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[
"It is a style of Oriental decoration.",
"It is a type of painting.",
"it is an ancient Chinese belief called Feng-Shui.",
"It is an architectural design."
] | Which of the following best describes geomancy? | According to some individuals, if your house is built in the right position, this may affect your success in life, which seems strange to many people. However, to believers in Feng-Shui, or the art of geomancy, not only the position but also the choice of decorations and even the color of your home can mean the difference between good fortune and disaster. This art has been practiced for centuries in China and is still used all over South East Asia. Even the huge Hong Kong banks call in a geomant if they are planning to build new offices. They have such faith in his knowledge that if he advises them to move, they will alter their plans for even their biggest buildings.
Like many Oriental beliefs the geomant's skill depends on the idea of harmony in nature. If there is no imbalance between the opposing forces of Yin and Yang, the building will bring luck to its inhabitants. This means that the house must be built on the right spot as well as facing the right direction, and also be painted an auspicious color. For instance, if there are mountains to the north, this will protect them from evil influences. If the house is painted red, this will bring happiness to the occupants while green symbolizes youth and will bring long life. Other factors, such as the owner's time and date of birth, are taken into account, too. The geomant believes that unless all these are considered when choosing a site for construction, the fortune of the people using it will be at risk.
Indeed, to ignore the geomant's advice can have fatal results. The death of the internationally famous Kung-Fu star, Brucee Lee, has been used as an example. It is said that when Lee found out that the house he was living in was an unlucky one, he followed a geomant's advice and installed an eight-sided mirror outside his front door to bring him luck. Unfortunately, a storm damaged the mirror and the house was left unprotected from harmful influences. Soon afterwards Lee died in mysterious circumstances.
Not only is Feng-Shui still used in South East Asia, but it has also spread right across the world. Even in modern New York a successful commercial artist called Milton Glaser has found it useful. He was so desperate after his office was broken into six times that he consulted a geomant. He was told to install a fish tank with six black fish and fix a red clock to the ceiling. Since then he has not been burglarized once. It may seem an incredible story, but no other suitable explanation has been offered. | 2670.txt | 2 |
[
"he must work hard to help reform criminals",
"he must believe as professional lawyers do",
"he must be able to tell when and where a crime is committed",
"he must justify the arrests he makes of criminals"
] | A policeman has to be trained in criminal law because ________. | Real policemen hardly recognize any resemblance between their lives and what they see on TV.
The first difference is that a policeman's real life revolves round criminal law. He has to know exactly what actions are crimes and what evidence can be used to prove them in court. He has to know nearly as much law as a professional lawyer, and what is more, he has to apply it on his feet, in the dark and rain, running down a street after someone he wants to talk to.
Little of his time is spent in chatting. He will spend most of his working life typing millions of words on thousands of forms about hundreds of sad, unimportant people who are guilty of stupid, petty crimes.
Most television crime drama is about finding the criminal: as soon as he's arrested, the story is over. In real life, finding criminals is seldom much of a problem. Except in very serious cases like murders and terrorist attacks little effort is spent on searching.
Having made an arrest, a detective really start to work. He has to prove his case in court and to do that he often has to gather a lot of different evidence.
At third big difference between the drama detective and the real one is the unpleasant pressures: first, as members of a police force they always have to behave absolutely in accordance with the law. Secondly, as expensive public servants they have to get results. They can hardly ever do both. Most of the time some of them have to break the rules in small ways.
If the detective has to detective the world, the world often deceives him. Hardly anyone he meets tells him the truth. And this separation the detective feels between himself and the rest of the world is deepened by the simples mindedness as he sees it-of citizens, social workers, doctors, law-makers, and judges, who, instead of eliminating crime punish the criminals less severely in the hope that this will make them reform. The result, detectives feel, is that nine-tenths of their work is re-catching people who should have stared behind bars. This makes them rather cynical. | 2676.txt | 3 |
[
"Dangerous",
"Demanding",
"Distressing",
"Dramatic"
] | What is the most suitable word that describes the work of a policeman according to the passage? | Real policemen hardly recognize any resemblance between their lives and what they see on TV.
The first difference is that a policeman's real life revolves round criminal law. He has to know exactly what actions are crimes and what evidence can be used to prove them in court. He has to know nearly as much law as a professional lawyer, and what is more, he has to apply it on his feet, in the dark and rain, running down a street after someone he wants to talk to.
Little of his time is spent in chatting. He will spend most of his working life typing millions of words on thousands of forms about hundreds of sad, unimportant people who are guilty of stupid, petty crimes.
Most television crime drama is about finding the criminal: as soon as he's arrested, the story is over. In real life, finding criminals is seldom much of a problem. Except in very serious cases like murders and terrorist attacks little effort is spent on searching.
Having made an arrest, a detective really start to work. He has to prove his case in court and to do that he often has to gather a lot of different evidence.
At third big difference between the drama detective and the real one is the unpleasant pressures: first, as members of a police force they always have to behave absolutely in accordance with the law. Secondly, as expensive public servants they have to get results. They can hardly ever do both. Most of the time some of them have to break the rules in small ways.
If the detective has to detective the world, the world often deceives him. Hardly anyone he meets tells him the truth. And this separation the detective feels between himself and the rest of the world is deepened by the simples mindedness as he sees it-of citizens, social workers, doctors, law-makers, and judges, who, instead of eliminating crime punish the criminals less severely in the hope that this will make them reform. The result, detectives feel, is that nine-tenths of their work is re-catching people who should have stared behind bars. This makes them rather cynical. | 2676.txt | 2 |
[
"patrolling the street, rain or shine",
"tracking and arresting criminals",
"collecting and providing evidence",
"consulting the rules of law"
] | According to the passage, policemen spend most of their time an efforts ________. | Real policemen hardly recognize any resemblance between their lives and what they see on TV.
The first difference is that a policeman's real life revolves round criminal law. He has to know exactly what actions are crimes and what evidence can be used to prove them in court. He has to know nearly as much law as a professional lawyer, and what is more, he has to apply it on his feet, in the dark and rain, running down a street after someone he wants to talk to.
Little of his time is spent in chatting. He will spend most of his working life typing millions of words on thousands of forms about hundreds of sad, unimportant people who are guilty of stupid, petty crimes.
Most television crime drama is about finding the criminal: as soon as he's arrested, the story is over. In real life, finding criminals is seldom much of a problem. Except in very serious cases like murders and terrorist attacks little effort is spent on searching.
Having made an arrest, a detective really start to work. He has to prove his case in court and to do that he often has to gather a lot of different evidence.
At third big difference between the drama detective and the real one is the unpleasant pressures: first, as members of a police force they always have to behave absolutely in accordance with the law. Secondly, as expensive public servants they have to get results. They can hardly ever do both. Most of the time some of them have to break the rules in small ways.
If the detective has to detective the world, the world often deceives him. Hardly anyone he meets tells him the truth. And this separation the detective feels between himself and the rest of the world is deepened by the simples mindedness as he sees it-of citizens, social workers, doctors, law-makers, and judges, who, instead of eliminating crime punish the criminals less severely in the hope that this will make them reform. The result, detectives feel, is that nine-tenths of their work is re-catching people who should have stared behind bars. This makes them rather cynical. | 2676.txt | 2 |
[
"He has to get the most desirable results without breaking the law in any way.",
"He has to justify his arrests while unable to provide sufficient evidence in most cases.",
"He can hardly find enough time to learn criminal law while burdened with numerous criminal cases.",
"He has to provide the best possible public service at the least possible expense."
] | What's the policeman's biggest headache? | Real policemen hardly recognize any resemblance between their lives and what they see on TV.
The first difference is that a policeman's real life revolves round criminal law. He has to know exactly what actions are crimes and what evidence can be used to prove them in court. He has to know nearly as much law as a professional lawyer, and what is more, he has to apply it on his feet, in the dark and rain, running down a street after someone he wants to talk to.
Little of his time is spent in chatting. He will spend most of his working life typing millions of words on thousands of forms about hundreds of sad, unimportant people who are guilty of stupid, petty crimes.
Most television crime drama is about finding the criminal: as soon as he's arrested, the story is over. In real life, finding criminals is seldom much of a problem. Except in very serious cases like murders and terrorist attacks little effort is spent on searching.
Having made an arrest, a detective really start to work. He has to prove his case in court and to do that he often has to gather a lot of different evidence.
At third big difference between the drama detective and the real one is the unpleasant pressures: first, as members of a police force they always have to behave absolutely in accordance with the law. Secondly, as expensive public servants they have to get results. They can hardly ever do both. Most of the time some of them have to break the rules in small ways.
If the detective has to detective the world, the world often deceives him. Hardly anyone he meets tells him the truth. And this separation the detective feels between himself and the rest of the world is deepened by the simples mindedness as he sees it-of citizens, social workers, doctors, law-makers, and judges, who, instead of eliminating crime punish the criminals less severely in the hope that this will make them reform. The result, detectives feel, is that nine-tenths of their work is re-catching people who should have stared behind bars. This makes them rather cynical. | 2676.txt | 0 |
[
"Because they do not receive due support from society.",
"Because they find people insincere with them.",
"Because they feel superior to simple-minded people around them.",
"Because they are suspicious of the people around them."
] | Why do policemen feel separated from the rest of the world? | Real policemen hardly recognize any resemblance between their lives and what they see on TV.
The first difference is that a policeman's real life revolves round criminal law. He has to know exactly what actions are crimes and what evidence can be used to prove them in court. He has to know nearly as much law as a professional lawyer, and what is more, he has to apply it on his feet, in the dark and rain, running down a street after someone he wants to talk to.
Little of his time is spent in chatting. He will spend most of his working life typing millions of words on thousands of forms about hundreds of sad, unimportant people who are guilty of stupid, petty crimes.
Most television crime drama is about finding the criminal: as soon as he's arrested, the story is over. In real life, finding criminals is seldom much of a problem. Except in very serious cases like murders and terrorist attacks little effort is spent on searching.
Having made an arrest, a detective really start to work. He has to prove his case in court and to do that he often has to gather a lot of different evidence.
At third big difference between the drama detective and the real one is the unpleasant pressures: first, as members of a police force they always have to behave absolutely in accordance with the law. Secondly, as expensive public servants they have to get results. They can hardly ever do both. Most of the time some of them have to break the rules in small ways.
If the detective has to detective the world, the world often deceives him. Hardly anyone he meets tells him the truth. And this separation the detective feels between himself and the rest of the world is deepened by the simples mindedness as he sees it-of citizens, social workers, doctors, law-makers, and judges, who, instead of eliminating crime punish the criminals less severely in the hope that this will make them reform. The result, detectives feel, is that nine-tenths of their work is re-catching people who should have stared behind bars. This makes them rather cynical. | 2676.txt | 1 |
[
"nears",
"crosses",
"travels along",
"leaves"
] | The word "approaches" in the passage is closest in meaning to | The cold Humboldt Current of the Pacific Ocean flows toward the equator along the coasts of Ecuador and Peru in South America. When the current approaches the equator, the westward-flowing trade winds cause nutrient-rich cold water along the coast to rise from deeper depths to more shallow ones. This upwelling of water has economic repercussions. Fishing, especially for anchovies, is a major local industry.
Every year during the months of December and January, a weak, warm countercurrent replaces the normally cold coastal waters. Without the upwelling of nutrients from below to feed the fish, fishing comes to a standstill. Fishers in this region have known the phenomenon for hundreds of years. In fact, this is the time of year they traditionally set aside to tend to their equipment and await the return of cold water. The residents of the region have given this phenomenon the name of El Nifio, which is Spanish for "the child," because it occurs at about the time of the celebration of birth of the Christ child.
While the warm-water countercurrent usually lasts for two months or less, there are occasions when the disruption to the normal flow lasts for many months. In these situations, water temperatures are raised not just along the coast, but for thousands of kilometers offshore. Over the last few decades, the term El Nifio has come to be used to describe these exceptionally strong episodes and not the annual event. During the past 60 years, at least ten El Nifios have been observed Not only do El Niftos affect the temperature of the equatorial Pacific, but the strongest of them impact global weather.
The processes that interact to produce an El Nifio involve conditions all across the Pacific, not just in the waters off South America. Over 60 years ago, Sir Gilbert Walker, a British scientist, discovered a connection between surface pressure readings at weather stations on the eastern and western sides of the Pacific. He noted that a rise in atmospheric pressure in the eastern Pacific is usually accompanied by a fall in pressure in the western Pacific and vice versa. He called this seesaw pattern the Southern Oscillation. It was later realized that there is a close link between El Nino and the Southern Oscillation. In fact, the link between the two is so great that they are often referred to jointly as ENSO (El Nino-Southern Oscillation).
During a typical year, the eastern Pacific has a higher pressure than the western Pacific does. This east-to-west pressure gradient enhances the trade winds over the equatorial waters. This results in a warm surface current that moves east to west at the equator. The western Pacific develops a thick, warm layer of water while the eastern Pacific has the cold Humboldt Current enhanced by upwelling. However, in other years the Southern Oscillation, for unknown reasons, swings in the opposite direction, dramatically changing the usual conditions described above, with pressure increasing in the western. Pacific and decreasing in the eastern Pacific. This change in the pressure gradient causes the trade winds to weaken or, in some cases, to reverse. This then causes the warm water in the western Pacific to flow eastward, increasing sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific. The eastward shift signals the beginning of an El Nifio.
Scientists try to document as many past El Nino events as possible by piecing together bits of historical evidence, such as sea-surface temperature records, daily observations of atmospheric pressure and rainfall, fisheries' records from South America, and the writings of Spanish colonists dating back to the fifteenth century. From such historical evidence we know that El Nirtos have occurred as far back as records go. It would seem that they are becoming more frequent. Records indicate that during the sixteenth century, an El Nino occurred on average every six years. Evidence gathered over the past few decades indicates that El Ninos are now occurring on average a little over every two years. Even more alarming is the fact that they appear to be getting stronger. The 1997-1998 El Nifio brought copious and damaging rainfall to the southern United States, from California to Florida. Snowstorms in the northeast portion of the United States were more frequent and intense than in most years. | 2753.txt | 0 |
[
"Anchovies from southern waters are carried northward.",
"Cold water from lower depths is brought closer to the surface.",
"The Humboldt Current stops flowing toward the equator.",
"The Humboldt Current begins to flow closer to the coasts of Ecuador and Peru."
] | According to paragraph 1, what happens when the Humboldt Current interacts with westward flowing trade winds? | The cold Humboldt Current of the Pacific Ocean flows toward the equator along the coasts of Ecuador and Peru in South America. When the current approaches the equator, the westward-flowing trade winds cause nutrient-rich cold water along the coast to rise from deeper depths to more shallow ones. This upwelling of water has economic repercussions. Fishing, especially for anchovies, is a major local industry.
Every year during the months of December and January, a weak, warm countercurrent replaces the normally cold coastal waters. Without the upwelling of nutrients from below to feed the fish, fishing comes to a standstill. Fishers in this region have known the phenomenon for hundreds of years. In fact, this is the time of year they traditionally set aside to tend to their equipment and await the return of cold water. The residents of the region have given this phenomenon the name of El Nifio, which is Spanish for "the child," because it occurs at about the time of the celebration of birth of the Christ child.
While the warm-water countercurrent usually lasts for two months or less, there are occasions when the disruption to the normal flow lasts for many months. In these situations, water temperatures are raised not just along the coast, but for thousands of kilometers offshore. Over the last few decades, the term El Nifio has come to be used to describe these exceptionally strong episodes and not the annual event. During the past 60 years, at least ten El Nifios have been observed Not only do El Niftos affect the temperature of the equatorial Pacific, but the strongest of them impact global weather.
The processes that interact to produce an El Nifio involve conditions all across the Pacific, not just in the waters off South America. Over 60 years ago, Sir Gilbert Walker, a British scientist, discovered a connection between surface pressure readings at weather stations on the eastern and western sides of the Pacific. He noted that a rise in atmospheric pressure in the eastern Pacific is usually accompanied by a fall in pressure in the western Pacific and vice versa. He called this seesaw pattern the Southern Oscillation. It was later realized that there is a close link between El Nino and the Southern Oscillation. In fact, the link between the two is so great that they are often referred to jointly as ENSO (El Nino-Southern Oscillation).
During a typical year, the eastern Pacific has a higher pressure than the western Pacific does. This east-to-west pressure gradient enhances the trade winds over the equatorial waters. This results in a warm surface current that moves east to west at the equator. The western Pacific develops a thick, warm layer of water while the eastern Pacific has the cold Humboldt Current enhanced by upwelling. However, in other years the Southern Oscillation, for unknown reasons, swings in the opposite direction, dramatically changing the usual conditions described above, with pressure increasing in the western. Pacific and decreasing in the eastern Pacific. This change in the pressure gradient causes the trade winds to weaken or, in some cases, to reverse. This then causes the warm water in the western Pacific to flow eastward, increasing sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific. The eastward shift signals the beginning of an El Nifio.
Scientists try to document as many past El Nino events as possible by piecing together bits of historical evidence, such as sea-surface temperature records, daily observations of atmospheric pressure and rainfall, fisheries' records from South America, and the writings of Spanish colonists dating back to the fifteenth century. From such historical evidence we know that El Nirtos have occurred as far back as records go. It would seem that they are becoming more frequent. Records indicate that during the sixteenth century, an El Nino occurred on average every six years. Evidence gathered over the past few decades indicates that El Ninos are now occurring on average a little over every two years. Even more alarming is the fact that they appear to be getting stronger. The 1997-1998 El Nifio brought copious and damaging rainfall to the southern United States, from California to Florida. Snowstorms in the northeast portion of the United States were more frequent and intense than in most years. | 2753.txt | 1 |
[
"Why is the El Niflo phenomenon called El Nirto",
"How do fishers spend their time during the El Nifio season",
"How do coastal fish obtain enough nutrients during the El Nifio season",
"Is the temperature of coastal waters different during the El Niflo season than it is the rest of the year"
] | Which of the following questions about the El Nino phenomenon is NOT answered in paragraph 2 ? | The cold Humboldt Current of the Pacific Ocean flows toward the equator along the coasts of Ecuador and Peru in South America. When the current approaches the equator, the westward-flowing trade winds cause nutrient-rich cold water along the coast to rise from deeper depths to more shallow ones. This upwelling of water has economic repercussions. Fishing, especially for anchovies, is a major local industry.
Every year during the months of December and January, a weak, warm countercurrent replaces the normally cold coastal waters. Without the upwelling of nutrients from below to feed the fish, fishing comes to a standstill. Fishers in this region have known the phenomenon for hundreds of years. In fact, this is the time of year they traditionally set aside to tend to their equipment and await the return of cold water. The residents of the region have given this phenomenon the name of El Nifio, which is Spanish for "the child," because it occurs at about the time of the celebration of birth of the Christ child.
While the warm-water countercurrent usually lasts for two months or less, there are occasions when the disruption to the normal flow lasts for many months. In these situations, water temperatures are raised not just along the coast, but for thousands of kilometers offshore. Over the last few decades, the term El Nifio has come to be used to describe these exceptionally strong episodes and not the annual event. During the past 60 years, at least ten El Nifios have been observed Not only do El Niftos affect the temperature of the equatorial Pacific, but the strongest of them impact global weather.
The processes that interact to produce an El Nifio involve conditions all across the Pacific, not just in the waters off South America. Over 60 years ago, Sir Gilbert Walker, a British scientist, discovered a connection between surface pressure readings at weather stations on the eastern and western sides of the Pacific. He noted that a rise in atmospheric pressure in the eastern Pacific is usually accompanied by a fall in pressure in the western Pacific and vice versa. He called this seesaw pattern the Southern Oscillation. It was later realized that there is a close link between El Nino and the Southern Oscillation. In fact, the link between the two is so great that they are often referred to jointly as ENSO (El Nino-Southern Oscillation).
During a typical year, the eastern Pacific has a higher pressure than the western Pacific does. This east-to-west pressure gradient enhances the trade winds over the equatorial waters. This results in a warm surface current that moves east to west at the equator. The western Pacific develops a thick, warm layer of water while the eastern Pacific has the cold Humboldt Current enhanced by upwelling. However, in other years the Southern Oscillation, for unknown reasons, swings in the opposite direction, dramatically changing the usual conditions described above, with pressure increasing in the western. Pacific and decreasing in the eastern Pacific. This change in the pressure gradient causes the trade winds to weaken or, in some cases, to reverse. This then causes the warm water in the western Pacific to flow eastward, increasing sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific. The eastward shift signals the beginning of an El Nifio.
Scientists try to document as many past El Nino events as possible by piecing together bits of historical evidence, such as sea-surface temperature records, daily observations of atmospheric pressure and rainfall, fisheries' records from South America, and the writings of Spanish colonists dating back to the fifteenth century. From such historical evidence we know that El Nirtos have occurred as far back as records go. It would seem that they are becoming more frequent. Records indicate that during the sixteenth century, an El Nino occurred on average every six years. Evidence gathered over the past few decades indicates that El Ninos are now occurring on average a little over every two years. Even more alarming is the fact that they appear to be getting stronger. The 1997-1998 El Nifio brought copious and damaging rainfall to the southern United States, from California to Florida. Snowstorms in the northeast portion of the United States were more frequent and intense than in most years. | 2753.txt | 2 |
[
"obviously",
"unusually",
"relatively",
"occasionally"
] | The word "exceptionally", in the passage is closest in meaning to | The cold Humboldt Current of the Pacific Ocean flows toward the equator along the coasts of Ecuador and Peru in South America. When the current approaches the equator, the westward-flowing trade winds cause nutrient-rich cold water along the coast to rise from deeper depths to more shallow ones. This upwelling of water has economic repercussions. Fishing, especially for anchovies, is a major local industry.
Every year during the months of December and January, a weak, warm countercurrent replaces the normally cold coastal waters. Without the upwelling of nutrients from below to feed the fish, fishing comes to a standstill. Fishers in this region have known the phenomenon for hundreds of years. In fact, this is the time of year they traditionally set aside to tend to their equipment and await the return of cold water. The residents of the region have given this phenomenon the name of El Nifio, which is Spanish for "the child," because it occurs at about the time of the celebration of birth of the Christ child.
While the warm-water countercurrent usually lasts for two months or less, there are occasions when the disruption to the normal flow lasts for many months. In these situations, water temperatures are raised not just along the coast, but for thousands of kilometers offshore. Over the last few decades, the term El Nifio has come to be used to describe these exceptionally strong episodes and not the annual event. During the past 60 years, at least ten El Nifios have been observed Not only do El Niftos affect the temperature of the equatorial Pacific, but the strongest of them impact global weather.
The processes that interact to produce an El Nifio involve conditions all across the Pacific, not just in the waters off South America. Over 60 years ago, Sir Gilbert Walker, a British scientist, discovered a connection between surface pressure readings at weather stations on the eastern and western sides of the Pacific. He noted that a rise in atmospheric pressure in the eastern Pacific is usually accompanied by a fall in pressure in the western Pacific and vice versa. He called this seesaw pattern the Southern Oscillation. It was later realized that there is a close link between El Nino and the Southern Oscillation. In fact, the link between the two is so great that they are often referred to jointly as ENSO (El Nino-Southern Oscillation).
During a typical year, the eastern Pacific has a higher pressure than the western Pacific does. This east-to-west pressure gradient enhances the trade winds over the equatorial waters. This results in a warm surface current that moves east to west at the equator. The western Pacific develops a thick, warm layer of water while the eastern Pacific has the cold Humboldt Current enhanced by upwelling. However, in other years the Southern Oscillation, for unknown reasons, swings in the opposite direction, dramatically changing the usual conditions described above, with pressure increasing in the western. Pacific and decreasing in the eastern Pacific. This change in the pressure gradient causes the trade winds to weaken or, in some cases, to reverse. This then causes the warm water in the western Pacific to flow eastward, increasing sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific. The eastward shift signals the beginning of an El Nifio.
Scientists try to document as many past El Nino events as possible by piecing together bits of historical evidence, such as sea-surface temperature records, daily observations of atmospheric pressure and rainfall, fisheries' records from South America, and the writings of Spanish colonists dating back to the fifteenth century. From such historical evidence we know that El Nirtos have occurred as far back as records go. It would seem that they are becoming more frequent. Records indicate that during the sixteenth century, an El Nino occurred on average every six years. Evidence gathered over the past few decades indicates that El Ninos are now occurring on average a little over every two years. Even more alarming is the fact that they appear to be getting stronger. The 1997-1998 El Nifio brought copious and damaging rainfall to the southern United States, from California to Florida. Snowstorms in the northeast portion of the United States were more frequent and intense than in most years. | 2753.txt | 1 |
[
"El Nifios can originate in areas other than the Pacific Ocean.",
"El Nifios can arise when warm currents last for two months or less.",
"El Nifios affect water temperatures long distances from the South American coast.",
"Multiple El Niflos can arise within a single calendar year."
