Passage 1:Pooja BhattPooja Bhatt (born 24 February 1972) is an Indian film director, actress, voice over artist and film maker. Born into the Bhatt family, she is the daughter of Indian filmmaker, Mahesh Bhatt and the half-sister of Alia Bhatt and cousin of Emraan Hashmi. Bhatt played her first leading role in Mahesh Bhatt's television film Daddy in 1989. For the film, she won the Filmfare Award for Lux New Face of the Year for Best Female Debut. She is also seen in the Bigg Boss OTT (Hindi season 2)Early lifePooja Bhatt was born on 24 February 1972 to Mahesh Bhatt and Kiran Bhatt (born Loraine Bright). On her father's side, Bhatt is of Gujarati descent and on her mother's side, she is of English, Scottish, Armenian, and Burmese ancestry. She is the step-daughter of Soni Razdan. She has a brother, Rahul Bhatt and half-sisters Shaheen and Alia Bhatt. Her cousins are Hitarth Bhat and Emraan Hashmi.CareerBhatt made her acting debut at age 17, in 1989 with Daddy, a TV film directed by her father Mahesh Bhatt. In the film she portrayed a soul-searching teenage girl in an estranged relationship with her alcoholic father, played by actor Anupam Kher.Her biggest solo hit and her big screen debut came with the musical hit Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin (1991), which was a remake of the Oscar-winning Hollywood classic It Happened One Night. Pooja Bhatt appeared in many bold shoots like Stardust.Her most well-known films in the 1990s included Sadak opposite Sanjay Dutt (1991), Junoon, Jaanam, and Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee opposite Rahul Roy, Sir (1993) and Guneghar (1995) opposite Atul Agnihotri, Tadipaar (1993) and Naaraaz (1994) opposite Mithun Chakraborty, Hum Dono opposite Rishi Kapoor, Angrakshak opposite Sunny Deol (1995), Chaahat opposite Shah Rukh Khan (1996), Tamanna (1997), the super-hit and multi-starrer Border (1997) and Zakhm (1998), opposite Ajay Devgan. Her last film appearance was in the English language film Everybody Says I'm Fine! in 2001.From 2003 to 2012, she focused on producing and directing. She made her directorial debut with Paap in 2004, starring John Abraham and Udita Goswami. Since then, she has made four more directorial ventures: Holiday (2006), Dhokha (2007), Kajraare (2010) and Jism 2 (2012).In 2020, Bhatt returned to acting with Sadak 2, a sequel to the hit 1991 film. Her father returned to directing with this film after 20 years. It was released on 28 August 2020 on the streaming platform Disney+ Hotstar.In 2021, Bhatt made her web series debut in the Netflix series Bombay Begums. It also featured Rahul Bose, Amruta Subhash, Shahana Goswami, Plabita Borthakur and Aadhya Anand.In 2022, she appeared in the film Chup: Revenge of the Artist.Currently , She is a Participant of Bigg Boss OTT 2FilmographyActing rolesTelevisionAwards and recognitionsPassage 2:Peter HamelPeter Hamel (1911–1979) was a German screenwriter and a director of film and television. He appeared as himself in the 1948 comedy Film Without a Title. He is the father of the composer Peter Michael Hamel.Selected filmographyFilm Without a Title (1948)Artists' Blood (1949)Oh, You Dear Fridolin (1952)The Daring Swimmer (1957)Passage 3:Ian Barry (director)Ian Barry is an Australian director of film and TV.Select creditsWaiting for Lucas (1973) (short)Stone (1974) (editor only)The Chain Reaction (1980)Whose Baby? (1986) (mini-series)Minnamurra (1989)Bodysurfer (1989) (mini-series)Ring of Scorpio (1990) (mini-series)Crimebroker (1993)Inferno (1998) (TV movie)Miss Lettie and Me (2002) (TV movie)Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! (2008) (documentary)The Doctor Blake Mysteries (2013)Passage 4:Yasuichi OshimaYasuichi Oshima ( , Ōshima Yasuichi, born 24 March 1954 in Kyoto) is a Japanese manga artist. In 1984, he won the Kodansha Manga Award for shōnen for Bats & Terry.He is the father of manga artist Towa Oshima.Selected worksKenkaku Shōbai (2008–2021)Passage 5:Paul BrookePaul Brooke (born 22 November 1944) is a retired English actor of film, television and radio. He made his film debut in 1972 in the Hammer film Straight on till Morning, followed by performances in For Your Eyes Only (1981), Return of the Jedi (1983), Scandal (1989), Saving Grace (2000), Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), Alfie (2004), The Phantom of the Opera (2004), and Oliver Twist (2005). Brooke is the father of actor Tom Brooke.CareerBrooke began as a stage actor and has played in many London productions, including several years as a member of Frank Dunlop's original Young Vic Company. He played Malakili the Rancor Keeper in the 1983 Star Wars film Return of the Jedi (his voiced dubbed over by Ernie Fosselius). He played British Conservative politician Ian Gow in the 2004 BBC series The Alan Clark Diaries. In 2006, he guest starred in the Doctor Who audio adventure Year of the Pig as well as the 1990 Mr. Bean sketch "The Library". He played Mr. Fitzherbert in the 2001 film Bridget Jones's Diary.Other appearances in television dramas and comedies featuring Brooke include The Blackadder, Bertie and Elizabeth, the BBC adaptation of Blott on the Landscape, Lovejoy, Foyle's War, Rab C. Nesbitt, Kavanagh QC, Sharpe's Revenge, Midsomer Murders, Hustle, Covington Cross, The Kit Curran Radio Show, Between the Lines, Relic Hunter and Mornin' Sarge. He appeared in the miniseries Nostromo in 1997.He played Gríma Wormtongue in the 1981 BBC radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings.He, Linal Haft and Frank Mills are the only actors to appear in both the Classic and New series of Minder, but playing different roles in each.FilmographyFilmTelevisionExternal linksPaul Brooke at IMDbPassage 6:Cleomenes IICleomenes II (Greek: Κλεομένης; died 309 BC) was king of Sparta from 370 to 309 BC. He was the second son of Cleombrotus I, and grandfather of Areus I, who succeeded him. Although he reigned for more than 60 years, his life is completely unknown, apart from a victory at the Pythian Games in 336 BC. Several theories have been suggested by modern historians to explain such inactivity, but none has gained consensus.Life and reignCleomenes was the second son of king Cleombrotus I (r. 380–371), who belonged to the Agiad dynasty, one of the two royal families of Sparta (the other being the Eurypontids). Cleombrotus died fighting Thebes at the famous Battle of Leuctra in 371. His eldest son Agesipolis II succeeded him, but he died soon after in 370. Cleomenes' reign was instead exceptionally long, lasting 60 years and 10 months according to Diodorus of Sicily, a historian of the 1st century BC. In a second statement, Diodorus nevertheless tells that Cleomenes II reigned 34 years, but he confused him with his namesake Cleomenes I (r. 524–490).Despite the outstanding length of his reign, very little can be said about Cleomenes. He has been described by modern historians as a "nonentity". Perhaps that the apparent weakness of Cleomenes inspired the negative opinion of the hereditary kingship at Sparta expressed by Aristotle in his Politics (written between 336 and 322). However, Cleomenes may have focused on internal politics within Sparta, because military duties were apparently given to the Eurypontid Agesilaus II (r. 400–c.360), Archidamus III (r. 360–338), and Agis III (r. 338–331). As the Spartans notably kept their policies secret from foreign eyes, it would explain the silence of ancient sources on Cleomenes. Another explanation is that his duties were assumed by his elder son Acrotatus, described as a military leader by Diodorus, who mentions him in the aftermath of the Battle of Megalopolis in 331, and again in 315.Cleomenes' only known deed was his chariot race victory at the Pythian Games in Delphi in 336. In the following autumn, he gave the small sum of 510 drachmas for the reconstruction of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, which had been destroyed by an earthquake in 373. Cleomenes might have made this gift as a pretext to go to Delphi and engage in informal diplomacy with other Greek states, possibly to discuss the consequences of the recent assassination of the Macedonian king Philip II.One short witticism of Cleomenes regarding cockfighting is preserved in the Moralia, written by the philosopher Plutarch in the early 2nd century AD:Somebody promised to give to Cleomenes cocks that would die fighting, but he retorted, "No, don't, but give me those that kill fighting."As Acrotatus died before Cleomenes, the latter's grandson Areus I succeeded him while still very young, so Cleomenes' second son Cleonymus acted as regent until Areus' majority. Some modern scholars also give Cleomenes a daughter named Archidamia, who played an important role during Pyrrhus' invasion of the Peloponnese, but the age difference makes it unlikely.Passage 7:Obata ToramoriObata Toramori (, 1491 – July 14, 1561) was Japanese samurai warrior of the Sengoku Period. He is known as one of the "Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen" He also recorded as having been wounded 41 times in 36 encounters. He was the father of Obata Masamori.See alsoIsao ObataPassage 8:Lars EliassonLars Eliasson  (December 8, 1914 – June 5, 2002) was a Swedish politician. He was a member of the Centre Party. He was the party's first vice chairman 1957-69 and a member of the Parliament of Sweden 1952–1970. For a short time in 1957, he was a minister in the Government of Sweden, in the Second cabinet of Erlander.He is the father of the later Member of Parliament Anna Eliasson.Passage 9:KajraareKajraare (transl. Collyrium) is a 2010 Indian Hindi-language film directed by Pooja Bhatt, starring Himesh Reshammiya and Sara Loren in the lead roles. Reshammiya plays a singer who falls in love with a bar dancer and the film is centred on how they find true love. It is the first Hindi film to be shot in Petra, often called "the eighth wonder of the world."PlotRajiv Bhel (Himesh Reshammiya) is haunted by his very own past which torments him. He moves to Jordan where he has a job as a bartender, however Avtaar Singh forbids him to stay and immediately wants him to return to India. Rajiv then contemplates suicide but the eyes of a ravishing beauty strikes his own eyes. A chase ensues, until another man appears and takes the "beauty" in his own hands. The guy tells Rajiv if he wants to see what she does, he must come to the bar to "watch her dance".Rajiv visits the aquarium and he sees the lady again and develops immense love for her. The woman is Nargis who is revealed as a prostitute. He then falls in love. One night, Rajiv visits the "bar", and watches her (Nargis) dance. Embarrassed and feeling unworthy, Rajiv runs away, however, after the end of the night, its time to head home. Nargis and her colleagues get in a taxi which Rajiv follows. At the end of the trip, Rajiv gets closer to Nargis only for Rajiv to return the scarf that Nargis dropped at the bar. Mockingly, Nargis refuses it but Rajiv says if she keeps disappearing like this, he will hang himself with the scarf. Nargis offers for a longer one in a jokingly way.Regardless, Rajiv wants to marry Nargis. Rajiv wants Nargis to be free from prostitution. Rajiv must now get past Zohra Baano. She owns a prostitution business and hires other women to do their dirty work, the only source of income. Zohra Baano wants a price in exchange and Rajiv is willing to do that. Slowly, Nargis begins to develop feelings for Rajiv. One night, Nargis escapes the brothel, Rajiv finds her and takes her to a hotel. Nargis realises this was a mistake so she must return to the


