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(Q).
I lost my baby boy at 31 weeks of pregnancy in February 2013. My heart shattered into a million pieces that weekend in February. I knew that I wanted the chance to bring home another live, healthy baby in my arms. I had some medical issues that would concern doctors during a uncomplicated pregnancy and would put me at high risk if, and that at the time was a big if I was able to get pregnant, and could I make it past the second trimester. I had doctors who supported my decision to try again, but my body wasn’t co operating. 2015. I got pregnant, straight on the medication I needed, lots of blood tests. Got a horrible sinking feeling something went wrong at the 6 week stage, bleeding at 8 weeks. At 9weeks of pregnancy, got a scan and no heartbeat was found. I choose the d&c operation, I couldn’t deal with seeing the miscarriage blood for days. I tried to convince myself to give up, move on. Wasn’t an easy thing to do, but the depression and sadness wasn’t fair to my 6 year old son. He needed his mummy who was always sad, in his mind. About 6 months later, I was having a scan. This time, I had a strong heart beat on screen. The pregnancy was extremely high risk, consultant led, daily injections, scans every 2 weeks from 18 weeks. No guarantees of a good outcome. Planned c section at 38 weeks. Healthy baby girl. I was lucky, I got the chance to have my happy ever after. Was it worth the heartache and infertility caused by stress - yes Was it worth the terrifying 34 weeks of pregnancy- yes Do I miss and wish the baby boy I lost at 31 weeks was here - every day For me, being bloody minded and stubborn worked out for me. At the end of the story, the family is probably: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Terribly depressed - Happy and intact - Estranged - not enough information
(A).
Happy and intact
(Q).
Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s longtime personal lawyer who is under investigation for his business dealings, has provided legal advice to Fox News host Sean Hannity, one of Trump’s most prominent media supporters. The dramatic revelation came Monday during a court hearing in New York where lawyers for Cohen and Trump argued for permission to determine whether thousands of pages of documents FBI agents seized from Cohen last week should be subject to attorney-client privilege. U.S. District Court Judge Kimba Wood appeared to reject the idea, saying that a “taint team” created by prosecutors to set aside privileged documents is a “viable option,” while a court-appointed outside lawyer known as a “special master” may also play a role in determining which records can and cannot be viewed by prosecutors. The disclosure about Hannity, who also hosts a nationally syndicated talk radio show, came after prosecutors indicated that Cohen performed “little to no legal work” and had just one client: Trump. In response, Cohen’s lawyers said that Cohen has represented three clients in the past year — Trump, GOP fundraiser Elliott Broidy and a third “publicly prominent individual” who wished to remain anonymous. Cohen's lawyers identified Hannity as the third unnamed client only after Judge Wood ruled that it must be made public. In a statement, Hannity sought to minimize his relationship with Cohen, saying he had never retained him as a lawyer. “Michael Cohen has never represented me in any matter,” Hannity said. “I never retained him, received an invoice, or paid legal fees. I have occasionally had brief discussions with him about legal questions about which I wanted his input and perspective." “I assumed those conversations were confidential, but to be absolutely clear they never involved any matter between me and a third-party,” Hannity said. Fox News also responded to the revelation. "While Fox News was unaware of Sean Hannity's informal relationship with Michael Cohen and was surprised by the announcement in... Will this revelation change Fox News viewers' opinion of Sean Hannity Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - Yes - Some - No
(A).
No
(Q).
SEOUL — South Korean Foreign Minister Kang, Kyung-wha said on Wednesday that the U.S. and South Korea jointly made the decision to suspend combined military exercises scheduled for August, but would not confirm if her government was given advanced notice before U.S. President Trump announced his intention to cancel the drills, after he met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore on June 12. “We have made it clear that this is a goodwill gesture to strengthen the dialogue momentum at this point, but they are not irreversible. They could quickly come back should we see the dialogue momentum losing speed or North Korea not living up to its denuclearization commitment,” said Foreign Minister Kang. During a press briefing in Seoul, the foreign minister said she was in in close communication with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about the drills directly following the Singapore summit. And while the announcement canceling the exercises came suddenly, Kang said, South Korea was also considering this option to keep diplomatic momentum moving forward following the U.S.-North Korea summit where Kim reaffirmed his commitment to the “complete denuclearization” of North Korea. The now cancelled Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercises normally held in August usually bring in 3,000 more American troops from abroad and involve 50,000 South Korean troops. No decision has yet been made whether the other large-scale joint exercise held in the spring would be suspended as well. At the Singapore summit Trump said he would cancel the “war games” that he said were both enormously expensive and “provocative,” as an act of good faith and in response to North Korea’s commitment to denuclearization, its continued suspension of nuclear and missile teats, and the recent closing of its nuclear testing site. North Korea has long called for the end of these joint military exercises that it says are offensive “rehearsals for war.” In the past U.S. officials refused to suspend the joint drills, that they defended as defensive in nature... After the cancellation was announced, how did the people of North Korea feel about it? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - They had no opinion about it - They support their leaders - They are offended about the decision - not enough information
(A).
| They support their leaders | 8 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
(Q).
North Korea’s release of three U.S. citizens may help pave the way for talks between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, but questions remain as to whether those talks will succeed. At the White House on Wednesday, Trump continued to speak cautiously about the coming summit, even while praising the North Korean leader for the prisoner release. “Everything can be scuttled,” Trump told reporters. “A lot of things can happen — a lot of good things can happen, [and] a lot of bad things can happen.” North Korea on Wednesday granted amnesty to three Americans of Korean descent. They had been accused of espionage or trying to overthrow the government, charges widely seen as bogus. Pyongyang has detained at least 16 Americans over the past two decades, often attempting to use them as bargaining chips. All were eventually released, although Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old college student, died shortly after returning to the United States last year. A White House statement Wednesday praised North Korea’s latest prisoner release as a “positive gesture of goodwill” ahead of the Trump-Kim summit, which is expected to take place as soon as next month. South Korea’s presidential office said Pyongyang’s decision was a “very positive” sign for a successful North Korea-U.S. meeting. The freeing of the prisoners coincided with a visit to Pyongyang by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who declined to say whether the release was a U.S. precondition for holding talks with the North. “I don’t know the answer to that,” Pompeo told reporters on the flight home. “It would have been more difficult [had the prisoners not been released]. ... I’m glad that we don’t have to confront that.” It’s not clear what, if anything, the U.S. gave up in exchange for the prisoners. It’s not even clear a concession was needed, since North Korea has for decades sought the presumed legitimacy provided by a summit with a sitting U.S. president. How long did the summit with North Korea last? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - a few weeks - not enough information - a month - a few days
(A).
a few days
(Q).
For a moment, Paul wasn't even sure who had walked into the room. Chloe had totally transformed herself since he'd last seen her. She wore a wig for starters, and a very good one. It was light brown and shoulder length. It looked so natural that if he didn't know she had much shorter hair, he would have guessed that she had dyed it. But it was the outfit that made the change. She wore a well-tailored, very professional, gray woman's skirt/blazer combo with a yellow silk blouse. Her wrist sported what looked to Paul's uneducated eye like an expensive and fashionable gold lady's watch from which he thought he detected a glint of diamond. In short, she looked just like the high priced lawyer she was supposed to be. She was certainly the best-dressed person in the room. Chloe reached across the table to shake Greg's hand, stretching forward as she did so. Paul watched Greg glance down at her cleavage while he shook her hand. "I'm Rachel Roth, here on behalf of Mr. Paul Reynolds." "Hi," said Greg. "I'm Greg Driscol, and this is..." "I know the rogues gallery here," said Chloe cutting Greg off and looking around at the assembled board members. "I've learned all about you gentlemen." Marie stood up and shook Chloe's hand. "Marie Cooper, from Johnson, Myers, and Wick," she said. "Nice to meet you," she said. "Ok, we've got the intros down, shall we get on with the dirty business?" "Um, sure," Greg said as he sat back down. "I was just about to turn things over to Marie." The plan was now in action, and so far so good. But Paul knew that this was a crucial moment. Chloe didn't really know the law - just a few points that her friend had helped her out with. She couldn't let the real lawyer take over the meeting. Her dramatic, unexpected entrance had them off guard, and Paul hoped she seized the moment and pressed on. How long did it probably take to get the meeting underway once Chloe arrived Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - just a few minutes - half an hour - 15 minutes
(A).
just a few minutes
(Q).
As someone diagnosed with bpd this question kinda tugged at my heart, for a few reasons. From my understanding, the core of the disorder is an unstable sense of self and an inherent shame or worthlessness. Before I was treated I thought I just needed someone else, the right person to come along to love me in just the right way, being mindful of trauma and never triggering my symptoms. I was living in a fantasy world. You cannot expect another person, a whole person with a sound mind and stable to sense of self to subject themselves to the circus act of our lives. We can't even manage it ourselves!! I have been in two long-term relationships, and dozens of short ones six months or less. One of the two began when I was very low and lasted a very toxic 3 years. I entered treatment during that relationship, which resulted in it's demise. I was much happier afterward. The second relationship began after I completed treatment. We have seperated twice during the past 2 and a half years, and our relationship is currently rocky as well. But who I am in the relationship has changed. I am no longer the girl who needs extra reassurance daily that he's coming home from work. I can breathe when he goes to hang out with his friends. I am not threatened by every waking thought of his not being about me. Instead I am the woman that validates him and myself in arguments, and I put respect over everything. Of course I lose my temper. Self improvement is a constant process. But, to avoid hurting anyone you love, you should definitely talk to a counselor if you are looking for another person to help you :) For family members/lovers/caregivers, it's stressful and often results in a lot of resentment in the relationship! Be safe! After the author loses her temper during an argument, what probably happens? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Her and her boyfriend make up - Her and her boyfriend assault one another - Her and her boyfriend separate and never see each other again - not enough information
(A).
| Her and her boyfriend make up | 8 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
I was lost. As I sat parked at the old service station, I pulled out the maps and tried to do a little backtracking. It didn't take me long to figure out where I had made the wrong turn. I had tried following my memory instead of Luna's directions and wound up about eighty miles off course. My gas tank was pushing 'E' but fortunately the service station was open. When I stepped out of my Jeep, I could feel the soles of my boots melt on the asphalt. The heat coming off the cracked and pitted cement peeled off in waves that rolled out in every endless direction. The barren mountains in the distance looked unstable, like I was looking at them through a window pane slicked with olive oil. I slogged my way over to the gas pump and wrapped my shirt around the handle to keep my skin from burning against the desert-baked metal. The heat was so great I worried the fumes would ignite. A dirty round man stood in the shadowy doorway of the ramshackle service station and stared at me while he rubbed his hands inside an oily red rag. The oval name-patch stitched to his coveralls was loose at one end and curled like a leaf in the heat. His name was Jack. I topped off the tank and then walked over to him. "You work here?" I knew it was a stupid question the second it left my mouth. He and I were the only living things for fifty miles in any direction. Who the hell else would be working here? "Who the hell else would be working here?" he said. I shrugged my shoulders and pulled out my wallet. Jack wobbled inside behind a glass counter filled with everything from belt buckles to oil funnels. "That your momma's car?" he asked. It's impossible to tell what kind of psychological impact this heat would have on a man who lived out here alone, but I was sure it wasn't positive. Who was wearing coveralls? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - The narrator - Luna - Jack
Jack
------
Two signatures. That's all that's needed to force a wide-ranging House debate — and votes — on border security and the immigration status of 700,000 undocumented young people brought to the U.S. as children. Since moderate Republicans opposed House leadership two weeks ago with a rare discharge petition to force a so-called "queen of the hill" debate (House rule based on the most votes) on immigration, the measure has steadily accumulated support within their own party. The petition needs 218 signatures to start that debate and — with the assumption that all 193 House Democrats will sign on — Republicans need just two more signatures. But that effort now goes on hold as Congress leaves town for an 11-day holiday recess, giving all sides breathing room to figure out what comes next. Many of the 23 Republican signers of the petition face tough re-election races in their districts this November. The debate over Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients has challenged lawmakers since last September, when U.S. President Donald Trump ended the program, calling on Congress to find a permanent legislative solution. Lawmakers will return to Washington facing an immediate deadline. Representative Jeff Denham, a California Republican who is one of the leaders of the petition effort, told reporters that June 7 would be the absolute last moment to allow the petition to mature before lawmakers run up against a seven-week summer recess. Denham said talks with House leadership and the House Freedom Caucus, a conservative voting bloc seeking significant security concessions in return for a citizenship path for DACA recipients, have been productive. "We've had an agreement in principle," Denham said of a deal that would provide a 12-year path to citizenship for DACA recipients, known colloquially as Dreamers. "Now it's trying to put that information on paper. So, assuming we can continue to move forward, that is something we would bring to our conference on the 7th when we have our two-hour immigration meeting,... When do lawmakers return to Washington? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - After December - not enough information - After October - After June
After June
------
Paul was late for the victory party. When he finally arrived back at Chloe's house he found her driveway and neighborhood so crowded with cars that he had to park on the next street over. He was ever so slightly worried about leaving his car out of sight in this neighborhood, but really it was his nervousness about the party that tied his stomach in knots. A $120 bottle of champagne under his arm, Paul walked bravely up to the front door, which opened from within before he could touch the doorbell. "8:17!" shouted Chloe as she flung the door wide, a wristwatch held in her hand. "Who bet closest to 8:17?" Chloe wore a green and blue sari wrapped low around her waist and a white t-shirt on which someone had used a sharpie to write "HOOK-HER" on the front. A young, stocky Asian American woman named Bee stepped forward. She held a little piece of paper in her hand, which she shoved playfully in front of Chloe's face. "8:15! I had 8:15!" Behind the two women a tall, rail-thin man appeared, wearing a faded blue polo shirt with the Microsoft logo on it and a pair of khakis. Paul recognized him as Raff, whom he'd met the night before. "Just barely beat my 8:00." He said. Raff was the computer guy - the lead hacker in the group who'd been responsible for sorting through the reams of electronic data they'd stolen and finding the juicy bits. He'd also masterminded the attack on the company Web site and some of the other problems that had tied his former partners up in the hours after Paul had gotten the check. "I wanted to bet 'never' but Chloe had already taken that one." "Don't listen to him, Paul," said Chloe. "I just bet never because I knew everyone else would want it and I alone had faith in your return. But the others decided to have a little betting pool about when you'd finally show up after you pulled your little disappearing act earlier." Chloe waggled her finger at him in mock scolding. "You're a naughty little boy, giving me the slip like that." Who masterminded the attack on the company website? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - Raff - Paul - Bee
| Raff
------ | 5 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Question: QUEBEC CITY, CANADA — On the eve of the G-7 summit in Canada, the U.S. president lashed out at host Justin Trudeau and the White House announced Donald Trump would skip some of the sessions. In two tweets Thursday evening, Trump accused the Canadian prime minister, as well as French President Emmanuel Macron, of “charging the U.S. massive tariffs” and creating “non-monetary barriers.” Trump also said Trudeau was being “indignant” about the cross-border trade relationship. Later Thursday night, Trump took to Twitter again to urge the European Union and Canada to “Take down your tariffs & barriers or we will more than match you!” Trump’s tweets came after Macron threatened to exclude the United States from the G-7 final statement to be issued in the mountainous tourism destination of Charlevoix. In his own tweets in French and English, Macron stated that while Trump “may not mind being isolated” the other six leaders meeting in Canada would also not mind signing an agreement among themselves. “American jobs are on the line because of his actions and because of his administration,” Trudeau said at a joint news conference with Macron earlier in the day in Ottawa. “When we can underscore this, and we see that there’s a lot of pressure within the U.S., perhaps he will revise his position.” “A trade war doesn’t spare anyone,” Macron said. “It will start to hurt American workers. The cost of raw materials will rise and industry will become less competitive.” After the contentious salvos on social media and the Trudeau-Macron news conference, the White House announced Trump would depart the summit at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, following the session on women’s empowerment. "The president will travel directly to Singapore from Canada in anticipation of his upcoming meeting with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un Tuesday. G-7 sherpa and deputy assistant to the president for international economic affairs Everett Eissenstat will represent the United States for the remaining G-7 sessions," White House Press Secretary SarahSanders... What was probably true about France's relationship with the U.S. at the time Pick the correct answer from the following options: - They were at war - not enough information - It was contentious - It was the best ever
Answer: It was contentious
Question: Manny had Bob Marley cranking on the stereo, his van was full of passengers, and the air conditioning was working after a long week of giving him trouble. The sun beat down on the wet-looking asphalt road that ran along the harbor, next to the concrete waterfront. It curved along in front of the brightly colored Dutch Colonial warehouses of Charlotte Amalie, which were now converted restaurants and jewel shops. Tourists in day-glo shirts and daubs of sunscreen rubbed over peeling skin crowded both sides of the waterfront road. Manny slowed somewhat, keeping an eye on them. On the sidewalk by the shops a tall black man stood by a food cart. The hand-painted wooden sign hanging from the cart's side had faded letters. The man wore a grand suit with tails, like an orchestra conductor, and a top hat perched on his shaved head. A cigar burned in his mouth. For a brief second he held Manny's attention. Then the food cart's owner stepped forward and the strangely dressed man disappeared. Manny looked at the other side of the road. A white girl with oval shaped sunglasses and pink leather pants stepped off the sidewalk into the road in front of his van. He slammed on the brakes, trying to dodge her, but the van couldn't respond that fast. Her ponytail flew up towards the windshield and her head struck the star-shaped hood ornament. She bounced along the asphalt. Manny weaved the van to a stop, with swearing from the passengers in the back. He opened the door and stepped out into the heat. Get up, stand up, the radio cried out, and that was what Manny hoped would happen. He hoped that she would at least just stir and be okay. But she just lay there. Immediately after the end of this text, the girl is: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - walking - alive - dead
Answer: dead
Question: SEOUL — South Korean Foreign Minister Kang, Kyung-wha said on Wednesday that the U.S. and South Korea jointly made the decision to suspend combined military exercises scheduled for August, but would not confirm if her government was given advanced notice before U.S. President Trump announced his intention to cancel the drills, after he met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore on June 12. “We have made it clear that this is a goodwill gesture to strengthen the dialogue momentum at this point, but they are not irreversible. They could quickly come back should we see the dialogue momentum losing speed or North Korea not living up to its denuclearization commitment,” said Foreign Minister Kang. During a press briefing in Seoul, the foreign minister said she was in in close communication with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about the drills directly following the Singapore summit. And while the announcement canceling the exercises came suddenly, Kang said, South Korea was also considering this option to keep diplomatic momentum moving forward following the U.S.-North Korea summit where Kim reaffirmed his commitment to the “complete denuclearization” of North Korea. The now cancelled Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercises normally held in August usually bring in 3,000 more American troops from abroad and involve 50,000 South Korean troops. No decision has yet been made whether the other large-scale joint exercise held in the spring would be suspended as well. At the Singapore summit Trump said he would cancel the “war games” that he said were both enormously expensive and “provocative,” as an act of good faith and in response to North Korea’s commitment to denuclearization, its continued suspension of nuclear and missile teats, and the recent closing of its nuclear testing site. North Korea has long called for the end of these joint military exercises that it says are offensive “rehearsals for war.” In the past U.S. officials refused to suspend the joint drills, that they defended as defensive in nature... What does Kane probably think of Mike Pompeo? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - he is level headed for seeing the importance of canceling the - not enough information - he can save them money - he had the right to have the drills cancelled
Answer: | not enough information | 3 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
*Question*
I am currently waiting for peer reviews of two books I’ve worked on: one sole-authored, one co-authored. We don’t talk much about the experience of waiting for reviews, and it’s not something that appears to have been researched. Yet it’s something everyone doing academic work has to go through and it may be bad for our mental health. I’m finding it particularly difficult at the moment because a lot rides on these reviews. The sole-authored book, which is on a contentious topic, has already had one set of reviews. Reviewer 1 was utterly damning, saying “I couldn’t find anything to praise”. Luckily, Reviewers 2 and 3 were more measured, offering both praise and constructive criticism, and their input helped me to revise and strengthen the typescript. However, in the process, my editor and I realised that we needed further reviews from people with a particular kind of specialist knowledge. My editor approached around ten potential reviewers, but only one agreed to do the job. So I’m gibbering – what if that person agrees with Reviewer 1? The co-authored book is in a contentious format. My co-authors and I decided that I would be the person to liaise with publishers, as I have form in this process. The last time I liaised with academic publishers for a co-authored book was in the early 2000s, and I’d forgotten how heavily responsible it makes me feel. Fortunately, I’ve found a publisher that is interested and has sent the book out for reviews, to two professional academics and two students. This is great – and terrifying – but at least there are four reviewers. Even so, what if they all think it’s rubbish? In many ways I love the peer review system. I welcome feedback on my writing, and I’m not at all averse to constructive criticism. I am by no means arrogant enough to think I can write a good book without input from others. Yet peer review, as a process, is fraught with uncertainty. Comments may not be constructive, or may not come at all. They may be positive, or negative, or in between, or a mixture. Who is the co-author? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - The narrator's reviewer - not enough information - The narrator's friend - The narrator's cousin
**Answer**
not enough information
*Question*
That day, my mother picked me up from school, wearing the yellow sundress and shawl I remembered from our trip with Father the year before. She looked just like she did most days back then--a glamour queen, a movie star ("Just like Lena Horne," my friend Chloe had once said, "only darker--oh, sorry, Leah!"), but today her beauty somehow had a harder, more defiant edge to it. I could smell the expensive Dior perfume as soon as I opened the door, which surprised me, because my mom was usually fastidious about not getting perfume on her clothes. She was wearing her bug glasses--huge dark things with lenses that bulged out like fly eyes and reflected my face like a fun-house mirror. She had tied a yellow silk scarf around her hair and was taking deep pulls on a cigarette held between two immaculately manicured fingers. Only I knew about the nicotine stains she carefully covered with her special order "forest sable" cream each morning. Tiffany, a stupid but vicious senator's daughter who I had the misfortune of sharing a classroom with, suddenly dashed from inside the school, her face flushed. "Hello, Mrs. Wilson," she called. Before my mother could respond, she giggled and ran back to three of her friends waiting beyond the door. I could hear them laughing, but I was glad I couldn't understand their words. They were all fascinated with my mother--the black housekeeper who dressed like Katharine Hepburn and drove a Cadillac, whose daughter's "light toffee" skin indicated that she might just like her coffee with a lot of cream. Sometimes I hated those girls. "Get in the car, Leah," my mother said. Her already husky voice was pitched low, as though she'd been crying. That made me nervous. Why was she here? "Ma, Chloe was going to show me her dad's new camera. Can't I go home on the bus?" My mom pulled on the cigarette until it burned the filter, and then ground it into the car ashtray--already filled with forty or so butts. She always emptied out the ashtray each evening. What is probably true about Tiffany? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - She is carefree and jubilant - She is rich and spoiled - She is hateful - not enough information
**Answer**
She is rich and spoiled
*Question*
The U.S. has long had the unenviable distinction of holding the world's largest prison population, in part because of tough-on-crime policies enacted in the 1990s. But sentencing reforms passed in recent years appear to have made a dent, leading to declines in the population over the past eight years. A criminal justice reform organization reported Friday that in 2017, the U.S. prison population dropped below 1.5 million for the first time in more than a decade. The decline, according to the Washington-based Vera Institute for Justice, was driven by a sharp decrease in the number of inmates in federal prisons and decreases in several states with large prison populations. Total U.S. prison population dropped to 1,486,000 last year, a decline of nearly 16,000. The number of federal prisoners fell to 183,000, and the number of inmates in state prisons declined to 1.3 million, according to the report. (The overall figure does not include the more than 600,000 defendants held in local, state and federal jails.) The decline extended an eight-year downward trend in U.S. prison population that has been driven by federal and state sentencing reforms enacted over the past decade. But the Vera institute cautioned that it was unclear whether the trend would continue. "Whether criminal justice reform can continue to fuel this sustained decline in the prison population remains to be seen," said Jacob Kang-Brown, senior research associate at Vera. "We must continue to do the hard work, as advocates and agents of change, to ensure that all our communities feel the relief of decarceration." The report came as President Donald Trump called on Congress to pass legislation to help former inmates reintegrate into society and avoid going back to prison, as many do. "We want former inmates to find a path to success so they can support their families and support their communities," Trump said at a White House summit on prison reform attended by two state governors and Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law, who is spearheading... After the White House summit, Jared Kushner is probably: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - Still the President's son-in-law - Still at the White House summit - Is with the two state governors
**Answer**
| Still the President's son-in-law | 4 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
(Question)
The black-and-white aerial footage shows a line of purported Taliban insurgents slowly walking along a path in a lightly forested desert in Afghanistan's western Farah province. Suddenly, the screen flashes to white as the men disappear in a fireball — the result of a bomb dropped from a U.S. MQ-9 "Reaper" drone. "Taliban fighters on the run following Afghan-led offensive in #Farah province, #Afghanistan. Video shows U.S. airpower (MQ-9s) in support," declared a short message accompanying the video, which was posted on the official account of the U.S. military in Afghanistan. Subsequent footage showed more Taliban scrambling, in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid the airstrikes. The Pentagon footage was released Wednesday, as U.S., NATO and Afghan government forces were locked in a fierce battle with the Taliban for control of the capital of Farah, which borders Iran. The tweet was unusually graphic. While the U.S. military often releases footage of buildings or vehicles being destroyed, it does not as frequently distribute videos that show individuals being bombed. Less than 24 hours later, the U.S. Air Force posted its own Afghanistan-related tweet that raised eyebrows — this one referencing a viral audio clip that has sparked a lighthearted online debate among those who hear the word "Laurel" and others who hear "Yanny." "The Taliban Forces in Farah city #Afghanistan would much rather have heard #Yanny or #Laurel than the deafening #BRRRT they got courtesy of our #A10," read the Air Force tweet. The Air Force has since apologized and deleted the tweet, saying it was sent in "poor taste." The USFOR-A tweet remains. In a statement to VOA, a Pentagon spokesperson said the tweets do not represent a new social media strategy. "As with any other organization, the post was an attempt to bring awareness to a major/ongoing organizational activity by tying it to references or conversations already trending with their established audiences," said Lieutenant Colonel Kone Faulkner. What entity is Lieutenant Colonel Kone referring to in his statement? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - The Air Force - The VOA - not enough information - The Pentagon
(Answer)
The Air Force
(Question)
The black-and-white aerial footage shows a line of purported Taliban insurgents slowly walking along a path in a lightly forested desert in Afghanistan's western Farah province. Suddenly, the screen flashes to white as the men disappear in a fireball — the result of a bomb dropped from a U.S. MQ-9 "Reaper" drone. "Taliban fighters on the run following Afghan-led offensive in #Farah province, #Afghanistan. Video shows U.S. airpower (MQ-9s) in support," declared a short message accompanying the video, which was posted on the official account of the U.S. military in Afghanistan. Subsequent footage showed more Taliban scrambling, in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid the airstrikes. The Pentagon footage was released Wednesday, as U.S., NATO and Afghan government forces were locked in a fierce battle with the Taliban for control of the capital of Farah, which borders Iran. The tweet was unusually graphic. While the U.S. military often releases footage of buildings or vehicles being destroyed, it does not as frequently distribute videos that show individuals being bombed. Less than 24 hours later, the U.S. Air Force posted its own Afghanistan-related tweet that raised eyebrows — this one referencing a viral audio clip that has sparked a lighthearted online debate among those who hear the word "Laurel" and others who hear "Yanny." "The Taliban Forces in Farah city #Afghanistan would much rather have heard #Yanny or #Laurel than the deafening #BRRRT they got courtesy of our #A10," read the Air Force tweet. The Air Force has since apologized and deleted the tweet, saying it was sent in "poor taste." The USFOR-A tweet remains. In a statement to VOA, a Pentagon spokesperson said the tweets do not represent a new social media strategy. "As with any other organization, the post was an attempt to bring awareness to a major/ongoing organizational activity by tying it to references or conversations already trending with their established audiences," said Lieutenant Colonel Kone Faulkner. Why did the Air Force send the tweet? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Because it had a new social media strategy - Because it was in poor taste - not enough information - Because it felt superior to the dead terrorists
(Answer)
Because it felt superior to the dead terrorists
(Question)
As a new year is just around the corner, I, like many of you, am taking stock in my life. What I’ve done and what I’d like to do. How I’ve spent my time and how I want to use it going forward. I have goals for blogging, my Jamberry business, my health, homeschooling, and for my family. As I have pondered where I want things to go and how I can successfully make that happen, I have learned that I need to manage my time and energy differently in order to be successful in each area. The main obstacles standing in my way are, ironically, working from home and having my children with me 24/7. But, that was my choice and I’m sticking to it. My goal is to embrace these obstacles by approaching them in different ways. Work at Home Tips for Success Work at home tips can be implemented or not, depending on my needs. I am sure the same will be true for you. You may not need to get healthier or may not want to homeschool your children. So, your daily routine will be different from mine. However, I think these work at home tips can help any individual out there looking for more guidance. Work at Home Tip #1 Be productive. Well, duh! Of course that’s what we would like to do, but have you ever worked all day and by the end of it, you have no idea what you really did? This likely means you are spending your time on things, but not on the most important things. For example, if your goal is to generate income, you want to be carving out time for income generating activities, not reorganizing a shelf or checking a facebook group for information. If your goal is to write a book, you want to be get ideas on paper or develop the plot, not have coffee to discuss your latest and greatest read with your bestie. What does the author think you should do to generate income from home? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - budget your time appropriately - spend time with kids then work - not enough information - just go with the flow
(Answer)
| budget your time appropriately | 6 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
QUEBEC CITY — Emotions were on display when U.S. President Donald Trump met other G-7 leaders at their annual summit in Canada on Friday, but the discussions were civilized and diplomatic, according to sources. Trump held firm on asserting the United States is disadvantaged when it comes to trade with its European allies. “The other leaders presented their numbers and Trump presented his,” a G-7 official who spoke on condition of anonymity told the Reuters news agency. “As expected he did not budge. This is probably not because he does not understand, but because of domestic reasons.” At a bilateral meeting later with the summit's host, Justin Trudeau, the U.S. president joked that the Canadian prime minister had agreed to “cut all tariffs.” Despite the two leaders exchanging criticism of each other’s trade policies the previous day, Trump described the cross-border relationship as very good, stating “we’re actually working on cutting tariffs and making it all very fair for both countries. And we’ve made a lot of progress today. We’ll see how it all works out.” In a subsequent sit-down meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump said “the United States has had a very big trade deficit for many years with the European Union and we are working it out. And Emmanuel’s been very helpful in that regard.” Macron responded that he had a “very direct and open discussion” with Trump and "there is a critical path that is a way to progress all together.” Canada’s foreign minister, Chrystia Freeland, confirms she met on Friday with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to discuss the tariffs and the fate of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). She said Canada, however, will not change its mind about the U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs which she termed “illegal.” Trump imposed the tariffs on the grounds that weak domestic industries could affect U.S. national security. America’s closest allies, Canada, Mexico and the European Union, are introducing retaliatory tariffs. Who met with Justin Trudeau? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Freeland - Pres Trump - Macron - not enough information
Pres Trump
Another phone call at just after three. He answered on the third ring. "Is this Mr. Ray--uh. . ." The sound of shuffling papers. "Yes." The voice brightened perceptibly, strapped on a mask of friendliness. "My name is John Donovan. I'm an attorney representing the family of Donald Ackerman. I'm sorry to be calling so late." "It's not late for me." A laugh, intended to sound nervous or flustered. To Ray, it only sounded false. "That's right, of course. Only late for me. Do you mind if I tape record this conversation?" Smooth segue, meant to catch him off guard, startle him into acceptance. "Yes, I do mind. Can I help you?" You fucking bastard. John Donovan paused on his end of the line. Ray imagined him reaching for a legal pad upon which to take notes (just as he was supposed to imagine), though, of course, the tape recorder was still running. "Um, I was wondering if I could get some information?" "Sir, federal law prohibits me from acknowledging either to confirm or deny the presence of the individual of whom you have spoken or his participation in our program." Ray grinned. "Very well done," the lawyer said. "I guess that sets the parameters." "I guess it does." "Were you working two nights ago." "Sir, I am bound by Center policy and state law from discussing with you the work schedule of our employees at this facility unless you are an officer of the law or bearing a subpoena, in which case, I am only authorized to refer you to my supervisor." Ray grinned again. He was enjoying this. "What if I told you I have possession of a subpoena?" "Have you spoken to our attorney?" Ray countered. "In fact, son, yes I have. This afternoon." Ray grunted. Standard level of communication. "That's good, because I haven't. Which means, of course, that I'm not prepared to talk to you at all until advised on my statement by legal counsel." What did John Donovan want to find out? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - a tape recording - a subpoena - some information about Ray
some information about Ray
Juliette Murray was, like me, a kid at school who got 5 “A”s, which in the West of Scotland put a certain degree of pressure on one’s shoulders to study either medicine or law. I studied European Law, and became a teacher - that's what a European Law degree does to you. She studied medicine and is today a practicing doctor, but the education bug is firmly rooted in what she chose to do next. Murray noticed that, particularly in her local area, fewer students were applying to study medicine than the population number would suggest should. Not only that, nationally the number of medical students dropping out after beginning their course of study is increasing. She wondered if we might we persuade a more representative cross section of the community to become doctors. She set about improving the opportunities for local youngsters, aged 14/5, at the time of their work experience choices. Existing work experience for those who want to gain an insight into the world of medical doctors is a sanitised course in an educational skills centre, where bored teenagers endlessly take each other’s blood pressure. They have more chance of a realistic insight by breaking their arm and turning up to Accident and Emergency. As any dad-to-be donning surgical greens knows, getting into an operating theatre is where a passion for surgery will be born or, in my case, definitely put to one side as a career option. So, the question became: how might we offer a more realistic experience of what being a doctor, surgeon or other medical profession feels like? Starting with her local hospital, Wishaw General in NHS Lanarkshire, she set about overcoming what she describes as a “culture of obstacles”. Two years later, though, and students are indeed undertaking real life surgery work experience, experiencing a live operation theatre and seeing the pressure of the job first hand. After receiving help from Juliette Murray, most students probably: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Are much more likely to have a serious medical injury - Are much more likely to become doctors - Are much less likely to become doctors - not enough information
| Are much more likely to become doctors | 1 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
My fraternal twins were born 2 months early. The staff had already stopped premature labor at six months gestation but it proceeded too quickly this time. Total labor 2.5 hours. Needless to say, they were tiny - female 2 lbs. 3 oz, male 3 lbs. 10 oz. Female was born dark blue - luckily, I was at the finest maternity hospital in this half of the State (McGee Women’s). They brought the female around to breathing, while I cried, thinking that she was dead. The twins were rushed to the NICU, too tiny to breast feed except with pumped milk through a feeding tube. Both were watched closely by doctors and nurses as they were not passing waste properly. The day it was decided that the male needed surgery, the female was discharged to home. The male was transferred to another very good hospital for surgery for a temporary colostomy. He was discharged to home after a week. What broke my heart was that I was allowed to visit him in the hospital but his older brother and twin sister were not allowed. Prior to his discharge, the staff instructed me in changing and maintaining his colostomy bag on a daily basis. He kept the colostomy bag until he was about 5 months old; back into the hospital for the colostomy reversal. The sign that I hung above their shared playpen said “Whatever doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger”. How did I cope with it? Mostly alone. The hospital offered group sessions for parents of severely premature infants. During the very first session, I had a zen realization that, once I realized that the circumstances were out of my control, I GAINED control of myself and my life. A bit like the Serenity Prayer. I shared that epiphany with the group and they looked at me like I had two heads. I had never heard of the Serenity Prayer and I’d been an atheist since age 13, so religion was not my go-to then, nor is it now. That realization helped. The twins are 37 now. What race is the mother? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Native American - not enough information - White - Black
not enough information
I love going to the spa. Honestly, who doesn't. These days, unfortunately, my spa trips are few and far between. I blame the damn kids for that one! So, as you can imagine, I was pretty damn excited when the in-laws presented me with an Urban Spa voucher for the Urban Indulgence package: one hour hot stone Lomi Lomi massage followed by a Heavenly Spa Facial - two hours on indulgent bliss, for Christmas. I had never had a hot stone massage before so was very much looking forward to this, if nothing else out of curiosity about what is involved. Whenever you see pictures advertising a hot stone massage, the beautiful model always has a bunch of largish stones on her back so I wasn't sure whether it was more an acupressure experience where they left the stones strategically placed on the back to work their magic or whether it was an actual massage. Turns out that it is an actual massage. I requested a firm massage as my back has really been giving me issues. Carrying 15kgs of Crazy Kid or 9kgs of Kiki (or 26kgs of double babies) really isn't too good for the back so it had been causing me problems for a couple of months. My therapist (the lovely Kristy) gave me an expertly firm massage and used a small, smooth hot stone, along with her hands, to perform the massage. It was quite a unique experience as one minute I could sense that she was using her hands to do the massage then then next I'd get a sweep of hotness as the stone was run over me. It really was a delightful sensory experience. As my back was a problem area, Kristy spent 30 minutes just on that then the other 30 minutes was spent on the rest of my body. I could feel myself drifting in and out of consciousness throughout the massage. One really special thing about this massage was that the massage table was heated. Such a small touch, but one that was greatly appreciated (although it was a great contributor to my lack of consciousness!). After the end of this story, John is probably Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - annoyed - hungry - married
married
SINGAPORE — In an agreement signed Tuesday in Singapore, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “reaffirmed his firm and unwavering commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” while U.S. President Donald Trump “committed to provide security guarantees” to North Korea. The document also calls for the two countries to jointly work on efforts to build a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, to establish new U.S.-North Korea relations and to recover the remains of prisoners of war and military members missing in action. The two sides also promised to hold follow-up negotiations. “We’re going to denuke North Korea,” Trump told VOA contributor Greta Van Susteren. He also said neither side issued ultimatums and that the agreement Tuesday was the result of months of negotiations. “You know that could have ended in a war, that could have ended with many millions of people — you know North Korea very well, Seoul has 28 million people, that could have ended with millions of people dead but we ended with a deal,” he said. Trump also told VOA that U.S. troops stationed in South Korea will remain in place, but announced one concession long-sought by North Korea. "We are going to get out of the war games that cost so much money," he said. Trump said at later news conference that existing U.S. sanctions will remain in place until North Korean nuclear weapons "are no longer a factor." As for verification, Trump said he and Kim discussed the issue and that monitoring denuclearization efforts would be achieved “by having a lot of people there.” He also predicted Kim would begin work right away to “live up to” the agreement. Asked if the talks included specifics on the size of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, Trump said “what they have is substantial.” On human rights, Trump said Tuesday’s meetings only very briefly touched on the topic, but that the two sides would discuss it more in the future. When asked about thousands of people imprisoned in labor camps, Trump said he thinks he has helped them because things... What kind of relationship do Trump and Un have? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - A tense one - not enough information - They are mentor/mentee - A close friendship
| A tense one | 0 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Ques:Well we're not married (yet), but one time my boyfriend playfully spanked me. Hard. I know he didn't mean to hurt me, but I was mad about it all. Day. Long. I just couldn't get over the fact that he technically hit me! I started to consider things like, “Is he really sorry?” “Will he do it again?” “Should I leave him?” And gave myself reasons like “He didn't mean to!” “He's been apologizing all day!” “He was just playing!” “He meant to have fun, He's sorry!” Yet countered it with one simple statement, “Yeah that's what all abused women say.” In the end, I felt the question that should determine whether or not I should leave is: “If I stop talking to him tomorrow and can never see him or speak to him again, will I be okay with that?” and the answer was “No”, so obviously I shouldn't leave him. He is very well aware that I was considering leaving him, (I have a very strict 0 tolerance policy of abuse in my relationships, as I was abused terribly growing up,) and he still apologizes to this day, but he has certainly made it a point to never do that again. I definitely trust him, and he actually was being playful, but otherwise that has been the only “real” hitch we have come across. I mean, we argue, but that's only when either of us are mad, and it's usually over small stupid stuff. Like, really stupid stuff. We argued over traffic signs before, LOL. It always leads to me saying the argument is completely retarded and we drop it and just cuddle or something. Really not worth getting worked up about. Edit: Fixed some typos. I'm on my phone so my thumbs can't quite reach LOL. After the end of this narration, the woman probably: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - Still has the same cordial relationship with her boyfriend - has not forgiven her boyfriend for spanking her - has forgotten about her childhood abuse
Ans:Still has the same cordial relationship with her boyfriend
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Ques:SHE moved through the crowded streets like she owned the place. Hell, if things went as planned in the coming months, she might in fact own the place. Or some other place if that's what she wanted. If things went as planned, there was no limit to what she could have. She smiled to herself as a crowd of sunburned, middle-aged men broke ranks to let her pass on her way toward Mallory Square. They had no idea who she was, but she liked to think that they could sense her strength and that it intimidated them. Not enough to stop them from staring openly at her chest of course, but what did she expect? They were still men. Duval Street, Key West's main tourist drag, buzzed with early evening activity. The sun had set less than an hour ago, and the throngs moving up from the nightly sunset ritual in Mallory Square now wandered about, trying to choose between the dozens of bars and restaurants vying for their attention. She moved against the general flow and seemed to know exactly where she was going. She knew these streets well and had planned out her route ahead of time. But something bothered her. That nagging feeling in the back of her brain that she'd long ago learned to heed even though it was wrong as often as it was right. You couldn't survive in her world without learning to pay attention to such feelings, and she'd more than survived - she'd prospered beyond the dreams of any young hacker or con artist. Heeding the subliminal warning, she changed plans and stepped out into the crawling Duval Street traffic. A purple taxi honked angrily but she just smiled as she strode across the street and stared intently at a display of cheap, tasteless T-shirts in a storefront window. After this story, how does she feel about her chance of success? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - Nervous - Confident - Hesitant
Ans:Confident
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Ques:Creating a self portrait is not your typical selfie! When I taught in the traditional classroom, creating self portraits was something I had students do whether they were four or nine. In fact, I’d have them draw one on the first day of school and one toward the end of the year and to see the change over time was always so interesting. At least once during the year, likely toward the beginning, I would center a lesson around self portraits. In younger classes, there would be more than one. Creating a self portrait teaches students to be aware of themselves. Where is her head in relation to her body? Where are her feet in relation to her legs? It also teaches children spatial awareness. Where should he begin…with his feet or with his head? Where on the paper should his head be placed? How far down should his arms go? How can his whole body fit on a single piece of paper? A Lesson on Creating Self Portraits Whether you are in a classroom, or teaching a child at home, here is a simple lesson on creating self portraits geared toward young children, anywhere from age 2 through age 6. Keep in mind that their final product will show various levels of writing development, depending on what stage of writing they are in. (Basically, a two-year-old’s drawing should look very different than that of a five-year-old.) The teacher will need to model how to draw a self portrait. Gather the children around an easel or board and clip a paper to it. Narrate the process as you walk through the steps. “I am going to draw a picture of myself. I am going to start with my head.” Use your hands to show your actual head on yourself so students are aware of what you talking about. The visuals also help English Language Learners (if you’re teaching in an English speaking classroom.) and build vocabulary for all students. After this story is over the author probably: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Will continue to do self portraits in the classes they teach. - Will teach more English Language Learners - Will stop showing student how to and just let them figure it out. - not enough information
Ans: | Will continue to do self portraits in the classes they teach.
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Earlier this week, @naval (CEO and co-founder of AngelList) asked a question on Twitter: "The challenge of the next decade is not Artificial Intelligence, but Human Intelligence. Can we retrain the workforce as knowledge workers?"" At the heart of his question is an interesting observation. As automation and artificial intelligence replaces manual jobs, how do we retrain people in the new knowledge economy where information handling and management is in high demand? I thought I would share some experiences, observations, and recommendations based upon when I did this previously in my career. Back in 2004 I was peddling my wares as a journalist, writing for the tech press. I was living in the West Midlands in England and heard about a new organization in nearby Birmingham called OpenAdvantage. The premise was neat: open source was becoming a powerful force in technology and OpenAdvantage was set up to provide free consultancy for companies wanting to harness open source, as well as individuals who wanted to upskill in these new technologies. At the time in the West Midlands lots of industry was being automated and moved out to Asia, so lots of Midlanders were out of jobs and looking to retrain. This required, by definition, retaining the workforce as knowledge workers. OpenAdvantage was funded by the UK government and the University of Central England, had a decent war chest, and was founded by Scott Thompon and Paul Cooper (the latter of which I met when he heckled me at a talk I gave at a Linux User Group once. 🙂 ) So, I went along to their launch event and wrote a piece about them. Shortly after, Paul and Scott invited me back over to the office and offered me a job there as an open source consultant. I took the role, and this is where I cut my teeth on a lot of open source, community, and working with businesses. We had crazy targets to hit each month, so we ended up working with and training hundreds of organizations and individuals across a wide range of areas, and covering a wide berth of open source... What experience does the author credit with teaching him about knowledge workers? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - his role as an open source consultant - he role giving speeches to Linux User Groups - his role as a journalist
his role as an open source consultant
A few times. Mostly whilst doing this job and trying to help drunk people or assholes. Sadly it's becoming a regular occurrence for crews to be assaulted. My last time was a few days ago and the worst thing about it was watching my crew mate and several police officers curl up laughing. I'll set the scene. Imagine. If you will. A large rather expensive hotel. Then add to that image a rather drunk and buxom young lady who is lying on the floor in a drunken slumber after taking off a lot of her clothes. She was just in her underwear. We were called to look after her. On our arrival she was absolutely fine. Stood up, walked to the stretcher and lay down. Whining about how we were the ' oppressors of society', and other such drivel Because I had the cheek to try and give her a tiny bit of dignity by covering her up with a blanket. She didn't want that. We made it to the ambulance without any hassle and started to do the necessary checks we do on every patient. Blood pressure etc etc when out of the blue she decided that she wanted to release her rather large breasts. Try as I might to give her a little bit of dignity she wasn't interested so we just made sure no one could see inside the ambulance. After a few minutes she calmed down so I put the blanket over her. Something I do for almost every patient. Without warning THWACK. she hit my in the face with her boob. Then. As I reeled from this waiting for my brain to catch up and make sense of everything, THWACK she did it again. Right round the face with a large breast!! I turned around to get some support from my colleagues who were crying. Both my crew mate and the officer. Crying. Neither able to speak……….. I didn't know what to say for a while after that…something my crew mate called 'a blessing' Sigh What did the lady do after the end of the story Pick the correct answer from the following options: - She went back to the bar to drink - She went to the hospital in an ambulance - not enough information - She went to sleep
She went to the hospital in an ambulance
SEOUL — Despite recent tensions over North Korea’s nuclear and missile tests, life is actually quite normal for American military families living at Camp Humphreys in South Korea, which is the largest overseas Army installation in the world. Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Puskas tries to come to most of his daughters’ high school soccer games at Camp Humphreys. In fact, his family’s lifestyle at this sprawling U.S. military base is similar to one they would lead back home. “We go to church on Sundays. We see all our friends there. We’re on the soccer field most of the afternoons, or just going for bike ride, the same things we would do if we were back in the States,” said Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Puskas, with the U.S. Eight Army. This is Puskas’ fourth tour in Korea. He met and married his Korean wife Mi-jung, during an earlier tour. His children have spent much of their lives at military bases in Korea. “I think it has given me a wider world view and has helped me understand other people a lot more,” said Elizabeth Puskas, the eldest daughter of the family who will attend college next year in the United States. The U.S. military in Korea is consolidating its forces in Camp Humphreys, including its military headquarters, as it moves to close older bases in congested Seoul and other regions of the country. Camp Humphreys is now the size of a small city, encompassing over 140 square kilometers of land, with construction underway to expand its capacity to accommodate over 40,000 people. There are modern apartments for soldiers and their families, schools, movie theaters, shopping centers and fast food restaurants to help bring some of the comforts of home to military life in Korea. The base even has its own golf course. “I have been around the army for part of the last 40 years as a soldier and now as a civilian, and this is as normal as any army post I’ve ever been on. In fact it is probably the nicest one I’ve been on because everything is new,” said Bob McElroy, a Camp Humphreys public affairs officer. Puskas's daughter's soccer game probably lasted Pick the correct answer from the following options: - A month - not enough information - A day - A hour
| A hour | 0 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
(Question)
It was another landmark week in the presidency of Donald Trump. He hosted key U.S. allies Emmanuel Macron of France and Angela Merkel of Germany; but, he also had to weather more turmoil in his Cabinet as well as the ongoing Russia investigation and intensifying scrutiny of his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen. What might be an extraordinary week for another president has quickly become “situation normal” for the man elected as the nation’s 45th chief executive. Trump wound up his chaotic week Friday by meeting with German Chancellor Merkel. During an Oval Office photo opportunity, Trump was eager to embrace a report from Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee that found no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. “It was a great report. No collusion, which I knew anyway. No coordination, no nothing,” said Trump with Merkel looking on. “It is a witch hunt. That is all it is. No collusion with Russia, if you can believe this one.” Representative Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, issued a statement criticizing the Republican conclusions. Schiff asserted the committee did find evidence of collusion in “secret meetings and communications” between Trump campaign officials and others with links to the Russian government. The matter remains the focus of the investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller. Earlier in the week, Trump bonded with French President Macron during a formal state visit that was noted for the warm physical interactions between the two leaders. “He is going to be an outstanding president. One of your great presidents and it is an honor to call you my friend. Thank you,” Trump told Macron at the end of their joint news conference. Trump also received more good news this week when his choice for secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, finally won Senate confirmation. There were, however, some significant setbacks as well, including the withdrawal of Ronny Jackson as the next head of the Department of Veterans Affairs and intense congressional... How do the Trump campaign officials feel after getting the Republican report on collusion? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - relieved - terrible - disgusted - not enough information
(Answer)
relieved
(Question)
My fraternal twins were born 2 months early. The staff had already stopped premature labor at six months gestation but it proceeded too quickly this time. Total labor 2.5 hours. Needless to say, they were tiny - female 2 lbs. 3 oz, male 3 lbs. 10 oz. Female was born dark blue - luckily, I was at the finest maternity hospital in this half of the State (McGee Women’s). They brought the female around to breathing, while I cried, thinking that she was dead. The twins were rushed to the NICU, too tiny to breast feed except with pumped milk through a feeding tube. Both were watched closely by doctors and nurses as they were not passing waste properly. The day it was decided that the male needed surgery, the female was discharged to home. The male was transferred to another very good hospital for surgery for a temporary colostomy. He was discharged to home after a week. What broke my heart was that I was allowed to visit him in the hospital but his older brother and twin sister were not allowed. Prior to his discharge, the staff instructed me in changing and maintaining his colostomy bag on a daily basis. He kept the colostomy bag until he was about 5 months old; back into the hospital for the colostomy reversal. The sign that I hung above their shared playpen said “Whatever doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger”. How did I cope with it? Mostly alone. The hospital offered group sessions for parents of severely premature infants. During the very first session, I had a zen realization that, once I realized that the circumstances were out of my control, I GAINED control of myself and my life. A bit like the Serenity Prayer. I shared that epiphany with the group and they looked at me like I had two heads. I had never heard of the Serenity Prayer and I’d been an atheist since age 13, so religion was not my go-to then, nor is it now. That realization helped. The twins are 37 now. The twins were watched closely by the doctors: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - at six months gestation - after discharge - not enough information - when rushed to the ICU
(Answer)
when rushed to the ICU
(Question)
ROLAND HELD HIS BODY STIFF AS HE FACED THE CATHAR FORTRESS and watched the tall wooden doors swing open. He saw now that the fire of that final night's battle, now fifteen days past, had left no structure standing but the stone keep. Inside the limestone walls stood forlorn, crude shelters made of tent cloths spread over blackened beams. Cries of farewell and loud wailing came from the battlements above and from the open gateway, as the condemned emerged from the fortress, a long line of men and women in black. Roland's heartbeat broke its rhythm. During the fifteen days of grace granted under the terms of surrender, he had waited in camp with the other crusaders. Now that Diane and Perrin were safely off on the road to Paris, he felt impelled to be with the Cathars in their final moments, to bear witness. He had volunteered, despite his dread, to help escort the prisoners to their execution. Those Cathars who joined the Catholic religion would now be allowed to leave in peace, though they would be forced to give everything they owned to the Church and wear the yellow crosses for the rest of their lives. But those who clung to their faith would die. As the Cathars emerged, a man-at-arms directed each to stop at a table beside the doorway, where two Dominican friars sat with parchment scrolls. The friars recorded the name of each person about to die. This meticulous record-keeping, Roland thought, was one source of the Inquisition's power. At the head of the procession was the Cathar bishop. Bertran d'en Marti's head glowed with the red-gold rays of the low afternoon sun striking his white hair, as if it were already enveloped in flames. "Form around them," called the leader of Roland's party. Roland reluctantly stepped forward with the other crusaders. His longsword and dagger swung heavy at his waist. He wore them only because, as a knight, he was expected to. He had left his helmet and mail shirt back in his tent. Who held his body stiff as he faced the CAthar Fortress? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Dominican friar - Roland - not enough information - Diana
(Answer)
| Roland | 6 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
(Q).
Old Zeke handed Justin his day's worth of mail and looked longingly at the cool shade under the porch, half hoping, half anticipating an invitation to enjoy a cool drink and a few minutes out of the sun. His state-of-the-art mail delivery vehicle, an old green Ford with busted air-conditioning, sometimes elicited sympathy from those along his route, but the ones with beer were the best. However, Justin just looked through his mail and then began watching the sky. "You ever think about gravity?" Justin asked suddenly. "No," admitted Old Zeke, wiping the perspiration from his forehead. Justin sighed a little. "You ever fall off your ladder?" "Well," considered Zeke. Damned if this wasn't a round-about way to offer a fella a drink, but maybe after all this Justin would offer him a beer instead of that watery lemonade he made. "Yeah." "How long did it take you to fall?" Well hell, muttered Old Zeke under his breath. Maybe all those stakes he was driving in had given Justin a touch of the sun. The thought made him consider hauling Justin back to town, although the truck might finish the job the sun had started. "A second or two," Zeke replied. But before he could load Justin into the truck, he figured he would have to collect a few things from the house, and maybe from the fridge he'd collect a few drinks... "That thing up there hasn't fallen a foot in ten minutes or so." Maybe Justin had a small bottle of something tucked away under the... "What thing?" Justin pointed. Zeke shielding his eyes with his hands and looked up. "Oh, that weather balloon?" Justin's expectant face seemed to droop. "That what it is?" "Yep. Looks like it's almost out of helium, the way it's floating so low. Launched 'em myself thirty years ago in the Army." Zeke is worried that Justin: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Has heat stroke - not enough information - Fell off his ladder - Has been drinking too much
(A).
Has heat stroke
(Q).
Just a quick review today to talk about these haircare and bodycare products from Yes to… Regular readers of Beauty Best Friend will know that I’m always looking out for new natural skincare and bodycare ranges as I’m passionate about products that don’t contain lots of nasty chemicals. Yes to… is one of these natural brands, based in California their products are always made from at least 95% natural ingredients, are free of parabens, phthalates and SLS, and made with recyclable materials. There are 6 collections, each involves saying ‘Yes to’ a different fruit or vegetable. The products I’ve been trying out are Yes to Grapefruit Rejuvenating Body Wash* and Yes to Carrots Nourishing Shampoo and Pampering Conditioner*. Yes to Grapefruit Rejuvenating Body Wash – the grapefruit range is aimed at those with uneven or dull skintone. This pearlised white shower gel has a gentle zingy grapefruit scent to wake you up in the morning and exfoliating fruit acids help to remove dead skin cells leaving your skin glowing and smooth. The ingredients are 98% natural and the body wash gives a light foam in the shower. I really like it, grapefruit is one of my favourite fruity scents and the large 280ml tube will last me for ages. Yes to Carrots Nourishing Shampoo & Pampering Conditioner – I always avoid sodium laureth sulphate (SLS) in my haircare products as I have a very sensitive scalp and SLS makes it really itchy and sore, so I was really pleased to read that this shampoo and conditioner are SLS free. Made from 97% and 95% natural ingredients respectively this shampoo and conditioner have been formulated for those with a dry scalp and contain carrot seed oil. Both products have a pleasant sweet scent although I wouldn’t say they smell of carrots! My thick hair feels clean and soft after using this duo and my favourite thing is that the conditioner totally prevents my hair from tangling in the shower leaving it manageable afterwards. I can run a brush straight through it when drying without having to get all the knots out first! Who loves these products? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - friends - the reviewer - readers
(A).
the reviewer
(Q).
When I first started out in the field, I was working at a private hospital in the locked psychiatric unit, and there was a call from one of the med floors requiring someone from our unit to assist with a problem of a young man who had bitten through his cotton restraints on his wrists. They were requesting he be restrained with leather ones. I had not done any restraining and was asked to assist a woman counselor to show me the ropes (no pun intended). When we arrived in the patients room, I was shocked to see a man in his early 20’s flailing around spasmodically on the bed with his gums bleeding in between his teeth. The nurse informed us that the patient was dying of a liver disease and his body and brain had become toxic, causing delirium. The counselor instructed me to hold down his arms and she placed him in leather restraints which were fastened to the side of the bed. The most upsetting thing which to this day I can not remove from memory was this man literally snapping his jaws at me like a mad animal with traumatized bloody gums from biting so hard on the cloth restraints. There was nothing I, or anyone could do, except keep him restrained from hurting himself or others. It is the kind of witness to suffering I had never experienced before, and I felt almost relieved when the nurse quietly said, “ He will die before morning. “ I suppose what is so traumatic about witnessing such situations is the utter sense of helplessness. I was a trained therapist, and in this situation, I was unable to do anything, and was rendered powerless. I recall being plagued by this young man’s face for some time when I tried to go to sleep at night. Bruce Kugler what is probably true about Bruce? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - he is sensitive - he is thick skinned - he will find a new profession
(A).
| he is sensitive | 8 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Ques:For a month, anything I consumed would result in me rushing to the wash room and throwing up. When this started, I thought it’s something to do with what I had previously eaten which was stale and was having a reaction to bad food. When the problem persisted for a week where I was barely able to keep my food from coming out, I went to visit my doctor. He asked me questions and gave me some vitamins and pills before and after food to stop the vomiting. They didn’t work. Even though I was not sexually active, I got my self a pregnancy test which showed negitive. I tried to eat healthy, but to no avail. 15 mins was the max my food was inside my stomach. I was becoming weak from all the throwing up and rapidly loosing weight. I went to my doctor again and he said I was stressed. Wrote me some more pills. Nothing worked. My Mom got paranoid and took me to another doctor for a second opinion. The doctor asked me to write down everything I ate with the number of times I threw up for the next 2 days and return to his clinic. Only then, were they able to diagnose that I was lactose intolerant!! Milk, milk products, cheese, butter, cream, nothing seems to agree with my stomach anymore. Surprisingly this is what I used to eat - cereals with milk, eggs with butter, pizza, pasta, lasagne, cheese with bread, tall long glasses of iced coffee, frappes and bam, my body would reject them within 15 minutes. It was terrible switching from coffee with milk to black coffee, until I started developing a taste for it. Pizza’s are something I still can’t eat. I need to remove the cheese from the slice and unfortunately my body is able to only take one slice of Pizza. Pasta, white sauce is a strict no no unless I want to feel bloated and throw up. So yep. My doctor was unable to diagnose me. Thankfully I did take a second opinion. How did she know she wasn't pregnant? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - She was throwing up. - She was not sexually active. - not enough information - She was stressed.
Ans:She was not sexually active.