] | Paragraph 3 supports which of the following statements about El Ninos, as that term is now used? | The cold Humboldt Current of the Pacific Ocean flows toward the equator along the coasts of Ecuador and Peru in South America. When the current approaches the equator, the westward-flowing trade winds cause nutrient-rich cold water along the coast to rise from deeper depths to more shallow ones. This upwelling of water has economic repercussions. Fishing, especially for anchovies, is a major local industry.
Every year during the months of December and January, a weak, warm countercurrent replaces the normally cold coastal waters. Without the upwelling of nutrients from below to feed the fish, fishing comes to a standstill. Fishers in this region have known the phenomenon for hundreds of years. In fact, this is the time of year they traditionally set aside to tend to their equipment and await the return of cold water. The residents of the region have given this phenomenon the name of El Nifio, which is Spanish for "the child," because it occurs at about the time of the celebration of birth of the Christ child.
While the warm-water countercurrent usually lasts for two months or less, there are occasions when the disruption to the normal flow lasts for many months. In these situations, water temperatures are raised not just along the coast, but for thousands of kilometers offshore. Over the last few decades, the term El Nifio has come to be used to describe these exceptionally strong episodes and not the annual event. During the past 60 years, at least ten El Nifios have been observed Not only do El Niftos affect the temperature of the equatorial Pacific, but the strongest of them impact global weather.
The processes that interact to produce an El Nifio involve conditions all across the Pacific, not just in the waters off South America. Over 60 years ago, Sir Gilbert Walker, a British scientist, discovered a connection between surface pressure readings at weather stations on the eastern and western sides of the Pacific. He noted that a rise in atmospheric pressure in the eastern Pacific is usually accompanied by a fall in pressure in the western Pacific and vice versa. He called this seesaw pattern the Southern Oscillation. It was later realized that there is a close link between El Nino and the Southern Oscillation. In fact, the link between the two is so great that they are often referred to jointly as ENSO (El Nino-Southern Oscillation).
During a typical year, the eastern Pacific has a higher pressure than the western Pacific does. This east-to-west pressure gradient enhances the trade winds over the equatorial waters. This results in a warm surface current that moves east to west at the equator. The western Pacific develops a thick, warm layer of water while the eastern Pacific has the cold Humboldt Current enhanced by upwelling. However, in other years the Southern Oscillation, for unknown reasons, swings in the opposite direction, dramatically changing the usual conditions described above, with pressure increasing in the western. Pacific and decreasing in the eastern Pacific. This change in the pressure gradient causes the trade winds to weaken or, in some cases, to reverse. This then causes the warm water in the western Pacific to flow eastward, increasing sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific. The eastward shift signals the beginning of an El Nifio.
Scientists try to document as many past El Nino events as possible by piecing together bits of historical evidence, such as sea-surface temperature records, daily observations of atmospheric pressure and rainfall, fisheries' records from South America, and the writings of Spanish colonists dating back to the fifteenth century. From such historical evidence we know that El Nirtos have occurred as far back as records go. It would seem that they are becoming more frequent. Records indicate that during the sixteenth century, an El Nino occurred on average every six years. Evidence gathered over the past few decades indicates that El Ninos are now occurring on average a little over every two years. Even more alarming is the fact that they appear to be getting stronger. The 1997-1998 El Nifio brought copious and damaging rainfall to the southern United States, from California to Florida. Snowstorms in the northeast portion of the United States were more frequent and intense than in most years. | 2753.txt | 0 |
[
"usually develops before",
"usually occurs together with",
"is usually indicated by",
"is usually caused by"
] | The phrase "is usually accompanied by" in the passage is closest in meaning to | The cold Humboldt Current of the Pacific Ocean flows toward the equator along the coasts of Ecuador and Peru in South America. When the current approaches the equator, the westward-flowing trade winds cause nutrient-rich cold water along the coast to rise from deeper depths to more shallow ones. This upwelling of water has economic repercussions. Fishing, especially for anchovies, is a major local industry.
Every year during the months of December and January, a weak, warm countercurrent replaces the normally cold coastal waters. Without the upwelling of nutrients from below to feed the fish, fishing comes to a standstill. Fishers in this region have known the phenomenon for hundreds of years. In fact, this is the time of year they traditionally set aside to tend to their equipment and await the return of cold water. The residents of the region have given this phenomenon the name of El Nifio, which is Spanish for "the child," because it occurs at about the time of the celebration of birth of the Christ child.
While the warm-water countercurrent usually lasts for two months or less, there are occasions when the disruption to the normal flow lasts for many months. In these situations, water temperatures are raised not just along the coast, but for thousands of kilometers offshore. Over the last few decades, the term El Nifio has come to be used to describe these exceptionally strong episodes and not the annual event. During the past 60 years, at least ten El Nifios have been observed Not only do El Niftos affect the temperature of the equatorial Pacific, but the strongest of them impact global weather.
The processes that interact to produce an El Nifio involve conditions all across the Pacific, not just in the waters off South America. Over 60 years ago, Sir Gilbert Walker, a British scientist, discovered a connection between surface pressure readings at weather stations on the eastern and western sides of the Pacific. He noted that a rise in atmospheric pressure in the eastern Pacific is usually accompanied by a fall in pressure in the western Pacific and vice versa. He called this seesaw pattern the Southern Oscillation. It was later realized that there is a close link between El Nino and the Southern Oscillation. In fact, the link between the two is so great that they are often referred to jointly as ENSO (El Nino-Southern Oscillation).
During a typical year, the eastern Pacific has a higher pressure than the western Pacific does. This east-to-west pressure gradient enhances the trade winds over the equatorial waters. This results in a warm surface current that moves east to west at the equator. The western Pacific develops a thick, warm layer of water while the eastern Pacific has the cold Humboldt Current enhanced by upwelling. However, in other years the Southern Oscillation, for unknown reasons, swings in the opposite direction, dramatically changing the usual conditions described above, with pressure increasing in the western. Pacific and decreasing in the eastern Pacific. This change in the pressure gradient causes the trade winds to weaken or, in some cases, to reverse. This then causes the warm water in the western Pacific to flow eastward, increasing sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific. The eastward shift signals the beginning of an El Nifio.
Scientists try to document as many past El Nino events as possible by piecing together bits of historical evidence, such as sea-surface temperature records, daily observations of atmospheric pressure and rainfall, fisheries' records from South America, and the writings of Spanish colonists dating back to the fifteenth century. From such historical evidence we know that El Nirtos have occurred as far back as records go. It would seem that they are becoming more frequent. Records indicate that during the sixteenth century, an El Nino occurred on average every six years. Evidence gathered over the past few decades indicates that El Ninos are now occurring on average a little over every two years. Even more alarming is the fact that they appear to be getting stronger. The 1997-1998 El Nifio brought copious and damaging rainfall to the southern United States, from California to Florida. Snowstorms in the northeast portion of the United States were more frequent and intense than in most years. | 2753.txt | 1 |
[
"together",
"therefore",
"rightfully",
"simply"
] | The word "jointly" in the passage is closest in meaning to | The cold Humboldt Current of the Pacific Ocean flows toward the equator along the coasts of Ecuador and Peru in South America. When the current approaches the equator, the westward-flowing trade winds cause nutrient-rich cold water along the coast to rise from deeper depths to more shallow ones. This upwelling of water has economic repercussions. Fishing, especially for anchovies, is a major local industry.
Every year during the months of December and January, a weak, warm countercurrent replaces the normally cold coastal waters. Without the upwelling of nutrients from below to feed the fish, fishing comes to a standstill. Fishers in this region have known the phenomenon for hundreds of years. In fact, this is the time of year they traditionally set aside to tend to their equipment and await the return of cold water. The residents of the region have given this phenomenon the name of El Nifio, which is Spanish for "the child," because it occurs at about the time of the celebration of birth of the Christ child.
While the warm-water countercurrent usually lasts for two months or less, there are occasions when the disruption to the normal flow lasts for many months. In these situations, water temperatures are raised not just along the coast, but for thousands of kilometers offshore. Over the last few decades, the term El Nifio has come to be used to describe these exceptionally strong episodes and not the annual event. During the past 60 years, at least ten El Nifios have been observed Not only do El Niftos affect the temperature of the equatorial Pacific, but the strongest of them impact global weather.
The processes that interact to produce an El Nifio involve conditions all across the Pacific, not just in the waters off South America. Over 60 years ago, Sir Gilbert Walker, a British scientist, discovered a connection between surface pressure readings at weather stations on the eastern and western sides of the Pacific. He noted that a rise in atmospheric pressure in the eastern Pacific is usually accompanied by a fall in pressure in the western Pacific and vice versa. He called this seesaw pattern the Southern Oscillation. It was later realized that there is a close link between El Nino and the Southern Oscillation. In fact, the link between the two is so great that they are often referred to jointly as ENSO (El Nino-Southern Oscillation).
During a typical year, the eastern Pacific has a higher pressure than the western Pacific does. This east-to-west pressure gradient enhances the trade winds over the equatorial waters. This results in a warm surface current that moves east to west at the equator. The western Pacific develops a thick, warm layer of water while the eastern Pacific has the cold Humboldt Current enhanced by upwelling. However, in other years the Southern Oscillation, for unknown reasons, swings in the opposite direction, dramatically changing the usual conditions described above, with pressure increasing in the western. Pacific and decreasing in the eastern Pacific. This change in the pressure gradient causes the trade winds to weaken or, in some cases, to reverse. This then causes the warm water in the western Pacific to flow eastward, increasing sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific. The eastward shift signals the beginning of an El Nifio.
Scientists try to document as many past El Nino events as possible by piecing together bits of historical evidence, such as sea-surface temperature records, daily observations of atmospheric pressure and rainfall, fisheries' records from South America, and the writings of Spanish colonists dating back to the fifteenth century. From such historical evidence we know that El Nirtos have occurred as far back as records go. It would seem that they are becoming more frequent. Records indicate that during the sixteenth century, an El Nino occurred on average every six years. Evidence gathered over the past few decades indicates that El Ninos are now occurring on average a little over every two years. Even more alarming is the fact that they appear to be getting stronger. The 1997-1998 El Nifio brought copious and damaging rainfall to the southern United States, from California to Florida. Snowstorms in the northeast portion of the United States were more frequent and intense than in most years. | 2753.txt | 0 |
[
"There is a close link between El Nifio and the Southern Oscillation.",
"Surface pressure readings all across the Pacific first rise and then fall before an El Nifio occurs.",
"Surface pressure on one side of the Pacific tends to fall when pressure rises on the opposite side.",
"The formation of an El Nirto depends on conditions all across the Pacific, not just in the waters off of South America."
] | According to paragraph 4, what did Sir Gilbert Walker discover? | The cold Humboldt Current of the Pacific Ocean flows toward the equator along the coasts of Ecuador and Peru in South America. When the current approaches the equator, the westward-flowing trade winds cause nutrient-rich cold water along the coast to rise from deeper depths to more shallow ones. This upwelling of water has economic repercussions. Fishing, especially for anchovies, is a major local industry.
Every year during the months of December and January, a weak, warm countercurrent replaces the normally cold coastal waters. Without the upwelling of nutrients from below to feed the fish, fishing comes to a standstill. Fishers in this region have known the phenomenon for hundreds of years. In fact, this is the time of year they traditionally set aside to tend to their equipment and await the return of cold water. The residents of the region have given this phenomenon the name of El Nifio, which is Spanish for "the child," because it occurs at about the time of the celebration of birth of the Christ child.
While the warm-water countercurrent usually lasts for two months or less, there are occasions when the disruption to the normal flow lasts for many months. In these situations, water temperatures are raised not just along the coast, but for thousands of kilometers offshore. Over the last few decades, the term El Nifio has come to be used to describe these exceptionally strong episodes and not the annual event. During the past 60 years, at least ten El Nifios have been observed Not only do El Niftos affect the temperature of the equatorial Pacific, but the strongest of them impact global weather.
The processes that interact to produce an El Nifio involve conditions all across the Pacific, not just in the waters off South America. Over 60 years ago, Sir Gilbert Walker, a British scientist, discovered a connection between surface pressure readings at weather stations on the eastern and western sides of the Pacific. He noted that a rise in atmospheric pressure in the eastern Pacific is usually accompanied by a fall in pressure in the western Pacific and vice versa. He called this seesaw pattern the Southern Oscillation. It was later realized that there is a close link between El Nino and the Southern Oscillation. In fact, the link between the two is so great that they are often referred to jointly as ENSO (El Nino-Southern Oscillation).
During a typical year, the eastern Pacific has a higher pressure than the western Pacific does. This east-to-west pressure gradient enhances the trade winds over the equatorial waters. This results in a warm surface current that moves east to west at the equator. The western Pacific develops a thick, warm layer of water while the eastern Pacific has the cold Humboldt Current enhanced by upwelling. However, in other years the Southern Oscillation, for unknown reasons, swings in the opposite direction, dramatically changing the usual conditions described above, with pressure increasing in the western. Pacific and decreasing in the eastern Pacific. This change in the pressure gradient causes the trade winds to weaken or, in some cases, to reverse. This then causes the warm water in the western Pacific to flow eastward, increasing sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific. The eastward shift signals the beginning of an El Nifio.
Scientists try to document as many past El Nino events as possible by piecing together bits of historical evidence, such as sea-surface temperature records, daily observations of atmospheric pressure and rainfall, fisheries' records from South America, and the writings of Spanish colonists dating back to the fifteenth century. From such historical evidence we know that El Nirtos have occurred as far back as records go. It would seem that they are becoming more frequent. Records indicate that during the sixteenth century, an El Nino occurred on average every six years. Evidence gathered over the past few decades indicates that El Ninos are now occurring on average a little over every two years. Even more alarming is the fact that they appear to be getting stronger. The 1997-1998 El Nifio brought copious and damaging rainfall to the southern United States, from California to Florida. Snowstorms in the northeast portion of the United States were more frequent and intense than in most years. | 2753.txt | 2 |
[
"The formation of a thick, warm layer of water in the western Pacific",
"The reversal of the pressure gradient to west-to-east by the end of the year",
"A change in the direction of the Southern Oscillation",
"The eastward flow of warm water from the western Pacific"
] | According to paragraph 5, what is the end result of the east-to-west pressure gradient in the eastern Pacific during a typical year? | The cold Humboldt Current of the Pacific Ocean flows toward the equator along the coasts of Ecuador and Peru in South America. When the current approaches the equator, the westward-flowing trade winds cause nutrient-rich cold water along the coast to rise from deeper depths to more shallow ones. This upwelling of water has economic repercussions. Fishing, especially for anchovies, is a major local industry.
Every year during the months of December and January, a weak, warm countercurrent replaces the normally cold coastal waters. Without the upwelling of nutrients from below to feed the fish, fishing comes to a standstill. Fishers in this region have known the phenomenon for hundreds of years. In fact, this is the time of year they traditionally set aside to tend to their equipment and await the return of cold water. The residents of the region have given this phenomenon the name of El Nifio, which is Spanish for "the child," because it occurs at about the time of the celebration of birth of the Christ child.
While the warm-water countercurrent usually lasts for two months or less, there are occasions when the disruption to the normal flow lasts for many months. In these situations, water temperatures are raised not just along the coast, but for thousands of kilometers offshore. Over the last few decades, the term El Nifio has come to be used to describe these exceptionally strong episodes and not the annual event. During the past 60 years, at least ten El Nifios have been observed Not only do El Niftos affect the temperature of the equatorial Pacific, but the strongest of them impact global weather.
The processes that interact to produce an El Nifio involve conditions all across the Pacific, not just in the waters off South America. Over 60 years ago, Sir Gilbert Walker, a British scientist, discovered a connection between surface pressure readings at weather stations on the eastern and western sides of the Pacific. He noted that a rise in atmospheric pressure in the eastern Pacific is usually accompanied by a fall in pressure in the western Pacific and vice versa. He called this seesaw pattern the Southern Oscillation. It was later realized that there is a close link between El Nino and the Southern Oscillation. In fact, the link between the two is so great that they are often referred to jointly as ENSO (El Nino-Southern Oscillation).
During a typical year, the eastern Pacific has a higher pressure than the western Pacific does. This east-to-west pressure gradient enhances the trade winds over the equatorial waters. This results in a warm surface current that moves east to west at the equator. The western Pacific develops a thick, warm layer of water while the eastern Pacific has the cold Humboldt Current enhanced by upwelling. However, in other years the Southern Oscillation, for unknown reasons, swings in the opposite direction, dramatically changing the usual conditions described above, with pressure increasing in the western. Pacific and decreasing in the eastern Pacific. This change in the pressure gradient causes the trade winds to weaken or, in some cases, to reverse. This then causes the warm water in the western Pacific to flow eastward, increasing sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific. The eastward shift signals the beginning of an El Nifio.
Scientists try to document as many past El Nino events as possible by piecing together bits of historical evidence, such as sea-surface temperature records, daily observations of atmospheric pressure and rainfall, fisheries' records from South America, and the writings of Spanish colonists dating back to the fifteenth century. From such historical evidence we know that El Nirtos have occurred as far back as records go. It would seem that they are becoming more frequent. Records indicate that during the sixteenth century, an El Nino occurred on average every six years. Evidence gathered over the past few decades indicates that El Ninos are now occurring on average a little over every two years. Even more alarming is the fact that they appear to be getting stronger. The 1997-1998 El Nifio brought copious and damaging rainfall to the southern United States, from California to Florida. Snowstorms in the northeast portion of the United States were more frequent and intense than in most years. | 2753.txt | 0 |
[
"Pressure increases in the western Pacific and decreases in the eastern Pacific.",
"The trade winds decrease in intensity or reverse in the direction.",
"Surface temperatures increase in the central and eastern Pacific.",
"Ocean currents speed up as they move eastward."
] | According to paragraph 5, all of the following changes occur in the Pacific before an El Nifio begins EXCEPT: | The cold Humboldt Current of the Pacific Ocean flows toward the equator along the coasts of Ecuador and Peru in South America. When the current approaches the equator, the westward-flowing trade winds cause nutrient-rich cold water along the coast to rise from deeper depths to more shallow ones. This upwelling of water has economic repercussions. Fishing, especially for anchovies, is a major local industry.
Every year during the months of December and January, a weak, warm countercurrent replaces the normally cold coastal waters. Without the upwelling of nutrients from below to feed the fish, fishing comes to a standstill. Fishers in this region have known the phenomenon for hundreds of years. In fact, this is the time of year they traditionally set aside to tend to their equipment and await the return of cold water. The residents of the region have given this phenomenon the name of El Nifio, which is Spanish for "the child," because it occurs at about the time of the celebration of birth of the Christ child.
While the warm-water countercurrent usually lasts for two months or less, there are occasions when the disruption to the normal flow lasts for many months. In these situations, water temperatures are raised not just along the coast, but for thousands of kilometers offshore. Over the last few decades, the term El Nifio has come to be used to describe these exceptionally strong episodes and not the annual event. During the past 60 years, at least ten El Nifios have been observed Not only do El Niftos affect the temperature of the equatorial Pacific, but the strongest of them impact global weather.
The processes that interact to produce an El Nifio involve conditions all across the Pacific, not just in the waters off South America. Over 60 years ago, Sir Gilbert Walker, a British scientist, discovered a connection between surface pressure readings at weather stations on the eastern and western sides of the Pacific. He noted that a rise in atmospheric pressure in the eastern Pacific is usually accompanied by a fall in pressure in the western Pacific and vice versa. He called this seesaw pattern the Southern Oscillation. It was later realized that there is a close link between El Nino and the Southern Oscillation. In fact, the link between the two is so great that they are often referred to jointly as ENSO (El Nino-Southern Oscillation).
During a typical year, the eastern Pacific has a higher pressure than the western Pacific does. This east-to-west pressure gradient enhances the trade winds over the equatorial waters. This results in a warm surface current that moves east to west at the equator. The western Pacific develops a thick, warm layer of water while the eastern Pacific has the cold Humboldt Current enhanced by upwelling. However, in other years the Southern Oscillation, for unknown reasons, swings in the opposite direction, dramatically changing the usual conditions described above, with pressure increasing in the western. Pacific and decreasing in the eastern Pacific. This change in the pressure gradient causes the trade winds to weaken or, in some cases, to reverse. This then causes the warm water in the western Pacific to flow eastward, increasing sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific. The eastward shift signals the beginning of an El Nifio.
Scientists try to document as many past El Nino events as possible by piecing together bits of historical evidence, such as sea-surface temperature records, daily observations of atmospheric pressure and rainfall, fisheries' records from South America, and the writings of Spanish colonists dating back to the fifteenth century. From such historical evidence we know that El Nirtos have occurred as far back as records go. It would seem that they are becoming more frequent. Records indicate that during the sixteenth century, an El Nino occurred on average every six years. Evidence gathered over the past few decades indicates that El Ninos are now occurring on average a little over every two years. Even more alarming is the fact that they appear to be getting stronger. The 1997-1998 El Nifio brought copious and damaging rainfall to the southern United States, from California to Florida. Snowstorms in the northeast portion of the United States were more frequent and intense than in most years. | 2753.txt | 3 |
[
"They have often brought damaging weather to parts of the United States.",
"They have been occurring since at least the fifteenth century.",
"They occurred less frequently in the sixteenth century than in the fifteenth.",
"They have had stronger weather effects on the United States in recent decades than on other locations."
] | What can be inferred about El Ninos from the historical evidence mentioned in paragraph 6 ? | The cold Humboldt Current of the Pacific Ocean flows toward the equator along the coasts of Ecuador and Peru in South America. When the current approaches the equator, the westward-flowing trade winds cause nutrient-rich cold water along the coast to rise from deeper depths to more shallow ones. This upwelling of water has economic repercussions. Fishing, especially for anchovies, is a major local industry.
Every year during the months of December and January, a weak, warm countercurrent replaces the normally cold coastal waters. Without the upwelling of nutrients from below to feed the fish, fishing comes to a standstill. Fishers in this region have known the phenomenon for hundreds of years. In fact, this is the time of year they traditionally set aside to tend to their equipment and await the return of cold water. The residents of the region have given this phenomenon the name of El Nifio, which is Spanish for "the child," because it occurs at about the time of the celebration of birth of the Christ child.
While the warm-water countercurrent usually lasts for two months or less, there are occasions when the disruption to the normal flow lasts for many months. In these situations, water temperatures are raised not just along the coast, but for thousands of kilometers offshore. Over the last few decades, the term El Nifio has come to be used to describe these exceptionally strong episodes and not the annual event. During the past 60 years, at least ten El Nifios have been observed Not only do El Niftos affect the temperature of the equatorial Pacific, but the strongest of them impact global weather.
The processes that interact to produce an El Nifio involve conditions all across the Pacific, not just in the waters off South America. Over 60 years ago, Sir Gilbert Walker, a British scientist, discovered a connection between surface pressure readings at weather stations on the eastern and western sides of the Pacific. He noted that a rise in atmospheric pressure in the eastern Pacific is usually accompanied by a fall in pressure in the western Pacific and vice versa. He called this seesaw pattern the Southern Oscillation. It was later realized that there is a close link between El Nino and the Southern Oscillation. In fact, the link between the two is so great that they are often referred to jointly as ENSO (El Nino-Southern Oscillation).
During a typical year, the eastern Pacific has a higher pressure than the western Pacific does. This east-to-west pressure gradient enhances the trade winds over the equatorial waters. This results in a warm surface current that moves east to west at the equator. The western Pacific develops a thick, warm layer of water while the eastern Pacific has the cold Humboldt Current enhanced by upwelling. However, in other years the Southern Oscillation, for unknown reasons, swings in the opposite direction, dramatically changing the usual conditions described above, with pressure increasing in the western. Pacific and decreasing in the eastern Pacific. This change in the pressure gradient causes the trade winds to weaken or, in some cases, to reverse. This then causes the warm water in the western Pacific to flow eastward, increasing sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific. The eastward shift signals the beginning of an El Nifio.