Passage 1:Köpekler AdasıKöpekler Adası is a 1997 Turkish film, directed by Halit Refiğ and starring Mursit Bag, Ekrem Dümer, and Tanju Gürsu.Passage2:Borsalino & Co.Borsalino & Co. is a 1974 French crime film directed by Jacques Deray and starring Alain Delon, Riccardo Cucciolla and Daniel Ivernel. It is thesequel to the 1970 film Borsalino, opening with the criminal Siffredi as he searches Marseille for the gang that murdered his friend Capella.PlotSiffredi, aprominent gangster in 1930s Marseille, learns that the murder of his associate and closest friend Capella was ordered by a new arrival in the city, Volpone. Inrevenge, he kills Volpone's brother by throwing him from a moving train. A gang war ensues. Volpone's men win, capturing Siffredi and putting his mistress Lolain a brothel. Siffredi is humiliated by the gang by turning him into an alcoholic wreck who is shut up in a psychiatric hospital. Rescued by the only other survivorof the gang, he escapes by boat to Italy. Left supreme in Marseille, Volpone is backed by the government of Nazi Germany and has the police in his pocket.Threeyears later, Siffredi has recovered his health, made some money and assembled a new gang. Returning to Marseille, they free Lola from the brothel and in a newwar eliminate most of Volpone's men. Capturing his right-hand man together with the police commissioner who kowtows to him, Siffredi makes the two roaringdrunk and calls in journalists to publicise the shameful spectacle. A new police commissioner decides to let Siffredi finish the job. When Volpone tries to flee toGermany, Siffredi captures him on the train and stuffs him into the firebox of the locomotive. Not wanting to start again in Marseille, with Lola and his gang hethen takes a ship for the United States.Partial castAlain Delon - Roch SiffrediRiccardo Cucciolla - VolponeDaniel Ivernel - Inspector FantiReinhard Kolldehoff -SamAndré Falcon - Inspector CazenaveLionel Vitrant - FernandAdolfo Lastretti - LucianoGreg Germain - Le 'Nègre'Pierre Koulak - SpadaMarius Laurey -TeissereSerge Davri - CharlieGünter Meisner - Le médecinJacques Debary - Le préfetDjéloul Beghoura - LucienBruno Balp - Un spectateur de l'AlcazarCatherineRouvel - LolaAnton Diffring - GermanMireille Darc - CameoProductionFilming took place from 29 March to 25 June 1974.ReceptionThe film was a box officedisappointment, especially considering the success of the first movie.Passage 3:Hassan ZeeHassan "Doctor" Zee is a Pakistani-American film director who wasborn in Chakwal, Pakistan.Early lifeDoctor Zee grew up in Chakwal, a small village in Punjab, Pakistan. as one of seven brothers and sisters  His father was in themilitary and this fact required the family to move often to different cities. As a child Zee was forbidden from watching cinema because his father believed movieswere a bad influence on children.At age 13, Doctor Zee got his start in the world of entertainment at Radio Pakistan where he wrote and produced radio dramasand musical programs.  It was then that he realized his passion for storytelling At the age of 26, Doctor Zee earned his medical doctorate degree and did hisresidency in a burn unit at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences. He cared for women who were victims of  "Bride Burning," the archaic practice used as aform of punishment against women who fail to provide sufficient dowry to their in-laws after marriage or fail to provide offspring.  He also witnessed how hiscountry’s transgender and intersex people, called “hijras”, were banned from having jobs and forced to beg to survive. These experiences inspired Doctor Zee totackle the issues of women’s empowerment and gender inequality in his films.In 1999, he came to San Francisco to pursue his dream of filmmaking and madeSan Francisco his homeEducationHe received his early education from Jinnah Public School, Chakwal. He got his medical doctor degree at Rawalpindi MedicalCollege, Pakistan.Film careerDoctor Zee's first film titled Night of Henna was released in 2005. The theme of the film dealt with "the conflict between Old Worldimmigrant customs and modern Western ways..." Night of Henna focused on the problems of Pakistani expatriates who found it hard to adjust in Americanculture. Many often landed themselves in trouble when it came to marrying off their children.His second film Bicycle Bride came out in 2010, which was about "theclash between the bonds of family and the weight of tradition." His third film House of Temptation that came out in 2014 was about a family which strugglesagainst the temptations of the Devil. His fourth film “Good Morning Pakistan”, concerned a young American’s journey back to Pakistan where he confronts thecontradictory nature of a beautiful and ancient culture that's marred by economic, educational and gender inequality His upcoming fifth film, "Ghost in SanFrancisco" is a supernatural thriller starring Felissa Rose, Dave Sheridan, and Kyle Lowder where a soldier comes home from Afghanistan to discover that his wifeis having an affair with his best friend. While battling with his inner ghosts and demons, he meets a mysterious woman in San Francisco who promises him a ritualfor his cure.Passage 4:Edward YatesEdward J. Yates (September 16, 1918 – June 2, 2006) was an American television director who was the director of the ABCtelevision program American Bandstand from 1952 until 1969.BiographyYates became a still photographer after graduating from high school in 1936. Afterserving in World War II, he became employed by Philadelphia's WFIL-TV as a boom microphone operator. He was later promoted to cameraman (important asmost programming was done live and local during the early years of television) and earned a bachelor's degree in communications in 1950 from the University ofPennsylvania.In October 1952, Yates volunteered to direct Bandstand, a new concept featuring local teens dancing to the latest hits patterned after the "950Club" on WPEN-AM. The show debuted with Bob Horn as host and took off after Dick Clark, already a radio veteran at age 26, took over in 1956.It was broadcastlive in its early years, even after it became part of the ABC network's weekday afternoon lineup in 1957 as American Bandstand. Yates pulled records, directedthe cameras, queued the commercials and communicated with Clark via a private line telephone located on his podium.In 1964, Clark moved the show to LosAngeles, taking Yates with him.Yates retired from American Bandstand in 1969, and moved his family to the Philadelphia suburb of West Chester.He died in 2006at a nursing home where he had been for the last two months of his life.External linksEdward Yates at IMDbPassage 5:Catherine I of RussiaCatherine IAlekseevna Mikhailova (Russian: Екатери́на I Алексе́евна Миха́йлова, tr. Ekaterína I Alekséyevna Mikháylova; born Polish: Marta Helena Skowrońska, Russian:Ма́рта Самуи́ловна Скавро́нская, tr. Márta Samuílovna Skavrónskaya; 15 April [O.S. 5 April] 1684 – 17 May [O.S. 6 May] 1727) was the second wife andempress consort of Peter the Great, and empress regnant of Russia from 1725 until her death in 1727.Life as a servantThe life of Catherine I was said by Voltaireto be nearly as extraordinary as that of Peter the Great himself. Only uncertain and contradictory information is available about her early life. Said to have beenborn on 15 April 1684 (o.s. 5 April), she was originally named Marta Helena Skowrońska. Marta was the daughter of Samuel Skowroński (later spelled SamuilSkavronsky), a Roman Catholic farmer from the eastern parts of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, born to Minsker parents. In 1680 he married DorotheaHahn at Jakobstadt. Her mother is named in at least one source as Elizabeth Moritz, the daughter of a Baltic German woman and there is debate as to whetherMoritz's father was a Swedish officer. It is likely that two stories were conflated, and Swedish sources suggest that the Elizabeth Moritz story is probably incorrect.Some biographies state that Marta's father was a gravedigger and handyman, while others speculate that he was a runaway landless serf.Marta's parents died ofthe plague around 1689, leaving five children. According to one of the popular versions, at the age of three Marta was taken by an aunt and sent to Marienburg(the present-day Alūksne in Latvia, near the border with Estonia and Russia) where she was raised by Johann Ernst Glück, a Lutheran pastor and educator whowas the first to translate the Bible into Latvian. In his household she served as a lowly servant, likely either a scullery maid or washerwoman.  No effort was madeto teach her to read and write and she remained illiterate throughout her life.Marta was considered a very beautiful young girl, and there are accounts that FrauGlück became fearful that she would become involved with her son. At the age of seventeen, she was married off to a Swedish dragoon, Johan Cruse or JohannRabbe, with whom she remained for eight days in 1702, at which point the Swedish troops were withdrawn from Marienburg. When Russian forces captured thetown, Pastor Glück offered to work as a translator, and Field Marshal Boris Sheremetev agreed to his proposal and took him to Moscow.There are unsubstantiatedstories that Marta worked briefly in the laundry of the victorious regiment, and also that she was presented in her undergarments to Brigadier General RudolphFelix Bauer, later the Governor of Estonia, to be his mistress. She may have worked in the household of his superior, Sheremetev. It is not known whether shewas his mistress, or household maid.  She travelled back to the Russian court with Sheremetev's army.Afterwards she became part of the household of PrinceAlexander Menshikov, who was the best friend of Peter the Great of Russia. Anecdotal sources suggest that she was purchased by him. Whether the two of themwere lovers is disputed, as Menshikov was already engaged to Darya Arsenyeva, his future wife. It is clear that Menshikov and Marta formed a lifetime alliance.Itis possible that Menshikov, who was quite jealous of Peter's attentions and knew his tastes, wanted to procure a mistress on whom he could rely. In any case, in1703, while visiting Menshikov at his home, Peter met Marta. In 1704, she was well established in the Tsar's household as his mistress, and gave birth to a son,Peter. In 1703, she converted to Orthodoxy and took the new name Catherine Alexeyevna (Yekaterina Alexeyevna). She and Darya Menshikova accompaniedPeter and Menshikov on their military excursions.Marriage and family lifeThough no record exists, Catherine and Peter are described as having married secretlybetween 23 October and 1 December 1707 in Saint Petersburg. They had twelve children, two of whom survived into adulthood, Anna (born 1708) and Elizabeth(born 1709).Peter had moved the capital to St. Petersburg in 1703. While the city was being built he lived in a three-room log cabin with Catherine, where she didthe cooking and caring for the children, and he tended a garden as though they were an ordinary couple. The relationship was the most successful of Peter's lifeand a great number of letters exist demonstrating the strong affection between Catherine and Peter. As a person she was very energetic, compassionate,charming, and always cheerful. She was able to calm Peter in his frequent rages and was often called in to do so.Catherine went with Peter on his Pruth Campaign