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Ques:Jason had been sitting alone at his table, staring at the tall, platinum blonde for an hour. His imagination ran wild with thoughts of kissing her full lips while his hands explored her lean, muscled body. Tonight he didn't need the whiskey to warm him up. But he kept drinking it anyway. She stepped away from the mike, sat her acoustic guitar on its stand, and walked down from the small stage. Jason beat all the other losers to the bar and sat down beside her. "You must be pretty thirsty after all that beautiful singing." How many times had she heard that line? But at age 33, she'd probably heard every pickup line known to man. "Yeah," she said, giving him a quick glance. He wasn't a bad looking guy. Probably a couple of inches shorter than her. At six-foot-two, she was accustomed to that. But a lot of men couldn't deal with her height. They liked to be the tall one in the relationship. Not that she'd had many relationships. Mostly one-nighters. Without her saying a word, the bartender sat a glass of ice down in front of her, and poured her a can of Diet Coke. "Thanks, Joe." She took a sip as he walked away. "I'm Jason." "Sondra," she said, looking straight ahead as she took another sip. "I really enjoyed your music--especially that last song. Did you write it yourself?" "Yeah." "Wow. It was sad, but moving. You've got talent." Here we go, she thought. And I suppose you're a talent agent or a record producer, or you've got a friend in the business. And you'd be more than happy to get me a record deal--assuming I'd be willing to go with you right now to some sleazy motel. "I'm sick of this business. In fact, you just heard my last performance. First thing Monday morning I'm going out to find me a real job. One that will pay the bills." Sondra wants: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - to go home with Jason - a new job - a cat
Ans:not enough information
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Ques:Yes; I have a rare form of cluster/ice pick headaches that can affect any part of my body. It’s quite uncommon, but essentially I can get an excruciating migraine in my arm, leg, etc., on top of getting them in my head/temples. For years my family and I had no idea what was happening, and with no vocabulary to properly explain what was happening, I described it for about fifteen years as “beeping.” Doctors told us it was anything from growth spurts to a grab for attention, and for a while I gave up trying to figure out what they were. When they got worse and I couldn’t ignore them anymore, I was finally sent to a neurologist, who diagnosed me with ice pick headaches. I let out a sigh of relief that I didn’t even know I was holding in; I felt like I could finally breathe. Years of stress and confusion washed off of me, and I started taking a beta blocker to prevent them. I’ve been on them for a few years now, and it’s changed my life for the better. I used to be terrified of learning to drive, for many reasons, but a large one being that if I got an ice pick headache on the road, I couldn’t guarantee the safety of those around me if I was at the wheel. Now I’m considering finally getting my license (considering - I still don’t like being behind the wheel), I don’t double over in white hot pain randomly anymore, and when I do get a cluster headache, I can still function. It almost sounds a little silly, but really, they were crippling, and being able to work through them on my own? It’s the greatest gift I’ve given to myself. You know yourself better than anyone, even if you feel like you don’t know yourself. If something feels wrong, don’t just live with it - keep pushing for a correct diagnosis! How long did it take to get a proper diagnosis? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - 1 year - 15 years - couple of years - not enough information
Ans: | 15 years
----- | 9 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Ques:This week could turn out to be pivotal for the Trump White House as both major parties get ready for midterm congressional elections in November. President Donald Trump’s decision to reverse a policy of separating families coming across the U.S. southern border came in the wake of a political firestorm that fired up opposition Democrats and alarmed even some Republicans. At the very least, it likely set the stage for immigration to be a key issue in November. Trump was in combat mode Wednesday during a political rally in Duluth, Minnesota, where he vowed to make immigration a central focus in the upcoming congressional campaign. “If you want to create a humane, lawful system of immigration then you need to retire the Democrats and elect Republicans to finally secure our borders,” Trump said to an enthusiastic crowd, some chanting, “Build the wall!” Just hours earlier, the president reversed his controversial policy of separating children from their parents by signing an executive order in the White House. “We are going to have strong, very strong, borders. But we are going to keep the families together,” he said. Trump decided to back away from the controversial policy of separating families after an outcry from around the country that included protests in several states, including Arizona, Texas, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. Also driving the outrage was a recording of children crying out for their parents released by the investigative journalist group ProPublica. The separation policy drew condemnation from Republicans including former first lady Laura Bush and a host of Democrats. “We should be able to agree that we will not keep kids in child internment camps indefinitely and hidden away from public view,” said Maryland Democratic Congressman Elijah Cummings. “What country is that? This is the United States of America!” Advocates for a tough border policy sided with the president including Art Arthur of the Center for Immigration Studies. He cited a recent upsurge in attempted border crossings. When did the president reverse his policy of separating children from their parents Pick the correct answer from the following options: - After an upsurge in border crossings - Before the rally in Duluth - After the rally in Duluth - not enough information
Ans:Before the rally in Duluth
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Ques:In the 1970s I was a student nurse in psychiatry. I was rostered to the brain injury ward in a chronic hospital, where the patients had severe brain damage from tumours, car accidents, strokes, metabolic diseases, degenerative diseases, and alcoholism. Only about half were ambulant. Most had severely impacted recent and long term memories. They could not bathe or feed themselves. The majority sat most of the day in chairs lined along the sides of the day room. They were spoon-fed meals and wheeled into the toilet. One of those patients was Connie S. She was maybe 55 yrs old and she spent a lot of the day screaming in her chair. She could not speak, walk, or cooperate. One nurse was very impatient with her and once I heard that nurse say to her, “You think the water is too hot, do you? Then have it cold!” as she bathed her in cold water. I remember standing up for her to that nurse. I worked that ward for over a year and then, one day, just like that, Connie S. woke up. She suddenly began speaking and walking. She apparently remembered most of the things had had happened to her in the ward. Soon, she walked right out of that ward and never came back. As she left, she appeared dignified and so happy, so relieved. I was too junior at that stage to know what her diagnosis was supposed to have been, but no-one expected her ever to leave. No-one left that ward. It was the end of the line. I remember being really glad that I had stood up for her and thinking how ashamed the nasty nurse must have been. It is now many years later and I often think of this woman and wonder how she fared in her post-hospital life. Her name is not common, but every so often I meet people with the same name and ask them if they know of a relative to whom this happened, but, so far, no-one has known of her. What did the student do to protect Connie from the nurse? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - She stood up to the nurse for her bad behavior - She started screaming at the nurse - She bathed the nurse in cold water to teach her a lesson - not enough information
Ans:She stood up to the nurse for her bad behavior
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Ques:Jonathan Swift said, “Everybody wants to live forever, but nobody wants to grow old.” Wouldn’t it be nice if we could stay healthy and young and live as long as possible? Because that is a deep down desire of the majority, many people are always on a quest to slow down the aging process. So, our question for today is: What are the Anti-Aging Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet? First, we must acknowledge that no diet in the world can halt or slow the aging process. Aging is inevitable and food is not the elixir of life – although the type of food you choose can lengthen or shorten your life. What has been proven by numerous studies is that the Mediterranean diet lessens your risks of getting certain diseases. It also offers a range of health benefits that will allow you to age in a healthy way. When you whole-heartedly adopt the Mediterranean way of eating, you will reduce your risk of health problems such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, stroke, heart diseases, etc. That alone can be classified as anti-aging. Old age is often associated with health problems. If you can grow old and maintain your health, that would be a fine way to live. The Mediterranean diet can help you do that. Unfortunately, the standard diet for most Americans is filled with junk food, sugary sodas, fast foods and processed, additive-filled food, etc. – basically empty calories. Obesity is an epidemic. People eat whatever is the most convenient with little regard for their health. This is very upsetting and dangerous for the population as a whole. There is a wide assumption that healthy food is not delicious. People believe that to eat healthy they must live on a steady diet of raw carrots and steamed chicken breasts. As a result, they choose not to do so. They would much rather have a fast-food burger and cheese fries – it’s easier and tastier. What will likely happen to those who continue to eat burgers and cheese fries? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - they will have an increased risk of disease - they will enjoy their food more - they will be healthier than those who don't
Ans: | they will have an increased risk of disease
----- | 9 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Ques: The bright Sunday morning sun illuminated the stained glass windows, diffusing multi-colored hues across the congregation. Attendance is up today, thought Greg. As the organist was nearing the end of the Prelude, he stepped up to the podium. "Please take your hymnals and turn to page 23, and let's stand and sing 'Holy, Holy, Holy.'" Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! Early in the morning, our song shall rise to Thee... As Greg sang and conducted the 4/4 pattern, which he could do in his sleep, his mind began to wander. Shouldn't he feel guilty about what he was thinking last night while kissing Cynthia on the couch? His actions had been within the bounds of acceptable behavior. He had nothing to be ashamed of in that regard. But what about his thoughts? It wasn't what he did with Cynthia--it was what he wanted to do. He didn't want to dishonor her or his commitment to God. But his feelings had been only natural. God created humans and gave them sexual desire. Wasn't it okay to want to have sex, as long as you didn't actually do it? Then he remembered the passage from Matthew 5:28. But I say to you, that whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her, hath already committed adultery with her in his heart. At the end of the hymn, Greg stepped back and Dr. Huff went to the podium and said a prayer. Then there were announcements, two more hymns, and a chorus. After the offering, it was time for the choir to sing their anthem. When Greg motioned to the choir to stand, Cynthia smiled at him from the Alto section. She was so incredibly beautiful. Standing there in her choir robe, she looked like a redheaded angel. If they could just get married, Greg could stop feeling guilty about his desire for her. Who went to the podium and said a prayer? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - God - not enough information - Dr. Huff - Cynthia
Ans: Dr. Huff
Ques: The wildfire smoke cleared on the morning of our family wedding, just in time for the bride and groom to say their vows overlooking coal harbour. We took this as a sign that we needed to book our Vancouver seaplane flight, to really explore the azure harbour waters and take in an eagle-eyed view of this city. I suppose it was ok… oh, who am I kidding, the harbour is spectacular. Let me also point out that none of these images are touched by editing. Like 99% of my images in this blog (the other 1% is cropping and making slight adjustments), these are entirely un-doctored. We began as all good things do, by hanging out in their airport lounge, offered a mini-pastry and a hot beverage – I adventurously went for an ‘English Mist’, an Earl-Grey Latte to make myself feel a little more soothed boarding a tiny propeller plane (note: it didn’t work.) With a slightly chaotic boarding process (more noticeable after such a serene start) we were too busy sorting out the seats to realise that we had hopped on board, and within in seconds it seemed, our pilot had lifted off smoothly in a flurry of water foam. As we began to watch the world turn into a Lilliput version of itself, we barely blinked for watching beautiful vistas unfold. From tiny little islands (the above Passage Island technically belongs to West Vancouver, known as the Hollywood suburb of the city, and a couple of the homes are allegedly owned by celebrities) where the residents enjoy views of downtown Vancouver, the University of British Columbia campus, Vancouver Island, and the snow-capped mountains of Howe Sound – to the fjords all the way along the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler. They just scatter along the horizon, like a giant has skittered his toys along an azure sheet of silk. We looped around, looking back over the stunning Stanley Park and towering grid of Vancouver downtown buildings. From prehistoric forests, to gleaming silver confections of modernity. When did the couple exchange vows? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - After the smoke had cleared. - Before the smoke had cleared. - not enough information - After the seaplane landed.
Ans: After the smoke had cleared.
Ques: SEOUL — The recent U.S. missile strikes against Syria could increase pressure on North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons, or reinforce in Pyongyang the need for nuclear deterrence. The United States, France and Britain fired 105 missiles at three Syrian chemical weapons facilities on Saturday, in response to an alleged Syrian chemical weapons attack in the city of Douma that killed at least 40 people and wounded or sickened hundreds of others. The Syrian government has repeatedly denied any use of banned weapons. The combined military strike on Syria comes as the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump and the government of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are preparing for an expected summit in late May or early June to discuss dismantling the North’s nuclear program in exchange for security guarantees. Trump’s willingness to use force against Syria can be seen to reinforce his “maximum pressure” campaign message, that in addition to imposing tough sanctions banning most North Korean exports, the U.S. would take military action, if necessary, to force Kim to terminate his nuclear program and end the continued development of a nuclear armed intercontinental ballistic missile that can reach the U.S. mainland. Calling the U.S. attack on Syria “a warning for Pyongyang,” the South Korean newspaper the Korea Joongang Daily, in an editorial on Monday said, “If Kim wants to be free from the fear of a potential raid, then he must be willing to denuclearize.” From this perspective the U.S. show of force in Syria will increase pressure on the leadership in North Korea to offer meaningful nuclear concessions at the Trump-Kim summit. “Unless it abandons at least part of its nuclear and missile capabilities then the Trump administration will not be satisfied,” said Bong Young-shik, a political analyst with the Yonsei University Institute for North Korean Studies in Seoul However the U.S. military strike on Syria could also reinforce concerns in North Korea that giving up its nuclear deterrent would make the... How will the Syrian attack change Kim Jong Un? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Will be more friendly with France - Will cancel the summit - not enough information - Will be more threatened by the US
Ans: | Will be more threatened by the US | 7 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
There was a boy named Chan who loved his parents, though they did not love him back; he was not even given a first name. He had been born in the wrong month, during the wrong phase of the moon, his parents told him, and had brought them nothing but bad luck. The promotion at the factory promised to his father was taken away at the last moment. The garden his mother worked in nearly every day never produced anything more than the most meager of weeds since Chan's birth. It was often sunny in the little Chinese village, but there was an almost constant gloom over their house, as if a rogue cloud were blocking the sun only over their property. And his parents, of course, blamed Chan for everything. He was small for his age, and usually quiet. He liked to listen to people instead of talking, filling himself with stories. He was a good boy and always did as he was told, and could see the good in his parents, even if others couldn't. Every so often, his mother would allow him a sweet, or his father would bring home an origami folding kit. They didn't like to show it to others, but his parents could be kind. Chan was patient and knew they would love him eventually. He was digging one day between the fence and the west side of the house for grubs to feed to his pet chameleon, Rainbow. It was a warm July day not long after his tenth birthday. He often went there because it was cool and damp from the shade of the trees, and the worms seemed to like it there. He never took more than he needed, then he thanked the grubs for sacrificing their lives so that Rainbow could remain living and being his pet. Chan was very kind-hearted when it came to grubs. How does Chan probably look after getting grubs? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Like he brings bad luck - not enough information - Dirty - Gloomy
Dirty
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It will come as no surprise to those working in the UK’s higher education (HE) sector that universities are currently suffused with anxiety. The University and College Union (UCU) has recently been in dispute with employers over proposed changes to the USS pension scheme, and the most sustained period of industrial action in the sector’s history has highlighted the fears staff have for the security of their futures post-retirement. Such unprecedented strike action needs to be situated within the wider context of a public sector undergoing transformation: while the concept remains contested, the influence of “neoliberal” ideas on universities can most clearly be seen in Success as a Knowledge Economy – the government white paper that preceded the 2017 Higher Education and Research Act – which states: “Competition between providers in any market incentivises them to raise their game, offering consumers a greater choice of more innovative and better quality products and services at lower cost. Higher education is no exception.” Yet what might “raising our game” mean for academic staff? The university has been described as an “anxiety machine”: the creeping marketisation of the sector along with pressure to recruit students (now “consumers”), increasing managerialism, and the implementation of processes of audit – such as the REF and TEF – to evaluate performance have arguably contributed to a progressively anxious landscape in which to labour. In 2016/17, 34% of academic staff were employed on fixed-term contracts – a figure likely to be disputed by the UCU, since in 2016 it estimated the extent of casualisation in the sector to be closer to 54% once atypical contracts had been taken into consideration. In addition to pressures facing many staff in universities – such as time-management, meeting growing employer expectations, and the evaluation of performance – “casualised” contracts present particular challenges for those facing employment uncertainty: in a material sense, this can be a case of keeping up with... What happened after the recent UCU dispute? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Higher anxiety in the higher education sector - Academic staff "raising their game" to improve higher education - 34% of academic staff employed on fixed term contracts - not enough information
Higher anxiety in the higher education sector
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The Department of Health and Human Services lost track of nearly 1,500 migrant children it placed with sponsors in the United States, an agency official told a Senate subcommittee Thursday. The children were taken into government care after they showed up alone at the Southwest border. Most of the children are from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, and were fleeing drug cartels, gang violence and domestic abuse. The agency learned the 1,475 children could not be found after making follow-up calls to check on their safety, the committee was told. The news has raised concern that the children could fall into the hands of human traffickers or be used as laborers by people posing as relatives. “You are the worst foster parents in the world. You don’t even know where they are,” said Democratic Senator Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota. “We are failing. I don’t think there is any doubt about it. And when we fail kids, that makes me angry.” Since the dramatic surge of border crossings in 2013, the federal government has placed more than 180,000 unaccompanied minors with parents or other adult sponsors who are expected to care for the children and help them attend school while they seek legal status in immigration court. An AP investigation in 2016 found that more than two dozen of those children had been sent to homes where they were sexually assaulted, starved or forced to work for little or no pay. Since then, the Department Health and Human Services has boosted outreach to at-risk children deemed to need extra protection, and last year offered post-placement services to about one-third of unaccompanied minors. But advocates say it is hard to know how many minors may be in dangerous conditions, in part because some disappear before social workers can follow up with them, and they never show up in court. Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio gave HHS and the Department of Homeland Security until Monday to deliver a time frame for improving monitoring. “These kids, regardless of their immigration status, deserve to... When were the migrant children lost? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - After being placed in homes with sponsors - not enough information - On monday when the time frame for improving monitoring ends - As they crossed the border
After being placed in homes with sponsors
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SHE moved through the crowded streets like she owned the place. Hell, if things went as planned in the coming months, she might in fact own the place. Or some other place if that's what she wanted. If things went as planned, there was no limit to what she could have. She smiled to herself as a crowd of sunburned, middle-aged men broke ranks to let her pass on her way toward Mallory Square. They had no idea who she was, but she liked to think that they could sense her strength and that it intimidated them. Not enough to stop them from staring openly at her chest of course, but what did she expect? They were still men. Duval Street, Key West's main tourist drag, buzzed with early evening activity. The sun had set less than an hour ago, and the throngs moving up from the nightly sunset ritual in Mallory Square now wandered about, trying to choose between the dozens of bars and restaurants vying for their attention. She moved against the general flow and seemed to know exactly where she was going. She knew these streets well and had planned out her route ahead of time. But something bothered her. That nagging feeling in the back of her brain that she'd long ago learned to heed even though it was wrong as often as it was right. You couldn't survive in her world without learning to pay attention to such feelings, and she'd more than survived - she'd prospered beyond the dreams of any young hacker or con artist. Heeding the subliminal warning, she changed plans and stepped out into the crawling Duval Street traffic. A purple taxi honked angrily but she just smiled as she strode across the street and stared intently at a display of cheap, tasteless T-shirts in a storefront window. What did she know very well? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - the restaurants - the bars - the streets - not enough information
| the streets
------ | 5 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
The Texas church where a gunman opened fire during Sunday services, killing 26 and injuring 20, may not reopen. Pastor Frank Pomeroy of the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs told leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention earlier this week that it would be too painful to continue using the church as a place of worship. Pomeroy, who lost his own 14-year-old daughter in the massacre, proposed turning the site into a memorial and building another church on a different site. The final decision on the fate of the building will be made by the denomination's top leaders, who traveled to the rural community in a show of support. But a national Southern Baptist spokesman said the pastor's wishes will be taken into consideration. Other sites of mass shootings have been torn down, including Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, where a gunman killed 20 children and six adults in December 2012. A new school was built elsewhere. A one-room Amish schoolhouse near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was torn down in 2006, 10 days after an assailant took children hostage and shot and killed five girls ages 6 to 13. The original site of the school is now a pasture. A nearly identical schoolhouse with a security fence was erected nearby. Also Thursday, the father of the Texas gunman broke his silence to say his family is in mourning. Michael Kelley spoke to ABC News on Wednesday from his home in New Braunfels, about 55 kilometers north of Sutherland Springs. He refused to comment further, saying he does not want the "media circus'' surrounding the attack by Devin Patrick Kelley to destroy "our lives, our grandchildren's lives.'' A motive for the carnage remains unclear, but the younger Kelley appears to have targeted the church because it was attended by his wife's family. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after being shot and chased by two residents as he was leaving the church. What did Frank Pomery tell leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - It would be too painful to continue to use the church as a place of worship. - not enough information - A new school was built elsewhere - He does not want the media to destroy his life
It would be too painful to continue to use the church as a place of worship.
Angela Hammerly dedicated her life to becoming District Attorney. At 42, she had never been married, or even seriously dated. All she could think about, night and day, was her ultimate goal. And her dream finally came true, thanks to the death of 74-year-old Porter Strickley. She could not deny that she had learned the job well, working for that old pain-in-the-butt. He was 57 when she interviewed for the position of Assistant District Attorney. At the time, she thought he was 70. Two months ago, she had become the District Attorney. She loved seeing her name on the door. And she felt a rush of adrenaline every time a judge referred to her as 'The District Attorney' in open court. The D.A.'s office would be better than ever--now that she was running the show. There was a soft knock, and Andrea Newly opened the door just enough to peek in. "Come in, Andrea." Angela sometimes wondered if she had made a mistake two weeks ago when she hired this timid young lady as her assistant. Angela had been impressed with her resume. But in person, Andrea was quiet, and seemed to be rather intimidated by Angela. But Andrea was enthralled with every word Angela spoke. And the new D.A. couldn't resist the prospect of being god to her assistant. She had hired her on the spot, even though she knew Andrea would stress her patience. But Angela was confident the 25-year-old could be molded into her mentor's image. And thereby, become a powerful force for justice in the D.A.'s office. Andrea took a chair across from the D.A. The furniture in the District Attorney's office was similar to that found in most old government offices-largely unchanged since the 1950s. Yet the hardwood chairs and desks were of such good quality that an exact replacement would be cost prohibitive in today's market. Angela planned to upsize her diminutive desk as soon as possible, even if the money came out of her own pocket. What about Andrea's resume impressed Angela the most? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - school - not enough information - previous employers - extracurricular activities
not enough information
Greg stopped by the courthouse concession stand for a cup of coffee, even though he had already downed four cups at Jane's Diner across the street. The old man behind the counter reached for Greg's dollar with a noticeably shaky hand that looked as though it had held more cigarettes and booze than money in its lifetime. He took his coffee and walked up the stairs to the second floor. There were about fifty people standing in the hallway outside the courtroom making small talk. He recognized a few of them, but was in no mood to start a conversation. Only four more jurors and two alternates were needed. With a little luck, he would soon be sent on his way. The coffee tasted bitter, but he continued to sip on it anyway, just to occupy himself. After a few minutes, a woman walked out of the courtroom and spoke to the crowd in monotone. "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. We are ready to get started. We did not get enough jurors yesterday for the criminal trial, so we are going to use part of today's panel for that purpose. Those who are not selected for the criminal trial today must appear tomorrow at 8:00 AM for the civil trial jury selection. "First, I will call the names of the jurors that have already been selected. When I call your name, please go into the courtroom and take your seat in the pews where you sat yesterday. Please sit in the order in which your names are called." "Alexander Littleton… Gail Silestone… " The crowd carefully analyzed each person as he walked through the group and into the courtroom. "Mary McJohnson… William Biscayne … Judy McPhearson… John Nihmbor… Nancy Novelle… and Troy Blockerman." Greg nearly choked on his coffee. Troy Blockerman! That's Cynthia's husband. His blood pressure shot up like a bottle rocket, exploding into a headache. "And now I will call the names of a portion of today's panel. Those whose names are not called will need to stay here in the courthouse since we might still need you today. I will let you know when you can go home. Again, please sit in the order in... How long did the woman probably speak to the crowd for? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Several minutes - not enough information - 1 second - A day
| Several minutes | 0 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
It was a nice summer evening. A cool breeze blowing. Birds singing. Leaves rustling. The waters of the pool shining, shimmering in the sunlight. I was sitting on the steps of the pool, my legs submerged in water.Those blue depths were irrestisible. I inched a bit further in. Water to my waist… a little more…. closer to the blue…..just a little more…water to my chest… yes, keep going…a bit more…water to my neck….almost there….the blue gaze of those depths held me in awe…oh my..so beaut- — Going up a sort of endless escalator. I can't see very well what's in front of me. It's all very dark. I can sense someone behind me, but I dare not look back. For some reason I cannot see my feet. In fact, I cannot see any of me at all. It feels very strange and …well,creepy! I want to whistle, to kinda comfort myself, but it feels like I've lost the ability to speak. My mind just doesn't know how to carry out this desire to speak. It feels unnatural….. That someone behind me pokes me in my(invisible) back. Its'(his/her?) touch is strangely warm, then icy. I still don't look back….yes, that's the key, don't look back. It's a test. Just don't look back and you'll- — Snap! Back into the pool, panting. Everything is blurry. There are people gathered around the pool, screaming. A hand extends toward me. I reach for it…. — Well, I'd love to tell you what happened after that, but the thing is, I don't even know myself. For just at that precise moment, my wretched alarm decided to beep-beep. And I never got to see the ending! — Wait, did you mean “went to the other side” in reality? Don't be ridiculous! How do they feel when someone pokes them from behind? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - afraid - not enough information - thrilled - depressed
afraid
Creating a self portrait is not your typical selfie! When I taught in the traditional classroom, creating self portraits was something I had students do whether they were four or nine. In fact, I’d have them draw one on the first day of school and one toward the end of the year and to see the change over time was always so interesting. At least once during the year, likely toward the beginning, I would center a lesson around self portraits. In younger classes, there would be more than one. Creating a self portrait teaches students to be aware of themselves. Where is her head in relation to her body? Where are her feet in relation to her legs? It also teaches children spatial awareness. Where should he begin…with his feet or with his head? Where on the paper should his head be placed? How far down should his arms go? How can his whole body fit on a single piece of paper? A Lesson on Creating Self Portraits Whether you are in a classroom, or teaching a child at home, here is a simple lesson on creating self portraits geared toward young children, anywhere from age 2 through age 6. Keep in mind that their final product will show various levels of writing development, depending on what stage of writing they are in. (Basically, a two-year-old’s drawing should look very different than that of a five-year-old.) The teacher will need to model how to draw a self portrait. Gather the children around an easel or board and clip a paper to it. Narrate the process as you walk through the steps. “I am going to draw a picture of myself. I am going to start with my head.” Use your hands to show your actual head on yourself so students are aware of what you talking about. The visuals also help English Language Learners (if you’re teaching in an English speaking classroom.) and build vocabulary for all students. When did the students do the first self portrait? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - during summer break - toward the end of the year - on the first day of school
on the first day of school
Is not necessarily worth two of anything, anywhere else. But it can certainly be a heck of a lot of fun. During my days as an inmate in Bridges House at the University of New Brunswick, I shared this space with about 99 other testosterone-addled 'young adults' whose charming tendency to get completely out of hand was barely held in check by the rod of authority of the Don and Resident Fellow. This is not to say that these two worthies weren't good at their jobs; more accurately, their task was more akin to herding cats -- fairly obtuse, barely socialized cats. Given the state of controlled chaos that existed, it wasn't unusual for little conflicts to arise from time to time. Being rather physically small and odd, I came in for a certain amount of abuse from someone called Scut, a large and obnoxious Newfie (hmmm, that's like saying that water is wet). I can't remember what it was he did to me, but it was serious enough that I decided to get my own back. It's been said that revenge is a dish best enjoyed cold. I think revenge is a dish best enjoyed in secret with no chance of counter-revenge to spoil the occasion. And so it was that I laid my plans against Scut. The occasion and place were set. My means of entry was secured. Now I needed material. For me, the only good fish is a live one. Even though I hale from NB, I really don't like free-swimming seafood. Considering the unimaginative cuisine of my youth, it's surprising that I eat anything at all. So with dead, smelly fish in mind, I persuaded my friend Shan to pick one up when he was down at the Saturday Farmer's Market. He returned with a four-pound shad, frozen solid. Shad has even more bones than other fish and you'll never see it featured on any cooking show (except maybe Iron Chef, where the disgusting and unusual seems to be standard). It took me all day to thaw out the fish in the lounge sink?#8364;?an activity which elicited howls of complaint from the guys trying to watch TV. How long did the fish probably thaw in the sink? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - one week - an hour - 15 minutes
| an hour | 1 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
(Question)
Outside the White House Friday, a media frenzy. And at the center of it all, President Donald Trump. “Can we do one question at a time? Wait! One question at a time," the president scolded reporters. Trump launched a new attack on the Russia probe in the wake of a critical report on the Hillary Clinton email investigation by the inspector general of the Department of Justice. “I did nothing wrong. There was no collusion. There was no obstruction," he said. "The IG (inspector general) report yesterday went a long way to show that, and I think that the Mueller investigation has been totally discredited.” But the report in question only dealt with how the FBI handled the Clinton email controversy. It was critical of the man Trump fired as FBI director, James Comey, but rejected the notion of a politically-directed effort aimed at Trump. “This report did not find any evidence of political bias or improper considerations actually impacting the investigation under review," announced current FBI Director Christopher Wray. Democrats also took note of the report. “Anyone who is hoping to use this report to undermine the Mueller probe or prove the existence of a ‘deep state’ conspiracy against President Trump will be sorely disappointed," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said. During his lengthy encounter with reporters Friday, Trump also defended his recent summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. “They are doing so much for us, and now we are well on our way to get denuclearization," he said. "And the agreement says there will be total denuclearization. Nobody wants to report that. I got along with him great. We have a great chemistry together. That is a good thing, not a bad thing." Trump also lashed out at opposition Democrats and tried to blame them for recent administration actions to separate family members caught trying to come across the U.S. border. “The Democrats forced that law upon our nation. I hate it. I hate to see separation of parents and children," Trump said. Why was there are media frenzy outside the white house? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Trump launched an attack on the Russia probe - Trump blamed Dems for separating families - Trump defended with meeting with Kim Jong Un - not enough information
(Answer)
Trump launched an attack on the Russia probe
(Question)
I ducked, Cerberus pounced, and Mr. Waciejowski screamed like a dying ferret--a soothing and pleasant sound under most other circumstances, but now only distracting. I felt the rush of air against my face as the crowbar skimmed my head. The man wielding it was in a black three-piece suit and built like a Texas linebacker. His mass seemed to bend space-time in the parking lot as he barreled down on me. All I could see was nearly seven feet of Armani silk. I stood upright and brought my knee into his groin and gave him a swift elbow in the small of his back and a fist to the base of his skull. Now, I wasn't the biggest guy in the world, but I certainly wasn't the smallest either. And I was also acutely aware of how much damage I could do to another human being. But this hulking mass in Italian finery didn't even seem phased. The blows I sent this guy should have dropped him like a bag of wet cement, but he just turned and hamstringed me with that damn crowbar. I fell so hard that one of my teeth chipped. The box flew out of my grip and landed just a few feet away. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Pete on the ground, fumbling with his cell phone while Cerberus mauled another suit trying to sneak up behind me. If the fall hadn't knocked the wind out of me, seeing Cerberus tear into this guy certainly would have. The dog was all fangs and fur, making sounds like construction machinery. Thick and heavy. The guy was screaming all kinds of nonsense as he kept his shredded arms in front of his face and neck. Blood and fabric flew about as the animal tossed its head in violent arcs. Why the dog was all fangs and fur? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Because it met Pete - Because of the fight - not enough information - Because it was hungry
(Answer)
Because of the fight
(Question)
The surgeon who had delivered my son by C-section an hour earlier stepping back from the table, and saying, “We're done, people. Good job, everyone!” That hour had been hell for everyone in the room, save only my little boy, sleeping peacefully in the warming crib, and his mother, who was just stirring from the general that had put her under about 55 minutes earlier. I had come within a few minutes, maybe seconds, of raising my boy as a single parent. Her OB/GYN had fought valliently to keep my family together, and won. Everyone who'd been awake knew exactly how close run a thing it had been. Mr. Murphy had been hanging around the whole time, and neither Doc nor mom was catching a whole lot of breaks that evening. But Doc only needed one, and he made full use thereof. One thing for all new dad's whose wives have had previous abdominal surgery. You never want to hear the muttered words, “Creative anatomy on the way out”, when somebody has your wife’s belly open. Those are about the worst words in the world, because they mean Doc's gotta put stuff to right in there, and he might not have what he'd like in order to get it done. But when he stands back, after the sponge count had to be done twice, and the tool count is right, and the belly is stapled closed, and everyone in the room is still breathing… Just let it be known that the roving nurse has extra sponges for dad's nose. Oh yeah, and the neonatal nurses don't expect dad to change that first diaper. Maconium is nasty shit. Litterally. But I was happy to do it while talking to his groggy mom. What is probably true about the author? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - He was unhappy. - He was busy. - He is a loving husband.
(Answer)
| He is a loving husband. | 6 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Ques:Yes. I had a stress heart attack five years ago. My step-son is a heroin addict. He will be on an opioid agonist for the rest of his life. His behavior mirrored the worst of what addicts do to a family. I was desperate to make a change, and my husband was desperate to save his son’s life. That meant having to watch my husband support my step-son as he abused me and my children. Multiple criminal behaviors, many times the police came to the house, two convictions, long-term parole. Watching him threaten to kill me, kill his father, and kill his younger brother and sister. Add to that a very stress job situation with a new boss who decided he needed a new VP, but had no basis to terminate my employment, so instead was determined to make my work life a living hell on earth. So, yep, I had a heart attack. I’m still angry at everything that led up to the heart attack. I’m working really hard on forgiving my husband, forgiving my step-son, and the overwhelming guilt of my children seeing me as an accomplice to their abuse. I found a new job, and then had the pleasure of seeing my former boss fired by the Board of Directors. Since then I find I’m hyper-vigilant in issues of child abuse, worker abuse, addiction, lying and deceit (Trump trigger), and feeling somewhat betrayed by my husband. I honestly think if it had been one of my children doing the abusing, I would have found a way to put my child into long-term rehab. I would not have pretended it wasn’t happening, or “not that bad” or other form of denial. As is, I lived through this hell for two years, and a part of me will never forgive for how it all came about. Probably TMI, sorry. Becky Becky found a new job: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - After she had a heart attack. - not enough information - Before she had a heart attack. - While she was recovering from the heart attack.
Ans:After she had a heart attack.
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Ques:SINGAPORE — President Donald Trump will leave Singapore Tuesday night after his historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un the White House said Monday, adding that talks between U.S. and North Korean officials "are ongoing and have moved more quickly than expected." A White House statement said Trump will hold a one-on-one meeting with Kim Tuesday morning, with only translators present, followed by a working lunch and an expanded bilateral meeting that will include Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Chief of Staff John Kelly, and National Security Advisor John Bolton. The U.S. president will then address the media before flying out late Tuesday Singapore time. Previous reports had suggested Trump would leave on Wednesday. On the eve of the first encounter between a sitting U.S. president and a leader of North Korea, American officials are maintaining any resulting agreement must lead to an end of North Korea’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile threats. There will not be a repeat of “flimsy agreements” made between previous U.S. administrations and North Korea, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters in Singapore on Monday. “The ultimate objective we seek from diplomacy with North Korea has not changed — the complete, verifiable and irreversible de-nuclearization of the Korea peninsula is only outcome that the United States will accept,” declared Pompeo. Sanctions will remain until North Korea completely and verifiably eliminates its weapons of mass destruction programs, added Pompeo. “If diplomacy does not move in the right direction, those measures will increase,” he said. Pompeo said he is “very optimistic” the meeting Tuesday between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “will have a successful outcome.” “It’s the case in each of those two countries there are only two people that can make decisions of this magnitude and those two people are going to be sitting in the room together tomorrow,” said Pompeo. He declined, however, to reveal any details of the... After the end of this story, Macron probably Pick the correct answer from the following options: - still in the Oval office - not enough information - still enjoying a lavish welcome from Trump - Still young and dashing
Ans:still enjoying a lavish welcome from Trump
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Ques:The political landscape in the United States looks a bit different in the wake of Tuesday's Senate election victory by Democrat Doug Jones in Alabama. In an outcome few could have imagined several weeks ago, Jones defeated controversial Republican candidate Roy Moore, who had the backing of President Donald Trump. In the wake of Jones' victory, Democrats are more confident about success in next year's congressional midterm elections, and Republicans are looking for a way to rebound. Late Tuesday, Jones paid tribute to the voters and staffers who supported him in his longshot victory over Moore. "This campaign has been about common courtesy and decency and making sure everyone in this state, regardless of which ZIP code you live in, is going to get a fair shake in life!" he told supporters. Moore was unable to overcome allegations of sexual misconduct stemming back decades involving several women who were teenagers at the time while Moore was in his 30s. Moore stopped short of conceding the race, however, saying, "We have been painted in an unfavorable and unfaithful light. We have been put in a hole, if you will, and it reminds me of a [Bible] passage in Psalms 40, 'I waited patiently for the Lord.' That is what we have got to do." Moore had the full backing of the president in the final days of the campaign after Trump initially held back his endorsement in the wake of the allegations against Moore. The president responded Wednesday to questions at the White House about the Alabama race and said that he had hoped for a different result. "I wish we would have gotten the seat. A lot of Republicans feel differently. They are very happy with the way it turned out," he said. "But as the leader of the party, I would have liked to have the seat. I want to endorse the people who are running." Jones won in large part because of a strong Democratic turnout, especially by African-Americans. Moore was hurt by a depressed Republican turnout and a write-in campaign that drained away votes. Who endorsed Roy Moore? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Donald Trump - Republican Party - not enough information - Doug Jones
Ans:Donald Trump
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Ques:It was a made-for-TV moment that all presidents would relish, but it seemed especially significant for the man who turned a reality TV career into a successful bid for the presidency. Donald Trump triumphantly greeted the three Americans released by North Korea in the early morning darkness at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington early Thursday, an image one can expect to see over and over again come the 2020 U.S. presidential election campaign. “It was a very important thing to all of us to be able to get these three great people out,” Trump told reporters on the tarmac. He then went on to speculate that live television coverage of the arrival “probably broke the all-time in history television rating for 3 o’clock in the morning.” It was a moment the president gladly seized given that his White House has been buffeted by a chaotic mix of policy and personal drama in recent days. The prospect of a potentially historic breakthrough on North Korea could move a number of other unwelcome distractions to the side, including the ongoing Russia investigation, the growing legal difficulties for Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, and the soap opera that the Stormy Daniels story has become. Daniels is the adult film actress who claims she once had an affair with Trump. He denies the claim. Trump also announced Thursday on Twitter that he will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on June 12 in Singapore. A new CNN poll found that 77 percent of those surveyed support Trump meeting the North Korean leader, and 53 percent approve of his handling of the North Korea issue generally. Those numbers are in keeping with a general trend of late that has seen the president’s poll ratings improving, perhaps in part because of the strong economy. Who's White House career had caused drama in this story? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Kim Jong Un - Trump - Stormy Daniels - not enough information
Ans: | Trump
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Yes, it's actually happened to me before. Let me explain before I get called irresponsible, or incapable of having a dog, or incompetent, My dog is my baby, since the day I got her we've been inseparable. I learned from this mistake and have taken every precaution to prevent it from happening again. She was uninjured luckily, but I was freaking traumatized. I have a SUUUUPPPPEEEERRR long driveway, so I usually drive my truck to the end to check my mail, and on this particular day, I was out in my yard playing with Roxie, I saw the mailman drive by through my fence, and so we walked back to the house, I grabbed my keys, and off we went. This wasn't too long ago, maybe May, so it's hot, typical North Carolina weather, maybe 92 and some change, so my windows are down, because I drive a 13 year old black truck, so it's hot as hell, and it makes it hard to breathe. The AC works, it just takes time to kick in, and number 5 (my highest AC setting) does not work. As I'm driving down, I'm going maybe 5 miles an hour. I'm petting Roxie with my right hand when I feel her jerk out of my reach and I hear a bush rustle, I look to the passenger side, slam on brakes (because the last thing I want is to hurt my baby) and put the truck in park. Sure enough, my mom and her Chihuahua were out in the front yard, and Roxie, being her playful self jumped out and ran. She scared the absolute shit out of me, so now when I drive with her in the car, the window stays shut or cracked. Lesson learned. What kind of dog was Roxie? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - a beagle - a terrier - a Chihuahua
not enough information
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"Congratulations, jackass, you just got us sued." My editor, Sharon, was standing in front of my desk. She was apparently not happy. I shrugged, slouching further down in my chair, trying to hide from her gigantic crazy eyes behind my computer. It was a white laptop with a sticker that said "This Machine Kills Yuppies" slapped over the corporate logo on back. She reached out with one of her freakish man-hands and slammed the screen shut. "Let me try this again. You just got us sued six times over." Sharon Sinclair was a six-foot-tall beast of a woman with a huge mane of wiry black and gray hair pulled back in a pony tail. I had every confidence that she could tear me in two and use my bloody carcass in some kinky hedonistic lesbian cult ritual or something. So I usually tried to choose my words with the appropriate care around her. "Jesus-fucking-Christ, I haven't even had my morning coffee yet, and my head's still reeling from the Louisville Slugger that pummeled it last night. So I really don't feel like dealing with whatever annoying hormonal episode you have going on here." She glared at me silently, watching me squirm a little before asking, "Are you done?" "Probably." "Good," she said with a suppressed grin as she took a seat next to me. "Because I just let you publicly accuse the mayor and the valley's most powerful corporations of conspiring to defraud the taxpayers. So what's your plan for keeping my ass off the firing line?" I tilted back in my chair and met Sharon's gaze. "Look, we knew we'd get a strong reaction. Let them sue. We have e-mails to back us up." "These legal briefings say your e-mails were forged," she responded, waving a thick stack of papers in my face. "Of course they're gonna say that. That's why I made sure to get corroboration. Abrasax confirmed that the e-mails between Dylan Maxwell and City Hall are legit. But you know all this, so I don't know why we're wasting time going over it again." The protagonist's conversation with Sharon probably lasted: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - a few minutes. - several hours. - not enough information - all day.
a few minutes.
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Overnight the clouds had rolled in and the summer was dead. I sat at my office window and drank coffee, looking out on a dirty brown Saturday that smelled like rain. Somebody knocked at the door and I swiveled around to see Pete McGreggor from down the hall. "Busy?" he asked. I shook my head and he came in, closing the door behind him. He poured a cup of coffee and sat down across from me. "Big shakeup last night," he said. "I just got a call to defend one of the Preacher's errand boys." "So they finally got to him," I said, remembering the furor that had raged in the newspapers a few months before. The law had never been able to break up the Preacher's drug operation, even though it was notorious as the biggest in Texas. "How'd they do it?" "It's very hush-hush," he said, steam from his coffee making his hair seem to ripple. "They squelched the story at the papers, hoping to pull in a couple more fish, I guess. But what I gather is that the thing was pulled off from the inside, from somebody high up in the organization. But nobody knows exactly who it was that sold out." "It'll all come clean at the trial, I suppose." He nodded. "Sooner than that, I expect. The DA told me confidentially that they'll have everything they need by five o'clock tonight. You'll see it all on the evening news." A sharp rapping came at the door and Pete stood up. "You've got business. I'll leave you to it." "It's probably bill collectors," I said. "I'll yell if they get rough." He opened the door and pushed past the two policemen that were waiting outside. They were both in uniform, but I only knew one of them. That was Brady, the tall, curly headed one that looked like an Irish middleweight. His partner was dark and nondescript, sporting a Police Academy moustache. After the end of this story, Pete is: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - selling drugs - out of the narrator's office - not enough information - selling newspapers
| out of the narrator's office
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(Question)
Before writing what I did and what he did please let me tell you I was just a teenagerand it all seemed new, so kindly don't judge me. Even if you want to..I am anonymous for the same reason. So this happened when I was 16 year old. I belong to a very humble and conservative family, from Indore. @I never had a lot of exposure to guys, until we went to attend a marriage of one of our wealthy relatives in Delhi.. it was one of the best times I had, as we had a group of 4–5 similar aged cousins, though most of them were very distant relatives. One of them was a 19 year old dude, and he was kind of cute. But I never thought I would have this urge to you know… it was teenage and everything seemed new and exciting. So the second day, after having roamed all around Noida, we finally returned to our hotel and that guy accompanied me to my room. I asked him if he wants to come in as my parents were involved in the late night Sangeet rehearsals. He nodded gently and before I could know, we were cuddling and watching TV. I felt like a rebel, though it was the strangest and least expected thing I had done. Then he kissed me. Before I knew it I let him in my mouth …and he kept rolling his tongue on mine. It was my first kiss, and I don't regret it. The warmth of his mouth, the wetness of his lips and his breath felt like the only thing I ever wanted. I was a teen so please not judge. Sadly… before we could proceed, rest of our cousins called us to play Antakhshree with them. Never have we met since, but we often exchange messages on Facebook. It will be hard and awkward to attend his marriage. I love him. What is probably true about the author? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - she is still in puppy love - she is still a virgin - she is lonely
(Answer)
she is still a virgin
(Question)
Yes I definitely have. It was over ten years ago now… I was diagnosed as Borderline Personality Disorder but presenting with symptoms of Bi Polar Mania. I was in hospital for treatment and of course the psychiatrist wanted to medicate me until the manic phase subsided so as to better stabilize me and get the right diagnosis, etc. It is an art, Psychiatry, as far as I’m concerned. I do not have the education to elaborate on say, Pharmaceuticals or Cognitive Science (other than a few college courses on Behavioral Psychology) nor can I comprehend these fields of reference as clearly as I’d like to, but what I experienced was… GETTING THE WRONG MEDICATION!! for my presenting psychological manifestations. I was put on Seroquil; too sedating even in minute doses. Prozac. Sent me over the edge, and a complete 180 to the point where I was extremely delusional and dangerously suicidal. These mind-altering medications can be fatal. It was scary and literally ruined my life for a time… I was worse than minorly-depressed or hypo-manic (conditions much more manageable than what I previously described) for a long time when I first started a regime with Zoloft, but it did wind up being the best drug to manage my depressive state and enable me to function in a more socially adaptive manner. Then they added Lamictal, which has truly kept me stable ever since. But yes, it is a trial and error method as far as I can tell... My Mother never wanted me to try any medication because she said “They” were using me like a guinea pig, but when the benefit outweighs the risk, they take the risk. You can’t always trust medicine but if you have an experienced doctor you should trust them especially if you want to get better, whatever your ailment may be. I have osteoarthritis, DSP, and Sciatica also, so am familiar with drugs used to treat physical health issues too but no huge issues with these medications, not like psychiatric drugs that’s for sure. Why was the writer delusional and dangerously suicidal? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - they had osteoarthritis, DSP and Sciatica - they needed medication and didn't have any - not enough information - they took Seroquil and Prozac
(Answer)
they took Seroquil and Prozac
(Question)
April 2-May 2 is the worst 30 day period for me. The reason is… April 2, 2014 was the day my 53 year old wife found out that she had metastasized lung cancer. A large tumor had formed on the bottom of one lung, they found 4 tumors in her brain, another large one in her stomach and several more throughout her intestinal track. She rarely complained about physical problems and I knew something was wrong when she said she needed to go to the hospital ER. She died exactly 30 days later. I spent virtually every minute of that time with her. I went with her to radiation appointments. I stayed in the hospital with her because it seemed like every week I would have to take her in for something that required a 3 or 4 day stay. And the final trip to the ER was May 1st. An MRI showed that one of the tumors in her intestines had torn a hole in her bowel. The ER surgeon told us straight up that she was beyond any medical care that could help her and to use the next 24 hours to say goodbye to family and friends. And almost exactly 24 hours later, she was gone. I was devastated. 30.5 years of Happily Ever After turned into god fucking damn it all to hell! And when April 2 rolls around every year, I begin living those last 30 days of her life over again. I thought that after the third time in 2017 that I was about ready to let it go. I started really living again instead of just existing. But when April 2 came this year, I found that I was back in my memories. It was easier to deal with this time because of the way I had changed over the last year. I hung around with more friends and they helped distract me and one actually helped me turn May 2 into a celebration. And I love her for that. That's my story. When did his wife died? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - After May 1st - After May 15th - After May 5th
(Answer)
| After May 1st | 6 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
(Question)
Outside the White House Friday, a media frenzy. And at the center of it all, President Donald Trump. “Can we do one question at a time? Wait! One question at a time," the president scolded reporters. Trump launched a new attack on the Russia probe in the wake of a critical report on the Hillary Clinton email investigation by the inspector general of the Department of Justice. “I did nothing wrong. There was no collusion. There was no obstruction," he said. "The IG (inspector general) report yesterday went a long way to show that, and I think that the Mueller investigation has been totally discredited.” But the report in question only dealt with how the FBI handled the Clinton email controversy. It was critical of the man Trump fired as FBI director, James Comey, but rejected the notion of a politically-directed effort aimed at Trump. “This report did not find any evidence of political bias or improper considerations actually impacting the investigation under review," announced current FBI Director Christopher Wray. Democrats also took note of the report. “Anyone who is hoping to use this report to undermine the Mueller probe or prove the existence of a ‘deep state’ conspiracy against President Trump will be sorely disappointed," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said. During his lengthy encounter with reporters Friday, Trump also defended his recent summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. “They are doing so much for us, and now we are well on our way to get denuclearization," he said. "And the agreement says there will be total denuclearization. Nobody wants to report that. I got along with him great. We have a great chemistry together. That is a good thing, not a bad thing." Trump also lashed out at opposition Democrats and tried to blame them for recent administration actions to separate family members caught trying to come across the U.S. border. “The Democrats forced that law upon our nation. I hate it. I hate to see separation of parents and children," Trump said. Where did the media frenzy occur on Friday? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Washington DC - not enough information - The White House - Outside White House
(Answer)
Outside White House
(Question)
I end this small run of blog posts with the question posed by Professor Brian Boyd at the beginning of our evening: Do we want to close the achievement gap? We know we can close the gap. It’s been done or almost been done before in Scottish education, but the answers have been ignored as they pass us by. The simple clue is this: poverty is single biggest predictor of achievement, and according to research (Hammonds sic, reference required), aged 10, a child living in poverty is 60% less likely to get to university. Boyd borrowed from his own mother’s report card to ask us what kind of education we desire. Is it the academic success at all costs route, or is there another option we need to value as much, if not more? His mother’s report card, one that prevented her from becoming a secondary school pupil in Glasgow, is filled with G and FG, until the last point: Character and conduct - excellent. What kind of pupils do we want to develop in Scotland? What do we value in our assessment system? Opening up opportunity for all is a tough game to play when the examination system rewards only certain types of behaviour, few of them related to what the Curriculum for Excellence says we stand for. In his own small community in East Kilbride, three secondary schools enter a period of meltdown as the local rag sets about creating its own local league table of performance, with those three ‘teams’ in competition for the top spot (or at least not the bottom one). Therefore, we must stop basing “the gap” largely on attainment. First of all, Boyd would like us to remove the traditional, and non-sensical academic/vocational divide. Is the law or medicine degree we value not vocational? (Are all General Practitioners not Plumbers, as Dr Murray on the panel suggests?) For how long has the writer probably studied Boyd's works: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - for a couple of hours - for a few days - for a year or more - not enough information
(Answer)
for a year or more
(Question)
SEOUL — The head of the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) on Tuesday said the North Korean leadership is hopeful that following a possible denuclearization deal, the international community will increase humanitarian aid for millions of people in the country who are living in poverty and suffering from malnutrition. “There is a tremendous sense of optimism by the leadership, by the people I met with, in the hopes that they will be turning a new chapter in their history, a new page,” said David Beasley, the Executive Director of the WFP during a briefing in Seoul. The WFP director visited North Korea for four days last week, spending two days in Pyongyang and two visiting rural areas outside the capital. Beasley said he was given “remarkable” access during his visit to the restrictive state where contact with foreigners is tightly controlled. Government minders also accompanied him during his visit. Beasley, a former governor of the U.S. state of South Carolina, was nominated to head the WFP last year by U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley, who is also a former South Carolina governor. With the upcoming summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un now scheduled to be held in Singapore on June 12, there are increased expectations that an agreement will be reached to dismantle the North’s nuclear, missile and chemical weapons programs that threaten the U.S. and its allies. Details over the scope and timing of the denuclearization process must still be worked out, but the North Korean leader has indicated he wants to resolve the dispute to focus on improving the economic conditions of the country. Ending the severe U.S. led sanctions banning 90% of North Korean trade that were imposed for the North’s repeated nuclear and missile tests, would open the door to increased economic investment and cooperation. Humanitarian assistance has been exempted from the economic sanctions, but Beasely said import restrictions has made it more complicated to bring in aid, and made... Why is the United Nation considering increasing humanitarian aid Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Because it met with United States goverment - Because North Korea may denuclearize - not enough information - Because there was a summit with Trump
(Answer)
| Because North Korea may denuclearize | 6 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Ques:It was another landmark week in the presidency of Donald Trump. He hosted key U.S. allies Emmanuel Macron of France and Angela Merkel of Germany; but, he also had to weather more turmoil in his Cabinet as well as the ongoing Russia investigation and intensifying scrutiny of his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen. What might be an extraordinary week for another president has quickly become “situation normal” for the man elected as the nation’s 45th chief executive. Trump wound up his chaotic week Friday by meeting with German Chancellor Merkel. During an Oval Office photo opportunity, Trump was eager to embrace a report from Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee that found no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. “It was a great report. No collusion, which I knew anyway. No coordination, no nothing,” said Trump with Merkel looking on. “It is a witch hunt. That is all it is. No collusion with Russia, if you can believe this one.” Representative Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, issued a statement criticizing the Republican conclusions. Schiff asserted the committee did find evidence of collusion in “secret meetings and communications” between Trump campaign officials and others with links to the Russian government. The matter remains the focus of the investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller. Earlier in the week, Trump bonded with French President Macron during a formal state visit that was noted for the warm physical interactions between the two leaders. “He is going to be an outstanding president. One of your great presidents and it is an honor to call you my friend. Thank you,” Trump told Macron at the end of their joint news conference. Trump also received more good news this week when his choice for secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, finally won Senate confirmation. There were, however, some significant setbacks as well, including the withdrawal of Ronny Jackson as the next head of the Department of Veterans Affairs and intense congressional... How did Merkel fee about Trump's comments about no collusion with Russia? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Merkel was probably relieved - Merkel was probably indifferent - not enough information - Merkel was probably livid
Ans:not enough information
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Ques:President Donald Trump's approval rating has headed into unfamiliar territory in recent weeks — upward. Trump's approval hit 43 percent in the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, with 52 percent disapproving. That represents a 3 percent improvement from last month in the same survey. Several other new surveys also show Trump at or slightly above 40 percent. The RealClearPolitics polling average puts the president's approval rating at 41 percent, a noticeable bump from August, when the rating was often in the mid-30s. For much of the second half of August, Trump's approval rating in the Gallup Daily Tracking poll was either 34 percent or 35 percent, historically a low mark for a new president. On Thursday, Gallup had Trump at 37 percent. The previous day, Trump hit 39 percent, his highest mark since late July. Trump's recent outreach to Democrats on budget issues and, possibly, immigration has boosted his poll numbers, as has his administration's response to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The NBC/Wall Street Journal poll found that 71 percent of those surveyed approved of Trump's deal with Democrats to fund the government until December and raise the debt ceiling, while 8 percent disapproved. The question is whether Trump has turned a political corner, or is merely seeing a temporary respite from the low poll ratings that have plagued him since the beginning of his presidency. That could depend on whether working with Democrats is a long-range goal or a passing fad, and experts said that making a forecast on that could turn out to be foolish. "When it comes to President Trump, I have gotten out of the prediction business," said Brookings Institution scholar Bill Galston. "For now, this is a significant shift of strategy and tactics. There is no way of knowing whether it will last." It looks as though bipartisan cooperation will not extend to health care, where Senate Republicans are making one last attempt to replace Obamacare. The effort is being led by Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy and South Carolina's... Trump probably believes that: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - he should not budget to hurricane victims in the US but rely on the World Bank - not enough information - he should help hurricane victims in the US - that he should allow more illegal immigrants
Ans:he should help hurricane victims in the US
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Ques:Went straight from a facility that deals with homeless children (492 1st Ave, Manhattan, New York) to the extreme outskirts of Queens near Kennedy Airport about 20 miles away. It was winter and I had no coat. I had my book bag and my sole Trader Joe’s bag of clothing and was loaded into a van with three social workers. During the long drive in traffic, I fell asleep, so waking up at my new home, I couldn’t make out any street signs and the numbering on the houses did not indicate whether I was in a home in the Bronx or Eastern Queens (which share the same street numbering in certain instances). My foster parents showed me my room and left a plate of food on the table. They barricaded themselves in their bedroom quite like how pilots barricade themselves behind the fortified cockpit door. However, my room didn’t have a lock, and neither did the bathroom. There were bars on my windows with a view of a church parking lot. I took great care to avoid waking a significantly older teen (I was 14, so he must have been 19–20) sleeping on the other bed. I heard two other kids (my foster siblings) in the other room playing music and giggling loudly at 3 in the morning. At 4 in the morning, my foster father started reading the Quran pretty loudly, and then he goes back to bed. In the morning, my foster parents are gone. My foster siblings are all sleeping. I got up at 7, but I don’t know how far I am from my high school, what buses/train will take me there, and still don’t know anything about anything about my new home. I don’t even know the names of those I’m relegated to living with. The unnerving strangeness and disorientation hat comes with knowing that your life has changed and the culture shock that comes with that is so scary and desensitizes you on that first day. How long did the trip take from the homeless facility to Queens outskirts? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - less than an hour - not enough information - 6 hours - 14 hours
Ans: | less than an hour
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SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — Some people in Seoul on Tuesday said they are happy just to see U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un talking to each other rather than trading threats of war. “I am very happy because it is an epoch breakthrough after 70 years of division,” said Lee Jun-keun, a salesman working for a retail business. Last year the two leaders traded insults, with Trump calling Kim “rocket man,” and the North Korean leader calling the U.S. president a “dotard,” and they both threatened military action as tension rose over the North’s accelerated weapons testing to develop an operational nuclear armed intercontinental ballistic missile capability. But after North Korea successfully test-fired missiles it claimed could carry nuclear warheads capable of reaching the United States, Pyongyang pivoted to diplomacy by suspending further provocations and indicating a willingness to engage in denuclearization talks. Trump surprised allies and adversaries alike by immediately agreeing to meet with Kim, long before the specifics of a nuclear deal could be negotiated. Tuesday’s first meeting between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader produced a broad declaration to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons and develop a peace treaty to end the long standing hostiles between the U.S. and North Korea. Trump called the agreement “very comprehensive,” but it will be left to negotiators to later resolve differences between Washington’s call for complete and verifiable nuclear dismantlement before any sanctions relief is provided, and Pyongyang’s demand that concessions be linked to incremental progress. Some in South Korea remain skeptical that the broad commitment reached at the U.S.-North Korean summit in Singapore will lead to North Korea giving up its nuclear weapons program. “North Korea did not keep its promise in the past, even after signing the agreement. This is what I am disappointed and doubtful about,” said Shim Jae-yeon, a housewife who lives in Seoul. Others... When, according to the text, did North Korea carry out missile test-firing activities that proved successful? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Following the 2007 summit - not enough information - Last year - After the first summit in 2000
Last year
Well we're not married (yet), but one time my boyfriend playfully spanked me. Hard. I know he didn't mean to hurt me, but I was mad about it all. Day. Long. I just couldn't get over the fact that he technically hit me! I started to consider things like, “Is he really sorry?” “Will he do it again?” “Should I leave him?” And gave myself reasons like “He didn't mean to!” “He's been apologizing all day!” “He was just playing!” “He meant to have fun, He's sorry!” Yet countered it with one simple statement, “Yeah that's what all abused women say.” In the end, I felt the question that should determine whether or not I should leave is: “If I stop talking to him tomorrow and can never see him or speak to him again, will I be okay with that?” and the answer was “No”, so obviously I shouldn't leave him. He is very well aware that I was considering leaving him, (I have a very strict 0 tolerance policy of abuse in my relationships, as I was abused terribly growing up,) and he still apologizes to this day, but he has certainly made it a point to never do that again. I definitely trust him, and he actually was being playful, but otherwise that has been the only “real” hitch we have come across. I mean, we argue, but that's only when either of us are mad, and it's usually over small stupid stuff. Like, really stupid stuff. We argued over traffic signs before, LOL. It always leads to me saying the argument is completely retarded and we drop it and just cuddle or something. Really not worth getting worked up about. Edit: Fixed some typos. I'm on my phone so my thumbs can't quite reach LOL. The boyfriend probably thought that the writer would do what? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Leave him. - Tell everyone what he did. - not enough information - Call the police.
Leave him.