Scientists try to document as many past El Nino events as possible by piecing together bits of historical evidence, such as sea-surface temperature records, daily observations of atmospheric pressure and rainfall, fisheries' records from South America, and the writings of Spanish colonists dating back to the fifteenth century. From such historical evidence we know that El Nirtos have occurred as far back as records go. It would seem that they are becoming more frequent. Records indicate that during the sixteenth century, an El Nino occurred on average every six years. Evidence gathered over the past few decades indicates that El Ninos are now occurring on average a little over every two years. Even more alarming is the fact that they appear to be getting stronger. The 1997-1998 El Nifio brought copious and damaging rainfall to the southern United States, from California to Florida. Snowstorms in the northeast portion of the United States were more frequent and intense than in most years. | 2753.txt | 1 |
[
"To provide evidence supporting the claim that El Nifios are getting stronger",
"To explain why the southern United States experienced copious and damaging rainfall in 1997-1998",
"To show that traditional methods are not adequate for documenting the effects of El Niftos",
"To identify a consequence of the fact that El Niflos are now occurring a little over once every two years"
] | Why does the author include the information that in 1997-1998 "Snowstorms in the northeast portion of the United States were more frequent and intense than in most years"? | The cold Humboldt Current of the Pacific Ocean flows toward the equator along the coasts of Ecuador and Peru in South America. When the current approaches the equator, the westward-flowing trade winds cause nutrient-rich cold water along the coast to rise from deeper depths to more shallow ones. This upwelling of water has economic repercussions. Fishing, especially for anchovies, is a major local industry.
Every year during the months of December and January, a weak, warm countercurrent replaces the normally cold coastal waters. Without the upwelling of nutrients from below to feed the fish, fishing comes to a standstill. Fishers in this region have known the phenomenon for hundreds of years. In fact, this is the time of year they traditionally set aside to tend to their equipment and await the return of cold water. The residents of the region have given this phenomenon the name of El Nifio, which is Spanish for "the child," because it occurs at about the time of the celebration of birth of the Christ child.
While the warm-water countercurrent usually lasts for two months or less, there are occasions when the disruption to the normal flow lasts for many months. In these situations, water temperatures are raised not just along the coast, but for thousands of kilometers offshore. Over the last few decades, the term El Nifio has come to be used to describe these exceptionally strong episodes and not the annual event. During the past 60 years, at least ten El Nifios have been observed Not only do El Niftos affect the temperature of the equatorial Pacific, but the strongest of them impact global weather.
The processes that interact to produce an El Nifio involve conditions all across the Pacific, not just in the waters off South America. Over 60 years ago, Sir Gilbert Walker, a British scientist, discovered a connection between surface pressure readings at weather stations on the eastern and western sides of the Pacific. He noted that a rise in atmospheric pressure in the eastern Pacific is usually accompanied by a fall in pressure in the western Pacific and vice versa. He called this seesaw pattern the Southern Oscillation. It was later realized that there is a close link between El Nino and the Southern Oscillation. In fact, the link between the two is so great that they are often referred to jointly as ENSO (El Nino-Southern Oscillation).
During a typical year, the eastern Pacific has a higher pressure than the western Pacific does. This east-to-west pressure gradient enhances the trade winds over the equatorial waters. This results in a warm surface current that moves east to west at the equator. The western Pacific develops a thick, warm layer of water while the eastern Pacific has the cold Humboldt Current enhanced by upwelling. However, in other years the Southern Oscillation, for unknown reasons, swings in the opposite direction, dramatically changing the usual conditions described above, with pressure increasing in the western. Pacific and decreasing in the eastern Pacific. This change in the pressure gradient causes the trade winds to weaken or, in some cases, to reverse. This then causes the warm water in the western Pacific to flow eastward, increasing sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific. The eastward shift signals the beginning of an El Nifio.
Scientists try to document as many past El Nino events as possible by piecing together bits of historical evidence, such as sea-surface temperature records, daily observations of atmospheric pressure and rainfall, fisheries' records from South America, and the writings of Spanish colonists dating back to the fifteenth century. From such historical evidence we know that El Nirtos have occurred as far back as records go. It would seem that they are becoming more frequent. Records indicate that during the sixteenth century, an El Nino occurred on average every six years. Evidence gathered over the past few decades indicates that El Ninos are now occurring on average a little over every two years. Even more alarming is the fact that they appear to be getting stronger. The 1997-1998 El Nifio brought copious and damaging rainfall to the southern United States, from California to Florida. Snowstorms in the northeast portion of the United States were more frequent and intense than in most years. | 2753.txt | 0 |
[
"He went up to work by train.",
"He walked to his office.",
"He went to his office on foot unless it rained.",
"He usually took a train to the station and then walked to his office if the weather was fine."
] | How did Mr. Grey get to his office? | Mr. Grey was the manager of a small office in London. He lived in the country, and came up to work by train. He liked walking from the station to his office unless it was raining, because it gave him some exercise.
One morning he was walking along the street when a stranger stopped him and said to him, "You may not remember me, sir, but seven years ago I came to London without a penny in my pockets, I stopped you in this street and asked you to lend me some money, and you lent me £ 5, because you said you were willing to take a chance so as to give a man a start on the way to success."
Mr Grey thought for a few minutes and then said, "Yes, I remember you. Go on with your story!" "Well," answered the stranger, "are you still willing to take a chance?" | 2105.txt | 3 |
[
"he couldn't afford the buses",
"he wanted to save money",
"he wanted to keep in good health",
"he could do some exercises on the way"
] | Mr Grey liked walking to his office because _ . | Mr. Grey was the manager of a small office in London. He lived in the country, and came up to work by train. He liked walking from the station to his office unless it was raining, because it gave him some exercise.
One morning he was walking along the street when a stranger stopped him and said to him, "You may not remember me, sir, but seven years ago I came to London without a penny in my pockets, I stopped you in this street and asked you to lend me some money, and you lent me £ 5, because you said you were willing to take a chance so as to give a man a start on the way to success."
Mr Grey thought for a few minutes and then said, "Yes, I remember you. Go on with your story!" "Well," answered the stranger, "are you still willing to take a chance?" | 2105.txt | 2 |
[
"give him a start in life",
"help him on the way to success",
"make him rich",
"gain more money"
] | Mr. Grey had been willing to lend money to a stranger in order to _ . | Mr. Grey was the manager of a small office in London. He lived in the country, and came up to work by train. He liked walking from the station to his office unless it was raining, because it gave him some exercise.
One morning he was walking along the street when a stranger stopped him and said to him, "You may not remember me, sir, but seven years ago I came to London without a penny in my pockets, I stopped you in this street and asked you to lend me some money, and you lent me £ 5, because you said you were willing to take a chance so as to give a man a start on the way to success."
Mr Grey thought for a few minutes and then said, "Yes, I remember you. Go on with your story!" "Well," answered the stranger, "are you still willing to take a chance?" | 2105.txt | 1 |
[
"wanted to return Mr. Grey the money",
"again asked Mr. Grey for money",
"would like to make friends with him",
"told Mr. Grey that he had been successful since then"
] | One morning the stranger recognized Mr. Grey, and _ . | Mr. Grey was the manager of a small office in London. He lived in the country, and came up to work by train. He liked walking from the station to his office unless it was raining, because it gave him some exercise.
One morning he was walking along the street when a stranger stopped him and said to him, "You may not remember me, sir, but seven years ago I came to London without a penny in my pockets, I stopped you in this street and asked you to lend me some money, and you lent me £ 5, because you said you were willing to take a chance so as to give a man a start on the way to success."
Mr Grey thought for a few minutes and then said, "Yes, I remember you. Go on with your story!" "Well," answered the stranger, "are you still willing to take a chance?" | 2105.txt | 1 |
[
"Mr. Gray happened to meet a stranger",
"Mr. Grey had a chance to help a stranger",
"Mr. Grey helped a stranger by chance",
"Mr. Grey took the risk that the stranger would not give back the money which he lent him"
] | In the second paragraph, "…take a chance" means _ . | Mr. Grey was the manager of a small office in London. He lived in the country, and came up to work by train. He liked walking from the station to his office unless it was raining, because it gave him some exercise.
One morning he was walking along the street when a stranger stopped him and said to him, "You may not remember me, sir, but seven years ago I came to London without a penny in my pockets, I stopped you in this street and asked you to lend me some money, and you lent me £ 5, because you said you were willing to take a chance so as to give a man a start on the way to success."
Mr Grey thought for a few minutes and then said, "Yes, I remember you. Go on with your story!" "Well," answered the stranger, "are you still willing to take a chance?" | 2105.txt | 3 |
[
"To explain the specific functions of various hormones.",
"To provide general information about hormones.",
"To explain how the term \"hormone\" evolved.",
"To report on experiments in endocrinology."
] | What is the author's main purpose in the passage? | Without regular supplies of some hormones our capacity to behave would be seriously impaired; without others we would soon die. Tiny amounts of some hormones can modify moods and actions, our inclination to eat or drink, our aggressiveness or submissiveness, and our reproductive and parental behavior. And hormones do more than influence adult behavior; early in life they help to determine the development of bodily form and may even determine an individual's behavioral capacities. Later in life the changing outputs of some endocrine glands and the body's changing sensitivity to some hormones are essential aspects of the phenomena of aging.
Communication within the body and the consequent integration of behavior were considered the exclusive province of the nervous system up to the beginning of the present century. The emergence of endocrinology as a separate discipline can probably be traced to the experiments of Bayliss and Starling on the hormone secretion. This substance is secreted from cells in the intestinal walls when food enters the stomach; it travels through the bloodstream and stimulates the pancreas to liberate pancreatic juice, which aids in digestion. By showing that special cells secret chemical agents that are conveyed by the bloodstream and regulate distant target organs or tissues. Bayliss and starling demonstrated that chemical integration could occur without participation of the nervous system.
The term "hormone" was first used with reference to secretion. Starling derived the term from the Greek hormone, meaning "to excite or set in motion. The term "endocrine" was introduced shortly thereafter "Endocrine" is used to refer to glands that secret products into the bloodstream. The term "endocrine" contrasts with "exocrine", which is applied to glands that secret their products though ducts to the site of action. Examples of exocrine glands are the tear glands, the sweat glands, and the pancreas, which secrets pancreatic juice through a duct into the intestine. Exocrine glands are also called duct glands, while endocrine glands are called ductless. | 80.txt | 1 |
[
"The human body requires large amounts of most hormones.",
"Synthetic hormones can replace a person's natural supply of hormones if necessary.",
"The quantity of hormones produced and their effects on the body are related to a person's age.",
"The short child of tall parents very likely had a hormone deficiency early in life."
] | The passage supports which of the following conclusions? | Without regular supplies of some hormones our capacity to behave would be seriously impaired; without others we would soon die. Tiny amounts of some hormones can modify moods and actions, our inclination to eat or drink, our aggressiveness or submissiveness, and our reproductive and parental behavior. And hormones do more than influence adult behavior; early in life they help to determine the development of bodily form and may even determine an individual's behavioral capacities. Later in life the changing outputs of some endocrine glands and the body's changing sensitivity to some hormones are essential aspects of the phenomena of aging.
Communication within the body and the consequent integration of behavior were considered the exclusive province of the nervous system up to the beginning of the present century. The emergence of endocrinology as a separate discipline can probably be traced to the experiments of Bayliss and Starling on the hormone secretion. This substance is secreted from cells in the intestinal walls when food enters the stomach; it travels through the bloodstream and stimulates the pancreas to liberate pancreatic juice, which aids in digestion. By showing that special cells secret chemical agents that are conveyed by the bloodstream and regulate distant target organs or tissues. Bayliss and starling demonstrated that chemical integration could occur without participation of the nervous system.
The term "hormone" was first used with reference to secretion. Starling derived the term from the Greek hormone, meaning "to excite or set in motion. The term "endocrine" was introduced shortly thereafter "Endocrine" is used to refer to glands that secret products into the bloodstream. The term "endocrine" contrasts with "exocrine", which is applied to glands that secret their products though ducts to the site of action. Examples of exocrine glands are the tear glands, the sweat glands, and the pancreas, which secrets pancreatic juice through a duct into the intestine. Exocrine glands are also called duct glands, while endocrine glands are called ductless. | 80.txt | 3 |
[
"during sleep.",
"in the endocrine glands.",
"under control of the nervous system.",
"during strenuous exercise."
] | It can be inferred from the passage that before the Bayliss and Starling experiments, most people believed that chemical integration occurred only _ . | Without regular supplies of some hormones our capacity to behave would be seriously impaired; without others we would soon die. Tiny amounts of some hormones can modify moods and actions, our inclination to eat or drink, our aggressiveness or submissiveness, and our reproductive and parental behavior. And hormones do more than influence adult behavior; early in life they help to determine the development of bodily form and may even determine an individual's behavioral capacities. Later in life the changing outputs of some endocrine glands and the body's changing sensitivity to some hormones are essential aspects of the phenomena of aging.
Communication within the body and the consequent integration of behavior were considered the exclusive province of the nervous system up to the beginning of the present century. The emergence of endocrinology as a separate discipline can probably be traced to the experiments of Bayliss and Starling on the hormone secretion. This substance is secreted from cells in the intestinal walls when food enters the stomach; it travels through the bloodstream and stimulates the pancreas to liberate pancreatic juice, which aids in digestion. By showing that special cells secret chemical agents that are conveyed by the bloodstream and regulate distant target organs or tissues. Bayliss and starling demonstrated that chemical integration could occur without participation of the nervous system.
The term "hormone" was first used with reference to secretion. Starling derived the term from the Greek hormone, meaning "to excite or set in motion. The term "endocrine" was introduced shortly thereafter "Endocrine" is used to refer to glands that secret products into the bloodstream. The term "endocrine" contrasts with "exocrine", which is applied to glands that secret their products though ducts to the site of action. Examples of exocrine glands are the tear glands, the sweat glands, and the pancreas, which secrets pancreatic juice through a duct into the intestine. Exocrine glands are also called duct glands, while endocrine glands are called ductless. | 80.txt | 2 |
[
"Emancipate",
"Discharge",
"Surrender",
"Save"
] | The word "liberate" could best be replaced by which of the following? | Without regular supplies of some hormones our capacity to behave would be seriously impaired; without others we would soon die. Tiny amounts of some hormones can modify moods and actions, our inclination to eat or drink, our aggressiveness or submissiveness, and our reproductive and parental behavior. And hormones do more than influence adult behavior; early in life they help to determine the development of bodily form and may even determine an individual's behavioral capacities. Later in life the changing outputs of some endocrine glands and the body's changing sensitivity to some hormones are essential aspects of the phenomena of aging.
Communication within the body and the consequent integration of behavior were considered the exclusive province of the nervous system up to the beginning of the present century. The emergence of endocrinology as a separate discipline can probably be traced to the experiments of Bayliss and Starling on the hormone secretion. This substance is secreted from cells in the intestinal walls when food enters the stomach; it travels through the bloodstream and stimulates the pancreas to liberate pancreatic juice, which aids in digestion. By showing that special cells secret chemical agents that are conveyed by the bloodstream and regulate distant target organs or tissues. Bayliss and starling demonstrated that chemical integration could occur without participation of the nervous system.
The term "hormone" was first used with reference to secretion. Starling derived the term from the Greek hormone, meaning "to excite or set in motion. The term "endocrine" was introduced shortly thereafter "Endocrine" is used to refer to glands that secret products into the bloodstream. The term "endocrine" contrasts with "exocrine", which is applied to glands that secret their products though ducts to the site of action. Examples of exocrine glands are the tear glands, the sweat glands, and the pancreas, which secrets pancreatic juice through a duct into the intestine. Exocrine glands are also called duct glands, while endocrine glands are called ductless. | 80.txt | 1 |
[
"duct glands",
"endocrine glands",
"ductless glands",
"intestinal glands."
] | According to the passage another term for exocrine glands is _ . | Without regular supplies of some hormones our capacity to behave would be seriously impaired; without others we would soon die. Tiny amounts of some hormones can modify moods and actions, our inclination to eat or drink, our aggressiveness or submissiveness, and our reproductive and parental behavior. And hormones do more than influence adult behavior; early in life they help to determine the development of bodily form and may even determine an individual's behavioral capacities. Later in life the changing outputs of some endocrine glands and the body's changing sensitivity to some hormones are essential aspects of the phenomena of aging.
Communication within the body and the consequent integration of behavior were considered the exclusive province of the nervous system up to the beginning of the present century. The emergence of endocrinology as a separate discipline can probably be traced to the experiments of Bayliss and Starling on the hormone secretion. This substance is secreted from cells in the intestinal walls when food enters the stomach; it travels through the bloodstream and stimulates the pancreas to liberate pancreatic juice, which aids in digestion. By showing that special cells secret chemical agents that are conveyed by the bloodstream and regulate distant target organs or tissues. Bayliss and starling demonstrated that chemical integration could occur without participation of the nervous system.
The term "hormone" was first used with reference to secretion. Starling derived the term from the Greek hormone, meaning "to excite or set in motion. The term "endocrine" was introduced shortly thereafter "Endocrine" is used to refer to glands that secret products into the bloodstream. The term "endocrine" contrasts with "exocrine", which is applied to glands that secret their products though ducts to the site of action. Examples of exocrine glands are the tear glands, the sweat glands, and the pancreas, which secrets pancreatic juice through a duct into the intestine. Exocrine glands are also called duct glands, while endocrine glands are called ductless. | 80.txt | 0 |
[
"] Einstein pushed mathematics almost to its limits.",
"] It will take another Einstein to build a unified theory.",
"] No physicist is likely to surpass Einstein in the next 200 years.",
"] It will be some time before a new Einstein emerges."
] | What do scientists seem to agree upon, judging from the first two paragraphs? | Will there ever be another Einstein? This is the undercurrent of conversation at Einstein memorial meetings throughout the year. A new Einstein will emerge, scientists say. But it may take a long time. After all, more than 200 years separated Einstein from his nearest rival, Isaac Newton.
Many physicists say the next Einstein hasn't been born yet, or is a baby now. That's because the quest for a unified theory that would account for all the forces of nature has pushed current mathematics to its limits. New math must be created before the problem can be solved.
But researchers say there are many other factors working against another Einstein emerging anytime soon.
For one thing, physics is a much different field today. In Einstein's day, there were only a few thousand physicists worldwide, and the theoreticians who could intellectually rival Einstein probably would fit into a streetcar with seats to spare.
Education is different, too. One crucial aspect of Einstein's training that is overlooked is the years of philosophy he read as a teenager-Kant, Schopenhauer and Spinoza, among others. It taught him how to think independently and abstractly about space and time, and it wasn't long before he became a philosopher himself.
"The independence created by philosophical insight is-in my opinion-the mark of distinction between a mere artisan or specialist and a real seeker after truth," Einstein wrote in 1944.
And he was an accomplished musician. The interplay between music and math is well known. Einstein would furiously play his violin as a way to think through a knotty physics problem.
Today, universities have produced millions of physicists. There aren't many jobs in science for them, so they go to Wall Street and Silicon Valley to apply their analytical skills to more practical-and rewarding-efforts.
"Maybe there is an Einstein out there today," said Columbia University physicist Brian Greene, "but it would be a lot harder for him to be heard."
Especially considering what Einstein was proposing.
"The actual fabric of space and time curving? My God, what an idea!" Greene said at a recent gathering at the Aspen Institute. "It takes a certain type of person who will bang his head against the wall because you believe you'll find the solution."
Perhaps the best examples are the five scientific papers Einstein wrote in his "miracle year" of 1905. These "thought experiments" were pages of calculations signed and submitted to the prestigious journal Annalen der Physik by a virtual unknown. There were no footnotes or citations.
What might happen to such a submission today?
"We all get papers like those in the mail," Greene said. "We put them in the junk file." | 1075.txt | 3 |
[
"] His talent as an accomplished musician.",
"] His independent and abstract thinking.",
"] His untiring effort to fulfill his potential.",
"] His solid foundation in math theory."
] | What was critical to Einstein's success? | Will there ever be another Einstein? This is the undercurrent of conversation at Einstein memorial meetings throughout the year. A new Einstein will emerge, scientists say. But it may take a long time. After all, more than 200 years separated Einstein from his nearest rival, Isaac Newton.
Many physicists say the next Einstein hasn't been born yet, or is a baby now. That's because the quest for a unified theory that would account for all the forces of nature has pushed current mathematics to its limits. New math must be created before the problem can be solved.
But researchers say there are many other factors working against another Einstein emerging anytime soon.
For one thing, physics is a much different field today. In Einstein's day, there were only a few thousand physicists worldwide, and the theoreticians who could intellectually rival Einstein probably would fit into a streetcar with seats to spare.
Education is different, too. One crucial aspect of Einstein's training that is overlooked is the years of philosophy he read as a teenager-Kant, Schopenhauer and Spinoza, among others. It taught him how to think independently and abstractly about space and time, and it wasn't long before he became a philosopher himself.
"The independence created by philosophical insight is-in my opinion-the mark of distinction between a mere artisan or specialist and a real seeker after truth," Einstein wrote in 1944.
And he was an accomplished musician. The interplay between music and math is well known. Einstein would furiously play his violin as a way to think through a knotty physics problem.
Today, universities have produced millions of physicists. There aren't many jobs in science for them, so they go to Wall Street and Silicon Valley to apply their analytical skills to more practical-and rewarding-efforts.
"Maybe there is an Einstein out there today," said Columbia University physicist Brian Greene, "but it would be a lot harder for him to be heard."
Especially considering what Einstein was proposing.
"The actual fabric of space and time curving? My God, what an idea!" Greene said at a recent gathering at the Aspen Institute. "It takes a certain type of person who will bang his head against the wall because you believe you'll find the solution."
Perhaps the best examples are the five scientific papers Einstein wrote in his "miracle year" of 1905. These "thought experiments" were pages of calculations signed and submitted to the prestigious journal Annalen der Physik by a virtual unknown. There were no footnotes or citations.
What might happen to such a submission today?
"We all get papers like those in the mail," Greene said. "We put them in the junk file." | 1075.txt | 1 |
[
"] They tend to neglect training in analytical skills.",
"] They are very good at solving practical problems.",
"] They attach great importance to publishing academic papers.",
"] They often go into fields yielding greater financial benefits."
] | What does the author tell us about physicists today? | Will there ever be another Einstein? This is the undercurrent of conversation at Einstein memorial meetings throughout the year. A new Einstein will emerge, scientists say. But it may take a long time. After all, more than 200 years separated Einstein from his nearest rival, Isaac Newton.
Many physicists say the next Einstein hasn't been born yet, or is a baby now. That's because the quest for a unified theory that would account for all the forces of nature has pushed current mathematics to its limits. New math must be created before the problem can be solved.
But researchers say there are many other factors working against another Einstein emerging anytime soon.
For one thing, physics is a much different field today. In Einstein's day, there were only a few thousand physicists worldwide, and the theoreticians who could intellectually rival Einstein probably would fit into a streetcar with seats to spare.
Education is different, too. One crucial aspect of Einstein's training that is overlooked is the years of philosophy he read as a teenager-Kant, Schopenhauer and Spinoza, among others. It taught him how to think independently and abstractly about space and time, and it wasn't long before he became a philosopher himself.
"The independence created by philosophical insight is-in my opinion-the mark of distinction between a mere artisan or specialist and a real seeker after truth," Einstein wrote in 1944.
And he was an accomplished musician. The interplay between music and math is well known. Einstein would furiously play his violin as a way to think through a knotty physics problem.
Today, universities have produced millions of physicists. There aren't many jobs in science for them, so they go to Wall Street and Silicon Valley to apply their analytical skills to more practical-and rewarding-efforts.
"Maybe there is an Einstein out there today," said Columbia University physicist Brian Greene, "but it would be a lot harder for him to be heard."
Especially considering what Einstein was proposing.
"The actual fabric of space and time curving? My God, what an idea!" Greene said at a recent gathering at the Aspen Institute. "It takes a certain type of person who will bang his head against the wall because you believe you'll find the solution."
Perhaps the best examples are the five scientific papers Einstein wrote in his "miracle year" of 1905. These "thought experiments" were pages of calculations signed and submitted to the prestigious journal Annalen der Physik by a virtual unknown. There were no footnotes or citations.
What might happen to such a submission today?
"We all get papers like those in the mail," Greene said. "We put them in the junk file." | 1075.txt | 3 |
[
"] People have to compete in order to get their papers published.",
"] It is hard for a scientist to have his papers published today.",
"] Papers like Einstein's would unlikely get published today.",
"] Nobody will read papers on apparently ridiculous theories."