Passage 1:Henry KrauseHenry J. "Red" Krause, Jr. (August 28, 1913 – February 20, 1987) was an American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Washington Redskins.  He played college football at St. Louis University.Passage 2:Carlo I Cybo-MalaspinaCarlo I Cybo-Malaspina (18 November 1581 - 13 February 1662) was an Italian nobleman, who was prince of Massa and marquis of Carrara from 1623 until his death.Born in Ferrara, he was the son of Alderano Cybo-Malaspina and Marfisa d'Este. He was also Duke of Ferentillo and held other patrician positions in several of the numerous Italian states of the time. In 1605, he married the Genoese noblewoman Brigida Spinola, from whom he had numerous children.The eldest of them, Alberico, succeeded him after his death in 1662.Passage 3:Abd al-MuttalibShayba ibn Hāshim (Arabic:   ; c. 497–578), better known as Abd al-Mualib, (Arabic:  , lit. 'Servant of Muttalib') was the fourth chief of the Quraysh tribal confederation. He was the grandfather of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.Early lifeHis father was Hashim ibn 'Abd Manaf,: 81 the progenitor of the distinguished Banu Hashim, a clan of the Quraysh tribe of Mecca. They claimed descent from Ismā'īl and Ibrāhīm. His mother was Salma bint Amr, from the Banu Najjar, a clan of the Khazraj tribe in Yathrib (later called Madinah). Hashim died while doing business in Gaza, before Abd al-Muttalib was born.: 81 His real name was "Shaiba" meaning 'the ancient one' or 'white-haired' because of the streak of white through his jet-black hair, and is sometimes also called Shaybah al-amd ("The white streak of praise").: 81–82 After his father's death he was raised in Yathrib with his mother and her family until about the age of eight, when his uncle Muttalib ibn Abd Manaf went to see him and asked his mother Salmah to entrust Shaybah to his care. Salmah was unwilling to let her son go and Shaiba refused to leave his mother without her consent. Mualib then pointed out that the possibilities Yathrib had to offer were incomparable to Mecca. Salmah was impressed with his arguments, so she agreed to let him go. Upon first arriving in Mecca, the people assumed the unknown child was Muttalib's servant and started calling him 'Abd al-Muttalib ("servant of Muttalib").: 85–86Chieftain of Hashim clanWhen Mualib died, Shaiba succeeded him as the chief of the Hāshim clan. Following his uncle Al-Mualib, he took over the duties of providing the pilgrims with food and water, and carried on the practices of his forefathers with his people. He attained such eminence as none of his forefathers enjoyed; his people loved him and his reputation was great among them.: 61 'Umar ibn Al-Khaāb's grandfather Nufayl ibn Abdul Uzza arbitrated in a dispute between 'Abdul-Mualib and arb ibn Umayyah, Abu Sufyan's father, over the custodianship of the Kaaba. Nufayl gave his verdict in favour of 'Abdul-Mualib. Addressing arb ibn Umayyah, he said:Why do you pick a quarrel with a person who is taller than you in stature; more imposing than you in appearance; more refined than you in intellect; whose progeny outnumbers yours and whose generosity outshines yours in lustre? Do not, however, construe this into any disparagement of your good qualities which I highly appreciate. You are as gentle as a lamb, you are renowned throughout Arabia for the stentorian tones of your voice, and you are an asset to your tribe.Discovery of Zam Zam Well'Abdul-Mualib said that while sleeping in the sacred enclosure, he had dreamed he was ordered to dig at the worship place of the Quraysh between the two deities Isāf and Nā'ila. There he would find the Zamzam Well, which the Jurhum tribe had filled in when they left Mecca. The Quraysh tried to stop him digging in that spot, but his son Al-ārith stood guard until they gave up their protests. After three days of digging, 'Abdul-Mualib found traces of an ancient religious well and exclaimed, "Allahuakbar!" Some of the Quraysh disputed his claim to sole rights over water, then one of them suggested that they go to a female shaman who lived afar. It was said that she could summon jinns and that she could help them decide who was the owner of the well. So, 11 people from the 11 tribes went on the expedition. They had to cross the desert to meet the priestess but then they got lost. There was a lack of food and water and people started to lose hope of ever getting out. One of them suggested that they dig their own graves and if they died, the last person standing would bury the others. So all began digging their own graves and just as Abdul-Mualib started digging, water spewed out from the hole he dug and everyone became overjoyed. It was then and there decided that Abdul-Muttalib was the owner of the Zam Zam well. Thereafter he supplied pilgrims to the Kaaba with Zam Zam water, which soon eclipsed all the other wells in Mecca because it was considered sacred.: 86–89 : 62–65The Year of the ElephantAccording to Muslim tradition, the Ethiopian governor of Yemen, Abrahah al-Ashram, envied the Kaaba's reverence among the Arabs and, being a Christian, he built a cathedral on Sana'a and ordered pilgrimage be made there.: 21 The order was ignored and someone desecrated (some saying in the form of defecation: 696 note 35 ) the cathedral. Abrahah decided to avenge this act by demolishing the Kaaba and he advanced with an army towards Mecca.: 22–23 There were thirteen elephants in Abrahah's army: 99 : 26 and the year came to be known as 'Ām al-Fīl (the Year of the Elephant), beginning a trend for reckoning the years in Arabia which was used until 'Umar ibn Al-Khaāb replaced it with the Islamic Calendar in 638 CE (17 AH), with the first year of the Islamic Calendar being 622 CE.When news of the advance of Abrahah's army came, the Arab tribes of Quraysh, Kinānah, Khuzā'ah and Hudhayl united in defence of the Kaaba. A man from the imyar tribe was sent by Abrahah to advise them that he only wished to demolish the Kaaba and if they resisted, they would be crushed. "Abdul-Mualib told the Meccans to seek refuge in the nearest high hills while he, with some leading members of Quraysh, remained within the precincts of the Kaaba. Abrahah sent a dispatch inviting 'Abdul-Mualib to meet him and discuss matters. When 'Abdul-Mualib left the meeting he was heard saying, "The Owner of this House is its Defender, and I am sure He will save it from the attack of the adversaries and will not dishonour the servants of His House.": 24–26 It is recorded that when Abrahah's forces neared the Kaaba, Allah commanded small birds (abābīl) to destroy Abrahah's army, raining down pebbles on it from their beaks. Abrahah was seriously wounded and retreated towards Yemen but died on the way.: 26–27 This event is referred to in the following Qur'anic chapter:Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the owners of the Elephant?Did He not make their treacherous plan go astray?And He sent against them birds in flocks, striking them with stones of baked clay, so He rendered them like straw eaten up.Most Islamic sources place the event around the year that Muhammad was born, 570 CE, though other scholars place it one or two decades earlier. A tradition attributed to Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri in the musannaf of Abd al-Razzaq al-Sanani places it before the birth of Muhammad's father.Sacrificing his son AbdullahAl-Harith was 'Abdul-Mualib's only son at the time he dug the Zamzam Well.: 64 When the Quraysh tried to help him in the digging, he vowed that if he were to have ten sons to protect him, he would sacrifice one of them to Allah at the Kaaba. Later, after nine more sons had been born to him, he told them he must keep the vow. The divination arrows fell upon his favourite son Abdullah. The Quraysh protested 'Abdul-Mualib's intention to sacrifice his son and demanded that he sacrifice something else instead. 'Abdul-Mualib agreed to consult a "sorceress with a familiar spirit". She told him to cast lots between Abdullah and ten camels. If Abdullah were chosen, he had to add ten more camels, and keep on doing the same until his Lord accepted the camels in Abdullah's place. When the number of camels reached 100, the lot fell on the camels. ' Abdul-Mualib confirmed this by repeating the test three times. Then the camels were sacrificed, and Abdullah was spared.: 66–68FamilyWivesAbd al-Muttalib had six known wives.Sumra bint Jundab of the Hawazin tribe.Lubnā bint Hājar of the Khuza'a tribe.Fatima bint Amr of the Makhzum clan of the Quraysh tribe.Halah bint Wuhayb of the Zuhrah clan of the Quraysh tribe.Natīla bint Janab of the Namir tribe.Mumanna'a bint Amr of the Khuza'a tribe.ChildrenAccording to Ibn Hisham, Abd al-Mualib had ten sons and six daughters.: 707–708 note 97 However, Ibn Sa'd lists twelve sons.: 99–101 By Sumra bint Jundab:Al-ārith.: 708 He was the firstborn and he died before his father.: 99 Quthum.: 100 He is not listed by Ibn Hisham.By Fatima bint Amr:Al-Zubayr.: 707 He was a poet and a chief; his father made a will in his favour.: 99 He died before Islam, leaving two sons and daughters.: 101 : 34–35 Abu Talib, born as Abd Manaf,: 99 : 707 father of the future Caliph Ali. He later became chief of the Hashim clan.Abdullah, the father of Muhammad.: 99 : 707 Umm Hakim al-Bayda,: 100 : 707 the maternal grandmother of the third Caliph Uthman.: 32 Barra,: 100 : 707 the mother of Abu Salama.: 33 Arwa.: 100 : 707 Atika,: 100 : 707 a wife of Abu Umayya ibn al-Mughira.: 31 Umayma,: 100 : 707 the mother of Zaynab bint Jahsh and Abd Allah ibn Jahsh.: 33 By Lubnā bint Hājar:Abd al-'Uzzā, better known as Abū Lahab.: 100 : 708 By Halah bint Wuhayb:amza,: 707 the first big leader of Islam. He killed many leaders of the kufar and was considered as the strongest man of the quraysh. He was martyred at Uhud.: 100 afīyya.: 100 : 707 Al-Muqawwim.: 707 He married Qilaba bint Amr ibn Ju'ana ibn Sa'd al-Sahmia, and had children named Abd Allah, Bakr, Hind, Arwa, and Umm Amr (Qutayla or Amra).Hajl.: 707 He married Umm Murra bint Abi Qays ibn Abd Wud, and had two sons, named Abd Allah, Ubayd Allah, and three daughters named Murra, Rabi'a, and Fakhita.By Natīlah bint Khubāb:al-'Abbas,: 100 : 707 ancestor of the Abbasid caliphs.irār,: 707 who died before Islam.: 100 Jahl, died before IslamImran, died before IslamBy Mumanna'a bint 'Amr:Mus'ab, who, according to Ibn Saad, was the one known as al-Ghaydāq.: 100 He is not listed by Ibn Hisham.Al-Ghaydaq, died before Islam.Abd al-Ka'ba, died before Islam.: 100 Al-Mughira,: 100 who had the byname al-Ghaydaq.The family tree and some of his important descendantsDeathAbdul Muttalib's son 'Abdullāh died four months before Muammad's birth, after which Abdul Muttalib took care of his daughter-in-law Āminah. One day Muhammad's mother, Amina, wanted to go to Yathrib, where her husband, Abdullah, died. So, Muhammad, Amina, Abd al-Muttalib and their caretaker, Umm Ayman started their journey to Medina, which is around 500 kilometres away from Makkah. They stayed there for three weeks, then, started their journey back to Mecca. But, when they reached halfway, at Al-Abwa', Amina became very sick and died six years after her husband's death. She was buried over there. From then, Muhammad became an orphan. Abd al-Muttalib became very sad for Muhammad


