Colleges taking another look at value of merit-based aid

Good grades and high tests scores still matter--a lot--to many colleges as they award financial aid.

But with low-income students projected to make up an ever-larger share of the college-bound population in coming years, some schools are re-examining whether that aid, typically known as "merit aid", is the most effective use of precious institutional dollars.

George Washington University in Washington, D.C., for example, said last week that it would cut the value of its average merit scholarships by about one-third and reduce the number of recipients , pouring the savings, about $2.5 million, into need-based aid. Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa., made a similar decision three years ago.

Now, Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., says it will phase out merit scholarships altogether. No current merit-aid recipients will lose their scholarships, but need-based aid alone will be awarded beginning with students entering in fall 2008.

Not all colleges offer merit aid; generally, the more selective a school, the less likely it is to do so. Harvard and Princeton, for example, offer generous need-based packages, but many families who don't meet need eligibility have been willing to pay whatever they must for a big-name school.

For small regional colleges that struggle just to fill seats, merit aid can be an important revenue-builder because many recipients still pay enough tuition dollars over and above the scholarship amount to keep the institution running.

But for rankings-conscious schools in between, merit aid has served primarily as a tool to recruit top students and to improve their academic profits. "They're trying to buy students," says Skidmore College economist Sandy Baum.

Studies show merit aid also tends to benefit disproportionately students who could afford to enroll without it.

"As we look to the future, we see a more pressing need to invest in need-based aid," says Monica Inzer, dean of admission and financial aid at Hamilton, which has offered merit scholarships for 10 years. During that time, it rose in US News & World Report's ranking of the best liberal arts colleges, from 25 to 17.

Merit aid, which benefited about 75 students a year, or about 4% of its student body, at a cost of about $ 1 million a year, "served us well," Inzer says, but "to be discounting the price for families that don't need financial aid doesn't feel right any more."

Need-based aid remains by far the largest share of all student aid, which includes state, federal and institutional grants. But merit aid, offered primarily by schools and states, is growing faster, both overall and at the institutional level.

Between 1995-96 and 2003-04, institutional merit aid alone increased 212%, compared with 47% for need-based grants. At least 15 states also offer merit aid, typically in a bid to enroll top students in the state's public institutions.

But in recent years, a growing chorus of critics has begun pressuring schools to drop the practice. Recent decisions by Hamilton and others may be "a sign that people are starting to realize that there's this destructive competition going on," says Baum, co-author of a recent College Report that raises concerns about the role of institutional aid not based on need.

David Laird, president of the Minnesota Private College Council, says many of his schools would like to reduce their merit aid but fear that in doing so, they would lose top students to their competitors.

"No one can take one-sided action," says Laird, who is exploring whether to seek an exemption from federal anti-trust laws so member colleges can discuss how they could jointly reduce merit aid, "This is a merry-go-round that's going very fast, and none of the institutions believe they can sustain the risks of trying to break away by themselves."

A complicating factor is that merit aid has become so popular with middle-income families, who don't qualify for need-based aid, that many have come to depend on it. And, as tuitions continue to increase, the line between merit and need blurs.

That's one reason Allegheny College doesn't plan to drop merit aid entirely.

"We still believe in rewarding superior achievements and know that these top students truly value the scholarship," says Scott Friedhoff, Allegheny's vice president for enrollment.

Emory University in Atlanta, which boasts a $4.7 billion endowment , meanwhile, is taking another approach. This year, it announced it would eliminate loans for needy students and cap them for middle-income families. At the same time, it would expand its 28-year-old merit program.

"Yeah, we're playing the merit game," acknowledges Tom Lancaster, associate dean for undergraduate education. But it has its strong point, too, he says. "The fact of the matter is, it's not just about the lowest-income people. It's the average American middle-class family who's being priced out of the market."

A few words about merit-based aid:

Merit-based aid is aid offered to students who achieve excellence in a given area, and is generally known as academic, athletic and artistic merit scholarships.

Academic merit scholarships are based on students' grades, GPA and overall academic performance during high school. They are typically meant for students going straight to college right after high school. However, there are scholarships for current college students with exceptional grades as well. These merit scholarships usually help students pay tuition bills, and they can be renewed each year as long as the recipients continue to qualify. In some cases, students may need to be recommended by their school or a teacher as part of the qualification process.

Athletic merit scholarships are meant for students that excel in sports of any kind, from football to track and field events. Recommendation for these scholarships is required, since exceptional athletic performance has to be recognized by a coach or a referee . Applicants need to send in a tape containing their best performance.

Artistic merit scholarships require that applicants excel in a given artistic area. This generally includes any creative field such as art, design, fashion, music, dance or writing. Applying for artistic merit scholarships usually requires that students submit a portfolio of some sort, whether that includes a collection of artwork, a recording of a musical performance or a video of them dancing.

Question: What position does Monica Inzer hold at Hamilton College?

Context: Monica Inzer is the Dean of Admission and Financial Aid at Hamilton College.


NEW YORK (CNN) -- An oil painting was returned Tuesday to the estate of a Jewish art dealer who was forced to consign the painting and other artwork under Nazi Germany before fleeing the country.

"Portrait of a Musician Playing a Bagpipe" was done in 1632 by an unknown artist.

The painting, "Portrait of a Musician Playing a Bagpipe," was done in 1632 by an unknown painter from the Northern Netherlandish school, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney's office in southern New York.

