didn't have the clout to enact. He wasn't popular enough--the school board recently bought out his contract after a bitter power struggle--but even fellow reformers think his plan was too much, too soon. Says board member David Tokofsky: "You've got the unions who want their say. And, of course, there's the facilities issue: Where do you send all these eighth-graders if you can't send them to high school?" The district now says it will stop advancing low-achieving students only in two grades (second and eighth), and it will begin next year.
Los Angeles isn't the only place that has run into roadblocks while trying to end social promotion. In New York City, some advocates have said in lawsuits that parents weren't notified early enough that their kids were flunking. And in Chicago, which led the nation on the issue, a parents' group has filed civil rights complaints alleging that the promotion crackdown holds back a disproportionate number of black and Latino kids.
Still, the war on social promotion could have one salutary consequence: if every school district takes L.A.'s approach, struggling students will get a lot more teaching help, not just a kick in the rear as they finish another unproductive school year. | 1099.txt | 3 |
[
"is confronting a lot of resistance",
"has proved fruitless",
"has little hope of success",
"does more harm than good"
] | It seems that the effort at ending social promotion _ . | Ending "social promotion" sounds great. But L.A. discovers it could mean flunking half its students
In the past few years, reformers have embraced a disarmingly simple idea f
or fixing schools: Why not actually flunk those students who don't earn passing grades? Both Democrats and Republicans have begun attacking the practice of "social promotion"--shuttling bad students to the next grade, advancing them with peers even if they are failing. Make F truly mean failure, the movement says.
Last week in Los Angeles, the reformers learned just how ornery the current system can be. According to a plan released Tuesday by the L.A. school district, ending social promotion there will take at least four years, could cost hundreds of millions of dollars--and probably would require flunking about half the district's students. That's a pessimistic assessment, but it's not just bureaucrats' caterwauling. Rather, L.A. school superintendent Ruben Zacarias was an eager convert to the crusade against social promotion. In February he unveiled an ambitious plan to end unwarranted promotions in five grades during the 1999-2000 school year--a full year ahead of the timetable set by a state law.
At the time, Zacarias acknowledged that his goal would be hard to meet. He estimated that as many as 6 of every 10 students would flunk if they had to advance on merit. Zacarias wanted to spend $140 million in the first year alone to help these kids. Why so much? Because a mountain of research shows that ending social promotion doesn't work if it just means more Fs. Kids who are simply forced to repeat grades over and over usually don't improve academically and often drop out. Zacarias wanted more tutoring, summer school and intensive-learning classes. Unqualified students wouldn't rise to the next grade; nor would they be doomed to redo work they already failed. It was a forward-looking plan that Zacarias, 70, didn't have the clout to enact. He wasn't popular enough--the school board recently bought out his contract after a bitter power struggle--but even fellow reformers think his plan was too much, too soon. Says board member David Tokofsky: "You've got the unions who want their say. And, of course, there's the facilities issue: Where do you send all these eighth-graders if you can't send them to high school?" The district now says it will stop advancing low-achieving students only in two grades (second and eighth), and it will begin next year.
Los Angeles isn't the only place that has run into roadblocks while trying to end social promotion. In New York City, some advocates have said in lawsuits that parents weren't notified early enough that their kids were flunking. And in Chicago, which led the nation on the issue, a parents' group has filed civil rights complaints alleging that the promotion crackdown holds back a disproportionate number of black and Latino kids.
Still, the war on social promotion could have one salutary consequence: if every school district takes L.A.'s approach, struggling students will get a lot more teaching help, not just a kick in the rear as they finish another unproductive school year. | 1099.txt | 0 |
[
"pessimistic",
"optimistic",
"objective",
"biased"
] | Toward the proposal of ending social promotion, the author's attitude seems to be _ . | Ending "social promotion" sounds great. But L.A. discovers it could mean flunking half its students
In the past few years, reformers have embraced a disarmingly simple idea f
or fixing schools: Why not actually flunk those students who don't earn passing grades? Both Democrats and Republicans have begun attacking the practice of "social promotion"--shuttling bad students to the next grade, advancing them with peers even if they are failing. Make F truly mean failure, the movement says.
Last week in Los Angeles, the reformers learned just how ornery the current system can be. According to a plan released Tuesday by the L.A. school district, ending social promotion there will take at least four years, could cost hundreds of millions of dollars--and probably would require flunking about half the district's students. That's a pessimistic assessment, but it's not just bureaucrats' caterwauling. Rather, L.A. school superintendent Ruben Zacarias was an eager convert to the crusade against social promotion. In February he unveiled an ambitious plan to end unwarranted promotions in five grades during the 1999-2000 school year--a full year ahead of the timetable set by a state law.