Passage 1:The Brave ArcherThe Brave Archer, also known as Kungfu Warlord, is a 1977 Hong Kong film adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Legend of the CondorHeroes. The film was produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio and directed by Chang Cheh, starring Alexander Fu Sheng and Tien Niu in the lead roles. The film isthe first part of a trilogy and was followed by The Brave Archer 2 (1978) and The Brave Archer 3 (1981). The trilogy has two unofficial sequels, The Brave Archerand His Mate (1982) and Little Dragon Maiden (1983).PlotGuo Jing and Yang Kang are the sons of two rebels. The rebels are killed by imperial soldiers, and then,the boys are rescued by six skilled pugilists. The pugilists agree to separate the two boys, tutor them separately in martial arts, and let them meet again whenthey have grown up, to determine whose abilities are better. Guo becomes the student of the "Seven Freaks of Jiangnan" while Yang Kang becomes the foster sonof a Jurchen prince inadvertently.When he reaches adulthood, Guo Jing travels to a local town, where he meets and befriends a beggar named Huang Rong, whois actually the daughter of Huang Yaoshi, master of Peach Blossom Island. He also meets Yang Kang, without knowing Yang's true identity, during a contest towin the hand-in-marriage of Mu Nianci, the adopted daughter of Yang's father. Yang's father is actually still alive. Yang Kang is tempted by the wealth and fame ofbeing a noble, and he refuses to acknowledge and betrays his father, while his mother commits suicide.Huang Rong reveals to Guo Jing later that she is actually awoman and they go on adventure together. Guo Jing learns the "Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms" from the "Nine-fingered Beggar" Hong Qigong, while HuangRong is groomed by Hong to become his successor as chief of the Beggars' Sect. Guo and Huang travel to Peach Blossom Island later to meet Huang's father.Huang Yaoshi is does not approve of his daughter's marriage to Guo Jing. While exploring the island, Guo Jing meets a strange man called Zhou Botong whoteaches him special martial arts techniques and forces him to read a manual, which is later revealed to be written by Huang Rong's late mother.Ouyang Fengvisits Peach Blossom Island with his nephew Ouyang Ke, and he proposes a marriage between his nephew and Huang Rong. Just then, Hong Qigong also arrivesand he strongly supports Guo Jing to marry Huang Rong. Eventually, Huang Yaoshi arranges for a contest between Guo Jing and Ouyang Ke to determine who isworthy of his daughter's hand-in-marriage. The last part of the contest involves both of them having to read a manual and recite it from memory later. As Guohad already read the manual earlier, he recites it easily and wins the contest. Huang Yaoshi agrees to his daughter's marriage to Guo Jing. However, Ouyang Fengrealizes that the manual is actually the fabled Nine Yin Manual and he wants it for himself.CastExternal linksThe Brave Archer at IMDbThe Brave Archer at theHong Kong Movie DataBasePassage 2:Little Dragon MaidenLittle Dragon Maiden, also known as The Brave Archer 5, is a 1983 Hong Kong film adapted from LouisCha's novel The Return of the Condor Heroes. Little Dragon Maiden is seen as an unofficial sequel to the The Brave Archer, The Brave Archer 2, The Brave Archer3, and The Brave Archer and His Mate.CastExternal linksLittle Dragon Maiden at IMDbLittle Dragon Maiden at the Hong Kong Movie DataBasePassage 3:RobertRossenRobert Rossen (March 16, 1908 – February 18, 1966) was an American screenwriter, film director, and producer whose film career spanned almost threedecades.His 1949 film All the King's Men won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress, while Rossen was nominated for the AcademyAward for Best Director. He won the Golden Globe for Best Director and the film won the Golden Globe Award for Best Picture. In 1961, he directed The Hustler,which was nominated for nine Oscars and won two.After directing and writing for the stage in New York, Rossen moved to Hollywood in 1937. From there, heworked as a screenwriter for Warner Bros. until 1941, and then interrupted his career to serve until 1944 as the chairman of the Hollywood Writers Mobilization, abody to organize writers for the effort in World War II. In 1945, he joined a picket line against Warner Bros. After making one film for Hal B. Wallis's newly formedproduction company, Rossen made one for Columbia Pictures, another for Wallis and most of his later films for his own companies, usually in collaboration withColumbia.Rossen was a member of the American Communist Party from 1937 to about 1947, and believed the Party was "dedicated to social causes of the sortthat we as poor Jews from New York were interested in."He ended all relations with the Party in 1949. Rossen was twice called before the House Un-AmericanActivities Committee (HUAC), in 1951 and in 1953. He exercised his Fifth Amendment rights at his first appearance, refusing to state whether he had ever been aCommunist. As a result, he found himself blacklisted by Hollywood studios as well as unable to renew his passport. At his second appearance he named 57 peopleas current or former Communists and his blacklisting ended. In order to repair finances he produced his next film, Mambo, in Italy in 1954. While The Hustler in1961 was a great success, conflicts on the set of  Lilith in 1964 so disillusioned him that it was his last film before his death two years later.BiographyEarly life andcareerRobert Rosen was born on March 16, 1908, and raised on the Lower East Side of New York City. His parents were Russian Jewish immigrants and his father,Philip Rosen, was a house painter. As a youth, he attended New York University, hustled pool and fought some prizefights - the latter two providing crucialbackground for his two greatest films, The Hustler and Body and Soul, respectively. He changed his name from "Rosen" to "Rossen" in 1931.He started histheatrical career as a stage manager and director in stock and off-Broadway productions, mainly in the social and radical theaters that flourished in New York inthe early and mid-1930s, as did John Huston, Elia Kazan and Joseph Losey. In 1932 Rossen directed John Wexley's Steel, about labor agitation, and RichardMaibaum's The Tree, about a lynching. A year later Rossen directed Birthright, in which Maibaum attacked Nazism, which had just triumphed in Germany with thedictatorship of Adolf Hitler in 1933.In 1935, Rossen wrote and directed his first play, The Body Beautiful, a comedy about a naive burlesque dancer. Although theplay closed after four performances, Warner Bros. director Mervyn LeRoy was so impressed that he signed Rossen to a personal screenwriting contract.MarriageIn1936, Rossen married Susan Siegal; the couple had three children: Carol, Stephen and Ellen.Work in HollywoodFor his first credit in Hollywood, in 1937 Rossenco-wrote with Abem Finkel a script based on the prosecution of crime lord Lucky Luciano and eventually titled Marked Woman. Although some of Warner Bros.management saw Rossen as an unknown quantity, the result won praise from both Jack L. Warner and the Daily Worker. Rossen's first solo script was for TheyWon't Forget (1937), a fictionalized account of the lynching of Leo Frank, featuring Lana Turner in her debut performance.Dust Be My Destiny, co-written in 1939by Rossen, is the story of a fugitive from justice who is eventually acquitted with help from an attorney and a journalist, the latter arguing that "a million boys allover the country" were in a similar plight. Warner Bros. then ordered producer Lou Edelman to cut the script, adding that "This is the story of two people – not agroup. It is an individual problem – not a national one." Rossen was one of three writers on the gangster melodrama The Roaring Twenties, released in 1939. Aremake of the 1932 play and film Life Begins was written in 1939 by Rossen and released in 1940 as A Child Is Born. The plot recounted the experiences of sixexpectant mothers, and there was little scope to modify the original.The Sea Wolf, released in 1941, was based on Jack London's novel. Although the film had astrong cast and production, Rossen's re-draft of the script may be the greatest influence on the film. While the character of Captain Larsen remained both victimand oppressed in a capitalist hierarchy, he became a symbol of fascism. He split the novel's idealist hero into an intellectual bosun and a rebellious seaman.Warner Bros. cut many political points during production.Blues in the Night, written by Rossen and two colleagues and released in 1941, shows a group of jazzmusicians traveling in the Depression. Their informal methods represent working-class culture rather than the commercialized music of the big bands. However,The New York Times' reviewer thought the soundtrack was "about all the film has to offer", and Warner was disappointed with the sales.After the attack on PearlHarbor on December 7, 1941, the Screen Writers Guild set up on December 8, 1941, the Hollywood Writers Mobilization, a body to organize writers for the wareffort. Rossen served as the body's chairman until 1944 and advocated the opening of a Second Front to support West European resistance against the Nazis. Hisearnings were much greater than in 1937. However, his work for Hollywood Writers Mobilization and for the Communist Party forced him to abandon some partlydeveloped film projects, including The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, which John Huston eventually directed in 1948.In 1945 Rossen joined a picket line againstWarner Bros, making an enemy of Jack Warner. Rossen signed a contract with an independent production company formed by Hal Wallis, who had previouslybeen Warner Bros.' head of production. However Rossen wrote only two full scripts for this company, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers in 1946 and Desert Fury in1947. In The Strange Love of Martha Ivers Rossen used a short story by John Patrick to introduce the main plot, which was set 15 years later and which Rossenwrote. The relationship between Rossen and Wallis broke down when Rossen received offers from other production companies.Dick Powell had been a crooner butwas making a new career as a dramatic actor. When Columbia Pictures agreed to make Johnny O'Clock for him in 1947, Powell successfully campaigned forRossen to direct, and this became Rossen's debut in directing. As this crime melodrama proved a modest success, Roberts Productions signed Rossen to directAbraham Polonsky's script of Body and Soul, described by Bob Thomas as "possibly the best prizefight film ever made." Rossen preferred an ending in which thehero wins a boxing match and then is killed by a gangster, but Polonsky insisted on his own ending, in which the hero escapes into obscurity before the fight.Following the success of Body and Soul, Rossen formed his own production company and signed with Columbia Pictures a contract that gave him wide autonomyover every second film that he made at the studio.All the King's Men (1949) was based on the novel of the same name by Robert Penn Warren, which in turn wasbased on the career of politician Huey Long. Rossen introduced a new concept, that the defenders of the ordinary people can in turn become the new exploiters.As a requirement for his participation in the film, Rossen had to write to Columbia's Harry Cohn saying that he was no longer a Communist Party member. Cohn's