President Donald Trump is counting on congressional Republicans to enact a package of tax cuts in the coming weeks, in the process delivering his first major legislative achievement since taking office in January. But even as Trump and his Republican allies close in on the goal of passing tax reform, the Russia investigation continues to be a major distraction. The recent plea deal between Trump’s former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, and the office of special counsel Robert Mueller sent shockwaves around Washington and at the very least seemed to indicate the Russia probe is a long way from being completed. Trump is banking on a tax cut victory to shore up his political base and show supporters and detractors alike that he is a man of his word when it comes to delivering on his campaign promises. House and Senate negotiators are now working to resolve differences in the two versions with hopes of final votes in the coming weeks. But even if the tax plan is enacted into law, its impact is not likely to be felt for at least a year. And polls show the plan has less than majority support. Trump insists the tax cuts will lead to economic growth and more jobs. “I will tell you this is in a nonbraggadocio way,” Trump told supporters in Missouri recently. “There has never been a 10-month president that has accomplished what we have accomplished. That I can tell you.” Democrats oppose the tax plan but lack the votes to stop it. “It rewards the rich in terms of individuals and corporations at the expense of tens of millions of working middle class families in our country,” warned House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi. Despite his poor standing in national polls, just less than 40 percent approval in most surveys, Trump’s base is largely sticking with him. The latest American Values Survey by the Public Religion Research Institute found that 84 percent of Republicans continue to back the president. Trump probably feels that he should go forward with the plan despite some polls indicating it is viewed negatively because... Pick the correct answer from the following options: - He needs any kind of tax plan to remain president - not enough information - The people that voted for him like it - He needs the money to help accomplish his executive goals
| The people that voted for him like it | 1 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
At an early meeting of the British Sociological Association’s “Activism in Sociology Forum” members met to discuss how we might play a more campaigning role in the world outside the academy. Pragmatically, academics tend to work long hours. We are faced with multiple and competing demands: teaching, administration, publishing, marketing, research, grant-bidding, and so on. The REF has ramped up the requirement to demonstrate the efficacy of our research in “the real world” (our impact upon society, economy, and culture rather than upon knowledge per se, or upon the academic discipline). Maybe here – I suggested, as my contribution to the meeting – was a chance for those of us interested in progressing social justice to lever officially sanctioned space, in our busy day-to-day lives, to do more of this sort of work? Maybe we should welcome the REF impact agenda? I learned afterwards that eminent British sociologists, whom I respect enormously, regarded such a viewpoint as “naïve” and “embarrassing”. Indeed, critics interpret REF as just one mode of the heightened, neoliberal, managerial control that is degrading academic life and infesting universities. So, how should we think about the REF impact agenda? Because of its obvious connections with social improvement and reform through policy action, social policy is regarded as one disciplinary area that is well-placed to meet and benefit from the impact agenda. Yet there has been surprisingly little concerted discussion amongst scholars about REF and impact. This is despite the fact that many millions of pounds of public funding accrue to the proposed or claimed impact of research (with monies channelled through research councils to individual projects or via regular, six-yearly centralised assessments of the quality of research in university departments). In addition, there is substantial funding directed toward the “impact industry”; the consultants, think tanks, PR firms, funding schemes, new software programmes, impact managers, specialist impact case study... Who gets the most funding in the impact industry? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - think tanks - consultants - not enough information - PR firms
not enough information
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Deciding to go on a diet is easy, but sticking to a diet is not easy! So, when facing that challenge, it is important to know how to reach your weight-loss goal. Of course, you have to decide you want to lose weight and be committed to doing so; then, you must stick to your guns and stay motivated or the goal will never be realized. There is no magic bullet, but there are two important tips that can help you reach your weight-loss goal. #1 – Take It a Week at a Time You must break your ultimate goal into smaller chunks and have bench marks that will indicate you are moving in the right direction. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Over the long term, it’s best to aim for losing 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kilogram) a week.” When you have a realistic weekly weight-loss target, you will be more confident in your efforts and you will know exactly what you are going to measure at the end of each week. Your long-term goal may be 40 pounds, but take it “one week at a time” (1 to 2 pounds/week = 20 to 30 weeks) In addition to choosing a healthy diet that fits your lifestyle and current health conditions, plus a solid commitment to stay with it, don’t forget to get plenty of rest and exercise. . BUT . . . the primary target should be the number of pounds you plan to lose each week. That target should be clear – and realistic. If it is, you should be able to stick to your weight loss program and enjoy success week after week, after week. AND, feel good in the process. If you are not hitting your target, be willing to look closely at what you are doing, or not doing – and figure out why you are not reaching your weekly target. Maybe the target you set was not sensible or reasonable; or, maybe you are putting too much pressure on yourself. Honest introspection is a good way to see what you are really capable of doing and then, you can develop or choose a plan that is suitable for your unique lifestyle. who is this article for Pick the correct answer from the following options: - fitness enthusiast - not enough information - people on diets - health nuts
not enough information
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The Transylvanian city of Brasov is usually just a day trip from Bucharest. People spend maybe an hour or so to wandering around the town square, and buy a drink before hopping back on their transport back to the capital city of Romania. But, thanks to an epic tip-off from the travel ninja Shikha at Why Waste Annual Leave and a few other Brasov devotees, instead of following the crowds, we booked a couple of leisurely nights there. At the end of our day trip, instead of returning to Bucharest and getting stuck in the Sunday evening traffic, we checked into our hotel and waved our guide off. Yes, you can easily ‘do’ Brasov in an afternoon – it’s a popular stop off at the end of a day trip after visiting the “home” of Dracula – Bran castle, and the beautiful Peles castle – but having the leisure to linger was exquisite. In addition to trying local dishes, we also ate lunch at McDonalds. Yes, yes, as a blogger we shouldn’t pretend to eat anything other than caviar washed down with champagne and unicorn tears, but we were hungry and couldn’t be bothered to find somewhere. (For the record, we both opted for a Big Mac and a diet coke.) For the first half day, we wandered around whilst the skies were beautifully blue… …learned a lot of local history, admired the Hollywood style sign in the hills… …slipped into a couple of churches (not to mention dodged giggling kids racing around on miniature cars)… …some hidden, and some hidden in plain sight… …and admired the sign from our cosy hotel, as it lit up at twilight Our only full day dawned fairly murky for the most part, it was a Sunday so a lot of things were closed, so after hitting 20,000 steps and getting lost a few times in the less pretty corners of the city… What issue did the blogger personally experience while visiting the city on a Sunday? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - they got stuck in evening traffic - transportation was limited - a lot of things were closed - not enough information
| a lot of things were closed
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Ques:Patch's mother was named Silver, because high summer sun made her fur shine that colour. She had a marvellous drey high up a spruce tree, carved out long ago by a woodpecker, and since extended into a two-chambered home full of bright things. The journey along the sky-road to her drey did not take long. When Patch looked inside, he saw a hundred colours glittering in the sunlight, shining from bits of metal and glass set into Silver's walls and floor. But his mother was not there. He could tell by the faintness of her smell that no squirrel had been here in some time. There were two faint traces of scent, several days old; that of Silver, and that of another squirrel, a musky scent that Patch did not recognize. A scent that made his tail stiffen as if danger was near. Patch stared into his mother's empty drey for a moment. It wasn't normal for a squirrel to abandon her drey for days, not in the middle of winter. And he hadn't seen Silver for three days. Not since all the acorns had disappeared from the earth. Patch ran back to his own tree, and then to the maple tree next door, to his brother Tuft's drey. He ran very fast. He was hungrier than ever, and he was beginning to be very worried. He was relieved when he looked into Tuft's drey and found it occupied. Tuft himself was not present, but Brighteyes was, and their babies, and it was clear from the smells that Tuft had only just departed. "Hello, Patch," Brighteyes said weakly. "Would you like to come in?" Patch entered. Brighteyes was curled up with her babies in the drey's deepest, warmest corner. The last time Patch had visited, a week ago, this had been a den of noise and chaos, with all Brighteyes' four babies running and jumping and playfighting. Today they lay weakly beside Brighteyes, and the once-shining eyes from which their mother had taken her name were dim and clouded. What happened to all the acorns? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Tuft took all the acorns for his babies - not enough information - They disappeared - Silver could not find them
Ans:They disappeared
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Ques:This was 20 years ago, maybe. My girlfriend (at the time) and I were planning to go on a day trip on a Saturday, and so the Friday night before, we decided to celebrate our mini vacation by having a few drinks at a local bar. It was a known hangout for bikers, and had a reputation of being a rowdy place, but I was on good terms with a few of the regulars, and felt safe enough. As the night wore on, I started getting out of control, and didn’t even realize it. I loved my girlfriend deeply, and had no desire to be with anyone else, but that night I was most definitely not myself. I was told that I openly flirted with the barmaid in front of my girlfriend, bet and lost on the pool table several times, and tried to start fights with some of the patrons, as I strongly suspected that someone had slipped something into my drink. At the time, I was a seasoned drinker, and the amount of alcohol I had consumed that night was pretty minimal in comparison, so naturally I was convinced that someone was messing with me. To this day I’m still not sure if my drinks were spiked, or it was just one of those nights. I do know that I hadn’t eaten prior to that, so I would tend to choose the latter culprit, even though it pained me to admit it. I woke up the next afternoon in my own bed, with no memory of the trip home, a screaming hangover headache, and no girlfriend. She eventually forgave me, and we were together off and on for a few more years before we grew apart. I haven’t set foot in that bar since, so I have no idea if I’m barred, or how the people there felt about me. I hope they’ve moved on, but I’m still too scared to find out. It’s an experience I never want to repeat, even though I didn’t actually experience anything. :/ What did the person drink at the bar? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - cherry coke - pepsi - not enough information - alcohol
Ans:alcohol
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Ques:The young man (boy, really) played with his fingers in the garish light cast from the lone bulb in the concrete bunker. He scratched at an imaginary itch on his right hand (just below his thumb) to take his mind off the man in the lab coat who sat across from him at the beaten, scarred, wood table. It didn't work. And whoever this man in the lab coat was, he was insistent about paperwork. He had three inches clipped onto a weathered clipboard which he flipped through with precision. "Can I offer you a glass of water?" asked the boy's captor in a calm, sensitive tenor. The boy, Kurt, continued to scratch the imaginary itch, which had leapt magically from his right hand to the left. Eventually the falseness of the itch would be deduced, and the lab coated man would disappear out of the cell and return with... God knows what. He had seen torture hundreds-if not thousands-of times on TV, and he was glumly certain that there would be no commercial breaks for him. "Can I offer you a glass of water?" The question was repeated without urgency, like a forgetful waiter. The itch now leaped with the dexterity of a trained flea onto the boy's leg, and the dutiful fingers followed. He watched as the man in the lab coat, without name tag or company insignia, studied his stack of papers attached to the clipboard. Several yellow forms near the top half inch were labeled 27B. The man frowned and wrote a note on the top page. "Note: Find out who isn't duplicating 27B in Pink." "I'm sorry," he said, "I wasn't listening. Was that a yes or no to the water?" Kurt remained in his chair, almost motionless, except for the itching-and-scratching routine. It had leapt again, this time onto his scalp, and the twitching fingers followed. He wondered how long he could keep this up without drawing blood. Who is duplicating 27B? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Everybody - Nobody - Kurt - not enough information
Ans: | not enough information
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Old Zeke handed Justin his day's worth of mail and looked longingly at the cool shade under the porch, half hoping, half anticipating an invitation to enjoy a cool drink and a few minutes out of the sun. His state-of-the-art mail delivery vehicle, an old green Ford with busted air-conditioning, sometimes elicited sympathy from those along his route, but the ones with beer were the best. However, Justin just looked through his mail and then began watching the sky. "You ever think about gravity?" Justin asked suddenly. "No," admitted Old Zeke, wiping the perspiration from his forehead. Justin sighed a little. "You ever fall off your ladder?" "Well," considered Zeke. Damned if this wasn't a round-about way to offer a fella a drink, but maybe after all this Justin would offer him a beer instead of that watery lemonade he made. "Yeah." "How long did it take you to fall?" Well hell, muttered Old Zeke under his breath. Maybe all those stakes he was driving in had given Justin a touch of the sun. The thought made him consider hauling Justin back to town, although the truck might finish the job the sun had started. "A second or two," Zeke replied. But before he could load Justin into the truck, he figured he would have to collect a few things from the house, and maybe from the fridge he'd collect a few drinks... "That thing up there hasn't fallen a foot in ten minutes or so." Maybe Justin had a small bottle of something tucked away under the... "What thing?" Justin pointed. Zeke shielding his eyes with his hands and looked up. "Oh, that weather balloon?" Justin's expectant face seemed to droop. "That what it is?" "Yep. Looks like it's almost out of helium, the way it's floating so low. Launched 'em myself thirty years ago in the Army." How does Justin feel after Zeke identifies the weather balloon? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - Excited - Happy - Disappointed
Disappointed
ROLAND HELD HIS BODY STIFF AS HE FACED THE CATHAR FORTRESS and watched the tall wooden doors swing open. He saw now that the fire of that final night's battle, now fifteen days past, had left no structure standing but the stone keep. Inside the limestone walls stood forlorn, crude shelters made of tent cloths spread over blackened beams. Cries of farewell and loud wailing came from the battlements above and from the open gateway, as the condemned emerged from the fortress, a long line of men and women in black. Roland's heartbeat broke its rhythm. During the fifteen days of grace granted under the terms of surrender, he had waited in camp with the other crusaders. Now that Diane and Perrin were safely off on the road to Paris, he felt impelled to be with the Cathars in their final moments, to bear witness. He had volunteered, despite his dread, to help escort the prisoners to their execution. Those Cathars who joined the Catholic religion would now be allowed to leave in peace, though they would be forced to give everything they owned to the Church and wear the yellow crosses for the rest of their lives. But those who clung to their faith would die. As the Cathars emerged, a man-at-arms directed each to stop at a table beside the doorway, where two Dominican friars sat with parchment scrolls. The friars recorded the name of each person about to die. This meticulous record-keeping, Roland thought, was one source of the Inquisition's power. At the head of the procession was the Cathar bishop. Bertran d'en Marti's head glowed with the red-gold rays of the low afternoon sun striking his white hair, as if it were already enveloped in flames. "Form around them," called the leader of Roland's party. Roland reluctantly stepped forward with the other crusaders. His longsword and dagger swung heavy at his waist. He wore them only because, as a knight, he was expected to. He had left his helmet and mail shirt back in his tent. What did the friars record on their parchment scrolls? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - terms of surrender - names of prizoners to die - not enough information - something religious.
names of prizoners to die
QUEBEC CITY — Emotions were on display when U.S. President Donald Trump met other G-7 leaders at their annual summit in Canada on Friday, but the discussions were civilized and diplomatic, according to sources. Trump held firm on asserting the United States is disadvantaged when it comes to trade with its European allies. “The other leaders presented their numbers and Trump presented his,” a G-7 official who spoke on condition of anonymity told the Reuters news agency. “As expected he did not budge. This is probably not because he does not understand, but because of domestic reasons.” At a bilateral meeting later with the summit's host, Justin Trudeau, the U.S. president joked that the Canadian prime minister had agreed to “cut all tariffs.” Despite the two leaders exchanging criticism of each other’s trade policies the previous day, Trump described the cross-border relationship as very good, stating “we’re actually working on cutting tariffs and making it all very fair for both countries. And we’ve made a lot of progress today. We’ll see how it all works out.” In a subsequent sit-down meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump said “the United States has had a very big trade deficit for many years with the European Union and we are working it out. And Emmanuel’s been very helpful in that regard.” Macron responded that he had a “very direct and open discussion” with Trump and "there is a critical path that is a way to progress all together.” Canada’s foreign minister, Chrystia Freeland, confirms she met on Friday with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to discuss the tariffs and the fate of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). She said Canada, however, will not change its mind about the U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs which she termed “illegal.” Trump imposed the tariffs on the grounds that weak domestic industries could affect U.S. national security. America’s closest allies, Canada, Mexico and the European Union, are introducing retaliatory tariffs. How does Pres Trump feel about the tariffs? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - that they should be tougher - not enough information - that they are warranted - that they should be revised
| that they are warranted | 0 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Q: The filming was kind of a long process, but maybe it didn’t need to be? Or maybe it did? The first night of filming at the Thornbury Bowls Club was for a test shoot with mine and Rosie’s camera, to work out which one we wanted to use for her film. The second night of filming involved us getting establishing shots of the location. The third night of filming involved us mainly shooting Rosie’s script. And the fourth night of shooting involved us mainly shooting Bell’s script and getting any other shots we needed to get. Perhaps we didn’t need an entire night of filming just to get establishing shots and filler shots, but it certainly made it a lot easier having multiple shots to choose from. For the two nights of shooting we certainly didn’t get that much coverage, which meant in the edit we were somewhat stuck using certain shots because we didn’t have other options. This was mainly because of time limitations with actors and batteries on cameras dying and such. I’m so neurotic I would have happily spent two nights shooting establishing shots and filler shots and two nights on each shoot, but not everyone wants to rearrange the rest of their life to fit around such projects. I get a tad obsessive if I’m allowed, which can often benefit me, although I do become a giant pain in everyone else’s ass. The main thing I learnt from the filming process was that you can plan out exactly what you want to do, and how your going to do it, but once you get into the location with the actors this plan often changes – however, you are still much better of having the plan than none at all! As the neurotic freak I am, I had all the shots I wanted to use storyboarded. I had originally planned to shoot all the establishing shots, stick them in a timeline and then also shoot the other shots (with fill in actors) and add them to the timeline to see how it looked. Of course no one else was interested in spending an entire night shooting the film – but with them as stands in – just so I could complete my psychotic endeavour of... What did the narrator have story boarded? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - all the shots he needed - not enough information - all the extras he needed - all the actors he needed
A: all the shots he needed
Q: I have always been a “handyman” involved in various building projects around the house. One particular time I was refinishing a section of ceiling. I had laid in the wiring and insulation by myself and all that remained was nailing a number of heavy 4ftx8ft gypsum wallboard panels onto the rafters of the 8 ft ceiling. I had arranged for a paid assistant to help me since the height of the ceiling and the weight of the wallboard was more than I could handle. When the time came, the assistant didn't show up and did not even call. I was pissed as hell. After my messages were not returned, I had what can only be called a “rage” of determination. Using a six foot ladder, three 2x4s and my head(literally) I hefted the heavy wallboard, Using leverage I placed them one by one on the overhead rafters, held and braced them with my head, glued and nailed them there all by myself. About a half hour after I finished, I was standing there smugly trying to figure how I did it so easily when there was a knock at the door. Of course it was the assistant with a lot of excuses. He seemed surprised when I told him I was finished. He looked up at the ceiling and said "how in the world did you get those up there by yourself?" I said, "Oh, believe me, You helped more than you will ever know!" I learned a lot from that. Anger has its place in your life. You have to control it and use it directly to solve a problem. To this day I do not know how I accomplished what I did the way I did it. But, if I hadn't been so angry I would never have attempted it at all. Life is full of little lessons. Pay attention to them and learn. If you have to lash out, lash at solving the situation you are in instead the person who caused it. It is significantly more productive that way. What is the handyman's favorite construction item? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - The ladder - The glue - The nails - not enough information
A: not enough information
Q: One day after a mass shooting killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump reiterated his support for a plan to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the United States. At a campaign rally in New Hampshire Monday, Trump promised his supporters that, if elected, he would use the executive powers to "suspend immigration from areas of the world where there is a proven history of terrorism against the United States, Europe or our allies, until we fully understand how to end these threats." Although the suspected Orlando shooter, Omar Mateen, was an American citizen, Trump suggested immigrants from the Middle East can come to the U.S. and radicalize people who are already here, or work to convince them online. "The media talks about homegrown terrorism," Trump said. "But Islamic radicalism ... and the networks that nurture it are imports from overseas whether you like it or don't like it." Refugees and immigrants from conflict ridden Middle Eastern countries like Syria, Iraq and Libya could "be a better, bigger more horrible version than the legendary Trojan horse ever was," Trump said. But a recent Brookings Institution survey found Americans are far more welcoming of refugees than the billionaire candidate. Of those surveyed, 59 percent support accepting refugees, while 41 percent oppose it. Those views are split right down party lines, with just 38 percent of Republicans supporting taking in refugees from Syria and the Middle East, compared to 77 percent of Democrats. But among Trump supporters, an overwhelming 77 percent said they oppose taking in refugees. The Obama administration has set a goal of admitting as many as 10,000 Syrian refugees to the United States by the fall.Respondents of the surveys also were sharply divided on whether they would be willing to accept refugees from Syria in particular, with 61 percent of Republicans saying the U.S. should not accept Syrian refugees, compared to 27 percent of Democrats. Trump supporters again... How long did the shooting in Orlando probably take at the gay night club this week? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - about 1 hour - 4 hours - less than 15 minutes - not enough information
| A: less than 15 minutes | 2 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
(Q).
Normal practice when handling ancient artifacts is to move carefully and minimize any sudden movements. Shaking the object is definitely not encouraged. But that’s exactly what we—a group of museum curators and conservators—did when this exquisite Greek black-glazed kantharos (wine cup) was temporarily removed from display during the reinstallation of the Getty Museum’s antiquities collection at the Getty Villa. One of just a handful of “rattling cups” that survive from the fifth and fourth centuries B.C., we wanted to learn more about how it was made.(1) Although we were eager to find out what was below the surface of the cup, we started by examining its exterior. The kantharos’s distinctive shape, with profiled lip, tall foot, and elegant, upward-sweeping handles, is characteristic of black-glazed pottery made in the second half of the fourth century B.C., and replicates the form of luxury vessels in metal. Although the cup is currently catalogued as South Italian, the shape—and its striking decoration—are also typical of Athenian manufacture, and it may in fact have been produced there.(2) During the fourth century B.C., Athenian pottery was both imported into southern Italy and imitated by local craftsmen. The best South Italian versions were meant to be difficult to distinguish from Athenian examples, and we are continuing to investigate where ours may have been made. A Greek inscription applied in gilt around the rim reads: ΚΑΣΤΟΡΠΟΛΥΔΕΥΙΚΕΣ (“KASTORPOLYDEUIKES”). Kastor and Polydeukes were twin sons of Zeus—known together as the Dioskouroi—and were worshipped as protectors of sailors, horsemen, and chariot racing.(3) The inscription indicates that the kantharos was dedicated to them, perhaps as thanks for—or in hope of—safe passage at sea or a successful race. The gold decoration supports this idea: because each brother split his time between Mt. Olympus and Hades, they were often represented by stars, depicted here beneath the cup’s rim. Further, the wreath, garlands, and bucrania (skulls of... Curators examined the cup: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - after removing it from the exhibit. - in the fourth century B.C. - while it was in the exhibit.
(A).
after removing it from the exhibit.
(Q).
WASHINGTON — Legal experts cast doubt Tuesday on a list of questions the special counsel purportedly wants to ask President Donald Trump, saying they would expect the veteran prosecutor to ask more and more pointed questions. The New York Times published the list of 44 questions it said special counsel Robert Mueller plans to pose to Trump as part of his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. The newspaper reported that the list was compiled by Trump's lawyers based on questions that were read to them by special counsel investigators. The largely open-ended questions range from queries about Trump's firing of former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former FBI director James Comey, to general inquiries into what Trump knew about alleged coordination between his 2016 presidential campaign and Russia. While the list reflects the general line of questioning the special counsel's investigation is believed to be focused on, legal experts said the questions published are not what Mueller — or any prosecutor for that matter — would ask an interview subject. "It doesn't sound like questions that a prosecutor would typically ask, unless it was just a very general information-gathering type of inquiry, and they'd not limit themselves to only those question and reserve the right to ask follow-up questions," said Eric Jaso, a partner at the Spiro Harrison law firm who served as an associate independent counsel during the Whitewater investigation of former President Bill Clinton. The questions, Jaso said, were likely written by Trump's own lawyers, based on a conversation with the special counsel about topics he wants to query. "If Mr. Mueller is going to interview the president, I suspect that he's going to ask rather pointed questions rather than having questions that would allow the president to basically give a narrative and potentially go far afield from the topics that they're trying to focus on," Jaso said. Paul Rosenzweig, an adjunct professor at the George Washington School of Law... How long was Comey in FBI director? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - four years - not enough information - two years - six years
(A).
four years
(Q).
SEOUL — The U.S. has indicated it is prepared to open the North Korean economy to significant private investment, if a nuclear deal can be reached. But even if economic restrictions were lifted, the restrictive and repressive state would likely still present a challenging environment for foreign investment. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday that if North Korean leader Kim Jong Un complies with what President Donald Trump has demanded, the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of North Korea, the United States would offer foreign investment “in spades” to build up the country’s infrastructure and develop its economy. “This will be Americans coming in, private sector Americans, not the U.S. taxpayer, private sector Americans coming in to help build out the energy grid. They need enormous amounts of electricity in North Korea; to work with them to develop infrastructure, all the things that the North Korean people need, the capacity for American agriculture to support North Korea, so they can eat meat and have healthy lives,” said Pompeo during an interview on the Fox News Sunday program. The Secretary of State recently returned from a trip to Pyongyang, where he meet with the North Korean leader to prepare for the upcoming Trump-Kim summit that will be held in Singapore on June 12. North Korea also released three American prisoners to Pompeo as a humanitarian gesture in advance of the summit. The Trump administration is increasingly optimistic it can work out an agreement to dismantle the North’s nuclear program, its advanced ballistic missile arsenal, and chemical weapons capabilities, so as to no longer threaten the U.S. or it is allies. During the recent North-South summit, Kim committed to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and indicated that he seeks an end to the severe U.S.-led sanctions banning 90 percent of North Korean trade that were imposed for his country’s repeated nuclear and missile tests. “They obviously want to make concessions, a lot of... Andrei Lankov probably believes: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Concessions will be made - Trump likes North Korea - not enough information - The talks will fail
(A).
| Concessions will be made | 8 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
(Question)
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill Thursday that would protect from arbitrary dismissal the special counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. The measure, backed by 10 Democrats and four Republicans, would codify Justice Department regulations that the special counsel can only be fired by the attorney general or a designee for "misconduct, dereliction of duty, incapacity, conflict of interest, or other good cause." The proposal would give the special counsel 10 days to challenge a dismissal in court. If a court determines the firing was not for "good cause," the special counsel would be reinstated. The measure would also require the Justice Department to notify Congress when a special counsel is appointed and to report the findings of an investigation. While marking a strong show of support for Special Counsel Robert Mueller who is under frequent attack by President Donald Trump and some Republicans, the bill is unlikely to become law in the face of Republican opposition. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said last week that Trump will not fire Mueller and that there was no need to bring the measure to the Senate floor for a vote. House Speaker Paul Ryan has also opposed the idea. The legislation was introduced by four Senators earlier this month after Trump's sharp criticism of an FBI raid on his personal lawyer's home and office rekindled fears that Trump may fire Mueller and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who supervises Mueller. Mueller is heading the federal investigation into Russia's electoral interference and possible collusion with the Trump presidential campaign. Trump has said there was no collusion and repeatedly denounced the probe as a "witch hunt." Despite his harsh criticism of the Special Counsel and the Justice Department, Trump has dismissed reports that he's privately talked about firing Mueller. He told the cable show Fox and Friends on Thursday that he'll "try and stay away" from the Justice Department, but "at some point, I... Who is conducting the investigation of Russian interference? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - McConnell - Mueller - not enough information - Rosenstein
(Answer)
Mueller
(Question)
Ok, this one is not missing a class but much better story IMO. When I was in middle school, if you didn’t have homework completed or goofed off in some way, teachers could make you stay after school for ‘after school help.’ It was essentially a mandatory study hall and if a teacher called you out, you had no choice in the matter. Now, I was in Biology class towards end of my middle school career and was sitting at one of those lab tables next to another student. We both had newspaper routes (yes, people actually delivered actual newspapers to people’s homes in the 1980s), so it would make us late for our deliveries if we were made to stay after school. This biology teacher would check our vocabulary assignment every week and I totally spaced it this week - Oh Crap! Now, my lab mate had most of his done, but just didn’t quite finish. Our teacher is working his way around the classroom checking assignments. So, he checks my lab partner, “well Scott, looks like you will be staying after school today.” This fellow student knew I didn’t have mine either, but also knew I was a pretty good student. I feel like I am sweating bullets and trembling as the teacher approaches me. In a near panic, I reach into my folder and pull out a prior week’s assignment. He looks it over and says “OK, good job” or something like that. Scott is looking at me in utter disbelief. Even funnier was the fact that this week’s assignment required 6–7 pages of paper to complete. The one I had blindly grabbed from folder had 2 pages, with barely anything in second page. It was totally obvious what I had done, but our teacher gave me a break that day. I managed to make it thru all three years without needing any ‘after school help!’ This was a large public school and they still paddled students if the infraction was serious enough. I know none of that is allowed these days, but those were both good deterrents for me!! What is probably true about John? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - He was tired most of the time - He was a responsible person and good student - not enough information - He was a bit irresponsible and an average student
(Answer)
He was a responsible person and good student
(Question)
Yes recently! I have joined a B-School recently. New friends, new syllabus, new place and new subjects! With all these new things, I got a new assignment which was supposed to be submitted in 3 days. Our teams were formed and we, together had to submit it. From dawn to dusk, we worked hard on that Economics project. I worked with each and every person in the group. I didn’t know how to plot a triple axis graph in excel, I learnt that day at 2 am. Our group also learnt many new things and we gave our 100% to that report. I, in my entire academic life, have never been careless towards the submission. I always submitted reports or assignments before time. Anyway, the submission day finally arrived. I had told one of the group members to print the report out and bind it and bring to the college with her. The lecture is scheduled at 2:00 pm. I called her for about 30 times asking where she was. She didn’t pick up any of our calls. There she entered the lecture hall at 2:07 pm and our professor being a strict one, rejected our project. Everything was washed out. Our efforts were washed away. What was the reason of she being late? Traffic! It's simple assumption that if you stay in a city like Mumbai, you at least leave your house 1–1.30 hours before. Being loyal is toxic sometimes. We all lost our individual credits for the subject plus the internals will get affected which is altogether different story. Guys, if you are working for a group of members, please please respect their hard work. Put yourself in their shoes snd imagine their hard work. Never ever mix your Professional commitments with personal problems. Peace! Who was late for the presentation? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - The other students in the class - The author - not enough information - The woman with the report
(Answer)
| The woman with the report | 6 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
(Question)
Eating less food at night time is sensible advice for someone trying to lose weight. The reason often given is that if eat you too much food at night, the body will store all those excess kilojoules as fat because we’re inactive until the next day. The reason sounds plausible, but if it was one hundred percent true then world hunger could be solved by just feeding people one meal at night time. What really matters is how much is eaten over days and weeks for weight gain or weight loss, not so much when it is eaten. There is merit though in advice to eat less at night time as it can help a person to cut back on the total quantity of food eaten. Eating lots of food in the evening can also be a marker for unhealthy dietary habits, especially if much of that extra food is going to fuel couch surfing exploits. So even though advice to eat less at night time seems logical, it hasn’t actually been well tested by science to see how effective it can be for losing weight. Filling this gap, a short-term study involving 29 healthy men looked at how 2 weeks of restricted night time eating fared against 2 weeks of ‘normal’ evening eating. Advice on restricting night eating was very clear: avoid any food or drink containing kilojoules between the hours of 7 pm and 6 am the next morning. No other changes to the participants’ diet or lifestyle was required so each person was free to eat whatever they wished during the day time hours until early evening. Twenty seven of the twenty nine people complied with following this advice for 2 weeks as well as the 2 week control period. Eating at night a waistline hazard So did people eat less when restricting night time eating? Yes, equal to 1000 kilojoules (about 250 Calories) per day less than during their normal eating pattern. This small energy difference was enough to see the men lose 0.4 kg over the 2 week restriction period, and gain 0.6 kg over the 2 week control period. What issue did the author want to address with participants of the study? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - to prove it doesn't matter when food is eaten, but it matters what type of foods are eaten - to change unhealthy dietary habits - To encourage men to get off the couch - not enough information
(Answer)
to prove it doesn't matter when food is eaten, but it matters what type of foods are eaten
(Question)
The U.S. has long had the unenviable distinction of holding the world's largest prison population, in part because of tough-on-crime policies enacted in the 1990s. But sentencing reforms passed in recent years appear to have made a dent, leading to declines in the population over the past eight years. A criminal justice reform organization reported Friday that in 2017, the U.S. prison population dropped below 1.5 million for the first time in more than a decade. The decline, according to the Washington-based Vera Institute for Justice, was driven by a sharp decrease in the number of inmates in federal prisons and decreases in several states with large prison populations. Total U.S. prison population dropped to 1,486,000 last year, a decline of nearly 16,000. The number of federal prisoners fell to 183,000, and the number of inmates in state prisons declined to 1.3 million, according to the report. (The overall figure does not include the more than 600,000 defendants held in local, state and federal jails.) The decline extended an eight-year downward trend in U.S. prison population that has been driven by federal and state sentencing reforms enacted over the past decade. But the Vera institute cautioned that it was unclear whether the trend would continue. "Whether criminal justice reform can continue to fuel this sustained decline in the prison population remains to be seen," said Jacob Kang-Brown, senior research associate at Vera. "We must continue to do the hard work, as advocates and agents of change, to ensure that all our communities feel the relief of decarceration." The report came as President Donald Trump called on Congress to pass legislation to help former inmates reintegrate into society and avoid going back to prison, as many do. "We want former inmates to find a path to success so they can support their families and support their communities," Trump said at a White House summit on prison reform attended by two state governors and Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law, who is spearheading... The senior research associate probably feels: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - that prison numbers will stagnate. - that prison numbers will increase. - not enough information - Skeptical about the prison decline trend continuing.
(Answer)
Skeptical about the prison decline trend continuing.
(Question)
I have another guest post for you today. This one comes from Selina from Beautystorm. Beautystorm are proudly the cheapest stockists of Dermalogica products in Australia and provide online skin consultations with their in house Skincare Therapists. Selina will be giving us advice on how to repair sun damaged skin. Whilst we are blessed to be living in such a sun drenched country, here in Australia, as a consequence the majority of us will have sun damaged skin. Here are Selina's tips to repair some of the damage: The severe, Australian suncauses a multitude of cases of serious skin damage every year. However, there are ways, to repair rough, dry, wrinkled skin that may also suffer from redness and brown spots. The very first step to reverse some of that skin damage is some gentle cleansing. Never wash the face with an ordinary bar of soap. This will make the situation worse and cause severe dry skin. In order to wash the sun-damaged skin effectively without causing further injury, use a gentle exfoliating facial cleanser. This will remove, not only dirt and oil, but also the top layer of dead skin cells, providing a nice glow. This will reveal fresh skin cells ready for treatment. After cleansing the skin, follow with a mud mask or a facial mask made specifically for skin that’s been damaged by the sun. The purpose of a mask is to draw out impurities in the skin while adding key ingredients like moisturisers and minerals back into the skin. After gently rinsing the purifying mask, a lotion, cream or serum containing key ingredients should be applied to the skin. The difference between the three is that a lotion is best for daytime use, worn under makeup or for those prone to breakouts. Creams are considered heavier and best used at night or for those with dry skin. Serums are usually highly concentrated formulas that can be used day or night, but a little goes a long way. Those with the most severe sun damaged skin should use them. When will fresh skin cells ready for treatment occur when cleansing skin? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - after using water - after using a gentle exfoliating facial cleanser - after using soap
(Answer)
| after using a gentle exfoliating facial cleanser | 6 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Ques: WHITE HOUSE — U.S. President Donald Trump told a group of Republican lawmakers at a meeting Tuesday he backs a pair of their immigration bills under consideration in the House of Representatives. The meeting came as criticism continued over the Trump administration's policy of separating children from their parents and other adults at the southern border with Mexico as they illegally enter the United States. In his remarks to lawmakers, according to White House principal deputy press secretary Raj Shah, Trump "endorsed both House immigration bills that build the wall, close legal loopholes, cancel the visa lottery, curb so-called "chain migration," and solve the border crisis and family separation issue by allowing for family detention and removal." Republican Rep. Mark Meadows said Trump told the lawmakers they need to get something done on immigration "right away." House Homeland Security chairman Michael McCaul described the meeting with Trump as excellent, and confirmed that the president embraced the bill he and Congressman Bob Goodlatte are pushing. "The president is a thousand percent behind it," McCaul said. Asked whether the legislation would end the family separations, he responded, "They will not be separated if the bill passes," which he explained includes $18 billion for a border wall Trump desires. The House is set to vote later in the week on the two bills. It is not clear that either piece of legislation has enough votes to win passage. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday "all of the members of the Republican conference support a plan that keeps families together," adding he intends to ask Democrats to support the measure. In a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Tuesday, 28 percent of people said they support the policy, while 57 percent opposed it and the other 15 percent said they did not know. Trump administration officials have defended the policy. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen pushed back at the negative media coverage in a Monday briefing, asserting... How long was the meeting on Tuesday? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Minutes - not enough information - An hour - Several hours
Ans: An hour
Ques: Sondra arrived at 1:00 PM sharp. Billy-Eye's Arcade and Dance Barn was located on Highway 87, north of town. She was not impressed. It was nothing but a huge commercial metal building with the name painted in big lettering across the front. There were about fifteen cars in the small gravel parking lot--mostly older models like hers. She walked in, and saw a line of people standing at a closed office door. Clearly, they were band members waiting to register for an audition. A couple of the guys had their electric guitars strapped on their backs. Sondra was quite familiar with Billy-Eye and his two sons. She'd eaten her share of Buttard Biscuits growing up. And she still remembered the time in high school when Craig walked up to her in the hallway and asked her for a date. She had nearly laughed in his face. He was just a kid--three grades below her. A couple of years later, when she found out about his reputation as a stud, she wished she had accepted his offer. She would have given the little punk the ride of his life. While she was still thinking about Craig, the office door opened, and he walked out. He glanced at the long line of rockers. "Okay, we're about to get started, Guys." Then he spotted Sondra at the back of the line. The blonde six-footer was not easy to miss. "Sondra Crench? Is that you?" He walked up to her. "How are you, Craig?" "Well, I'm impressed that you remember me. So, you're here to sign up?" "Yeah." He checked out the young men standing in front of her. "Are these guys with you?" "No." "Well, where's your band?" "I'm working on it." "Follow me." She hesitated. There were at least thirty people in front of her in line. "Come on," he insisted. She followed him into the office. What is Sondra probably going to do for her audition? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Sing - dance - not enough information - play a guitar
Ans: Sing
Ques: I saw one last night on an episode of Designated Survivor. To qualify this, I’m not normally bothered by product placements. Sometimes they can even add to the scene. But this one was bad, really bad. Agent is busy hunting for baddies. Finishes questioning one naughty person who climbs in his Ford F150 and speeds off. So far, so good - it is the sort of vehicle a country-living billionaire bad-guy would drive. The agent then pulls out her phone and… Move to close up of phone screen showing Ford app already loaded (and screen unlocked!). Agent slowly moves finger to app. Does something. Pause as app does fancy graphics. Cut to car interior. Shot of dash, showing Ford logo on steering wheel. It’s bright blue - are they not normally grey or more subtle? Pause for a second… Zoom in on dash. Dash light up. Car starts. Show pretty dash lights for a second or so. Cut to agent Agent walks to car, gets in drives off. Lingering shot of rear of car. It was just so clumsy. Massive halt to the flow of the scene to show it. In most films you never see anyone starting cars, putting on seatbelts or similar unless this is part of the plot because it’s unnecessary and not interesting to watch. I sort of expected the remote start function to have some sort of relevance later… but no, it was totally ignored. Added to that: There was no password or security on her phone - and this is an agent investigating super secret stuff. If you don’t show her unlocking the phone, why show her lovingly prodding the app? They are as relevant. She unlocked and started the car while she was 20–30 paces away, on the grounds of a suspect ranch. Someone could easily have jumped in the car. Not very security conscious. The agent pulled out her phone Pick the correct answer from the following options: - after the naughty person climbed in his Ford F150 and sped off - before the naughty person climbed in his Ford F150 and sped off - at the same time that the naughty person climbed in his Ford F150 as sped off - not enough information
Ans: | after the naughty person climbed in his Ford F150 and sped off | 7 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Ques:Macy Golong peeked into Mallie Mae's room and was not surprised to see her sleeping. Elmo's mother rarely stayed up past 10:00 PM, and it was nearly 11:00. She closed the door and started to go back to her room across the hall. She was halfway through a romance novel. But Hadley's delicious oatmeal raisin cookies were calling to her. She walked down the stairs to the kitchen and put a few cookies on a plate. Then she poured a glass of milk. She wondered what Elmo was doing. Was he in the Media Room with Carsie? Their Media Room? Before Elmo and Carsie got together, Elmo and Macy used to spend hours almost every night in that room. Some nights he had almost kissed her. She left her milk and cookies on the kitchen counter and went down another flight of stairs, which came out in the Recreation Room. Macy could hear the sound of the TV coming from Media Room. She tiptoed to the open doorway and peeked in. There she was--that conniving slut--sitting where Macy should have been. How could Elmo have replaced her like that? She thought he had been falling in love with her. How could she have been so wrong? But it could still happen--if that woman would just go away. Elmo said, "Yeah. So, beginning Monday there will be two doctors in the office. That should take a little pressure off. If I need to be out for a day or two, Dr. Edwards can fill in for me." "Yeah, or if you need to take off a week for a trip to Hawaii with your beautiful new wife." Carsie gave him a sexy smile. "That's right. Dr. Ernie will take care of everything while I'm gone." "Dr. Ernie?" "Yeah. I asked if he would mind being called 'Dr. Ernie'. His name is Ernest, but I thought 'Dr. Ernie' would fit in well with the Sesame Street theme of my office." "So the two of you are Drs. Elmo and Ernie?" "Yep." What did Macy think about Carsie? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - That she made delicious cookies. - That she was falling in love with her. - That she was a conniving, back-stabbing slut. - not enough information
Ans:That she was a conniving, back-stabbing slut.
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Ques:SEOUL — South Korea is looking into developing and financing economic projects with North Korea that could take effect if a nuclear deal is reached with the United States. South Korean Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon said on Wednesday the government was “internally carrying out preparations” to organize, finance and implement possible inter-Korea projects. But he also emphasized that Seoul would first seek support from the international community for any North Korean development projects, and would only proceed if the U.S. -North Korea summit, expected to be held in late May or June, produces a joint denuclearization agreement. North Korea is under tough sanctions imposed by the U.N. Security Council for its nuclear weapons and missiles tests, including accelerated efforts in the last two years to develop a long-range nuclear missile that could potentially target the U.S. mainland. The international sanctions ban an estimated 90 percent of the country’s external trade. Seeking sanctions relief is considered a key motivating factor in North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s diplomatic pivot this year to suspend further provocative missile and nuclear tests, and to engage in talks to dismantle his nuclear arsenal. But easing sanctions would make it more difficult to enforce the North’s denuclearization promises. “Once the sanctions are lifted, North Korea will gain autonomy over its trade, and considering its low labor costs and skilled workforce, I think the North Korean economy would gain power again,” said Shin Beom-chul, the director of Center for Security and Unification at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul. U.S. President Donald Trump has insisted he will keep sanctions in place until North Korea completely dismantles its nuclear program. South Korea, however, is considering a range of economic incentives to encourage Kim to follow through on a nuclear deal with Trump. But these investments are prohibited by the U.N. sanctions and would require a Security Council exemption to proceed. At the recent... At the end of the Summit Kim Jung un will: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Increase his standing with the North Koreans. - not enough information - Increase business to his country. - Look like he is a great deal maker.
Ans:Increase business to his country.
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Ques:WASHINGTON — Republicans in the U.S. House of Representative plan to hold a vote next week on an immigration bill despite Trump urging them Friday to abandon efforts to pass legislation until after the mid-term elections. Even if the Republicans — who have a majority in both the House and Senate — approve a bill, it faces almost certain defeat in the upper chamber where Democrats hold enough seats to prevent Republicans, even if they all vote together, from reaching the 60 votes needed for passage. Earlier in the week, the president had called for Congress to quickly approve sweeping immigration legislation. But in a Friday tweet the president said, "Republicans should stop wasting their time on Immigration until after we elect more Senators and Congressmen/women in November. Dems are just playing games, have no intention of doing anything to solves this decades old problem. We can pass great legislation after the Red Wave!" Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican representing a majority Hispanic district in the state of Florida, who is not running for re-election, termed the president's tweets "schizoid policy making." Another retiring lawmaker, Republican Congressman Mark Sanford of South Carolina, a frequent Trump critic who recently lost his primary election, said Trump's reversal sends "a horrifically chilling signal" that "makes immigration reform that much more unlikely." On Saturday, California Democratic Senator Kamala Harris spoke in Otay Mesa, a community in San Diego, at a rally for revised immigration policies. "This is a fight born out of knowing who we are and fighting for the ideals of our country," she said. Harris spoke after touring a detention facility and speaking with several mothers. Trump's call for Congress to postpone action came as House Republican leaders failed to garner enough support for two bills that would overhaul U.S. immigration laws and bolster border security. A hard-line measure authored by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte failed to pass on... After the end of the story President Trump is probably Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Has retired from public life - not enough information - Still in office - Has been re-elected
Ans: | Still in office
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Q: Lancôme Juicy Tubes changed my life. Ok, well that’s a slight exaggeration but it was the first high-end make-up item that I ever bought and it made me feel like I was really getting somewhere. I’d got a good job, was in the process of buying my own house and I could afford to buy premium beauty products. I chose a transparent lemon yellow gloss with tiny flecks of iridescent glitter in, and over the following months I treated myself to several other Juicy Tube variants including a shimmery nude gloss called Pamplemousse which I wore on nights out for years (incidentally Pamplemousse is still going!). Fast forward several (ahem…) years and Juicy Tubes are still going strong, but there’s a new member of the Juicy family vying for attention – the Juicy Shaker.*. Another lip product, this one is a nourishing tinted lip oil which acts a bit like a gloss, and I was sent two of the new shades to try out – Piece of Cake and Show Me The Honey. Juicy Shakers are a bi-phase nourishing lip oil, when the product is allowed to settle the pigment falls to the bottom and the oil rises to the top, giving a split effect. Then you need to shake the bottle to mix the two layers together, giving the product it’s name. The ingredients include sweet almond oil, omega 3 and cranberry oil and really help care for your lips unlike most other glosses. Show Me The Honey is a nude coral shade, it looks rather orange and scary in the bottle but in reality it’s much more of a gentle shade. Piece of Cake is a damson pink, and again looks much darker in the bottle. I found that Piece of Cake matches almost exactly with the natural colour of my lips so it’s perfect for when I want my make-up to look really pared back with glossy supple natural looking lips. How long does it probably take the author to apply her makeup in the morning? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - probably about 3 hours - not enough information - probably about a half hour - probably about 2 hours
A: probably about a half hour
Q: I was 35 weeks pregnant when I had my stroke. For weeks prior to the event I kept experiencing ‘visual disturbances.’ I felt when I was reading a newspaper or book a sense that my eyes were crossing. I’d feel aware right before it would occur and I would rush to look in a mirror only to discover my eyes were not crossing. I informed my OB who blamed it on the blood vessels in my eyes enlarging due to pregnancy. Ummm ok. You know more than me. Later I was told by a surgeon what I was experiencing was ‘textbook’ for the passing of blood clots through my occipital area of the brain! The feeling would eventually subside. I awoke one morning feeling ‘kind of fuzzy’ headed. Like I had slept too hard. I sat with my husband at the kitchen table for our morning coffee and newspaper and for no reason I could imagine I was unable to swallow my coffee and it dribbled out the left side of my mouth. My husband asked me what was going on and I apparently told him, I was ‘stroking’ out. He got up from the table assuming I was OK and went off to take his morning shower. While in the shower it occurred to him something might not be right. He came back to the table where I was struggling to lift myself from the chair. I put my hands on the table to lift my body and my left hand kept sliding off the edge. He finally got behind me and tried to lift me under my arms and I crumbled to the floor. He then called my OB and told him he thought I’d had a stroke. My OB immediately expressed his doubt but my husband was advised to call an ambulance to get me to the ER. I never really experienced pain from the stroke. How far along in pregnancy was she when she had her stroke? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - almost ready to have baby - not enough information - weeks before having the baby - 35 weeks
A: 35 weeks
Q: Not exactly. I have no problem with divorce since, as others have stated, everyone has their reasons, however there was one person that I dated briefly but upon hearing the reason why he divorced I opted to end the relationship. I remember, we were having brunch and were talking about our past relationships and what happened. He brought up his marriage. I had previously known his divorce but, up until this point, not the reasoning. He told me, straight out, that he had cheated. Now, cheating in itself is one thing. I try not to judge since everyone has a past and I was never always innocent myself, however his attitude about it was what was very off-putting to me. He didn’t seem remotely fazed by what he was telling me at all. There he was, spreading jelly on his toast as he told me about all the women he had cheated on his wife with. He told me about how it had started with a secretary (talk about cliches!) and then graduated to trysts in motels with girls off Tinder all with the same amount of casualness as someone describing how to make an omelette! And when he finally finished the tale of his cheating adventures I asked him if he regretted cheating on his wife with so many women, His answer? “Oh Definitely.” Oh good! So at least he regrets his actions, right? Or he’s at least a little sorry about it> Wrong. “One of the reasons I regret not divorcing her sooner. Had I divorced her sooner, I wouldn’t have to have cheated on her so much. But it is what it is and, well, I was unhappy.” I have no problems with divorced men. I can forgive a man who has cheated in his past. But a man who had no problems cheating so frivolously and, in all honestly, would likely do it again without problems? Nope, not for me. The women in the text probably feels. Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Intrigued. - Happy. - not enough information - Annoyed.
| A: Annoyed. | 2 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Question: NOT A PROBLEM: Person A: I was really surprised to learn that your mum used to live in Wales. Person B: My mum? No, she never did that. You must be thinking of someone else. Person A: No, I’m not. I told her how my parents are from Cardiff and she said she’d lived in Newport until she was 18. Person B: She did not. Person A: Yes, she did. Person B: Nope. She’d have told me. Person A: Well, where do you think she grew up, then? Person B: In Yorkshire, of course. Like the rest of us. Person A: You’re wrong, you know. Person B: Bet I’m not. Person A: OK, well, I’m going to phone her and ask her. You’ll see. PROBLEM: Person C: You still have my Kindle. Person D: I do not. I gave it back to you two weeks ago. Person C: No, you didn’t. You said you were going to, but you never actually gave it to me. Person D: I did. I remember. It was when we were having lunch in Starbucks. Person C: No, that’s when you said you’d left it in your car and would get it when we’d finished eating but then you forgot all about it. Person D: Look, I gave it back to you. I think you’re just trying to get a new Kindle out of me, and let me tell you: it ain’t gonna work. Person C: You’re just trying to keep my Kindle for yourself. Well, I’m not going to let you get away with it. I’m going to tell your mum, so there. It really depends whether the parents are in a position to shed any light on the contentious issue or if involving them would just make an awkward situation worse. If parental input will be helpful, welcome the chance to confer with them; if it won’t, let the other person do what they will and trust your parents to have more sense than to get involved in a purely private argument. Who was person A going to call? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Person B's son - Person B's mum - not enough information - Person B's dad
Answer: Person B's mum
Question: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered a thinly veiled criticism of China, even while insisting on closer relations with Beijing, during a speech Friday in Singapore. Speaking at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue defense conference, Modi called for the Indo-Pacific region to embrace freedom of navigation, territorial integrity, and respect for all nations, regardless of their size. "We will promote a democratic and rules-based international order in which all nations, small and large, count as equal and sovereign," the Indian prime minister said. "We will work with others to keep our seas, space and airways free and open." While those comments did not specifically mention China, Modi's remarks are seen as a reference to Beijing's increasingly assertive behavior toward its smaller neighbors in disputed areas of the South China Sea. Modi also implicitly criticized the United States. He slammed growing protectionism, presumably a reference to recent tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. He also said nations should keep their commitments — a possible reference to Trump's decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal. India has grown close with the U.S., especially as China projects its growing military power beyond its shores. The U.S.-India relationship, Modi said, "has resumed new significance in the changing world." An important aspect of that partnership is "a shared vision of an open, stable, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific," he added. For decades, India has embraced a non-aligned status, which means it does not choose sides between world powers. In keeping with that position, Modi warned against a "return to great power rivalries." The Indian prime minister also insisted that "Asia and the world will have a better future when India and China work together in trust and confidence, sensitive to each other's interests." India is the world's largest democracy. It has the world's seventh-largest economy. Within a decade, it is expected to pass China to become the world's most populous country. After the end of the conference, India probably is: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - expected to become more powerful than China - expected to become the world's most populous country - not enough information - expected to send warships to the South China Sea
Answer: expected to become the world's most populous country
Question: Everybody knew Shandor Marley's mother liked to spend more time flirting with serial killers than she did taking care of things at home. So when her son went round with an air rifle popping his neighbours like they were allotment pigeons, they figured all the boy really needed was a bit of attention. Shandor finally flipped one day after finding out the inbred farm boys who made his life hell most days were in fact his half-brothers. He returned home to confront his mother only to find her pritt-sticking press cuttings of the Mad Killer into a brand new scrapbook and seemingly not in the least bit concerned by her son's unexpected discovery. Luckily Shandor's shooting spree didn't do too much damage beyond putting one of his so-called new father's eyes out, which could be considered doubly unfortunate given as the so-called new father in question owned the old byre Shandor and his mother called home. After Shandor had spent enough time shut away in borstal with the kind of kids who would've sent his mother all weak at the knees, he went straight home half-expecting the byre to be boarded up with a blu-tacked note saying she was lugging her stupid arse to Texas to spring her latest psycho boyfriend from his cell on death row. Shandor was thinking how much that excuse would sit well with her as he scuffed up the stone track to the byre with a black bin-bag of belongings and a sunburned arm across his forehead to shield himself from the glare. The place looked pretty much the same as he remembered it, only three years worse off. The strip of grass outside the back door was parched yellow and paint peeled around the blown-out windows. He had a hand on the door before he knew for sure it was still lived-in. He flapped thunderbugs off his forearm and creaked open the door. The kitchen stank of stale cigarettes and the dregs of spirit bottles. Shandor was probably in jail for: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - a month - a week - not enough information - a few days
Answer: | a week | 3 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
WHITE HOUSE — "The United States will not be a migrant camp and it will not be a refugee holding facility," President Donald Trump vowed Monday amid growing outrage over his administration forcibly separating children from parents at the U.S. border with Mexico. Trump, speaking in the White House East Room during a National Space Council meeting, warned that "what's happening in Europe … we can't allow that to happen to the United States — not on my watch." Earlier in the day, on the Twitter social media platform, the president inaccurately linked migration in Germany to a rising crime rate. In actuality, the latest German government statistics show reported crimes at the lowest level in 30 years. Tough border enforcement in the U.S. has led to the family breakups, with nearly 2,000 children being sent to mass detention centers or foster care from mid-April to the end of May, according to government officials. The regular White House briefing was delayed several times Monday amid the furor as officials huddled with Trump in the West Wing. Press Secretary Sarah Sanders finally introduced Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen after 5 p.m., and she defended the administration's "zero-tolerance" policy that is breaking up families at the southwestern U.S. border. Nielsen forcefully pushed back at the negative media coverage, asserting that what U.S. authorities are doing is properly enforcing the law. "What has changed is that we no longer exempt entire classes of people who break the law," she said. Asked about critics accusing the administration of using children as "pawns" to demand legislative actions from Congress, the DHS secretary replied, "I say that is a very cowardly response," adding it is clearly within Congress' power "to make the laws and change the laws. They should do so." Trump's Republican party controls both chambers in Congress, and the family border policies were set by his administration. In a tweet displaying photographs of a detention facility, showing children... Who defends Trump's 'zero-tolerance' policy? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - Kristjen Nielson - Press Secretary Sarah Sanders - Tim Kaine
Kristjen Nielson
The address I had been given was a flophouse called Casa Salvador in the scummy side of downtown, the part where the city's redevelopment (read: "gentrification") efforts hadn't yet managed to drive out the sundry undesirable elements. I walked inside past the front lobby. I could tell the desk manager wanted to hassle me, but he was too busy arguing with a middle-aged peroxide-blonde woman in a leopard-print top. Her skin was leathery and weather beaten, and I guessed she was the type who was actually a good ten years younger than she looked. I made my way up the narrow staircase that smelled of urine and bleach, going all the way to the third floor. I continued down the dimly lit hallway, past a series of closed doors that muffled the sounds of women faking moans of pleasure. Room 313 was down at the far end of the hall, and its door was already slightly ajar. I knocked anyways, but there was no answer. Pushing the door open just enough to poke my head in, I called, "Hello? Is anybody in there?" There was no response, so I went in and felt along the wall for the light switch. A single weak bulb came on, lighting up the tiny, sparse room with a dim yellow glow. The room was about 8 feet by 8 feet, and the only furniture was a dingy, unmade bed and a metal foot locker. There were no windows, no closet, and no bathroom. As I stepped all the way in, I noticed a wooden baseball bat propped up beside the door. My watch said 6:20 - twenty minutes late for the interview. I sat on the edge of the bed to wait, hoping that maybe my contact had just stepped out momentarily. After a few minutes, a phone started ringing out in the hallway. I let it ring six times with no one answering before I decided to get it - partly in the off chance it was my contact, but mostly out of morbid curiosity as to what kind of business someone would have calling this dump. Who was he meeting for the interview? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - A man named Salvador. - A middle-aged woman. - not enough information - A desk manager.