] | What does Brian Greene imply by saying "... it would be a lot harder for him to be heard" (Lines 1-2, Para. 9)? | Will there ever be another Einstein? This is the undercurrent of conversation at Einstein memorial meetings throughout the year. A new Einstein will emerge, scientists say. But it may take a long time. After all, more than 200 years separated Einstein from his nearest rival, Isaac Newton.
Many physicists say the next Einstein hasn't been born yet, or is a baby now. That's because the quest for a unified theory that would account for all the forces of nature has pushed current mathematics to its limits. New math must be created before the problem can be solved.
But researchers say there are many other factors working against another Einstein emerging anytime soon.
For one thing, physics is a much different field today. In Einstein's day, there were only a few thousand physicists worldwide, and the theoreticians who could intellectually rival Einstein probably would fit into a streetcar with seats to spare.
Education is different, too. One crucial aspect of Einstein's training that is overlooked is the years of philosophy he read as a teenager-Kant, Schopenhauer and Spinoza, among others. It taught him how to think independently and abstractly about space and time, and it wasn't long before he became a philosopher himself.
"The independence created by philosophical insight is-in my opinion-the mark of distinction between a mere artisan or specialist and a real seeker after truth," Einstein wrote in 1944.
And he was an accomplished musician. The interplay between music and math is well known. Einstein would furiously play his violin as a way to think through a knotty physics problem.
Today, universities have produced millions of physicists. There aren't many jobs in science for them, so they go to Wall Street and Silicon Valley to apply their analytical skills to more practical-and rewarding-efforts.
"Maybe there is an Einstein out there today," said Columbia University physicist Brian Greene, "but it would be a lot harder for him to be heard."
Especially considering what Einstein was proposing.
"The actual fabric of space and time curving? My God, what an idea!" Greene said at a recent gathering at the Aspen Institute. "It takes a certain type of person who will bang his head against the wall because you believe you'll find the solution."
Perhaps the best examples are the five scientific papers Einstein wrote in his "miracle year" of 1905. These "thought experiments" were pages of calculations signed and submitted to the prestigious journal Annalen der Physik by a virtual unknown. There were no footnotes or citations.
What might happen to such a submission today?
"We all get papers like those in the mail," Greene said. "We put them in the junk file." | 1075.txt | 2 |
[
"] forgot to make footnotes and citations",
"] was little known in academic circles",
"] was known as a young genius in math calculations",
"] knew nothing about the format of academic papers"
] | When he submitted his papers in 1905, Einstein _______. | Will there ever be another Einstein? This is the undercurrent of conversation at Einstein memorial meetings throughout the year. A new Einstein will emerge, scientists say. But it may take a long time. After all, more than 200 years separated Einstein from his nearest rival, Isaac Newton.
Many physicists say the next Einstein hasn't been born yet, or is a baby now. That's because the quest for a unified theory that would account for all the forces of nature has pushed current mathematics to its limits. New math must be created before the problem can be solved.
But researchers say there are many other factors working against another Einstein emerging anytime soon.
For one thing, physics is a much different field today. In Einstein's day, there were only a few thousand physicists worldwide, and the theoreticians who could intellectually rival Einstein probably would fit into a streetcar with seats to spare.
Education is different, too. One crucial aspect of Einstein's training that is overlooked is the years of philosophy he read as a teenager-Kant, Schopenhauer and Spinoza, among others. It taught him how to think independently and abstractly about space and time, and it wasn't long before he became a philosopher himself.
"The independence created by philosophical insight is-in my opinion-the mark of distinction between a mere artisan or specialist and a real seeker after truth," Einstein wrote in 1944.
And he was an accomplished musician. The interplay between music and math is well known. Einstein would furiously play his violin as a way to think through a knotty physics problem.
Today, universities have produced millions of physicists. There aren't many jobs in science for them, so they go to Wall Street and Silicon Valley to apply their analytical skills to more practical-and rewarding-efforts.
"Maybe there is an Einstein out there today," said Columbia University physicist Brian Greene, "but it would be a lot harder for him to be heard."
Especially considering what Einstein was proposing.
"The actual fabric of space and time curving? My God, what an idea!" Greene said at a recent gathering at the Aspen Institute. "It takes a certain type of person who will bang his head against the wall because you believe you'll find the solution."
Perhaps the best examples are the five scientific papers Einstein wrote in his "miracle year" of 1905. These "thought experiments" were pages of calculations signed and submitted to the prestigious journal Annalen der Physik by a virtual unknown. There were no footnotes or citations.
What might happen to such a submission today?
"We all get papers like those in the mail," Greene said. "We put them in the junk file." | 1075.txt | 1 |
[
"many people celebrate the day",
"only America celebrates the day",
"America makes it an official day",
"all men are honored in America"
] | The United States is special in Father's Day because _ . | The United States is one of the few countries in the world that has an official day on which fathers are honored by their children. On the third Sunday in June, fathers all across or otherwise made to feel special.
However, the idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909. Having been raised by her father, Henry Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a selfless and loving man. Sonora's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910.
In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge declared the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Roses are the Father's Day flowers, red to be worn for a living father and white if the father has died.
When children can't visit their fathers or take them out to dinner, they send a greeting card. Traditionally, fathers prefer greeting cards that are not too sentimental. Most greeting cards are too special so fathers laugh when they open them. Some give heartfelt thanks for being there whenever the child needed Dad. | 972.txt | 2 |
[
"Sonora honored her father's birthday",
"Sonora's birthday was June 19",
"It was decided by the president at that time",
"her mother died on June 19"
] | At first, Father's Day was fixed on June 19th because _ . | The United States is one of the few countries in the world that has an official day on which fathers are honored by their children. On the third Sunday in June, fathers all across or otherwise made to feel special.
However, the idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909. Having been raised by her father, Henry Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a selfless and loving man. Sonora's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910.
In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge declared the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Roses are the Father's Day flowers, red to be worn for a living father and white if the father has died.
When children can't visit their fathers or take them out to dinner, they send a greeting card. Traditionally, fathers prefer greeting cards that are not too sentimental. Most greeting cards are too special so fathers laugh when they open them. Some give heartfelt thanks for being there whenever the child needed Dad. | 972.txt | 0 |
[
"4",
"10",
"14",
"24"
] | How many years has passed before Father's Day became an official day since the father's day was celebrated? | The United States is one of the few countries in the world that has an official day on which fathers are honored by their children. On the third Sunday in June, fathers all across or otherwise made to feel special.
However, the idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909. Having been raised by her father, Henry Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a selfless and loving man. Sonora's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910.
In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge declared the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Roses are the Father's Day flowers, red to be worn for a living father and white if the father has died.
When children can't visit their fathers or take them out to dinner, they send a greeting card. Traditionally, fathers prefer greeting cards that are not too sentimental. Most greeting cards are too special so fathers laugh when they open them. Some give heartfelt thanks for being there whenever the child needed Dad. | 972.txt | 2 |
[
"people will wear the same flowers to honor their fathers",
"only daughters wear red flowers to honors their fathers",
"Children must go home to honor their fathers",
"fathers are often honored in different ways"
] | According to the passage, on Father's Day, _ . | The United States is one of the few countries in the world that has an official day on which fathers are honored by their children. On the third Sunday in June, fathers all across or otherwise made to feel special.
However, the idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909. Having been raised by her father, Henry Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a selfless and loving man. Sonora's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910.
In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge declared the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Roses are the Father's Day flowers, red to be worn for a living father and white if the father has died.
When children can't visit their fathers or take them out to dinner, they send a greeting card. Traditionally, fathers prefer greeting cards that are not too sentimental. Most greeting cards are too special so fathers laugh when they open them. Some give heartfelt thanks for being there whenever the child needed Dad. | 972.txt | 3 |
[
"was very kind to anyone",
"did a lot for his daughter",
"was the first father honored in 1924",
"always help others by giving money"
] | According to the passage, we can infer that henry Jackon Smart _ . | The United States is one of the few countries in the world that has an official day on which fathers are honored by their children. On the third Sunday in June, fathers all across or otherwise made to feel special.
However, the idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909. Having been raised by her father, Henry Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a selfless and loving man. Sonora's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910.
In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge declared the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Roses are the Father's Day flowers, red to be worn for a living father and white if the father has died.
When children can't visit their fathers or take them out to dinner, they send a greeting card. Traditionally, fathers prefer greeting cards that are not too sentimental. Most greeting cards are too special so fathers laugh when they open them. Some give heartfelt thanks for being there whenever the child needed Dad. | 972.txt | 1 |
[
"It is simply uninhabitable for most animals.",
"It remains little known to the outside world.",
"It is a breeding ground for a variety of birds.",
"It makes an ideal habitat for lots of predators."
] | What can we learn about Lake Natron? | At the base of a mountain in Tanzania's Gregory Rift, Lake Natron burns bright red, surrounded by the remains of animals that were unfortunate enough to fall into the salty water. Bats, swallows and more are chemically preserved in the pose in which they perished, sealed in the deposits of sodium carbonate in the water. The lake's landscape is bizarre and deadly-and made even more so by the fact that it's the place where nearly 75 percent of the world's flamingos (）are born.
The water is so corrosive that it can burn the skin and eyes of unadapted animals. Flamingos, however, are the only species that actually makes life in the midst of all that death. Once every three or four years, when conditions are right, the lake is covered with the pink birds as they stop flight to breed. Three-quarters of the world's flamingos fly over from other salt lakes in the Rift Valley and nest on salt-crystal islands that appear when the water is at a specific level-too high and the birds can't build their nests, too low and predators can move briskly across the lake bed and attack. When the water hits the right level, the baby birds are kept safe from predators by a corrosive ditch.
"Flamingos have evolved very leathery skin on their legs so they can tolerate the salt water," says David Harper, a professor at the University of Leicester. "Humans cannot, and would die if their legs were exposed for any length of time." So far this year, water levels have been too high for the flamingos to nest.
Some fish, too, have had limited success vacationing at the lake as less salty lagoons form on the outer edges from hot springs flowing into Lake Natron. Three species of tilapia thrive there part-time. "Fish have a refuge in the streams and can expand into the lagoons when the lake is low and the lagoons are separate," Harper said. "All the lagoons join when the lake is high and fish must retreat to their stream refuges or die." Otherwise, no fish are able to survive in the naturally toxic lake.
This unique ecosystem may soon be under pressure. The Tanzanian government has once again started mining the lake for soda ash, used for making chemicals, glass and detergents. Although the planned operation will be located more than 40 miles away, drawing the soda ash in through pipelines, conservationists worry it could still upset the natural water cycle and breeding grounds. For now, though, life prevails-even in a lake that kills almost everything it touches. | 2038.txt | 0 |
[
"find safe shelter more easily",
"grow thick feathers on their feet",
"stay away from predators",
"get accustomed to the salty water"
] | Flamingos nest only when the lake water is at a specific level so that their babies can . | At the base of a mountain in Tanzania's Gregory Rift, Lake Natron burns bright red, surrounded by the remains of animals that were unfortunate enough to fall into the salty water. Bats, swallows and more are chemically preserved in the pose in which they perished, sealed in the deposits of sodium carbonate in the water. The lake's landscape is bizarre and deadly-and made even more so by the fact that it's the place where nearly 75 percent of the world's flamingos (）are born.
The water is so corrosive that it can burn the skin and eyes of unadapted animals. Flamingos, however, are the only species that actually makes life in the midst of all that death. Once every three or four years, when conditions are right, the lake is covered with the pink birds as they stop flight to breed. Three-quarters of the world's flamingos fly over from other salt lakes in the Rift Valley and nest on salt-crystal islands that appear when the water is at a specific level-too high and the birds can't build their nests, too low and predators can move briskly across the lake bed and attack. When the water hits the right level, the baby birds are kept safe from predators by a corrosive ditch.
"Flamingos have evolved very leathery skin on their legs so they can tolerate the salt water," says David Harper, a professor at the University of Leicester. "Humans cannot, and would die if their legs were exposed for any length of time." So far this year, water levels have been too high for the flamingos to nest.
Some fish, too, have had limited success vacationing at the lake as less salty lagoons form on the outer edges from hot springs flowing into Lake Natron. Three species of tilapia thrive there part-time. "Fish have a refuge in the streams and can expand into the lagoons when the lake is low and the lagoons are separate," Harper said. "All the lagoons join when the lake is high and fish must retreat to their stream refuges or die." Otherwise, no fish are able to survive in the naturally toxic lake.
This unique ecosystem may soon be under pressure. The Tanzanian government has once again started mining the lake for soda ash, used for making chemicals, glass and detergents. Although the planned operation will be located more than 40 miles away, drawing the soda ash in through pipelines, conservationists worry it could still upset the natural water cycle and breeding grounds. For now, though, life prevails-even in a lake that kills almost everything it touches. | 2038.txt | 2 |
[
"they can move swiftly across lagoons",
"they can survive well in salty water",
"they breed naturally in corrosive ditches",
"they know where and when to nest"
] | Flamingos in the Rift Valley are unique in that . | At the base of a mountain in Tanzania's Gregory Rift, Lake Natron burns bright red, surrounded by the remains of animals that were unfortunate enough to fall into the salty water. Bats, swallows and more are chemically preserved in the pose in which they perished, sealed in the deposits of sodium carbonate in the water. The lake's landscape is bizarre and deadly-and made even more so by the fact that it's the place where nearly 75 percent of the world's flamingos (）are born.
The water is so corrosive that it can burn the skin and eyes of unadapted animals. Flamingos, however, are the only species that actually makes life in the midst of all that death. Once every three or four years, when conditions are right, the lake is covered with the pink birds as they stop flight to breed. Three-quarters of the world's flamingos fly over from other salt lakes in the Rift Valley and nest on salt-crystal islands that appear when the water is at a specific level-too high and the birds can't build their nests, too low and predators can move briskly across the lake bed and attack. When the water hits the right level, the baby birds are kept safe from predators by a corrosive ditch.
"Flamingos have evolved very leathery skin on their legs so they can tolerate the salt water," says David Harper, a professor at the University of Leicester. "Humans cannot, and would die if their legs were exposed for any length of time." So far this year, water levels have been too high for the flamingos to nest.
Some fish, too, have had limited success vacationing at the lake as less salty lagoons form on the outer edges from hot springs flowing into Lake Natron. Three species of tilapia thrive there part-time. "Fish have a refuge in the streams and can expand into the lagoons when the lake is low and the lagoons are separate," Harper said. "All the lagoons join when the lake is high and fish must retreat to their stream refuges or die." Otherwise, no fish are able to survive in the naturally toxic lake.
This unique ecosystem may soon be under pressure. The Tanzanian government has once again started mining the lake for soda ash, used for making chemicals, glass and detergents. Although the planned operation will be located more than 40 miles away, drawing the soda ash in through pipelines, conservationists worry it could still upset the natural water cycle and breeding grounds. For now, though, life prevails-even in a lake that kills almost everything it touches. | 2038.txt | 1 |
[
"They can take refuge in the less salty waters.",
"They can flee quick enough from predators.",
"They can move freely from lagoon to lagoon.",
"They can stand the heat of the spring water."
] | Why can certain species of tilapia sometimes survive around Lake Natron? | At the base of a mountain in Tanzania's Gregory Rift, Lake Natron burns bright red, surrounded by the remains of animals that were unfortunate enough to fall into the salty water. Bats, swallows and more are chemically preserved in the pose in which they perished, sealed in the deposits of sodium carbonate in the water. The lake's landscape is bizarre and deadly-and made even more so by the fact that it's the place where nearly 75 percent of the world's flamingos (）are born.
The water is so corrosive that it can burn the skin and eyes of unadapted animals. Flamingos, however, are the only species that actually makes life in the midst of all that death. Once every three or four years, when conditions are right, the lake is covered with the pink birds as they stop flight to breed. Three-quarters of the world's flamingos fly over from other salt lakes in the Rift Valley and nest on salt-crystal islands that appear when the water is at a specific level-too high and the birds can't build their nests, too low and predators can move briskly across the lake bed and attack. When the water hits the right level, the baby birds are kept safe from predators by a corrosive ditch.
"Flamingos have evolved very leathery skin on their legs so they can tolerate the salt water," says David Harper, a professor at the University of Leicester. "Humans cannot, and would die if their legs were exposed for any length of time." So far this year, water levels have been too high for the flamingos to nest.
Some fish, too, have had limited success vacationing at the lake as less salty lagoons form on the outer edges from hot springs flowing into Lake Natron. Three species of tilapia thrive there part-time. "Fish have a refuge in the streams and can expand into the lagoons when the lake is low and the lagoons are separate," Harper said. "All the lagoons join when the lake is high and fish must retreat to their stream refuges or die." Otherwise, no fish are able to survive in the naturally toxic lake.
This unique ecosystem may soon be under pressure. The Tanzanian government has once again started mining the lake for soda ash, used for making chemicals, glass and detergents. Although the planned operation will be located more than 40 miles away, drawing the soda ash in through pipelines, conservationists worry it could still upset the natural water cycle and breeding grounds. For now, though, life prevails-even in a lake that kills almost everything it touches. | 2038.txt | 0 |
[
"The accelerated extinction of flamingos.",
"The change of flamingos' migration route.",
"The overmining of Lake Natron's soda ash.",
"The disruption of Lake Natron's ecosystem."
] | What may be the consequence of Tanzanian government's planned operation? | At the base of a mountain in Tanzania's Gregory Rift, Lake Natron burns bright red, surrounded by the remains of animals that were unfortunate enough to fall into the salty water. Bats, swallows and more are chemically preserved in the pose in which they perished, sealed in the deposits of sodium carbonate in the water. The lake's landscape is bizarre and deadly-and made even more so by the fact that it's the place where nearly 75 percent of the world's flamingos (）are born.
The water is so corrosive that it can burn the skin and eyes of unadapted animals. Flamingos, however, are the only species that actually makes life in the midst of all that death. Once every three or four years, when conditions are right, the lake is covered with the pink birds as they stop flight to breed. Three-quarters of the world's flamingos fly over from other salt lakes in the Rift Valley and nest on salt-crystal islands that appear when the water is at a specific level-too high and the birds can't build their nests, too low and predators can move briskly across the lake bed and attack. When the water hits the right level, the baby birds are kept safe from predators by a corrosive ditch.
"Flamingos have evolved very leathery skin on their legs so they can tolerate the salt water," says David Harper, a professor at the University of Leicester. "Humans cannot, and would die if their legs were exposed for any length of time." So far this year, water levels have been too high for the flamingos to nest.
Some fish, too, have had limited success vacationing at the lake as less salty lagoons form on the outer edges from hot springs flowing into Lake Natron. Three species of tilapia thrive there part-time. "Fish have a refuge in the streams and can expand into the lagoons when the lake is low and the lagoons are separate," Harper said. "All the lagoons join when the lake is high and fish must retreat to their stream refuges or die." Otherwise, no fish are able to survive in the naturally toxic lake.
This unique ecosystem may soon be under pressure. The Tanzanian government has once again started mining the lake for soda ash, used for making chemicals, glass and detergents. Although the planned operation will be located more than 40 miles away, drawing the soda ash in through pipelines, conservationists worry it could still upset the natural water cycle and breeding grounds. For now, though, life prevails-even in a lake that kills almost everything it touches. | 2038.txt | 3 |
[
"make people live more easily",
"smooth away daily problems",
"deal with life changes",
"cure types of illnesses"
] | Interpersonal relationships are important because they can _ . | Since we are social beings, the quality of our lives depends in large measure on our interpersonal relationships. One strength of the human conditions is our possibility to give and receive support from one another under stressful conditions. Social support makes up of the exchange of resources among people based on their interpersonal ties. Those of us with strong support systems appear better able to deal with major life changes and daily problems. People with strong social ties live longer and have better health than those without such ties. Studies over types of illnesses, from depression to heart disease, show that the presence of social support helps people defend themselves against illness, and the absence of such support makes poor health more likely.
Social support cushions stress in a number of ways. First, friends, relatives and co-workers may let us know that they value us. Our self-respect is strengthened when we feel accepted by others in spite of our faults and difficulties. Second, other people often provide us with informational support. They help us to define and understand our problems and find solutions to them. Third, we typically find social companionship supportive. Taking part in free-time activities with others helps us to meet our social needs while at the same time distracting us from our worries and troubles. Finally, other people may give us instrumental support - money aid, material resources, and needed services - that reduces stress by helping us resolve and deal with our problems. | 2883.txt | 0 |
[
"lies in the social medical care systems which support them",
"has much to do with the amount of support they get from others",
"depends on their ability to deal with daily worries and troubles",
"is related to their courage for dealing with major life changes"
] | The researches show that people's physical and mental health _ . | Since we are social beings, the quality of our lives depends in large measure on our interpersonal relationships. One strength of the human conditions is our possibility to give and receive support from one another under stressful conditions. Social support makes up of the exchange of resources among people based on their interpersonal ties. Those of us with strong support systems appear better able to deal with major life changes and daily problems. People with strong social ties live longer and have better health than those without such ties. Studies over types of illnesses, from depression to heart disease, show that the presence of social support helps people defend themselves against illness, and the absence of such support makes poor health more likely.
Social support cushions stress in a number of ways. First, friends, relatives and co-workers may let us know that they value us. Our self-respect is strengthened when we feel accepted by others in spite of our faults and difficulties. Second, other people often provide us with informational support. They help us to define and understand our problems and find solutions to them. Third, we typically find social companionship supportive. Taking part in free-time activities with others helps us to meet our social needs while at the same time distracting us from our worries and troubles. Finally, other people may give us instrumental support - money aid, material resources, and needed services - that reduces stress by helping us resolve and deal with our problems. | 2883.txt | 1 |
[
"instrumental support",
"informational support",
"social companionship",
"the strengthening of self-respect"
] | Helping a sick neighbor with some repair work in spare time is an example of _ . | Since we are social beings, the quality of our lives depends in large measure on our interpersonal relationships. One strength of the human conditions is our possibility to give and receive support from one another under stressful conditions. Social support makes up of the exchange of resources among people based on their interpersonal ties. Those of us with strong support systems appear better able to deal with major life changes and daily problems. People with strong social ties live longer and have better health than those without such ties. Studies over types of illnesses, from depression to heart disease, show that the presence of social support helps people defend themselves against illness, and the absence of such support makes poor health more likely.
Social support cushions stress in a number of ways. First, friends, relatives and co-workers may let us know that they value us. Our self-respect is strengthened when we feel accepted by others in spite of our faults and difficulties. Second, other people often provide us with informational support. They help us to define and understand our problems and find solutions to them. Third, we typically find social companionship supportive. Taking part in free-time activities with others helps us to meet our social needs while at the same time distracting us from our worries and troubles. Finally, other people may give us instrumental support - money aid, material resources, and needed services - that reduces stress by helping us resolve and deal with our problems. | 2883.txt | 2 |
[
"Interpersonal relationships.",
"Kinds of social support.",
"Ways to deal with stress.",
"Effects of stressful conditions."
] | What is the subject discussed in the text? | Since we are social beings, the quality of our lives depends in large measure on our interpersonal relationships. One strength of the human conditions is our possibility to give and receive support from one another under stressful conditions. Social support makes up of the exchange of resources among people based on their interpersonal ties. Those of us with strong support systems appear better able to deal with major life changes and daily problems. People with strong social ties live longer and have better health than those without such ties. Studies over types of illnesses, from depression to heart disease, show that the presence of social support helps people defend themselves against illness, and the absence of such support makes poor health more likely.
Social support cushions stress in a number of ways. First, friends, relatives and co-workers may let us know that they value us. Our self-respect is strengthened when we feel accepted by others in spite of our faults and difficulties. Second, other people often provide us with informational support. They help us to define and understand our problems and find solutions to them. Third, we typically find social companionship supportive. Taking part in free-time activities with others helps us to meet our social needs while at the same time distracting us from our worries and troubles. Finally, other people may give us instrumental support - money aid, material resources, and needed services - that reduces stress by helping us resolve and deal with our problems. | 2883.txt | 0 |
[
"eating less foods with a lot of cholesterol",
"eating less of low cholesterol foods",
"eating a lot of high cholesterol foods",
"eating drugs"
] | According to the passage, people could reduce the chance of suffering heart attack by _ . | The American Heart Association and other groups have said for many years that people could reduce the chance of suffering a heart attack by eating less of the foods rich in cholesterol. These include such foods as meats, milk products and eggs. The Heart Association noted a number of studies which show that nations where people eat a lot of high cholesterol foods have a higher number of deaths from heart disease.