Passage 1:Vera MiletićVera Miletić (Serbian Cyrillic: Вера Милетић; 8 March 1920 – 7 September 1944) was a Serbian student and soldier. She was notable forbeing the mother of Mira Marković, posthumously making her the mother-in-law of Serbian president Slobodan Milošević.Personal lifeHer cousin was DavorjankaPaunović who was the personal secretary of Communist Party of Yugoslavia leader Josip Broz Tito.Passage 2:Beatrice of ProvenceBeatrice of Provence (c. 1229 –23 September 1267), was ruling Countess of Provence and Forcalquier from 1245 until her death, as well as Countess of Anjou and Maine, Queen of Sicily andNaples by marriage to Charles I of Naples.She was the fourth and youngest daughter of Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence and Forcalquier by his wifeBeatrice, in turn daughter of Count Thomas I of Savoy and Margaret of Geneva.LifeInheritance of Provence and ForcalquierBeatrice, like her sisters, mother andgrandmother was known for her beauty. A description of Beatrice said she"set men's hearts thumping and the fingers of troubadours to fevered twanging of lyres.Two of the balladists at the Provencal court were temporarily deprived of reason for love of the entrancing Beatrice"All Ramon Berenguer IV's three olderdaughters married to titles of status: The eldest, Margaret, was Queen of France by marriage to Louis IX; the second, Eleanor, was Queen of England by marriageto Henry III, and the third, Sanchia, was titular Queen of Germany by marriage to Henry's brother Richard, Earl of Cornwall. King Louis IX's marriage to Margarethad been arranged by his mother, Blanche of Castile, with the hopes that he would inherit Provence and Forcalquier when her father died.In his will signed on 20June 1238 at Sisteron, Ramon Berenguer IV unexpectedly left the Counties of Provence and Forcalquier to his youngest and still unmarried daughter,Beatrice.Countess of Provence and ForcalquierRamon Berenguer IV died on 19 August 1245 at Aix-en-Provence, and according to his will, Beatrice becameCountess of Provence and Forcalquier in her own right, with the provision that the Dowager Countess could retain the usufruct of the County of Provence for herlifetime.Now, Beatrice became one of the most attractive heiresses in medieval Europe, and soon several suitors appeared for her hand. Firstly, the neighboringrulers of her domains began their claims: the twice-divorced Raymond VII, Count of Toulouse and King James I of Aragon, who, despite being married to Violantof Hungary, invaded Provence and seized the residence of the countess. In addition, the thrice-widowed Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, dispatched theimperial navy to Provence to ensure Beatrice could marry one of his sons or even himself.In such a difficult situation, the Dowager Countess decided to actquickly, placing herself and Beatrice in a safe fortress in Aix, secured the trust of its people and then asked Pope Innocent IV for his protection. In Cluny duringDecember 1245, a secret meeting between Pope Innocent IV, Louis IX of France, his mother Blanche of Castile, and his youngest brother Charles took place. Itwas decided that in return for Louis IX supporting the Pope militarily against Frederick II, the Pope would allow that Charles marry Beatrice. Mother and daughterwere satisfied with this selection,  but under the terms of the treaty, Provence was to never go to France outright through Charles. It was agreed that if Charlesand Beatrice had children, the Counties would go to them; if there was no issue, then the Provence and Forcalquier would go to Sanchia of Provence, and if shedied without heirs, the Counties would go to the King of Aragon. Henry III of England protested these terms, arguing that he had not yet received the full dowryfor his wife Eleanor nor his brother for Sanchia. He also still had the castles in Provence against the loan he had made to the late Count.Charles, along with Philipof Savoy and five hundred knights, rode from Lyon to Provence. On their way, they ran into Raymond VII of Toulouse, who also had an army on the way toProvence. Raymond VII had been deceived by knights in favour of Charles and for that reason he had brought fewer men, and Charles and his army were quicker.When Charles got to Aix-en-Provence, James I of Aragon, who had been there all along but was not allowed to see Beatrice, had his soldiers surrounding thecastle in which the young Beatrice and her mother were. There was a brief struggle, but the King of Aragon retreated with dignity.To the young Beatrice, Charles(who was described as "an admirable young man") was a satisfactory resolution to her problems. Their marriage took place on 31 January 1246 atAix-en-Provence. They had soldiers on guard and the bride was escorted down the aisle by her uncle, Thomas, Count of Flanders.The inheritance of Beatrice alsocaused conflicts with her older sisters, who hoped that once their father had died, his domains would be divided between the four; Charles refused to share theCounties with his sisters-in-law. In consequence, the relationship of Charles and Beatrice with the three sisters, who felt cheated by their father's will, remainedalways tense.As soon as Charles became Count of Provence, he brought in his own team of French lawyers and accountants. He excluded his mother-in-law fromthe running of the county and began taking castles, power and fees away from the nobles who had previously enjoyed a certain degree of independence in therunning of their cities. Charles made himself very unpopular. The Dowager Countess moved herself to Forcalquier in protest, and in Marseille, Charles's officialswere thrown out of the city. In the family conflict, Beatrice sided with her husband.Seventh CrusadeIn May 1247, Charles and Beatrice were recorded as being inMelun, where Charles was knighted by his brother Louis. Beatrice accompanied Charles on the Seventh Crusade in 1248. Led by Louis IX, the crusaders made anextended procession through France. Before they left, Charles and Beatrice met with the Dowager Countess in Beaucaire to try to come to some terms ofagreement concerning Provence. Whilst the more important matters were left until Charles and Beatrice returned, it was decided that Beatrice of Savoy wouldgive up the rights to "the castle at Aix in exchange for a percentage of the county's revenue."In Nicosia, Beatrice gave birth to her first child, "a very elegant andwellformed son", as her brother-in-law Robert of Artois wrote home to his mother the Queen; the child lived only a few days. Beatrice stayed with her sisterMargaret in Damietta, when they lost contact with the King and his army; here Beatrice gave birth to her second child, while her sister Margaret too gave birth.Later in 1250, they were reunited with the rest of the crusade at Acre, where the King's ransom was paid. Charles and Beatrice, along with several other nobles,left soon after and journeyed to the court of Emperor Frederick II, to ask him to send the King of France more men for his crusade. The Emperor, who had beenexcommunicated, needed his army to fight the Pope, and refused.Beatrice and Charles returned to Provence in 1251, where some riots erupted at Arles andAvignon, instigated by Beatrice's mother, who felt Charles had failed to respect her claims in Provence. By July 1252 Charles had managed to defeat the revoltand was in the process of exercising his power as Count of Provence. In November of the same year, Blanche of Castile, regent of France while her son Louis IXwas on crusade, died. Charles and Beatrice had to go to Paris, where Charles became co-regent of France with his brother, Alphonse. The Pope offered Charlesthe Kingdom of Sicily in 1252, but Charles had to turn the offer down, as he was preoccupied with other affairs and he also did not have sufficient funds.Thecrusaders returned in 1254. Charles and Beatrice spent Christmas in Paris that year, where all of Beatrice's sisters and their mother were present; it was notedthat the other four women treated the younger Beatrice coldly, due to Raymond Berenguer's will.Queen of SicilyBeatrice's sister Margaret, the new Queen ofFrance, publicly offended her in 1259, by not seating her at the family table; she claimed because Beatrice was not a queen like her sisters, she could not sit withthem. Margaret had hoped to provoke her sister in treacherous behaviour so she would have a valid reason to invade Provence. Beatrice "with great grief", wentto Charles and he reportedly told her:"Be at peace, for I will shortly make thee a greater Queen than them".When the newly elected Pope Clement IV grantedCharles the Kingdom of Sicily, he had to defeat King Manfred, who had fallen out of papal favour. Another contender to win the throne of Sicily was Beatrice'snephew, Edmund Crouchback, but it soon became clear that Charles was the more promising candidate. In order to achieve his goal, Charles needed an army andBeatrice helped her husband raise one. She called on all her knights as well as the young men of France, and according to the later historian Angelo di Costanzoshe pledged all her jewels, to make sure they joined her husband's army:Beatrice, to aid [Charles] in the gratification of her ambition, sold all her jewels andpersonal ornaments, and expended her private treasure in collecting round her standard, not only her own vassals, but the chivalric youth of France, who wereattracted to her service not less by her personal solicitations than by her rich gifts.In 1265 Charles of Anjou, with a small contingent, embarked and by seaarrived in Rome, where, on 28 June, he was invested as King of Sicily by the Pope. According to the storia di Manfredi, re di Sicilia e di Puglia of Giuseppe diCesare who followed the narrative of the storia di Saba Malaspina, Beatrice followed her husband with the remaining army by sea, arriving to Italy only fourmonths later. In November of that year, the army of Charles, composed by 5,000 soldiers and 25,000 infantrymen entered Italy and arrived in Rome in January1266, where on 6 January both Charles and Beatrice were crowned King and Queen of Sicily by five cardinals sent by the Pope (who was sheltering in Perugia). Assoon as the coronation festivities had ended, Beatrice stayed in Rome with a small force to hold the city, whilst Charles rode out to the battle of Benevento. Afterher husband's victory, she chose the castle of Melfi as their residence.DeathBeatrice died on 23 September 1267, a little over a year after becoming queen ineither the Castello del Parco at Nocera Inferiore or in Naples (according to the storia di Saba Malaspina). The cause of her death was not recorded, although it isbelieved that complications following a pregnancy could be the reason. She was initially buried at Cathedral of San Gennaro in Naples, but in 1277 her husbandtransferred her remains to Aix-en-Provence at the Church of Saint-Jean-de-Malta.Beatrice was the last ruling Countess of Provence and Forcalquier from theHouse of Barcelona; on her death, she left her Counties to her husband Charles.IssueCharles and Beatrice had the following children:Blanche (1250 – bef. 10January 1270), married in 1265 Robert of Flanders, Lord of Béthune and Dendermonde (he became Count Robert III in 1305, long after Blanche's death), bywhom she had one son, Charles, who died young.Beatrice (1252 – 17 November/12 December 1275), married in 1273 Philip of Courtenay, titular emperor of