not enough information
Manny had Bob Marley cranking on the stereo, his van was full of passengers, and the air conditioning was working after a long week of giving him trouble. The sun beat down on the wet-looking asphalt road that ran along the harbor, next to the concrete waterfront. It curved along in front of the brightly colored Dutch Colonial warehouses of Charlotte Amalie, which were now converted restaurants and jewel shops. Tourists in day-glo shirts and daubs of sunscreen rubbed over peeling skin crowded both sides of the waterfront road. Manny slowed somewhat, keeping an eye on them. On the sidewalk by the shops a tall black man stood by a food cart. The hand-painted wooden sign hanging from the cart's side had faded letters. The man wore a grand suit with tails, like an orchestra conductor, and a top hat perched on his shaved head. A cigar burned in his mouth. For a brief second he held Manny's attention. Then the food cart's owner stepped forward and the strangely dressed man disappeared. Manny looked at the other side of the road. A white girl with oval shaped sunglasses and pink leather pants stepped off the sidewalk into the road in front of his van. He slammed on the brakes, trying to dodge her, but the van couldn't respond that fast. Her ponytail flew up towards the windshield and her head struck the star-shaped hood ornament. She bounced along the asphalt. Manny weaved the van to a stop, with swearing from the passengers in the back. He opened the door and stepped out into the heat. Get up, stand up, the radio cried out, and that was what Manny hoped would happen. He hoped that she would at least just stir and be okay. But she just lay there. What is Manny's job? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Taxi driver - Bus driver - Ambulance driver - not enough information
| not enough information | 0 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Have you ever sat around and thought about how you’d create your dream kitchen if you had the chance? Well, we are on the verge of a move (whenever the house sells, we’ll move), and I keep thinking that I need to sit down and write a list of our “would likes” and our “must haves.” That way, when we are house hunting, we’ll already know what we’re looking for. For a chance to win an Un Amore custom-designed KitchenAid Stand Mixer from PartSelect, I have been thinking about the top three “would likes” for our new kitchen and decided to check out what KitchenAid has to offer! I discovered three appliances that would change our reality kitchen into a dream kitchen. We have two young boys that will change into tweens and teens before we know it. Big Brother has always been a good eater, open to trying just about anything we put in front of him. However, discovering that he actually does have some control over what he does, he’s lately turned up his nose on occasion. Little Brother is exactly like me when I was young. He turns his nose up at just about anything. Although he did just spend a week with his grandparents and decided he would eat and make up for lost meals…and make me out to be a liar! Anyway, I keep reminding myself as I find myself challenged at mealtimes, that soon enough, they’ll be eating us out of house and home. So, one of the larger dream kitchen appliances I’d like in our home would be a double oven! I just think it’d come in really handy when trying to keep up with their metabolism down the road! When you’re preparing a lot of food, you’re typically buying a lot of products, and the garbage and recycling bins fill up faster than ever as well. The second dream kitchen appliance I wouldn’t mind having would be the KitchenAid Trash Compactor, reducing our use of garbage bags and trips to the outside dumpster. Plus, I think I’d like not having to smell the garbage all the time! The author wrote this Essay Pick the correct answer from the following options: - After winning the KitchenAid Stand Mixer - not enough information - Before anything else - After selling their house
Before anything else
U.S. voters head to the polls in November for a high-stakes congressional midterm election in which Republican control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate appears to be in jeopardy. The outcome of the elections could have a profound impact on U.S. President Donald Trump as well, and the president is starting to take notice. At a recent campaign-style rally in Washington, Michigan, Trump turned up the heat on opposition Democrats: "A vote for a Democrat in November is a vote for open borders and crime. It's very simple," he said. Opinion polls give Democrats an edge looking ahead to the balloting in November, and Trump is trying to get his supporters excited about turning out at the polls. "You know what it is? You get complacent," he said. "We cannot be complacent. We have to go out, right?" The president also told supporters not to pay attention to Democrats who insist they have the House all but won in November. "We've got to go out and we've got to fight like hell and we have got to win the House and win the Senate," Trump told the audience. "And I think we are going to do great in the Senate and I think we are going to do great in the House because the economy is so good." According to the website RealClearPolitics, the Democrats enjoy a generic ballot advantage of nearly 7 percentage points over the Republicans looking ahead to November. RealClearPolitics averaged several recent polls and found that 45.6 percent of those surveyed said they would support Democratic congressional candidates in November, compared with 38.9 percent who said they would vote for Republicans. Analysts see the generic ballot as a key indicator of party strength heading into the midterms. Historically, the president's party usually loses congressional seats two years after winning the White House.The losses are usually worse if the president's public approval rating is under 50 percent. Trump's approval has recently averaged about 41 percent. After the end of this story, did Trump probably: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - Keep the same amount of congress seats - Gain congress seats - Lose congress seats
Lose congress seats
I have another guest post for you today. This one comes from Selina from Beautystorm. Beautystorm are proudly the cheapest stockists of Dermalogica products in Australia and provide online skin consultations with their in house Skincare Therapists. Selina will be giving us advice on how to repair sun damaged skin. Whilst we are blessed to be living in such a sun drenched country, here in Australia, as a consequence the majority of us will have sun damaged skin. Here are Selina's tips to repair some of the damage: The severe, Australian suncauses a multitude of cases of serious skin damage every year. However, there are ways, to repair rough, dry, wrinkled skin that may also suffer from redness and brown spots. The very first step to reverse some of that skin damage is some gentle cleansing. Never wash the face with an ordinary bar of soap. This will make the situation worse and cause severe dry skin. In order to wash the sun-damaged skin effectively without causing further injury, use a gentle exfoliating facial cleanser. This will remove, not only dirt and oil, but also the top layer of dead skin cells, providing a nice glow. This will reveal fresh skin cells ready for treatment. After cleansing the skin, follow with a mud mask or a facial mask made specifically for skin that’s been damaged by the sun. The purpose of a mask is to draw out impurities in the skin while adding key ingredients like moisturisers and minerals back into the skin. After gently rinsing the purifying mask, a lotion, cream or serum containing key ingredients should be applied to the skin. The difference between the three is that a lotion is best for daytime use, worn under makeup or for those prone to breakouts. Creams are considered heavier and best used at night or for those with dry skin. Serums are usually highly concentrated formulas that can be used day or night, but a little goes a long way. Those with the most severe sun damaged skin should use them. After the story ends, what do you think readers purchase? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - soap - candles - exfoliating facial cleanser
| exfoliating facial cleanser | 0 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Ques:Earlier this week, @naval (CEO and co-founder of AngelList) asked a question on Twitter: "The challenge of the next decade is not Artificial Intelligence, but Human Intelligence. Can we retrain the workforce as knowledge workers?"" At the heart of his question is an interesting observation. As automation and artificial intelligence replaces manual jobs, how do we retrain people in the new knowledge economy where information handling and management is in high demand? I thought I would share some experiences, observations, and recommendations based upon when I did this previously in my career. Back in 2004 I was peddling my wares as a journalist, writing for the tech press. I was living in the West Midlands in England and heard about a new organization in nearby Birmingham called OpenAdvantage. The premise was neat: open source was becoming a powerful force in technology and OpenAdvantage was set up to provide free consultancy for companies wanting to harness open source, as well as individuals who wanted to upskill in these new technologies. At the time in the West Midlands lots of industry was being automated and moved out to Asia, so lots of Midlanders were out of jobs and looking to retrain. This required, by definition, retaining the workforce as knowledge workers. OpenAdvantage was funded by the UK government and the University of Central England, had a decent war chest, and was founded by Scott Thompon and Paul Cooper (the latter of which I met when he heckled me at a talk I gave at a Linux User Group once. 🙂 ) So, I went along to their launch event and wrote a piece about them. Shortly after, Paul and Scott invited me back over to the office and offered me a job there as an open source consultant. I took the role, and this is where I cut my teeth on a lot of open source, community, and working with businesses. We had crazy targets to hit each month, so we ended up working with and training hundreds of organizations and individuals across a wide range of areas, and covering a wide berth of open source... What job did the writer take with OpenAdvantage? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - Linex user - automation expert - open source consultant
Ans:open source consultant
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Ques:In the cosmic scheme of things, this was relatively minor. But very annoying. I had met a woman. Actually, at 19, she was still a girl. I lived in Pittsburgh. She lived in London, Ontario. She was, to put it bluntly, hotter than hell. On top of that, she’s one of the sweetest, nicest people you were ever going to meet. Needless to say, I was quite smitten, and quickly arranged to spend a week in London with her. When I showed up, she was wearing very interesting pajamas. At least for a few minutes. Unfortunately, my two cats, who had never spent a night in my home without me being there, were, less than impressed when I didn’t show up by 5 PM the day I left, despite having arranged for one of my parents to come over each day to feed them and make sure they had water, etc. Playing with them was optional, but neither would show themselves during that week. Nothing looked amiss on the first floor to Mom or Dad. The food was eaten, the water, apparently drunk, etc. When I got home and went upstairs I found something quite different. There was a trail of toilette paper strewn all over the hallway. My pillow was in the bedroom door and shredded. My alarm clock was on the floor. The power cord had been pulled from the wall and chewed through. There were several…uhmmm… “presents” in the middle of the bed, where they had pulled the sheets back. Some of them were still wet. I figure that trip cost me somewhere in the neighborhood of $1k to repair the damage. So I did what any 24 year old would do when faced with that situation. I cleaned up, went to bed, and went back to London a few weeks later. But I cat proofed the house first. (Yes, they still lived with me for another 12 years before passing away.) Like I said, she was wearing very interesting pajamas when I got to London. At least for a few minutes. Where did the cats go potty? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - in London - on the bed - on the lower floor
Ans:on the bed
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Ques:The air exploded in a flash of bone and steel and blood. The clash of metal rang through the forest. An arrow pierced through the darkness, its barbed head tearing through flesh and muscle. A roar echoed off of the mountains far to the west. A cry broke through soon after. Then silence. Char stood over a pile of black fur and red blood. He held a curved sword, jagged half way down the wide blade and hilted in bone. He held a large thick bow in the other. Lorfel and Ranur stood behind him, panting. Lorfel, a short man of twenty six held a large axe in both hands and still prepared to swing it hard. Ranur, the largest of the three held a pike in one hand, its tip hanging low towards the ground. He buried his other hand in his gray tunic. "Did it get either of you?" Char's voice rasped low in the silence of the night. "No" Lorfel said. He planted his axe head on the ground with a thud and leaned on the tall handle. There was a pause. Char turned towards Ranur. "Are you hurt?" "Mm...My hand." Ranur took his hand out of his tunic. Moonlight gleamed red off of the ragged wound. Char thought he saw a glimmer of bone. "Did he claw you or bite you?" Char's voice held an urgency that set both Lorfel and Ranur on edge. Ranur paused and then spoke low. "He bit me." Char picked Lorfel and Ranur as his hunting partners for their speed and sharpness in battle. They had hunted beasts of the deep woods all of their lives. They hunted the beasts that hunted men. They all knew the risks of battling such creatures. The old man dropped his curved sword, drew his bow, and fired. The arrow hammered into Ranur's chest, burying itself in his heart. Lorfel saw the gleaming arrow head sticking almost a foot out of his companion's back. Ranur fell face first to the ground. Why was Ranur the one who was hurt? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - He was targeted by the beasts - He is the slowest of the three - He didn't see the arrow coming - not enough information
Ans: | not enough information
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(Question)
The political landscape in the United States looks a bit different in the wake of Tuesday's Senate election victory by Democrat Doug Jones in Alabama. In an outcome few could have imagined several weeks ago, Jones defeated controversial Republican candidate Roy Moore, who had the backing of President Donald Trump. In the wake of Jones' victory, Democrats are more confident about success in next year's congressional midterm elections, and Republicans are looking for a way to rebound. Late Tuesday, Jones paid tribute to the voters and staffers who supported him in his longshot victory over Moore. "This campaign has been about common courtesy and decency and making sure everyone in this state, regardless of which ZIP code you live in, is going to get a fair shake in life!" he told supporters. Moore was unable to overcome allegations of sexual misconduct stemming back decades involving several women who were teenagers at the time while Moore was in his 30s. Moore stopped short of conceding the race, however, saying, "We have been painted in an unfavorable and unfaithful light. We have been put in a hole, if you will, and it reminds me of a [Bible] passage in Psalms 40, 'I waited patiently for the Lord.' That is what we have got to do." Moore had the full backing of the president in the final days of the campaign after Trump initially held back his endorsement in the wake of the allegations against Moore. The president responded Wednesday to questions at the White House about the Alabama race and said that he had hoped for a different result. "I wish we would have gotten the seat. A lot of Republicans feel differently. They are very happy with the way it turned out," he said. "But as the leader of the party, I would have liked to have the seat. I want to endorse the people who are running." Jones won in large part because of a strong Democratic turnout, especially by African-Americans. Moore was hurt by a depressed Republican turnout and a write-in campaign that drained away votes. Why did Moore quote the bible? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - he wants to appear more likable - he is deeply religious - he is playing to his base - not enough information
(Answer)
he wants to appear more likable
(Question)
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear agreement is not expected to derail diplomatic momentum to reach a deal to end North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, but it could complicate the negotiation process, analysts say. Trump on Tuesday announced that the United States is ending its participation in the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for Tehran limiting its nuclear program, and would re-impose U.S. economic sanctions on Iran. The agreement was negotiated by the administration of Trump’s predecessor, President Barack Obama, and involved five other world powers; Great Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia. Trump’s National Security Adviser John Bolton said the U.S. decision to re-impose sanctions on Iran will set a higher standard for North Korea nuclear talks by sending, “a very clear signal that the United States will not accept inadequate deals.” The U.S. policy reversal on Iran should not seriously impede diplomatic progress underway with North Korea, said Victor Cha, a noted Korea scholar with the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. “In terms of how the North Koreans would take it, I don’t think they’d take it one way or the other. I don’t think they’d see it as negative or positive because they think they’re different from anybody else anyway. They think they’re a very special case,” Cha said at a CSIS conference this week. While the Iran deal limited that country’s efforts to develop a nuclear bomb, North Korea already possesses 20 to 60 nuclear warheads, according assessments by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency, and between 40 to 100 nuclear development facilities, according a report from the RAND Corporation security research organization. But apprehension over whether future U.S. presidents would uphold a nuclear deal reached by Trump could reinforce the North Korean demand for early concessions. John Delury, a North... When did trump decide to withdraw from the Iran nuclear agreement? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - on Tuesday - on Thursday - on Wednesday
(Answer)
on Tuesday
(Question)
U.S. President Donald Trump attempted to reset his relationship with Africa on Monday, as he hosted Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. Buhari is the first sub-Saharan African leader to have a White House summit with Trump, who has been criticized for reportedly making derogatory comments about Africa. During his public remarks with Buhari, Trump focused mostly on common goals and shared interests, such as fighting terrorism and expanding trade. "We love helicopters — he loves them more than I do," joked Trump, referring to his administration's decision to approve a $600 million military sales deal to Nigeria. Buhari thanked Trump for approving the deal, which the administration of former President Barack Obama had suspended over allegations of human rights abuses. "I worked it out so that now you can buy the helicopters that you want," Trump said, adding, "We make the best military equipment in the world, and our friends can now buy it." Human rights groups have accused the Nigerian military of torture, rape and extrajudicial killing in its almost decade-long campaign against the Boko Haram extremist group. Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the insurgency, and hundreds of schoolgirls kidnapped, as the group gained notoriety and spread to neighboring countries, posing one of the most severe threats to West Africa's Sahel region in recent years. Although Nigeria has been a major partner in the U.S. fight against Islamist extremists in Africa, relations have faced challenges over the past year. In January, Nigeria joined a list of outraged African countries demanding an explanation from the U.S. ambassador after Trump's reported vulgar comments referring to African countries. Asked whether those comments came up during his private meeting with Trump, Buhari declined to comment. "I'm very careful with what the press says about other than myself. I'm not sure about, you know, the validity or whether that allegation was true or not. So, the best thing for me is to keep quiet," Buhari said. What is probably true about Africa? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - They want to work with Trump - They are upset over Trump's comments - They keep quiet to the press - not enough information
(Answer)
| They are upset over Trump's comments | 6 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
"Because all of you of Earth are idiots!" shouted Tom, wearily wiping the glass counter, removing coconut oil from the reflections of overpriced candy bars. Inside the theater the movie echoed him: "Because all of you of Earth are idiots!" Tom sighed, not for the first time that evening. The Manager, who paid in cash every Sunday, had decided to take advantage of the bizarre tastes of his Generation X clients and offer an Ed Wood film festival. Bride of the Monster, Plan 9 From Outer Space, and Night of the Ghouls ran on the second, smaller screen on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, two bucks a head. The Manager was making a killing. Tom, who needed the job in order to move out of his parents' trailer home, found little about the Ed Wood canon amusing, although it was light-years beyond anything by Coleman Francis. Even so, Tom had been forced to hear the dialog of each film, on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday... He only had to watch them once, having filled in for the Manager's weasel-featured nephew/projectionist Neoldner, who had called in sick to buy grass in Beloit. But he would have been able to forget the experience had it not been for the penetrating soundtrack which bled into the lobby. The ordeal, for tonight, was almost over - the concession stand closed after Plan 9. He hoped he had sold enough to keep his job - there was the worry that the Manager would increase his profit margin by manning the concession stand himself. But the Manager strolled out of the second theater with a broad grin, revealing his cutting overbite. "I don't know why," the Manager exclaimed, "but they love it!" "Most of them are from the 'Ed 9 Film Society,'" Tom replied. "By the way, I need to restock the chocolates." The film festival probably lasted: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - an hour - 30 minutes - not enough information - Several weeks
Several weeks
As academic work is becoming arguably more precarious and competitive, shorter contracts are becoming the norm, and the number of people completing PhDs in the UK is increasing, the risks associated with researching academia are high. This post discusses and explores my experiences of being a PhD student researching women’s lived experiences of research evaluation in the UK, and my thoughts on and experiences of interviewing very senior and esteemed academics as a junior researcher. My PhD study explored research evaluation in the form of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) – a weighty force in UK academia – the outcomes of which, I argue, hold the potential to alter the course of an academic career considerably, as well as playing a role in the type of work that some academics do, particularly given the REF impact agenda. There is currently an international trend towards research evaluation with programmes such as the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA), the Performance-Based Research fund in New Zealand (PBRF), and equivalents in countries including Denmark, Switzerland and the Netherlands. What is clear is that there is not enough qualitative, exploratory research into the effects of research evaluation on academic careers, especially for women, and so my PhD study was born. My findings suggest that research evaluation in the UK actively contributes to the continuance of gender inequality regimes in the academy, and that the ability to negotiate managerial control and be politically savvy is increasingly important in the academic world. Before embarking on my PhD, I was acutely aware of the sensitivity of my research, as well as my own positionality with regards to my participants. Reflection is and was an important element in the research process for me, as it allowed me to reflect on the effects of the self on the research process and, ultimately, also on the data, as well as the various power dynamics discernible during interviews for my study. I was continually taken aback by participants’... What is the author's likely opinion on school? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - That it is easy and simple. - That it is worthwhile and important. - That it is a pointless endeavor.
That it is worthwhile and important.
Christopher Warm had a sedentary job. On his keyboard he typed various letters and numbers, which would become computer programs. In his company he was known as Office Desk, because when he was working he always sat behind his well-used piece of conference table standing in a hard to notice corner in the software specialists' room. Christopher wasn't a wide person, and so his piece of conference table didn't have to be too big either, which also practically solved office space problems in the 0-1 Computer firm. It was Warm's secret that the majority of his time outside of the company, he also spent behind a desk. On his keyboard he typed various letters and numbers, which would become computer programs for the 0-1 Computer Associates company. While the Man Called Office Desk (MCOD, or simply Cod in an alternative version) was writing an intuitive program for the management of empty office desk space in software companies, a thing that nobody had ever expected to happen happened. Warm became fused with the chair. The staff at 0-1 Computer were disappointed, they had expected Cod to fuse with a desk. It would have been much more entertaining to watch, you could have laughed at him a little, and the nickname, given to him by the programmers' boss would have gotten a whole new meaning. And right now, there wasn't even much to talk about during cigarette breaks. Warm did not hide the fact he would have preferred to fuse with a mouse, or a mouse pad. Right now, all he could do was to pretend he totally ignored the fact he was physically stuck to a chair. And he was doing just fine until it was time to go to his second shift at 1-0 Computer Associates, where he had been working on a program for the management of empty space in staff lockers in telecommunications companies. What happened after Christopher fused? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - He pretended to ignore it - He joked about it - He started working on a new program
| He pretended to ignore it | 1 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
(Q).
SHE moved through the crowded streets like she owned the place. Hell, if things went as planned in the coming months, she might in fact own the place. Or some other place if that's what she wanted. If things went as planned, there was no limit to what she could have. She smiled to herself as a crowd of sunburned, middle-aged men broke ranks to let her pass on her way toward Mallory Square. They had no idea who she was, but she liked to think that they could sense her strength and that it intimidated them. Not enough to stop them from staring openly at her chest of course, but what did she expect? They were still men. Duval Street, Key West's main tourist drag, buzzed with early evening activity. The sun had set less than an hour ago, and the throngs moving up from the nightly sunset ritual in Mallory Square now wandered about, trying to choose between the dozens of bars and restaurants vying for their attention. She moved against the general flow and seemed to know exactly where she was going. She knew these streets well and had planned out her route ahead of time. But something bothered her. That nagging feeling in the back of her brain that she'd long ago learned to heed even though it was wrong as often as it was right. You couldn't survive in her world without learning to pay attention to such feelings, and she'd more than survived - she'd prospered beyond the dreams of any young hacker or con artist. Heeding the subliminal warning, she changed plans and stepped out into the crawling Duval Street traffic. A purple taxi honked angrily but she just smiled as she strode across the street and stared intently at a display of cheap, tasteless T-shirts in a storefront window. How long did it probably take her to get across the street? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - Just a few seconds. - More than 5 minutes. - She never made it across the street.
(A).
Just a few seconds.
(Q).
Bryan C. Keene and Alexandra Kaczenski of the Getty Museum’s Manuscripts Department have spent the last few years preparing for an exhibition and publication titled Sacred Landscapes: Nature in Renaissance Manuscripts that aims to examine representations of “green spaces” such as gardens, vistas, and their relation to the divine. In particular, Bryan and Alexandra focus on the ways in which artists during the European Middle Ages and Renaissance embedded the pages of illuminated manuscripts with depictions of the natural world so that nature could guide prayer, chant, and meditation. For Bryan, this project represents a continuation of his interest in sacred gardens that began with his graduate work on the garden imagery that influenced Botticelli’s Agony in the Garden painting. In 2013 he curated the exhibition and authored the accompanying book Gardens of the Renaissance. For Alexandra, interest in this subject stems from her scholarly focus on Flemish manuscripts and their relation to Flemish landscape paintings. She brought to the project a complementary interest in issues of environmental and landscape destruction, which also were themes of the exhibition and publication. Though floral and nature studies of the Renaissance and Early Modern periods have been extensively investigated—the scientific notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, for example, are well documented—this exhibition turns its focus on landscape and the divine. Curatorial research has shed new light on subjects such as the seemingly “scattered” floral arrangements represented within the pages of these books and their relationship to humoral theory and religion. Bryan adds, “The tension that we find in these borders is, on the one hand, intricately rendered leaf and petal structures of plants or flowers, and on the other, hidden whimsical elements, all of which combine to create a rich tapestry of meaning, both symbolic and scientific. Alex and I will continue to explore the potential meaning within this botanical and arboreal chaos.” Sacred... How does Bryan probably feel about working with Alexandra? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - He's inspired by her passion and interest in landscape destruction - not enough information - He is impressed by her authoring the book Gardens of the Renaissance - He complements her work with Giovanni Bellini
(A).
He's inspired by her passion and interest in landscape destruction
(Q).
Companies, communities, families, clubs, and other clumps of humans all have some inherent social dynamics. At a simple level there are leaders and followers, but in reality the lines are rarely as clear as that. Many leaders, with a common example being some founders, have tremendous vision and imagination, but lack the skills to translate that vision into actionable work. Many followers need structure to their efforts, but are dynamic and creative in the execution. Thus, the social dynamic in organizations needs a little more nuance. This is where traditional management hierarchies break down in companies. You may have your SVPs, then your VPs, then your Senior Directors, then your Directors, and so on, but in reality most successful companies don’t observe those hierarchies stringently. In many organizations a junior-level employee who has been there for a while can have as much influence and value, if not more, than a brand new SVP. As such, the dream is that we build organizations with crisp reporting lines but in which all employees feel they have the ability to bring their creativity and ideas to logically influence the scope, work, and culture of the organization. Sadly, this is where many organizations run into trouble. It seems to be the same ‘ol story time after time: as the organization grows, the divide between the senior leadership and the folks on the ground widens. Water cooler conversations and bar-side grumblings fuel the fire and resentment, frustrations, and resume-editing often sets in. So much of this is avoidable though. Of course, there will always be frustration in any organization: this is part and parcel of people working together. Nothing will be perfect, and it shouldn’t be…frustration and conflict can often lead to organizations re-pivoting and taking a new approach. I believe though, that there are a lot of relatively simple things we can do to make organizations feel more engaging. Divison between employees and senior management starts Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - Over years of growing apart - time after time in every work environs - Over the time of a week
(A).
| Over years of growing apart | 8 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Ques:Macy Golong peeked into Mallie Mae's room and was not surprised to see her sleeping. Elmo's mother rarely stayed up past 10:00 PM, and it was nearly 11:00. She closed the door and started to go back to her room across the hall. She was halfway through a romance novel. But Hadley's delicious oatmeal raisin cookies were calling to her. She walked down the stairs to the kitchen and put a few cookies on a plate. Then she poured a glass of milk. She wondered what Elmo was doing. Was he in the Media Room with Carsie? Their Media Room? Before Elmo and Carsie got together, Elmo and Macy used to spend hours almost every night in that room. Some nights he had almost kissed her. She left her milk and cookies on the kitchen counter and went down another flight of stairs, which came out in the Recreation Room. Macy could hear the sound of the TV coming from Media Room. She tiptoed to the open doorway and peeked in. There she was--that conniving slut--sitting where Macy should have been. How could Elmo have replaced her like that? She thought he had been falling in love with her. How could she have been so wrong? But it could still happen--if that woman would just go away. Elmo said, "Yeah. So, beginning Monday there will be two doctors in the office. That should take a little pressure off. If I need to be out for a day or two, Dr. Edwards can fill in for me." "Yeah, or if you need to take off a week for a trip to Hawaii with your beautiful new wife." Carsie gave him a sexy smile. "That's right. Dr. Ernie will take care of everything while I'm gone." "Dr. Ernie?" "Yeah. I asked if he would mind being called 'Dr. Ernie'. His name is Ernest, but I thought 'Dr. Ernie' would fit in well with the Sesame Street theme of my office." "So the two of you are Drs. Elmo and Ernie?" "Yep." Who rarely stayed up past 10:00 pm? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Elmo's Mother - Macy - not enough information - Elmo
Ans:Elmo's Mother
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Ques:He had apparently spaced out for a second or two. When he came to, a large, annoyed woman was leaning in toward him. "Mister? Mister, are you even listening to me?" He looked at the receding rows of fluorescent lights on the struts of the cavernous ceiling, the gleaming linoleum floors, the pallets of sale-priced plastic coolers and Special K and motor oil, and then he looked at the rack of merchandise at his back and understood that he was in a Wal-Mart, behind the returns counter. He heard his own voice saying, as if by reflex, "Do you have your receipt?" * At the first opportunity, he locked himself in a bathroom stall and dug out his wallet. His driver's license showed the right name, birthdate, and photo, but it had been issued by the State of North Carolina, and it listed an address he'd never heard of. He scrubbed his face at the sink. It was him in the mirror, a tanned and healthy 56, hair mostly gray but still all there. He felt groggy, as if he'd woken prematurely. It was only the numbness, he thought, that kept the panic at bay. If he didn't push, he found he knew the answers to some questions. He was due to clock out in an hour. When he left the parking lot he would go under the highway, turn left, and merge. * He found his way to a battered white Toyota pickup in the employee section. The key in his pocket started the engine. He forced himself not to think too hard as he drove, taking the turns that seemed to have a certain inevitability. He wound up on a dirt road near someplace called Pittsboro, in front of a small brick house surrounded by high yellow grass, pines, and live oaks. What department was he working in Pick the correct answer from the following options: - store room - returns customer - not enough information - cashier
Ans:returns customer
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Ques:A federal judge on Thursday rejected efforts by Texas to stop the resettlement of Syrian refugees within its borders. The ruling comes days after presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump called to block non-citizen Muslims from entering the U.S. following the Orlando nightclub massacre. Even before the attack, Americans were divided, mostly along party lines, on the issue of refugees from war-torn countries in the Middle East. A survey conducted in late May by the Brookings Institution found of those polled, just 38 percent of Republicans supported taking in refugees from Syria and the Middle East, compared with 77 percent of Democrats. But among Trump supporters, an overwhelming 77 percent said they oppose taking in refugees. So who are these people who cause such a divide among Americans, triggering feelings of dread and suspicion in some and feelings of empathy and hospitality in others? Millions have been forced to flee the bloody conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Libya and other Middle Eastern nations. In 1951 the United Nation's Refugee Convention defined a refugee as someone who "owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country." By the end of 2014, there were 19.5 million refugees worldwide, according to the United Nations, 14.4 million of whom were under the mandate of the United Nations Human Rights Council. This was an increase of 2.9 million from 2013. The remaining 5.1 million refugees were registered with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. However, there are an estimated 59.5 million forcibly displaced persons around the world, according to United Nation's Global Trends report. This population not only includes refugees, but internally displaced persons, asylum-seekers and stateless people as well. President Barack Obama has set... What is the name of the federal judge? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Jim - Mark - Charles - not enough information
Ans: | not enough information
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(Q).
SEOUL — In addition to growing concerns that North Korea will pull out of the upcoming nuclear summit with the U.S., prospects for improved inter-Korean relations have also stalled, as Pyongyang demands that U.S.-South Korea joint military drills be scaled back, and a group of defectors be returned. Just weeks after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in declared the beginning of a new era of peace during a historic summit held in the demilitarized zone of the inter-Korean border, Pyongyang has put further dialogue and cooperation on hold until its demands are met. President Moon will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday to discuss the upcoming Trump-Kim summit and the North’s sudden conditions set for continued dialogue and cooperation. Most of North Korea’s anger last week, expressed in official statements and reports carried by the state news agency KCNA, seemed to be directed at the U.S. It criticized the Max Thunder joint military exercise that is currently underway, and U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton’s demands for the North’s unilateral nuclear disarmament. North Korea in particular objected to Bolton’s insistence that North Korea follow the Libyan model, which involved the rapid and total dismantlement of that country’s nuclear program, but it was also followed by the overthrow of the country’s leader Moammar Gadhafi some years later. Unless the U.S. eased up on its uncompromising stance, Pyongyang indicated it would pull out of the June 12 meeting in Singapore between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump to negotiate an end the North’s nuclear program in exchange for security guarantees and an end to punishing international sanctions. President Trump later said the Libya model does not apply to North Korea and that Kim Jong Un would remain in power and “be very rich” if he makes a deal to end his country’s nuclear program. North Korea denounced South Korea, as well, for the joint military drills, calling the Seoul government... What did Kim Jong Un think of his visit to South Korea? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - he was glad to get to show it to his family - he thought it looked similar to the North - he enjoyed it - not enough information
(A).
not enough information
(Q).
U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch visited Orlando, Florida, on Tuesday, nine days after what she called a "shattering attack" at a gay nightclub. Lynch told the city's devastated gay community, "We stand with you in the light." She also announced a $1 million emergency grant to help Florida law enforcement pay for overtime costs related to the shooting, and she met with prosecutors, first responders and victims of the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Her visit comes as investigators continue to dig into the background of Omar Mateen, the gunman who killed 49 people and injured dozens more on June 12 at the Pulse nightclub. Lynch said it was a "cruel irony" that the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community — one defined almost entirely by love — is so often a target of hate. She told the LGBTQ community, "We stand with you to say that the good in the world far outweighs the evil; that our common humanity transcends our differences; and that our most effective response to terror and hatred is compassion, unity and love." Also Tuesday, Orlando police reopened streets near the nightclub and wound down their investigation at the crime scene. A makeshift memorial that went up nearby shortly after the massacre was still standing Tuesday, with chalk messages on the sidewalk and utility poles. Among them are drawings of hearts, the message "God bless'' and the hashtag "#Orlandostrong.'' Lynch declined to answer questions about the investigation and whether authorities are looking to charge anyone else in connection with the case. She said investigators will "go back ... and see if there's anything we could have missed or anything we could have done better'' in terms of spotting Mateen as a threat. She said "people often act out of more than one motivation,'' adding that a motive may never be known. Mateen was shot and killed by police during the attack. at the end, lynch's priority is probably Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - encouraging homosexuality - promoting equality - promoting human rights
(A).
promoting human rights
(Q).
Voters in Pennsylvania head to the polls Tuesday in a special congressional election with national implications for President Donald Trump and opposition Democrats. The election is taking place in a congressional district that Trump won by 19 points in 2016, but where Democrats now hope for an upset that could be a preview of the midterm congressional elections in November. The race pits Democrat Conor Lamb against Republican Rick Saccone. Saccone got some high-profile help on Saturday when Trump spoke on his behalf at a rally in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. "We need him. We need Republicans. We need the votes. Otherwise, they are going to take away your tax cuts. They are going to take away your Second Amendment rights," Trump warned the crowd. Though Trump easily won the district in 2016, Lamb appears to be competitive in part because he is a moderate-to-conservative Democrat who personally opposes abortion and any new gun control measures. Lamb is hoping to pull off an upset with help from former Vice President Joe Biden. "Passion and commitment rules in politics. Passion and commitment generates grass-roots support," Biden told a recent Lamb rally. Republicans have poured money into the race, including millions of dollars in television advertisements in the final days before the election. Trump is trying to help Republicans avoid another setback on the way to the November midterm elections, where Democrats are favored to make gains. In making his pitch to voters this election year, the president remains focused on his tax cut bill, new tariffs on steel and aluminum, and a diplomatic opening to North Korea. But Trump remains stuck at about 40 percent approval in the polls, historically low for a second-year president, and a potential drag for Republican candidates in November. "He's doing nothing to expand his base," said Jim Kessler of Third Way, a centrist Democrat advocacy group. "And also, political damage is kind of like sunburn. You don't really notice it as it is happening. And later in the day you... Who is the candidate who a moderate to conservative Democrat who opposed abortion and new gun control measures? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - Rick Saccone - Jim Kessler - Conor Lamb
(A).
| Conor Lamb | 8 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
The U.S. State Department has asked American embassies and consulates around the world to identify certain groups that should get extra scrutiny when they apply for visas. A series of directives also instructs U.S. diplomatic posts overseas to review the social media accounts of visa applicants who are suspected of terrorist ties or of having been in Islamic State group-controlled areas. The diplomatic cables sent by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson directed embassies to convene security and intelligence working groups to determine criteria for "population sets" that would warrant increased scrutiny before traveling to the U.S. Even if the applicant otherwise qualifies for a visa, those identified as meeting the criteria would require additional scrutiny, leading to a possible visa denial. It is the first evidence of a plan for the "extreme vetting" of foreigners entering the United States that President Donald Trump promised during his campaign. The four cables sent between March 10 and March 17 do not define which groups would be considered among the "population sets" requiring more scrutiny. But in the first glimpse into what "extreme vetting" may look like under the Trump administration, one of Tillerson's memos would have added to the interview process questions about an applicant's workplaces, employers, addresses and travel history going back 15 years, as well as all email addresses and social media handles used in the last five years. The questions were withdrawn in a following memo, pending approval of the list by another federal agency. The directives, first reported by Reuters, quickly drew criticism from rights groups and others who've accused Trump of discriminating against Muslims through his now-suspended ban on travelers from six predominantly Muslim countries — Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. "These measures could provide license for discrimination based on national origin and religion,'' human rights group Amnesty International wrote in a letter to Tillerson on Thursday. "They... After the end of the story, Tillerson probably is Pick the correct answer from the following options: - continues for a long term as Sec of State - continues for another year then retires - no longer Sec of State - not enough information
no longer Sec of State
Back at their house by the cemetery, Paul and Chloe found Bee in her room, what Paul referred to as her sanctum sanctorum - although no one else ever got the joke, and he refused to explain the comic book reference. As always, lighting was minimal (as opposed to Bee's workshop out behind the house, which was flooded with fluorescents). A bank of TV sets and computer monitors covered one whole wall, arranged on a precarious system of metal shelves that Bee had installed herself. A low, flat coffee table squatted below the glowing displays, supporting three keyboards, a bank of video editing tools and four different phone carriages. Bee sat in her accustomed place - in the midst of a pile of cushions on the floor, fiddling with a mouse in one hand and typing on one of the keyboards while she talked quietly into her headset. Paul and Chloe didn't bother to knock as they came in - Bee already knew they were there. Paul glanced at one of the screens mounted on the wall. Its display, divided into four quadrants, showed various images from inside the house, including the front door they'd just come through and the stairs they'd just climbed. The screen next to it - which Paul himself had salvaged from a bar on Duval that'd recently renovated into a finedining restaurant - showed images from four other cameras that covered the house's exterior. Nothing happened within fifty yards of their Crew's house that Bee didn't see, and if she had her way, that omniscience would soon extend to cover the entire island. "So, Bee, how goes Project Big Brother?" Paul asked. "I wish you wouldn't call it that," she replied. "Sorry, but I have to call it something." "You could call it something nice. Big Brother sounds so mean." "What's mean about a reality show?" said Paul, joking. "What isn't bad about a reality show?" countered Chloe, stepping in to defend her friend. What probably characterize Paul? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - He is sarcastic. - He is dumb. - He is unconfident.
He is sarcastic.
U.S. President Donald Trump filed his annual financial disclosure form this week with the Office of Government Ethics, the U.S. government's ethics watchdog. Under U.S. law, all top government officials are required to file annual financial disclosure documents with the agency. In Tuesday's 92-page filing, Trump acknowledged that he'd reimbursed his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, last year for more than $100,000 for unspecified expenses incurred in 2016. Trump’s lawyers have previously said the president reimbursed Cohen for $130,000 that Cohen paid to an adult film star to keep her quiet about a sexual tryst she said she had with Trump 10 years earlier. Trump has denied having the tryst but recently confirmed reimbursing Cohen to stop “false and extortionist accusations” about it. The financial disclosure did not say why Trump had not listed the payment in his previous financial filing, but the ethics agency said the reimbursement constituted a loan that should have been reported. That has set off a firestorm of criticism and calls for an investigation into whether Trump violated federal law by omitting the payment from his 2017 disclosure. The controversy has overshadowed other details in Trump's financial disclosure, which is the only publicly available snapshot into the president's finances — his debts, assets and income from dozens of companies and partnerships around the world. Here are six noteworthy takeaways from the report: Golf losses. Trump, an avid golfer who frequently visits his golf courses, sometimes in the company of world leaders, listed 17 golf companies in his disclosure form, with 13 reporting losses. Overall, golf-related revenue plunged to $210 million from nearly $300 million from the previous reporting period. However, the president's struggling golf courses in Turnberry, Scotland, and Doonbeg, Ireland, improved their earnings, with income at the Turnberry property growing to more than $20 million from $14 million. Trump plans to travel to Scotland during his visit to Britain this summer. Why did Trump file an annual financial disclosure form with the Office of Government Ethics? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - to stop false accusations against him for his financial dealings - it is prerequisite to running for the office of President - not enough information - it is required of all top government officials under US law
| it is required of all top government officials under US law | 1 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
President Donald Trump capped what has been a difficult week politically with an all-out push for tax reform Friday. In a speech to the National Association of Manufacturers in Washington, Trump promised to deliver on a “giant, beautiful, massive, the biggest ever in our country, tax cut.” Trump is eager to move past setbacks on health care reform and the results of a Republican Senate primary Tuesday in Alabama where he found himself on the losing side. The president and his administration also have been on the defensive over hurricane recovery efforts in Puerto Rico. Senate Republicans put off a vote on a plan to repeal and replace Obamacare after it became clear they did not have enough votes to pass the measure, thanks to a handful of Republican defectors. Democrats expressed relief they had beaten back another attempt to undo former President Barack Obama’s signature achievement, the Affordable Care Act. “The reason this bill failed is because millions of Americans didn’t want it,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told reporters at the Capitol. On the same day, Christian conservative and former judge Roy Moore easily won a Republican Senate primary in Alabama, defeating incumbent Luther Strange, whom Trump had supported. “We are put here on Earth for a short time, and for that short time our duty it to serve almighty God,” Moore said in his victory speech. Moore has made controversial statements on a number of issues in the past, but he is considered the favorite in a race against Democrat Doug Jones in a general election Dec. 12. Trump had appeared with Strange the week before at a rally in Alabama, but even some analysts said his heart did not appear to be in it. “Trump was campaigning for Luther Strange, but you could tell he was having some second thoughts about that,” said Republican strategist John Feehery. Moore’s victory, aided by the active support of former Trump White House strategist Steve Bannon, signals what could be a series of divisive Republican primary battles heading into next... What does Trump think about Doug Jones? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - He's handsome - He's tall - He smells nice
not enough information
When I had trouble bending over to tie my shoes and I wasn’t pregnant. When I hit about 35 I started having trouble with weight. The strange thing was to me, it wasn’t that I was eating more then I used to, as a matter of fact I started eating less. When that didn’t help I barely ate at all. Still I couldn’t lose weight. What I didn’t know was we start to lose muscle mass every decade beginning in our thirties, and I was a ripe 35. Muscles use up more calories than fat, so less muscle means a slower metabolism and the need for fewer calories, and the pounds stack on easier. My second problem was my narcolepsy. When you wake up after a nights sleep there is a release of adrenaline which prompts body and mind into action and helps burn off calories. Narcolepsy causes me to sleep on and off during the day, and as explained by my doctor (so if I have this wrong about adrenaline it is my doctors fault lol) I am not getting that adrenaline release because my bodies clock doesn’t know if I am asleep or awake. He suggested in the morning to start exercising about 20 minutes to get that adrenaline rush, in the afternoon exercise about twenty minutes more for the same reason… Dieting and exercising brought those pounds back down. I will say it is much harder in the winter for me then in the summer. Summer time I am naturally active. I ride bikes with my husband, swim, garden, mow about an acre of lawn. In the winter I can’t ride, swim, garden, or mow, and I hate exercise I don’t enjoy. Anyway the long answer to the defining moment but there it is just the same. When does she like to do for exercise? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Mow. - Bike - swim - not enough information
Bike
Despite my blog name, I’m not actually all that adventurous. Think more suburban adventure rather than skydiving or wild camping. But, over the years I have ended up overcoming a few challenges that I hadn’t precisely expected to be faced with. This blog has always been, and will forever more be a record of my personal adventures. It is a journal of the chaos, delight, opportunities and travails that we encounter all rolled in with an obsession for photography (as far as my skillz extend) and a dash of humour (well, I try anyway). DRIVING IN AMERICA Covering 800 miles of American freeways in less than 10 days is something I never thought I’d do to be honest – an inexperienced driver at best I’ve driven short distances (and through a Florida tropical storm from Cape Canaveral back to our Orlando apartment) – but somehow we survived unscathed driving diagonally the length of Louisiana from New Orleans to Shreveport, through the crazy traffic of Dallas and along the long, undulating motorways of Texas. I’ll be honest, and admit that did we encounter a couple of challenging and scary situations – a truck driver changing lanes not allowing me enough time to enter a motorway (I luckily just popped into a shoulder lane), getting lost in the middle of Dallas skyscrapers (we jammed every device we had onto navigation), accidentally assuming a road was much narrower than it really was (luckily the road was relatively quiet so I just guided her nimbly over to the correct lane) and dodging some of the twits who pulled out in front of us – one with a trailer full of wood – but overall it really was fine. COMMUNICATING IN OTHER LANGUAGES You’ve decided where to go, booked the flight, found a hotel, decided what to do… and then you get to your destination. And, if you’re exploring outside the traditional western world, you probably won’t speak the local language – and the locals may or may not depending on how far outside the tourist traps you venture. What was the author's biggest driving adventure before the blog? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - 800 miles in 10 days. - not enough information - Becoming lost among skyscrapers. - A tropical storm in Florida.
| A tropical storm in Florida. | 1 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
(Q).
What would you do – you’re driving past hundreds of citrus trees. With a better look, they’re mandarins, or, more precisely clementines. On the roadside is a truck selling crates of them for 1 euro a kilo. You stop, right? And buy a crate of 10 kilos. Even though you have to get on a plane the next day. I couldn’t help myself. Marco, who I had already made turn 180 degrees to drive back to the truck, gave me that look of disapproval when I want to do something totally unreasonable like impulse buy citrus fruit that we can’t keep. “What are we going to do with these?” He questioned. I wasn’t sure. I wanted to taste them, I wanted to photograph them. And maybe I could even squeeze some of them into our tiny bag to take home. “It won’t be a waste, I’ll give the rest away!” I reasoned. He just shook his head, giving in. I bought them, a big grin on my face. We were just outside the port city of Taranto, on the western coast of Puglia in Italy’s deep south, where we spent a long weekend recently and where clementines have special IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) status. These clementines — a hybrid of oranges and mandarins — grow in the fertile soil around the gulf of Taranto, particularly around the town of Palagiano (also known as “the city of clementines” — they celebrate the symbol of their city with a sagra, a food festival, every December) and the delicate fruit is harvested by hand. We don’t get these in Florence, it was my only chance to taste them – they are small with very few, if any, seeds, and they are very sweet. Marco thought that the narrator was Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - being frivolous by buying the oranges - trying to get a good deal - really craving some oranges
(A).
being frivolous by buying the oranges
(Q).
U.S. President Donald Trump expressed optimism about a planned meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un following conversations Saturday with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Trump tweeted he had a "very good talk" with Moon and updated Abe on plans for his anticipated summit with Kim. Key U.S. leaders are expressing growing optimism that decades of hostility on the Korean Peninsula are closer than ever to coming to an end. Trump said at a White House news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel Friday "I don't think he's playing" when asked about the historic summit between North and South Korea. Trump added a meeting would be scheduled "very shortly" but didn't specify a timeline, saying up to three possible sites are being considered for the much-anticipated summit in late May or early June. Earlier Friday, Kim became the first North Korean leader to set foot in South Korea, when he crossed the border to shake the hand of South Korean President Moon Jae-in. The two leaders agreed to work toward removing all nuclear weapons from the Korean peninsula and vowed to pursue talks that would bring a formal end to the Korean war. North Korea has in the past made similar commitments about its nuclear program, but failed to follow through. Asked whether Pyongyang's commitment is real this time, Trump said "we're not going to get played." "This isn't like past administrations. We don't play games," said Trump, adding that previous administrations had been "played like a fiddle." "We will come up with a solution, and if we don't we will leave the room," he said. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis also expressed hope Friday that talks with North Korea will bear fruit. "I can tell you that we are optimistic right now that there's opportunity here that we have never enjoyed since 1950," Mattis said before a meeting at the Pentagon with the Polish defense minister. "I don't have a crystal ball," he added. "So, we're going to have to see what they produce." after the story, what will probably happen between Trump and Kim Jong Un? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - they will meet and work on a deal - nothing - they will work on a possible meeting
(A).
they will meet and work on a deal
(Q).
I was 14 at the time. My family and I took a family vacation to Tybee Island, Georgia. It is a beautiful place that I would highly recommend. I told my family that I was going to go find a port-a-pot. So I head off by myself. I’m in the port-a-pot, i’m in there for roughly 10 minutes. (you can assume what I was doing) I wash my hands and get ready to leave the port-a-pot, and I tried to open the door and it was locked. I’m claustrophobic, so I start to FREAK OUT. I started banging on the door, running into the door with all of my weight. Nothing was helping. I then start crying, I thought for sure that I was going to die. I knew it was the end, at the age of 14, locked in a port-a-pot, in 95 degree weather in the middle of a beach in Georgia. Looking back, i’m curious as to why my family never came to look for me, I was gone for like 30 minutes. So I’m banging on the door continuously, bawling my eyes out. Then a man opened the door for me, from the outside. He was about 6’3 with dreads about 12 inches long and weighed about 280 pounds. I ran out of the port-a-pot and jumped on the guy and gave him a hug and told him that I loved him and that he saved my life. I don’t know how he managed to open the door for me, but I definitely know that my 14 year old self owes that man my life. I’m not sure where he is in life, or what he’s doing, but I hope God is blessing him abundantly. It is definitely a funny story to tell my friends. After the author found her parents, they were probably: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Happy to see her back after 30 minutes - Angry at her for taking so long - Confused about why she was with the man in dreads - not enough information
(A).
| Happy to see her back after 30 minutes | 8 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
(Q).
I had the joy, absolute joy, of observing an ER nurse just about lose it and the poor pompous MD (who had left the room) was still clueless. I was in the ER with my dad and my sister. It was late. Dad had taken a tumble, hit his head and because he was on a blood thinner, he had to be checked out at the ER. This ER was in the same hospital we always went to. As we completed the history etc. I noted “stroke effecting speech.” They had a complete synopsis of dad’s history which I gave them as we checked in. Dad is getting tired and his speech was getting more slurred. My Dad was in work clothes. I was in something pretty casual and my sister was in the same clothes (business attire) that she had put on at 6 a.m. I am sure we looked pretty ragged. In waltzes Dr. Hotshot. He looks around and asks my sister and I who we are. My sister introduced us making sure to introduce me as “Dr. Lea (I think that was the first, last, and only time she called me ‘Dr.”). He then turns to my dad and asked what happened. Knowing how difficult it is to understand Dad, I start to answer. My bad. The doctor abruptly stops me and says, “I didn’t ask you. I want him to tell me.” In hindsight, I realize he wanted to hear dad’s speech as a part of his assessment. Dad begins. His speech is slow and very very slurred. Dr. Hotshot looks totally befuddled. Dad had gotten out about 3 sentences out when Dr. Hotshot stops him and abruptly asks, “Does he always talk like that?” My sister, without missing a beat, replies, “No, sometimes he speaks French.” As I am trying to not swallow my head to keep from laughing, I notice the nurse in the room has buried her mouth in her shoulder. Dr. Hotshot exits. A scan shows no damage. And, for the record, Dad never did learn to speak French. Why was Dad in the hospital Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Because he hit his head and is on blood thinners - not enough information - To visit his friends - He is a doctor
(A).
Because he hit his head and is on blood thinners
(Q).
I was lost. As I sat parked at the old service station, I pulled out the maps and tried to do a little backtracking. It didn't take me long to figure out where I had made the wrong turn. I had tried following my memory instead of Luna's directions and wound up about eighty miles off course. My gas tank was pushing 'E' but fortunately the service station was open. When I stepped out of my Jeep, I could feel the soles of my boots melt on the asphalt. The heat coming off the cracked and pitted cement peeled off in waves that rolled out in every endless direction. The barren mountains in the distance looked unstable, like I was looking at them through a window pane slicked with olive oil. I slogged my way over to the gas pump and wrapped my shirt around the handle to keep my skin from burning against the desert-baked metal. The heat was so great I worried the fumes would ignite. A dirty round man stood in the shadowy doorway of the ramshackle service station and stared at me while he rubbed his hands inside an oily red rag. The oval name-patch stitched to his coveralls was loose at one end and curled like a leaf in the heat. His name was Jack. I topped off the tank and then walked over to him. "You work here?" I knew it was a stupid question the second it left my mouth. He and I were the only living things for fifty miles in any direction. Who the hell else would be working here? "Who the hell else would be working here?" he said. I shrugged my shoulders and pulled out my wallet. Jack wobbled inside behind a glass counter filled with everything from belt buckles to oil funnels. "That your momma's car?" he asked. It's impossible to tell what kind of psychological impact this heat would have on a man who lived out here alone, but I was sure it wasn't positive. Immediately after the end of this story: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - The narrator will continue driving - The narrator will get gas - not enough information - Jack left the service station
(A).
The narrator will continue driving
(Q).
Deciding to go on a diet is easy, but sticking to a diet is not easy! So, when facing that challenge, it is important to know how to reach your weight-loss goal. Of course, you have to decide you want to lose weight and be committed to doing so; then, you must stick to your guns and stay motivated or the goal will never be realized. There is no magic bullet, but there are two important tips that can help you reach your weight-loss goal. #1 – Take It a Week at a Time You must break your ultimate goal into smaller chunks and have bench marks that will indicate you are moving in the right direction. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Over the long term, it’s best to aim for losing 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kilogram) a week.” When you have a realistic weekly weight-loss target, you will be more confident in your efforts and you will know exactly what you are going to measure at the end of each week. Your long-term goal may be 40 pounds, but take it “one week at a time” (1 to 2 pounds/week = 20 to 30 weeks) In addition to choosing a healthy diet that fits your lifestyle and current health conditions, plus a solid commitment to stay with it, don’t forget to get plenty of rest and exercise. . BUT . . . the primary target should be the number of pounds you plan to lose each week. That target should be clear – and realistic. If it is, you should be able to stick to your weight loss program and enjoy success week after week, after week. AND, feel good in the process. If you are not hitting your target, be willing to look closely at what you are doing, or not doing – and figure out why you are not reaching your weekly target. Maybe the target you set was not sensible or reasonable; or, maybe you are putting too much pressure on yourself. Honest introspection is a good way to see what you are really capable of doing and then, you can develop or choose a plan that is suitable for your unique lifestyle. After the story is over the author probably: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - Will continue to struggle with their weight. - Regrouping using honest introspection. - Will become a consultant for the Mayo clinic.
(A).