However, the new report disagrees. It was made by the Food and Nutrition Board of the United States National Academy of Sciences. The new report by a team of 15 scientists said there is no evidence to link cholesterol in food directly to heart disease. It noted seven major studies involving people whose diet was changed to include only foods low in cholesterol. The studies found only a very small reduction in the number of heart attacks and there was no reduction in the number of heart attack deaths.
Other studies have shown similar results. They found that a change to low cholesterol foods will have only a minor effect on the amount of cholesterol in a person's blood and only a minor effect on the number of deaths.
Medical scientists hope that two huge new studies may settle the cholesterol dispute. The tests are designed to learn if low cholesterol foods or anticholesterol drugs, or both, can reduce the amount of the substance in the blood and reduce the chance of a heart attack. The two new studies will be finished in the next year or two.
The new Academy of Sciences report also discussed other possible links between food and disease. The scientists, in general, they are deeply concerned about some of the recent advice given about food. They noted that a number of private groups, government agencies and several popular books have advised that people can prevent heart disease, cancer and other sicknesses by changing the kinds of foods they eat. The new report said there is often no good scientific evidence to support such advice. In fact, the scientists said such ideas often produce only false hopes or unnecessary fears. | 862.txt | 1 |
[
"eggs, meats and milk products",
"potatoes, green vegetables and tomatoes",
"corn, wheat and beef",
"sugar, rice and butter"
] | High cholesterol foods include _ . | The American Heart Association and other groups have said for many years that people could reduce the chance of suffering a heart attack by eating less of the foods rich in cholesterol. These include such foods as meats, milk products and eggs. The Heart Association noted a number of studies which show that nations where people eat a lot of high cholesterol foods have a higher number of deaths from heart disease.
However, the new report disagrees. It was made by the Food and Nutrition Board of the United States National Academy of Sciences. The new report by a team of 15 scientists said there is no evidence to link cholesterol in food directly to heart disease. It noted seven major studies involving people whose diet was changed to include only foods low in cholesterol. The studies found only a very small reduction in the number of heart attacks and there was no reduction in the number of heart attack deaths.
Other studies have shown similar results. They found that a change to low cholesterol foods will have only a minor effect on the amount of cholesterol in a person's blood and only a minor effect on the number of deaths.
Medical scientists hope that two huge new studies may settle the cholesterol dispute. The tests are designed to learn if low cholesterol foods or anticholesterol drugs, or both, can reduce the amount of the substance in the blood and reduce the chance of a heart attack. The two new studies will be finished in the next year or two.
The new Academy of Sciences report also discussed other possible links between food and disease. The scientists, in general, they are deeply concerned about some of the recent advice given about food. They noted that a number of private groups, government agencies and several popular books have advised that people can prevent heart disease, cancer and other sicknesses by changing the kinds of foods they eat. The new report said there is often no good scientific evidence to support such advice. In fact, the scientists said such ideas often produce only false hopes or unnecessary fears. | 862.txt | 0 |
[
"blood disease",
"heart disease",
"infectious disease",
"mental disorder"
] | Some scientists believe that there is no evidence that cholestrol in food is directly linked to _ . | The American Heart Association and other groups have said for many years that people could reduce the chance of suffering a heart attack by eating less of the foods rich in cholesterol. These include such foods as meats, milk products and eggs. The Heart Association noted a number of studies which show that nations where people eat a lot of high cholesterol foods have a higher number of deaths from heart disease.
However, the new report disagrees. It was made by the Food and Nutrition Board of the United States National Academy of Sciences. The new report by a team of 15 scientists said there is no evidence to link cholesterol in food directly to heart disease. It noted seven major studies involving people whose diet was changed to include only foods low in cholesterol. The studies found only a very small reduction in the number of heart attacks and there was no reduction in the number of heart attack deaths.
Other studies have shown similar results. They found that a change to low cholesterol foods will have only a minor effect on the amount of cholesterol in a person's blood and only a minor effect on the number of deaths.
Medical scientists hope that two huge new studies may settle the cholesterol dispute. The tests are designed to learn if low cholesterol foods or anticholesterol drugs, or both, can reduce the amount of the substance in the blood and reduce the chance of a heart attack. The two new studies will be finished in the next year or two.
The new Academy of Sciences report also discussed other possible links between food and disease. The scientists, in general, they are deeply concerned about some of the recent advice given about food. They noted that a number of private groups, government agencies and several popular books have advised that people can prevent heart disease, cancer and other sicknesses by changing the kinds of foods they eat. The new report said there is often no good scientific evidence to support such advice. In fact, the scientists said such ideas often produce only false hopes or unnecessary fears. | 862.txt | 1 |
[
"tests have been designed to settle the cholesterol dispute",
"drugs have been tested to reduce the amount of the substance in blood",
"low cholesterol foods or anti?cholesterol drugs or both can reduce the chance of a heart attack",
"none of the statements mentioned above is correct"
] | Medical scientists believe that _ . | The American Heart Association and other groups have said for many years that people could reduce the chance of suffering a heart attack by eating less of the foods rich in cholesterol. These include such foods as meats, milk products and eggs. The Heart Association noted a number of studies which show that nations where people eat a lot of high cholesterol foods have a higher number of deaths from heart disease.
However, the new report disagrees. It was made by the Food and Nutrition Board of the United States National Academy of Sciences. The new report by a team of 15 scientists said there is no evidence to link cholesterol in food directly to heart disease. It noted seven major studies involving people whose diet was changed to include only foods low in cholesterol. The studies found only a very small reduction in the number of heart attacks and there was no reduction in the number of heart attack deaths.
Other studies have shown similar results. They found that a change to low cholesterol foods will have only a minor effect on the amount of cholesterol in a person's blood and only a minor effect on the number of deaths.
Medical scientists hope that two huge new studies may settle the cholesterol dispute. The tests are designed to learn if low cholesterol foods or anticholesterol drugs, or both, can reduce the amount of the substance in the blood and reduce the chance of a heart attack. The two new studies will be finished in the next year or two.
The new Academy of Sciences report also discussed other possible links between food and disease. The scientists, in general, they are deeply concerned about some of the recent advice given about food. They noted that a number of private groups, government agencies and several popular books have advised that people can prevent heart disease, cancer and other sicknesses by changing the kinds of foods they eat. The new report said there is often no good scientific evidence to support such advice. In fact, the scientists said such ideas often produce only false hopes or unnecessary fears. | 862.txt | 2 |
[
"One can avoid a heart disease by eating less foods with little cholesterol.",
"One can avoid a heart disease by taking the doctor's advice to eat low cholesterol foods and anti?cholesterol drugs or both.",
"There has been good scientific evidence that cholesterol foods can produce the chance of suffering a heart disease.",
"People usually believe that cholesterol foods are directly linked to heart disease."
] | Which of the following statements in NOT true? | The American Heart Association and other groups have said for many years that people could reduce the chance of suffering a heart attack by eating less of the foods rich in cholesterol. These include such foods as meats, milk products and eggs. The Heart Association noted a number of studies which show that nations where people eat a lot of high cholesterol foods have a higher number of deaths from heart disease.
However, the new report disagrees. It was made by the Food and Nutrition Board of the United States National Academy of Sciences. The new report by a team of 15 scientists said there is no evidence to link cholesterol in food directly to heart disease. It noted seven major studies involving people whose diet was changed to include only foods low in cholesterol. The studies found only a very small reduction in the number of heart attacks and there was no reduction in the number of heart attack deaths.
Other studies have shown similar results. They found that a change to low cholesterol foods will have only a minor effect on the amount of cholesterol in a person's blood and only a minor effect on the number of deaths.
Medical scientists hope that two huge new studies may settle the cholesterol dispute. The tests are designed to learn if low cholesterol foods or anticholesterol drugs, or both, can reduce the amount of the substance in the blood and reduce the chance of a heart attack. The two new studies will be finished in the next year or two.
The new Academy of Sciences report also discussed other possible links between food and disease. The scientists, in general, they are deeply concerned about some of the recent advice given about food. They noted that a number of private groups, government agencies and several popular books have advised that people can prevent heart disease, cancer and other sicknesses by changing the kinds of foods they eat. The new report said there is often no good scientific evidence to support such advice. In fact, the scientists said such ideas often produce only false hopes or unnecessary fears. | 862.txt | 2 |
[
"Their value were severely doubted and criticized by all.",
"They were accursed of exaggerating the values of the internet stocks.",
"They were facing the reverse trend of their business popularity.",
"Big firms were beginning to abandon them."
] | According to the first paragraph, which of the following statement is true about the Wall Street's equity analysts? | The past few years have not been kind to Wall Street's equity analysts. Accused of helping to inflate the internet bubble, new regulations were imposed upon them after it popped. Research budgets subsequently tumbled. Fund managers are increasingly bypassing the widely distributed wares of traditional research providers, turning to specialist firms instead. Less than six months ago, Merrill Lynch's head of research complained that Wall Street analysis was being "Napsterised", or pirated. Some big financial firms, such as Prudential, have closed their research arms. Others are pondering their future in the business. To cap it all, a recent study suggested that it was all too easy for companies to buy the loyalty of those who cover their stock. The analyst's heyday would seem to be long gone.
But times are changing again. As markets sputter, analysts are regaining some clout. American shares plummeted on August 28th partly because Merrill Lynch's Guy Moszkowski cut his rating on several banks. Another Merrill analyst had earlier caused an even bigger quake by downgrading Countrywide, a big mortgage lender. And shares in Bear Stearns leapt when Dick Bove, an analyst with Punk Ziegel, merely pondered the possibility that the broker might receive a cash infusion from a foreign investor.
One explanation for this revival of influence is that, with markets so febrile, any shift in opinion is bound to have an exaggerated effect. But there may be more to it than that. As uncertainty grows, investors seem to be placing a higher value on research than they did only months ago. There is nothing new in this, reckons Mr Bove, a 40-year veteran of the industry. He asserts that nobody cares what analysts think in the good times, when what matters is deploying your money as quickly as possible. But the tables quickly turn when markets fall, as investors seek to steady their portfolios. Mr Bove argues that the golden age for equity analysts was the long bear market of the 1960s and 1970s, when advice on how to avoid losing money was highly treasured.
Another factor is the loss of faith in "quant" funds, which trade using complex computer models. Their recent problems have pushed investors back towards "more bottom-up, fundamental analysis", says Lara Warner, head of American research at Credit Suisse. "People suddenly want to understand what they're holding."
Recent structural changes also play a part. Since the "Global Settlement" of 2003, which severed the links between investment banks' dealmakers and their research departments, the banks have begun to tie analysts' pay more closely to performance. Bold calls earn bigger bonuses, if they prove correct. Ideas that stand out, and are thus valuable to hedge funds seeking "alpha" (above-market) returns, are also rewarded.
The audacity of some analysts stands in contrast to the spinelessness of Moody's and Standard & Poor's, which showered complex structured products with top-notch ratings and then twiddled their thumbs until they could no longer avoid downgrading them. By growing too cosy with their paymasters in structured products-the banks that package them-the rating agencies have ended up hopelessly in knots. A bit like equity analysts during the dotcom boom, in fact. | 3507.txt | 1 |
[
"the company need not Wall Strett's equity analysis any more.",
"the stock holders are less depandent on the equity analysts.",
"suggestions by the Wall Street euqity analysts are worthless.",
"shareholders are more sophisticated after the internet bubble popped."
] | The result of the study mentioned in the first paragraph implies that _ | The past few years have not been kind to Wall Street's equity analysts. Accused of helping to inflate the internet bubble, new regulations were imposed upon them after it popped. Research budgets subsequently tumbled. Fund managers are increasingly bypassing the widely distributed wares of traditional research providers, turning to specialist firms instead. Less than six months ago, Merrill Lynch's head of research complained that Wall Street analysis was being "Napsterised", or pirated. Some big financial firms, such as Prudential, have closed their research arms. Others are pondering their future in the business. To cap it all, a recent study suggested that it was all too easy for companies to buy the loyalty of those who cover their stock. The analyst's heyday would seem to be long gone.
But times are changing again. As markets sputter, analysts are regaining some clout. American shares plummeted on August 28th partly because Merrill Lynch's Guy Moszkowski cut his rating on several banks. Another Merrill analyst had earlier caused an even bigger quake by downgrading Countrywide, a big mortgage lender. And shares in Bear Stearns leapt when Dick Bove, an analyst with Punk Ziegel, merely pondered the possibility that the broker might receive a cash infusion from a foreign investor.
One explanation for this revival of influence is that, with markets so febrile, any shift in opinion is bound to have an exaggerated effect. But there may be more to it than that. As uncertainty grows, investors seem to be placing a higher value on research than they did only months ago. There is nothing new in this, reckons Mr Bove, a 40-year veteran of the industry. He asserts that nobody cares what analysts think in the good times, when what matters is deploying your money as quickly as possible. But the tables quickly turn when markets fall, as investors seek to steady their portfolios. Mr Bove argues that the golden age for equity analysts was the long bear market of the 1960s and 1970s, when advice on how to avoid losing money was highly treasured.
Another factor is the loss of faith in "quant" funds, which trade using complex computer models. Their recent problems have pushed investors back towards "more bottom-up, fundamental analysis", says Lara Warner, head of American research at Credit Suisse. "People suddenly want to understand what they're holding."
Recent structural changes also play a part. Since the "Global Settlement" of 2003, which severed the links between investment banks' dealmakers and their research departments, the banks have begun to tie analysts' pay more closely to performance. Bold calls earn bigger bonuses, if they prove correct. Ideas that stand out, and are thus valuable to hedge funds seeking "alpha" (above-market) returns, are also rewarded.
The audacity of some analysts stands in contrast to the spinelessness of Moody's and Standard & Poor's, which showered complex structured products with top-notch ratings and then twiddled their thumbs until they could no longer avoid downgrading them. By growing too cosy with their paymasters in structured products-the banks that package them-the rating agencies have ended up hopelessly in knots. A bit like equity analysts during the dotcom boom, in fact. | 3507.txt | 3 |
[
"the investors need more suggestions on their portfolios.",
"the market is now turning to be more tolerant of analysts' exaggeration.",
"the analysts are separated with the banks.",
"the quant funds have some problems in trading."
] | The analysts are regaining their influence recently because of the following reasons except _ | The past few years have not been kind to Wall Street's equity analysts. Accused of helping to inflate the internet bubble, new regulations were imposed upon them after it popped. Research budgets subsequently tumbled. Fund managers are increasingly bypassing the widely distributed wares of traditional research providers, turning to specialist firms instead. Less than six months ago, Merrill Lynch's head of research complained that Wall Street analysis was being "Napsterised", or pirated. Some big financial firms, such as Prudential, have closed their research arms. Others are pondering their future in the business. To cap it all, a recent study suggested that it was all too easy for companies to buy the loyalty of those who cover their stock. The analyst's heyday would seem to be long gone.
But times are changing again. As markets sputter, analysts are regaining some clout. American shares plummeted on August 28th partly because Merrill Lynch's Guy Moszkowski cut his rating on several banks. Another Merrill analyst had earlier caused an even bigger quake by downgrading Countrywide, a big mortgage lender. And shares in Bear Stearns leapt when Dick Bove, an analyst with Punk Ziegel, merely pondered the possibility that the broker might receive a cash infusion from a foreign investor.
One explanation for this revival of influence is that, with markets so febrile, any shift in opinion is bound to have an exaggerated effect. But there may be more to it than that. As uncertainty grows, investors seem to be placing a higher value on research than they did only months ago. There is nothing new in this, reckons Mr Bove, a 40-year veteran of the industry. He asserts that nobody cares what analysts think in the good times, when what matters is deploying your money as quickly as possible. But the tables quickly turn when markets fall, as investors seek to steady their portfolios. Mr Bove argues that the golden age for equity analysts was the long bear market of the 1960s and 1970s, when advice on how to avoid losing money was highly treasured.
Another factor is the loss of faith in "quant" funds, which trade using complex computer models. Their recent problems have pushed investors back towards "more bottom-up, fundamental analysis", says Lara Warner, head of American research at Credit Suisse. "People suddenly want to understand what they're holding."
Recent structural changes also play a part. Since the "Global Settlement" of 2003, which severed the links between investment banks' dealmakers and their research departments, the banks have begun to tie analysts' pay more closely to performance. Bold calls earn bigger bonuses, if they prove correct. Ideas that stand out, and are thus valuable to hedge funds seeking "alpha" (above-market) returns, are also rewarded.
The audacity of some analysts stands in contrast to the spinelessness of Moody's and Standard & Poor's, which showered complex structured products with top-notch ratings and then twiddled their thumbs until they could no longer avoid downgrading them. By growing too cosy with their paymasters in structured products-the banks that package them-the rating agencies have ended up hopelessly in knots. A bit like equity analysts during the dotcom boom, in fact. | 3507.txt | 1 |
[
"analysts who provide bold calls on the equity.",
"analysts who could bring good returns for the funds.",
"analysts who could provide correct evaluations.",
"analysts who could hedge funds."
] | Who are more likely getting high pays from the banks after the "Global Settlement"? | The past few years have not been kind to Wall Street's equity analysts. Accused of helping to inflate the internet bubble, new regulations were imposed upon them after it popped. Research budgets subsequently tumbled. Fund managers are increasingly bypassing the widely distributed wares of traditional research providers, turning to specialist firms instead. Less than six months ago, Merrill Lynch's head of research complained that Wall Street analysis was being "Napsterised", or pirated. Some big financial firms, such as Prudential, have closed their research arms. Others are pondering their future in the business. To cap it all, a recent study suggested that it was all too easy for companies to buy the loyalty of those who cover their stock. The analyst's heyday would seem to be long gone.
But times are changing again. As markets sputter, analysts are regaining some clout. American shares plummeted on August 28th partly because Merrill Lynch's Guy Moszkowski cut his rating on several banks. Another Merrill analyst had earlier caused an even bigger quake by downgrading Countrywide, a big mortgage lender. And shares in Bear Stearns leapt when Dick Bove, an analyst with Punk Ziegel, merely pondered the possibility that the broker might receive a cash infusion from a foreign investor.
One explanation for this revival of influence is that, with markets so febrile, any shift in opinion is bound to have an exaggerated effect. But there may be more to it than that. As uncertainty grows, investors seem to be placing a higher value on research than they did only months ago. There is nothing new in this, reckons Mr Bove, a 40-year veteran of the industry. He asserts that nobody cares what analysts think in the good times, when what matters is deploying your money as quickly as possible. But the tables quickly turn when markets fall, as investors seek to steady their portfolios. Mr Bove argues that the golden age for equity analysts was the long bear market of the 1960s and 1970s, when advice on how to avoid losing money was highly treasured.
Another factor is the loss of faith in "quant" funds, which trade using complex computer models. Their recent problems have pushed investors back towards "more bottom-up, fundamental analysis", says Lara Warner, head of American research at Credit Suisse. "People suddenly want to understand what they're holding."
Recent structural changes also play a part. Since the "Global Settlement" of 2003, which severed the links between investment banks' dealmakers and their research departments, the banks have begun to tie analysts' pay more closely to performance. Bold calls earn bigger bonuses, if they prove correct. Ideas that stand out, and are thus valuable to hedge funds seeking "alpha" (above-market) returns, are also rewarded.
The audacity of some analysts stands in contrast to the spinelessness of Moody's and Standard & Poor's, which showered complex structured products with top-notch ratings and then twiddled their thumbs until they could no longer avoid downgrading them. By growing too cosy with their paymasters in structured products-the banks that package them-the rating agencies have ended up hopelessly in knots. A bit like equity analysts during the dotcom boom, in fact. | 3507.txt | 1 |
[
"they tend to inflate the value of internet stocks.",
"they have too close association with their clients.",
"they have not evaluated the structrued products properly.",
"they were reluctant to downgrade their products."
] | The rating agencies are a bit like equity analysts during the dotcom boom in that _ | The past few years have not been kind to Wall Street's equity analysts. Accused of helping to inflate the internet bubble, new regulations were imposed upon them after it popped. Research budgets subsequently tumbled. Fund managers are increasingly bypassing the widely distributed wares of traditional research providers, turning to specialist firms instead. Less than six months ago, Merrill Lynch's head of research complained that Wall Street analysis was being "Napsterised", or pirated. Some big financial firms, such as Prudential, have closed their research arms. Others are pondering their future in the business. To cap it all, a recent study suggested that it was all too easy for companies to buy the loyalty of those who cover their stock. The analyst's heyday would seem to be long gone.
But times are changing again. As markets sputter, analysts are regaining some clout. American shares plummeted on August 28th partly because Merrill Lynch's Guy Moszkowski cut his rating on several banks. Another Merrill analyst had earlier caused an even bigger quake by downgrading Countrywide, a big mortgage lender. And shares in Bear Stearns leapt when Dick Bove, an analyst with Punk Ziegel, merely pondered the possibility that the broker might receive a cash infusion from a foreign investor.
One explanation for this revival of influence is that, with markets so febrile, any shift in opinion is bound to have an exaggerated effect. But there may be more to it than that. As uncertainty grows, investors seem to be placing a higher value on research than they did only months ago. There is nothing new in this, reckons Mr Bove, a 40-year veteran of the industry. He asserts that nobody cares what analysts think in the good times, when what matters is deploying your money as quickly as possible. But the tables quickly turn when markets fall, as investors seek to steady their portfolios. Mr Bove argues that the golden age for equity analysts was the long bear market of the 1960s and 1970s, when advice on how to avoid losing money was highly treasured.
Another factor is the loss of faith in "quant" funds, which trade using complex computer models. Their recent problems have pushed investors back towards "more bottom-up, fundamental analysis", says Lara Warner, head of American research at Credit Suisse. "People suddenly want to understand what they're holding."
Recent structural changes also play a part. Since the "Global Settlement" of 2003, which severed the links between investment banks' dealmakers and their research departments, the banks have begun to tie analysts' pay more closely to performance. Bold calls earn bigger bonuses, if they prove correct. Ideas that stand out, and are thus valuable to hedge funds seeking "alpha" (above-market) returns, are also rewarded.
The audacity of some analysts stands in contrast to the spinelessness of Moody's and Standard & Poor's, which showered complex structured products with top-notch ratings and then twiddled their thumbs until they could no longer avoid downgrading them. By growing too cosy with their paymasters in structured products-the banks that package them-the rating agencies have ended up hopelessly in knots. A bit like equity analysts during the dotcom boom, in fact. | 3507.txt | 2 |
[
"one of the property and casualty insurers in the U.S.",
"the only insurance company responsible for the damage claims by Andrew",
"the insurance industry as a whole",
"the biggest insurance company in the U.S."
] | According to the passage, ""Allstate Insurance"" most likely refers to _ . | In the days immediately following hurricane Andrew''s deadly visit to South Florida, Allstate Insurance hastily dispatched more than 2,000 extra claim adjusters to the devastated area to assist the 200 stationed there. Many of the reserves arrived in convoys of motor homes. Others flew in from as far away as Alaska and California. Since the storm had knocked out telephone lines, Allstate rushed to set up its own communications system. Allatate expects to pay out 1.2 billion to cover more than 121,000 damage claims as a result of Andrew.
All told, U.S. property and casualty insurers have been hit with more than 8 billion in Andrew-related claims, making the hurricane the most costly single calamity to strike the industry since the San Francisco earthquake and fire in 1906 (cost: 6 billion, after inflation). With claims continuing to pour in, Andrew threatens to take a painful toll on the already battered property-casualty insurance industry and its 100 million policy-holders. The final bill, analysts predic t, is likely to top 10 billion. While most well-capitalized insurers are expected to weather the storm, less anchored firms are in danger of being blown away, leaving U.S. consumers stuck with the tab. Says Sean Mooney, senior researcher at the Insurance Information Institute: ""It will take years before the industry digs itself out from the wreckage left by Andrew. Some [companies] will be buried by it.""
Hurricane Andrew is the latest in a string of mishaps to plague the American insurance industry this year. In April an overflowing Chicago River flooded the city''s downtown district, costing insurers 300 million in claims. A month later, Los Angeles was rocked by the worst civilian riot in the U.S. since the Civil War. The insurance toll: 1 billion. Then came a series of major hailstorms in Texas, Florida an Kansas. They cost insurers a combined 700 million. And two weeks after Andrew, another lethal hurricane, Iniki, smashed into Hawaii, causing 1.4 billion in damages. In all, property and casualty insurers have paid out a record 13 billion in claims so far this year, far surpassing the previous high of 7.6 billion in 1989, the year of Hurricane Hugo and California''s Bay Area earthquake. Just as in that year, when those catastrophes were followed by substantial increases in insurance premiums, insurers are already lobbying for rate relief. | 3220.txt | 0 |
[
"lead to inflation throughout the U.S.",
"make the largest insurers suffer the most",
"put the industry in Sough Florida out of action",
"cause insurers with insufficient funds to go ba nkrupt"
] | As is stated in the second paragraph, the result of Hurricane Andrew is likely to _ . | In the days immediately following hurricane Andrew''s deadly visit to South Florida, Allstate Insurance hastily dispatched more than 2,000 extra claim adjusters to the devastated area to assist the 200 stationed there. Many of the reserves arrived in convoys of motor homes. Others flew in from as far away as Alaska and California. Since the storm had knocked out telephone lines, Allstate rushed to set up its own communications system. Allatate expects to pay out 1.2 billion to cover more than 121,000 damage claims as a result of Andrew.