Passage 1:Pablo AlboránPablo Moreno de Alborán Ferrándiz (born 31 May 1989), popularly known as Pablo Alborán, is a Spanish musician and singer-songwriter.Throughout his career, Alborán has released five studio albums, two live albums, and various musical collaborations. His records are distributed by Warner MusicSpain which he was signed to in 2013. That year he released "Solamente Tú", the lead single from his 2011 self-titled debut album. The track topped the charts inhis home country for two consecutive weeks. The album peaked at number one in its first week of sales, making Alborán the first solo artist to sign a completedebut album to rank to the top since 1998 in Spain. Alborán was nominated for Best New Artist at the 12th Latin Grammy Awards.Alborán's sophomore recordTanto (2012) spawned the number one singles "Quién" and "El Beso". It received a Latin Grammy Award for Album of the Year. His third studio album Terral(2014) spawned the chart-topping singles "Por Fin" and "Pasos de Cero" and received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Latin Pop Album. Alborán embarkedon a huge concert tour Tour Terral, which visited Europe, North, and South America. Its respective live album Tres Noches en Las Ventas marked Alborán'ssecond Album of the Year nomination. In 2017, Alborán released his fourth studio album Prometo to critical and commercial success. It spawned the singles"Saturno" and "No Vaya a Ser", among others. He released his fifth album Vértigo in 2020, followed by his sixth album La Cuarta Hoja in 2022.Throughout hiscareer, Alborán has won a Goya Award for Best Original Song, nine LOS40 Music Awards, two Gaviota de Oro and two Premios Dial, among others. Throughoutthe years, Alborán has been nominated for three Grammy Awards as well as twenty-three Latin Grammy Awards.Music careerFrom a very young age, he wasinterested in learning to play various musical instruments such as piano, classical guitar, flamenco guitar, and acoustic guitar, and attended singing lessons withprofessional artists in Málaga and Madrid. In 2002, at the age of 12, he composed his first songs, "Amor de Barrio" (Neighbourhood Love) and "Desencuentro"(Disagreement) which would be featured 10 years later on his debut album. In Málaga he performed for the first time with a Flamenco band in a restaurant, andhe was nicknamed El Blanco Moreno (The White Moreno), because he "was very pale-skinned and Moreno was my family name", as he stated in an interview inearly 2011. Later, Pablo met producer Manuel Illán and recorded a demo, which included a cover of "Deja de Volverme Loca" (Stop Driving Me Crazy) by DianaNavarro. Upon hearing this recording, Navarro expressed great interest in Alborán and became his musical mentor.In preparation for his first album, Alboráncomposed a total of 40 songs from which the playlist would be selected. During the recording of this studio album, Pablo Alborán, he uploaded a few songs onYouTube, which gained the attention of many, including singer Kelly Rowland who was amazed by his voice, as far as saying "I'm in love with Pablo Alboran!". Hisvideos have since received millions of views."Solamente Tú" (Only You) was digitally released in Spain in October 2010 as the first single of his debut album,which was released in February 2011. Both the single and the album were a huge success, managing to top the Spanish music charts for several consecutiveweeks. The album won multiple awards, including RTVE's Album of the Year for 2011, and became Spain's best-selling album of that year.Alborán began his firstworld tour on 27 May 2011 in Madrid at the Palacio Vistalegre, and has since performed in many Latin American countries, among which are Argentina, Chile andMexico. Following his success, he released his first live album, En Acústico, in November of the same year. It included acoustic versions of most of the tracks inhis debut album, as well as two new songs and four bonus tracks. The song "Perdóname" (Forgive Me) was re-recorded featuring Portuguese singer Carminho,and was released as the first single of the album, peaking at number one on the Spanish singles chart on 13 November 2011, thus helping En Acústico to debutalso at number one on the albums chart one week later, on 20 November 2011, and to top the Portuguese Albums Chart in January 2012.On 19 December 2011,Alborán received the 2011 Best New Act award in Los Premios 40 Principales. Both his albums Pablo Alborán and En Acústico were featured in Spain's official listof top-selling albums of 2011, at number 1 and number 6, respectively, and singles "Solamente Tú" and "Perdóname" were the respective third and nineteenthbest-selling songs in Spain in 2011.In January 2012, Alborán collaborated on the charity single, "Cuestión de Prioridades por el Cuerno de África" (A matter ofpriorities for the horn of Africa).In September 2012, Alborán released the lead single "Tanto" from his forthcoming album Tanto which was released in November2012. The album was certified 10× Platinum in Spain and was the highest selling album in Spain in 2012 and 2013. The album included two number one singles inSpain, "El Beso" (The Kiss) and "Quién" (Who). The album received Latin Grammy Awards.Alborán released his third studio album Terral in November 2014. Thealbum became his fourth straight number 1 album in Spain and has been certified 8× Platinum. It was the highest selling album in Spain in 2014.In April 2016,"Se Puede Amar" was released, which is the first single of the forthcoming fourth studio album. Throughout 2016, Alborán toured Central America. In August,Alboran re-released "Dónde está el Amor" with Brazilian singer Tiê. It was included in the telenovela soundtrack Haja Coração.On 8 September 2017, after atwo-year break, Alborán announced on his social networks that he was finishing preparing what would be his fourth studio album, Prometo. He released twosingles ("Saturno" and "No Vaya a Ser") on the same day. "Saturno" is a ballad, reminiscent of his beginnings as a singer, while "No Vaya a Ser" is a differentstyle flirting with electronics and African rhythms. Prometo was released on 17 November 2017 and debuted at number 1 in Spain.Personal lifeAlborán is the sonof Spanish architect Salvador Moreno de Alborán Peralta and Elena Ferrándiz Martínez. From a father from Malaga and a French mother, the daughter ofSpaniards born in Casablanca during the French protectorate of Morocco.In June 2020, Alborán came out as gay. As of December 2020, Alborán resides inMálaga.DiscographyStudio albumsLive albumsSinglesAs main artistAs featured artistOther charting songsAwardsGrammy AwardsThe Grammy Awards areawarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in the United States. Alborán has received three nominations.Latin GrammyAwardsThe Latin Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences in the United States. Alborán has receivedtwenty-four nominations.TVyNovelas AwardsThe TVyNovelas Awards are presented annually by Televisa and the magazine TVyNovelas to honor the best Mexicantelevision productions, including telenovelas.Goya AwardsThe Goya Awards, known in Spanish as los Premios Goya, are awarded annually by the Academia de lasArtes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España (Spanish Academy of Cinematic Art and Science) in Spain. Alborán has received one award.NotesPassage2:Kristian LeontiouKristian Leontiou (born February 1982) is an English singer. Formerly a solo artist, he is the lead singer of indie rock band One eskimO.EarlylifeKristian Leontiou was born in London, England and is of Greek Cypriot descent. He went to Hatch End High School in Harrow and worked several jobs in andaround London whilst concentrating on music when he had any free time.  In 2003 he signed a major record deal with Polydor. At the time, Leontiou was dubbed"the new Dido" by some media outlets. His debut single "Story of My Life" was released in June 2004 and reached #9 in the UK Singles Chart. His second single"Shining" peaked at #13 whilst the album Some Day Soon was certified gold selling in excess of 150,000 copies.Leontiou toured the album in November 2004taking him to the US to work with L.A Reid, Chairman of the Island Def Jam music group.  Unhappy with the direction his career was going, on a flight back fromthe US in 2004 he decided to take his music in a new direction.  Splitting from his label in late 2005, he went on to collaborate with Faithless on the song "Hope &Glory" for their album ‘'To All New Arrivals'’.  It was this release that saw him unleash the One eskimO moniker.  It was through working with Rollo Armstrong onthe Faithless album, that Rollo got to hear an early demo of "Astronauts" from the One eskimO project. Being more than impressed by what he heard, Rolloopened both his arms and studio doors to Leontiou and they began to co-produce the ‘'All Balloons’' album.It was at this time that he paired up with good friendAdam Falkner, a drummer/musician, to introduce a live acoustic sound to the album. They recorded the album with engineer Phill Brown (engineer for Bob Marleyand Robert Plant) at Ark studios in St John's Wood where they recorded live then headed back to Rollo's studio to add the cinematic electro touches that areprominent on the album.Shortly after its completion, One eskimO's "Hometime" was used on a Toyota Prius advert in the USA. The funds from the advert werethen used to develop the visual aspect of One eskimO. He teamed up with friend Nathan Erasmus (Gravy Media Productions) along with animation teamSmuggling Peanuts (Matt Latchford and Lucy Sullivan) who together began to develop the One eskimO world, the first animation produced was for the track‘Hometime’ which went on to win a British animation award in 2008.In 2008 Leontiou started a new management venture with ATC Music. By mid-2008 TimeWarner came on board to develop all 10 One eskimO animations which were produced the highly regarded Passion Pictures in London.  Now with all animationcomplete and a debut album, One eskimO prepare to unveil themselves fully to the world in summer 2009.Leontiou released a cover version of Tracy Chapman's"Fast Car", which was originally released as a single in 2005. Leontiou's version was unable to chart, however, due to there being no simultaneous physicalrelease alongside the download single, a UK chart rule that was in place at the time. On 24 April 2011, the song entered the singles chart at number 88 due toBritain's Got Talent contestant Michael Collings covering the track on the show on 16 April 2011.DiscographyAlbumsSinglesNotesA  - Originally released as asingle in April 2005, Leontiou's version of "Fast Car" did not chart until 2011 in the UK.Also featured onNow That's What I Call Music! 58 (Story of My Life)Win aDate with Tad Hamilton! OST, Love Love Songs - The Ultimate Love Collection (Shining)Summerland OST (The Crying)Passage 3:Billy MilanoBilly Milano (bornJune 3, 1964) is an American heavy metal and hardcore punk musician. He is the singer and occasionally guitarist and bassist of crossover thrash band M.O.D.,and was the singer of its predecessor, Stormtroopers of Death. Prior to these bands, Milano played in early New York hardcore band the Psychos, which also