| Will continue to struggle with their weight. | 8 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Ques: My partner’s parents decided to help with all the planning and set up for his sister’s wedding. I am sure part of the reason was because they had offered to foot part of the expenses. There came a point in the planning, when his mom seemed to sort of run-amok with her ideas. His sister ended up accepting some plans for her wedding that I don’t think she was really that fond of, but she went along with them anyways. One of the things that stands out the most to me, was this idea that they would make a large wooden box with a hole in it, and people would smash their dinner plates into the box. Then the fragments of the broken plates would be put into metal keepsake tins for the guests to take home. (The tins were cute, the trash inside seemed very weird to me.) So imagine it’s the evening of your wedding reception, and people are in a corner of the room smashing their plates into a box. And then part of your wedding party is supposed to go in the back and fix up the tins of broken ceramic ware. It was like an exercise in how to needlessly generate extra stress hormones in a large room full of people. My partner’s sister looked like she cringed every time someone threw a plate in the box. It is weird (and wasteful) to propose to break brand new plates for a tradition that isn’t even part of your ancestry. It’s weird to railroad the people getting married into accepting to do things they don’t really want. Soon after that, my partner’s mother offered that she would be happy to help us plan and throw our wedding too, just like they did for his sister. I think the experience made us both content to elope. Where did the wedding party go to make the keepsake tins? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - In the reception area - In the back - In the kitchen. - not enough information
Ans: In the back
Ques: Like many other inventors before him, professor Slawomir Suwak designed only the things he needed himself. He had several patents on his conscience already: an automatic cork opener for wine in the indicative state, a portable set of board games for solving personality problems, a wallet with a mini-device for the duplications of 100 zloty bills, and a piece of equipment "the day after" used to irretrievably eliminate from the time-space continuum days burdened with a hangover. Now came the time for a mini-device preventing the development of symptoms of psycho-motor aggression. The device was really simple. It weighed about a kilo and was the size of a bag of flour. It was to be worn on the right wrist. The fact it had to be the right wrist was very important. Otherwise, the invention didn't work properly, or even worse, it produced results opposite to its intended effect. Each day, its mini-containers had to be re-filled with substances promoting positive processes in the body leading to the return of good mood. There were three containers to re-fill, and the substances were not available on the local market and had to be imported using diplomatic channels from the USA. To operate the device, turning it on stand-by was enough. In that mode, it could be used continuously for one and a half hours. To recharge the batteries, you needed a charger, which was stored in a small suitcase. The device, when it was turned on, made a low murmur (or according to some - a loud growl) designed to keep the owner in a good mood. Professor Suwak called his new baby "mini-anti-aggressor." The McPhilips corporation expressed its interest in the product early on, even when it was still at the drawing-board stage. The company partially financed the purchase of sub-assembly elements from its subsidiary specializing in the productions of components for technologically advanced products. How tall is professor Slawek? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - 6 ft - 5 ft - 4 ft - not enough information
Ans: not enough information
Ques: Was it the things she told me or the situation I was in? I was working with someone who, basically, should never have been hired into the job, and then should not have been kept as long as she was. She was entirely inadequate for the role we performed. I was a new graduate and so lucky to get a job in my field, pretty much right out of university. We worked in a small office of three. The third was a sales rep and out visiting clients most of the time. She was, more or less, my superior, though the company made it clear that she was not someone to emulate… yet gave me no one else to look to for advice or guidance. She would constantly say “this place will leave you to sink or swim” (amongst other phrases, all along these lines). That’s probably the worst saying ever, though I can’t really consider it ridiculous because, frankly, I absolutely see why she would say that (for example, I met my manager once during my interview and then the next time was about four months into being hired… that should tell you the level of support given). But I cannot even explain to you the way this statement biased me against this company and the job I was doing. I was lost and truly believed that I couldn’t do any better (because I was sinking and couldn’t figure out how to swim on my own). Yes, you may have issues in whatever job your in… but to tell a newbie that they have to figure it out on their own… that’s pretty ridiculous. If this is something you hear or think and asking others for help or finding a supportive environment is not an option… try replacing it with “learn to fly on the way down”. At the very least, you won’t have such a negative frame of mind. How long did the narrator work at this office? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - 79 years - For under a week - For about a year
Ans: For about a year
Ques: SEOUL — The U.S. has indicated it is prepared to open the North Korean economy to significant private investment, if a nuclear deal can be reached. But even if economic restrictions were lifted, the restrictive and repressive state would likely still present a challenging environment for foreign investment. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday that if North Korean leader Kim Jong Un complies with what President Donald Trump has demanded, the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of North Korea, the United States would offer foreign investment “in spades” to build up the country’s infrastructure and develop its economy. “This will be Americans coming in, private sector Americans, not the U.S. taxpayer, private sector Americans coming in to help build out the energy grid. They need enormous amounts of electricity in North Korea; to work with them to develop infrastructure, all the things that the North Korean people need, the capacity for American agriculture to support North Korea, so they can eat meat and have healthy lives,” said Pompeo during an interview on the Fox News Sunday program. The Secretary of State recently returned from a trip to Pyongyang, where he meet with the North Korean leader to prepare for the upcoming Trump-Kim summit that will be held in Singapore on June 12. North Korea also released three American prisoners to Pompeo as a humanitarian gesture in advance of the summit. The Trump administration is increasingly optimistic it can work out an agreement to dismantle the North’s nuclear program, its advanced ballistic missile arsenal, and chemical weapons capabilities, so as to no longer threaten the U.S. or it is allies. During the recent North-South summit, Kim committed to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and indicated that he seeks an end to the severe U.S.-led sanctions banning 90 percent of North Korean trade that were imposed for his country’s repeated nuclear and missile tests. “They obviously want to make concessions, a lot of... Why did North Korea release the prisoners? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - To save their lives - not enough information - As a humanitarian gesture - To meet with Trump
Ans: | As a humanitarian gesture | 7 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Q: As his days in office wane, U.S. President Barack Obama is pushing to commute sentences of non-violent drug offenders convicted under what the White House called "outdated and unduly harsh" sentencing laws. It has become the centerpiece of his effort to reform the country’s criminal-justice system, which has the highest incarceration rate in the world. Last Friday, the President granted commutations to 42 convicted nonviolent offenders, bringing the total so far in his presidency to 348 commutations — more than any president has in nearly half a century. His predecessor, George W. Bush granted clemency in just 11 cases. It's not just Obama pushing for reform. Top Republicans and Democrats in Congress also support relaxing the sentencing laws that have tripled the federal and state prison populations in the last 30 years, reaching more than 1.56 million inmates at the end of 2014. However in Congress, the main legislative effort for sentencing changes, the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015, has failed to pass either chamber of Congress. The bill would reduce long mandatory minimum sentences for many nonviolent drug crimes, give judges more control over the terms of punishment and provide inmates with more opportunities to get out early by participating in rehabilitation programs. Failing congressional help, Obama has in recent months relied on his presidential powers to commute the sentences of non-violent offenders. Under the Constitution, the president has the power to grant “pardons for offenses against the United States” or to commute federal sentences. A pardon is an act of presidential forgiveness and wipes away any remaining legal liabilities from a conviction. A commutation reduces a sentence but does not eliminate a conviction or restore civil rights lost as a result of the conviction. The American Bar Association has joined Obama's push and put its support behind the Clemency Project 2014, a national effort by multiple justice groups to help inmates who meet U.S. Department of Justice... Why did Obama fight for lower sentences for drug crimes? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Obama thought the sentences were outdated and unduly harsh - he thought the people were really innocent - he had a relative who he wanted released - not enough information
A: Obama thought the sentences were outdated and unduly harsh
Q: The swinging doors slammed open. Cedric looked over from where he was sitting on a lab stool, chewed thumbnail between his teeth. His shoulder length blond hair was coated with the shine of someone who has only wet their hair down and not washed. His red streaked eyes were a sure sign of his having been recently woken up. He watched Dorian backing his way through the doors pulling a gurney behind him. "Dorian," Cedric said, then immediately fell silent as Dorian turned around. There was panic in Dorian's eyes and a waxy pallor beneath the stubble on his face that betrayed a lack of sleep. "Dorian," Cedric said again, that one word betraying multiple emotions: a layer of fear spread over top concern for his friend, concern for his own wellbeing, and simple anger at letting himself become involved in this. "Hook her up," Dorian said before moving to a lab stool of his own and sliding a keyboard across the table to rest in front of him, his fingers impatiently tapping the spacebar while he waited for the monitor to respond. With a hiccup of light the screen became active making Dorian's face even more hollow with its sickly glow. He was normally a handsome man with short brown hair that was always perfectly combed. Tonight, though, it was full of unruly licks and his white lab coat, which usually added to his presence as the overall leader of their research team, was cast by the computer's light into awkward shades of green and blue. A large coffee stain down the front appeared to still be wet. Cedric didn't respond. "I said hook her up," Dorian said. "Dorian," Cedric said for the third time. "I said hook her up!" Dorian screamed and Cedric jumped forward to the gurney. Coffee stain or no coffee stain, Dorian was a commanding presence. Immediately after the end of this text, the girl on the gurney: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - was hooked up - not enough information - was not there - was a man
A: was hooked up
Q: WHITE HOUSE — A debate over patriotism and the right of free expression is continuing in the United States with President Donald Trump extending his criticism of professional athletes who decline to stand for the national anthem. The controversy was on display Tuesday afternoon on the White House South Lawn, where Trump briefly presided over a quickly reformatted celebration after his administration accused America's champion professional football team of attempting to turn the event into a "political stunt." Trump the previous day had disinvited the Philadelphia Eagles from what was to be a celebration of their Super Bowl victory. Many of the Eagles' players had indicated they would not attend in response to Trump's harsh criticism of athletes who have refused to stand during pregame performances of the national anthem — even though all the Eagles stood for the anthem last season. Trump relabeled Tuesday's gathering as a "celebration of the American flag." Speaking for 3½ minutes, he told flag-waving invited fans of the team that he wanted to explain why "young Americans stand for a national anthem. Maybe it's about time we understood." One attendee shouted at the president to "stop hiding behind the armed services and the national anthem." That prompted booing and the man was escorted from the event. Trump concluded by saying that the celebration turned out to be "even bigger than we anticipated" had the football players attended. Media reports said as few as five to 10 players had planned to attend Tuesday's event. "The vast majority of the Eagles team decided to abandon their fans," the White House said in a statement Tuesday. "The Eagles are the ones who tried to change their commitment at the 11th hour," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters just prior to the event. "If this wasn't a political stunt by the Eagles franchise, then they wouldn't have planned to attend the event and then backed out at the last minute." A White House statement said Trump withdrew the invitation "after... Who did Trump disinvite from a celebration of their Super Bowl victory? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - The Washington Redskins - The New Orleans Saints - The Philadelphia Eagles
| A: The Philadelphia Eagles | 2 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
*Question*
Facebook has a long track record and sordid history of abusing their users’ trust and privacy, including the most recent and egregious cases currently making headlines with Cambridge Analytica as well as election meddling in the US and Britain. As if that wasn’t enough, it then came to light that they have also been tracking and storing users’ phone call and text message data, including “who contacted whom, what time, and how long the conversation was.” This is nothing new, as we can see from this 2012 “study” in which they deliberately manipulated news feeds to influence users’ emotional state. And again with their settlement with the FCC back in 2011 (that they likely violated with their recent offenses) over deceiving consumers by telling them their information was private, but then repeatedly sharing it and making it public. And then there’s The Ugly Memo, in which a FB exec justifies growth at any cost in the name of connecting people, even if that results literally in people dying: We talk about the good and the bad of our work often. I want to talk about the ugly. We connect people. That can be bad if they make it negative. Maybe it costs a life by exposing someone to bullies. Maybe someone dies in a terrorist attack coordinated on our tools. And still we connect people. The ugly truth is that we believe in connecting people so deeply that anything that allows us to connect more people more often is *de facto* good. And up until this most recent Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook was negotiating with various healthcare organizations to share patients’ health data with FB so they could match it up to your social circle to allegedly provide better health care. Um yeah right. Each time this stuff happens, they issue an apology (or a justification for their behavior) and promise they will take steps to better inform users and protect their privacy, but it’s clear that this is just lip service at this point. Facebook has probably been violating users trust and privacy for how long? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Just in the past year - Several years - not enough information - only since last month
**Answer**
Several years
*Question*
Before we got married my husband and I lived in 4 different apartments all within the span of one year. The worst one of all of them was actually a great apartment, but our upstairs neighbors drove us positively insane. A list of their common antics: Blasting movies/music with the bass turned all the way up into the small hours of the morning, in their bedroom, which was directly above our bedroom Stomping, all day, every day, no matter what, always stomping. Sometimes running full speed around their apartment. It was a 1 bedroom and they had at least 4 adults (two couples) and at least 2 kids living there. They also always had company over. It was a nonsmoking complex but they smoked on their porch and tossed their butts over their balcony, which would leave them landing in our little porch. Constantly came out to find butts and trash in our potted plants and all over the ground. We had to call the sheriff on them once because one of the couples living there got in a very loud, very obvious domestic violence situation. We heard them screaming and throwing each other around. At one point the man smashed her head through the wall. The kicker was when they brought home one of those mini motorcycles and put it out on their porch. Their porch was made of slatted wood so there were gaps between the boards. The damn bike started leaking fuel (racing fuel no less) through the slats and on our porch (and all over our stuff). Ruined a table, some laundry I had air-drying out there and killed a few of our plants. Not only that but while this was happening they were throwing their butts down onto our porch too. Could have started a fire. Then there was the spitting. They would spit over the edge of their balcony and we complained so they started spitting THROUGH the floor boards so it was definitely intentional. I have never experienced a more trashy group of people. So glad to be out of that apartment and away from them now. When the racing fuel leaked through the porch floorboards? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - after the neighbors brought home the mini motorcycle - as the mini motorcycle was being placed on the porch - not enough information - before the neighbors brought home the mini motorcycle
**Answer**
after the neighbors brought home the mini motorcycle
*Question*
The First of March is my most hated day of the year. Every year, without fail, I feel a little bit depressed on the First of March. I absolutely love summer. I love the hot weather, the skimpy clothes, the summer fruits and the party seasons. I only have good memories of summer - Christmas time, six weeks holidays when in school then three months off whilst at uni. In my eyes, there is not one bad thing about summer. That is why I hate the First of March. Yes, it is still hot. Yes, my summer fruits are still in season and I can still wear my skimpy clothes, but, in my mind, it means that winter is near. The weather is only going to get colder and my favourite time of the year is official over. In an attempt to lift my end of Summer blues I decided to give myself a bright, cheerful manicure. The colour I choose was a luscious purple cream from butter LONDON called Molly-Coddled. It was just about opaque after one coat, just ever so slightly streaky. Two coats, completely opaque and streak free. If you haven't previously heard of butter LONDON, it is a nail polish brand with a massive range of high fashion colours and it's products are formulated without the use of the harmful ingredients like Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP or Parabens. butter LONDON was the first company to sell 3 Free nail lacquer in the United States. Formaldehyde is one of the biggest nasties that I make a real effort to avoid. I did my PhD in Forensics and spent a lot of time watching autopsies. Once the body parts have been harvested, they are stored in Formaldehyde to be preserved. The Formaldehyde alters the proteins in the tissue to stop them breaking down - fine for the dead, not something I want to use whilst I am alive. It is nasty, nasty stuff. After the end of the story, the narrator is probably feeling Pick the correct answer from the following options: - A little better - Blue - not enough information - Still watching autopsies
**Answer**
| A little better | 4 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
(Question)
We gave Tiger swimming lessons in our plastic wading pool. I taught the kitten the way Pa taught me: I threw him into water where he could not stand, and I watched, ready to grab him if he went under. Tiger did not thrash desperately like me. He merely paddled urgently for the edge of the plastic pool with his head high and his thin legs churning. Little Bit said, "Dog paddle," and we all laughed. "Tiger paddle," I said, and we all laughed some more, even Jordy. That was probably when Ma noticed the kitten swimming lessons and stopped them. Our swimming lessons happened in two places. When Pa took us, we went to Hawkins Springs behind Mrs. DeLyons' Fountain of Youth Motor Hotel. When Ma took us, we drove to Mermaid Springs State Park, where we would sometimes meet Mr. Drake. I liked Mermaid Springs better because I felt safe there. Ma could not swim, so she never made me jump off a dock into deep water, and she always insisted that I wear an orange styrofoam cylinder on my back like a skindiver or spaceman. Ma usually sat on a towel on the grass near the beach, reading a magazine or a book while tanning her legs. Every now and then she would call to us not to go too far or not to splash each other. When she wore her one-piece red swimming suit, she would come in up to her waist, then lower herself to her shoulders, being careful not to get her hair wet. On the rarest occasions, she would wear a swimming cap and float on her back in the shallow water. Often she stayed in her shorts and shirt, adding sunglasses and removing shoes as her concession to summer and the beach. How often did Ma wear a cap? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - on the rarest occasions - sitting on the towel - at Mermaid Springs - not enough information
(Answer)
on the rarest occasions
(Question)
Before we got married my husband and I lived in 4 different apartments all within the span of one year. The worst one of all of them was actually a great apartment, but our upstairs neighbors drove us positively insane. A list of their common antics: Blasting movies/music with the bass turned all the way up into the small hours of the morning, in their bedroom, which was directly above our bedroom Stomping, all day, every day, no matter what, always stomping. Sometimes running full speed around their apartment. It was a 1 bedroom and they had at least 4 adults (two couples) and at least 2 kids living there. They also always had company over. It was a nonsmoking complex but they smoked on their porch and tossed their butts over their balcony, which would leave them landing in our little porch. Constantly came out to find butts and trash in our potted plants and all over the ground. We had to call the sheriff on them once because one of the couples living there got in a very loud, very obvious domestic violence situation. We heard them screaming and throwing each other around. At one point the man smashed her head through the wall. The kicker was when they brought home one of those mini motorcycles and put it out on their porch. Their porch was made of slatted wood so there were gaps between the boards. The damn bike started leaking fuel (racing fuel no less) through the slats and on our porch (and all over our stuff). Ruined a table, some laundry I had air-drying out there and killed a few of our plants. Not only that but while this was happening they were throwing their butts down onto our porch too. Could have started a fire. Then there was the spitting. They would spit over the edge of their balcony and we complained so they started spitting THROUGH the floor boards so it was definitely intentional. I have never experienced a more trashy group of people. So glad to be out of that apartment and away from them now. Why do so many people probably live in a one bedroom apartment upstairs? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - They don't have a lot of money - They are used to living that way - not enough information - They don't all have jobs
(Answer)
They don't have a lot of money
(Question)
To live a happy, healthy, balanced life, you must learn to focus your energy on well-being. Self-care on all levels should be an integral part of your lifestyle. There is an abundance of information available about the benefits of eating well and exercising regularly to sustain a healthy mind and body. In fact, I write about both regularly. But today I want to move in a little different direction. In addition to those two very basic and critical activities, there are a number of other things you can to improve your mental health and overall well-being. By incorporating them into your daily life, you will be better able to manage most challenges – including struggles with self-doubt, anxiety, and mild depression. Practices that Focus Your Energy on Well-being Accept Your Feelings Stuffing or ignoring your emotions is more damaging than it is helpful. Everyone has emotions. They are a natural part of being human. Bottling them up may seem like a good solution in the moment, but when you do it all the time, you are potentially creating a time bomb that will eventually explode. Unfortunately, you are hurting yourself as you hold them in and you run the risk of hurting those you love when the eruption finally occurs. Rather than acknowledging what you are feeling and allowing yourself to experience emotions, you may medicate, rationalize, blame, bury, deny, smother, drink, or stuff them (pretend they don’t exist). Emotions have become the enemy and many people will do anything to avoid them – especially the big three: fear, anger and sadness. It takes a lot of mental, physical and emotional energy to avoiding your feelings and creates high levels of stress and anxiety. Don’t stuff your emotions! Let yourself laugh, cry, scream, yell, or pound something (preferably a pillow, grass, sand – not the wall or someone else). Do whatever you need to do, probably in private is the best choice. But, if emotions erupt in public, excuse yourself and let it rip. This is nature’s way of releasing stress. Don’t beat yourself... What will be the result of people not hiding their emotions probably? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - they will never be sad again - they will be less hopeful for the future - they will lead healthier lives
(Answer)
| not enough information | 6 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Creating a self portrait is not your typical selfie! When I taught in the traditional classroom, creating self portraits was something I had students do whether they were four or nine. In fact, I’d have them draw one on the first day of school and one toward the end of the year and to see the change over time was always so interesting. At least once during the year, likely toward the beginning, I would center a lesson around self portraits. In younger classes, there would be more than one. Creating a self portrait teaches students to be aware of themselves. Where is her head in relation to her body? Where are her feet in relation to her legs? It also teaches children spatial awareness. Where should he begin…with his feet or with his head? Where on the paper should his head be placed? How far down should his arms go? How can his whole body fit on a single piece of paper? A Lesson on Creating Self Portraits Whether you are in a classroom, or teaching a child at home, here is a simple lesson on creating self portraits geared toward young children, anywhere from age 2 through age 6. Keep in mind that their final product will show various levels of writing development, depending on what stage of writing they are in. (Basically, a two-year-old’s drawing should look very different than that of a five-year-old.) The teacher will need to model how to draw a self portrait. Gather the children around an easel or board and clip a paper to it. Narrate the process as you walk through the steps. “I am going to draw a picture of myself. I am going to start with my head.” Use your hands to show your actual head on yourself so students are aware of what you talking about. The visuals also help English Language Learners (if you’re teaching in an English speaking classroom.) and build vocabulary for all students. After this story is over the author probably: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Will continue to do self portraits in the classes they teach. - Will teach more English Language Learners - Will stop showing student how to and just let them figure it out. - not enough information
Will continue to do self portraits in the classes they teach.
I really struggle to feel bad for people who actively choose to be miserable and manipulative. I’m dorky and like to use little proverbs all the time. One of my favorites is this: “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” At the end of the day, if someone has a problem, they can never resolve it if they don’t truly wish to. You can give someone all the resources in the world, but you can’t force them to utilize them. When I was 16, I dated a horrible guy. He was abusive verbally, emotionally, and sexually. He was an incredibly troubled young man and refused to seek help for his severe mental health issues. I eventually came to understand that he reveled in his misery. It was his identity. He acted like he wanted a cure and I’d set him up with resources, but he refused every single one. He may have struggled with serious mental illnesses, but being miserable perversely made him happy and he loved to use his struggles to justify his inexcusable behavior. He wanted to drag as many people into his fiery pit of anguish as possible. I later suffered from severe depression myself, and I never once used it as an excuse to hurt other people. My ex wasn’t struggling with his mental health in terms of deliberating and carefully harming others. He was simply exhibiting a personality trait, one he chose to cultivate… and it wasn’t my problem. I ended up cutting him off completely in spite of all the threats. I will never feel bad for the awful plight he refuses to help himself out of. I have no patience for that type of person. Know what we call them? Toxic. Poison. A waste of time. What did she love most about her abusive boyfriend Pick the correct answer from the following options: - His shoes - not enough information - His glasses - His smile
not enough information
With regular money now coming in from the Guardian column, my regular contributions to other publications and the modest subscription revenue from The Friday Thing, I had been living something of the high life since arriving in London. I had started hanging out with the great and the good of the dot com world: attending launch parties for new sites, going to parties to celebrate them staying in business for a whole year, eating their lunches, drinking their booze and learning their secrets while they tried to convince me to write about them in my column. Many of these online entrepreneurs had become my friends and I'd managed to find myself a new girlfriend - Maggie, a Welsh journalist who was a restaurant reviewer for a food and drink website. This was a brilliant blag: it meant we could eat at some of London's best restaurants and never pay a penny. Life was wonderful: The Friday Thing and the Guardian column meant that my plan to use the Internet to become hugely famous and successful was firmly on track, I'd made lots of new friends, and, on top of all that, I was getting laid and eating gourmet food for free. Even Sam Lewis was jealous, and he was rich. Meanwhile, the people I was writing about were not having such an easy time of it. 2003 was a really strange time to be covering the 'new media' industry - mainly because no one was really sure for how long there would be an industry left to cover. The dot com boom of 1999 seemed like a millennium ago: a period in history as crazy as the tulip craze or the South Sea Bubble look to us now. The first signs of trouble for the industry had come in 2000. As the century turned, so had the market and - to use the parlance of analysts - the boom had turned out to be a bubble. And then the bubble had burst. How could the writer eat at London's best restaurants for free? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - I'd managed to find myself a new girlfriend - Maggie - The writer was invited to attend launch parties for new sites. - not enough information - Maggie, a Welsh journalist who was a restaurant reviewer for a food and drink website was his girlfriend.
| Maggie, a Welsh journalist who was a restaurant reviewer for a food and drink website was his girlfriend. | 0 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
I love going to the spa. Honestly, who doesn't. These days, unfortunately, my spa trips are few and far between. I blame the damn kids for that one! So, as you can imagine, I was pretty damn excited when the in-laws presented me with an Urban Spa voucher for the Urban Indulgence package: one hour hot stone Lomi Lomi massage followed by a Heavenly Spa Facial - two hours on indulgent bliss, for Christmas. I had never had a hot stone massage before so was very much looking forward to this, if nothing else out of curiosity about what is involved. Whenever you see pictures advertising a hot stone massage, the beautiful model always has a bunch of largish stones on her back so I wasn't sure whether it was more an acupressure experience where they left the stones strategically placed on the back to work their magic or whether it was an actual massage. Turns out that it is an actual massage. I requested a firm massage as my back has really been giving me issues. Carrying 15kgs of Crazy Kid or 9kgs of Kiki (or 26kgs of double babies) really isn't too good for the back so it had been causing me problems for a couple of months. My therapist (the lovely Kristy) gave me an expertly firm massage and used a small, smooth hot stone, along with her hands, to perform the massage. It was quite a unique experience as one minute I could sense that she was using her hands to do the massage then then next I'd get a sweep of hotness as the stone was run over me. It really was a delightful sensory experience. As my back was a problem area, Kristy spent 30 minutes just on that then the other 30 minutes was spent on the rest of my body. I could feel myself drifting in and out of consciousness throughout the massage. One really special thing about this massage was that the massage table was heated. Such a small touch, but one that was greatly appreciated (although it was a great contributor to my lack of consciousness!). Who gave the tired mom a massage? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Crazy Kid and Kiki - the in-laws - Kristy - not enough information
Kristy
A funeral for Zbigniew Brzezinski, the national security adviser to President Jimmy Carter and a noted foreign policy expert and thinker, will be held Friday at St. Matthew's Roman Catholic Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Brzezinski died May 26 in Virginia. He was 86. In a statement, Carter called Brzezinski “a superb public servant” as well as “brilliant, dedicated and loyal.” Along with Henry Kissinger, Brzezinski helped shape U.S. foreign policy with a lasting impact, while also serving as an adviser to Presidents Lyndon Johnson and John F. Kennedy. One of his most well-known accomplishments came in 1978, when Brzezinski helped President Carter reach an agreement between Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat to secure the Camp David peace accords between the two countries. He also was involved in making other major U.S. foreign policy decisions during the Carter administration, including negotiating the Panama Canal Treaty, arming mujahedin in Afghanistan to fight the Soviet invaders and planning a failed mission to rescue 52 American hostages held in Iran. Alexander Vershbow, a former deputy secretary general of NATO and former U.S. ambassador to Russia, told VOA Brzezinski's wisdom also guided U.S. and NATO policy in the post-Cold War period. “On one hand, listening to the appeals of countries like Poland, like Czechoslovakia, like Hungary, to become part of the Western family, which they were denied 70 years ago ... but also reaching out to Russia, and trying to help Russia become an integral part of the European family, the common European house, as [former Soviet leader Mikhail] Gorbachev described it,” Vershbow said. Following his work in the White House, Brzezinski continued to be an influential voice on foreign policy matters. He served as a counselor and trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a professor at Johns Hopkins University. Brzezinski went on to ruffle the feathers of Washington's power elite with his 1983 book, "Power and... When will Brzezinski be buried? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - After December 1st - Before May 26th - After May 26th - not enough information
After May 26th
My mom has been married three times, (nothing against her) and the first two times ended up a total mess. My dad, the first one, ended up just being a shot gun wedding. He was abusive and too young to be married with a child. They got divorced shortly after. A couple years later she met a man named Rob. He was fun, loving, kind, great with me, everything she had been looking for. They dated for.. a few months I think? Maybe a year. Then they got married and we moved to Texas. They were married for 5 years and she was just as miserable those 5 years. He was mean, he lied about everything, he was addicted to porn and stole from his job. He was controlling and wouldn’t let anyone else handle money. It was a rough house to grow up in and hard on my mom as she tried to keep me from the abuse. Eventually he cheated on her with one of her best friends and she kicked him out. I didn’t even notice he was gone for a week because he was so absent in my life. He apologized, turned into the man she first met and they tried again. He again cheated on her and she left him again, that time for good. They ended up finalizing the divorce a year later. I remember her telling me that she confronted him about his change of character and he had told her “Everyone puts on an act at first.” As if it was a normal thing. He had depression and I believe he wanted everyone to be just as miserable as he was. After they got divorced he had on and off again relationships, got a girl pregnant and got married, then she divorced him. He lived with his cousin for a while. The only stability he ever had was with my mom and I. I think that’s why he wanted to leave. Stability meant he had to become an adult and he didn’t want to have to take responsibility. Who was abusive and too young to be married with a child? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Her dad - not enough information - Her mom - Rob
| Her dad | 1 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
*Question*
U.S. President Donald Trump filed his annual financial disclosure form this week with the Office of Government Ethics, the U.S. government's ethics watchdog. Under U.S. law, all top government officials are required to file annual financial disclosure documents with the agency. In Tuesday's 92-page filing, Trump acknowledged that he'd reimbursed his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, last year for more than $100,000 for unspecified expenses incurred in 2016. Trump’s lawyers have previously said the president reimbursed Cohen for $130,000 that Cohen paid to an adult film star to keep her quiet about a sexual tryst she said she had with Trump 10 years earlier. Trump has denied having the tryst but recently confirmed reimbursing Cohen to stop “false and extortionist accusations” about it. The financial disclosure did not say why Trump had not listed the payment in his previous financial filing, but the ethics agency said the reimbursement constituted a loan that should have been reported. That has set off a firestorm of criticism and calls for an investigation into whether Trump violated federal law by omitting the payment from his 2017 disclosure. The controversy has overshadowed other details in Trump's financial disclosure, which is the only publicly available snapshot into the president's finances — his debts, assets and income from dozens of companies and partnerships around the world. Here are six noteworthy takeaways from the report: Golf losses. Trump, an avid golfer who frequently visits his golf courses, sometimes in the company of world leaders, listed 17 golf companies in his disclosure form, with 13 reporting losses. Overall, golf-related revenue plunged to $210 million from nearly $300 million from the previous reporting period. However, the president's struggling golf courses in Turnberry, Scotland, and Doonbeg, Ireland, improved their earnings, with income at the Turnberry property growing to more than $20 million from $14 million. Trump plans to travel to Scotland during his visit to Britain this summer. Why did Trump file an annual financial disclosure form with the Office of Government Ethics? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - to stop false accusations against him for his financial dealings - it is prerequisite to running for the office of President - not enough information - it is required of all top government officials under US law
**Answer**
it is required of all top government officials under US law
*Question*
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill Thursday that would protect from arbitrary dismissal the special counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. The measure, backed by 10 Democrats and four Republicans, would codify Justice Department regulations that the special counsel can only be fired by the attorney general or a designee for "misconduct, dereliction of duty, incapacity, conflict of interest, or other good cause." The proposal would give the special counsel 10 days to challenge a dismissal in court. If a court determines the firing was not for "good cause," the special counsel would be reinstated. The measure would also require the Justice Department to notify Congress when a special counsel is appointed and to report the findings of an investigation. While marking a strong show of support for Special Counsel Robert Mueller who is under frequent attack by President Donald Trump and some Republicans, the bill is unlikely to become law in the face of Republican opposition. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said last week that Trump will not fire Mueller and that there was no need to bring the measure to the Senate floor for a vote. House Speaker Paul Ryan has also opposed the idea. The legislation was introduced by four Senators earlier this month after Trump's sharp criticism of an FBI raid on his personal lawyer's home and office rekindled fears that Trump may fire Mueller and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who supervises Mueller. Mueller is heading the federal investigation into Russia's electoral interference and possible collusion with the Trump presidential campaign. Trump has said there was no collusion and repeatedly denounced the probe as a "witch hunt." Despite his harsh criticism of the Special Counsel and the Justice Department, Trump has dismissed reports that he's privately talked about firing Mueller. He told the cable show Fox and Friends on Thursday that he'll "try and stay away" from the Justice Department, but "at some point, I... How does Pres Trump feel about the FBI's invasion of his attorney's home? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - like he and the attorney are being persecuted - not enough information - like it was premature - sympathetic to the FBI
**Answer**
like he and the attorney are being persecuted
*Question*
I was lost. As I sat parked at the old service station, I pulled out the maps and tried to do a little backtracking. It didn't take me long to figure out where I had made the wrong turn. I had tried following my memory instead of Luna's directions and wound up about eighty miles off course. My gas tank was pushing 'E' but fortunately the service station was open. When I stepped out of my Jeep, I could feel the soles of my boots melt on the asphalt. The heat coming off the cracked and pitted cement peeled off in waves that rolled out in every endless direction. The barren mountains in the distance looked unstable, like I was looking at them through a window pane slicked with olive oil. I slogged my way over to the gas pump and wrapped my shirt around the handle to keep my skin from burning against the desert-baked metal. The heat was so great I worried the fumes would ignite. A dirty round man stood in the shadowy doorway of the ramshackle service station and stared at me while he rubbed his hands inside an oily red rag. The oval name-patch stitched to his coveralls was loose at one end and curled like a leaf in the heat. His name was Jack. I topped off the tank and then walked over to him. "You work here?" I knew it was a stupid question the second it left my mouth. He and I were the only living things for fifty miles in any direction. Who the hell else would be working here? "Who the hell else would be working here?" he said. I shrugged my shoulders and pulled out my wallet. Jack wobbled inside behind a glass counter filled with everything from belt buckles to oil funnels. "That your momma's car?" he asked. It's impossible to tell what kind of psychological impact this heat would have on a man who lived out here alone, but I was sure it wasn't positive. Where is the narrator? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - At a gas station in the desert. - At Luna's house. - not enough information - At his mother's house.
**Answer**
| At a gas station in the desert. | 4 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
WHITE HOUSE — President Donald Trump on Monday declared he has an "absolute right" to pardon himself and then also tweeted his assertion that the federal government investigation into ties between his 2016 election campaign and Russia is "totally unconstitutional." While Trump has frequently ignored established norms and challenged the understood limits of presidential powers, his latest comments are viewed by some legal scholars as unprecedented and testing constitutional boundaries. "I was shocked" by Trump’s tweets, said Susan Low Bloch, a law professor at Georgetown University. "No president has ever tried it," she told VOA News. "It’s unlikely the president can pardon himself. I think the court would say no" and if he did give himself a pardon, "most congresses would impeach him." Bloch also notes when most people accept a pardon "it’s an admission of guilt," thus it would be a bad idea for Trump to pursue such a course of action. The professor, who has testified before the Senate on whether a president can be indicted and tried while in office, says the special counsel is "absolutely constitutional." Another constitutional scholar, Keith Whittington at Princeton University, said, "I think it is important to note that the president’s comments reference serious arguments that are being debated by legal scholars, but these are difficult and unusual constitutional questions that would ultimately be answered in the courts." According to Northwestern University Law Professor Andrew Koppelman, "Trump's position on pardons is consistent with the Constitution's text, but inconsistent with the overall structure. It means that the President could commit capital treason, or any other federal crime, and then immediately pardon himself. "It means that he could commit murder in the White House," Koppelman said. "It makes no sense within the Constitution as a whole." Asked by reporters Monday about Trump’s comment on his ability to pardon himself, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders repeatedly replied: "The... Why are Trump's comments viewed as unprecedented? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - Pardoning power is legally not to be used on one's own self. - The courts have never seen a case like this before. - No president has ever tried it.
No president has ever tried it.
------
SEOUL — In addition to growing concerns that North Korea will pull out of the upcoming nuclear summit with the U.S., prospects for improved inter-Korean relations have also stalled, as Pyongyang demands that U.S.-South Korea joint military drills be scaled back, and a group of defectors be returned. Just weeks after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in declared the beginning of a new era of peace during a historic summit held in the demilitarized zone of the inter-Korean border, Pyongyang has put further dialogue and cooperation on hold until its demands are met. President Moon will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday to discuss the upcoming Trump-Kim summit and the North’s sudden conditions set for continued dialogue and cooperation. Most of North Korea’s anger last week, expressed in official statements and reports carried by the state news agency KCNA, seemed to be directed at the U.S. It criticized the Max Thunder joint military exercise that is currently underway, and U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton’s demands for the North’s unilateral nuclear disarmament. North Korea in particular objected to Bolton’s insistence that North Korea follow the Libyan model, which involved the rapid and total dismantlement of that country’s nuclear program, but it was also followed by the overthrow of the country’s leader Moammar Gadhafi some years later. Unless the U.S. eased up on its uncompromising stance, Pyongyang indicated it would pull out of the June 12 meeting in Singapore between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump to negotiate an end the North’s nuclear program in exchange for security guarantees and an end to punishing international sanctions. President Trump later said the Libya model does not apply to North Korea and that Kim Jong Un would remain in power and “be very rich” if he makes a deal to end his country’s nuclear program. North Korea denounced South Korea, as well, for the joint military drills, calling the Seoul government... What news agency expressed North Korea's anger at the US last week? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - KCNA - KCJJ - KCWA - not enough information
KCNA
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“Please remember me to myself!” When sliding toward mania in 2016, I begged this of my therapist. He cocked his head. “What do you mean?” I had no idea—on a conscious level—what I was asking for, just that I felt in a desperate sense that the self I knew was slipping away. An inability to recognize myself either in my writing or in reflecting upon my own actions was taking over. And then…? I didn't care. I wanted to kiss girls. Which is fine—just not something I ordinarily do. I wanted to drink, smoke. Again, fine—but not something I ordinarily do. “Do I seem…okay?” I asked a colleague at work. A woman I barely knew. Insanely, I thought that since she worked with disabled students, many of whom struggled with mental illness, she would know mania when she saw it. This was a rather foolish assumption—especially since she's an educator, not a psychiatrist, especially with how skilled I am at wearing the mask of calm, the face of sanity. “You seem great, Julie. Cheery. Professional as always.” I let her reassurance placate me. Wanted to be placated. Yet, within months I lost my job. And not only that, but a chance at a scholarship, two really important long term friendships—relationships I'd enjoyed since high school. I was hospitalized three times between September and February. I lost my ability to trust myself, lost my mind. It is now a little over two years since I first felt that sliding. Twenty-six months since I knew that somewhere in the deepest parts of who I am, I was slipping. Nine seasons since I begged Dr. Poe, “Remember me to myself!” I'm still recuperating. Yes. I have felt like I wasn't me. How did Julie come across to other people? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - She seems nice. - She seems normal. - not enough information - She seems professional.
| She seems normal.
------ | 5 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
*Question*
Greg Tenorly drove the familiar route from the church to his music studio, studying the homes along the way. He wondered about the families who lived in each one. Like that two-story brick on the corner. What secrets were they hiding? Was the husband abusive? Did a teenager use drugs? Was the family nearly bankrupt? How could anyone know? It was better not to know. The mind can only handle so many problems at one time. He wondered where Troy and Cynthia Blockerman lived. Greg had appeared at the courthouse that morning as part of a jury pool, only to be released. He and the rest of his group would have to return the next morning. He hoped they would not need him. The church would pay his regular part-time salary while he was serving on a jury, but any private lessons he missed would be money lost. Greg's red 1965 Pontiac Bonneville convertible always turned heads as he drove through the small town. He had purchased it two months earlier from a career Navy man down in Longview who had babied the thing for years. It spent most of its life in the man's garage, coming out only when he was on leave. Most trips were to the car wash or the Pontiac dealer for scheduled maintenance. Greg gladly paid $4,000 for it. The sailor called him the very next day and tried to buy it back. He said it was like losing a member of the family. Greg felt bad, but not bad enough to give up the car. How could a 40-year-old car have only 93,000 miles on it? It was dazzling. His little studio was near the town square, nestled between Coreyville Hardware and Susie's Sewing Box. Occasionally he and a student could hear a pipe wrench or hammer hitting the floor on the hardware side. But things were always quiet from Susie's side. At least the soundproofing he had installed kept his neighbors from hearing his students. You can't teach music without hearing both beautiful sounds and sour notes. Why Greg's car turned heads? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - It made a lot of noise - It was new - not enough information - It was a convertible
**Answer**
It was a convertible
*Question*
Cerberus just stared at me. The dog didn't blink, he didn't pant, he didn't move. He just sat in the passenger seat as I drove, relaxed, mouth hanging slightly open, looking at me the way someone examines a menu but can't decide on the chicken or the veal. The desert sky was on fire when the city came into view. Cerberus turned away from me and stuck his head out from the side of the jeep, his giant tongue flapping in the eighty mile an hour wind while I dialed Luna's number. The dog pulled his head back in, then rested his chin on top of the overhead roll-bar, his fur blowing back along his head like the spines of a porcupine. "Hello?" "Hey, Luna." "Dingo! Are you there yet?" "No, not yet. I'm just outside the city." Vegas flashed and blinked under the starless sky. "You get in touch with Mr. Waciejowski?" "Sure did. He's at the Denny's near the Excalibur. He's trying to stay away from the blackjack tables." "Yeah, good for him. He has the box?" I could hear Luna stuffing something disgustingly healthy in her mouth. "Mmm hmm." "He hasn't opened it, has he?" She swallowed. "Nah. I told him it was filled with old photos." Cerberus shifted in the seat and scratched behind his neck with such force that the whole Jeep shook; a rather unsettling motion at 80 miles an hour. "Hey Luna, I've got a question for you." I looked over to see the dog's nostrils flared out in the wind while his lips blew back and revealed his frightening set of teeth. "This, uh, this animal spirit guide you had me try to find. Do they ever show up, you know, in person?" What does Dingo like to do? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - He likes to talk on the phone. - He likes to drive fast. - He likes to drive carefully. - not enough information
**Answer**
He likes to drive fast.
*Question*
I have a chronic illness, and so I received quite a few sterling gems in the months between onset and accurate diagnosis. I had one GP — let’s call him Dr Douche. I promise, it’s the kindest way I could describe him. “The jacket means I know things.” He came up with wilder and wilder theories as to why I was sick, and kept getting sicker. It should be said beforehand that few of these theories were embodied. He was sure it was something in my ladybrains that was preventing proper function of the rest of me. Dr Douche said so much weird, wild, and just-plain-unbelievable crap over the course of my diagnosis that someday I may create a novel that incorporates it all. But this here has to be the blue ribbon winner. I was describing a symptom to him: every time I got up in the morning, when I first stood, my heart would pound, my heart rate would accelerate, and I’d feel dizzy. After a few probing questions — (only in the morning? — no, but it’s worst in the morning)… “Maybe,” he said sensitively, “you’re afraid.” “Of standing?” I asked, just to be sure. “You think I’m afraid of… standing up.” Maybe he meant there was some kind of existential fear, like, we’re all afraid, it’s a big old universe out there, and he wanted some comfort and reassurance. Nope. The man genuinely thought I had such a profound fear of verticality, that I was having a near-panic in response to being upright. POTS, folks. It was POTS. Literally THE most common sign/symptom/syndrome of autonomic dysfunction. The most common one. He could’ve confirmed right there in the office with a poor man’s tilt table test, if he knew to… Mayo Clinic had to confirm with expensive instruments because he’d never heard of a disease that affects 1/100 teenagers and between 1–3 million people in the United States! Would’ve done better with this Doctor. After the end of the story how often does the author return to Dr. Douche? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - once every 6 months - not enough information - once a month - never
**Answer**
| never | 4 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Q: QUEBEC CITY, CANADA — On the eve of the G-7 summit in Canada, the U.S. president lashed out at host Justin Trudeau and the White House announced Donald Trump would skip some of the sessions. In two tweets Thursday evening, Trump accused the Canadian prime minister, as well as French President Emmanuel Macron, of “charging the U.S. massive tariffs” and creating “non-monetary barriers.” Trump also said Trudeau was being “indignant” about the cross-border trade relationship. Later Thursday night, Trump took to Twitter again to urge the European Union and Canada to “Take down your tariffs & barriers or we will more than match you!” Trump’s tweets came after Macron threatened to exclude the United States from the G-7 final statement to be issued in the mountainous tourism destination of Charlevoix. In his own tweets in French and English, Macron stated that while Trump “may not mind being isolated” the other six leaders meeting in Canada would also not mind signing an agreement among themselves. “American jobs are on the line because of his actions and because of his administration,” Trudeau said at a joint news conference with Macron earlier in the day in Ottawa. “When we can underscore this, and we see that there’s a lot of pressure within the U.S., perhaps he will revise his position.” “A trade war doesn’t spare anyone,” Macron said. “It will start to hurt American workers. The cost of raw materials will rise and industry will become less competitive.” After the contentious salvos on social media and the Trudeau-Macron news conference, the White House announced Trump would depart the summit at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, following the session on women’s empowerment. "The president will travel directly to Singapore from Canada in anticipation of his upcoming meeting with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un Tuesday. G-7 sherpa and deputy assistant to the president for international economic affairs Everett Eissenstat will represent the United States for the remaining G-7 sessions," White House Press Secretary SarahSanders... What does Trump think of Kim Jong Un? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - He doesn't like him - He likes him - He thinks he is overweight
A: not enough information
Q: The filming was kind of a long process, but maybe it didn’t need to be? Or maybe it did? The first night of filming at the Thornbury Bowls Club was for a test shoot with mine and Rosie’s camera, to work out which one we wanted to use for her film. The second night of filming involved us getting establishing shots of the location. The third night of filming involved us mainly shooting Rosie’s script. And the fourth night of shooting involved us mainly shooting Bell’s script and getting any other shots we needed to get. Perhaps we didn’t need an entire night of filming just to get establishing shots and filler shots, but it certainly made it a lot easier having multiple shots to choose from. For the two nights of shooting we certainly didn’t get that much coverage, which meant in the edit we were somewhat stuck using certain shots because we didn’t have other options. This was mainly because of time limitations with actors and batteries on cameras dying and such. I’m so neurotic I would have happily spent two nights shooting establishing shots and filler shots and two nights on each shoot, but not everyone wants to rearrange the rest of their life to fit around such projects. I get a tad obsessive if I’m allowed, which can often benefit me, although I do become a giant pain in everyone else’s ass. The main thing I learnt from the filming process was that you can plan out exactly what you want to do, and how your going to do it, but once you get into the location with the actors this plan often changes – however, you are still much better of having the plan than none at all! As the neurotic freak I am, I had all the shots I wanted to use storyboarded. I had originally planned to shoot all the establishing shots, stick them in a timeline and then also shoot the other shots (with fill in actors) and add them to the timeline to see how it looked. Of course no one else was interested in spending an entire night shooting the film – but with them as stands in – just so I could complete my psychotic endeavour of... After the end of this story, the narrator is probably: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - annoyed at the actors - not enough information - discouraged with the extras - happy with the actors
A: annoyed at the actors
Q: If you turned on the TV towards the end of 2002 you could have been forgiven for thinking that Britain had gone absolutely horseshit mental. Every week, it seemed, another pretty young girl from a nice family, who was happy and popular and always did well at school, was being kidnapped or murdered by what the Sun newspaper cheerfully termed 'evil paedo scum'. Naming and shaming was as popular a feature in the Murdoch press as Page Three girls and discounted holidays to Butlin's. Of course you can't blame parents for wanting to keep their children safe; that's pretty much the job description of a parent. And, on the face of it, the tabloids were doing a public service in warning us about the paedophile menace lurking in our midst. The problem came when it turned out that a huge number of these concerned tabloid-reading parents were also absolute fucking morons. For every story of an actual sex offender being driven from their house by a baying mob there was one like that of Dr Yvette Cloete, a doctor at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport, South Wales, who returned home from work to find that a group of 'concerned parents' had daubed the word 'paedo' on her front door in bright red paint. Dr Cloete was a consultant paediatrician. Easy mistake. If you're an absolute fucking moron. And so it was that one hung-over morning, after reading yet another story about vigilantes who had threatened to stone Maxine Carr, the girlfriend of Soham killer Ian Huntley, to death during her high-profile trial for perverting the course of justice, I decided to set up a website parodying this collective national madness. The result of two or three hours of hung-over labour was thinkofthechildren.co.uk, a spoof campaign site which claimed to offer a handy online guide for crazy vigilantes of all stripes to co-ordinate their crazy vigilante efforts. Although there are a few parts of the site I'm still a bit proud of, the majority of it was, I freely admit, satire of the lowest order. The narrator created a website: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - before people had vandalized a doctor's house - not enough information - after people had vandalized a doctor's house - while people were vandalizing a doctor's house
| A: after people had vandalized a doctor's house | 2 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
The air exploded in a flash of bone and steel and blood. The clash of metal rang through the forest. An arrow pierced through the darkness, its barbed head tearing through flesh and muscle. A roar echoed off of the mountains far to the west. A cry broke through soon after. Then silence. Char stood over a pile of black fur and red blood. He held a curved sword, jagged half way down the wide blade and hilted in bone. He held a large thick bow in the other. Lorfel and Ranur stood behind him, panting. Lorfel, a short man of twenty six held a large axe in both hands and still prepared to swing it hard. Ranur, the largest of the three held a pike in one hand, its tip hanging low towards the ground. He buried his other hand in his gray tunic. "Did it get either of you?" Char's voice rasped low in the silence of the night. "No" Lorfel said. He planted his axe head on the ground with a thud and leaned on the tall handle. There was a pause. Char turned towards Ranur. "Are you hurt?" "Mm...My hand." Ranur took his hand out of his tunic. Moonlight gleamed red off of the ragged wound. Char thought he saw a glimmer of bone. "Did he claw you or bite you?" Char's voice held an urgency that set both Lorfel and Ranur on edge. Ranur paused and then spoke low. "He bit me." Char picked Lorfel and Ranur as his hunting partners for their speed and sharpness in battle. They had hunted beasts of the deep woods all of their lives. They hunted the beasts that hunted men. They all knew the risks of battling such creatures. The old man dropped his curved sword, drew his bow, and fired. The arrow hammered into Ranur's chest, burying itself in his heart. Lorfel saw the gleaming arrow head sticking almost a foot out of his companion's back. Ranur fell face first to the ground. Who was concerned about his companions' injuries? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Char - not enough information - Lorfel - Ranur
Char
U.S. President Donald Trump is not expected to meet the leaders of Cuba and Venezuela when he attends the Summit of the Americas next week, according to White House officials. However, there will still be opportunities for interactions between Trump and his Latin and North American counterparts at the two-day summit that begins April 13 in Lima, Peru. The gathering takes place as Trump finalizes plans to send the military to the U.S. border with Mexico and threatens to withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA. In addition, Trump's recently imposed steel and aluminum tariffs have sparked criticism from many of the attendees at the summit, though some countries have received temporary exemptions. Despite all the turbulence, White House officials outlined a fairly traditional agenda for the summit. "A win for this president at this summit will be a strong speech focused on regional governance, leadership on Venezuela and promoting reciprocal trade," a senior administration official said. The official would not say whether Trump will continue to "speak his mind" during the summit on sensitive issues such as immigration. Trump has repeatedly portrayed immigration from South and Central America as both a national security and economic threat. During his presidential campaign, Trump accused Mexico of sending rapists, drug dealers and criminals across the border. Trump has also clashed with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto over the funding of a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico. The president has long insisted that Mexico will pay for the wall. The disagreement become so heated earlier this year that Pena Nieto canceled plans to visit the White House. It is not clear whether Trump will hold a one-on-one meeting with Pena Nieto during the summit, U.S. officials said. But Trump will not meet with Cuban leader Raul Castro or anyone from the Venezuelan delegation, White House officials said. "Obviously the Cubans will be participating in the summit, so there will be a mixing of regional... What agreement is Trump threatening to withdraw from? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - NAPTA - NAWTA - NAFTA - not enough information
NAFTA
For years, Aimee Lind, a librarian at the Getty Research Institute, has been struggling with ways to make architecture archives more accessible to users. To help solve this problem, she co-founded the California Architecture Archives Network (or CalArchNet) with her Cal Poly SLO colleague Jessica Holada. Together they have organized a series of one-day mini-conferences designed to foster dialogue and collaboration among librarians, archivists, and curators at California institutions that house architecture archives. The goal of these semiannual meetings is to create a space for convergence among professionals who intersect with architectural archives in different ways. Architecture archives, often containing large drawings and scale models, present unique problems due to their size and fragility. CalArchNet participants are interested in improving the overall user experience for visitors to the archives by looking for solutions to obstacles to access. This space for an informal exchange of ideas provides an opportunity to be transparent about the challenges repositories face when managing and processing architecture holdings, as well as encourages investigation and experimentation into ways new technologies may help to solve accessibility issues, such as improved interaction with digitized collections via the IIIF protocol or 3D-scanned facsimile models and virtual walk-throughs. October 27 marked the third meeting of CalArchNet, held at the Palm Springs Art Museum, Architecture and Design Center, with representatives from 13 institutions in attendance. Topics discussed included historic site preservation research methodology, leveraging statewide resources to enhance discovery of collections, security considerations, GIS mapping technologies, and the use of linked open data to make connections between collections. The day concluded with a curator-led tour of the exhibition Albert Frey and Lina Bo Bardi: A Search for Living Architecture. If you’re an archivist, librarian, or curator working with architecture... What is probably true about Jessica Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - She does not want people to have access - She is not interested in architecture - She is a librarian too
| She is a librarian too | 0 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
(Q).
Greg said goodbye to his last student at 8:15 PM, locked up the studio, and got into his car. He always looked forward to his evening rendezvous with Bonnie--his nickname for the Bonneville. He liked to put her top down, and drive her around town in the moonlight. Their route varied from night to night, but the ultimate destination was never in question. "May I help you?" The worn-out speaker was crackly, but he still recognized the particularly twangy East Texas voice of Fontana Fry. Over his six years of vocal training, he had become acutely aware of accents. This is true of all classically trained singers. Great emphasis is placed on precise pronunciation and enunciation. It is mandatory that the singer's repertoire include works written in English, Latin, Italian, German, and French. So, by the time Greg finished his graduate degree, his accent had been all but eliminated. He sounded somewhat like a network news anchor instead of an East Texan. "I would like a large--" "--a large dipped cone, the usual. Right?" The Dairy Queen drive-thru ordering station was located out in front of the restaurant, on the right side. He looked up, and saw the 19 year-old waving at him. She looked so cute in her little Dairy Queen outfit. Fontana was in her first year at Kilgore College. She planned to be an elementary teacher. He knew she would be a good one. Greg had met Fontana a few months earlier when she brought her 13-year-old brother to the studio to enroll for guitar lessons. The boy was holding a U.S. made, 1968 Harmony acoustic guitar his uncle gave him. The body and the frets were badly worn, but the instrument still played beautifully. It looked somewhat like a large violin, with arched top and f-holes. That shape produces a more mellow sound than flattops. And the guitar's age contributed additional warmth to the tone. Greg thinks Fontana Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Will be a great elementary school teacher - Will be a good student - not enough information - Is a good employee
(A).
Will be a great elementary school teacher
(Q).
Cerberus just stared at me. The dog didn't blink, he didn't pant, he didn't move. He just sat in the passenger seat as I drove, relaxed, mouth hanging slightly open, looking at me the way someone examines a menu but can't decide on the chicken or the veal. The desert sky was on fire when the city came into view. Cerberus turned away from me and stuck his head out from the side of the jeep, his giant tongue flapping in the eighty mile an hour wind while I dialed Luna's number. The dog pulled his head back in, then rested his chin on top of the overhead roll-bar, his fur blowing back along his head like the spines of a porcupine. "Hello?" "Hey, Luna." "Dingo! Are you there yet?" "No, not yet. I'm just outside the city." Vegas flashed and blinked under the starless sky. "You get in touch with Mr. Waciejowski?" "Sure did. He's at the Denny's near the Excalibur. He's trying to stay away from the blackjack tables." "Yeah, good for him. He has the box?" I could hear Luna stuffing something disgustingly healthy in her mouth. "Mmm hmm." "He hasn't opened it, has he?" She swallowed. "Nah. I told him it was filled with old photos." Cerberus shifted in the seat and scratched behind his neck with such force that the whole Jeep shook; a rather unsettling motion at 80 miles an hour. "Hey Luna, I've got a question for you." I looked over to see the dog's nostrils flared out in the wind while his lips blew back and revealed his frightening set of teeth. "This, uh, this animal spirit guide you had me try to find. Do they ever show up, you know, in person?" Dingo thinks Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Luna should open the box - Cerberus should open the box - not enough information - Mr. Waciejowski should not open the box
(A).
Mr. Waciejowski should not open the box
(Q).
So many kids, so many stories. Parents die, leaving kids devastated and unable to speak for days. Parents get deported, leaving kids despondent and hopeless. Children endure emotional, sexual, physical abuse. And more. The saddest story I ever heard was from the kid in my AP Lit class who had taken her senior year to accept invitations from education reform groups to speak around the country, which she did, without doing any of her homework. She waited until after grades were turned in at the end of the year to contest the “D” on her report card because it meant not going to UC Berkeley. She brought her mother with her, and her two sisters. After going around and around for a while with me and the principal, her mother said that her divorce had really affected this girl, and she had been fighting so hard all her life to get into Berkeley, and what did I have against her daughter? She deserved to go to Cal! They were all in tears. The principal found a way to change her 64% to a 70.01%, and off she went. This young woman full of potential and energy, learned from her mother and my boss, that excuses rule the day. She appears to think that “social justice” means fighting to get your way because the deck is stacked against you, instead of doing the right thing. This is sad. I know this isn’t what you were after, and that this memory says more about me than it does about her. Many other kids I have counseled, who are getting through something life-changing, seem to understand that life is in session, there will always be challenges to rise above, and that focusing in the classroom is a great way to get one’s mind off one’s troubles, if the environment is supportive and the spirit is willing. What is true about the mother Pick the correct answer from the following options: - She wants the teacher to be fired - She wants the best for her daughter - not enough information - She wants to report the principal to the school board
(A).
| She wants the best for her daughter | 8 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Q: "They've got cameras everywhere, man. Not just in supermarkets and departments stores, they're also on your cell phones and your computers at home. And they never turn off. You think they do, but they don't. "They're always on, always watching you, sending them a continuous feed of your every move over satellite broadband connection. "They watch you fuck, they watch you shit, they watch when you pick your nose at the stop light or when you chew out the clerk at 7-11 over nothing or when you walk past the lady collecting for the women's shelter and you don't put anything in her jar. "They're even watching us right now," the hobo added and extended a grimy, gnarled digit to the small black orbs mounted at either end of the train car. There were some days when I loved taking public transportation, and other days when I didn't. On a good day, I liked to sit back and watch the show, study the rest of the passengers, read into their little ticks and mannerisms and body language, and try to guess at their back stories, giving them names and identities in my head. It was fun in a voyeuristic kind of way. And luckily, today was a good day. I watched the old Vietnamese woman with the cluster of plastic shopping bags gripped tightly in her hand like a cloud of tiny white bubbles. My eyes traced the deep lines grooving her face, and I wondered about the life that led her to this place. I watched the lonely businessman staring longingly across the aisle at the beautiful Mexican girl in the tight jeans standing with her back to him. He fidgeted with the gold band on his finger, and I couldn't tell if he was using it to remind himself of his commitment or if he was debating whether he should slyly slip it off and talk to her. What is true about the author? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - He/she doesn't look at other passengers while using public transportation - He/she frequently takes public transportation - not enough information - He/she never takes public transportation
A: He/she frequently takes public transportation
Q: In a race with national implications, Democrat Conor Lamb declared victory in a very close special congressional election held Tuesday in Pennsylvania. Officially, the race has not been called for Lamb, who holds a lead of 627 votes over Republican candidate Rick Saccone, a strong supporter of President Donald Trump. It’s possible Saccone and his supporters may request a recount, given the close vote. Even though Lamb’s apparent victory is narrow, the Pennsylvania result could broaden implications for Republicans looking to defend their congressional majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate in the November midterm elections. Lamb ran surprisingly strong in a district that Trump carried by nearly 20 points, campaigning as a moderate Democrat. “We fought to find common ground, and we found it, almost everywhere. Democrats, Republicans, independents — each of us, Americans,” Lamb told supporters early Wednesday. Saccone was not ready to concede the race. “We are going to fight all the way to the end. You know I never give up.” The Pennsylvania race follows Democratic victories late last year in Virginia and Alabama, fueled in large part by what some analysts see as an anti-Trump theme that continues to build. “The opposition to Donald Trump is as intense as I have seen since the last year of [Richard] Nixon’s presidency," said University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato via Skype. “It is so intense, it is so hot, that it could result in a much bigger turnover than we think in the midterm elections to the Democrats and away from the Republicans.” Saccone cast himself as the president’s “wingman,” and Trump campaigned on his behalf at a rally last Saturday when Trump urged Republicans to get out and vote. “We want to keep the agenda, the make America great, going. You have got to get him in. This is a very important race,” Trump said. Democrats were thrilled with the result, while some Republicans saw the race as a “wake-up” call for what could be a devastating midterm in November. What states saw a Democratic victory last year as mentioned in the narrative? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Virginia and Pennsylvania. - not enough information - Alabama and Pennsylvania. - Virginia and Alabama.
A: Virginia and Alabama.
Q: President Donald Trump capped what has been a difficult week politically with an all-out push for tax reform Friday. In a speech to the National Association of Manufacturers in Washington, Trump promised to deliver on a “giant, beautiful, massive, the biggest ever in our country, tax cut.” Trump is eager to move past setbacks on health care reform and the results of a Republican Senate primary Tuesday in Alabama where he found himself on the losing side. The president and his administration also have been on the defensive over hurricane recovery efforts in Puerto Rico. Senate Republicans put off a vote on a plan to repeal and replace Obamacare after it became clear they did not have enough votes to pass the measure, thanks to a handful of Republican defectors. Democrats expressed relief they had beaten back another attempt to undo former President Barack Obama’s signature achievement, the Affordable Care Act. “The reason this bill failed is because millions of Americans didn’t want it,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told reporters at the Capitol. On the same day, Christian conservative and former judge Roy Moore easily won a Republican Senate primary in Alabama, defeating incumbent Luther Strange, whom Trump had supported. “We are put here on Earth for a short time, and for that short time our duty it to serve almighty God,” Moore said in his victory speech. Moore has made controversial statements on a number of issues in the past, but he is considered the favorite in a race against Democrat Doug Jones in a general election Dec. 12. Trump had appeared with Strange the week before at a rally in Alabama, but even some analysts said his heart did not appear to be in it. “Trump was campaigning for Luther Strange, but you could tell he was having some second thoughts about that,” said Republican strategist John Feehery. Moore’s victory, aided by the active support of former Trump White House strategist Steve Bannon, signals what could be a series of divisive Republican primary battles heading into next... The Republican strategist believes Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - Trump likes Roy Moore - It was stupid for Trump to campaign for Luther Strange - It was politically savvy to campaign for Luther Strange.
| A: It was stupid for Trump to campaign for Luther Strange | 2 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
*Question*
Like many other inventors before him, professor Slawomir Suwak designed only the things he needed himself. He had several patents on his conscience already: an automatic cork opener for wine in the indicative state, a portable set of board games for solving personality problems, a wallet with a mini-device for the duplications of 100 zloty bills, and a piece of equipment "the day after" used to irretrievably eliminate from the time-space continuum days burdened with a hangover. Now came the time for a mini-device preventing the development of symptoms of psycho-motor aggression. The device was really simple. It weighed about a kilo and was the size of a bag of flour. It was to be worn on the right wrist. The fact it had to be the right wrist was very important. Otherwise, the invention didn't work properly, or even worse, it produced results opposite to its intended effect. Each day, its mini-containers had to be re-filled with substances promoting positive processes in the body leading to the return of good mood. There were three containers to re-fill, and the substances were not available on the local market and had to be imported using diplomatic channels from the USA. To operate the device, turning it on stand-by was enough. In that mode, it could be used continuously for one and a half hours. To recharge the batteries, you needed a charger, which was stored in a small suitcase. The device, when it was turned on, made a low murmur (or according to some - a loud growl) designed to keep the owner in a good mood. Professor Suwak called his new baby "mini-anti-aggressor." The McPhilips corporation expressed its interest in the product early on, even when it was still at the drawing-board stage. The company partially financed the purchase of sub-assembly elements from its subsidiary specializing in the productions of components for technologically advanced products. What was the reason for McPhillips to be interested in the new device? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - they sponsor all new inventions - not enough information - staff of McPhillips had psycho-motor aggression - they knew the professor's inventions were good
**Answer**
they knew the professor's inventions were good
*Question*
At an early meeting of the British Sociological Association’s “Activism in Sociology Forum” members met to discuss how we might play a more campaigning role in the world outside the academy. Pragmatically, academics tend to work long hours. We are faced with multiple and competing demands: teaching, administration, publishing, marketing, research, grant-bidding, and so on. The REF has ramped up the requirement to demonstrate the efficacy of our research in “the real world” (our impact upon society, economy, and culture rather than upon knowledge per se, or upon the academic discipline). Maybe here – I suggested, as my contribution to the meeting – was a chance for those of us interested in progressing social justice to lever officially sanctioned space, in our busy day-to-day lives, to do more of this sort of work? Maybe we should welcome the REF impact agenda? I learned afterwards that eminent British sociologists, whom I respect enormously, regarded such a viewpoint as “naïve” and “embarrassing”. Indeed, critics interpret REF as just one mode of the heightened, neoliberal, managerial control that is degrading academic life and infesting universities. So, how should we think about the REF impact agenda? Because of its obvious connections with social improvement and reform through policy action, social policy is regarded as one disciplinary area that is well-placed to meet and benefit from the impact agenda. Yet there has been surprisingly little concerted discussion amongst scholars about REF and impact. This is despite the fact that many millions of pounds of public funding accrue to the proposed or claimed impact of research (with monies channelled through research councils to individual projects or via regular, six-yearly centralised assessments of the quality of research in university departments). In addition, there is substantial funding directed toward the “impact industry”; the consultants, think tanks, PR firms, funding schemes, new software programmes, impact managers, specialist impact case study... How does the author feel about PR firms? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - He thinks they are harmful. - He thinks they are helping. - He thinks that they work long hours.
**Answer**
He thinks they are harmful.