All told, U.S. property and casualty insurers have been hit with more than 8 billion in Andrew-related claims, making the hurricane the most costly single calamity to strike the industry since the San Francisco earthquake and fire in 1906 (cost: 6 billion, after inflation). With claims continuing to pour in, Andrew threatens to take a painful toll on the already battered property-casualty insurance industry and its 100 million policy-holders. The final bill, analysts predic t, is likely to top 10 billion. While most well-capitalized insurers are expected to weather the storm, less anchored firms are in danger of being blown away, leaving U.S. consumers stuck with the tab. Says Sean Mooney, senior researcher at the Insurance Information Institute: ""It will take years before the industry digs itself out from the wreckage left by Andrew. Some [companies] will be buried by it.""
Hurricane Andrew is the latest in a string of mishaps to plague the American insurance industry this year. In April an overflowing Chicago River flooded the city''s downtown district, costing insurers 300 million in claims. A month later, Los Angeles was rocked by the worst civilian riot in the U.S. since the Civil War. The insurance toll: 1 billion. Then came a series of major hailstorms in Texas, Florida an Kansas. They cost insurers a combined 700 million. And two weeks after Andrew, another lethal hurricane, Iniki, smashed into Hawaii, causing 1.4 billion in damages. In all, property and casualty insurers have paid out a record 13 billion in claims so far this year, far surpassing the previous high of 7.6 billion in 1989, the year of Hurricane Hugo and California''s Bay Area earthquake. Just as in that year, when those catastrophes were followed by substantial increases in insurance premiums, insurers are already lobbying for rate relief. | 3220.txt | 3 |
[
"\"\"caught in the hurricane\"\"",
"\"\"exposed to natural disasters\"\"",
"\"\"trapped in financial difficulties\"\"",
"\"\"extremely vulnerable to further damages\"\""
] | Using context clues, we may infer that ""stuck with the tab"" most probably means _ . | In the days immediately following hurricane Andrew''s deadly visit to South Florida, Allstate Insurance hastily dispatched more than 2,000 extra claim adjusters to the devastated area to assist the 200 stationed there. Many of the reserves arrived in convoys of motor homes. Others flew in from as far away as Alaska and California. Since the storm had knocked out telephone lines, Allstate rushed to set up its own communications system. Allatate expects to pay out 1.2 billion to cover more than 121,000 damage claims as a result of Andrew.
All told, U.S. property and casualty insurers have been hit with more than 8 billion in Andrew-related claims, making the hurricane the most costly single calamity to strike the industry since the San Francisco earthquake and fire in 1906 (cost: 6 billion, after inflation). With claims continuing to pour in, Andrew threatens to take a painful toll on the already battered property-casualty insurance industry and its 100 million policy-holders. The final bill, analysts predic t, is likely to top 10 billion. While most well-capitalized insurers are expected to weather the storm, less anchored firms are in danger of being blown away, leaving U.S. consumers stuck with the tab. Says Sean Mooney, senior researcher at the Insurance Information Institute: ""It will take years before the industry digs itself out from the wreckage left by Andrew. Some [companies] will be buried by it.""
Hurricane Andrew is the latest in a string of mishaps to plague the American insurance industry this year. In April an overflowing Chicago River flooded the city''s downtown district, costing insurers 300 million in claims. A month later, Los Angeles was rocked by the worst civilian riot in the U.S. since the Civil War. The insurance toll: 1 billion. Then came a series of major hailstorms in Texas, Florida an Kansas. They cost insurers a combined 700 million. And two weeks after Andrew, another lethal hurricane, Iniki, smashed into Hawaii, causing 1.4 billion in damages. In all, property and casualty insurers have paid out a record 13 billion in claims so far this year, far surpassing the previous high of 7.6 billion in 1989, the year of Hurricane Hugo and California''s Bay Area earthquake. Just as in that year, when those catastrophes were followed by substantial increases in insurance premiums, insurers are already lobbying for rate relief. | 3220.txt | 2 |
[
"resort to a very big increase in insurance premiums",
"ask for subsidies from the federal government",
"reduce their insurance coverage thereafter",
"require a higher interest rate from the bank"
] | The end of the passage implies that, to compensate for their huge loss, the insurers will _ . | In the days immediately following hurricane Andrew''s deadly visit to South Florida, Allstate Insurance hastily dispatched more than 2,000 extra claim adjusters to the devastated area to assist the 200 stationed there. Many of the reserves arrived in convoys of motor homes. Others flew in from as far away as Alaska and California. Since the storm had knocked out telephone lines, Allstate rushed to set up its own communications system. Allatate expects to pay out 1.2 billion to cover more than 121,000 damage claims as a result of Andrew.
All told, U.S. property and casualty insurers have been hit with more than 8 billion in Andrew-related claims, making the hurricane the most costly single calamity to strike the industry since the San Francisco earthquake and fire in 1906 (cost: 6 billion, after inflation). With claims continuing to pour in, Andrew threatens to take a painful toll on the already battered property-casualty insurance industry and its 100 million policy-holders. The final bill, analysts predic t, is likely to top 10 billion. While most well-capitalized insurers are expected to weather the storm, less anchored firms are in danger of being blown away, leaving U.S. consumers stuck with the tab. Says Sean Mooney, senior researcher at the Insurance Information Institute: ""It will take years before the industry digs itself out from the wreckage left by Andrew. Some [companies] will be buried by it.""
Hurricane Andrew is the latest in a string of mishaps to plague the American insurance industry this year. In April an overflowing Chicago River flooded the city''s downtown district, costing insurers 300 million in claims. A month later, Los Angeles was rocked by the worst civilian riot in the U.S. since the Civil War. The insurance toll: 1 billion. Then came a series of major hailstorms in Texas, Florida an Kansas. They cost insurers a combined 700 million. And two weeks after Andrew, another lethal hurricane, Iniki, smashed into Hawaii, causing 1.4 billion in damages. In all, property and casualty insurers have paid out a record 13 billion in claims so far this year, far surpassing the previous high of 7.6 billion in 1989, the year of Hurricane Hugo and California''s Bay Area earthquake. Just as in that year, when those catastrophes were followed by substantial increases in insurance premiums, insurers are already lobbying for rate relief. | 3220.txt | 0 |
[
"show the severe damages and heavy losses caused by Hurricane Andrew",
"suggest that U.S. insurers are virtually unable to cover the damage claims any more",
"tell about the difficult situation faced by the insurers throughout the U.S.",
"prove that disasters tend to cause ever worsening devastation as time goes on"
] | The main purpose of the passage is to _ . | In the days immediately following hurricane Andrew''s deadly visit to South Florida, Allstate Insurance hastily dispatched more than 2,000 extra claim adjusters to the devastated area to assist the 200 stationed there. Many of the reserves arrived in convoys of motor homes. Others flew in from as far away as Alaska and California. Since the storm had knocked out telephone lines, Allstate rushed to set up its own communications system. Allatate expects to pay out 1.2 billion to cover more than 121,000 damage claims as a result of Andrew.
All told, U.S. property and casualty insurers have been hit with more than 8 billion in Andrew-related claims, making the hurricane the most costly single calamity to strike the industry since the San Francisco earthquake and fire in 1906 (cost: 6 billion, after inflation). With claims continuing to pour in, Andrew threatens to take a painful toll on the already battered property-casualty insurance industry and its 100 million policy-holders. The final bill, analysts predic t, is likely to top 10 billion. While most well-capitalized insurers are expected to weather the storm, less anchored firms are in danger of being blown away, leaving U.S. consumers stuck with the tab. Says Sean Mooney, senior researcher at the Insurance Information Institute: ""It will take years before the industry digs itself out from the wreckage left by Andrew. Some [companies] will be buried by it.""
Hurricane Andrew is the latest in a string of mishaps to plague the American insurance industry this year. In April an overflowing Chicago River flooded the city''s downtown district, costing insurers 300 million in claims. A month later, Los Angeles was rocked by the worst civilian riot in the U.S. since the Civil War. The insurance toll: 1 billion. Then came a series of major hailstorms in Texas, Florida an Kansas. They cost insurers a combined 700 million. And two weeks after Andrew, another lethal hurricane, Iniki, smashed into Hawaii, causing 1.4 billion in damages. In all, property and casualty insurers have paid out a record 13 billion in claims so far this year, far surpassing the previous high of 7.6 billion in 1989, the year of Hurricane Hugo and California''s Bay Area earthquake. Just as in that year, when those catastrophes were followed by substantial increases in insurance premiums, insurers are already lobbying for rate relief. | 3220.txt | 2 |
[
"A new bill has been passed by the Home.",
"The bill would be codified.",
"The term \" born alive\" has a new definition.",
"There are many debates about the bill."
] | What does the first paragraph mainly talk about? | On Tuesday evening, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act on a voice vote. This is a simple, three-paragraph bill that would codify, for federal law purposes, the traditional definition of " born alive." Specifically, under the bill, the terms " person, " " human being, " " child" and " individual, " whenever they appear in federal laws or regulations, will be construed to include " every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive." The term " born alive" is then defined as " complete expulsion or extraction from his or her mother, " followed by a heartbeat, respiration, or movement of voluntary muscles.
This is the legal definition already incorporateed in the laws of most states.
At 7：39 p.m. Tuesday, the Associated Press bureau in Washington sent out a dispatch that began, " The House voted Tuesday to define a fetus that is fully outside a woman‘s body as having been 'born alive, ‘ which would give the fetus full legal protection." The term " fetus" was employed repeatedly throughout the rest of the dispatch.
Quickly, I and at least one other reader pointed out to the AP editor on duty that " fetus" is not an appropriate or accurate term to apply to a human infant who is entirely born and alive. If an infant is born alive prematurely, then the proper term would be " premature infant" or " premature baby, " not " fetus." Sometimes induction of labor is used as a method of abortion, and sometimes this results in a live birth. This is sometimes referred to as a " live birth abortion." On occasion, other abortion methods also result in live births. But a premature infant is a premature infant-and a legally protected person-regardless of how he or she reached that state.
Regrettably, the AP did not correct its error. Instead AP editors compounded the original error by transmitting updates that contained this statement： " The legislation is aimed at an abortion procedure critics call ‘partial-birth' in which a fetus is partially delivered before being destroyed. Thirty states and the District of Columbia already have laws against the procedure."
In fact, the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act does not restrict partial-birth abortion. In a partial-birth abortion, the fetus/baby is mostly delivered but the head remains in the womb while the skull is punctured-hence the name, PARTIAL-birth.
The fetus/baby destroyed in a PARTIAL-birth abortion has not achieved the " complete extraction or expulsion from his or her mother" required to be " born alive" under H.R. 2175. Moreover, the laws that the AP refers to are laws that define " live birth, " not laws restricting partial-birth abortion. According to the House Judiciary subcommittee that H.R. 2175 have codified the definition of " live birth" for their state-law purposes, and of these, 30 states and D.C. have codified definitions virtually identical to those contained in H.R. 2175. (D.C. has never enacted a restriction on partial-birth abortion.) | 618.txt | 2 |
[
"The bill should come earlier.",
"A lot of states have already adopted the definition in their laws.",
"It will affect the federal laws.",
"Both B and C."
] | What did the author probably mean by his saying, " This is the legal definition already incorporated in the laws of most states." ? | On Tuesday evening, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act on a voice vote. This is a simple, three-paragraph bill that would codify, for federal law purposes, the traditional definition of " born alive." Specifically, under the bill, the terms " person, " " human being, " " child" and " individual, " whenever they appear in federal laws or regulations, will be construed to include " every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive." The term " born alive" is then defined as " complete expulsion or extraction from his or her mother, " followed by a heartbeat, respiration, or movement of voluntary muscles.
This is the legal definition already incorporateed in the laws of most states.
At 7：39 p.m. Tuesday, the Associated Press bureau in Washington sent out a dispatch that began, " The House voted Tuesday to define a fetus that is fully outside a woman‘s body as having been 'born alive, ‘ which would give the fetus full legal protection." The term " fetus" was employed repeatedly throughout the rest of the dispatch.
Quickly, I and at least one other reader pointed out to the AP editor on duty that " fetus" is not an appropriate or accurate term to apply to a human infant who is entirely born and alive. If an infant is born alive prematurely, then the proper term would be " premature infant" or " premature baby, " not " fetus." Sometimes induction of labor is used as a method of abortion, and sometimes this results in a live birth. This is sometimes referred to as a " live birth abortion." On occasion, other abortion methods also result in live births. But a premature infant is a premature infant-and a legally protected person-regardless of how he or she reached that state.
Regrettably, the AP did not correct its error. Instead AP editors compounded the original error by transmitting updates that contained this statement： " The legislation is aimed at an abortion procedure critics call ‘partial-birth' in which a fetus is partially delivered before being destroyed. Thirty states and the District of Columbia already have laws against the procedure."
In fact, the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act does not restrict partial-birth abortion. In a partial-birth abortion, the fetus/baby is mostly delivered but the head remains in the womb while the skull is punctured-hence the name, PARTIAL-birth.
The fetus/baby destroyed in a PARTIAL-birth abortion has not achieved the " complete extraction or expulsion from his or her mother" required to be " born alive" under H.R. 2175. Moreover, the laws that the AP refers to are laws that define " live birth, " not laws restricting partial-birth abortion. According to the House Judiciary subcommittee that H.R. 2175 have codified the definition of " live birth" for their state-law purposes, and of these, 30 states and D.C. have codified definitions virtually identical to those contained in H.R. 2175. (D.C. has never enacted a restriction on partial-birth abortion.) | 618.txt | 0 |
[
"An infant is alive but a fetus is not.",
"The word \" fetus\" is not an accurate term.",
"When you use the word \" fetus\" , there is something discrimination in your talk.",
"\" Fetus\" is not considered as a real person but when you use the word \" infant\" to describe someone he or she is a real one who alive."
] | Read paragraph 4 carefully and then point out that why did the author think that " fetus" is not a fitted word to describe that especially situation? | On Tuesday evening, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act on a voice vote. This is a simple, three-paragraph bill that would codify, for federal law purposes, the traditional definition of " born alive." Specifically, under the bill, the terms " person, " " human being, " " child" and " individual, " whenever they appear in federal laws or regulations, will be construed to include " every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive." The term " born alive" is then defined as " complete expulsion or extraction from his or her mother, " followed by a heartbeat, respiration, or movement of voluntary muscles.
This is the legal definition already incorporateed in the laws of most states.
At 7：39 p.m. Tuesday, the Associated Press bureau in Washington sent out a dispatch that began, " The House voted Tuesday to define a fetus that is fully outside a woman‘s body as having been 'born alive, ‘ which would give the fetus full legal protection." The term " fetus" was employed repeatedly throughout the rest of the dispatch.
Quickly, I and at least one other reader pointed out to the AP editor on duty that " fetus" is not an appropriate or accurate term to apply to a human infant who is entirely born and alive. If an infant is born alive prematurely, then the proper term would be " premature infant" or " premature baby, " not " fetus." Sometimes induction of labor is used as a method of abortion, and sometimes this results in a live birth. This is sometimes referred to as a " live birth abortion." On occasion, other abortion methods also result in live births. But a premature infant is a premature infant-and a legally protected person-regardless of how he or she reached that state.
Regrettably, the AP did not correct its error. Instead AP editors compounded the original error by transmitting updates that contained this statement： " The legislation is aimed at an abortion procedure critics call ‘partial-birth' in which a fetus is partially delivered before being destroyed. Thirty states and the District of Columbia already have laws against the procedure."
In fact, the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act does not restrict partial-birth abortion. In a partial-birth abortion, the fetus/baby is mostly delivered but the head remains in the womb while the skull is punctured-hence the name, PARTIAL-birth.
The fetus/baby destroyed in a PARTIAL-birth abortion has not achieved the " complete extraction or expulsion from his or her mother" required to be " born alive" under H.R. 2175. Moreover, the laws that the AP refers to are laws that define " live birth, " not laws restricting partial-birth abortion. According to the House Judiciary subcommittee that H.R. 2175 have codified the definition of " live birth" for their state-law purposes, and of these, 30 states and D.C. have codified definitions virtually identical to those contained in H.R. 2175. (D.C. has never enacted a restriction on partial-birth abortion.) | 618.txt | 3 |
[
"It indicated the situation that an infant was failed to born.",
"A method of abortion.",
"An unsuccessful born of a child.",
"Dystocia."
] | According to your understanding, what does partial-birth mean? | On Tuesday evening, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act on a voice vote. This is a simple, three-paragraph bill that would codify, for federal law purposes, the traditional definition of " born alive." Specifically, under the bill, the terms " person, " " human being, " " child" and " individual, " whenever they appear in federal laws or regulations, will be construed to include " every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive." The term " born alive" is then defined as " complete expulsion or extraction from his or her mother, " followed by a heartbeat, respiration, or movement of voluntary muscles.
This is the legal definition already incorporateed in the laws of most states.
At 7：39 p.m. Tuesday, the Associated Press bureau in Washington sent out a dispatch that began, " The House voted Tuesday to define a fetus that is fully outside a woman‘s body as having been 'born alive, ‘ which would give the fetus full legal protection." The term " fetus" was employed repeatedly throughout the rest of the dispatch.
Quickly, I and at least one other reader pointed out to the AP editor on duty that " fetus" is not an appropriate or accurate term to apply to a human infant who is entirely born and alive. If an infant is born alive prematurely, then the proper term would be " premature infant" or " premature baby, " not " fetus." Sometimes induction of labor is used as a method of abortion, and sometimes this results in a live birth. This is sometimes referred to as a " live birth abortion." On occasion, other abortion methods also result in live births. But a premature infant is a premature infant-and a legally protected person-regardless of how he or she reached that state.
Regrettably, the AP did not correct its error. Instead AP editors compounded the original error by transmitting updates that contained this statement： " The legislation is aimed at an abortion procedure critics call ‘partial-birth' in which a fetus is partially delivered before being destroyed. Thirty states and the District of Columbia already have laws against the procedure."
In fact, the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act does not restrict partial-birth abortion. In a partial-birth abortion, the fetus/baby is mostly delivered but the head remains in the womb while the skull is punctured-hence the name, PARTIAL-birth.
The fetus/baby destroyed in a PARTIAL-birth abortion has not achieved the " complete extraction or expulsion from his or her mother" required to be " born alive" under H.R. 2175. Moreover, the laws that the AP refers to are laws that define " live birth, " not laws restricting partial-birth abortion. According to the House Judiciary subcommittee that H.R. 2175 have codified the definition of " live birth" for their state-law purposes, and of these, 30 states and D.C. have codified definitions virtually identical to those contained in H.R. 2175. (D.C. has never enacted a restriction on partial-birth abortion.) | 618.txt | 1 |
[
"They thought that the live-born human infant was still a fetus.",
"They didn‘t think that the live-born human infant was still a fetus.",
"They have no idea about the definition of a live-born human infant.",
"They thought it was bloody to use the partial-born method to the fetus."
] | What did the Associated Press think about the live-born human infant ? | On Tuesday evening, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act on a voice vote. This is a simple, three-paragraph bill that would codify, for federal law purposes, the traditional definition of " born alive." Specifically, under the bill, the terms " person, " " human being, " " child" and " individual, " whenever they appear in federal laws or regulations, will be construed to include " every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive." The term " born alive" is then defined as " complete expulsion or extraction from his or her mother, " followed by a heartbeat, respiration, or movement of voluntary muscles.
This is the legal definition already incorporateed in the laws of most states.
At 7：39 p.m. Tuesday, the Associated Press bureau in Washington sent out a dispatch that began, " The House voted Tuesday to define a fetus that is fully outside a woman‘s body as having been 'born alive, ‘ which would give the fetus full legal protection." The term " fetus" was employed repeatedly throughout the rest of the dispatch.
Quickly, I and at least one other reader pointed out to the AP editor on duty that " fetus" is not an appropriate or accurate term to apply to a human infant who is entirely born and alive. If an infant is born alive prematurely, then the proper term would be " premature infant" or " premature baby, " not " fetus." Sometimes induction of labor is used as a method of abortion, and sometimes this results in a live birth. This is sometimes referred to as a " live birth abortion." On occasion, other abortion methods also result in live births. But a premature infant is a premature infant-and a legally protected person-regardless of how he or she reached that state.
Regrettably, the AP did not correct its error. Instead AP editors compounded the original error by transmitting updates that contained this statement： " The legislation is aimed at an abortion procedure critics call ‘partial-birth' in which a fetus is partially delivered before being destroyed. Thirty states and the District of Columbia already have laws against the procedure."
In fact, the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act does not restrict partial-birth abortion. In a partial-birth abortion, the fetus/baby is mostly delivered but the head remains in the womb while the skull is punctured-hence the name, PARTIAL-birth.
The fetus/baby destroyed in a PARTIAL-birth abortion has not achieved the " complete extraction or expulsion from his or her mother" required to be " born alive" under H.R. 2175. Moreover, the laws that the AP refers to are laws that define " live birth, " not laws restricting partial-birth abortion. According to the House Judiciary subcommittee that H.R. 2175 have codified the definition of " live birth" for their state-law purposes, and of these, 30 states and D.C. have codified definitions virtually identical to those contained in H.R. 2175. (D.C. has never enacted a restriction on partial-birth abortion.) | 618.txt | 1 |
[
"To tell her parents about the fire.",
"To ask for a lot of money.",
"To tell her parents she had failed her exams.",
"To tell her parents she had to leave school."
] | Why did Sarah write home? | Sarah Williams went to a boarding school. Here isone of the letters she wrote to her parents from theschool:
Wentworth Girls' school
Beachside
July 20th
Dearest Mom and Dad,
I'm afraid I have some very bad news for you. I have been very naughty and the schoolprincipal is very angry with me. She is going to write to you. You must come and take me awayfrom here. She does not want me in the school any longer.
The trouble started last night when I was smoking in bed. This is against the rules, of course.We are not supposed to smoke at all.
As I was smoking, I heard footsteps coming towards the room. I did not want a teacher to catchme smoking, so I threw the cigarette away.
Unfortunately, the cigarette fell into the waste-paper bas-ket, which caught fire.
There was a curtain near the waste-paper basket which caught fire, too. Soon the whole roomwas burning.
The principal phoned for the fire department. The ‘school is a long way from the town and bythe time the fire depart-ment arrived, the whole school was in flames. Many of the girls are inthe hospital.
The principal says that the fire was all my fault and you must pay for the damage. She willsend you a bill for about a million dollars.
I'm very sorry about this.
Much love,
Sarah
P. S. None of the above is true, but I have failed my ex-ams. I just want you to know how badthings could have been! | 2326.txt | 2 |
[
"She wanted to worry them.",
"She wanted to make them laugh.",
"She wanted to make them less angry at the real news.",
"She wanted to warn them about what the principal was going to do."
] | Why did Sarah tell her parents the story about the fire? | Sarah Williams went to a boarding school. Here isone of the letters she wrote to her parents from theschool:
Wentworth Girls' school
Beachside
July 20th
Dearest Mom and Dad,
I'm afraid I have some very bad news for you. I have been very naughty and the schoolprincipal is very angry with me. She is going to write to you. You must come and take me awayfrom here. She does not want me in the school any longer.
The trouble started last night when I was smoking in bed. This is against the rules, of course.We are not supposed to smoke at all.
As I was smoking, I heard footsteps coming towards the room. I did not want a teacher to catchme smoking, so I threw the cigarette away.
Unfortunately, the cigarette fell into the waste-paper bas-ket, which caught fire.
There was a curtain near the waste-paper basket which caught fire, too. Soon the whole roomwas burning.
The principal phoned for the fire department. The ‘school is a long way from the town and bythe time the fire depart-ment arrived, the whole school was in flames. Many of the girls are inthe hospital.
The principal says that the fire was all my fault and you must pay for the damage. She willsend you a bill for about a million dollars.