Passage 1:Troy AndesTroy Andes (born April 16, 1981, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an American politician and a Republican member of the West Virginia House of Delegates representing District 58 since January 12, 2013. Andes served consecutively from January 2007 until January 2013 in a District 14 seat.EducationAndes earned his BS from Virginia Tech and his MBA from Marshall University.Elections2012 Redistricted to District 15, and with its incumbents redistricted to District 16, Andes was challenged in the May 8, 2012 Republican Primary, winning with 1,792 votes (82.0%), and was unopposed for the November 6, 2012 General election, winning with 7,004 votes.2006 When District 14 Republican Representative Mike Hall ran for West Virginia Senate and left a district seat open, Andes placed in the five-way 2006 Republican Primary and was elected in the three-way two-position November 7, 2006 General election against Democratic nominee Gene Estel.2008 Andes and fellow Republican incumbent Representative Patti Schoen were unopposed for the May 13, 2008 Republican Primary, where Andes placed first with 2,337 votes (52.2%), and placed first in the four-way two-position November 4, 2008 General election with 9,323 votes (31.4%) ahead of Representative Schoen and Democratic nominees Jeffrey Martin and Karen Corea.2010 When Representative Schoen retired and left a district seat open, Andes placed first in the five-way May 11, 2010 Republican Primary, winning with 2,034 votes (42.8%), and placed first in the three-way two-position November 2, 2010 General election with 8,159 votes (40.3%) ahead of fellow Republican nominee Brian Savilla and Democratic nominee Catherine Larck.Passage 2:LeRoy D. BrownLeRoy D. Brown was the first president of University of Nevada.HistoryNevada became a state in 1864. Its constitution mandated the establishment of a state university with departments in agriculture, the mechanic arts, and mining, along with a state normal school for teacher training. The constitution specified that the state university would be controlled by an elected Board of Regents. The Nevada Legislature established the first State University campus in Elko, Nevada. Its Preparatory Department opened for enrollment in October 1874 with the goal of enhancing Nevada's young people to be ready for college-level study. D. R. Sessions served as Principal of the preparatory department. The Elko campus closed on July 15, 1885, when it was determined that Reno would provide a larger population for higher education students.The Board of Regents selected Dr. Leroy D. Brown to be the first president of the University of Nevada at the new Reno campus. A veteran of the American Civil War, he had taught in Ohio for twenty years and had been elected to the office of Commissioner of Education in Ohio. He was working for a bank in Ohio when he was recruited to Nevada. His administration began in September, 1887, before the first campus building, Morrill Hall, was completely constructed.By October, 50 students were enrolled. The Board of Regents selected Hannah Keziah Clapp of Carson City to be his assistant and a faculty member of the university. President Brown established the departments of mining and metallurgy, natural science and the Nevada State Normal School. The Secretary of War detailed a U. S. Army officer to provide drill and military tactics instruction to all male students. The first group of cadets was organized in the fall of 1888. Lieutenant Arthur C. Ducat was also employed as Professor of Modern Languages, later providing drawing instruction and calisthenics training for female students the first physical education curriculum at the university. President Brown and the other faculty developed organized a curriculum involving three areas of study: the School of Liberal Arts, the School of Agriculture, and the School of Mechanic Arts and Mining. The Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station was founded in response to the Congressional Hatch Act of March 2, 1887. Hatch Hall was completed in 1889, becoming the second building on the Reno campus. By the end of Brown's administration, the School of Mechanic Arts was separate from the School of Mining, and a Business (Commercial)  Department had been created. The Commercial Department was for non-college students. Its first diplomas were issued in 1889. He resigned on January 1, 1890, later sending his son to attend the university.Timeline1848 - Born in Center Township, Noble County, Ohio on November 3. Developed a reading habit, early in his life and visited the old township library in his neighborhood.1864 - Ran away from home and enlisted as a member of Company H, 116 O. V. I. in which he served until the end of the war.1866-1867 – Taught school1867 – Brown prepared for college at an academy in Athens, Ohio1869 – Became a student and was later awarded graduation at Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio.  (A.B. ’79, A.M ’82)1871 – Appointed Noble County Examiner1873 – Principal of graded school in Newport, Ohio1874 – Called to superintendency of the Belpre Ohio schools1875 – Superintendent at Eaton, Ohio1878 – Married Miss Esther Emma Gable of Eaton, Ohio1879 – Brown was elected to position of Superintendent of Public schools at Hamilton, Ohio and was reelected and held the office until he became State Commissioner.1883 – Earned Ph.D. at Baker University, San Luis Obispo.1884-1887 – Entered into a three-year office as Ohio State Commissioner of Common Schools.1887 – Brown moved his family to Alliance, Ohio to pursue the banking business.1887 – 1890 - At age 38, LeRoy Brown received an offer and moved his family of seven (wife, Esther, plus five small children) to Reno, Nevada to become Nevada State University President (September 1887 - January 1, 1890).1890-1892 – Became supervising Principal of Santa Monica Schools from 1890 to 18921893 to 1894 – moved to Los Angeles and became superintendent of city schools.  He was reelected for another year and his salary was raised from $2,700 to $3,000 per year.  Two weeks later he resigned, as he preferred the principal position of a High School and there was a vacant position.1898 – Died January 13. San Luis Obispo, CaliforniaPassage 3:Tsuruichi HayashiTsuruichi Hayashi ( , Hayashi Tsuruichi, June 13, 1873 – October 4, 1935) was a Japanese mathematician and historian of Japanese mathematics. He was born in Tokushima, Japan.He was the founder of the Tohoku Mathematical Journal.Passage 4:Keith AndesKeith Andes (born John Charles Andes, July 12, 1920 – November 11, 2005) was an American film, radio, musical theater, stage and television actor.Early life and educationAndes was born to Mr. and Mrs. William G. Andes in Ocean City, New Jersey. By the age of 12, he was featured on the radio.The family moved to Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia. Andes attended Upper Darby High School and found work on radio singing and acting throughout his high school years.He attended St Edward's School in Oxford, England, and graduated from Temple University in Philadelphia, where he was a member of Sigma Pi fraternity, in 1943 with a bachelor's degree in education. While at Temple, he did not participate in the university's theater program, but spent his time working as a disc jockey for several Philadelphia-area radio stations, including KYW, WFIL, and WIP. After graduating from Temple, he studied voice at the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music in Center City Philadelphia. He was known for his baritone voice.CareerEarly performancesHe began his acting career while serving in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. He served three years and sang and acted in United Service Organization shows. He was cast in the play Winged Victory and then cast by 20th Century Fox in the film Winged Victory (1944).In 1947, Andes received a Theater World Award for his Broadway debut performance in a revival of the operetta The Chocolate Soldier.In 1947, he had a role in the movie The Farmer's Daughter, the film that won Loretta Young her Best Actress Oscar. Andes, Lex Barker and James Arness played the title character's powerfully built and highly protective brothers.Andes' first leading role in a feature film came with Project X (1949), a low-budget, independent movie.In June 1950, he joined the cast of Kiss Me, Kate on Broadway, taking over the lead from Alfred Drake, starring in the show for over a year, in New York and on tour. This re-ignited Hollywood's interest in him.RKO and UniversalAndes appeared as Marilyn Monroe's sweetheart and Barbara Stanwyck's brother in the cult film Clash by Night (1952), directed by Fritz Lang and co-written by Clifford Odets, for RKO.Also for that studio, he played the heroic Lt. Maynard in Blackbeard, the Pirate (1952) and a supporting role in Split Second (1953).In 1953 he starred in a short-lived Broadway musical, Maggie.In 1954, he signed a new contract with RKO even though that studio had kept him idle for a year, causing him to miss a part in The High and the Mighty. He was under contract to RKO for three years.He co-starred with Angela Lansbury in the film noir A Life at Stake (1954) and was one of several male leads in The Second Greatest Sex (1955) at Universal, where he signed a long-term contract.Andes begin guest starring on TV shows like Celebrity Playhouse, The Ford Television Theatre, Matinee Theatre, The Loretta Young Show, Conflict and Playhouse 90. He also starred in TV adaptations of The Great Waltz (playing Johann Strauss, Jr.), Bloomer Girl (1956) and Holiday (based on The Grand Tour) (1956).He made two films with Jeff Chandler at Universal, Away All Boats (1956) and Pillars of the Sky (1956), and did Back from Eternity (1956) at RKO. In 1956, he starred in a pilot for the series Doctor Mike, that was not picked up.At Universal, he had a role in Interlude (1957), then he appeared in The Girl Most Likely (1958), the last film made by RKO.Andes guest starred on Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre, Goodyear Theatre, Alcoa Theatre and The Gale Storm Show: Oh! Susanna.In 1958, Andes starred as crusading former Louisiana State Police Superintendent Francis Grevemberg in the film Damn Citizen at Universal. His co-stars were Margaret Hayes as Dorothy Maguire Grevemberg and Gene Evans as Police Major Al Arthur.He starred in two low-budget features: Model for Murder (1959) in England and Surrender - Hell! (1960) in the Philippines.TelevisionAndes was cast in a regular series, playing Frank Dawson in the police drama This Man Dawson (1959–60), the story of a former United States Marine Corps colonel who is hired to stop police corruption in a large, unnamed city. William Conrad did the series narration.On Broadway, Andes starred opposite Lucille Ball in the musical Wildcat (1960–61) which ran for 175 performances.When Wildcat ended Andes resumed his television career, guest starring on Sea Hunt, Have Gun - Will Travel, Follow the Sun, Vacation Playhouse and The Rifleman.In 1963, Andes was cast with Victor Buono and Arch Johnson in the episode "Firebug" of the anthology series GE True, hosted by Jack Webb. In the story line, Buono portrays Charles Colvin, a barber in Los Angeles, who is by night a pyromaniac. The United States Forest Service works to find Colvin before he can set more fires.Later in 1963, Andes was cast in a regular role as the lawyer-husband on the 1963 sitcom Glynis, starring Glynis Johns as his wife, a mystery writer and amateur sleuth.He guest-starred on 77