*Question*
I loved the little guy from the day she brought him home. She carried him wrapped in a sweatshirt from the shelter at the corner where she'd been saying for months she was going to go. She set him down on the hardwood floor and he clipped around like a fawn - - clip, clip -- looking through doorways and carefully eyeing us both. He was tiny but he was strong. He was muscular and sleek, like a miniature greyhound, and we both watched intently as he clipped around, soldiering things out and whining under his breath. Miss Tennessee looked at me and smiled and said: "Well honey? What do you think?" And I told her: "I love the little guy." He was never really my dog. He was more like my step-dog, but together we named him Steve. We thought it was funny, giving a dog a man's name like that. But it fit, like Miss Tennessee, which I started just to tease her about being full-grown and long- legged and pretty, but in a tomboyish way that made it both absolutely ridiculous and absolutely plausible that she had ever been Miss Anything. It always made her swallow a grin. Steve's name, on the other hand, made it sound like he wasn't a dog at all, but this little man. Miss Tennessee often called him that: the little man. Steve liked me okay but he loved Miss Tennessee. With me it was man things. After he got snipped or when he was stung by bees, down there, in grass that came up to his chin, he would come sit by me, hoping I'd understand. With her, it was everything else. When she took a bath, he stood with his paws on the side of the tub, and when she went someplace he couldn't go he stood where he last saw her and waited. If she went into a store and left us together in the car, he stood with his paws on the dashboard, waiting and crying and looking at me like maybe I was to blame. What is probably true about Miss Tennessee? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - She likes cats - She likes fish - not enough information - She likes dogs
**Answer**
| She likes dogs | 4 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
I’m sitting at the airport on a Sunday morning waiting for my flight to Las Vegas for the now-annual pilgrimage to the NamesCon conference. A few years ago, Vegas was one of my “bucket list” places – one of those iconic cities that one should visit at least once in their life. For me, once was enough. This is now my 4th (I think?) trip to Vegas, and while the city has a lot to offer, it’s just not my cup of tea. For one thing, I’m not a gambler, like at all. I don’t have anything against it, I just don’t enjoy it. It either feels pointless or stressful to me. The city itself makes me a little sad – in some cases, it reeks of desperation. Last time I was there, my cab driver entertained me with stories of how she was working 3 jobs to save up enough to join some mega-massive bingo game. She won a small jackpot a few years back and that allowed her to work only one job for a few months. She was hoping to win again so she could cut back to 1 or 2 jobs. I wondered how many people do similar things – gambling their money away, in big or small chunks, in the hopes of that big score and in the process, putting themselves in a not-great financial situation. I suppose as long it makes them happy, then it’s all OK, but I can’t help but think someone like my cab driver might be happier overall if she only worked 1 job instead of 3, instead of working extra jobs to save up money to gamble her way to financial freedom. But that’s for her to decide, not me. The juxtaposition of extreme and in-your-face wealth and the homeless people on the Strip also makes me sad. It’s difficult to see people begging for food and sleeping on the street while all around you, millions of dollars are poured into creating a massive playground with every type of indulgence possible. But I’m the first to say that I’ve enjoyed staying in some of the nicer hotel properties there and eating several excellent meals at some of the finer restaurants in the area, so I’m not exactly helping to solve the problem. The author's trip to Vegas probably lasted how long: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - about 2 days - not enough information - about a week - about a month
about a week
As a day trip from Brussels (only a half hour train), I’ve found that either many people haven’t heard of Ghent, preferring to explore the chocolate box streets of Bruges, or they adore Ghent so much that when a blogger (me) visits, they spam them via instastories with recollections of days spent there and memories made. True story. Disclaimer: I was a press guest of VisitFlanders in Ghent, but all planning, mischief and thoughts are all mine. We fell into the former camp on our trip to Brussels and explored Bruges, but genuinely regretted only being able to fit one city in, vowing to return one day. Luckily an invite to explore Ghent appeared in my email inbox, so I gleefully accepted, hopping on the Eurostar one sleepy morning, and spending a long weeked gambolling through the streets (under blues skies and then grey clouds.) As guests of the tourism board, we were given city passes which allowed us to hop on the local transport (trams & busses), pop in and out of the museums and climb aboard a canal cruise, exploring the city by water. GALAVANT THROUGH THE GRAVESTEEN We didn’t galavant so much as gallop up through the castle, so intent we were on completing a challenge to the top, but strolled back down through exhibitions. The exhibits share the history of The quintessential 12th-century stone castle, which comes complete with moat, turrets and arrow slits. And the view from atop the towers? Well, it’s ok I guess. HOP ONTO A CANAL CRUISE Sit back, relax, and let the world glide by. The 40-minute tour included in the city card takes in the city by canal, led by a knowedgable driver/guide and is a lovely way to get to know the city a little bit better. There are also other operators, a couple of whom offer picnics as you float through the medieval city. How long did it probably take to climb to the top of the castle? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - probably about an hour - probably about 2 hours - not enough information - probably about 15 minutes
probably about 15 minutes
Last week we talked about healthy eating on a budget. Today I want to take it a step further and focus on how to start clean eating on a budget. It is very similar with just a couple of extra steps. Clean eating focuses on fresh ingredients, no processed foods, and eating good foods as close to nature as possible such as: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, cage-free eggs, grass-fed beef and grain-fed poultry, and raw milk (if possible) to your diet. Some of these may seem like a burden when you are on a small food budget, but with the tips below, you can eat clean and stay within your budget. I am sure you will recognize some from the previous post; but read through there is extra information that applies specifically to clean eating. A major component of clean eating is buying fresh produce rather than canned fruits and vegetables. Frozen produce is OK; but, if in-season fruit is available, it is always better to choose that. Buy in bulk, and freeze it yourself. Use Google to help you search for seasonal produce in your area. When you can buy it from a Farmer’s Market, or even directly from the farmers, it will be less expensive. My next choice is SPOUTS Farmer’s Marker, if there is one near you. Those sources will probably be the least expensive. For example: you may be able to buy strawberries, peaches, and nectarines very inexpensively in the summer and find that squash is a better buy in the fall. Always buy extra when the price is right and freeze the leftovers. When you first start reading about clean eating, you may find “experts” expounding the importance of certain superfoods that you should start eating. The reality is – they are nutritious and excellent additions to your diet; but, you don’t have to eat them just start a clean eating. If you cannot afford to add chia seeds of flax seeds to every smoothie or eat a pomegranate each morning, don’t worry about it. Buy the clean foods you can afford and eat those – you will be doing just fine. What does the author seem to most probably believe about the availability of seasonal produce? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - that seasonal produce is in limited supply - most likely that people can find places that sell seasonal produce where they live - not enough information - that seasonal produce is most likely available only at farmers markets
| most likely that people can find places that sell seasonal produce where they live | 0 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Ques: WHITE HOUSE — U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday met for 80 minutes in the Oval Office with a general he described as the second most powerful man in North Korea. Afterward, Trump told reporters on the White House South Lawn that the June 12 summit in Singapore between him and North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, was back on. Trump, however, sought to quell some of the high expectations, saying the summit would "be a beginning" and subsequent discussions were likely to be needed to get Pyongyang to agree to denuclearization. "We're not going to go in and sign something on June 12th, and we never were," he said. "We're going to start a process." Trump declared he "never said it happens in one meeting," but that it "will ultimately be a successful process." Asked by VOA News whether the North Koreans had committed to complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization, Trump replied only that "we talked about a lot of things." 'Take your time' The president said he told Kim Yong Chol, the former head of North Korean military intelligence, "Take your time. We can go fast. We can go slowly." The president made clear that sanctions on North Korea would not be lifted, however, until the country agreed to give up its nuclear arsenal. As the negotiations over the Singapore summit play out in public, there is a sense among some observers that Trump and Kim Jong Un each have a clear sense of the deal they ultimately want to strike. Less clear is whether the U.S. and North Korean visions can match up in any meaningful way. "Singapore might be the first time people will have to put their cards on the table," a U.S. official said on the condition of anonymity. Upon his arrival Friday at the White House, Kim Yong Chol, who is under U.S. sanctions for links to cyberattacks against American companies, delivered a letter from Kim Jong Un. While Trump did not reveal the contents, he described the gesture as "very nice." After the end of the story where will the general be? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - He returns to North Korea - He remains in the US - not enough information - He returns to South Korea
Ans: He returns to North Korea
Ques: When asked to define ourselves we often use broad brushstrokes. Without thinking we consult our internal list of “things that make me, ME” and find ourselves recalling words like “creative, outgoing, photography, guitar” before we’ve even had a chance to fully process the question. But how much does this internal list define us? I believed that my internal list was the best representation of myself until I read a quote by Annie Dillard that states: “How we spend our days, is of course, how we spend our lives”. This quote hit me like a punch in the gut, it’s blatant truth so indisputable; how I spent my days, regardless of what I told myself about myself, was ultimately who I was. Or at the very least would be how I had spent my life. This is why, when completing my self portrait, I decided to focus on the everyday. Within my self portrait I wanted to present the viewer with a familiar yet abstract sense of reality through which we get to see amalgamated glimpses of the everyday acts that define me, rather than a linear narrative or a simple re-telling of ‘a day in the life’. Thus combining to create a picture of: my daily life, through an abstracted version of ‘the everyday’. To create a sense of ‘the day’ or linear progression of time I segmented my video with four still images of the sky in various stages of daylight (morning, midday, afternoon, evening) that match the lighting seen in each concurrent video segment. The everyday acts that define me were presented in a series of short video segments that include scenes of me catching the tram, recording music and riding my bike. To disrupt the sense of linear narrative the visual segments are bluntly edited together, with nothing linking the sequential shots and a quite abrupt ending. I also attempted to create an overall sense of confounded time and space by overlaying audio from certain video segments onto others. Long, singular focus, handheld shots were also used to enhance the sense of voyeuristic glimpses. After the end of the story, the author probably: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - continues to think about life - not enough information - stops thinking about his life - doesn't like to think so much about life
Ans: continues to think about life
Ques: Another phone call at just after three. He answered on the third ring. "Is this Mr. Ray--uh. . ." The sound of shuffling papers. "Yes." The voice brightened perceptibly, strapped on a mask of friendliness. "My name is John Donovan. I'm an attorney representing the family of Donald Ackerman. I'm sorry to be calling so late." "It's not late for me." A laugh, intended to sound nervous or flustered. To Ray, it only sounded false. "That's right, of course. Only late for me. Do you mind if I tape record this conversation?" Smooth segue, meant to catch him off guard, startle him into acceptance. "Yes, I do mind. Can I help you?" You fucking bastard. John Donovan paused on his end of the line. Ray imagined him reaching for a legal pad upon which to take notes (just as he was supposed to imagine), though, of course, the tape recorder was still running. "Um, I was wondering if I could get some information?" "Sir, federal law prohibits me from acknowledging either to confirm or deny the presence of the individual of whom you have spoken or his participation in our program." Ray grinned. "Very well done," the lawyer said. "I guess that sets the parameters." "I guess it does." "Were you working two nights ago." "Sir, I am bound by Center policy and state law from discussing with you the work schedule of our employees at this facility unless you are an officer of the law or bearing a subpoena, in which case, I am only authorized to refer you to my supervisor." Ray grinned again. He was enjoying this. "What if I told you I have possession of a subpoena?" "Have you spoken to our attorney?" Ray countered. "In fact, son, yes I have. This afternoon." Ray grunted. Standard level of communication. "That's good, because I haven't. Which means, of course, that I'm not prepared to talk to you at all until advised on my statement by legal counsel." Ray thinks that John Donovan is: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - late - a fucking bastard - bound by Center policy and state law - not enough information
Ans: | a fucking bastard | 7 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
North Korea’s release of three U.S. citizens may help pave the way for talks between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, but questions remain as to whether those talks will succeed. At the White House on Wednesday, Trump continued to speak cautiously about the coming summit, even while praising the North Korean leader for the prisoner release. “Everything can be scuttled,” Trump told reporters. “A lot of things can happen — a lot of good things can happen, [and] a lot of bad things can happen.” North Korea on Wednesday granted amnesty to three Americans of Korean descent. They had been accused of espionage or trying to overthrow the government, charges widely seen as bogus. Pyongyang has detained at least 16 Americans over the past two decades, often attempting to use them as bargaining chips. All were eventually released, although Otto Warmbier, a 22-year-old college student, died shortly after returning to the United States last year. A White House statement Wednesday praised North Korea’s latest prisoner release as a “positive gesture of goodwill” ahead of the Trump-Kim summit, which is expected to take place as soon as next month. South Korea’s presidential office said Pyongyang’s decision was a “very positive” sign for a successful North Korea-U.S. meeting. The freeing of the prisoners coincided with a visit to Pyongyang by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who declined to say whether the release was a U.S. precondition for holding talks with the North. “I don’t know the answer to that,” Pompeo told reporters on the flight home. “It would have been more difficult [had the prisoners not been released]. ... I’m glad that we don’t have to confront that.” It’s not clear what, if anything, the U.S. gave up in exchange for the prisoners. It’s not even clear a concession was needed, since North Korea has for decades sought the presumed legitimacy provided by a summit with a sitting U.S. president. What does the White House think about the latest North Korea prison release? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - they are hopeful - they are thinking very positively about the gesture - they are livid still
they are thinking very positively about the gesture
“India is OUR country” The quote we often preach but forget to deliver. I joined a club recently where I met a true Indian. I asked him about the most vivid memory of his life. One morning, as he was heading towards his office, he realized that the road he regularly takes was unusually bumpy. Upon inspection, he came to the conclusion that a truck carrying stones passed by on that road and unintentionally scattered few stones along the way. He believed that the authority of the truck will take care of this later that day. Next morning, the road situation was unchanged with stones still scattered. He parked his vehicle nearby, put on some music and started kicking the stones off the road. Within a few minutes, a school bus stopped by, students gathered around and started clapping for this true Indian. As he turned around, he said “Helping hands are better than clapping hands”. As a repercussion, the students started helping this man kick the stones off the road. A task that would have taken hours to be done by one person was completed in a couple of minutes. What a great example of team work! It was this man’s discretionary efforts that brought a change in the thought process of the students, India’s next generation. We all point fingers and blame one another for societal problems but never act upon it. If this man, a true Indian, would have just blammed the truck driver and went on his way, would the road still be cleared? The next time we point fingers at someone for a social cause, we must keep in mind that that someone is an Indian just like us. Will a true Indian point fingers at an Indian? Are we pointing fingers at ourselves? In the end, we are all in the same team. Who is relating the story? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - The true Indian's acquaintance - A club member - not enough information - A team member
not enough information
Just a quick review today to talk about these haircare and bodycare products from Yes to… Regular readers of Beauty Best Friend will know that I’m always looking out for new natural skincare and bodycare ranges as I’m passionate about products that don’t contain lots of nasty chemicals. Yes to… is one of these natural brands, based in California their products are always made from at least 95% natural ingredients, are free of parabens, phthalates and SLS, and made with recyclable materials. There are 6 collections, each involves saying ‘Yes to’ a different fruit or vegetable. The products I’ve been trying out are Yes to Grapefruit Rejuvenating Body Wash* and Yes to Carrots Nourishing Shampoo and Pampering Conditioner*. Yes to Grapefruit Rejuvenating Body Wash – the grapefruit range is aimed at those with uneven or dull skintone. This pearlised white shower gel has a gentle zingy grapefruit scent to wake you up in the morning and exfoliating fruit acids help to remove dead skin cells leaving your skin glowing and smooth. The ingredients are 98% natural and the body wash gives a light foam in the shower. I really like it, grapefruit is one of my favourite fruity scents and the large 280ml tube will last me for ages. Yes to Carrots Nourishing Shampoo & Pampering Conditioner – I always avoid sodium laureth sulphate (SLS) in my haircare products as I have a very sensitive scalp and SLS makes it really itchy and sore, so I was really pleased to read that this shampoo and conditioner are SLS free. Made from 97% and 95% natural ingredients respectively this shampoo and conditioner have been formulated for those with a dry scalp and contain carrot seed oil. Both products have a pleasant sweet scent although I wouldn’t say they smell of carrots! My thick hair feels clean and soft after using this duo and my favourite thing is that the conditioner totally prevents my hair from tangling in the shower leaving it manageable afterwards. I can run a brush straight through it when drying without having to get all the knots out first! Who is the reviewer? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - woman - blogger - influencer
| not enough information | 0 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
(Question)
Michael Morzeny put his hands into the pockets of his overcoat and hugged the fabric tighter around his body. The winter wind hurried down Columbus Avenue and the hem of his coat flapped around his knees letting little pockets of cold waft up to invade the warmth his body had spent so much time preparing and storing around his torso. With a bitter squeeze of his hands, his knuckles now getting cold, Morzeny bowed his square shoulders to the wind and continued walking. At sixty-seven years old the New York winters bothered Morzeny more than he cared to admit. And, although no doctor would admit it to him, he was positive that the first faint hints of arthritis tweaking through his hands were made worse by the cold. At every cross street the setting sun flashed through to the avenue in shades of crisp pink and red. Morzeny didn't want to be working right now. But these outings were the price he paid for having a hybrid job, owning buildings and brokering as many of his own leases as possible. When he had first come to the city he had been told that he needed a job, not for income, his providers took care of that, but for his own sanity. Something to keep him going. He had asked for something in real estate and had never bothered to wonder what other paths he might have taken. He had always been able to focus to the point of blindness. It helped him in every aspect of his work. He arrived at the brownstone building housing the apartment he was to show tonight. His building was tucked into a short row of buildings that squatted over the street, their steps reaching towards the curb like stunted growths. More to prove to himself that he could do it than anything else, Morzeny took the front steps two at a time. Who is walking down the street? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Grandpa - not enough information - Moore - Morzeny
(Answer)
Morzeny
(Question)
This week I shot my Interview with Claire Bridge. Myself and Riah travelled, I would say all the way out too Wheelers Hill, but it’s really not that far away, unless you live on the North side, which we both do. Riah and I carried our gear on two trains and 1 bus to get to Claire’s studio out in Wheelers Hill. I can see why Claire lives here as it’s a pretty beautiful place, it’s still suburban but there are trills, hills and birds everywhere, and for someone that’s passionate about the environment I can see why she lives here. Meeting Claire was awesome, after having spoken via phone or email for so long, it was nice to speak to her in person. The filming of the interview went extremely smoothly, I’d put this down to having planned out everything, such as all the questions I was going to ask prior to the interview. By this stage I had helped Riah film as well as Elise and it was noticeable how much smoother Riah’s interview went because she had pre-planned her questions. Rather than spending an hour asking various questions that you might not use anyway, it’s much more efficient to spend 20 minutes covering exactly what you want to cover. By this stage I’d also had practise setting up lights, doing sound and getting camera shots for people’s portraits so I already knew everything I wanted to shoot. Our setup was pretty simple, two large lights, one on Claire’s front right and one on Claire’s front left, two Canon EOS 60D DSLR’s at different positions (one straight on, one to the side), a Sony H2N handy recorder and a lapel mic. Everything ran super smoothly, we did the interview first then myself and Riah shot various things in Claire’s studio. Whilst shooting various things in Claire’s studio we also got a chance to both speak to her which was nice, discussing what it is like to be a woman in Melbourne’s art scene and finding out who some of her favourite artists were. Overall the experience was also, I have a lot of friends who are artists so I hope to do more artist portraits in the future. Riah believes that: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - Claire was a friend - Claire was artsy - Claire did well on her interview
(Answer)
Claire did well on her interview
(Question)
Some fortunate people can go on a diet, lose the excess fat and then simply get on with their lives. Others get stuck in the eternal cycle of wanting to be thin, dieting, craving, bingeing, regaining the weight and then wanting to be thin again. You want to break free from this exhausting and depressing merry-go-round of losing and regaining weight but you’re not ready to give up doing what you know best. Let’s examine the diet cycle mentality. THERE IS A MAGIC CURE The reason you haven’t lost weight and kept it off is because you haven’t found the right diet that suits you particular physical and emotional needs. You need to eat more carbs, or more fat, you need to cycle your calories or have cleaner re-feeds, and you need a coach for accountability. Once you figure out precisely what the optimum formula is for you and you have an expert to help you then you will lose weight and keep it off. ONE LAST DIET Once you lose the weight, then you will learn how to get in tune with your body’s hunger signals and eat mindfully. You just need to commit totally to this last diet, get to your goal and then you will stop for good. YOU LOVE HEALTH AND FITNESS You really enjoy being in control of your food and planning your training regime. Time spent scouring the latest fitness magazines and entering your weight into a spreadsheet is fun and rewarding. You spend most of your waking hours plotting and planning how you are going to burn that fat! I WANT TO BREAK FREE!! The only way to break free from the diet cycle is to come to the place where you no longer believe the stories you tell yourself. If there was a magic cure that worked for you, you or someone else would have found it by now. Count the number of diet books on your bookshelf, the e-books on your computer and the magazines on the coffee table. Have any of them given you permanent weight loss? What did the author conclude about why people haven't lost weight and kept it off? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - They are buying to many diet books - not enough information - They haven't found the right diet that works for them - They are bingeing and craving to be thing.
(Answer)
| They haven't found the right diet that works for them | 6 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
U.S. lawmakers grilled Trump administration officials Tuesday about the war in Afghanistan, saying the new White House strategy was inconsistent and was not producing results. The comments made at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing reflected growing frustration in Congress about the U.S.-led war, which is entering its 17th year. As recently as November, General John Nicholson, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, acknowledged that the conflict remained a stalemate. Since then, a wave of high-profile insurgent attacks have rocked the capital, Kabul. The Taliban now controls or contests almost half the country, according to latest U.S. estimates. Despite the setbacks, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan, who is helping oversee the new White House strategy, gave a positive assessment of the conflict. "The president's South Asia strategy is showing some signs of progress," Sullivan said. "On the battlefield, we are seeing the Taliban's momentum begin to slow." But lawmakers from both parties expressed skepticism. "Something is clearly not working," said Senator Ben Cardin, a Maryland Democrat and longtime Afghan war critic. "By any standard, the current security situation is grim." Some lawmakers took aim at President Donald Trump, who last week said he didn't want to talk with the Taliban — a statement that seemingly contradicted his own strategy. After Sullivan and a top Pentagon official told the lawmakers that the U.S. was in fact still open to negotiations with the Taliban, lawmakers pressed for more details. "You can see that the world and those involved in the peace process may be pretty confused about what the U.S. position is. What is it?" asked Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat. Sullivan said he thought Trump was expressing a reaction to last month's terrorist attacks, and was pointing out that "significant elements of the Taliban are not prepared to negotiate." "And it may take a long time before they are willing to negotiate," he added. But many in the Senate appear... At the end of this story, Trump is probably: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - unwilling to handle the Taliban. - going to address the Pentagon. - not enough information - appointing a different general.
unwilling to handle the Taliban.
I had the joy, absolute joy, of observing an ER nurse just about lose it and the poor pompous MD (who had left the room) was still clueless. I was in the ER with my dad and my sister. It was late. Dad had taken a tumble, hit his head and because he was on a blood thinner, he had to be checked out at the ER. This ER was in the same hospital we always went to. As we completed the history etc. I noted “stroke effecting speech.” They had a complete synopsis of dad’s history which I gave them as we checked in. Dad is getting tired and his speech was getting more slurred. My Dad was in work clothes. I was in something pretty casual and my sister was in the same clothes (business attire) that she had put on at 6 a.m. I am sure we looked pretty ragged. In waltzes Dr. Hotshot. He looks around and asks my sister and I who we are. My sister introduced us making sure to introduce me as “Dr. Lea (I think that was the first, last, and only time she called me ‘Dr.”). He then turns to my dad and asked what happened. Knowing how difficult it is to understand Dad, I start to answer. My bad. The doctor abruptly stops me and says, “I didn’t ask you. I want him to tell me.” In hindsight, I realize he wanted to hear dad’s speech as a part of his assessment. Dad begins. His speech is slow and very very slurred. Dr. Hotshot looks totally befuddled. Dad had gotten out about 3 sentences out when Dr. Hotshot stops him and abruptly asks, “Does he always talk like that?” My sister, without missing a beat, replies, “No, sometimes he speaks French.” As I am trying to not swallow my head to keep from laughing, I notice the nurse in the room has buried her mouth in her shoulder. Dr. Hotshot exits. A scan shows no damage. And, for the record, Dad never did learn to speak French. How long was the family in the ER? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - a short time - not enough information - a long time - too quickly.
a long time
Happened to me while visiting Chicago a few weeks ago. A young couple with a baby in a pram boarded a crowded bus. The bus driver would not pull out of the stop until the pram was secured in the wheelchair chocks, however an elderly women wouldn’t give up her seat (seat needed to be folded up in order to make room for the pram in the wheelchair holding apparatus). We sat there for about 4–5 minutes while the driver, the mother and the elderly lady argued. At the end, my wife and I offered our seats (more like a commanding, cajoling, what-she-wanted-to hear, kind of discourse), and the lady moved into our seats. The young couple locked down their pram, and the bus took off. Meg and I stood for the rest of the trip. She was really annoyed over having to move, and there was some baggage attached to her situation—I hate to have to mention the racial aspects here but it’s an important aspect of the story. Most of the passengers were younger white folks (bus was heading through a neighborhood where re-gentrification had taken place). The elderly woman was at least 75 years and the only black person in the front of the crowded bus. She was sitting in a designated seat reserved for elderly or handicapped, and obviously she had earned her status to claim that seat. Unfortunately, it was also the one seat that needed to be vacated if the wheelchair equipment got used. As the bus rode on, her anger simmered. She asked me what I (middle-aged white guy) would do in a spot like that. All I could answer was to offer it up to God. Hot day, no air conditioning on the bus, people just want to get to their destinations. What did Meg ask her husband at the end? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - If he would have given up his seat. - What he thought. - not enough information - What he would have done.
| What he would have done. | 1 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
(Question)
U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to impose tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum has met criticism from his Republican allies in Congress, many of whom worry the measures could trigger a trade war that damages U.S. businesses. But the president does have supporters among some Senate Democrats from states where voters are concerned about the long-term loss of American manufacturing jobs. “This welcome action is long overdue for shuttered steel plants across Ohio and steelworkers who live in fear that their jobs will be the next victims of Chinese cheating,” Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio, said in a statement released after the plan was announced. “If we fail to stand up for steel jobs today, China will come after other jobs up and down the supply chain tomorrow.” American labor unions have also broadly favored Trump’s proposed tariffs, saying they have been complaining for years that foreign countries frequently subsidize their own steel industries, putting American competitors at a disadvantage. Economists have been mostly critical of the plan, saying that overall it will hurt American manufacturers, some of whom may be targeted by trading partners for retaliatory sanction. They argue that the benefits to steel and aluminum workers are outweighed by job losses among Americans in other industries. A test of how much the issue is resonating with American voters comes next week, when voters in Pennsylvania’s 18th congressional district, vote in a special election to fill a vacated seat. Many voters are looking to the president to fulfill his campaign promise of protecting manufacturing jobs in America’s heartland. The race for the seat left vacant by Rep. Tim Murphy’s sex scandal is coming down to the wire between Republican candidate Rick Saccone and Democrat Conor Lamb. Saccone’s campaign endorsed Trump’s tariff plan in a statement, saying “If other countries aren’t playing by the rules and tariffs are needed to protect steel and aluminum jobs in Southwestern Pennsylvania,... Why was Trump's plan on steel tariffs criticized? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - because of a sex scandal - Because America will gain more partners - because the plan could trigger a trade war that damages U.S. businesses. - not enough information
(Answer)
because the plan could trigger a trade war that damages U.S. businesses.
(Question)
Imagine the person you would most like to be, the version of you that is living the life you always imagined. This person has somehow found the solution to all the challenges you face right now. You don’t know how, but you can tell that she has her shit together at long last. She is not perfect because she is still growing and learning but she is what you ache to be. Can you see a picture of this wonderful evolved future you? PHYSICAL What does she look like? What clothes is she wearing? What colour and style is her hair? How does she stand and walk? How does she speak? How often does she smile? Make the physical image colourful and bright and see the beauty, love and light in her eyes. EMOTIONAL How does the wonderful evolved future you connect with your partner and children? How is she at work? What does she do after a bad day? What are her sources of rest and renewal? MENTAL How does the wonderful evolved future you think about her life? Is she filled with positive optimism for the future? Is she grateful for the past struggles that have made her strong? Does she think kind and loving thoughts towards herself? Does she take great care of herself? BEHAVIOUR How does the wonderful evolved future you behave around food? Does she eat fresh, healthy food in appropriate amounts? Does she move her body in ways that fill her with energy and vitality? Does she indulge in treats occasionally? Does she forget about food unless she is hungry? Does she get enough sleep? Does she take great care of herself? NOW PUT HER TO WORK Once you have a brilliant, clear, detailed description of the wonderful evolved future you it is time to put her to work. Every time you are faced with a behavioural choice ~ what to eat, how to train, believing negative thoughts ~ ask yourself “What would the wonderful evolved me do?” Vividly imagine her in the situation you are now in and take note of what she would do. Who is being described most in the text? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - The author's future self - The reader's past self - The reader's future self
(Answer)
The reader's future self
(Question)
Recently the news broke that Microsoft are acquiring GitHub. Effusive opinions flowed from all directions: some saw the acquisition as a sensible fit for Microsoft to better support developers, and some saw it as a tyrant getting their grubby fingers on open source’s ecosystem. I am thrilled for Microsoft and GitHub for many reasons, and there will be a bright future ahead because of it, but I have been thinking more about the reaction some of the critics have had to this, and why. I find it fascinating that there still seems to be a deep-seated discomfort in some about Microsoft and their involvement in open source. I understand that this is for historical reasons, and many moons ago Microsoft were definitely on the offensive against open source. I too was critical of Microsoft and their approach back in those days. I may have even said ‘M$’ instead of ‘MS’ (ugh.) Things have changed though. Satya Nadella, their CEO, has had a profound impact on the company: they are a significant investor and participant in open source across a multitude of open source projects, they hire many open source developers, run their own open source projects (e.g. VSCode), and actively sponsor and support many open source conferences, events, and initiatives. I know many people who work at Microsoft and they love the company and their work there. These are not microserfs: they are people like you and me. Things have changed, and I have literally never drunk Kool-aid; this or any other type. Are they perfect? No, but they don’t claim to be. But is the Microsoft of today a radically different company to the Microsoft of the late nineties. No doubt. Still though, this cynicism exists in some. Some see them as a trojan horse and ask if we can really trust them? A little while ago I had a discussion with someone who was grumbling about Microsoft. After poking around his opinion, what shook out was that his real issue was not with Microsoft’s open source work (he was supportive of this), but it was with the fact that they still produce... The narrator believes that: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Microsoft is too greedy - not enough information - Microsoft is a better company now - Microsoft is worse than it was before
(Answer)
| Microsoft is a better company now | 6 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
*Question*
I ducked, Cerberus pounced, and Mr. Waciejowski screamed like a dying ferret--a soothing and pleasant sound under most other circumstances, but now only distracting. I felt the rush of air against my face as the crowbar skimmed my head. The man wielding it was in a black three-piece suit and built like a Texas linebacker. His mass seemed to bend space-time in the parking lot as he barreled down on me. All I could see was nearly seven feet of Armani silk. I stood upright and brought my knee into his groin and gave him a swift elbow in the small of his back and a fist to the base of his skull. Now, I wasn't the biggest guy in the world, but I certainly wasn't the smallest either. And I was also acutely aware of how much damage I could do to another human being. But this hulking mass in Italian finery didn't even seem phased. The blows I sent this guy should have dropped him like a bag of wet cement, but he just turned and hamstringed me with that damn crowbar. I fell so hard that one of my teeth chipped. The box flew out of my grip and landed just a few feet away. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Pete on the ground, fumbling with his cell phone while Cerberus mauled another suit trying to sneak up behind me. If the fall hadn't knocked the wind out of me, seeing Cerberus tear into this guy certainly would have. The dog was all fangs and fur, making sounds like construction machinery. Thick and heavy. The guy was screaming all kinds of nonsense as he kept his shredded arms in front of his face and neck. Blood and fabric flew about as the animal tossed its head in violent arcs. The narrator belives Pick the correct answer from the following options: - His opponent is weak - His opponent is very strong - not enough information - His opponent is small
**Answer**
His opponent is very strong
*Question*
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump disclosed in a financial report filed with the government’s ethics watchdog Tuesday that he had reimbursed his personal lawyer more than $100,000 for unspecified expenses. In his annual financial disclosure form, which was released by the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) on Wednesday, Trump acknowledged that he had “fully reimbursed” his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, in the range of $100,000 to $250,000 in 2016. Trump’s lawyers have previously said the president reimbursed Cohen for $130,000 Cohen paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign to keep her quiet about a sexual tryst she said she had with Trump 10 years earlier. Trump has denied the affair but recently confirmed reimbursing Cohen through a monthly retainer to stop “false and extortionist accusations” made by Daniels about an affair. Cohen has also acknowledged making the payment. The disclosure said that while the payment to Cohen was not a “reportable” liability, Trump chose to list it “in the interest of transparency.” It did not say why Trump had left it out of his 2017 financial disclosure documents, though one of the president’s lawyers, Rudy Giuliani, has said that Trump didn’t know about the payment when he reported his finances last year. The Office of Government Ethics, in a letter to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, said it had determined that the payment to Cohen constituted a loan that should have been reported. However, it said the information Trump provided in his latest financial form met “the disclosure requirements for a reportable liability” under the Ethics in Government Act. Under the Ethics in Government Act, top government officials are required to report all debts in excess of $10,000 during the previous reporting period. “Knowingly or willfully” falsifying or failing to file reports carries civil and criminal penalties. Trump listed several hundred million dollars in liabilities in his financial report. Critics seized on... Why would Trump reimburse his lawyers? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - to cover up his purchase of illegal properties - to cover up a sexual tryst - to cover up a robbery gone bad
**Answer**
to cover up a sexual tryst
*Question*
I’ve learnt a great amount throughout this studio, first and foremost I was taught: how the art world functions, how specific galleries such as Gertrude St Contemporary run and how artists earn a living. The studio also provided me with basic filmmaking skills such as how to: create a shooting schedule, write a shooting script, set up three-point lighting, conduct an interview, utilise visual storytelling and edit a short film. Throughout the shooting process with my artist I also developed my abilities regarding how to use a: Sony Zoom H2N (and other such handy recorders), a lapel mic, my own Canon EOS 60D and Adobe Premiere Pro editing software. Overall I think the studio functioned quite successfully, it was great to be in a studio with nineteen people who all were interested in the same topics as you. I felt that overall, the studios had a very happy and supportive environment, and you walked away knowing a great deal about the art world and how to make short documentaries. The project itself taught me a great deal about how to work with talent, as well as my group members. Having to work independently forced me to be completely all over every aspect of the shoot, whether that be choosing which questions to ask, deciding what to focus on, where I wanted the shoot to happen, deciding what gear to use, getting to the shoot, carrying all the gear, what I wanted to shoot, managing the audio, managing the lighting, managing the camera set-ups, managing the talent, editing the film, and finding a great soundtrack for it. I’m a pretty self-conscious person and I often doubt the decisions I make or ask someone else for their opinion (should I shoot this angle, or what do you think of this question etc.). Working independently pushed me to go with my gut instincts, to make decisions and to not seek others approval. It forced me to develop my aesthetic as a filmmaker and to own the work that I ended up producing, so ultimately I was really glad with how everything panned out. Before the author took the studio, it is most likely he had experience: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Running a video camera - not enough information - Running a movie theater - Running an art gallery
**Answer**
| Running a video camera | 4 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Question: U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday blasted former FBI director James Comey as an "untruthful slime ball," and said it was his "great honor" to fire him. Trump's barrage of insults comes as Comey engages in a publicity campaign for his book, "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership," which is set to be released next week. The memoir promises a deep look at Comey's fraught relationship with the U.S. president who fired him, and whom Comey has accused of interfering in the independence of the FBI. On Twitter, Trump said Comey should be prosecuted. Trump's comments are in line with an online campaign, organized by his supporters, to discredit Comey. The Republican National Committee on Thursday launched a new website, Lyin'Comey.com, which features quotes from prominent Democrats who have criticized the former FBI director in the past. The GOP plans to fact-check Comey's book and use the website for "rapid response" to highlight any "misstatements" or "contradictions," Fox News reports. Comey's book blasts Trump as unethical and "untethered to truth'' and calls his leadership of the country "ego driven and about personal loyalty.'' The book also contains several personal jabs at Trump, including references to what Comey says are the "bright white half-moons" under Trump's eyes, which he surmises were the result of Trump using tanning goggles. Comey also casts Trump as a Mafia boss-like figure who sought to blur the line between law enforcement and politics, and tried to pressure him regarding his investigation into Russian election interference, according to multiple early reviews of the book. Trump fired Comey in May 2017, setting off a storm of charges from Democrats that the president sought to hinder an investigation into whether his campaign colluded with Russians. The firing led to the appointment of Robert Mueller as special counsel overseeing the Russia investigation. Mueller's probe has expanded to include whether Trump obstructed justice by firing Comey, an idea the president denies. Trump... The members of the Republican National Committee probably: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Wish Comey had not written the book - Are encouraging voter's to study the book before the 2020 election - Are glad that Comey wrote the book - not enough information
Answer: Wish Comey had not written the book
Question: What would you do – you’re driving past hundreds of citrus trees. With a better look, they’re mandarins, or, more precisely clementines. On the roadside is a truck selling crates of them for 1 euro a kilo. You stop, right? And buy a crate of 10 kilos. Even though you have to get on a plane the next day. I couldn’t help myself. Marco, who I had already made turn 180 degrees to drive back to the truck, gave me that look of disapproval when I want to do something totally unreasonable like impulse buy citrus fruit that we can’t keep. “What are we going to do with these?” He questioned. I wasn’t sure. I wanted to taste them, I wanted to photograph them. And maybe I could even squeeze some of them into our tiny bag to take home. “It won’t be a waste, I’ll give the rest away!” I reasoned. He just shook his head, giving in. I bought them, a big grin on my face. We were just outside the port city of Taranto, on the western coast of Puglia in Italy’s deep south, where we spent a long weekend recently and where clementines have special IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) status. These clementines — a hybrid of oranges and mandarins — grow in the fertile soil around the gulf of Taranto, particularly around the town of Palagiano (also known as “the city of clementines” — they celebrate the symbol of their city with a sagra, a food festival, every December) and the delicate fruit is harvested by hand. We don’t get these in Florence, it was my only chance to taste them – they are small with very few, if any, seeds, and they are very sweet. What is probably true about the author? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - the author likes to share fruits - the author likes fruits - not enough information - the author only likes to photograph fruits
Answer: the author likes fruits
Question: U.S. President Donald Trump says he may veto a $1.3 trillion spending bill because it does not offer protections for young undocumented immigrants who arrived as children and does not fully fund the border wall. In a Twitter post Friday morning, Trump said he is considering a veto of the omnibus spending bill based on "the fact that the 800,000 plus DACA recipients have been totally abandoned by the Democrats (not even mentioned in Bill) and the BORDER WALL, which is desperately needed for our National Defense, is not fully funded." Previously, White House officials said Trump would sign the spending package, a move that would head off a potential government shutdown due to a lack of funding. The measure funds the federal government through September 30. If Trump does not sign the legislation into law, the federal government will shut down at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. The Senate passed the bill by a 65-32 vote early Friday morning after the House of Representatives approved the measure Thursday. Lawmakers had just hours to read the nearly 2,200-page bill released Wednesday night. With midterm elections looming in November, the bill likely marks the final time Capitol Hill considers major legislation this year. The measure fulfills Trump’s vow to boost military funding but provides funding for limited parts of his immigration agenda. The bill includes a 2.4 percent pay raise for military personnel. After extensive negotiations between Republicans and Democrats, the bill also provides $1.6 billion for physical barriers and 150 kilometers of a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border, short of the $25 billion Trump requested for the project he repeatedly touted on the campaign trail while pledging Mexico would pick up the cost. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi touted the agreement in a letter to her Democratic colleagues, saying negotiators "fought for and achieved drastic reductions to the Trump/GOP plan," including much less funding for the wall than Trump requested and a limit on the number of immigrants that can be... Based on President Trump's tweet and previous funding request, how long did the previous government shutdown last? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - Twenty days - One month - Two weeks
Answer: | not enough information | 3 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
(Question)
No grades (ever), no sitting down at desks, and harnessing student boredom as a motivator to create and explore might seem an odd recipe for academic success and entry to university, but that is exactly what one of Scotland's newest schools is attempting to do. Drumdruan Upper School was created a few years ago by Scottish actress Tilda Swinton, star of many a Hollywood blockbuster and forever in my mind the terrifying Witch in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The school extends a Steiner education beyond the age of 14, and takes students through to their University years. The Observer has published a fascinating and detailed account of some of the recipe that makes this a special place and, above all, has bowled over the traditionally conservative schools inspectorate: That is not what happened: the inspectors sat in the classes and watched the students. And if you watch the students at Drumduan, you soon notice they are confident, articulate, highly motivated and respectful. These are, in fact, the words used by the inspectors in their subsequent report. You might even believe the students at Drumduan wanted to be there. The inspectors clearly felt so, but it was when they had retired to an office to confer that Krzysztof, a master of the spontaneous gesture, delivered the coup de grace. He sang to them. Music is something of a hallmark at Drumduan, where children participate in regular workshops – often on instruments like a wheelie bin – and start each day singing in four-part harmonies. “We were rehearsing in another room, and I said: ‘This song is terrific, we have to show these inspectors,’” Krzysztof recalls. “So we burst into their office – they were a bit alarmed – and I said: ‘I’m sorry, we’ve just got to sing this song to you.’” The song was “Media Vita”, a medieval score of haunting beauty that reduced the inspectors to tears, according to Krzysztof. Bowled over by their praise – he is a man whose emotions are close to the surface – Krzysztof asked if he could give them a hug, probably a... What is probably true about Tilda Swinton? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Swinton favors engineering - not enough information - Swinton has high interest in science - Swinton has a passion for the performing arts
(Answer)
Swinton has a passion for the performing arts
(Question)
To live a happy, healthy, balanced life, you must learn to focus your energy on well-being. Self-care on all levels should be an integral part of your lifestyle. There is an abundance of information available about the benefits of eating well and exercising regularly to sustain a healthy mind and body. In fact, I write about both regularly. But today I want to move in a little different direction. In addition to those two very basic and critical activities, there are a number of other things you can to improve your mental health and overall well-being. By incorporating them into your daily life, you will be better able to manage most challenges – including struggles with self-doubt, anxiety, and mild depression. Practices that Focus Your Energy on Well-being Accept Your Feelings Stuffing or ignoring your emotions is more damaging than it is helpful. Everyone has emotions. They are a natural part of being human. Bottling them up may seem like a good solution in the moment, but when you do it all the time, you are potentially creating a time bomb that will eventually explode. Unfortunately, you are hurting yourself as you hold them in and you run the risk of hurting those you love when the eruption finally occurs. Rather than acknowledging what you are feeling and allowing yourself to experience emotions, you may medicate, rationalize, blame, bury, deny, smother, drink, or stuff them (pretend they don’t exist). Emotions have become the enemy and many people will do anything to avoid them – especially the big three: fear, anger and sadness. It takes a lot of mental, physical and emotional energy to avoiding your feelings and creates high levels of stress and anxiety. Don’t stuff your emotions! Let yourself laugh, cry, scream, yell, or pound something (preferably a pillow, grass, sand – not the wall or someone else). Do whatever you need to do, probably in private is the best choice. But, if emotions erupt in public, excuse yourself and let it rip. This is nature’s way of releasing stress. Don’t beat yourself... Why does the author think people shouldn't hide their emotions? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - that can create high stress levels and anxiety - that can make them sad - that can make others mad - not enough information
(Answer)
that can create high stress levels and anxiety
(Question)
The pews were packed at First Baptist Church, Coreyville. As part-time music minister of the church, Greg Tenorly sat in his usual place on the podium, behind and slightly to the left of the pastor. He wondered why attendance was up. It was a perfect day--seventy degrees, sunny. That had to be part of the reason. And the sermon title was 'Forgiveness Fighters.' People would much rather hear a sermon about forgiveness than one about Hell. Everybody wanted to be forgiven. But when it came to forgiving others--many people fight it. The pastor said these folks were the Forgiveness Fighters. He read a scripture passage. Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. When Greg heard these verses, which he knew by memory, it was like a slap in the face. How many times had he already forgiven his father? But he knew that 'seventy times seven' did not mean literally 490 times. The number 'seven' in the Bible symbolized completeness. It meant forgiving an unlimited number of times. But how could Greg ever forgive his father for killing his mother? Maybe if Greg had been there it wouldn't have happened. But he had moved out of the house during his first semester at Lamar University--even though it was only forty minutes away, in Beaumont. A fellow music major had been more than happy to let Greg share the little rent house and the expenses. Ralph Tenorly had sent his wife to the grocery store for more chips and dip. The big game was already starting, and there were no snacks in the house. But on her way back home, a pickup truck blew through a stop sign, crashing into the driver's side of the car. Barbara was killed instantly. What relationship Greg probably has with his father after reading this text? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Greg was not forgiven - not enough information - Greg is working on it - Greg was forgiven
(Answer)
| Greg was forgiven | 6 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Ques:Jenny turned her nose up at me as I sat down, sniffing loudly and filling her nostrils with the strong alcohol stink I was emitting. "So have you been drinking already this morning, or are you just still drunk from last night?" "A little of both," I said. She peered at me disapprovingly over her iced latte. We were sitting at a table in front of a strip mall coffee shop. Jenny was wearing huge gold-rimmed sunglasses and had a decent collection of shopping bags gathered at her feet. "Busy afternoon?" I asked. "Just picking up a few things for Mexico. We leave tomorrow morning." My attention was drawn away by a group of men in black jumpsuits standing around in the parking lot next to a white van with the red Asterion logo painted on its side. It was hard to tell, but I thought one of them was the same guy I'd seen on the Light Rail a couple days before, the one who'd been reading the paper. Jenny seemed to notice my distraction and followed my gaze. "Is something wrong?" "No, it's just those Asterion guys seem to be everywhere now. I guess business must be booming." "Yeah, we hired them last month to archive our old financial records," Jenny replied. "They came in and hauled everything away, I was so happy to get all that empty space back. Of course it doesn't really matter now, since I'm going to have to find a new job when I get back from the honeymoon. "Anyways, I'm rambling," she admitted good-naturedly. "So what did you want to talk to me about?" "I wanted to ask you about someone I met last night." She bared her teeth ecstatically in a knowing grin. "Really? A woman, I presume." "Settle down, it's not like that. She's just a girl who said she can help introduce me to Dylan Maxwell." "Was it Natalie?" she asked. "I don't know. She was wearing a motley dress and a black veil." "Yep, that's Natalie," Jenny confirmed. Immeditely after the end of the text, the narrator probably feel: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Ready to start a new job - Ready to go shopping - not enough information - Tired, but excited for the trip
Ans:Tired, but excited for the trip
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Ques:Is not necessarily worth two of anything, anywhere else. But it can certainly be a heck of a lot of fun. During my days as an inmate in Bridges House at the University of New Brunswick, I shared this space with about 99 other testosterone-addled 'young adults' whose charming tendency to get completely out of hand was barely held in check by the rod of authority of the Don and Resident Fellow. This is not to say that these two worthies weren't good at their jobs; more accurately, their task was more akin to herding cats -- fairly obtuse, barely socialized cats. Given the state of controlled chaos that existed, it wasn't unusual for little conflicts to arise from time to time. Being rather physically small and odd, I came in for a certain amount of abuse from someone called Scut, a large and obnoxious Newfie (hmmm, that's like saying that water is wet). I can't remember what it was he did to me, but it was serious enough that I decided to get my own back. It's been said that revenge is a dish best enjoyed cold. I think revenge is a dish best enjoyed in secret with no chance of counter-revenge to spoil the occasion. And so it was that I laid my plans against Scut. The occasion and place were set. My means of entry was secured. Now I needed material. For me, the only good fish is a live one. Even though I hale from NB, I really don't like free-swimming seafood. Considering the unimaginative cuisine of my youth, it's surprising that I eat anything at all. So with dead, smelly fish in mind, I persuaded my friend Shan to pick one up when he was down at the Saturday Farmer's Market. He returned with a four-pound shad, frozen solid. Shad has even more bones than other fish and you'll never see it featured on any cooking show (except maybe Iron Chef, where the disgusting and unusual seems to be standard). It took me all day to thaw out the fish in the lounge sink?#8364;?an activity which elicited howls of complaint from the guys trying to watch TV. Who returned from the Farmer's Market with a four-pound fish? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Scut - The narrator - Shan - not enough information
Ans:Shan
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Ques:I have unfriended someone over his near daily harassment of me to come over to his way of thinking. Way back in 2006, when Facebook was a young whelp and I had a newborn who steadfastly refused to sleep at night, I would sit and connect with old friends from university and high school, many of whom I had not seen or spoken with in more than a decade. One of those people was Scott. Scott was a super nice guy. He was a year ahead of me at university. He was a bit socially awkward but you really couldn’t hope to meet a more genuine individual. Like most people, Scott had had some ups and downs in his life. At some point he found religion. Like he really, really found it. Now, I am somewherere between an agnostic and an atheist but my attitude is generally live and let live. But Scott couldn’t do that. Almoost every day he would send me some sort of message. “What do you pray about?” I don’t. “God loves you, he gave his son for you, why don’t you love Him?” Because I don’t believe He or his Son exist. “What are you going to say when you die and stand before Satan instead of God?” Missed that by a mile, didn’t I? This went on for a few months. His questions became increasing unhinged and the only thing that mattered to him were his beliefs. Mine were of no consequence. I had asked him, politely at first and then more assertively, to stop bombarding me with his attempts to convert me or to witness to me. All to no avail. Finally, I’d had enough and decided I had better things to do. I pulled the plug and unfriended Scott. He’s sent me several friend requests over the years, all of which I have summarily ignored. What is the author's current relationship status? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - engaged - married - single - not enough information
Ans: | not enough information
----- | 9 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Question: Thanks Richard for asking. Yes. I have something to tell. We have record rainfall during 24 hours in Lahore, breaking previous one day record by more than 60%. Our drainage system is pathetic. Other systems such as telephone, electricity, cable etc. are no better. Poor planning has further been aggravated by extremely mismanaged maintenance and operational bugs. This morning, when I was out for our fajr (morning prayers) in masjid, a neighbor told me that the pole laden with electricity meters was under fire. After that he buzzed off for complaint office. When I returned after prayers, I saw fire reaching cable part after meter; one meter had caught fire and other meters (including ours) was in danger of catching fire. It was still dark. I waited for someone to come out. No one appeared. I came inside and told my wife about and went again out to see if I could find someone to go about extinguishing fire. IT WAS DAM RISKY AS DIGGING WAS DONE BY TELEPHONE COMPANY AND RAINS HAD MADE A MESS ON OUR STREET. No one was seen. My wife came out; brought hose pipe. I managed to use it as water gun and there was some post-extinguishing sparking; fire was put out. I want to add here that hose pipe should only be used when someone knows how to send bursts of water so that electric current cannot build a circuit. Later in day we heard about the most stupid thing; people were inside their houses, watching flames from pole but not knowing what to do. THEY DID NOT EVEN COME OUT TO SHARE THE ACTIVITY. That has happened today. I am going to ask everyone about it one by one. Also, I am still looking for the guy who went to complaint office and was never seen thereafter this morning. That can happen to anybody. How long did it take for the narrator to extinguish the fire? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - a few hours - a few minutes - most of the day
Answer: a few minutes
Question: Since grade school we have known about the food pyramid, but the food pyramid I want to discuss today is quite different: The Mediterranean Food Pyramid. The pyramid is used by countless health organizations, clinics, doctors and many others to guide people to eat in a healthy manner. It is the standard to live by and health professionals unanimously agree that by following this diet pyramid, your health will benefit tremendously. The pyramid is a wonderful synopsis of what the Mediterranean Diet entails. It shows four different food groups and the optimal number of servings of each group that should be consumed. The pyramid was created based on research of the diet that the people in the Mediterranean countries consume. The area was selected as the model because of the low incidence of heart disease and high life expectancy found in the region. One of the primary reasons for the healthy results of the diet is that the people not only use fresh, unadulterated ingredients, they also cook their meals in very healthy ways. They are among the minority of the world’s population that have not embraced the fast food culture that dominates the US and Australia. It should be noted that both countries are battling an obesity epidemic. There are no processed foods, colas, white flour products, pizzas or any unhealthy food in the food pyramid. There are only categories of fresh, healthy foods: fruits and vegetables, nuts and grains, beans, fish and seafood, and healthy oils (primarily olive oil) – plus a little red wine. Your fat consumption should be moderate along with consumption of dairy products such as yogurt and cheese. Eggs can be consumed daily. Fish (seafood) is preferred over meat and should be consumed twice a week. Poultry is also preferred over red meat and should be consumed once a week. Red meat should only be consumed 3 to 4 times a month. The rest of the time, vegetables, legumes, and/or pasta should be the focal point of your meals. Fruit and vegetables (7 servings) should be consumed daily. What issue is the author trying to address by promoting the Mediterranean diet? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Fast food culture - consumption of dairy is too high - Obesity epidemic - not enough information
Answer: Obesity epidemic
Question: Outside the White House Friday, a media frenzy. And at the center of it all, President Donald Trump. “Can we do one question at a time? Wait! One question at a time," the president scolded reporters. Trump launched a new attack on the Russia probe in the wake of a critical report on the Hillary Clinton email investigation by the inspector general of the Department of Justice. “I did nothing wrong. There was no collusion. There was no obstruction," he said. "The IG (inspector general) report yesterday went a long way to show that, and I think that the Mueller investigation has been totally discredited.” But the report in question only dealt with how the FBI handled the Clinton email controversy. It was critical of the man Trump fired as FBI director, James Comey, but rejected the notion of a politically-directed effort aimed at Trump. “This report did not find any evidence of political bias or improper considerations actually impacting the investigation under review," announced current FBI Director Christopher Wray. Democrats also took note of the report. “Anyone who is hoping to use this report to undermine the Mueller probe or prove the existence of a ‘deep state’ conspiracy against President Trump will be sorely disappointed," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said. During his lengthy encounter with reporters Friday, Trump also defended his recent summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. “They are doing so much for us, and now we are well on our way to get denuclearization," he said. "And the agreement says there will be total denuclearization. Nobody wants to report that. I got along with him great. We have a great chemistry together. That is a good thing, not a bad thing." Trump also lashed out at opposition Democrats and tried to blame them for recent administration actions to separate family members caught trying to come across the U.S. border. “The Democrats forced that law upon our nation. I hate it. I hate to see separation of parents and children," Trump said. What does Trump think of Kim Jong Un? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - They will never come to an agreement - not enough information - They are on the same page - They need to work on their relationship
Answer: | not enough information | 3 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
*Question*
We all present these glossy lives to the world; coffee cups presented to dewy sunrises, champagne in airport lounges, luxurious restaurants that cost more than they should and share the blue skies days of exploration. I’m as guilty as anyone. But, what about behind those scenes? Those days where the wind is so strong you can’t instastory for talking (I’m looking at you Cornwall), when travel mistakes happen (like in Vienna where I accidentally booked our trip a day short) or when everyone asks you what your next trip will be and you sheepishly have to answer ‘er, not sure’. So I thought I’d get a few things off my chest, and confess a few of the reasons why I probably shouldn’t be calling myself a travel blogger. And yes, these are all very much first world problems. 1. I hate photographs of myself. Ironic, no? Especially when one of the first rules of blogging is all about the cult of personality. I just don’t like them. I wish I did, but there are few times that I fancy a photo and even less when I like the result. 2. We nip into a MacDonalds at least once every trip. It has now become a tradition between nicer restaurants to nip in and order a Big Mac and fries at some point of our trip – but especially in Europe for some reason. Why do their MacDonalds meals taste better? 3. Pastels aren’t really my shade. Again, I wish I could be super girly, twirling in gossamer skirts painted in spring shades but I’m just not. My colour palette is decidedly autumnal/jewel hued and usually sticks to a scarf draped around my neck in a hopefully fashionable manner. And I’m totally ok with that. 4. I once travelled all the way to New Zealand and back (stopping in 3 countries enroute) without a lens cap on my brand new, fairly expensive camera. This is in no way a #humblebrag about the trip, but a comment on how impractical I can be – and how careful I also am. I lovingly wrapped my camera in a soft scarf every day for 3 weeks, growled under my breath at anyone who looked like they might jostle me and at one point found... Why was the author more unfriendly towards people when she was in New Zealand? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - Because she didn't have a camera lens cap for her expensive camera and didn't want people to break it - Because she doesn't actually like people and only likes to travel to see new places - Because the author was not enjoying her time in New Zealand and just wanted it to end
**Answer**
Because she didn't have a camera lens cap for her expensive camera and didn't want people to break it
*Question*
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — Some people in Seoul on Tuesday said they are happy just to see U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un talking to each other rather than trading threats of war. “I am very happy because it is an epoch breakthrough after 70 years of division,” said Lee Jun-keun, a salesman working for a retail business. Last year the two leaders traded insults, with Trump calling Kim “rocket man,” and the North Korean leader calling the U.S. president a “dotard,” and they both threatened military action as tension rose over the North’s accelerated weapons testing to develop an operational nuclear armed intercontinental ballistic missile capability. But after North Korea successfully test-fired missiles it claimed could carry nuclear warheads capable of reaching the United States, Pyongyang pivoted to diplomacy by suspending further provocations and indicating a willingness to engage in denuclearization talks. Trump surprised allies and adversaries alike by immediately agreeing to meet with Kim, long before the specifics of a nuclear deal could be negotiated. Tuesday’s first meeting between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader produced a broad declaration to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons and develop a peace treaty to end the long standing hostiles between the U.S. and North Korea. Trump called the agreement “very comprehensive,” but it will be left to negotiators to later resolve differences between Washington’s call for complete and verifiable nuclear dismantlement before any sanctions relief is provided, and Pyongyang’s demand that concessions be linked to incremental progress. Some in South Korea remain skeptical that the broad commitment reached at the U.S.-North Korean summit in Singapore will lead to North Korea giving up its nuclear weapons program. “North Korea did not keep its promise in the past, even after signing the agreement. This is what I am disappointed and doubtful about,” said Shim Jae-yeon, a housewife who lives in Seoul. Others... When, according to the text, did North Korea carry out missile test-firing activities that proved successful? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Following the 2007 summit - not enough information - Last year - After the first summit in 2000
**Answer**
Last year
*Question*
September 2006, and deep in the bowels of the Adam Street private members' club in London a very special group of people is crammed into a private room, supping imported Spanish beer from a free bar. The value - on paper at least - of the companies owned by those squeezed into this tiny, boiling space would dwarf the debt of a small African nation. Among those present are some of the key players in Europe's Internet industry. The content creators, the entrepreneurs, the inventors, the investors; these are the new media moguls. And tonight they're in their element. I'm hiding at the back of the room getting slowly drunk with the event's organiser, an entrepreneur who helped raise a ridiculous sum of money for a business networking site that had projected revenues of precisely zero. His mantra, he tells me, is 'revenue is the enemy'. It's not clear what that means, but I have to admit it sounds great. A microphone is being passed around and we're watching and listening as a succession of young - mostly under forty - men - they're mostly men - rattle off their CVs and their future plans. 'He,' whispers my drinking buddy, pointing the neck of his beer bottle at a short, well-groomed man wearing a yellow checked jacket and bright red trousers, 'was in the FT yesterday. Apparently BT are going to buy the company he co-founded for half a billion dollars.' 'Fuck,' I half-whisper back. One habit you soon pick up, hanging out with dot com entrepreneurs, is swearing. 'That's a terrible fit. It's like Friends Reunited* all over again. What the hell are BT going to do with them?' 'Nothing.' 'Nothing?' 'No, the story's bullshit. Totally made up. And they fucking printed it. ' 'Fuck.' 'Of course they printed it. They called the investors to check it out, but they refused to comment. So they ran it as a "rumour". And why not? It wouldn't exactly be the most outrageous deal of the year, would it?' He has a point. How does the narrator's drinking buddy feel about the story that was printed? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - happy - enthusiastic - annoyed
**Answer**
| annoyed | 4 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
I had the joy, absolute joy, of observing an ER nurse just about lose it and the poor pompous MD (who had left the room) was still clueless. I was in the ER with my dad and my sister. It was late. Dad had taken a tumble, hit his head and because he was on a blood thinner, he had to be checked out at the ER. This ER was in the same hospital we always went to. As we completed the history etc. I noted “stroke effecting speech.” They had a complete synopsis of dad’s history which I gave them as we checked in. Dad is getting tired and his speech was getting more slurred. My Dad was in work clothes. I was in something pretty casual and my sister was in the same clothes (business attire) that she had put on at 6 a.m. I am sure we looked pretty ragged. In waltzes Dr. Hotshot. He looks around and asks my sister and I who we are. My sister introduced us making sure to introduce me as “Dr. Lea (I think that was the first, last, and only time she called me ‘Dr.”). He then turns to my dad and asked what happened. Knowing how difficult it is to understand Dad, I start to answer. My bad. The doctor abruptly stops me and says, “I didn’t ask you. I want him to tell me.” In hindsight, I realize he wanted to hear dad’s speech as a part of his assessment. Dad begins. His speech is slow and very very slurred. Dr. Hotshot looks totally befuddled. Dad had gotten out about 3 sentences out when Dr. Hotshot stops him and abruptly asks, “Does he always talk like that?” My sister, without missing a beat, replies, “No, sometimes he speaks French.” As I am trying to not swallow my head to keep from laughing, I notice the nurse in the room has buried her mouth in her shoulder. Dr. Hotshot exits. A scan shows no damage. And, for the record, Dad never did learn to speak French. What is probably true about Dr. Hotshot? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - He is indifferent. - He is humble - not enough information - He is proud
He is proud
I have a chronic illness, and so I received quite a few sterling gems in the months between onset and accurate diagnosis. I had one GP — let’s call him Dr Douche. I promise, it’s the kindest way I could describe him. “The jacket means I know things.” He came up with wilder and wilder theories as to why I was sick, and kept getting sicker. It should be said beforehand that few of these theories were embodied. He was sure it was something in my ladybrains that was preventing proper function of the rest of me. Dr Douche said so much weird, wild, and just-plain-unbelievable crap over the course of my diagnosis that someday I may create a novel that incorporates it all. But this here has to be the blue ribbon winner. I was describing a symptom to him: every time I got up in the morning, when I first stood, my heart would pound, my heart rate would accelerate, and I’d feel dizzy. After a few probing questions — (only in the morning? — no, but it’s worst in the morning)… “Maybe,” he said sensitively, “you’re afraid.” “Of standing?” I asked, just to be sure. “You think I’m afraid of… standing up.” Maybe he meant there was some kind of existential fear, like, we’re all afraid, it’s a big old universe out there, and he wanted some comfort and reassurance. Nope. The man genuinely thought I had such a profound fear of verticality, that I was having a near-panic in response to being upright. POTS, folks. It was POTS. Literally THE most common sign/symptom/syndrome of autonomic dysfunction. The most common one. He could’ve confirmed right there in the office with a poor man’s tilt table test, if he knew to… Mayo Clinic had to confirm with expensive instruments because he’d never heard of a disease that affects 1/100 teenagers and between 1–3 million people in the United States! Would’ve done better with this Doctor. What test did Mayo Clinic use to confirm the man's diagnosis? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - tilt table - not enough information - expensive instrument testing - sit up test
expensive instrument testing
Though hooded and cloaked, Nicolette trembled. The chill of the January afternoon pierced her through, but it was fear, more than the cold, that made her limbs shake. Having just crossed over to the Left Bank, she glanced back over her shoulder and saw the towers and spires of the royal palace across the Seine. She felt as if hidden eyes there were watching her. Could anyone on the palace wall have seen her walk over the Petit-Pont? Not Amalric. He was still in the south, the King having just appointed him seneschal for Beziers and the surrounding country. But he had so many agents in Paris and allies at court. Except for Agnes, all the servants in the Gobignon town house were loyal to him. His aunt, Queen Blanche, was forever praising him to all who would listen. If Nicolette were involved in scandal, the White Queen would be furious, and would see to it that word reached Amalric. And if indeed he found out about her meeting the troubadour? Just a message, a song, let alone a meeting like this one, could mean death for her and Orlando. I should turn around right now, cross this bridge, and run back to the palace. The streets of the Latin Quarter were crawling with ruffians and criminals - it was insane for her to be walking here alone after sunset. The sight of the small knife she carried under her cloak might deter an attacker, but then she would be discovered. If I screamed for help, the whole palace would find out. Blanche would demand to know why I was here. No, she thought, her blood turning to ice, she would know why. But those eyes of his? to look into them again, was that not worth any risk? She stood, vacillating, in the shadows by a wooden house that overhung the Rue Saint-Jacques. I must see Orlando, she thought. Over a year now, and I have not been able to forget him. She longed just to be alone with him and have him take her in his arms. Who would be furious because of a scandal? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - Orlando - Amalric - The White Queen
| The White Queen | 0 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Everybody knew Shandor Marley's mother liked to spend more time flirting with serial killers than she did taking care of things at home. So when her son went round with an air rifle popping his neighbours like they were allotment pigeons, they figured all the boy really needed was a bit of attention. Shandor finally flipped one day after finding out the inbred farm boys who made his life hell most days were in fact his half-brothers. He returned home to confront his mother only to find her pritt-sticking press cuttings of the Mad Killer into a brand new scrapbook and seemingly not in the least bit concerned by her son's unexpected discovery. Luckily Shandor's shooting spree didn't do too much damage beyond putting one of his so-called new father's eyes out, which could be considered doubly unfortunate given as the so-called new father in question owned the old byre Shandor and his mother called home. After Shandor had spent enough time shut away in borstal with the kind of kids who would've sent his mother all weak at the knees, he went straight home half-expecting the byre to be boarded up with a blu-tacked note saying she was lugging her stupid arse to Texas to spring her latest psycho boyfriend from his cell on death row. Shandor was thinking how much that excuse would sit well with her as he scuffed up the stone track to the byre with a black bin-bag of belongings and a sunburned arm across his forehead to shield himself from the glare. The place looked pretty much the same as he remembered it, only three years worse off. The strip of grass outside the back door was parched yellow and paint peeled around the blown-out windows. He had a hand on the door before he knew for sure it was still lived-in. He flapped thunderbugs off his forearm and creaked open the door. The kitchen stank of stale cigarettes and the dregs of spirit bottles. where was shandor sent for 3 years? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - to his grandmother's - to boarding school - not enough information - to jail
to jail
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Christopher Warm had a sedentary job. On his keyboard he typed various letters and numbers, which would become computer programs. In his company he was known as Office Desk, because when he was working he always sat behind his well-used piece of conference table standing in a hard to notice corner in the software specialists' room. Christopher wasn't a wide person, and so his piece of conference table didn't have to be too big either, which also practically solved office space problems in the 0-1 Computer firm. It was Warm's secret that the majority of his time outside of the company, he also spent behind a desk. On his keyboard he typed various letters and numbers, which would become computer programs for the 0-1 Computer Associates company. While the Man Called Office Desk (MCOD, or simply Cod in an alternative version) was writing an intuitive program for the management of empty office desk space in software companies, a thing that nobody had ever expected to happen happened. Warm became fused with the chair. The staff at 0-1 Computer were disappointed, they had expected Cod to fuse with a desk. It would have been much more entertaining to watch, you could have laughed at him a little, and the nickname, given to him by the programmers' boss would have gotten a whole new meaning. And right now, there wasn't even much to talk about during cigarette breaks. Warm did not hide the fact he would have preferred to fuse with a mouse, or a mouse pad. Right now, all he could do was to pretend he totally ignored the fact he was physically stuck to a chair. And he was doing just fine until it was time to go to his second shift at 1-0 Computer Associates, where he had been working on a program for the management of empty space in staff lockers in telecommunications companies. What did Christopher fuse with? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - The chair - The keyboard - not enough information - The desk
The chair
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I loved the little guy from the day she brought him home. She carried him wrapped in a sweatshirt from the shelter at the corner where she'd been saying for months she was going to go. She set him down on the hardwood floor and he clipped around like a fawn - - clip, clip -- looking through doorways and carefully eyeing us both. He was tiny but he was strong. He was muscular and sleek, like a miniature greyhound, and we both watched intently as he clipped around, soldiering things out and whining under his breath. Miss Tennessee looked at me and smiled and said: "Well honey? What do you think?" And I told her: "I love the little guy." He was never really my dog. He was more like my step-dog, but together we named him Steve. We thought it was funny, giving a dog a man's name like that. But it fit, like Miss Tennessee, which I started just to tease her about being full-grown and long- legged and pretty, but in a tomboyish way that made it both absolutely ridiculous and absolutely plausible that she had ever been Miss Anything. It always made her swallow a grin. Steve's name, on the other hand, made it sound like he wasn't a dog at all, but this little man. Miss Tennessee often called him that: the little man. Steve liked me okay but he loved Miss Tennessee. With me it was man things. After he got snipped or when he was stung by bees, down there, in grass that came up to his chin, he would come sit by me, hoping I'd understand. With her, it was everything else. When she took a bath, he stood with his paws on the side of the tub, and when she went someplace he couldn't go he stood where he last saw her and waited. If she went into a store and left us together in the car, he stood with his paws on the dashboard, waiting and crying and looking at me like maybe I was to blame. What is the narrator feeling at the end of the story? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Nervous - Angry - Nostalgic - not enough information
| Nostalgic
------ | 5 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Yes, sometimes you just meet people and you know straight away that they are not trustworthy. Before my relationship there were certain boys in my life that I would meet and I would be able to tell straight away whether or not they were going to be a decent partner. I find that I am not attracted to the pretty boy, who loves himself, I go for the more reserved and shy people that I know will treat me right. One time there was this guy back at school who I knew was all over the girls and that didn't want a relationship. He was rude to the teachers and a bit of a bad boy and all the girls swooned over him. I on the other hand was not, at one point he managed to get my number and was texting me. We spoke for a bit but once he started asking me for pictures of myself I stopped the contact, I knew he wasn't to be trusted from the beginning and decided he wasn't right for me. Then it was quite funny how one day we had a class where the rooms were next to each other and in between was a printer that both classes shared. I went to the room to print my work, and he was there waiting also. He asked me for a hug and just raised an eyebrow, then I saw my work had printed so I lent over to grab it and he thought I was going in for the hug. So he shut his eyes and held out his arms only to open them to see me walking off with my paper. His friend also saw what happened and laughed, I think he was a bit embarrassed. But we were young back then and he has found someone now and seems very happy, as am I. The bad boy probably thinks that Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - He can do what he wants - He is really cool - The writer likes him
The writer likes him
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When Patch finally found his way out of the seed-pod, Toro was gone, and there were rats all around him. Some hid beneath the huge black seed-pods, some scuttled in the shadows of the nearby mountain. Patch knew from their smells there were at least a dozen of them. There was another smell too, mixed with that of the rats. The very same unsavory squirrel-smell he had detected in Silver's abandoned drey. "What do you want?" Patch asked, from his perch atop the mound of seed-pods. He was concerned but not yet frightened. Rats and squirrels were neither friends nor enemies. Squirrels were bigger and stronger, but rats were far more numerous. There were legends of long-ago wars between the two species, but no squirrel Patch knew had ever been attacked by rats. Squirrels lived aboveground, in the sun; rats frequented the night and the dark underworld. Of course, squirrels found rats disgusting and disagreeable -- but so did all other animals. An unusually large rat climbed up to the top of a seed-pod. It was almost as big as Patch himself. Rats usually avoided light, but this one stood unafraid beneath the sun, and demanded: "Who are you?" "I am Patch son of Silver, of the Seeker clan, of the Treetops tribe, of the Center Kingdom," Patch said. "Who are you that asks?" "I am Snout," the rat replied. "Why are you here?" "I came to look for food." "This is our food. These mountains are ours." "Your food?" Patch asked, bewildered. There was no ownership of food in the Center Kingdom, not until it had actually been eaten. "That's ridiculous. It's food. It belongs to whoever finds it first." "Then you belong to us," Snout hissed. "Because we are the rats who will suck the marrow from your broken bones." What color is Patch's fur? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Gray - not enough information - Brown - Black
not enough information
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Have you ever sat around and thought about how you’d create your dream kitchen if you had the chance? Well, we are on the verge of a move (whenever the house sells, we’ll move), and I keep thinking that I need to sit down and write a list of our “would likes” and our “must haves.” That way, when we are house hunting, we’ll already know what we’re looking for. For a chance to win an Un Amore custom-designed KitchenAid Stand Mixer from PartSelect, I have been thinking about the top three “would likes” for our new kitchen and decided to check out what KitchenAid has to offer! I discovered three appliances that would change our reality kitchen into a dream kitchen. We have two young boys that will change into tweens and teens before we know it. Big Brother has always been a good eater, open to trying just about anything we put in front of him. However, discovering that he actually does have some control over what he does, he’s lately turned up his nose on occasion. Little Brother is exactly like me when I was young. He turns his nose up at just about anything. Although he did just spend a week with his grandparents and decided he would eat and make up for lost meals…and make me out to be a liar! Anyway, I keep reminding myself as I find myself challenged at mealtimes, that soon enough, they’ll be eating us out of house and home. So, one of the larger dream kitchen appliances I’d like in our home would be a double oven! I just think it’d come in really handy when trying to keep up with their metabolism down the road! When you’re preparing a lot of food, you’re typically buying a lot of products, and the garbage and recycling bins fill up faster than ever as well. The second dream kitchen appliance I wouldn’t mind having would be the KitchenAid Trash Compactor, reducing our use of garbage bags and trips to the outside dumpster. Plus, I think I’d like not having to smell the garbage all the time! Where is the dream kitchen? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - on Main St. - on 10th Ave. - not enough information - on Front St.