I'm very sorry about this.
Much love,
Sarah
P. S. None of the above is true, but I have failed my ex-ams. I just want you to know how badthings could have been! | 2326.txt | 2 |
[
"mostly true",
"partly true",
"all true",
"completely untrue"
] | The letter before the P.S. was _ . | Sarah Williams went to a boarding school. Here isone of the letters she wrote to her parents from theschool:
Wentworth Girls' school
Beachside
July 20th
Dearest Mom and Dad,
I'm afraid I have some very bad news for you. I have been very naughty and the schoolprincipal is very angry with me. She is going to write to you. You must come and take me awayfrom here. She does not want me in the school any longer.
The trouble started last night when I was smoking in bed. This is against the rules, of course.We are not supposed to smoke at all.
As I was smoking, I heard footsteps coming towards the room. I did not want a teacher to catchme smoking, so I threw the cigarette away.
Unfortunately, the cigarette fell into the waste-paper bas-ket, which caught fire.
There was a curtain near the waste-paper basket which caught fire, too. Soon the whole roomwas burning.
The principal phoned for the fire department. The ‘school is a long way from the town and bythe time the fire depart-ment arrived, the whole school was in flames. Many of the girls are inthe hospital.
The principal says that the fire was all my fault and you must pay for the damage. She willsend you a bill for about a million dollars.
I'm very sorry about this.
Much love,
Sarah
P. S. None of the above is true, but I have failed my ex-ams. I just want you to know how badthings could have been! | 2326.txt | 3 |
[
"she had failed her exams",
"it was her fault that had caused the fire",
"he had not made the phone call in time",
"she had been caught smokimg in bed"
] | Sarah said the principal was angry because _ . | Sarah Williams went to a boarding school. Here isone of the letters she wrote to her parents from theschool:
Wentworth Girls' school
Beachside
July 20th
Dearest Mom and Dad,
I'm afraid I have some very bad news for you. I have been very naughty and the schoolprincipal is very angry with me. She is going to write to you. You must come and take me awayfrom here. She does not want me in the school any longer.
The trouble started last night when I was smoking in bed. This is against the rules, of course.We are not supposed to smoke at all.
As I was smoking, I heard footsteps coming towards the room. I did not want a teacher to catchme smoking, so I threw the cigarette away.
Unfortunately, the cigarette fell into the waste-paper bas-ket, which caught fire.
There was a curtain near the waste-paper basket which caught fire, too. Soon the whole roomwas burning.
The principal phoned for the fire department. The ‘school is a long way from the town and bythe time the fire depart-ment arrived, the whole school was in flames. Many of the girls are inthe hospital.
The principal says that the fire was all my fault and you must pay for the damage. She willsend you a bill for about a million dollars.
I'm very sorry about this.
Much love,
Sarah
P. S. None of the above is true, but I have failed my ex-ams. I just want you to know how badthings could have been! | 2326.txt | 1 |
[
"Debates on them will become less fierce.",
"They will be effective in dealing with obesity.",
"A large sum of money will be spent on them.",
"They will influence people' s way of life."
] | What is TRUE about the programs supported by the Prime Minister? | Lack of parent willpower may contribute more to juvenile obesity than under-exercising or overeating.
Research suggests that having overweight parents is a big, influence ( ) upon a child' s
weight, with one study finding that children with overweight parents were four times more likely to be overweight themselves.
The findings add heat to an already fierce political debate over childhood obesity. The Prime Minister, John Howard, last week decided that $116 million be Used for programs to deal with obesity, while the Opposition Leader, Mark Latham, recently announced that his party would move to protect children from unhealthy food advertisements..
Clare Colins a senior lecturer at the University of Newcastle, believes such programs will definitely fail unless they influence the way of life of whole families. "If we can' t get parents to take action against their own weight problems, then we can' t expect to influence their kids," she said.
However, Professor, Louise Baur from the Children' s Hospital at Westmead, doubts whether
adult education programs offer any solution to weight problems. "Many parents know they need to lose weight and they knew it influences their kids, but they lack the willpower to do anything about it.
The, l0-year study of 150 American children found two-thirds of children with overweight parents became overweight. Only one in six children whose parents were of average weight became overweight.
The president of the Australasian Society for the.Study of Obesity, Associate Professor Gary
Wittert, said parents needed help in doing their job and the Opposition Party's policy might be on the right track.
"We know that driving without a seat belt is unsafe, so we make law against it," he said.
"Obesity is a major public health concern, so why shouldn't we change the law regarding unhealthy food ads?" | 3256.txt | 2 |
[
"will come up with.better solutions",
"will help with their children' s education",
"should be more active in reducing weight",
"should carry out at least 10 years' study"
] | Both Collins and Baur believe that overweight parents _ , | Lack of parent willpower may contribute more to juvenile obesity than under-exercising or overeating.
Research suggests that having overweight parents is a big, influence ( ) upon a child' s
weight, with one study finding that children with overweight parents were four times more likely to be overweight themselves.
The findings add heat to an already fierce political debate over childhood obesity. The Prime Minister, John Howard, last week decided that $116 million be Used for programs to deal with obesity, while the Opposition Leader, Mark Latham, recently announced that his party would move to protect children from unhealthy food advertisements..
Clare Colins a senior lecturer at the University of Newcastle, believes such programs will definitely fail unless they influence the way of life of whole families. "If we can' t get parents to take action against their own weight problems, then we can' t expect to influence their kids," she said.
However, Professor, Louise Baur from the Children' s Hospital at Westmead, doubts whether
adult education programs offer any solution to weight problems. "Many parents know they need to lose weight and they knew it influences their kids, but they lack the willpower to do anything about it.
The, l0-year study of 150 American children found two-thirds of children with overweight parents became overweight. Only one in six children whose parents were of average weight became overweight.
The president of the Australasian Society for the.Study of Obesity, Associate Professor Gary
Wittert, said parents needed help in doing their job and the Opposition Party's policy might be on the right track.
"We know that driving without a seat belt is unsafe, so we make law against it," he said.
"Obesity is a major public health concern, so why shouldn't we change the law regarding unhealthy food ads?" | 3256.txt | 2 |
[
"can help fight against unemployment",
"may protect kids from unhealthy food ads",
"should be brought back to the right track",
"will work well to prevent traffic accidents"
] | According to some experts, the Opposition Party's policy _ . | Lack of parent willpower may contribute more to juvenile obesity than under-exercising or overeating.
Research suggests that having overweight parents is a big, influence ( ) upon a child' s
weight, with one study finding that children with overweight parents were four times more likely to be overweight themselves.
The findings add heat to an already fierce political debate over childhood obesity. The Prime Minister, John Howard, last week decided that $116 million be Used for programs to deal with obesity, while the Opposition Leader, Mark Latham, recently announced that his party would move to protect children from unhealthy food advertisements..
Clare Colins a senior lecturer at the University of Newcastle, believes such programs will definitely fail unless they influence the way of life of whole families. "If we can' t get parents to take action against their own weight problems, then we can' t expect to influence their kids," she said.
However, Professor, Louise Baur from the Children' s Hospital at Westmead, doubts whether
adult education programs offer any solution to weight problems. "Many parents know they need to lose weight and they knew it influences their kids, but they lack the willpower to do anything about it.
The, l0-year study of 150 American children found two-thirds of children with overweight parents became overweight. Only one in six children whose parents were of average weight became overweight.
The president of the Australasian Society for the.Study of Obesity, Associate Professor Gary
Wittert, said parents needed help in doing their job and the Opposition Party's policy might be on the right track.
"We know that driving without a seat belt is unsafe, so we make law against it," he said.
"Obesity is a major public health concern, so why shouldn't we change the law regarding unhealthy food ads?" | 3256.txt | 1 |
[
"To continue to stay in Italy.",
"To teach her children Italian.",
"To find a better job in Italy.",
"To better mix with the Italians."
] | Why does Cojochru have to take a language test? | FLORENCE, Italy-Svetlana Cojochru feels hurt. The Moldovan has lived here seven years as a caregiver to Italian kids and the elderly, but in order to stay she's had to prove her language skills by taking a test which requires her to write a postcard to an imaginary friend and answer a fictional job ad.
Italy is the latest Western European country trying to control a growing immigrant population by demanding language skills in exchange for work permits, or in some cases, citizenship.
Some immigrant advocates worry that as hard financial times make it more difficult for natives to keep jobs, such measures will become more a vehicle for intolerance than integration. Others say it's only natural that newcomers learn the language of their host nation, seeing it as a condition to ensure they can contribute to society.
Other European countries laid down a similar requirement for immigrants, and some terms are even tougher. The governments argue that this will help foreigners better join the society and promote understanding across cultures.
Italy, which has a much weaker tradition of immigration, has witnessed a sharp increase in immigration in recent years. In 1990, immigrants numbered some 1.14 million out of Italy's then 56.7 million people, or about 2 percent. At the start of this year, foreigners living in Italy amounted to 4.56 million of a total population of 60.6 million, or 7.5 percent, with immigrants' children accounting for an even larger percentage of births in Italy.
Cojochru, the Moldovan caregiver, hoped obtaining permanent residence would help her bring her two children to Italy; they live with her sister in Moldova, where salaries are among the lowest in Europe. She was skeptical that the language requirement would encourage integration.
Italians always "see me as a foreigner," an outsider, even though she's stayed in the country for years and can speak the local language fluently, she said. | 3454.txt | 0 |
[
"reduce Italy's population quickly",
"cause conflicts among people",
"lead to financial difficulties",
"put pressure on schools"
] | Some people worry that the new language requirement may _ . | FLORENCE, Italy-Svetlana Cojochru feels hurt. The Moldovan has lived here seven years as a caregiver to Italian kids and the elderly, but in order to stay she's had to prove her language skills by taking a test which requires her to write a postcard to an imaginary friend and answer a fictional job ad.
Italy is the latest Western European country trying to control a growing immigrant population by demanding language skills in exchange for work permits, or in some cases, citizenship.
Some immigrant advocates worry that as hard financial times make it more difficult for natives to keep jobs, such measures will become more a vehicle for intolerance than integration. Others say it's only natural that newcomers learn the language of their host nation, seeing it as a condition to ensure they can contribute to society.
Other European countries laid down a similar requirement for immigrants, and some terms are even tougher. The governments argue that this will help foreigners better join the society and promote understanding across cultures.
Italy, which has a much weaker tradition of immigration, has witnessed a sharp increase in immigration in recent years. In 1990, immigrants numbered some 1.14 million out of Italy's then 56.7 million people, or about 2 percent. At the start of this year, foreigners living in Italy amounted to 4.56 million of a total population of 60.6 million, or 7.5 percent, with immigrants' children accounting for an even larger percentage of births in Italy.
Cojochru, the Moldovan caregiver, hoped obtaining permanent residence would help her bring her two children to Italy; they live with her sister in Moldova, where salaries are among the lowest in Europe. She was skeptical that the language requirement would encourage integration.
Italians always "see me as a foreigner," an outsider, even though she's stayed in the country for years and can speak the local language fluently, she said. | 3454.txt | 1 |
[
"She lives with her sister now in Italy.",
"She enjoys learning the Italian language.",
"She speaks Italian well enough for her job.",
"She wishes to go back to her home country."
] | What do we know about Cojochru? | FLORENCE, Italy-Svetlana Cojochru feels hurt. The Moldovan has lived here seven years as a caregiver to Italian kids and the elderly, but in order to stay she's had to prove her language skills by taking a test which requires her to write a postcard to an imaginary friend and answer a fictional job ad.
Italy is the latest Western European country trying to control a growing immigrant population by demanding language skills in exchange for work permits, or in some cases, citizenship.
Some immigrant advocates worry that as hard financial times make it more difficult for natives to keep jobs, such measures will become more a vehicle for intolerance than integration. Others say it's only natural that newcomers learn the language of their host nation, seeing it as a condition to ensure they can contribute to society.
Other European countries laid down a similar requirement for immigrants, and some terms are even tougher. The governments argue that this will help foreigners better join the society and promote understanding across cultures.
Italy, which has a much weaker tradition of immigration, has witnessed a sharp increase in immigration in recent years. In 1990, immigrants numbered some 1.14 million out of Italy's then 56.7 million people, or about 2 percent. At the start of this year, foreigners living in Italy amounted to 4.56 million of a total population of 60.6 million, or 7.5 percent, with immigrants' children accounting for an even larger percentage of births in Italy.
Cojochru, the Moldovan caregiver, hoped obtaining permanent residence would help her bring her two children to Italy; they live with her sister in Moldova, where salaries are among the lowest in Europe. She was skeptical that the language requirement would encourage integration.
Italians always "see me as a foreigner," an outsider, even though she's stayed in the country for years and can speak the local language fluently, she said. | 3454.txt | 2 |
[
"Efforts made in vain.",
"Getting injured in his work.",
"Feeling uncertain about his future.",
"Creatures forced out of their homes."
] | What is unavoidable in the author's rescue work according to paragraph 1? | I got a rescue call from a woman in Muttontown. She had found a young owl on the ground. When I arrived, I saw a 2-to 3-week-old owl. It had already been placed in a carrier for safety.
I examined the chick and it seemed fine. If I could locate the nest, I might have been able to put it back, but no luck. My next work was to construct a nest and anchor it in a tree.
The homeowner was very helpful. A wire basket was found. I put some pine branches into the basket to make this nest safe and comfortable. I placed the chick in the nest, and it quickly calmed down.
Now all that was needed were the parents, but they were absent. I gave the homeowner a recording of the hunger screams of owl chicks. These advertise the presence of chicks to adults; they might also encourage our chick to start calling as well. I gave the owner as much information as possible and headed home to see what news the night might bring.
A nervous night to be sure,but sometimes the spirits of nature smile on us all! The homeowner called to say that the parents had responded to the recordings.I drove over and saw the chick in the nest looking healthy and active.And it was accompanied in the nest by zxxk the greatest sight of all - LUNCH! The parents had done their duty and would probably continue to do so. | 3962.txt | 0 |
[
"To rescue a woman.",
"To take care of a woman.",
"To look at a baby owl.",
"To cure a young owl."
] | Why was the author called to Muttontown? | I got a rescue call from a woman in Muttontown. She had found a young owl on the ground. When I arrived, I saw a 2-to 3-week-old owl. It had already been placed in a carrier for safety.
I examined the chick and it seemed fine. If I could locate the nest, I might have been able to put it back, but no luck. My next work was to construct a nest and anchor it in a tree.
The homeowner was very helpful. A wire basket was found. I put some pine branches into the basket to make this nest safe and comfortable. I placed the chick in the nest, and it quickly calmed down.
Now all that was needed were the parents, but they were absent. I gave the homeowner a recording of the hunger screams of owl chicks. These advertise the presence of chicks to adults; they might also encourage our chick to start calling as well. I gave the owner as much information as possible and headed home to see what news the night might bring.
A nervous night to be sure,but sometimes the spirits of nature smile on us all! The homeowner called to say that the parents had responded to the recordings.I drove over and saw the chick in the nest looking healthy and active.And it was accompanied in the nest by zxxk the greatest sight of all - LUNCH! The parents had done their duty and would probably continue to do so. | 3962.txt | 2 |
[
"A new nest.",
"Some food.",
"A recording.",
"Its parents."
] | What made the chick calm down? | I got a rescue call from a woman in Muttontown. She had found a young owl on the ground. When I arrived, I saw a 2-to 3-week-old owl. It had already been placed in a carrier for safety.
I examined the chick and it seemed fine. If I could locate the nest, I might have been able to put it back, but no luck. My next work was to construct a nest and anchor it in a tree.
The homeowner was very helpful. A wire basket was found. I put some pine branches into the basket to make this nest safe and comfortable. I placed the chick in the nest, and it quickly calmed down.
Now all that was needed were the parents, but they were absent. I gave the homeowner a recording of the hunger screams of owl chicks. These advertise the presence of chicks to adults; they might also encourage our chick to start calling as well. I gave the owner as much information as possible and headed home to see what news the night might bring.
A nervous night to be sure,but sometimes the spirits of nature smile on us all! The homeowner called to say that the parents had responded to the recordings.I drove over and saw the chick in the nest looking healthy and active.And it was accompanied in the nest by zxxk the greatest sight of all - LUNCH! The parents had done their duty and would probably continue to do so. | 3962.txt | 0 |
[
"It's unexpected.",
"It's beautiful.",
"It's humorous.",
"It's discouraging."
] | How would the author feel about the outcome of the event? | I got a rescue call from a woman in Muttontown. She had found a young owl on the ground. When I arrived, I saw a 2-to 3-week-old owl. It had already been placed in a carrier for safety.
I examined the chick and it seemed fine. If I could locate the nest, I might have been able to put it back, but no luck. My next work was to construct a nest and anchor it in a tree.
The homeowner was very helpful. A wire basket was found. I put some pine branches into the basket to make this nest safe and comfortable. I placed the chick in the nest, and it quickly calmed down.
Now all that was needed were the parents, but they were absent. I gave the homeowner a recording of the hunger screams of owl chicks. These advertise the presence of chicks to adults; they might also encourage our chick to start calling as well. I gave the owner as much information as possible and headed home to see what news the night might bring.
A nervous night to be sure,but sometimes the spirits of nature smile on us all! The homeowner called to say that the parents had responded to the recordings.I drove over and saw the chick in the nest looking healthy and active.And it was accompanied in the nest by zxxk the greatest sight of all - LUNCH! The parents had done their duty and would probably continue to do so. | 3962.txt | 1 |
[
"The difficulties of industrialization in North America",
"The influence of changes in manufacturing on the growth of urban centers",
"The rapid speed of industrialization in North America",
"Improved ways of organizing the manufacturing of goods"
] | What is the passage mainly about? | Industrialization came to the United State after 1790 as North American entrepreneurs increased productivity by reorganizing work and building factories. These innovations in manufacturing boosted output and living standards to an unprecedented extent; the average per capita wealth increased by nearly 1 percent per year - 30 percent over the course of a generation. Goods that had once been luxury items became part of everyday life.
The impressive gain in output stemmed primarily from the way in which workers made goods, since the 1790's, North American entrepreneurs - even without technological improvements - had broadened the scope of the outwork system that made manufacturing more efficient by distributing materials to a succession of workers who each performed a single step of the production process. For example, during the 1820's and 1830's the shoe industry greatly expanded the scale and extend of the outwork system. Tens of thousands of rural women, paid according to the amount they produced, fabricated the "uppers" of shoes, which were bound to the soles by wage-earning journeymen shoemakers in dozens of Massachusetts towns, whereas previously journeymen would have made the entire shoe. This system of production made the employer a powerful "shoe boss" and eroded workers' control over the pace and conditions of labor. However, it also dramatically increased the output of shoes while cutting their price.
For tasks that were not suited to the outwork system, entrepreneurs created an even more important new organization, the modem factory, which used power-driven machines and assembly-line techniques to turn out large quantities of well-made goods. As early as 1782 the prolific Delaware inventor Oliver Evans had built a highly automated, laborsaving flour mill driven by water power. His machinery lifted the grain to the top of the mill, cleaned it as it fell into containers known as hoppers, ground the grain into flour, and then conveyed the flour back to the top of the mill to allow it to cool as it descended into barrels. Subsequently, manufacturers made use of new improved stationary steam engines to power their mills. This new technology enabled them to build factories in the nation's largest cities, taking advantage of urban concentrations of inexpensive labor, good transportation networks, and eager customers. | 408.txt | 3 |
[
"ensured",
"raised",
"arranged",
"discouraged"
] | The word "boosted" in line 3 is closest in meaning to | Industrialization came to the United State after 1790 as North American entrepreneurs increased productivity by reorganizing work and building factories. These innovations in manufacturing boosted output and living standards to an unprecedented extent; the average per capita wealth increased by nearly 1 percent per year - 30 percent over the course of a generation. Goods that had once been luxury items became part of everyday life.
The impressive gain in output stemmed primarily from the way in which workers made goods, since the 1790's, North American entrepreneurs - even without technological improvements - had broadened the scope of the outwork system that made manufacturing more efficient by distributing materials to a succession of workers who each performed a single step of the production process. For example, during the 1820's and 1830's the shoe industry greatly expanded the scale and extend of the outwork system. Tens of thousands of rural women, paid according to the amount they produced, fabricated the "uppers" of shoes, which were bound to the soles by wage-earning journeymen shoemakers in dozens of Massachusetts towns, whereas previously journeymen would have made the entire shoe. This system of production made the employer a powerful "shoe boss" and eroded workers' control over the pace and conditions of labor. However, it also dramatically increased the output of shoes while cutting their price.
For tasks that were not suited to the outwork system, entrepreneurs created an even more important new organization, the modem factory, which used power-driven machines and assembly-line techniques to turn out large quantities of well-made goods. As early as 1782 the prolific Delaware inventor Oliver Evans had built a highly automated, laborsaving flour mill driven by water power. His machinery lifted the grain to the top of the mill, cleaned it as it fell into containers known as hoppers, ground the grain into flour, and then conveyed the flour back to the top of the mill to allow it to cool as it descended into barrels. Subsequently, manufacturers made use of new improved stationary steam engines to power their mills. This new technology enabled them to build factories in the nation's largest cities, taking advantage of urban concentrations of inexpensive labor, good transportation networks, and eager customers. | 408.txt | 1 |
[
"value",
"popularity",
"extent",
"diversity"
] | The word "scope" in line 9 is closest in meaning to | Industrialization came to the United State after 1790 as North American entrepreneurs increased productivity by reorganizing work and building factories. These innovations in manufacturing boosted output and living standards to an unprecedented extent; the average per capita wealth increased by nearly 1 percent per year - 30 percent over the course of a generation. Goods that had once been luxury items became part of everyday life.
The impressive gain in output stemmed primarily from the way in which workers made goods, since the 1790's, North American entrepreneurs - even without technological improvements - had broadened the scope of the outwork system that made manufacturing more efficient by distributing materials to a succession of workers who each performed a single step of the production process. For example, during the 1820's and 1830's the shoe industry greatly expanded the scale and extend of the outwork system. Tens of thousands of rural women, paid according to the amount they produced, fabricated the "uppers" of shoes, which were bound to the soles by wage-earning journeymen shoemakers in dozens of Massachusetts towns, whereas previously journeymen would have made the entire shoe. This system of production made the employer a powerful "shoe boss" and eroded workers' control over the pace and conditions of labor. However, it also dramatically increased the output of shoes while cutting their price.
For tasks that were not suited to the outwork system, entrepreneurs created an even more important new organization, the modem factory, which used power-driven machines and assembly-line techniques to turn out large quantities of well-made goods. As early as 1782 the prolific Delaware inventor Oliver Evans had built a highly automated, laborsaving flour mill driven by water power. His machinery lifted the grain to the top of the mill, cleaned it as it fell into containers known as hoppers, ground the grain into flour, and then conveyed the flour back to the top of the mill to allow it to cool as it descended into barrels. Subsequently, manufacturers made use of new improved stationary steam engines to power their mills. This new technology enabled them to build factories in the nation's largest cities, taking advantage of urban concentrations of inexpensive labor, good transportation networks, and eager customers. | 408.txt | 2 |
[
"entrepreneurs increased output by using an extended outwork system",
"entrepreneurs used technological improvements to increase output",
"rural workers responded to \"shoe bosses\"",
"changes in the outwork system improved the quality of shoes"
] | The author mentions the shoe industry in the second paragraph to provide an example of how | Industrialization came to the United State after 1790 as North American entrepreneurs increased productivity by reorganizing work and building factories. These innovations in manufacturing boosted output and living standards to an unprecedented extent; the average per capita wealth increased by nearly 1 percent per year - 30 percent over the course of a generation. Goods that had once been luxury items became part of everyday life.
The impressive gain in output stemmed primarily from the way in which workers made goods, since the 1790's, North American entrepreneurs - even without technological improvements - had broadened the scope of the outwork system that made manufacturing more efficient by distributing materials to a succession of workers who each performed a single step of the production process. For example, during the 1820's and 1830's the shoe industry greatly expanded the scale and extend of the outwork system. Tens of thousands of rural women, paid according to the amount they produced, fabricated the "uppers" of shoes, which were bound to the soles by wage-earning journeymen shoemakers in dozens of Massachusetts towns, whereas previously journeymen would have made the entire shoe. This system of production made the employer a powerful "shoe boss" and eroded workers' control over the pace and conditions of labor. However, it also dramatically increased the output of shoes while cutting their price.