Passage 1:Wonny SongWonny Song (born 1978) is a Canadian pianist.BiographySong was born in South Korea and grew up in Montreal. He began piano studies at the age of eight and received a full scholarship to Philadelphia's Curtis Institute of Music in 1994. He earned a bachelor's degree from Montreal University in 1998 and continued his studies with Anton Kuerti at the University of Toronto and at The Glenn Gould School with Marc Durand. He completed his doctoral studies at the University of Minnesota in 2004, studying with Lydia Artymiw. He has also studied with Leon Fleisher, Jorge Chaminé and Marie-Francoise Bucquet. He has performed as a soloist with the Cincinnati Symphony, the Peoria Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the EuroAsian Philharmonic Orchestra in Korea and Thailand.Song was director and director of artists-in-residence project of Lambda School of Music and Fine Arts in Montreal from 2008 to 2020. Wonny Song has been appointed Artistic Director of Orford Music (formerly the Orford Arts Centre) in May 2015. Mr. Song officially assumed his position at the beginning of summer 2015, at which time he began to prepare the 2016 program.Awards and recognitions1994 – Gold Medal at the World Piano Competition, Cincinnati.1995 – First Prize and Best Artistic Interpretation Prize at the Montreal Symphony Piano Competition.1997 – Ludmila Knezkova Piano Competition, Nova Scotia.2000 – First Elinor Bell Fellowship, University of Minnesota.2001 – First and Grand Prize winner of the Minnesota Orchestra's WAMSO Competition.2002 – Galaxy Rising Stars Award, Ottawa.2003 – Prix d'Europe, Canada.2010 – Young Canadian Musicians Award.Claire Tow Prize.Miriam Brody Aronson Prize.Fergus Orchestra Soloist Prize.Washington Performing Arts Society Prize.Saint Vincent College Concert Series Prize.DiscographySee alsoPianistsCanadian classical musicYoung Concert ArtistsLambda School of Music and Fine ArtsPassage 2:Hwang Te-songHwang Te-Song (born December 20, 1989) is a South Korean football player.Club statisticsPassage 3:CiaraCiara Princess Wilson ( see-AIR-; née Harris; born October 25, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, businesswoman, dancer, model and actress. She rose to prominence with her debut studio album Goodies (2004), which spawned the top five singles "1, 2 Step" (featuring Missy Elliott), "Oh" (featuring Ludacris), and "Goodies" (featuring Petey Pablo), the latter of which topping the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. The album was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and garnered two nominations at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards. Ciara was also featured on Missy Elliott's "Lose Control" and Bow Wow's "Like You", both of which reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100.Her second studio album, Ciara: The Evolution (2006), topped the Billboard 200 and spawned the hit singles " Get Up" (featuring Chamillionaire), "Promise", "Like a Boy" and "Can't Leave 'em Alone" (featuring 50 Cent). Ciara's third studio album Fantasy Ride (2009), produced the international top-ten single "Love Sex Magic" (featuring Justin Timberlake), which received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. Her fourth studio album Basic Instinct (2010), included the R&B top-five single "Ride" (featuring Ludacris). After Basic Instinct was met with low sales, Ciara signed a new record deal with Epic Records in 2011. Ciara's fifth studio album, Ciara (2013), peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 and spawned the hit single "Body Party".Her sixth album, Jackie (2015), included the singles "I Bet" and "Dance like We're Making Love". The next year, Ciara would sign a modeling contract with IMG, become a Global Brand Ambassador for the cosmetics giant Revlon, and marry quarterback Russell Wilson. Her seventh album, Beauty Marks (2019), included the hit single "Level Up". Ciara signed a new record deal with Republic Records and Uptown Records, in partnership with her label Beauty Marks Entertainment. She released her single "Jump" as the lead for her upcoming eighth studio album on July 8, 2022.Ciara is also an actress, having appeared in All You've Got (2006), Mama, I Want to Sing! (2012), That's My Boy (2012), and The Game (2013). In March 2022, it was announced that Ciara had joined the cast of the 2023 remake of The Color Purple as Nettie. Ciara has received multiple accolades, including a Grammy Award, two BET Awards, the Woman of the Year award from Billboard Women in Music, two MTV Video Music Awards, seven Soul Train Awards, and thirteen Ascap Music Awards. As of 2019, Ciara's worldwide sales total over 45 million.Early lifeCiara Princess Harris was born in Fort Hood, Texas, on October 25, 1985, the only child of Jackie and Carlton Clay Harris. An army brat, she grew up in Georgia, New York, Utah, California, Arizona, and Nevada. She was named after the Revlon fragrance Ciara which was introduced in 1973. During her teens, Ciara and her family settled in College Park, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, where she attended North Clayton High School before graduating from Riverdale.In her mid-teens, Ciara formed the all-girl group Hearsay with two of her friends. The group recorded demos, but as time went on, they began to have differences and eventually parted ways. Despite this setback, Ciara signed a publishing deal as a songwriter.Her first writing credit was on Blu Cantrell's debut album, So Blu, for the song "10,000 Times". She also wrote the song "Got Me Waiting" for R&B singer Fantasia Barrino's debut album, Free Yourself. It was when she was writing songs that she met music producer Jazze Pha, whom she called her "music soulmate". In 2002, the two recorded four demos: "1, 2 Step", "Thug Style", "Pick Up the Phone", and "Lookin' at You", which all appeared on her debut album that was released two years later. "1, 2 Step" was the second single released from the album and it was a hit.Career2003–2005: GoodiesAfter graduating from Riverdale High School in Riverdale, Georgia, in 2003, she was signed by LaFace Records executive, L.A. Reid, whom she was introduced to by Jazze Pha. She began production on her debut album later that year. In early 2004, she wrote a demo with record producer, Sean Garrett, which came to the attention of Lil Jon and became her debut single "Goodies". Lil Jon stated later that he knew it would be big seeing how it sounded similar to Usher's international hit, "Yeah!".Ciara released her debut album Goodies on September 28, 2004. The album debuted at number three on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling 125,000 copies in its initial week and topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Following the release of the album, Ciara was called the "First Lady of Crunk&B". Goodies had a 71-week run on the Billboard 200, and was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on October 10, 2006. Charting at twenty-two on the Canadian Albums Chart, it was certified Platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association. The album charted at 26 on the UK Albums Chart, and spent 20 weeks on the chart. It was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry.Goodies' lead single, the title track, featuring Petey Pablo, was released on June 8, 2004. Conceived as a crunk female counterpart to Usher's "Yeah!", the lyrical content goes against the grain, speaking of abstinence, rejecting advances because "the goodies will stay in the jar." Critics hailed it as an "anthem of the summer" and one of the best singles of the year, complementing its dance-feel and beat, and the irony of the "clever" lyrics. The single performed well worldwide, topping the charts in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, and charting in the top 10 of other charts, receiving Platinum certification in the United States. "1, 2 Step" featuring Missy Elliott was released as the album's second single. The song peaked in the top 10 of many countries, topping the charts in Canada, and went on to become Platinum or Gold in many countries. "Oh" featuring Ludacris was released as the third single on March 5, 2005. The song performed well worldwide, appearing in the top 10 of seven charts, and certified either Platinum or Gold in multiple regions.Following the success of the album, Ciara released a CD/DVD entitled Goodies: The Videos & More in the United States on July 12, 2005, which featured remixes to "1, 2 Step" and "Oh", as well as two new songs. The release was certified platinum in the United States. She made guest appearances on Missy Elliott's single "Lose Control" and on Bow Wow's single "Like You", which both peaked at number three in the United States and obtained worldwide success. She was an opening act for Gwen Stefani's Harajuku Lovers Tour 2005 and went on tour with Chris Brown and Bow Wow on the Holiday Jam Tour in December 2005. At the 48th Annual Grammy Awards, Ciara received four nominations for Best New Artist, Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "1, 2 Step", Best Rap Song for Missy Elliott's single "Lose Control", and won her last nomination, Best Short Form Music Video for "Lose Control".2006–2007: Ciara: The Evolution and acting debutOn December 5, 2006, Ciara released her second studio album, Ciara: The Evolution. According to the singer, the title of the album is "about so much more than just my personal growth – it's about the evolution of music, the evolution of dance, the evolution of fashion." The source of the album's creativity such as the sound and edge comes from Ciara in general. Ciara: The Evolution became Ciara's first and only number one album on the U.S. Billboard 200, and her second number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts with sales of 338,000 in the first week. The album went on to be certified platinum by the RIAA in the United States, and has sold 1.3 million copies according to Nielsen SoundScan.The album's international lead single, "Get Up", which features Chamillionaire, reached number seven in the United States and gained a platinum accreditation. It reached number five in New Zealand. The song was used for the film Step Up (2006) and featured on the film's soundtrack. The album's US lead single, "Promise", reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became her third number one single on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. " Like a Boy" was released as the second international single which reached within the top 20 in the UK, Finland, France, Ireland, Sweden Switzerland, and also in the United States. The fourth and final single from the album, "Can't Leave 'em Alone", reached number 10 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song became Ciara's fifth single to peak in the top in New Zealand, peaking at number 4. The song achieved moderate success in other international markets.In support of the album, Ciara went on her first headlining tour in October 2006. The tour went to seventeen different clubs in cities throughout the United States. The tour was met with mixed to positive reviews; critics were divided regarding the pre-recorded backing tracks and remarked that Ciara was slightly under-prepared to host her headlining tour, but ultimately praised her energetic choreography. In August 2007, she headlined the Screamfest ' 07 tour with fellow rapper, T.I. Critics praised her performance for her gracious dancing and being able to command a sold-out arena. Ciara, along with Chris