| not enough information
------ | 5 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Q: Yes recently! I have joined a B-School recently. New friends, new syllabus, new place and new subjects! With all these new things, I got a new assignment which was supposed to be submitted in 3 days. Our teams were formed and we, together had to submit it. From dawn to dusk, we worked hard on that Economics project. I worked with each and every person in the group. I didn’t know how to plot a triple axis graph in excel, I learnt that day at 2 am. Our group also learnt many new things and we gave our 100% to that report. I, in my entire academic life, have never been careless towards the submission. I always submitted reports or assignments before time. Anyway, the submission day finally arrived. I had told one of the group members to print the report out and bind it and bring to the college with her. The lecture is scheduled at 2:00 pm. I called her for about 30 times asking where she was. She didn’t pick up any of our calls. There she entered the lecture hall at 2:07 pm and our professor being a strict one, rejected our project. Everything was washed out. Our efforts were washed away. What was the reason of she being late? Traffic! It's simple assumption that if you stay in a city like Mumbai, you at least leave your house 1–1.30 hours before. Being loyal is toxic sometimes. We all lost our individual credits for the subject plus the internals will get affected which is altogether different story. Guys, if you are working for a group of members, please please respect their hard work. Put yourself in their shoes snd imagine their hard work. Never ever mix your Professional commitments with personal problems. Peace! The group is probably studying: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - education - not enough information - business - medicine
A: business
Q: When asked to define ourselves we often use broad brushstrokes. Without thinking we consult our internal list of “things that make me, ME” and find ourselves recalling words like “creative, outgoing, photography, guitar” before we’ve even had a chance to fully process the question. But how much does this internal list define us? I believed that my internal list was the best representation of myself until I read a quote by Annie Dillard that states: “How we spend our days, is of course, how we spend our lives”. This quote hit me like a punch in the gut, it’s blatant truth so indisputable; how I spent my days, regardless of what I told myself about myself, was ultimately who I was. Or at the very least would be how I had spent my life. This is why, when completing my self portrait, I decided to focus on the everyday. Within my self portrait I wanted to present the viewer with a familiar yet abstract sense of reality through which we get to see amalgamated glimpses of the everyday acts that define me, rather than a linear narrative or a simple re-telling of ‘a day in the life’. Thus combining to create a picture of: my daily life, through an abstracted version of ‘the everyday’. To create a sense of ‘the day’ or linear progression of time I segmented my video with four still images of the sky in various stages of daylight (morning, midday, afternoon, evening) that match the lighting seen in each concurrent video segment. The everyday acts that define me were presented in a series of short video segments that include scenes of me catching the tram, recording music and riding my bike. To disrupt the sense of linear narrative the visual segments are bluntly edited together, with nothing linking the sequential shots and a quite abrupt ending. I also attempted to create an overall sense of confounded time and space by overlaying audio from certain video segments onto others. Long, singular focus, handheld shots were also used to enhance the sense of voyeuristic glimpses. Annie Dillard believes that Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - Everyday is important - Life does not matter - Days are inconsequential
A: Everyday is important
Q: His eyes were open and his head bobbed around at an impossible angle. He was sitting in about forty feet of water, stone dead, one arm pinned between the rocks. As best I could tell, he had been dead when he landed there. The mud and ooze around him were as serene and smooth as he was. The cop who was assisting me swam over and made a palms up gesture. I shrugged back at him and began to work the body loose. The corpse had only one leg, and as I worked I wondered what he had been doing in the lake. I got the arm free and kicked toward the quicksilver surface above me. The body turned bloated and heavy when I broke water with it, and it took three of us to load it into the police launch. I dried off and got a coke out of the cooler. It was getting to be another Texas scorcher, and the sunlight bouncing off the surface of the lake felt like it had needles in it. My mouth was dry from breathing canned air and the carbonation burned like fire. Winslow, from the sheriff's office, sat down next to me. 'I appreciate this, Dan,' he said. 'No problem.' Sam Winslow and I had grown up together about twenty miles outside Austin in a little town called Coupland. We'd fought a lot as kids, and there were still plenty of differences in our politics and educations. But being on the police and fire rescue squad had brought me closer to him again, and I was glad of it. A private detective needs all the friends he can get. 'What do you make of it?' I asked him. 'Accidental drowning, looks like.' I raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. 'He's got a bump on the head that could have come off a rock. We'll see what the coroner says.' 'Any idea who he is?' Winslow shook his head. He'd gained weight in his face recently and his jowls vibrated with the gesture. When did Dan get a coke? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Before going in the lake. - not enough information - After drying off. - While talking to Sam Winslow
| A: After drying off. | 2 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
“Teachers like to agree with each other, when we talk about learning. It’s hard to change that, when the model we have wanted to make work has nonetheless been failing for 40 years.” Professor Brian Boyd No area has remained up there in the contentiousness charts in Scotland as the notion of business and education working together to do something better for our young people. Most schools do not ‘partner’ with colleges or universities. Instead, they are production facilities for undergraduates and college entrants. Fewer are set up to systematically provide apprenticeship opportunities as well as learning. At NoTosh, we’ve been working on a few, nascent projects to change the attitudes of schools from being these production facilities into something more of a life support - what metrics of success might we use if schools judged their success on the results of their alumni, five, ten or twenty years down the line, much like universities do? City of Glasgow College have partnered with Newlands Junior College (NJC) to make the experience of a day in college more than what, in other circumstances, is too often perceived as a day off from school. The Junior College is called this, and not a school, for that very reason, to mark it out as a stepping stone between school and full-blown college. NoTosh helped last August to provoke the team around their thoughts of what 'unschool' might look like. The College was backed and founded by Jim McColl, one of Scotland’s top business people. In the future, suggests, McColl, might be be possible to take funding of learning out of its pre-existing silos, particularly for this group of students, about 60 in every city at these ages, who just need a different approach to the traditional comprehensive approach? A crossover funding model that helps learning happen in both ‘school’ or Junior College and college or university might be interesting. In fact, some of the world’s top universities are thinking of such models for their own students: Stanford’s 2025 project talks about the... What was probably the result of cooperation between Newlands Junior College and Glasgow College? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - better exam scores for the students - longer stay at school for the students - better career paths for the students
better career paths for the students
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SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — South Korean President Moon Jae-in said he urged North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to directly engage with Washington to salvage the June 12 nuclear summit with the U.S., when the two leaders held a surprise second inter-Korean summit Saturday. “I emphasized that the two sides must directly communicate in order to eradicate any misunderstandings, and preliminary talks through working-level negotiations on key agendas are necessary,” said President Moon at a press briefing in Seoul Sunday. North Korea requested the meeting between Kim and Moon after U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday canceled the Singapore summit. Trump said his decision was based on the “tremendous anger and open hostility displayed” by North Korea officials recently over U.S. demands that Pyongyang follow the Libya denuclearization model. North Korea sees that model for rapid and complete denuclearization as a threat to the Kim government’s security, since Libyan leader Moammar Ghadafi was later overthrown and killed by his own people, with support from a multinational military coalition that included the U.S. Pyongyang has called for a more incremental process that links concessions to partial nuclear reductions and postpones complete denuclearization until the North’s security demands are met. Moon met with Kim on the North side of the inter-Korean border, in the same village of Panmunjom where the two leaders held a summit in April. At that meeting, on the south side of the border, the two leaders jointly declared their support for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. On Saturday Moon said Kim reaffirmed his commitment to end his country’s nuclear weapons program, but shared his key concern that the U.S. would work to destabilize his rule despite any security guarantees it offers. “What is uncertain for Chairman Kim Jong Un is not his willingness for denuclearization, but he has concerns over whether North Korea can trust the fact that Washington will end its hostile relations, and guarantee the security... After the end of the story Trump probably does what? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - doesn't reschedule the summit with North Korea - reschedules the summit with North Korea - calls war upon North Korea - not enough information
reschedules the summit with North Korea
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I was one of the best fingerprint examiners in the world. I could do things the FBI thought impossible. I could memorize fingerprints. The nearby agencies, including local offices of federal agencies that had their own labs, came to me for help. One day in a trial a new-hatched defence attorney tried to make me seem neglectful because I hadn't sent the prints from the crime scene to the FBI for verification. The FBI will not look at prints that have already been identified locally. I tried to get that across to him. Finally I said, “Sir, you don't understand. I don't ask the FBI for help. The FBI asks me for help.” The courtroom went dead silent. The lawyer choked a bit and looked frantically at the judge, who knew me quite well. The judge slowly nodded. The lawyer choked a few more times, said, “No further questions,” and returned to his seat. I was the only person in the five-state area in which the silver burglar was hitting who got him on fingerprint evidence. He never left fingerprint evidence . . . except when he did. Every other police agency quit looking, because his MO was unmistakable. We didn't. A detective got prints from a bamboo tree he had used to climb in a window, and I got several prints from items he had handled inside the house. After the trial he was being led back to the jail and I was walking down the hall. He stopped and said, “I want to talk to that lady.” The bailiff told him he couldn't talk to the witness, but I said I wanted to hear what he had to say. He said, “Lady, you're the smartest cop I ever saw, and I hope to God I never see you again.” I think that was the best compliment I ever got. I have other accomplishments. But I consider my police work the most important. What is probably true about the burglar? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - he likes shiny objects - not enough information - he likes plastic objects - he likes glass objects
| he likes shiny objects
------ | 5 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Ques:Rain, the young man is thinking. Of course it would be raining. Not a heavy, cleansing rain that leaves the streets steaming and the neatly sculptured yards lush and fragrant. This is a gray drizzling rain. A rain that makes him think of places like England and Scotland as they appear in those disturbing late night films on cable, the ones in black and white that weren't particularly memorable when they were made and are even less so now. Still, it rains and the air is cool. All he has to shelter him is a think nylon jacket. The jacket is soaked. It feels both chilly and coarse against his skin. His hair hangs in flat and sodden wings, falling into his eyes. It's long in the back, almost to his shoulders, and he thinks that the cars that pass him on the street, the occupants of those cars, might look at him and see only that he is wet and not that he is dirty as well. Can they tell that his hair has been unwashed for days? That his clothes are the same ones he's worn for more than a week? It doesn't matter. He's invisible to them as soon as they pass, taking any assumptions they might make with them. They might just mistake him for one of those hoity-toity college kids, one of those clean limbed and beaming have's who has happened to find himself caught out without his umbrella. He makes a desultory attempt to straighten his shoulders, to lift his eyes from the buckled sidewalk. To look like he might have a purpose or a destination. It doesn't help. He has become the day. He has internalized the environment. He did that years ago, in fact. That's all I can do. Not his words, of course, but he understands them. He is intimately acquainted with his limitations. Why is the young man walking in the rain? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - His friend never picked him up - not enough information - He was unable to find his umbrella - He forgot his car
Ans:not enough information
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Ques:SEOUL — In addition to growing concerns that North Korea will pull out of the upcoming nuclear summit with the U.S., prospects for improved inter-Korean relations have also stalled, as Pyongyang demands that U.S.-South Korea joint military drills be scaled back, and a group of defectors be returned. Just weeks after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in declared the beginning of a new era of peace during a historic summit held in the demilitarized zone of the inter-Korean border, Pyongyang has put further dialogue and cooperation on hold until its demands are met. President Moon will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday to discuss the upcoming Trump-Kim summit and the North’s sudden conditions set for continued dialogue and cooperation. Most of North Korea’s anger last week, expressed in official statements and reports carried by the state news agency KCNA, seemed to be directed at the U.S. It criticized the Max Thunder joint military exercise that is currently underway, and U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton’s demands for the North’s unilateral nuclear disarmament. North Korea in particular objected to Bolton’s insistence that North Korea follow the Libyan model, which involved the rapid and total dismantlement of that country’s nuclear program, but it was also followed by the overthrow of the country’s leader Moammar Gadhafi some years later. Unless the U.S. eased up on its uncompromising stance, Pyongyang indicated it would pull out of the June 12 meeting in Singapore between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump to negotiate an end the North’s nuclear program in exchange for security guarantees and an end to punishing international sanctions. President Trump later said the Libya model does not apply to North Korea and that Kim Jong Un would remain in power and “be very rich” if he makes a deal to end his country’s nuclear program. North Korea denounced South Korea, as well, for the joint military drills, calling the Seoul government... North Korea probably thinks what about US's demands regarding nuclear disarmament? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - North Korea is probably neutral - North Korea probably is not supportive at all - North Korea is probably partly supportive
Ans:North Korea probably is not supportive at all
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Ques:Yes, sometimes you just meet people and you know straight away that they are not trustworthy. Before my relationship there were certain boys in my life that I would meet and I would be able to tell straight away whether or not they were going to be a decent partner. I find that I am not attracted to the pretty boy, who loves himself, I go for the more reserved and shy people that I know will treat me right. One time there was this guy back at school who I knew was all over the girls and that didn't want a relationship. He was rude to the teachers and a bit of a bad boy and all the girls swooned over him. I on the other hand was not, at one point he managed to get my number and was texting me. We spoke for a bit but once he started asking me for pictures of myself I stopped the contact, I knew he wasn't to be trusted from the beginning and decided he wasn't right for me. Then it was quite funny how one day we had a class where the rooms were next to each other and in between was a printer that both classes shared. I went to the room to print my work, and he was there waiting also. He asked me for a hug and just raised an eyebrow, then I saw my work had printed so I lent over to grab it and he thought I was going in for the hug. So he shut his eyes and held out his arms only to open them to see me walking off with my paper. His friend also saw what happened and laughed, I think he was a bit embarrassed. But we were young back then and he has found someone now and seems very happy, as am I. How long did they wait for the copier? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - All day - not enough information - Two hours - Five minutes
Ans: | Five minutes
----- | 9 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
(Question)
“You either change of life or you change of man” When I was married, my wife had a very complicated life to handle outside. She was always stressed from her studies, pressure and job, so she would go out, most oftenly with me, to places and times we shouldn’t have been. She would just decide, in the middle of the night, even as early as 2 in the morning that we should just race the city, see places… She always had those cravings to do stuff at strange times, getting to sport events with me at the other bit of the country… This crazy kind of life got us in a big lot of troubles. People trying rape her, attack us and much many more. it was happening too often and I often had to be quite violent to these people so she stays in one piece. I had to fix a lot of crap in order for her to live fully her fantasy. But I was more worried for her than me and I wanted us settle down, calm and have children we could raise peacefully. There was that one night where, we both came back very late from a sport competition, we had to travel dangerous roads very late at night sometimes by bus, foot and other times subway. At one point that night, two drug addicts tried to rape her, so I did what I had to do, but still I didn’t kill them. Then I shoved her and I really mean shove, inside a taxi, got in there too and asked it back home. When I arrived, she was denying the danger, denying anything wrong with her way to behave. So I really snapped, I just pulled my ring and chains away, threw them on the table in front of her and I told her the sentence I mentionned up there. I was harsh on her that night in my words and symbol but I just couldn’t take that way anymore What happens to the couple after the story? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - they settle down - they divorce - they have children
(Answer)
not enough information
(Question)
Everybody knew Shandor Marley's mother liked to spend more time flirting with serial killers than she did taking care of things at home. So when her son went round with an air rifle popping his neighbours like they were allotment pigeons, they figured all the boy really needed was a bit of attention. Shandor finally flipped one day after finding out the inbred farm boys who made his life hell most days were in fact his half-brothers. He returned home to confront his mother only to find her pritt-sticking press cuttings of the Mad Killer into a brand new scrapbook and seemingly not in the least bit concerned by her son's unexpected discovery. Luckily Shandor's shooting spree didn't do too much damage beyond putting one of his so-called new father's eyes out, which could be considered doubly unfortunate given as the so-called new father in question owned the old byre Shandor and his mother called home. After Shandor had spent enough time shut away in borstal with the kind of kids who would've sent his mother all weak at the knees, he went straight home half-expecting the byre to be boarded up with a blu-tacked note saying she was lugging her stupid arse to Texas to spring her latest psycho boyfriend from his cell on death row. Shandor was thinking how much that excuse would sit well with her as he scuffed up the stone track to the byre with a black bin-bag of belongings and a sunburned arm across his forehead to shield himself from the glare. The place looked pretty much the same as he remembered it, only three years worse off. The strip of grass outside the back door was parched yellow and paint peeled around the blown-out windows. He had a hand on the door before he knew for sure it was still lived-in. He flapped thunderbugs off his forearm and creaked open the door. The kitchen stank of stale cigarettes and the dregs of spirit bottles. where was shandor sent for 3 years? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - to his grandmother's - to boarding school - not enough information - to jail
(Answer)
to jail
(Question)
When I had trouble bending over to tie my shoes and I wasn’t pregnant. When I hit about 35 I started having trouble with weight. The strange thing was to me, it wasn’t that I was eating more then I used to, as a matter of fact I started eating less. When that didn’t help I barely ate at all. Still I couldn’t lose weight. What I didn’t know was we start to lose muscle mass every decade beginning in our thirties, and I was a ripe 35. Muscles use up more calories than fat, so less muscle means a slower metabolism and the need for fewer calories, and the pounds stack on easier. My second problem was my narcolepsy. When you wake up after a nights sleep there is a release of adrenaline which prompts body and mind into action and helps burn off calories. Narcolepsy causes me to sleep on and off during the day, and as explained by my doctor (so if I have this wrong about adrenaline it is my doctors fault lol) I am not getting that adrenaline release because my bodies clock doesn’t know if I am asleep or awake. He suggested in the morning to start exercising about 20 minutes to get that adrenaline rush, in the afternoon exercise about twenty minutes more for the same reason… Dieting and exercising brought those pounds back down. I will say it is much harder in the winter for me then in the summer. Summer time I am naturally active. I ride bikes with my husband, swim, garden, mow about an acre of lawn. In the winter I can’t ride, swim, garden, or mow, and I hate exercise I don’t enjoy. Anyway the long answer to the defining moment but there it is just the same. Who's second problem was narcolepsy? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - the woman's child - not enough information - the woman telling the story - the woman's husband
(Answer)
| the woman telling the story | 6 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
SEOUL — This week’s summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, to be held on Friday, April 27, is expected to produce a denuclearization framework that U.S. President Donald Trump could support when he meets with Kim in May or June. The North’s reassuring outreach of late, including its decision to unilaterally suspend all nuclear and missile tests, has set an optimistic tone that a deal can be reached. But it is still unclear if real progress toward peace can be achieved. There have been two past inter-Korean Summits in 2000 and 2007, both held in the North. The first produced a joint peace declaration promoting humanitarian exchanges and economic cooperation. From the second came support for a permanent peace treaty and a U.S. and China-led deal to end Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program for economic assistance and security guarantees. However, North Korea’s continued nuclear development efforts and missile tests, in violation of past agreements, and other hostile acts, including a alleged deadly attack on a South Korean naval ship in 2010, brought an end to any progress made at these summits. Leading up to this week’s inter-Korean summit, there are encouraging developments that a nuclear deal may again be within reach. U.S. President Donald Trump’s maximum pressure campaign, that led efforts to impose harsh international sanctions ending most North Korean exports, are exerting increasing economic pain that could be pressuring the leadership in Pyongyang to actually give up its nuclear arsenal this time. "If the situation continues, the foreign exchange could be depleted and North Korea can face a very serious situation at the end of this year. This is one of the reasons why it has come out in favor of dialogue," said Cheong Seong-Chang, a senior North Korea analyst at the Sejong Institute in South Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has made a number of concessions already by agreeing to talk about denuclearization without conditions, by appearing to drop past... Who will be meeting with Kim Jong Un in May or June? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Cheong Seong-Chang - President Moon Jae-In - President Donald Trump - not enough information
President Donald Trump
Jenny and I were twins, and we were always close growing up despite our very different personalities. Besides a birthday and a couple dead parents, there wasn't much else we shared in common. She was an over-achiever and a bit of a kiss-ass, always trying to make mom and dad proud, which she seemed to pull off with ease. She was the girl in high school who played every sport, joined every club, ran the student council, and somehow still managed to pull A's without breaking a sweat. Intense doesn't even begin to describe her. I could never compete with that, so instead I decided to build an identity for myself as the rebel. Unfortunately, I somehow equated rebelling with turning into a giant asshole. We grew up in a middle-class suburban family. Our father was a teacher and our mother an architect. They were the kind of couple that kept a date night to go dancing every Friday for the 31 years they were married. They died when Jenny and I were twenty-two. We sold the house where we grew up and split the cash; neither of us wanted to set foot in it again. Jenny used the money to pay for her Master's. After school she went to work for James McPherson, one of the most powerful and richest men in the city. Aside from owning the St. Augustine, McPherson had interests in real estate, land development, venture capital, and other things I really should've known more about. The McPherson family was old money here going back to when this valley was nothing but orchards. If I said that at one time or another the McPherson family had owned every single square foot of land in our city, I'd probably be exaggerating - but not much. Jenny ran the McPhersons' charitable foundation, which basically meant that not only did they have so much money that they had to start giving it away, but they even had to hire someone else just to get rid of it for them. What kinds of orchards were found in the valley? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Apple - not enough information - Orange - Pear
not enough information
Michael Morzeny put his hands into the pockets of his overcoat and hugged the fabric tighter around his body. The winter wind hurried down Columbus Avenue and the hem of his coat flapped around his knees letting little pockets of cold waft up to invade the warmth his body had spent so much time preparing and storing around his torso. With a bitter squeeze of his hands, his knuckles now getting cold, Morzeny bowed his square shoulders to the wind and continued walking. At sixty-seven years old the New York winters bothered Morzeny more than he cared to admit. And, although no doctor would admit it to him, he was positive that the first faint hints of arthritis tweaking through his hands were made worse by the cold. At every cross street the setting sun flashed through to the avenue in shades of crisp pink and red. Morzeny didn't want to be working right now. But these outings were the price he paid for having a hybrid job, owning buildings and brokering as many of his own leases as possible. When he had first come to the city he had been told that he needed a job, not for income, his providers took care of that, but for his own sanity. Something to keep him going. He had asked for something in real estate and had never bothered to wonder what other paths he might have taken. He had always been able to focus to the point of blindness. It helped him in every aspect of his work. He arrived at the brownstone building housing the apartment he was to show tonight. His building was tucked into a short row of buildings that squatted over the street, their steps reaching towards the curb like stunted growths. More to prove to himself that he could do it than anything else, Morzeny took the front steps two at a time. The weather bothers Morzeny's Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Arthritis - Hypertension - Diabetes - not enough information
| Arthritis | 1 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
(Q).
President Donald Trump capped what has been a difficult week politically with an all-out push for tax reform Friday. In a speech to the National Association of Manufacturers in Washington, Trump promised to deliver on a “giant, beautiful, massive, the biggest ever in our country, tax cut.” Trump is eager to move past setbacks on health care reform and the results of a Republican Senate primary Tuesday in Alabama where he found himself on the losing side. The president and his administration also have been on the defensive over hurricane recovery efforts in Puerto Rico. Senate Republicans put off a vote on a plan to repeal and replace Obamacare after it became clear they did not have enough votes to pass the measure, thanks to a handful of Republican defectors. Democrats expressed relief they had beaten back another attempt to undo former President Barack Obama’s signature achievement, the Affordable Care Act. “The reason this bill failed is because millions of Americans didn’t want it,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told reporters at the Capitol. On the same day, Christian conservative and former judge Roy Moore easily won a Republican Senate primary in Alabama, defeating incumbent Luther Strange, whom Trump had supported. “We are put here on Earth for a short time, and for that short time our duty it to serve almighty God,” Moore said in his victory speech. Moore has made controversial statements on a number of issues in the past, but he is considered the favorite in a race against Democrat Doug Jones in a general election Dec. 12. Trump had appeared with Strange the week before at a rally in Alabama, but even some analysts said his heart did not appear to be in it. “Trump was campaigning for Luther Strange, but you could tell he was having some second thoughts about that,” said Republican strategist John Feehery. Moore’s victory, aided by the active support of former Trump White House strategist Steve Bannon, signals what could be a series of divisive Republican primary battles heading into next... The controversial statements probably lasted Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - Over the past few months - Yesterday - On Dec. 12th
(A).
Over the past few months
(Q).
Is not necessarily worth two of anything, anywhere else. But it can certainly be a heck of a lot of fun. During my days as an inmate in Bridges House at the University of New Brunswick, I shared this space with about 99 other testosterone-addled 'young adults' whose charming tendency to get completely out of hand was barely held in check by the rod of authority of the Don and Resident Fellow. This is not to say that these two worthies weren't good at their jobs; more accurately, their task was more akin to herding cats -- fairly obtuse, barely socialized cats. Given the state of controlled chaos that existed, it wasn't unusual for little conflicts to arise from time to time. Being rather physically small and odd, I came in for a certain amount of abuse from someone called Scut, a large and obnoxious Newfie (hmmm, that's like saying that water is wet). I can't remember what it was he did to me, but it was serious enough that I decided to get my own back. It's been said that revenge is a dish best enjoyed cold. I think revenge is a dish best enjoyed in secret with no chance of counter-revenge to spoil the occasion. And so it was that I laid my plans against Scut. The occasion and place were set. My means of entry was secured. Now I needed material. For me, the only good fish is a live one. Even though I hale from NB, I really don't like free-swimming seafood. Considering the unimaginative cuisine of my youth, it's surprising that I eat anything at all. So with dead, smelly fish in mind, I persuaded my friend Shan to pick one up when he was down at the Saturday Farmer's Market. He returned with a four-pound shad, frozen solid. Shad has even more bones than other fish and you'll never see it featured on any cooking show (except maybe Iron Chef, where the disgusting and unusual seems to be standard). It took me all day to thaw out the fish in the lounge sink?#8364;?an activity which elicited howls of complaint from the guys trying to watch TV. After thawing out the fish Pick the correct answer from the following options: - he threw the fish away - not enough information - he ate the fish - the author used it in his revenge
(A).
the author used it in his revenge
(Q).
One student started packing up at the beginning of a lab exercise. I asked him where he was going. He said “I’m going to fail this class anyway, so I have other things to do.” It was true that he wasn’t doing well, and we had addressed this previously, but his attitude was completely defeatist. He had given up. So, there, in the middle of class, before he could get away, I said “Well, yeah. You will certainly fail if you don’t even try. I thought you were graduating at the end of this semester.” “I’m supposed to, but I won’t, because I’m going to fail physics. All I need is a D.” (He was right; his major didn’t require knowing any physics but they put it in the curriculum as a kind of gatekeeper course. Most students took physics much earlier in their studies than he did.) “If you have already decided to fail, I can’t stop you; you’re an adult. But you can make an appointment with me anytime. You already know that. You can email me. It’s my job to help you understand, but you have to come to me. You are an adult. It would be very inappropriate of me to follow you around, inviting you to office hours. And you must do the homework and the labs.” He stayed for the lab. I notified his counselor about what was going on, and she called him in and said the same things that I said. Next class he moved from the seat at the edge of my peripheral vision, to the middle, started working his ass off, and he passed. For a while I thought he was closing in on a C, but he got his D and graduated. And I didn’t give him anymore of a grading break than I give any of my students. Who thought he was going to fail? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - the principal - not enough information - the student - the teacher
(A).
| the student | 8 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Much like the Grand Old Duke of York, who had ten thousand men and marched them up to the top of the hill, and then marched them down again, I can’t get enough of York… (because he visited repeatedly, that was obvious, right?) Having visited nearly half a dozen times over the years, and somehow not managing to share it on my blog over the years, I would say that although you could visit from London for the day, I wouldn’t. Go for a minimum of an overnight stay, or a few days if you can. Witness a misty morning, and a candy coloured sunset, wander out into the Dales or slip in a seaside visit somewhere like Scarborough, and really get to know the ancient city. Alas, I haven’t really learned how to take my own advice, but hot on the end of a family visit in Lincolnshire we were lucky enough to spend sometime with one of my favourite expats on Yorkshire (ok, ok, I only know two, but they are definitely in the top two of that limited ranking system). It was of course Amanda, her fabulous husband Sam and we got to meet their gorgeous new addition to the family, a mischevious Dachshund pup who goes by the name of Harold. Instagram was alive with “OOOOOOOH MY GOD YOU GOT TO MEET HAROLLLLLD” Forget being a rockstar in this day and age, puppy dog eyes are all you need to make ladies weep and then squeal into their keyboards. We tumbled off the train, cheeks ruddy from the fresh the North Sea breezes (fresh from visiting the Seal colony with a litany of pups at Donna Nook, and nibbling fish and chips with the family in Cleethorpes) and went wandering. I’m going to make a big claim here – if you’re travelling through the UK and can only fit in one city visit outside of London, York or perhaps Bath would be excellent choices. Compact enough to really explore, full of ancient buildings and history, and good cake. What more do you even need? The entire trip probably lasted: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - 1 day - more than a week - not enough information - a couple days
a couple days
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — Some people in Seoul on Tuesday said they are happy just to see U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un talking to each other rather than trading threats of war. “I am very happy because it is an epoch breakthrough after 70 years of division,” said Lee Jun-keun, a salesman working for a retail business. Last year the two leaders traded insults, with Trump calling Kim “rocket man,” and the North Korean leader calling the U.S. president a “dotard,” and they both threatened military action as tension rose over the North’s accelerated weapons testing to develop an operational nuclear armed intercontinental ballistic missile capability. But after North Korea successfully test-fired missiles it claimed could carry nuclear warheads capable of reaching the United States, Pyongyang pivoted to diplomacy by suspending further provocations and indicating a willingness to engage in denuclearization talks. Trump surprised allies and adversaries alike by immediately agreeing to meet with Kim, long before the specifics of a nuclear deal could be negotiated. Tuesday’s first meeting between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader produced a broad declaration to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons and develop a peace treaty to end the long standing hostiles between the U.S. and North Korea. Trump called the agreement “very comprehensive,” but it will be left to negotiators to later resolve differences between Washington’s call for complete and verifiable nuclear dismantlement before any sanctions relief is provided, and Pyongyang’s demand that concessions be linked to incremental progress. Some in South Korea remain skeptical that the broad commitment reached at the U.S.-North Korean summit in Singapore will lead to North Korea giving up its nuclear weapons program. “North Korea did not keep its promise in the past, even after signing the agreement. This is what I am disappointed and doubtful about,” said Shim Jae-yeon, a housewife who lives in Seoul. Others... How persuasive does the North Korea leader likely think his claim that he had missiles that could reach the US was, following the summit conclusion? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - probably not believable at all - not enough information - likely very convincing - not too persuasive
likely very convincing
As academic work is becoming arguably more precarious and competitive, shorter contracts are becoming the norm, and the number of people completing PhDs in the UK is increasing, the risks associated with researching academia are high. This post discusses and explores my experiences of being a PhD student researching women’s lived experiences of research evaluation in the UK, and my thoughts on and experiences of interviewing very senior and esteemed academics as a junior researcher. My PhD study explored research evaluation in the form of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) – a weighty force in UK academia – the outcomes of which, I argue, hold the potential to alter the course of an academic career considerably, as well as playing a role in the type of work that some academics do, particularly given the REF impact agenda. There is currently an international trend towards research evaluation with programmes such as the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA), the Performance-Based Research fund in New Zealand (PBRF), and equivalents in countries including Denmark, Switzerland and the Netherlands. What is clear is that there is not enough qualitative, exploratory research into the effects of research evaluation on academic careers, especially for women, and so my PhD study was born. My findings suggest that research evaluation in the UK actively contributes to the continuance of gender inequality regimes in the academy, and that the ability to negotiate managerial control and be politically savvy is increasingly important in the academic world. Before embarking on my PhD, I was acutely aware of the sensitivity of my research, as well as my own positionality with regards to my participants. Reflection is and was an important element in the research process for me, as it allowed me to reflect on the effects of the self on the research process and, ultimately, also on the data, as well as the various power dynamics discernible during interviews for my study. I was continually taken aback by participants’... What does the author likely believe? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - That a PhD is worthless. - That men are the better gender. - not enough information - That women deserve equal treatment.
| That women deserve equal treatment. | 1 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
"They've got cameras everywhere, man. Not just in supermarkets and departments stores, they're also on your cell phones and your computers at home. And they never turn off. You think they do, but they don't. "They're always on, always watching you, sending them a continuous feed of your every move over satellite broadband connection. "They watch you fuck, they watch you shit, they watch when you pick your nose at the stop light or when you chew out the clerk at 7-11 over nothing or when you walk past the lady collecting for the women's shelter and you don't put anything in her jar. "They're even watching us right now," the hobo added and extended a grimy, gnarled digit to the small black orbs mounted at either end of the train car. There were some days when I loved taking public transportation, and other days when I didn't. On a good day, I liked to sit back and watch the show, study the rest of the passengers, read into their little ticks and mannerisms and body language, and try to guess at their back stories, giving them names and identities in my head. It was fun in a voyeuristic kind of way. And luckily, today was a good day. I watched the old Vietnamese woman with the cluster of plastic shopping bags gripped tightly in her hand like a cloud of tiny white bubbles. My eyes traced the deep lines grooving her face, and I wondered about the life that led her to this place. I watched the lonely businessman staring longingly across the aisle at the beautiful Mexican girl in the tight jeans standing with her back to him. He fidgeted with the gold band on his finger, and I couldn't tell if he was using it to remind himself of his commitment or if he was debating whether he should slyly slip it off and talk to her. The businessman fidgeted with the gold band on his finger: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - after staring at the beautiful Mexican girl - before staring at the beautiful Mexican girl - not enough information - while staring at the beautiful Mexican girl
while staring at the beautiful Mexican girl
We live our lives online, so naturally, online dating is becoming our primary source of meeting others. I have been on most dating sites and some are good, some not so much. Tinder remains on the top five dating sites out there, so I’m sharing my personal experience. THE TRUTH ABOUT TINDER Did you like me on Tinder? If you are a man in my geographical area, odds are you did. The first week I joined I received over 400 likes and nothing speaks desperation like that, does it? If I want to hook up and leave, there’s no better place to go. If you’re going to Tinder looking for a real connection, then sorry — you’ve lost your damn mind. Tinder was created with the hit and quit it hookup in mind and trust me no matter what he puts in his profile, that’s what he’s looking for. Crap, that’s what I was looking for let’s be honest. Here are some universal truths about Tinder and most online dating sites. If the picture looks too good to be true, it probably is. People lie. A large majority are going to be married pretending to be single. They have a handful of others on the hook while they’re talking to you. The usual way it goes on Tinder is you like someone’s picture and if they like you back, you’re a match. Then you can message each other and often you will get one or two messages and that’s it unless you come out strong on the sexting and I guarantee you get your man. Tinder is oozing with low attention spans. I can pretty much guarantee he is going to ask for pictures, and not of your face. When can you message each other on Tinder? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - before you like someone and they like you back - after you like someone and they like you back - after you receive over 400 likes
after you like someone and they like you back
Michael Morzeny put his hands into the pockets of his overcoat and hugged the fabric tighter around his body. The winter wind hurried down Columbus Avenue and the hem of his coat flapped around his knees letting little pockets of cold waft up to invade the warmth his body had spent so much time preparing and storing around his torso. With a bitter squeeze of his hands, his knuckles now getting cold, Morzeny bowed his square shoulders to the wind and continued walking. At sixty-seven years old the New York winters bothered Morzeny more than he cared to admit. And, although no doctor would admit it to him, he was positive that the first faint hints of arthritis tweaking through his hands were made worse by the cold. At every cross street the setting sun flashed through to the avenue in shades of crisp pink and red. Morzeny didn't want to be working right now. But these outings were the price he paid for having a hybrid job, owning buildings and brokering as many of his own leases as possible. When he had first come to the city he had been told that he needed a job, not for income, his providers took care of that, but for his own sanity. Something to keep him going. He had asked for something in real estate and had never bothered to wonder what other paths he might have taken. He had always been able to focus to the point of blindness. It helped him in every aspect of his work. He arrived at the brownstone building housing the apartment he was to show tonight. His building was tucked into a short row of buildings that squatted over the street, their steps reaching towards the curb like stunted growths. More to prove to himself that he could do it than anything else, Morzeny took the front steps two at a time. After the story, Morzeny most likely: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Shows the apartment to prospective buyers - not enough information - Quits his job - Goes blind
| Shows the apartment to prospective buyers | 1 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Ques: A few times. Mostly whilst doing this job and trying to help drunk people or assholes. Sadly it's becoming a regular occurrence for crews to be assaulted. My last time was a few days ago and the worst thing about it was watching my crew mate and several police officers curl up laughing. I'll set the scene. Imagine. If you will. A large rather expensive hotel. Then add to that image a rather drunk and buxom young lady who is lying on the floor in a drunken slumber after taking off a lot of her clothes. She was just in her underwear. We were called to look after her. On our arrival she was absolutely fine. Stood up, walked to the stretcher and lay down. Whining about how we were the ' oppressors of society', and other such drivel Because I had the cheek to try and give her a tiny bit of dignity by covering her up with a blanket. She didn't want that. We made it to the ambulance without any hassle and started to do the necessary checks we do on every patient. Blood pressure etc etc when out of the blue she decided that she wanted to release her rather large breasts. Try as I might to give her a little bit of dignity she wasn't interested so we just made sure no one could see inside the ambulance. After a few minutes she calmed down so I put the blanket over her. Something I do for almost every patient. Without warning THWACK. she hit my in the face with her boob. Then. As I reeled from this waiting for my brain to catch up and make sense of everything, THWACK she did it again. Right round the face with a large breast!! I turned around to get some support from my colleagues who were crying. Both my crew mate and the officer. Crying. Neither able to speak……….. I didn't know what to say for a while after that…something my crew mate called 'a blessing' Sigh Why was the blanket spread on her? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - To check her blood pressure - not enough information - To afford her a tiny bit of dignity - To lay her on the stretcher
Ans: To afford her a tiny bit of dignity
Ques: I've had two. Both happened in Newport RI when I was in the US Navy. First, I lived in a cottage that was in an old motel. It had a cottage in front where the landlady lived and there were ten little cottages in a half-moon configuration around it. Ours was a party place and we didn't have a phone. This was in the early 1970's. The landlady was in her 50's I'd guess. The only phone was a pay-phone outside her cottage and it was o party line with her phone. When we used it, she would try to listen, especially if we were talking to a girl. We could tell and sometimes we'd ask he to hang up, but other times we'd talk about sexy stuff and let her listen. We could hear her breathing heavy when we did. When we'd be parting, she'd come to the door wearing sexy clothes that were completely inappropriate and want to be invited in. Though we were a bunch of horny sailors, no one wanted any part of that. We never let her come in. I got married and moved into an apartment that was three rooms in a huge old house. They closed that Navy base and all of the sailors were transferred elsewhere. There were bumper-stickers that said, "Will the last sailor to leave, please turn out the lights." In those days, Newport was a small town that leached off of sailors. My landlord said that when my wife and I were completely out and it was completely clean, he'd refund my deposit. We left the apartment immaculately clean and he wouldn't refund my deposit. That was nearly 50 years ago and it still pisses me off. How long did the author live in the second apartment? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - A few months to a few years - Until he and his wife retired - A couple of days
Ans: A few months to a few years
Ques: Exciting news everyone, BIOeffect has now officially launched in Australia. The BIOeffect EGF serum is creating a huge storm world wide. It was first launched in Iceland last year (as it is made by the Icelandic company Sif Cosmetics) and within 6 months of the release it is estimated that 1 in 5 Icelandic women over the age of 30 have purchased the serum. When it was released in France, the serum sold out in the first week at the famous concept store in Paris, Colette. Now, we can finally get it here in Australia and I believe that it will be launching in the US shortly. The serum is highly scientific, and based on reviews around the world, it really appears to work. I have been using it for a week now and my angry line down the middle of my forehead is already seeming less angry. I will post a review once I have been using it for a month or so. If you want to purchase the serum, it is available from the BIOeffect Australia website or if you are looking for updates or reviews on the product then you can either like their Facebook page or follow them on Twitter. So, who is now busting to try the serum? Well, to celebrate the launch, the wonderful people behind BIOeffect Australia, Melanie and Kym, have agreed to sponsor a giveaway of some amazing BIOeffect products. First prize will be one full sized bottle of the amazing BIOeffect serum. This bottle alone is worth $180.00!! In addition there will be two runners up prizes of a 3ml travel sized bottle of the serum. These are worth $40.00 each! Entering the competition is simple. All you need to do is have a read of my article, The science behind the BIOeffect EGF Serum explained, and make a comment on that article about what excites you the most about the serum. Are you like me and are blown away by the science? Is it the fact that independent clinical trials are proving that the serum works? Or is there something else that has grabbed you? Please tell me. Where did BIOeffect first launch? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - France - not enough information - Iceland - Australia
Ans: | Iceland | 7 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
(Q).
For a month, anything I consumed would result in me rushing to the wash room and throwing up. When this started, I thought it’s something to do with what I had previously eaten which was stale and was having a reaction to bad food. When the problem persisted for a week where I was barely able to keep my food from coming out, I went to visit my doctor. He asked me questions and gave me some vitamins and pills before and after food to stop the vomiting. They didn’t work. Even though I was not sexually active, I got my self a pregnancy test which showed negitive. I tried to eat healthy, but to no avail. 15 mins was the max my food was inside my stomach. I was becoming weak from all the throwing up and rapidly loosing weight. I went to my doctor again and he said I was stressed. Wrote me some more pills. Nothing worked. My Mom got paranoid and took me to another doctor for a second opinion. The doctor asked me to write down everything I ate with the number of times I threw up for the next 2 days and return to his clinic. Only then, were they able to diagnose that I was lactose intolerant!! Milk, milk products, cheese, butter, cream, nothing seems to agree with my stomach anymore. Surprisingly this is what I used to eat - cereals with milk, eggs with butter, pizza, pasta, lasagne, cheese with bread, tall long glasses of iced coffee, frappes and bam, my body would reject them within 15 minutes. It was terrible switching from coffee with milk to black coffee, until I started developing a taste for it. Pizza’s are something I still can’t eat. I need to remove the cheese from the slice and unfortunately my body is able to only take one slice of Pizza. Pasta, white sauce is a strict no no unless I want to feel bloated and throw up. So yep. My doctor was unable to diagnose me. Thankfully I did take a second opinion. The narrator knew about their lactose intolerance Pick the correct answer from the following options: - after seeing a second doctor - after seeing the first doctor - before seeing the first doctor - not enough information
(A).
after seeing a second doctor
(Q).
Was it the things she told me or the situation I was in? I was working with someone who, basically, should never have been hired into the job, and then should not have been kept as long as she was. She was entirely inadequate for the role we performed. I was a new graduate and so lucky to get a job in my field, pretty much right out of university. We worked in a small office of three. The third was a sales rep and out visiting clients most of the time. She was, more or less, my superior, though the company made it clear that she was not someone to emulate… yet gave me no one else to look to for advice or guidance. She would constantly say “this place will leave you to sink or swim” (amongst other phrases, all along these lines). That’s probably the worst saying ever, though I can’t really consider it ridiculous because, frankly, I absolutely see why she would say that (for example, I met my manager once during my interview and then the next time was about four months into being hired… that should tell you the level of support given). But I cannot even explain to you the way this statement biased me against this company and the job I was doing. I was lost and truly believed that I couldn’t do any better (because I was sinking and couldn’t figure out how to swim on my own). Yes, you may have issues in whatever job your in… but to tell a newbie that they have to figure it out on their own… that’s pretty ridiculous. If this is something you hear or think and asking others for help or finding a supportive environment is not an option… try replacing it with “learn to fly on the way down”. At the very least, you won’t have such a negative frame of mind. Who said "this place will leave you to sink or swim"? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - the narrator's superior - the CEO - her assistant - not enough information
(A).
the narrator's superior
(Q).