For tasks that were not suited to the outwork system, entrepreneurs created an even more important new organization, the modem factory, which used power-driven machines and assembly-line techniques to turn out large quantities of well-made goods. As early as 1782 the prolific Delaware inventor Oliver Evans had built a highly automated, laborsaving flour mill driven by water power. His machinery lifted the grain to the top of the mill, cleaned it as it fell into containers known as hoppers, ground the grain into flour, and then conveyed the flour back to the top of the mill to allow it to cool as it descended into barrels. Subsequently, manufacturers made use of new improved stationary steam engines to power their mills. This new technology enabled them to build factories in the nation's largest cities, taking advantage of urban concentrations of inexpensive labor, good transportation networks, and eager customers. | 408.txt | 0 |
[
"an increase in the worker's dependence on entrepreneurs",
"an increase in the wages paid to journeymen shoemakers",
"a decline in the workers ability to control the speed of production",
"a decrease in the price of shoes"
] | All of the following are mentioned as effects of changes in the shoe industry during the 1820's and 1830's EXCEPT | Industrialization came to the United State after 1790 as North American entrepreneurs increased productivity by reorganizing work and building factories. These innovations in manufacturing boosted output and living standards to an unprecedented extent; the average per capita wealth increased by nearly 1 percent per year - 30 percent over the course of a generation. Goods that had once been luxury items became part of everyday life.
The impressive gain in output stemmed primarily from the way in which workers made goods, since the 1790's, North American entrepreneurs - even without technological improvements - had broadened the scope of the outwork system that made manufacturing more efficient by distributing materials to a succession of workers who each performed a single step of the production process. For example, during the 1820's and 1830's the shoe industry greatly expanded the scale and extend of the outwork system. Tens of thousands of rural women, paid according to the amount they produced, fabricated the "uppers" of shoes, which were bound to the soles by wage-earning journeymen shoemakers in dozens of Massachusetts towns, whereas previously journeymen would have made the entire shoe. This system of production made the employer a powerful "shoe boss" and eroded workers' control over the pace and conditions of labor. However, it also dramatically increased the output of shoes while cutting their price.
For tasks that were not suited to the outwork system, entrepreneurs created an even more important new organization, the modem factory, which used power-driven machines and assembly-line techniques to turn out large quantities of well-made goods. As early as 1782 the prolific Delaware inventor Oliver Evans had built a highly automated, laborsaving flour mill driven by water power. His machinery lifted the grain to the top of the mill, cleaned it as it fell into containers known as hoppers, ground the grain into flour, and then conveyed the flour back to the top of the mill to allow it to cool as it descended into barrels. Subsequently, manufacturers made use of new improved stationary steam engines to power their mills. This new technology enabled them to build factories in the nation's largest cities, taking advantage of urban concentrations of inexpensive labor, good transportation networks, and eager customers. | 408.txt | 1 |
[
"It involved stages of production.",
"It was more efficient than the systems used before 1790.",
"It made many employers less powerful than they had been before.",
"It did not necessarily involve any technological improvements."
] | All of the following are true of the outwork system EXCEPT | Industrialization came to the United State after 1790 as North American entrepreneurs increased productivity by reorganizing work and building factories. These innovations in manufacturing boosted output and living standards to an unprecedented extent; the average per capita wealth increased by nearly 1 percent per year - 30 percent over the course of a generation. Goods that had once been luxury items became part of everyday life.
The impressive gain in output stemmed primarily from the way in which workers made goods, since the 1790's, North American entrepreneurs - even without technological improvements - had broadened the scope of the outwork system that made manufacturing more efficient by distributing materials to a succession of workers who each performed a single step of the production process. For example, during the 1820's and 1830's the shoe industry greatly expanded the scale and extend of the outwork system. Tens of thousands of rural women, paid according to the amount they produced, fabricated the "uppers" of shoes, which were bound to the soles by wage-earning journeymen shoemakers in dozens of Massachusetts towns, whereas previously journeymen would have made the entire shoe. This system of production made the employer a powerful "shoe boss" and eroded workers' control over the pace and conditions of labor. However, it also dramatically increased the output of shoes while cutting their price.
For tasks that were not suited to the outwork system, entrepreneurs created an even more important new organization, the modem factory, which used power-driven machines and assembly-line techniques to turn out large quantities of well-made goods. As early as 1782 the prolific Delaware inventor Oliver Evans had built a highly automated, laborsaving flour mill driven by water power. His machinery lifted the grain to the top of the mill, cleaned it as it fell into containers known as hoppers, ground the grain into flour, and then conveyed the flour back to the top of the mill to allow it to cool as it descended into barrels. Subsequently, manufacturers made use of new improved stationary steam engines to power their mills. This new technology enabled them to build factories in the nation's largest cities, taking advantage of urban concentrations of inexpensive labor, good transportation networks, and eager customers. | 408.txt | 2 |
[
"efficient",
"productive",
"self-employed",
"progressive"
] | The word "prolific" in line 23 is closest in meaning to | Industrialization came to the United State after 1790 as North American entrepreneurs increased productivity by reorganizing work and building factories. These innovations in manufacturing boosted output and living standards to an unprecedented extent; the average per capita wealth increased by nearly 1 percent per year - 30 percent over the course of a generation. Goods that had once been luxury items became part of everyday life.
The impressive gain in output stemmed primarily from the way in which workers made goods, since the 1790's, North American entrepreneurs - even without technological improvements - had broadened the scope of the outwork system that made manufacturing more efficient by distributing materials to a succession of workers who each performed a single step of the production process. For example, during the 1820's and 1830's the shoe industry greatly expanded the scale and extend of the outwork system. Tens of thousands of rural women, paid according to the amount they produced, fabricated the "uppers" of shoes, which were bound to the soles by wage-earning journeymen shoemakers in dozens of Massachusetts towns, whereas previously journeymen would have made the entire shoe. This system of production made the employer a powerful "shoe boss" and eroded workers' control over the pace and conditions of labor. However, it also dramatically increased the output of shoes while cutting their price.
For tasks that were not suited to the outwork system, entrepreneurs created an even more important new organization, the modem factory, which used power-driven machines and assembly-line techniques to turn out large quantities of well-made goods. As early as 1782 the prolific Delaware inventor Oliver Evans had built a highly automated, laborsaving flour mill driven by water power. His machinery lifted the grain to the top of the mill, cleaned it as it fell into containers known as hoppers, ground the grain into flour, and then conveyed the flour back to the top of the mill to allow it to cool as it descended into barrels. Subsequently, manufacturers made use of new improved stationary steam engines to power their mills. This new technology enabled them to build factories in the nation's largest cities, taking advantage of urban concentrations of inexpensive labor, good transportation networks, and eager customers. | 408.txt | 1 |
[
"They were located away from large cities.",
"They used new technology to produce power.",
"They did not allow flour to cool before it was placed in Barrels.",
"They combined technology with the outwork system."
] | According to the passage , how did later mills differ from the mills differ from the mill built by Oliver Evans? | Industrialization came to the United State after 1790 as North American entrepreneurs increased productivity by reorganizing work and building factories. These innovations in manufacturing boosted output and living standards to an unprecedented extent; the average per capita wealth increased by nearly 1 percent per year - 30 percent over the course of a generation. Goods that had once been luxury items became part of everyday life.
The impressive gain in output stemmed primarily from the way in which workers made goods, since the 1790's, North American entrepreneurs - even without technological improvements - had broadened the scope of the outwork system that made manufacturing more efficient by distributing materials to a succession of workers who each performed a single step of the production process. For example, during the 1820's and 1830's the shoe industry greatly expanded the scale and extend of the outwork system. Tens of thousands of rural women, paid according to the amount they produced, fabricated the "uppers" of shoes, which were bound to the soles by wage-earning journeymen shoemakers in dozens of Massachusetts towns, whereas previously journeymen would have made the entire shoe. This system of production made the employer a powerful "shoe boss" and eroded workers' control over the pace and conditions of labor. However, it also dramatically increased the output of shoes while cutting their price.
For tasks that were not suited to the outwork system, entrepreneurs created an even more important new organization, the modem factory, which used power-driven machines and assembly-line techniques to turn out large quantities of well-made goods. As early as 1782 the prolific Delaware inventor Oliver Evans had built a highly automated, laborsaving flour mill driven by water power. His machinery lifted the grain to the top of the mill, cleaned it as it fell into containers known as hoppers, ground the grain into flour, and then conveyed the flour back to the top of the mill to allow it to cool as it descended into barrels. Subsequently, manufacturers made use of new improved stationary steam engines to power their mills. This new technology enabled them to build factories in the nation's largest cities, taking advantage of urban concentrations of inexpensive labor, good transportation networks, and eager customers. | 408.txt | 1 |
[
"water power",
"machinery",
"grain",
"mill"
] | The word "it" in line 25 refers to | Industrialization came to the United State after 1790 as North American entrepreneurs increased productivity by reorganizing work and building factories. These innovations in manufacturing boosted output and living standards to an unprecedented extent; the average per capita wealth increased by nearly 1 percent per year - 30 percent over the course of a generation. Goods that had once been luxury items became part of everyday life.
The impressive gain in output stemmed primarily from the way in which workers made goods, since the 1790's, North American entrepreneurs - even without technological improvements - had broadened the scope of the outwork system that made manufacturing more efficient by distributing materials to a succession of workers who each performed a single step of the production process. For example, during the 1820's and 1830's the shoe industry greatly expanded the scale and extend of the outwork system. Tens of thousands of rural women, paid according to the amount they produced, fabricated the "uppers" of shoes, which were bound to the soles by wage-earning journeymen shoemakers in dozens of Massachusetts towns, whereas previously journeymen would have made the entire shoe. This system of production made the employer a powerful "shoe boss" and eroded workers' control over the pace and conditions of labor. However, it also dramatically increased the output of shoes while cutting their price.
For tasks that were not suited to the outwork system, entrepreneurs created an even more important new organization, the modem factory, which used power-driven machines and assembly-line techniques to turn out large quantities of well-made goods. As early as 1782 the prolific Delaware inventor Oliver Evans had built a highly automated, laborsaving flour mill driven by water power. His machinery lifted the grain to the top of the mill, cleaned it as it fell into containers known as hoppers, ground the grain into flour, and then conveyed the flour back to the top of the mill to allow it to cool as it descended into barrels. Subsequently, manufacturers made use of new improved stationary steam engines to power their mills. This new technology enabled them to build factories in the nation's largest cities, taking advantage of urban concentrations of inexpensive labor, good transportation networks, and eager customers. | 408.txt | 2 |
[
"It become easier for factory' owners to find workers and customers.",
"Manufacturers had to employ more highly skilled workers.",
"The amount of power required for factories operate was reduced.",
"Factories could operate more than one engine at a time."
] | The passage mentions which of the following as a result of improvements in factory machinery? | Industrialization came to the United State after 1790 as North American entrepreneurs increased productivity by reorganizing work and building factories. These innovations in manufacturing boosted output and living standards to an unprecedented extent; the average per capita wealth increased by nearly 1 percent per year - 30 percent over the course of a generation. Goods that had once been luxury items became part of everyday life.
The impressive gain in output stemmed primarily from the way in which workers made goods, since the 1790's, North American entrepreneurs - even without technological improvements - had broadened the scope of the outwork system that made manufacturing more efficient by distributing materials to a succession of workers who each performed a single step of the production process. For example, during the 1820's and 1830's the shoe industry greatly expanded the scale and extend of the outwork system. Tens of thousands of rural women, paid according to the amount they produced, fabricated the "uppers" of shoes, which were bound to the soles by wage-earning journeymen shoemakers in dozens of Massachusetts towns, whereas previously journeymen would have made the entire shoe. This system of production made the employer a powerful "shoe boss" and eroded workers' control over the pace and conditions of labor. However, it also dramatically increased the output of shoes while cutting their price.
For tasks that were not suited to the outwork system, entrepreneurs created an even more important new organization, the modem factory, which used power-driven machines and assembly-line techniques to turn out large quantities of well-made goods. As early as 1782 the prolific Delaware inventor Oliver Evans had built a highly automated, laborsaving flour mill driven by water power. His machinery lifted the grain to the top of the mill, cleaned it as it fell into containers known as hoppers, ground the grain into flour, and then conveyed the flour back to the top of the mill to allow it to cool as it descended into barrels. Subsequently, manufacturers made use of new improved stationary steam engines to power their mills. This new technology enabled them to build factories in the nation's largest cities, taking advantage of urban concentrations of inexpensive labor, good transportation networks, and eager customers. | 408.txt | 0 |
[
"wealthy",
"knowledgeable",
"regular",
"enthusiastic"
] | The word "eager" in line 30 is closest in meaning to | Industrialization came to the United State after 1790 as North American entrepreneurs increased productivity by reorganizing work and building factories. These innovations in manufacturing boosted output and living standards to an unprecedented extent; the average per capita wealth increased by nearly 1 percent per year - 30 percent over the course of a generation. Goods that had once been luxury items became part of everyday life.
The impressive gain in output stemmed primarily from the way in which workers made goods, since the 1790's, North American entrepreneurs - even without technological improvements - had broadened the scope of the outwork system that made manufacturing more efficient by distributing materials to a succession of workers who each performed a single step of the production process. For example, during the 1820's and 1830's the shoe industry greatly expanded the scale and extend of the outwork system. Tens of thousands of rural women, paid according to the amount they produced, fabricated the "uppers" of shoes, which were bound to the soles by wage-earning journeymen shoemakers in dozens of Massachusetts towns, whereas previously journeymen would have made the entire shoe. This system of production made the employer a powerful "shoe boss" and eroded workers' control over the pace and conditions of labor. However, it also dramatically increased the output of shoes while cutting their price.
For tasks that were not suited to the outwork system, entrepreneurs created an even more important new organization, the modem factory, which used power-driven machines and assembly-line techniques to turn out large quantities of well-made goods. As early as 1782 the prolific Delaware inventor Oliver Evans had built a highly automated, laborsaving flour mill driven by water power. His machinery lifted the grain to the top of the mill, cleaned it as it fell into containers known as hoppers, ground the grain into flour, and then conveyed the flour back to the top of the mill to allow it to cool as it descended into barrels. Subsequently, manufacturers made use of new improved stationary steam engines to power their mills. This new technology enabled them to build factories in the nation's largest cities, taking advantage of urban concentrations of inexpensive labor, good transportation networks, and eager customers. | 408.txt | 3 |
[
"in the countryside",
"in the suburbs",
"in the urban area",
"near the circulation department of the local newspaper"
] | Where did the family live? | My husband ordered home delivery of our local newspaper. Because we live in rural area where no street numbers are used, I was concerned that the carrier would have trouble finding us. Sure enough, we missed delivery several days despite frequent calls to the circulation department. Finally I phoned to cancel the subscription. "You'll have to tell me your exact location," the woman on the line said. "We can't cancel the subscription unless we know where you live. | 3553.txt | 0 |
[
"She was worried about the quality of the newspaper.",
"She was worried that the carrier would deliver their newspaper to someone else.",
"She was worried that the carrier would find difficulty in finding them.",
"She was worried that the newspaper might not be interesting enough."
] | What was the wife worried about? | My husband ordered home delivery of our local newspaper. Because we live in rural area where no street numbers are used, I was concerned that the carrier would have trouble finding us. Sure enough, we missed delivery several days despite frequent calls to the circulation department. Finally I phoned to cancel the subscription. "You'll have to tell me your exact location," the woman on the line said. "We can't cancel the subscription unless we know where you live. | 3553.txt | 2 |
[
"They got the newspaper.",
"The newspaper was cancelled.",
"The circulation department refused to deliver the newspaper to them.",
"For several days they missed delivery."
] | What happened to them after their ordering? | My husband ordered home delivery of our local newspaper. Because we live in rural area where no street numbers are used, I was concerned that the carrier would have trouble finding us. Sure enough, we missed delivery several days despite frequent calls to the circulation department. Finally I phoned to cancel the subscription. "You'll have to tell me your exact location," the woman on the line said. "We can't cancel the subscription unless we know where you live. | 3553.txt | 3 |
[
"They decided to cancel the subscription.",
"They decided to cancel the newspaper.",
"They decided to punish the carrier.",
"They decided to take it to court."
] | What did they finally decide to do? | My husband ordered home delivery of our local newspaper. Because we live in rural area where no street numbers are used, I was concerned that the carrier would have trouble finding us. Sure enough, we missed delivery several days despite frequent calls to the circulation department. Finally I phoned to cancel the subscription. "You'll have to tell me your exact location," the woman on the line said. "We can't cancel the subscription unless we know where you live. | 3553.txt | 0 |
[
"The circulation department promised that they would get their delivery in time.",
"The carrier was punished.",
"They could neither get their delivery nor cancel their subscription.",
"The newspaper was cancelled."
] | What was the result? | My husband ordered home delivery of our local newspaper. Because we live in rural area where no street numbers are used, I was concerned that the carrier would have trouble finding us. Sure enough, we missed delivery several days despite frequent calls to the circulation department. Finally I phoned to cancel the subscription. "You'll have to tell me your exact location," the woman on the line said. "We can't cancel the subscription unless we know where you live. | 3553.txt | 2 |
[
"because they are afraid of people.",
"Because diseases cost a lot.",
"Because they are afraid of the cutting down of their revenue.",
"Because they are afraid of manufacturers."
] | Why do a few governments take timid measures toward smoking? | Strictly Ban smoking
If you smoke and you still don't believe that there's a definite link between smoking and bronchial troubles, heart disease and lung cancer, then you are certainly deceiving yourself. No one will accuse you of hypocrisy. Let us just say that you are suffering from a bad case of wishful thinking.
This needn't make you too uncomfortable because you are in good company. Whenever the subject of smoking and health is raised, the governments of most countries hear no evil, see no evil and smell no evil. Admittedly, a few governments have taken timid measures.
In Britain for instance, cigarette advertising has been banned on television. The conscience of the nation is appeased, while the population continues to puff its way to smoky, cancerous death.
You don' t have to look very far to find out why the official reactions to medical findings have been so lukewarm. The answer is simply money. Tobacco is a wonderful commodity to tax. It' s almost like a tax on our daily bread.
In tax revenue alone, the government of Britain collects enough from smokers to pay for its entire educational facilities. So while the authorities point out ever so discreetly that smoking may, conceivable, be harmful, it down't do to shout too loudly about it.
This is surely the most short-sighted policy you could imagine. While money is eagerly collected in vast sums with one hand, it is paid out in increasingly vaster sums with the other. Enormous amounts are spent on cancer research and on efforts to cure people suffering from the disease.
Countless valuable lives are lost. In the long run, there is no doubt that everybody would be much better-off if smoking were banned altogether.
Of course, we are not ready for such a drastic action. But if the governments of the world were honestly concerned about the welfare of their peoples, you'd think they'd conduct aggressive anti-smoking campaigns. Far from it! The tobacco industry is allowed to spend staggering sums on advertising.
Its advertising is as insidious as it is dishonest. We are never shown pictures of real smokers coughing up their lungs early in the morning. That would never do. The advertisement always depict virile, clean-shaven young men. They suggest it is manly to smoke, even positively healthy!
Smoking is associated with the great open-air life, with beautiful girls, true love and togetherness. What utter nonsense!
For a start, governments could begin by banning all cigarette and tobacco advertising and should then conduct anti-smoking advertising campaigns of their own. Smoking should be banned in all public places like theatres, cinemas and restaurants. Great efforts should be made to inform young people especially of the dire consequences of taking up the habit. A horrific warning say, a picture of a death's head should be included in every packet of cigarettes that is sold. As individuals, we are、 certainly weak, but if governments acted honestly and courageously, they could protect us from ourselves. | 260.txt | 2 |
[
"critical.",
"ironical.",
"distaste.",
"amusm"
] | The tone of this passage is | Strictly Ban smoking
If you smoke and you still don't believe that there's a definite link between smoking and bronchial troubles, heart disease and lung cancer, then you are certainly deceiving yourself. No one will accuse you of hypocrisy. Let us just say that you are suffering from a bad case of wishful thinking.
This needn't make you too uncomfortable because you are in good company. Whenever the subject of smoking and health is raised, the governments of most countries hear no evil, see no evil and smell no evil. Admittedly, a few governments have taken timid measures.
In Britain for instance, cigarette advertising has been banned on television. The conscience of the nation is appeased, while the population continues to puff its way to smoky, cancerous death.
You don' t have to look very far to find out why the official reactions to medical findings have been so lukewarm. The answer is simply money. Tobacco is a wonderful commodity to tax. It' s almost like a tax on our daily bread.
In tax revenue alone, the government of Britain collects enough from smokers to pay for its entire educational facilities. So while the authorities point out ever so discreetly that smoking may, conceivable, be harmful, it down't do to shout too loudly about it.
This is surely the most short-sighted policy you could imagine. While money is eagerly collected in vast sums with one hand, it is paid out in increasingly vaster sums with the other. Enormous amounts are spent on cancer research and on efforts to cure people suffering from the disease.
Countless valuable lives are lost. In the long run, there is no doubt that everybody would be much better-off if smoking were banned altogether.
Of course, we are not ready for such a drastic action. But if the governments of the world were honestly concerned about the welfare of their peoples, you'd think they'd conduct aggressive anti-smoking campaigns. Far from it! The tobacco industry is allowed to spend staggering sums on advertising.
Its advertising is as insidious as it is dishonest. We are never shown pictures of real smokers coughing up their lungs early in the morning. That would never do. The advertisement always depict virile, clean-shaven young men. They suggest it is manly to smoke, even positively healthy!
Smoking is associated with the great open-air life, with beautiful girls, true love and togetherness. What utter nonsense!
For a start, governments could begin by banning all cigarette and tobacco advertising and should then conduct anti-smoking advertising campaigns of their own. Smoking should be banned in all public places like theatres, cinemas and restaurants. Great efforts should be made to inform young people especially of the dire consequences of taking up the habit. A horrific warning say, a picture of a death's head should be included in every packet of cigarettes that is sold. As individuals, we are、 certainly weak, but if governments acted honestly and courageously, they could protect us from ourselves. | 260.txt | 1 |
[
"you are backed by the government.",
"You are not alone.",
"You have good colleagues.",
"Governments are blind to evils of smoking too."
] | What does the sentence "because you are in good company" mean? | Strictly Ban smoking
If you smoke and you still don't believe that there's a definite link between smoking and bronchial troubles, heart disease and lung cancer, then you are certainly deceiving yourself. No one will accuse you of hypocrisy. Let us just say that you are suffering from a bad case of wishful thinking.
This needn't make you too uncomfortable because you are in good company. Whenever the subject of smoking and health is raised, the governments of most countries hear no evil, see no evil and smell no evil. Admittedly, a few governments have taken timid measures.
In Britain for instance, cigarette advertising has been banned on television. The conscience of the nation is appeased, while the population continues to puff its way to smoky, cancerous death.
You don' t have to look very far to find out why the official reactions to medical findings have been so lukewarm. The answer is simply money. Tobacco is a wonderful commodity to tax. It' s almost like a tax on our daily bread.
In tax revenue alone, the government of Britain collects enough from smokers to pay for its entire educational facilities. So while the authorities point out ever so discreetly that smoking may, conceivable, be harmful, it down't do to shout too loudly about it.
This is surely the most short-sighted policy you could imagine. While money is eagerly collected in vast sums with one hand, it is paid out in increasingly vaster sums with the other. Enormous amounts are spent on cancer research and on efforts to cure people suffering from the disease.
Countless valuable lives are lost. In the long run, there is no doubt that everybody would be much better-off if smoking were banned altogether.
Of course, we are not ready for such a drastic action. But if the governments of the world were honestly concerned about the welfare of their peoples, you'd think they'd conduct aggressive anti-smoking campaigns. Far from it! The tobacco industry is allowed to spend staggering sums on advertising.
Its advertising is as insidious as it is dishonest. We are never shown pictures of real smokers coughing up their lungs early in the morning. That would never do. The advertisement always depict virile, clean-shaven young men. They suggest it is manly to smoke, even positively healthy!
Smoking is associated with the great open-air life, with beautiful girls, true love and togetherness. What utter nonsense!
For a start, governments could begin by banning all cigarette and tobacco advertising and should then conduct anti-smoking advertising campaigns of their own. Smoking should be banned in all public places like theatres, cinemas and restaurants. Great efforts should be made to inform young people especially of the dire consequences of taking up the habit. A horrific warning say, a picture of a death's head should be included in every packet of cigarettes that is sold. As individuals, we are、 certainly weak, but if governments acted honestly and courageously, they could protect us from ourselves. | 260.txt | 3 |
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