At the time, Zacarias acknowledged that his goal would be hard to meet. He estimated that as many as 6 of every 10 students would flunk if they had to advance on merit. Zacarias wanted to spend $140 million in the first year alone to help these kids. Why so much? Because a mountain of research shows that ending social promotion doesn't work if it just means more Fs. Kids who are simply forced to repeat grades over and over usually don't improve academically and often drop out. Zacarias wanted more tutoring, summer school and intensive-learning classes. Unqualified students wouldn't rise to the next grade; nor would they be doomed to redo work they already failed. It was a forward-looking plan that Zacarias, 70, didn't have the clout to enact. He wasn't popular enough--the school board recently bought out his contract after a bitter power struggle--but even fellow reformers think his plan was too much, too soon. Says board member David Tokofsky: "You've got the unions who want their say. And, of course, there's the facilities issue: Where do you send all these eighth-graders if you can't send them to high school?" The district now says it will stop advancing low-achieving students only in two grades (second and eighth), and it will begin next year.
Los Angeles isn't the only place that has run into roadblocks while trying to end social promotion. In New York City, some advocates have said in lawsuits that parents weren't notified early enough that their kids were flunking. And in Chicago, which led the nation on the issue, a parents' group has filed civil rights complaints alleging that the promotion crackdown holds back a disproportionate number of black and Latino kids.
Still, the war on social promotion could have one salutary consequence: if every school district takes L.A.'s approach, struggling students will get a lot more teaching help, not just a kick in the rear as they finish another unproductive school year. | 1099.txt | 1 |
[
"Chinese food is also served in some fast food restaurants.",
"People can have almost every kind of food in fast food restaurants.",
"Fast food is usually expensive.",
"Fast food can be taken out of the restaurants."
] | Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage? | One of the favorite foods in the United States is the hamburger, a kind of flat found bread with fine-cut beefin between. The favorite place to buy a hamburger is a fast food restaurant At fast food restaurants, people order their food, wait a few minutes to get it over the counter, and carry it to their tables themselves. People also take their food out of the restaurant and eat it in their cars or in their homes. At some fast food restaurants , people can order their food, pay for it and pick it up without leaving their cars.
There are many kinds of fast food restaurants in the United States, Most of the restaurants sell hamburgers or other popular foods among Americans, In addition, there are many fast food restaurants that serve Chinese food, Italian food, chicken, seafood and ice-cream. The idea of a fast food restaurant is so popular that nearly every kind of food can be found in one.
Fast food restaurants are popular because they show the American way of life, First , they are not formal restaurants. People wear any type of dress when they go to a fast food place. Second, they are fast. People who are busy do not want to spend time preparing their food or waiting while someone else prepares it. In fast food restaurants the food is usually ready before the customer even orders it. Finally , most food in a fast food restaurant is not expensive. Therefore, people can often eat at a fast food restaurant without spending too much money, while they may not be able to go to more expensive restaurants very often. | 1390.txt | 2 |
[
"are many",
"are fast",
"are expensive restaurants",
"serve expensive food"
] | Fast food restaurants are popular because they _ . | One of the favorite foods in the United States is the hamburger, a kind of flat found bread with fine-cut beefin between. The favorite place to buy a hamburger is a fast food restaurant At fast food restaurants, people order their food, wait a few minutes to get it over the counter, and carry it to their tables themselves. People also take their food out of the restaurant and eat it in their cars or in their homes. At some fast food restaurants , people can order their food, pay for it and pick it up without leaving their cars.
There are many kinds of fast food restaurants in the United States, Most of the restaurants sell hamburgers or other popular foods among Americans, In addition, there are many fast food restaurants that serve Chinese food, Italian food, chicken, seafood and ice-cream. The idea of a fast food restaurant is so popular that nearly every kind of food can be found in one.
Fast food restaurants are popular because they show the American way of life, First , they are not formal restaurants. People wear any type of dress when they go to a fast food place. Second, they are fast. People who are busy do not want to spend time preparing their food or waiting while someone else prepares it. In fast food restaurants the food is usually ready before the customer even orders it. Finally , most food in a fast food restaurant is not expensive. Therefore, people can often eat at a fast food restaurant without spending too much money, while they may not be able to go to more expensive restaurants very often. | 1390.txt | 1 |
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