The southern state of Alabama is the center of the U.S. political universe this week as voters on Tuesday choose a senator to replace Jeff Sessions, who left the Senate to become attorney general. The race pits controversial Republican Roy Moore, who is battling sexual harassment allegations, against Democrat Doug Jones, a former prosecutor. The outcome of the race could have national implications for both political parties and for President Donald Trump. Moore has denied several allegations of sexual misconduct when he was in his 30s involving women who were teenagers at the time, including one who was 14. "I do not know them. I had no encounter with them. I never molested anyone," Moore said in a televised interview Sunday with the Voice of Alabama Politics. Jones says the accusations make Moore unfit to serve in the Senate. "It is crystal clear that these women are telling the truth and Roy Moore is not!" Jones said. Trump recorded a get-out-the-vote phone message for Moore and spoke on his behalf at a rally in neighboring Florida on Friday. "And we want jobs, jobs, jobs. So get out and vote for Roy Moore. Do it. Do it," he said. Trump held off on endorsing Moore for several weeks in the wake of the sexual misconduct allegations, but now says electing Moore is a priority for him. "We certainly don't want to have a liberal Democrat who is controlled by Nancy Pelosi and controlled by Chuck Schumer. We don't want to have that for Alabama," Trump said. In the final days of the campaign, Moore is highlighting his support for the president's agenda. "We are going to see if the people of Alabama will support the president and support his agenda in Washington by electing somebody that is not part of the establishment there," Moore said. Democrat Jones told supporters that Moore's character is the issue. "We know who we are, Alabama, we know who we are. This is an election to tell the world who we are and what we stand for." What state is the center of the U.S Political universe this week? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - Washington - Alabama - Florida
(A).
| Alabama | 8 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Q: The Getty Villa is a museum unlike any in the world. It offers an experience of ancient Greek and Roman art in a setting that replicates that in which it would originally have been displayed, a Roman villa of the first century AD. On April 18, after three years of work, the galleries of the Villa reopen with an entirely new arrangement of the collection, one that situates art in its cultural and historical context. Since 2006, when the Getty Villa opened as a museum dedicated to the cultures of the ancient Mediterranean, the collection has been presented along thematic lines, with galleries dedicated to subjects such as ancient theater, athletes and competition, and gods and goddesses. This approach was useful in illuminating social life in the ancient classical world, but it prioritized objects’ subject matter over their stature as works of art and removed them from their broader artistic and cultural context. Reenvisioning how the antiquities were displayed at the Villa was one of my top priorities when I joined the J. Paul Getty Museum as director in 2012. As a specialist in ancient art, my priority is to help visitors to see these great treasures as beautiful and fascinating works of art, and sparking their curiosity to understand them in the context of their place in human culture. Starting April 18 our Villa galleries offer a new journey through ancient Greek, Roman, and Etruscan art. The visitor’s path begins on the first-floor rooms devoted to Neolithic and Bronze Age (Cycladic, Minoan, and Mycenaean) Greek art. The journey continues through the Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods, when the Greeks developed the first fully naturalistic vision of the human figure. And it culminates in the dramatic skylit halls of ancient Roman sculpture. In all there are 33 spaces on two floors, with 3,000 more square feet of gallery space than before. The visitor’s path winds through the galleries, gardens, and fountains, offering views onto the spectacular landscape and Pacific Ocean. A walk through the gallery will probably last: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - At least 1 hour - 20 minutes - 3 minutes - not enough information
A: At least 1 hour
Q: There was a boy named Chan who loved his parents, though they did not love him back; he was not even given a first name. He had been born in the wrong month, during the wrong phase of the moon, his parents told him, and had brought them nothing but bad luck. The promotion at the factory promised to his father was taken away at the last moment. The garden his mother worked in nearly every day never produced anything more than the most meager of weeds since Chan's birth. It was often sunny in the little Chinese village, but there was an almost constant gloom over their house, as if a rogue cloud were blocking the sun only over their property. And his parents, of course, blamed Chan for everything. He was small for his age, and usually quiet. He liked to listen to people instead of talking, filling himself with stories. He was a good boy and always did as he was told, and could see the good in his parents, even if others couldn't. Every so often, his mother would allow him a sweet, or his father would bring home an origami folding kit. They didn't like to show it to others, but his parents could be kind. Chan was patient and knew they would love him eventually. He was digging one day between the fence and the west side of the house for grubs to feed to his pet chameleon, Rainbow. It was a warm July day not long after his tenth birthday. He often went there because it was cool and damp from the shade of the trees, and the worms seemed to like it there. He never took more than he needed, then he thanked the grubs for sacrificing their lives so that Rainbow could remain living and being his pet. Chan was very kind-hearted when it came to grubs. How long has Chan most likely been alive? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - 65 years - 10 years - 35 years - not enough information
A: 10 years
Q: Eating less food at night time is sensible advice for someone trying to lose weight. The reason often given is that if eat you too much food at night, the body will store all those excess kilojoules as fat because we’re inactive until the next day. The reason sounds plausible, but if it was one hundred percent true then world hunger could be solved by just feeding people one meal at night time. What really matters is how much is eaten over days and weeks for weight gain or weight loss, not so much when it is eaten. There is merit though in advice to eat less at night time as it can help a person to cut back on the total quantity of food eaten. Eating lots of food in the evening can also be a marker for unhealthy dietary habits, especially if much of that extra food is going to fuel couch surfing exploits. So even though advice to eat less at night time seems logical, it hasn’t actually been well tested by science to see how effective it can be for losing weight. Filling this gap, a short-term study involving 29 healthy men looked at how 2 weeks of restricted night time eating fared against 2 weeks of ‘normal’ evening eating. Advice on restricting night eating was very clear: avoid any food or drink containing kilojoules between the hours of 7 pm and 6 am the next morning. No other changes to the participants’ diet or lifestyle was required so each person was free to eat whatever they wished during the day time hours until early evening. Twenty seven of the twenty nine people complied with following this advice for 2 weeks as well as the 2 week control period. Eating at night a waistline hazard So did people eat less when restricting night time eating? Yes, equal to 1000 kilojoules (about 250 Calories) per day less than during their normal eating pattern. This small energy difference was enough to see the men lose 0.4 kg over the 2 week restriction period, and gain 0.6 kg over the 2 week control period. What amount of calories did the participants in the study probably usually eat per day? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - probably they ate about 1200 calories per day - not enough information - probably they ate about 2000 calories per day - probably they ate about 4000 calories per day
| A: not enough information | 2 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Job offer many years ago. I had two, one for staff accountant and the other was as accounting manager for a holistic health clinic. The clinic job paid about 40% more and came with a “manager” title. I believed in myself and all that, but who offers someone just out of school with only 2 years of internship and no specialty in field manager level? That kept bugging me. Something just wasn’t right. Acting on instinct, I took the other job. Good thing! A few months later, I read that the owner of the clinic (an MD) and his two partners (his wife and the CFO) had all been indicted for numerous counts of fraud. They were cheating the state, they were cheating the church they were affiliated with, they were cheating Medicare and private insurance companies. The IRS was after them — it was supposed to be not-for-profit but it turns out they were living large. Not only that, but they hadn’t been sending in w/h tax for non-church member paid employees. Then there was the allegation that they were abusing mentally handicapped workers who were related to church members. The church itself tried to distance themselves, but three elders were also on the clinic’s Board of Directors. It was nasty and the entire management team ended up with at least some jail time. There was no way anyone who had any access to the records (medical or financial) could have claimed innocence. My job would have included filing false budget and financial statements with the Board, IRS and other agencies. I would have also probably known that they were withholding but not remitting tax from employee checks. Fact is, the poor kid who took the job got 2 years, so I found out. Those in on the medical fraud got even worse and the three principals all got 2-digit sentences. The person that took the job he decline probably is: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - In prison - Looking for a new job - Still working at the holistic clinic
In prison
On Christmas Eve Slawek Przekosniak received an SMS with these wishes: Wishing yo good ping super new". He didn't know who sent him that surprisingly enigmatic message. And he doesn't know to this day. A pity, because thanks to that person he reached his current status and number 67 on the list of the wealthiest Poles. Back then, during that beautiful, rusty white Christmas Eve night, Przekosniak, who was rudely kicked out from a social network for utopian fanatics of extreme phobias (www.ilovefobia.pl) just a few days earlier, got an idea. It was a quite good idea too, and the next SMS ("All at cart by unintentionally only honest lamb") convinced him it was the best idea of his life. Slawek Przekosniak, together with a friend from ilovefobia.pl - Czesiek Ciag, decided to set up an on-line service, through which one could send SMS greetings to mobile phones. And the most important feature of the service was that texts of the wishes were not going to be predetermined and there would be no set list of pre-selected options. Messages would be created by a special software program from random words provided by a customer. Such a system would allow for truly unique greetings, and after all, nobody said they had to be comprehensible. Czesiek took care of the development of the software, which for now they named "John of the Disc". Czesiek had suitable experience in the matter. While on the forum for (select as appropriate) phobics he designed an application, which created slogans for street protests. The application, even though it produced phrases completely illogical and nonsensical, became quite popular, and some of its most unique catchphrases you could have seen on TV - "Out With There Harm Out!" or "To Them Bag Away Now Now!" Two future men of success got to work and the SMS greeting portal bestbestbest.pl went live just before Easter. How long the development of the software probably lasted? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Few months - Few weeks - not enough information - Few days
Few months
So many kids, so many stories. Parents die, leaving kids devastated and unable to speak for days. Parents get deported, leaving kids despondent and hopeless. Children endure emotional, sexual, physical abuse. And more. The saddest story I ever heard was from the kid in my AP Lit class who had taken her senior year to accept invitations from education reform groups to speak around the country, which she did, without doing any of her homework. She waited until after grades were turned in at the end of the year to contest the “D” on her report card because it meant not going to UC Berkeley. She brought her mother with her, and her two sisters. After going around and around for a while with me and the principal, her mother said that her divorce had really affected this girl, and she had been fighting so hard all her life to get into Berkeley, and what did I have against her daughter? She deserved to go to Cal! They were all in tears. The principal found a way to change her 64% to a 70.01%, and off she went. This young woman full of potential and energy, learned from her mother and my boss, that excuses rule the day. She appears to think that “social justice” means fighting to get your way because the deck is stacked against you, instead of doing the right thing. This is sad. I know this isn’t what you were after, and that this memory says more about me than it does about her. Many other kids I have counseled, who are getting through something life-changing, seem to understand that life is in session, there will always be challenges to rise above, and that focusing in the classroom is a great way to get one’s mind off one’s troubles, if the environment is supportive and the spirit is willing. The AP lit student contested the "D" on her report card: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - at the end of the year - after grades were turned in - not enough information - during her senior year
| at the end of the year | 0 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Ques:In recent weeks, the investigation into possible collusion between President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and Russia has intensified, raising the prospect that the probe could become an issue in advance of the November midterm congressional elections. Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort made another appearance in federal court in Washington Wednesday, where he pleaded not guilty to the latest round of charges brought by special counsel Robert Mueller. Last week, Rick Gates, Manafort’s former deputy, pleaded guilty to lying to prosecutors and is now cooperating with the investigation. In mid-February, 13 Russians were indicted in connection with election meddling, which deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein described as an effort to “promote discord in the United States and undermine public confidence in democracy. We must not allow them to succeed.” Congressional inquiries also continue. Hope Hicks, the White House communications director and a longtime Trump aide, was the latest figure to testify before a congressional committee on the Russia probe. Hicks declined to answer some questions before a closed session of the House Intelligence Committee, frustrating several Democrats. “This is not executive privilege. This is executive stonewalling,” said ranking committee Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff. But there was more pushback from the White House this week. President Trump fired off a series of tweets dismissing the probe as a “WITCH HUNT.” “They have had this phony cloud over this administration, over our government,” Trump told reporters at the White House last month. “And it has hurt our government, it does hurt our government. It is a Democrat hoax.” Democrats reject that view, including Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee. “I continue to believe that this is the most important thing that I will work on in my whole public career, and getting the whole truth out is extraordinarily important,” he said. Warner’s committee is also investigating possible... Who was indicted for election meddling in mid-February? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - 13 Russians - 10 Italians - not enough information - 12 Spaniards
Ans:13 Russians
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Ques:The U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan dropped more bombs during the first quarter of 2018 than it has in the same period in any of the last 15 years, according to Pentagon data. The increased bombing is the latest evidence the 17-year-old war in Afghanistan is significantly intensifying since U.S. President Donald Trump announced his new military strategy for the country in August. Coalition planes dropped 1,186 weapons on Afghanistan during the first three months of 2018, according to figures released by U.S. Air Forces Central Command. The previous record (1,083) was set during the height of the war in 2011. The U.S. has not released 2001 to 2003 airstrike data. Those figures do not include activity by the Afghan Air Force (AAF), which has stepped up its aerial bombardment since gaining the ability to conduct airstrikes two years ago. The AAF carries out between 4 to 12 airstrikes every day, according to the Afghan Ministry of Defense. If recent trends are any indication, 2018 is likely to get even more violent. Fighting traditionally picks up during the warmer months, and the coalition has expanded its bombing campaign against the Islamic State group, as well as narcotic labs and other Taliban revenue sources. But there is little indication the expanded airstrikes are helping end the conflict, says Thomas Johnson, an Afghanistan specialist who teaches national security affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. "It's basically a tactic of desperation," said Johnson, author of Taliban Narratives: The Use of Power and Stories in the Afghanistan Conflict. "There's never been an insurgency in history that's been defeated purely through air power." Even high-level U.S. military officials concede the conflict remains a stalemate. According to the latest U.S. military estimate, the Afghan government controls 56 percent of Afghanistan's districts, with insurgents controlling or contesting the rest. Insurgent attacks also have continued. Nearly 60 people died Sunday when an Islamic State... What is the AAF responsible for? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - the country's commercial aircraft - not enough information - daily airstrikes - aerial strategy and tactics
Ans:daily airstrikes
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Ques:The air exploded in a flash of bone and steel and blood. The clash of metal rang through the forest. An arrow pierced through the darkness, its barbed head tearing through flesh and muscle. A roar echoed off of the mountains far to the west. A cry broke through soon after. Then silence. Char stood over a pile of black fur and red blood. He held a curved sword, jagged half way down the wide blade and hilted in bone. He held a large thick bow in the other. Lorfel and Ranur stood behind him, panting. Lorfel, a short man of twenty six held a large axe in both hands and still prepared to swing it hard. Ranur, the largest of the three held a pike in one hand, its tip hanging low towards the ground. He buried his other hand in his gray tunic. "Did it get either of you?" Char's voice rasped low in the silence of the night. "No" Lorfel said. He planted his axe head on the ground with a thud and leaned on the tall handle. There was a pause. Char turned towards Ranur. "Are you hurt?" "Mm...My hand." Ranur took his hand out of his tunic. Moonlight gleamed red off of the ragged wound. Char thought he saw a glimmer of bone. "Did he claw you or bite you?" Char's voice held an urgency that set both Lorfel and Ranur on edge. Ranur paused and then spoke low. "He bit me." Char picked Lorfel and Ranur as his hunting partners for their speed and sharpness in battle. They had hunted beasts of the deep woods all of their lives. They hunted the beasts that hunted men. They all knew the risks of battling such creatures. The old man dropped his curved sword, drew his bow, and fired. The arrow hammered into Ranur's chest, burying itself in his heart. Lorfel saw the gleaming arrow head sticking almost a foot out of his companion's back. Ranur fell face first to the ground. Who probably killed the beast? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Char - not enough information - Lorfel - Ranur
Ans: | Ranur
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Ques: Yes I had. In a domestic violence case (in which I was the accused, but by God I was innocent) with my ex girlfriend, the lawyer whom I hired and paid his dues, openly played a wheeling and dealing game for two and a half years with the prosecutor and had mercilessly thrown me in front of the prosecutor. My ex girlfriend was sexually abused by her own uncles at the age of 5 to 9, had a lot of illusions and psychological problems, along with Bi-Polar Disorder, however, dispite my requests, she never had ever visited a psychologist or psychiatrist in her then 24 years of lifetime, fearing she would be forced to unveil the uncles’ child sexual abuse act and this would cause her dismissal from her immediate family. Although I mentioned this to my “so called” lawyer, he refused to mention her unstable psychological condition in the court. I believe by doing so, he also committed a crime by preventing a child sexual abuse case go unveiled. After all these and after having me pushed into loosing my otherwise strong case, I was sentenced with restriction order to my own home, loosing all I had paid for it, loosing my stuff inside home, aforced probation and a forced domestic violence course for no good reason, my so called bloody lawyer also sent to the court a paper indicating that I owed to him and never had paid his dues. Disgusting wheeling and dealing quite often happen between such disgusting lawyers and greedy, heartless prosecutors; unfortunately! My psychologist friend at the time said, “If you are in Illinois, in Champaign County and you have a penis, you are already accepted as guilty by birth to start with dude”. They say “Sharks wouldn't attack and eat Lawyers after a ship sunk”. Why? It's professional courtesy! When Was the restriction order given? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - After the plea - Before the plea - not enough information - After the plea
Ans: After the plea
Ques: We had a light bulb that stopped working and when a new bulb was placed it wouldn’t light up. We eventually had a technician from John Moore come out to fix this problem. He was nice enough and took the time to explain to me why it had stopped working and how he would fix this. After about 30 minutes he had completed this and then offered as a free service to inspect the electrical parts of the house. He went out back to the fuse box to look and then after inspection offered to show me what he had found. It was mid to late afternoon in the back yard and that’s when the sun is aiming straight to my back yard. I should mention we live in Texas. He went over ever single fuse and wire that we had and explained about the piping and all the other things that go with it and that what we have isn’t what is recommended anymore. Our house was about 9 years old at the time. We were back there for more than 90 minutes. I started getting very restless because I wanted to work on dinner, the sun was blazing hot and I needed to do many other things. It was coming up on 5 o’clock. He then went to his truck to write up an estimate. After 20 minutes or so he comes back and tells me it will be about $10,000 to fix our fuse box system. So what started out for changing a light bulb was going to end up costing 10K. We did later get it looked at by someone else that is qualified in this field,m who was there working on some other project and he said there was nothing wrong with what we had. What part of the country did the author live in? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - In the Northwest - In the South - not enough information - In the Northeast
Ans: In the South
Ques: Weight gain is a complex issue. But there is little doubt that the current food environment in Western countries – heavy in highly processed salty, sugary, and fatty food – has a big role to play. Most of the salt eaten in our diet has been added to food in the manufacturing process. This is in contrast to the small amount of salt naturally present in most foods or what is added at the table or at home in cooking. Salt can be a desirable taste, increasing the palatability of foods in addition to helping preserve it; that’s why it is commonly added in processed foods. Combining salt and fat together is thought to be a potent combination in helping to promote passive over-consumption foods. Just think of how moreish salty chips can be. Having a greater liking for salty and fatty foods is associated with eating more kilojoules overall, uncontrolled eating, and overweight in children. This link between overconsumption of food and its degree of saltiness is considered stronger than having a liking for sweet and fatty foods. Teasing out further how salt may influence the over-consumption of fatty foods, sensory researchers from Deakin University recruited 48 healthy adults to take part in a tasting panel. Over four lunchtime sessions (following on from a standardised breakfast that morning), each person ate a meal of macaroni and cheese where the fat and salt content had been manipulated. The four meal combinations were low-fat/low-salt, low-fat/high-salt, high-fat/low-salt and high-fat/high-salt. Participants were encouraged to eat as much as they wished until feeling full. Eating rate, meal agreeability, and subjective ratings of hunger and fullness were also taken. Salt promotes over-eating Eleven percent more kilojoules were consumed when the meals eaten were high in salt. And this was irrespective of if the fat content was high or low. The fat content of the meal didn’t result in people eating more food by weight, but because of its greater energy density, that meant more kilojoules were eaten. Who was tested during a food preference study at Deakin University? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - A group of 48 healthy adults. - not enough information - A group of prospective students touring the campus at lunch time. - A sampling of people whose favorite meal was lunch.
Ans: A group of 48 healthy adults.
Ques: Bryan C. Keene and Alexandra Kaczenski of the Getty Museum’s Manuscripts Department have spent the last few years preparing for an exhibition and publication titled Sacred Landscapes: Nature in Renaissance Manuscripts that aims to examine representations of “green spaces” such as gardens, vistas, and their relation to the divine. In particular, Bryan and Alexandra focus on the ways in which artists during the European Middle Ages and Renaissance embedded the pages of illuminated manuscripts with depictions of the natural world so that nature could guide prayer, chant, and meditation. For Bryan, this project represents a continuation of his interest in sacred gardens that began with his graduate work on the garden imagery that influenced Botticelli’s Agony in the Garden painting. In 2013 he curated the exhibition and authored the accompanying book Gardens of the Renaissance. For Alexandra, interest in this subject stems from her scholarly focus on Flemish manuscripts and their relation to Flemish landscape paintings. She brought to the project a complementary interest in issues of environmental and landscape destruction, which also were themes of the exhibition and publication. Though floral and nature studies of the Renaissance and Early Modern periods have been extensively investigated—the scientific notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, for example, are well documented—this exhibition turns its focus on landscape and the divine. Curatorial research has shed new light on subjects such as the seemingly “scattered” floral arrangements represented within the pages of these books and their relationship to humoral theory and religion. Bryan adds, “The tension that we find in these borders is, on the one hand, intricately rendered leaf and petal structures of plants or flowers, and on the other, hidden whimsical elements, all of which combine to create a rich tapestry of meaning, both symbolic and scientific. Alex and I will continue to explore the potential meaning within this botanical and arboreal chaos.” Sacred... How does Bryan probably feel about working with Alexandra? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - He's inspired by her passion and interest in landscape destruction - not enough information - He is impressed by her authoring the book Gardens of the Renaissance - He complements her work with Giovanni Bellini
Ans: | He's inspired by her passion and interest in landscape destruction | 7 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Ques: White House officials on Wednesday laid out plans to send National Guard troops to the United States’ southern border with Mexico, as part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to confront what he says is a growing problem with illegal immigrants. The decision to deploy the U.S. military to the border represents a major new aspect of Trump’s wide-ranging immigration crackdown. But major parts of the move are unclear, including how many troops will be sent, when they will deploy, or what exactly they will do. “It will take time to have the details in place, but we are beginning today and are moving quickly,” said Kirstjen Nielsen, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. “We are anxious to have this support.” In the U.S., the active duty military is generally restricted from domestic law enforcement functions, which would include apprehending border crossers. However, U.S. presidents have deployed the National Guard to the border to act in support roles. Nielsen said the National Guard troops will help with border surveillance and other “support functions.” She declined to say how large the force would be, but she did say it would include “as many (troops) as is needed to fill the gaps today.” A senior Trump administration official declined to say whether the National Guard troops will be armed, saying those details are still being worked out. But the official said the force would be effective. “Suffice it to say, for individuals looking to pay a smuggler to get in the United States right now, that would be a very unwise investment,” the official said. Trump signed a proclamation authorizing the move Wednesday evening. But states must also approve the decision before deploying their guard members. Trump repeatedly has threatened to deploy the military to help secure the border, especially as a caravan of Central American migrants makes it way north through Mexico, with some headed for the U.S. After the end of the story how will illegal immigration change? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - It probably will decrease illegal immigration - it probably won't change anything - it probably will increase illegal immigration - not enough information
Ans: It probably will decrease illegal immigration
Ques: Greg said goodbye to his last student at 8:15 PM, locked up the studio, and got into his car. He always looked forward to his evening rendezvous with Bonnie--his nickname for the Bonneville. He liked to put her top down, and drive her around town in the moonlight. Their route varied from night to night, but the ultimate destination was never in question. "May I help you?" The worn-out speaker was crackly, but he still recognized the particularly twangy East Texas voice of Fontana Fry. Over his six years of vocal training, he had become acutely aware of accents. This is true of all classically trained singers. Great emphasis is placed on precise pronunciation and enunciation. It is mandatory that the singer's repertoire include works written in English, Latin, Italian, German, and French. So, by the time Greg finished his graduate degree, his accent had been all but eliminated. He sounded somewhat like a network news anchor instead of an East Texan. "I would like a large--" "--a large dipped cone, the usual. Right?" The Dairy Queen drive-thru ordering station was located out in front of the restaurant, on the right side. He looked up, and saw the 19 year-old waving at him. She looked so cute in her little Dairy Queen outfit. Fontana was in her first year at Kilgore College. She planned to be an elementary teacher. He knew she would be a good one. Greg had met Fontana a few months earlier when she brought her 13-year-old brother to the studio to enroll for guitar lessons. The boy was holding a U.S. made, 1968 Harmony acoustic guitar his uncle gave him. The body and the frets were badly worn, but the instrument still played beautifully. It looked somewhat like a large violin, with arched top and f-holes. That shape produces a more mellow sound than flattops. And the guitar's age contributed additional warmth to the tone. What does Greg like about Fontana? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Her accent - not enough information - Her outfit - Her brother
Ans: Her outfit
Ques: Called the PURE (Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology) study, this was a very large observational study looking at the link between fat and carbohydrate consumption and longevity in 18 countries across 5 continents. Running for 7 years and involving over 135,000 people, this was a very big study so its conclusions are right to take notice of. The key finding from the work that attracted the most media attention was that a high carbohydrate diet was linked with a higher risk of earlier mortality, whereas total fat and individual types of fat were related to a lower risk of earlier mortality. Digging deeper into the study, the research team found that global diets consisted of 61 percent energy coming from carbohydrates and 24 percent energy from fats. And while those in the highest carbohydrate consumption group (a whopping 77 percent of energy) had a higher risk of earlier death, it wasn’t cardiovascular disease they were dying from. What those other causes of death were exactly is unclear. Perhaps getting hit by a car running for a Mars Bar was one of them as a recent commenter on my Facebook page theorised. A paradigm shift? Not quite Does this study turn on its head ‘everything we knew about nutrition?’ Not quite. And here’s why. Before the PURE study, there were many studies showing the opposite link between carbohydrates and longevity. So, when a conflicting study comes along, this grabs the media spotlight for the day. Here is just one example – a major systematic review and meta-analysis from 2013 involving 17 individual studies and over 242,000 people showing a higher risk of earlier mortality as carbohydrate intake decreased. And this is the problem at times with observational research in that two studies can give polar opposite results so the findings of the PURE study should be seen through this filter. I’m not going to pick apart the PURE study for its flaws. Such issues are consistent across all observational studies no matter if the conclusions support consensus views or not. What is of value to... Who found that global diets consisted of 61 percent energy coming from carbohydrates and 24 percent energy from fats? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - researchers in the PAD study - not enough information - researchers in the POP study - researchers in the PURE (Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology) study
Ans: | researchers in the PURE (Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology) study | 7 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Ques:Today, many academics feel stuck between a rock and a hard place. They’re under huge pressure to write and publish but an ever-growing mountain of teaching and admin is stopping them doing just that. Our research finds that whilst nobody is immune to these pressures, some academics cope better than others – and that’s because over the years, they’ve developed personal “systems” to help them write. We recently carried out in-depth interviews with 23 scholars across the UK, Europe and the US. We deliberately chose a diverse group so as to not make any assumptions based on age, seniority, or research background. Academic experience ranged from six months to 27 years and subject fields ranged from social sciences, economics, business, and arts. We did this as part of our user research to inform the development of Prolifiko – a digital coaching tool for writers. Whilst every academic had developed a writing productivity system personal to them, we found there were six common “habits” that the most prolific (and generally least stressed) academics tended to use. 1. They “time-block” their writing in advance Scheduling – booking in time to write in advance – was the single most common habit of our writers. It didn’t appear to matter what type of time-blocking method a scholar chose to use or how lengthy a writing session was. Some blocked out long periods of time on sabbatical, whilst others preferred to block out short, regular times throughout the day or across a week. What seemed to matter far more was the act of planning, as this mentally prepared the individual for writing – and so made the process easier and less stressful. “When I need to write I block out time. I’m lucky in that I can work from home – I block out a couple of straight days to do the writing and I plan it in beforehand. I couldn’t really write in any other way than blocking out that time.” The researchers believe that academics that schedule are: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Wasting time that could be spent writing - not enough information - Not as effective as those who don't schedule - More successful
Ans:More successful
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Ques:My Pa disappeared somewhere in the wilds of 1975, when I was just fourteen years old. He was the Ambassador to 1975, but back home in 1898, in New Jerusalem, Utah, they all thought he was Ambassador to France. When he disappeared, Mama and I came back through the triple-bolted door that led from our apt in 1975 to our horsebarn in 1898. We returned to the dusty streets of New Jerusalem, and I had to keep on reminding myself that I was supposed to have been in France, and 'polly-voo' for my chums, and tell whoppers about the Eiffel Tower and the fancy bread and the snails and frogs we'd eaten. I was born in New Jerusalem, and raised there till I was ten. Then, one summer's day, my Pa sat me on his knee and told me we'd be going away for a while, that he had a new job. 'But what about the store?' I said, scandalised. My Pa's wonderful store, the only General Store in town not run by the Saints, was my second home. I'd spent my whole life crawling and then walking on the dusty wooden floors, checking stock and unpacking crates with waybills from exotic places like Salt Lake City and even San Francisco. Pa looked uncomfortable. 'Mr Johnstone is buying it.' My mouth dropped. James H Johnstone was as dandified a city-slicker as you'd ever hope to meet. He'd blown into town on the weekly Zephyr Speedball, and skinny Tommy Benson had hauled his three huge steamer trunks to the cowboy hotel. He'd tipped Tommy two dollars, in Wells-Fargo notes, and later, in the empty lot behind the smithy, all the kids in New Jerusalem had gathered 'round Tommy to goggle at the small fortune in queer, never-seen bills. 'Pa, no!' I said, without thinking. I knew that if my chums ordered their fathers around like that, they'd get a whipping, but my Pa almost never whipped me. after the end of this story, the narrator is: Pick the correct answer from the following options: - sick - not enough information - upset - happy
Ans:upset
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Ques:My old roommate’s cats, Clise and Monkey, were about as different as cats could be. Clise, rescued as an emaciated kitten from a local park, grew up to be morbidly obese. His interests mainly involved eating food, begging for food, or going around the neighborhood scrounging for food. He could hear a can opener from a mile away. Monkey was a more active cat. He liked to chase the laser pointer and was the first to run to the door when someone arrived. But he could also be lazy, lounging in a sunbeam or stretched out on the couch. Both of them liked to watch TV. Soon after I moved in, I started having health issues which necessitated a lot of time lounging around myself. This was the era of reality TV, back when much of it was actually good. The cats, Monkey especially, watched with me. Monkey definitely had his preferences. His favorite shows were The Girls Next Door and Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making The Team. Notice a theme here? Playboy Playmates and professional cheerleaders. Monkey liked his T & A (tits and ass). If one of these shows was on, and I turned it to Project Runway or something, Monkey would march off. But as soon as I turned it back, and he could hear the high-pitched giggling, he’d come running back. Clise’s favorite shows were Top Chef, Iron Chef, and Rachael Ray. Food porn. If there was something he especially craved, like a shrimp stir-fry, he’d assume a begging pose, right in front of the TV, as if Rachael might take pity on him and throw him a scrap or two. I moved out about a year later. A few months previous, Monkey ended up catching some wasting disease and dying, but Clise, as far as I know, is still there, begging for scraps from anyone he can — in real life or televised. When exactly did John start to experience health issues? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Three months before moving in - Soon after moving in - not enough information - Before moving in
Ans: | Soon after moving in
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(Q).
If you’ve ever seen travel photos of Venice or been to Venice yourself, you’re probably familiar with the Rialto Bridge. The Ponte di Rialto is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Venice and one of the most iconic landmarks of the Italian city. Even in 1594, when the bridge was only recently completed, a British traveler called it the “eighth wonder of the world.” The version of the bridge that most people know was built between 1588 and 1591, but there’s been a bridge in this location since around 1180. The Rialto Bridge was the first bridge to cross the Grand Canal, and until the 1800s it remained the only bridge across Venice’s major waterway. The Rialto district was the main commercial hub of Venice and people increasingly needed access to buy and sell goods. The first bridge built at this site was a pontoon bridge that was eventually replaced by a wooden bridge in 1264. This wooden bridge was destroyed and rebuilt several times: it burned down during an unsuccessful coup in 1310, and in 1444 collapsed under the weight of a crowd watching a boat parade during a wedding. Its last collapse came in 1524, and by then Venice decided it was time to build a more permanent and durable bridge. Beginning in 1525, many architects submitted designs for the Rialto Bridge, but none of them was unanimously selected for the commission. The elected council overseeing the bridge’s construction deliberated and consulted several local builders to figure out how they could erect a stone bridge across the wide Grand Canal. They had a few limitations to consider: the sloped shores on either side, the need for boats to be able to pass underneath, and the practicality of having shops atop the bridge. Andrea Palladio’s design for the Rialto Bridge, published in his architectural treatise, Quattro libri, in 1570, featured three arches that would have prevented larger boats from passing under the bridge. Although his design utilized an appealing classical aesthetic, it was rejected in favor of Antonio Da Ponte’s. Who is Antonio Da Ponte? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Andrea Palladio’s colleague and competitor - not enough information - The father of Rialto district - A professional and a businessman
(A).
not enough information
(Q).
President Donald Trump is counting on congressional Republicans to enact a package of tax cuts in the coming weeks, in the process delivering his first major legislative achievement since taking office in January. But even as Trump and his Republican allies close in on the goal of passing tax reform, the Russia investigation continues to be a major distraction. The recent plea deal between Trump’s former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, and the office of special counsel Robert Mueller sent shockwaves around Washington and at the very least seemed to indicate the Russia probe is a long way from being completed. Trump is banking on a tax cut victory to shore up his political base and show supporters and detractors alike that he is a man of his word when it comes to delivering on his campaign promises. House and Senate negotiators are now working to resolve differences in the two versions with hopes of final votes in the coming weeks. But even if the tax plan is enacted into law, its impact is not likely to be felt for at least a year. And polls show the plan has less than majority support. Trump insists the tax cuts will lead to economic growth and more jobs. “I will tell you this is in a nonbraggadocio way,” Trump told supporters in Missouri recently. “There has never been a 10-month president that has accomplished what we have accomplished. That I can tell you.” Democrats oppose the tax plan but lack the votes to stop it. “It rewards the rich in terms of individuals and corporations at the expense of tens of millions of working middle class families in our country,” warned House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi. Despite his poor standing in national polls, just less than 40 percent approval in most surveys, Trump’s base is largely sticking with him. The latest American Values Survey by the Public Religion Research Institute found that 84 percent of Republicans continue to back the president. What do Trump's base probably feel about the Russia investigation? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - That it's a distraction from his successes - That they wish they hadn't voted for him, because of it. - not enough information - That Russia is directly attempting to ruin his presidency.
(A).
That it's a distraction from his successes
(Q).
Let’s rewind to January 2013 for a moment. It’s a sunny and warm day in Los Angeles—a bit of a weather shock to me after 11 years of Seattle’s cold and rain. I’ve been officially on the job in the web department for all of 12 hours. I’m sitting in a conference room at a big wooden table, surrounded by my new coworkers and team members in the Getty’s web group. A big monitor is displaying the prototype of the newly designed and almost-built Getty Iris. We’re discussing The Iris logo you see at the top of this page, its multiple iterations, and, quite frankly, the pain involved in trying to get it to look right. Wait-wait-wait, let’s pause for a moment. My name is Will Lanni. I’m a Web production specialist at the Getty, which is a complex way of saying I’m a developer and designer, which is a nice way of saying that I’m basically a “web monkey.” Before I started at the Getty, I worked as a partner in a small web design and development firm for several years. I had some experience working for the Getty—I built the Pacific Standard Time at the Getty site, the Pacific Standard Time Festival site, as well as the interactive Getty Impact map. And, at the time of my hiring, I was not only working on the new design and build of The Iris, due to go live in only a month, but also the soon-to-be-launched website for Pacific Standard Time Presents: Modern Architecture in L.A. So I wasn’t exactly new to projects at the Getty, even though I was a brand-spanking-new full-time employee. OK. Now that you know who I am, let’s get back to that moment. The Iris logo, and the hair-pulling it was causing for all of us—which is a pretty good representation of the steps that Web projects go through as we move from idea, to execution, to setback, to solution. Why was Will Lanni called a "web monkey?" Pick the correct answer from the following options: - he was a web developer - he was a spider zoologist - not enough information - he was a spider scientist
(A).
| he was a web developer | 8 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Ques: Surely the best thing about colomba, the Easter equivalent to panettone, is the sugared, toasted almond topping that covers the whole thing and crumbles when you cut it, so you sort of have no choice but just to pick up the crusty sugary bits and eat those on their own. I’d always thought that colomba would make a very good baking project but was somewhat intimated by getting the right shape — it’s vaguely in the shape of a dove, if you use your imagination — and texture — wonderfully soft, fluffy, sweet yeasted bread. I had attempted making panettone (this fig, walnut and date panettone) a few years ago with fair results — absolutely delicious results, actually, they were just not as fluffy and bouncy as expertly made ones from your favourite pastry shop where panettoni are hung upside-down to maintain their height and airiness. But when I came across the familiar brown and gold paper forms for making colomba at the supermarket, I thought I’m only ever going to get a chance to make this now! Like the panettone, I referred to my favourite baking book for Italian specialties, Carol Field’s The Italian Baker. Field recounts a bit of history behind the colomba, which I’m sure is little known to anyone these days. Colomba is a fixture at Easter tables all around Italy (and is often given as presents), even though it comes from the north of Italy, Pavia. It is one of those traditions that are now a given, where a slice of colomba, perhaps eaten with pieces of a cracked chocolate Easter egg and an espresso or a glass of dessert wine, is a welcome end to the meal (or indeed breakfast the next day). But the legend behind it is a medieval one and rather disturbing — maybe it was made up to encourage young girls to learn how to bake their own colomba (and make sure it was good) to get themselves out of sticky, undesirable situations. What does the author think about the baking book Carol Field's The Italian Baker? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - it is her favorite - not enough information - she is indifferent to the book - it is her least favorite
Ans: it is her favorite
Ques: Last week we talked about healthy eating on a budget. Today I want to take it a step further and focus on how to start clean eating on a budget. It is very similar with just a couple of extra steps. Clean eating focuses on fresh ingredients, no processed foods, and eating good foods as close to nature as possible such as: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, cage-free eggs, grass-fed beef and grain-fed poultry, and raw milk (if possible) to your diet. Some of these may seem like a burden when you are on a small food budget, but with the tips below, you can eat clean and stay within your budget. I am sure you will recognize some from the previous post; but read through there is extra information that applies specifically to clean eating. A major component of clean eating is buying fresh produce rather than canned fruits and vegetables. Frozen produce is OK; but, if in-season fruit is available, it is always better to choose that. Buy in bulk, and freeze it yourself. Use Google to help you search for seasonal produce in your area. When you can buy it from a Farmer’s Market, or even directly from the farmers, it will be less expensive. My next choice is SPOUTS Farmer’s Marker, if there is one near you. Those sources will probably be the least expensive. For example: you may be able to buy strawberries, peaches, and nectarines very inexpensively in the summer and find that squash is a better buy in the fall. Always buy extra when the price is right and freeze the leftovers. When you first start reading about clean eating, you may find “experts” expounding the importance of certain superfoods that you should start eating. The reality is – they are nutritious and excellent additions to your diet; but, you don’t have to eat them just start a clean eating. If you cannot afford to add chia seeds of flax seeds to every smoothie or eat a pomegranate each morning, don’t worry about it. Buy the clean foods you can afford and eat those – you will be doing just fine. After the story, what budget does the narrator probably have? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - A reasonable budget - They have no budget - not enough information - A small budget
Ans: A reasonable budget
Ques: Sondra Crench kicked a roach out of her way as she walked into her tiny apartment and sat down at her old laptop. It was after midnight. So, she figured her new friend, Jason, was already dead. And so were her hopes of landing a secretarial job in time to keep her apartment. Rent was due on Tuesday, and she had just enough money to pay it. But then she'd have no money for food or gas or anything else. Maybe it was time to go home for a while. Surely she could put up with her mother for a few weeks while looking for work. She opened her Favorites list and clicked on the link for The Orange Leader. Sondra had not been back to her home town in a long time, but she liked to keep up with what was going on there. Occasionally, she'd see one of her old classmates in a wedding announcement. Those people led real lives, and held real jobs. As a working musician, she lived in a completely different world. She had more in common with actresses than a secretaries. She checked the Classifieds. Nurses wanted. Nope. Part-time receptionist. Not enough pay. Then she saw a full-page ad announcing the upcoming Grand Opening of Billy-Eye's Arcade and Dance Barn. Open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, 6:00 PM to Midnight. For ages 12-20. Free soft drinks and popcorn. Live band. Five bucks to get in. Only twenty-five cents for arcade games. Sounded pretty cool for kids. She wished there had been such a place when she was growing up there. But what really caught her eye was the note about auditions for a house band. It would play two hours a night, and earn $2,000 per week. Divided by four band members... Sondra could actually live on that! Not very well--but she could get by. And besides, her band could do other gigs during the week to supplement it. Who had more in common with actresses than secretaries? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Billy-Eye - Sondra - Sondra's mother - not enough information
Ans: | Sondra | 7 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Q: That fall came and I went back to Michigan and the school year went by and summer came and I never really thought about it. I'm not even sure if I was officially asked, I just wound up heading back to New Jersey when school was out. I think my parents thought it was a good enough deal. They were already having some problems and without Nonna there anymore to take care of me I think my cousin's house on the coast seemed like as good a spot as any to stick me for the summer. It certainly wasn't because of any great love between me and my cousin. We weren't really very good friends at that point. I think she saw me as sort of foisted off on her and getting in the way of her summers. Which was a fair enough judgment. But she could have been nicer. It's pretty amazing that she wound up as my Maid of Honor. Time does strange things. Your lovable jack-ass of a father would mention something about magic in here. You know if you took a group of fifty strangers, had them chat with your father for half an hour then with me for half an hour, then told them that one of us was an English Professor and one of us was head of distribution in the northeast for a large soft drink manufacturing concern, I'm pretty sure all fifty would peg your father as the English Professor and me as the head of distribution. He's honestly so good at what he does that I can almost allow him to claim it's magic except that it'd be nice if he took credit for some of the things he's done with his life. Of course he has this idea that he deserves credit for all sorts of things that he had no control over. Like our first kiss. During what time of the year was this character sent to their cousins house? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - winter - fall - summer
A: winter
Q: I have been a teacher for many years and so many of my students have done nice things for me…..they are just nice people. I retired last year and was a substitute teacher this last school year. In June a teacher I had just subbed for a half day needed emergency surgery and I was asked to go in and finish her year. Good thing it was in an area I knew…English and Social at the grade 9 level. The kids were pretty good…some were a handful but most of them were very accommodating. They were also writing important provincial exams at the end of the year and were getting stressed out about it. As I was getting them ready to write their exam, I took a few moments to thank them for welcoming me into their classroom and making my job…while not easy….at least a rewarding experience. One boy who seemed to complain about everything….thanked me for taking ownership and preparing them for final exams. I had recognized that his argumentative nature was his way of dealing with stress and tried not to let it affect my teaching. That mostly worked. There was a time when I told him, quite loudly, that if he had spent his time getting ready to do assignments instead of arguing…he could have been finished days ago. He just nodded his head and got to work. It was a nice gesture that he was able to thank me for doing my job….that he recognized that some things were out of his control and to just get on with it. A life lesson that I am still learning, by the way. Every day lately, I have had something nice happen to me with my students. I am feeling blessed. How old was the student? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - The student was twelve years old. - The student was thirteen years old. - The student was a teenager.
A: not enough information
Q: When people are huddled at a conference or professional event, the subject often turns to the value of failure and embracing feedback. “It is the key to self improvement!”, many chant, channeling their inner self-help gurus, Sadly, many don’t quite practice what they preach. Seeing the value in critical feedback and the lessons that failure can offer is a tough pill to swallow. For those confident in their capabilities, their social standing (in their companies/communities etc), and their abilities, the pill goes down a little easier. For those who experience imposter syndrome, feel insecure about their work, or are new in their careers, it is more difficult. Here’s the thing: these are not binary personalities. While some people are overly confident about themselves, and some people are overly insecure about themselves, most people have a blend of both. As such, even the most confident people can feel the sting when they get critical feedback or screw something up. This is a guide with some things I have learned over the years about how to turn feedback and failure to your advantage. In my not-so-humble opinion, the perfect blend of a human being is confidence in their ability to execute and accomplish their goals, but with a healthy dose of awareness of their current limitations. Let’s face it, overly confident people are often not just at risk of being swallowed up by ego, but can also lack the empathy to understand other folks they need to work with who don’t share the same confidence. An understanding of our current limitations is healthy. When we understand we are not great at something, but we are eager to learn and improve, it opens us up to counsel and tuition. The confidence piece plays an important role in helping us to remember: “I might suck now, but I am going to learn and get better”. When we have this in our heads it makes the journey more palatable: we know that our failure to succeed right now is temporary and it will improve. what did the writer think? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - people need feedback - people need to listen - people need to learn - not enough information
A: people need feedback
Q: Yes I had. In a domestic violence case (in which I was the accused, but by God I was innocent) with my ex girlfriend, the lawyer whom I hired and paid his dues, openly played a wheeling and dealing game for two and a half years with the prosecutor and had mercilessly thrown me in front of the prosecutor. My ex girlfriend was sexually abused by her own uncles at the age of 5 to 9, had a lot of illusions and psychological problems, along with Bi-Polar Disorder, however, dispite my requests, she never had ever visited a psychologist or psychiatrist in her then 24 years of lifetime, fearing she would be forced to unveil the uncles’ child sexual abuse act and this would cause her dismissal from her immediate family. Although I mentioned this to my “so called” lawyer, he refused to mention her unstable psychological condition in the court. I believe by doing so, he also committed a crime by preventing a child sexual abuse case go unveiled. After all these and after having me pushed into loosing my otherwise strong case, I was sentenced with restriction order to my own home, loosing all I had paid for it, loosing my stuff inside home, aforced probation and a forced domestic violence course for no good reason, my so called bloody lawyer also sent to the court a paper indicating that I owed to him and never had paid his dues. Disgusting wheeling and dealing quite often happen between such disgusting lawyers and greedy, heartless prosecutors; unfortunately! My psychologist friend at the time said, “If you are in Illinois, in Champaign County and you have a penis, you are already accepted as guilty by birth to start with dude”. They say “Sharks wouldn't attack and eat Lawyers after a ship sunk”. Why? It's professional courtesy! He believes that his lawyer Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - Did a terrible job - Did a good job - Did a terrible job
| A: Did a terrible job | 2 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
*Question*
Ok, this one is not missing a class but much better story IMO. When I was in middle school, if you didn’t have homework completed or goofed off in some way, teachers could make you stay after school for ‘after school help.’ It was essentially a mandatory study hall and if a teacher called you out, you had no choice in the matter. Now, I was in Biology class towards end of my middle school career and was sitting at one of those lab tables next to another student. We both had newspaper routes (yes, people actually delivered actual newspapers to people’s homes in the 1980s), so it would make us late for our deliveries if we were made to stay after school. This biology teacher would check our vocabulary assignment every week and I totally spaced it this week - Oh Crap! Now, my lab mate had most of his done, but just didn’t quite finish. Our teacher is working his way around the classroom checking assignments. So, he checks my lab partner, “well Scott, looks like you will be staying after school today.” This fellow student knew I didn’t have mine either, but also knew I was a pretty good student. I feel like I am sweating bullets and trembling as the teacher approaches me. In a near panic, I reach into my folder and pull out a prior week’s assignment. He looks it over and says “OK, good job” or something like that. Scott is looking at me in utter disbelief. Even funnier was the fact that this week’s assignment required 6–7 pages of paper to complete. The one I had blindly grabbed from folder had 2 pages, with barely anything in second page. It was totally obvious what I had done, but our teacher gave me a break that day. I managed to make it thru all three years without needing any ‘after school help!’ This was a large public school and they still paddled students if the infraction was serious enough. I know none of that is allowed these days, but those were both good deterrents for me!! Why was his lab partner kept after school? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - He had not finished his assignment - not enough information - He was late for class - He did the wrong assignment
**Answer**
He had not finished his assignment
*Question*
In a rare display of bipartisan unity during an election year, Republicans and Democrats alike have condemned presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump for his comments about the ethnicity of a judge overseeing a class action suit against Trump University. Members of both parties lambasted the real estate mogul for remarks that they assert were racist. Trump said he felt U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel, because of his "Mexican heritage," would not rule fairly in the case that charged Trump with fraud. Curiel is an American who was born and raised in the midwestern U.S. state of Indiana. U.S. Senator Ben Sasse, a Republican from Nebraska who has criticized Trump on multiple occasions during the campaign, tweeted: "Saying someone can't do a specific job because of his or her race is the literal definition of 'racism.''' Also leading the charge Monday were Trump’s two former rivals for the Republican nomination. Ohio Governor John Kasich tweeted that Trump's offensive "is flat out wrong.'' Trump, Kasich wrote, should "apologize to Judge Curiel & try to unite this country.'' Florida Senator Marco Rubio agreed. "It's wrong and I hope he stops.'' But no mea culpa was forthcoming from the candidate. Trump insisted earlier Monday that Curiel could not be impartial in the legal action against him because the jurist's parents were born in Mexico and Trump wants to build a wall along the Mexican border. Republican Senator Susan Collins called Trump's comments "absolutely unacceptable." Democratic Congressman Filemon Vela said in an open letter published Monday that Trump's "ignorant anti-immigrant opinions," border wall rhetoric and continued attacks on a sitting federal judge "are just plain despicable." Vela, who represents a district along the U.S.-Mexico border, says his great-great-grandfather came to the U.S. in 1857 — well before Trump's ancestors. Vela wrote, "Mr. Trump you are a racist and you can take your border wall and shove it…." Kasich, Rubio and Collins joined other top... When did Gingrich condemn Trumps remarks? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - not enough information - before Susan Collins called Trump's comments 'absolutely unacceptable" - after Filemon Vela commented on Trump's remarks - before Filemon Vela commented on Trump's remarks
**Answer**
after Filemon Vela commented on Trump's remarks
*Question*
SINGAPORE — President Donald Trump will leave Singapore Tuesday night after his historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un the White House said Monday, adding that talks between U.S. and North Korean officials "are ongoing and have moved more quickly than expected." A White House statement said Trump will hold a one-on-one meeting with Kim Tuesday morning, with only translators present, followed by a working lunch and an expanded bilateral meeting that will include Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Chief of Staff John Kelly, and National Security Advisor John Bolton. The U.S. president will then address the media before flying out late Tuesday Singapore time. Previous reports had suggested Trump would leave on Wednesday. On the eve of the first encounter between a sitting U.S. president and a leader of North Korea, American officials are maintaining any resulting agreement must lead to an end of North Korea’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile threats. There will not be a repeat of “flimsy agreements” made between previous U.S. administrations and North Korea, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters in Singapore on Monday. “The ultimate objective we seek from diplomacy with North Korea has not changed — the complete, verifiable and irreversible de-nuclearization of the Korea peninsula is only outcome that the United States will accept,” declared Pompeo. Sanctions will remain until North Korea completely and verifiably eliminates its weapons of mass destruction programs, added Pompeo. “If diplomacy does not move in the right direction, those measures will increase,” he said. Pompeo said he is “very optimistic” the meeting Tuesday between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “will have a successful outcome.” “It’s the case in each of those two countries there are only two people that can make decisions of this magnitude and those two people are going to be sitting in the room together tomorrow,” said Pompeo. He declined, however, to reveal any details of the... How long wo uld it take for President Trump to fly back to Washington D. C.? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - several years - several hours - not enough information - several months
**Answer**
| several hours | 4 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Ques: What was the reason behind you becoming a Wiccan? I had very bad experiences with the old angry bearded GOD in the Christian religion. He had turned his back on me. He had betrayed me time and time again. So, I left. Still wanting connection with a higher power, I hungered for connection. I liked communing with the Wiccan Gods. I also liked how They made me feel, at peace, and I felt I had the strength to change my own life for the better. They are always there for me. How did you find it? When I was a teen I heard the word Wicca. I didn’t know what that was. I was curious and decided to investigate it. So, the next day I went to a book store. I asked the lady behind the counter if they had any books on “Wicca.” She got excited and whisked me off to the metaphysical section of the store. She told me she was pagan and started handing me book after book into my arms. Soon I could barely see over the books in my arms. I mumbled behind the books, “Which ONE book would you recommend.” She then handed me Scott Cunningham’s book Wicca, A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. I purchased the book and took it home. With my dyslexia it was not easy for me to read. But I started reading and plowed through the book. I found many things I was already doing. He talked about things I already understood to be true. The book rang true for me. I dedicated myself to the God and Goddess when I finished the book. Have you ever had any bad experiences after completing a spell? I did a prosperity spell once and got the opposite reaction I was hoping for. I lost all my income! I realized later my mistakes and redid the spell correctly and then got the results I truly wanted. How does the author feel when the clerk hands them a stack of books? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Sad - Overwhelmed - not enough information - Angry
Ans: Overwhelmed
Ques: The Trump administration's decision to add a question about citizenship to the 2020 census divided Capitol Hill on Tuesday, with Democrats saying the addition could skew the results and alter millions in government funding, while some Republicans praised it as a "commonsense" move. U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced late Monday the next effort to count every resident in the country will include a question about citizenship status. The U.S. Census Bureau conducts the survey every 10 years, with the next set for 2020. The deadline for finalizing the questions is Saturday. In a memo late Monday, Ross said he chose to include the query at the urging of the Department of Justice, which said it needed the citizenship data to better enforce a law protecting minority voting rights. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended the addition of the question, rejecting the notion that it might result in less federal aid to immigrant communities in the U.S. if immigrants are undercounted. Republicans on Capitol Hill welcomed the decision, which revives a practice that was abandoned in 1950, after being in place for more than 100 years, according to the Commerce Department. "It is imperative that the data gathered in the census is reliable, given the wide-ranging impacts it will have on U.S. policy. A question on citizenship is a reasonable, commonsense addition to the census," Senator Ted Cruz said in a statement Tuesday. But Democrats said the question would have the opposite effect — discouraging undocumented immigrants and citizen family members from responding to the census, undermining the accuracy of the results. "We cannot accept an incomplete or unfair count in 2020 — too much is at stake," Rep. Carolyn Maloney, co-chair of the Congressional Census Caucus, told VOA. "The census mandated by the [U.S.] Constitution affects the way that Federal and state funds are distributed and how district lines are drawn for both the city, state and Federal level." How does Maloney probably feel about including a citizenship question? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - doesn't matter one way or the other - it is warranted - not enough information - it may be going too far
Ans: it is warranted
Ques: “Teachers like to agree with each other, when we talk about learning. It’s hard to change that, when the model we have wanted to make work has nonetheless been failing for 40 years.” Professor Brian Boyd No area has remained up there in the contentiousness charts in Scotland as the notion of business and education working together to do something better for our young people. Most schools do not ‘partner’ with colleges or universities. Instead, they are production facilities for undergraduates and college entrants. Fewer are set up to systematically provide apprenticeship opportunities as well as learning. At NoTosh, we’ve been working on a few, nascent projects to change the attitudes of schools from being these production facilities into something more of a life support - what metrics of success might we use if schools judged their success on the results of their alumni, five, ten or twenty years down the line, much like universities do? City of Glasgow College have partnered with Newlands Junior College (NJC) to make the experience of a day in college more than what, in other circumstances, is too often perceived as a day off from school. The Junior College is called this, and not a school, for that very reason, to mark it out as a stepping stone between school and full-blown college. NoTosh helped last August to provoke the team around their thoughts of what 'unschool' might look like. The College was backed and founded by Jim McColl, one of Scotland’s top business people. In the future, suggests, McColl, might be be possible to take funding of learning out of its pre-existing silos, particularly for this group of students, about 60 in every city at these ages, who just need a different approach to the traditional comprehensive approach? A crossover funding model that helps learning happen in both ‘school’ or Junior College and college or university might be interesting. In fact, some of the world’s top universities are thinking of such models for their own students: Stanford’s 2025 project talks about the... What does McColl probably think about non-traditional approaches to education? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - McColl is probably against that idea completely - not enough information - McColl probably favors them for many students - McColl is probably a little receptive to the idea
Ans: | McColl probably favors them for many students | 7 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
(Question)
Normal practice when handling ancient artifacts is to move carefully and minimize any sudden movements. Shaking the object is definitely not encouraged. But that’s exactly what we—a group of museum curators and conservators—did when this exquisite Greek black-glazed kantharos (wine cup) was temporarily removed from display during the reinstallation of the Getty Museum’s antiquities collection at the Getty Villa. One of just a handful of “rattling cups” that survive from the fifth and fourth centuries B.C., we wanted to learn more about how it was made.(1) Although we were eager to find out what was below the surface of the cup, we started by examining its exterior. The kantharos’s distinctive shape, with profiled lip, tall foot, and elegant, upward-sweeping handles, is characteristic of black-glazed pottery made in the second half of the fourth century B.C., and replicates the form of luxury vessels in metal. Although the cup is currently catalogued as South Italian, the shape—and its striking decoration—are also typical of Athenian manufacture, and it may in fact have been produced there.(2) During the fourth century B.C., Athenian pottery was both imported into southern Italy and imitated by local craftsmen. The best South Italian versions were meant to be difficult to distinguish from Athenian examples, and we are continuing to investigate where ours may have been made. A Greek inscription applied in gilt around the rim reads: ΚΑΣΤΟΡΠΟΛΥΔΕΥΙΚΕΣ (“KASTORPOLYDEUIKES”). Kastor and Polydeukes were twin sons of Zeus—known together as the Dioskouroi—and were worshipped as protectors of sailors, horsemen, and chariot racing.(3) The inscription indicates that the kantharos was dedicated to them, perhaps as thanks for—or in hope of—safe passage at sea or a successful race. The gold decoration supports this idea: because each brother split his time between Mt. Olympus and Hades, they were often represented by stars, depicted here beneath the cup’s rim. Further, the wreath, garlands, and bucrania (skulls of... What inscription on the cup evokes a religious ritual? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Images of a chariot race - An image of Zeus and his sons - Wreaths, stars, bucrania and garlands - not enough information
(Answer)
Wreaths, stars, bucrania and garlands
(Question)
One summer when I was 8 years old my father, mother, and I were rear ended by a 16 year old boy in a pickup truck. Insurance companies dawdled and by the time we received a settlement over a year later my parents had divorced. I was under full custody of my father living in a trailer in very rural Tennessee (Wayne County) with no electricity and a wood burning stove for heat. My mother was nowhere to be found until a few years later. We received the settlement and it turned out to be several thousand dollars. My dad turned on the electricity and bought our first computer, a Packard Bell. Now we needed dial up internet! -My what a change! Then he started dating online. He met a woman who lived in Franklin, TN (Williamson County), dated and married her (at least for a few years), worked at CompUSA for a few years, then started his own computer repair business which he and I ran from 2001 to 2014 before selling it. Williamson County population : 226,257 Wayne County population : 16,583 I ran a business with my father, graduated from a high school that was ranked 24/273 instead of one ranked of 223/273 in the state. The woman I married would not be the same, nor where I live and the lifestyle I now live, the jobs I have been able to get, the places I have been able to go, traveling around the US and to Canada and soon further abroad. The amazing things that I have experienced in my life are a pretty direct effect of some 16 year old kid not paying attention and rear ending my family. Of course certain decisions were made and things happened that took things down this particular path, but it all leads back to that night. Good night, and drive safely! Who was responsible for the delay in paying the settlement? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Genworth Financial - not enough information - Pacific Life Insurance Company - Old Line Life Insurance Company
(Answer)
not enough information
(Question)
New sexual harassment and racial discrimination lawsuits are rocking the already scandal riddled Fox News Channel. Three new lawsuits were filed Monday in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Two allege racial harassment at Fox News, while a third alleges sexual harassment at Fox News Radio. The cases increase to 23 the number of past or present Fox employees represented by attorney Doug Wigdor, the majority having cases alleging racial hostility by a since-fired financial executive. Fox said Monday that the lawsuits have no legal basis. Kathleen Lee, a Fox News Radio employee of more than 10 years, alleges that radio anchor Ron Flatter subjected her to “unrelenting sexual harassment” after the network hired him in 2013. A former Fox employee, Adasa Blanco, said she alerted Fox executives about racially hostile behavior on the part of former Fox controller Judith Slater more than eight years before the executive was let go. Slater has denied charges of racially hostile conduct. Blanco, who is Hispanic, said that Slater made fun of her accent. In the lawsuit, Wigdor said Fox “knowingly harbored and protected” a racist employee for more than eight years and misrepresented to the public that it fired Slater quickly upon learning of her behavior. Naima Farrow, another former Fox employee who worked for Slater, said she was fired without warning or explanation in 2015, less than three days after telling superiors she was pregnant. Farrow, who is black, said Slater mockingly referred to her as “girlfriend.” Fox News said in a statement that it is committed to a diverse workplace free from discrimination, and takes any complaint seriously. In these cases, Fox “took prompt, effective and, when necessary, strong remedial action,” the network said. “We believe these latest claims are without legal basis and look forward to proving that the company at all times has acted appropriately, and lawfully, in connection with these matters.” The new legal claims come as Fox News is battling a series of... After the end of this story, Wignor is probably Pick the correct answer from the following options: - passing the work to another lawyer - retiring - not enough information - fighting these cases for months
(Answer)
| fighting these cases for months | 6 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
Ques: ROLAND HELD HIS BODY STIFF AS HE FACED THE CATHAR FORTRESS and watched the tall wooden doors swing open. He saw now that the fire of that final night's battle, now fifteen days past, had left no structure standing but the stone keep. Inside the limestone walls stood forlorn, crude shelters made of tent cloths spread over blackened beams. Cries of farewell and loud wailing came from the battlements above and from the open gateway, as the condemned emerged from the fortress, a long line of men and women in black. Roland's heartbeat broke its rhythm. During the fifteen days of grace granted under the terms of surrender, he had waited in camp with the other crusaders. Now that Diane and Perrin were safely off on the road to Paris, he felt impelled to be with the Cathars in their final moments, to bear witness. He had volunteered, despite his dread, to help escort the prisoners to their execution. Those Cathars who joined the Catholic religion would now be allowed to leave in peace, though they would be forced to give everything they owned to the Church and wear the yellow crosses for the rest of their lives. But those who clung to their faith would die. As the Cathars emerged, a man-at-arms directed each to stop at a table beside the doorway, where two Dominican friars sat with parchment scrolls. The friars recorded the name of each person about to die. This meticulous record-keeping, Roland thought, was one source of the Inquisition's power. At the head of the procession was the Cathar bishop. Bertran d'en Marti's head glowed with the red-gold rays of the low afternoon sun striking his white hair, as if it were already enveloped in flames. "Form around them," called the leader of Roland's party. Roland reluctantly stepped forward with the other crusaders. His longsword and dagger swung heavy at his waist. He wore them only because, as a knight, he was expected to. He had left his helmet and mail shirt back in his tent. How many days of grace peiod was given under the terms of surrender? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - 15 days - not enough information - 30 days - 2 days
Ans: 15 days
Ques: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — The conservative leader of South Korea’s main opposition party on Thursday spoke out against the upcoming U.S.–North Korea summit. He also voiced concern that political considerations are driving U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in to compromise joint security for more false denuclearization promises from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. “I am rather pessimistic about whether this negotiation will work out well or not. The only means for North Korea to maintain its regime is its nuclear program. The moment that North Korea gives up its nuclear program, and the moment it opens up to reform, the Kim Jong Un regime will collapse,” said Hong Joon-pyo, the chairman of the Liberty Korea Party. On June 12, Trump and Kim will meet in Singapore to try to reach an agreement to end the North’s threatening nuclear weapons program in exchange for economic incentives and security guarantees that could include a formal peace treaty to replace the armistice that has been enforced since the end of the Korean War in 1953. Many South Korean conservatives had voiced strong support for Trump’s “maximum pressure” polices to force Pyongyang to unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons through tough international sanctions in place that ban 90 percent of the country’s trade, and the threat of military action. But they have been troubled by recent statements coming from the Trump administration indicating the United States may be willing to soften its demands for the complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement (CVID) of the North’s nuclear program before offering any sanctions relief. Hong is worried that Trump may seek a deal that would quickly end the North’s intercontinental ballistic missile program that directly threatens the U.S., and leave the regional nuclear threat to be resolved later. Trump seems overly intent to achieve a diplomatic breakthrough, Hong said, to shift the media focus away from the ongoing special prosecutor investigation he is facing over Russia’s... What did Trump probably think of his visit to Singapore? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - He probably thought it was somewhat productive - He probably thought it was a waste of time - He probably thought it was completely productive - not enough information
Ans: not enough information
Ques: Gunshots rang out once again on a campus in the United States on Wednesday. Students and faculty raced out of harm's way, ducked under furniture, barricaded doors and hid in interior rooms, bathrooms and labs. The short-lived nightmare on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles came one day before Wear Orange: National Gun Violence Awareness Day. Wear Orange was inspired by friends of Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old Chicago high school student killed by gunfire in 2013. The group decided to honor her life by wearing orange — the color worn by hunters in the woods to protect themselves and others. While the idea has been embraced by civic organizations, politicians and celebrities, it has been rejected by gun rights advocates. The National Rifle Association has attacked the campaign as "pointless," and said "participating is an easy way of scoring points for being 'socially conscious.'" Here is a look at the unique relationship between Americans and their guns. Any law-abiding citizen in the United States is allowed to own or carry a gun. That right comes from the U.S. Bill of Rights and the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It says: "A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." The Second Amendment was based partially on English common law, which describes an auxiliary right, supporting the natural rights of self-defense, resistance to oppression, and the civic duty to act in concert in defense of the state. To purchase a gun in the majority of states, a person needs to be of age, pass the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check and fill out a firearms transaction record. However, background checks are not currently required for private sales, including those conducted at gun shows. Certain people are banned from owning weapons, including convicted criminals, people with mental health illnesses or non-U.S. citizens. But the system has major holes in it. Who inspired the Wear Orange movement? Pick the correct answer from the following options: - Politicians. - not enough information - Celebrities - Hadiya Pendleton.
Ans: | Hadiya Pendleton. | 7 | P3 | quail_context_question_description_answer_text | fs_noopt |
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