It was owned by Max Stern, an art dealer who had a gallery in Dusseldorf, Germany, until 1937, when the Nazis' Reich Chamber for Fine Arts ordered him to liquidate the gallery and its inventory, the statement said.

Stern, who died in 1987, left no heirs. He and his wife had founded the Max Stern Art Restitution Project, which directly benefits Concordia University and McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and Hebrew University in Jerusalem, according to a statement from U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The painting was returned Tuesday -- Holocaust Remembrance Day -- to Clarence Epstein of Concordia University on behalf of the executors of the estate, said Lou Martinez of the immigration agency.

It was returned in a ceremony at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York, he said.

The painting had been owned by Philip Mould Ltd., a London, England, gallery, when Lawrence Steigrad, a New York art dealer, bought it in 2008, the New York attorney's office said.

Neither had any idea of the painting's past. Philip Mould Ltd. had purchased the painting the year before from Lempertz Auction House. The same auction house sold the painting in 1937 after Stern was forced to liquidate, without receiving any proceeds from the sale, the New York attorney's office said.

Question: Where does he work?

Context: Clarence Epstein works for Concordia University. Lou Martinez works for U.S Immigration And Customs Enforcement.

(Clarence Epstein)-[works for]->(Concordia University) || (Lou Martinez)-[works for]->(U.S Immigration And Customs Enforcement)


The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for singles, published weekly by "Billboard" magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated June 16, 2007, and is currently the standard record chart in Canada; a new chart is compiled and officially released to the public by "Billboard" on Tuesdays.

The chart is similar to "Billboard"s US-based Hot 100 in that it combines physical and digital sales as measured by Nielsen SoundScan, streaming activity data provided by online music sources, and radio airplay as measured by Nielsen BDS. Canada's airplay chart is the result of monitoring more than 100 stations representing rock, country, adult contemporary and Top 40 genres.

The first number-one song of the Canadian Hot 100 was "Umbrella" by Rihanna featuring Jay-Z on June 16, 2007. As of the issue for the week ending October 7, 2017, the Canadian Hot 100 has had 117 different number-one hits. The current number-one is "Rockstar" by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage.

The chart was made available for the first time via "Billboard" online services on June 7, 2007 (issue dated June 16, 2007). With this launch, it marked the first time that "Billboard" created a Hot 100 chart for a country outside the United States. "Billboard" charts manager Geoff Mayfield announced the premiere of the chart, explaining "the new "Billboard" Canadian Hot 100 will serve as the definitive measure of Canada's most popular songs, continuing our magazine's longstanding tradition of using the most comprehensive resources available to provide the world's most authoritative music charts." The "Billboard" Canadian Hot 100 is managed by Paul Tuch, director of Canadian operations for Nielsen BDS, in consultation with Silvio Pietroluongo, "Billboard"s associate director of charts and manager of the "Billboard" Hot 100.

Question: Who does it feature?

Context: Umbrella features Jay-Z. Rockstar features 21 Savage.

(Umbrella)-[features]->(Jay-Z) || (Rockstar)-[features]->(21 Savage)


(CNN) -- Henry Joseph Madden was a good student and track team member in high school, but he had a secret: He sometimes wore his mother's pantyhose and underwear under his clothes.

Dr. Jennifer Madden, a family physician, began her transition to being female at age 48.

"I really wanted to be a girl so bad, and that was one way for me to satisfy those feelings," Madden said. "I always felt like someone was looking over my shoulder."

The desire to be female never went away. At age 48, Madden confessed these feelings to a doctor, and started seeing a gender therapist who suggested Madden was transgendered.

Through reconstructive surgeries, electrolysis, laser procedures and voice lessons, Henry Joseph became Jennifer Elizabeth, known as Jenny. She is a practicing family physician in Nashua, New Hampshire. Watch Jenny's story Â»

Chastity Bono, child of performer Cher and the late entertainer and politician Sonny Bono, announced Thursday the beginning of a transition from female to a male.

While still relatively rare -- one advocate estimates that 0.25 to 0.5 percent of the American population is transgendered -- the idea of changing gender identity has become more widespread in recent years. The term "LGBT" (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) is more commonly recognized, and transgendered people have been portrayed in the 1999 film "Boys Don't Cry" as well as the 2002 book "Middlesex" by Jeffrey Eugenides.

Many people who have transitioned, including Madden, say they knew they had been born into the wrong gender from childhood. As early as age 3, Dr. Julie Praus, born male, didn't understand why her father wanted to play catch. As a boy, Praus learned how to fish and hunt, but enjoyed collecting Depression-era glassware vases. Praus, 48, a psychiatrist in Brattleboro, Vermont, started living as a woman in March 2008.

Question: Where is she located?

Context: Jennifer Madden is located in Nashua, New Hampshire. Julie Praus is located in Brattleboro, Vermont.

(Jennifer Madden)-[located in]->(Nashua, New Hampshire) || (Julie Praus)-[located in]->(Brattleboro, Vermont)


CHAPTER II: The Jacobite Agent.

So twelve years passed. Ronald Leslie grew up a sturdy lad, full of fun and mischief in spite of the sober atmosphere of the bailie's house; and neither flogging at school nor lecturing at home appeared to have the slightest effect in reducing him to that state of sober tranquillity which was in Mrs. Anderson's eyes the thing to be most desired in boys. Andrew was less deeply shocked than his wife at the discovery of Ronald's various delinquencies, but his sense of order and punctuality was constantly outraged. He was, however, really fond of the lad; and even Mrs. Anderson, greatly as the boy's ways constantly disturbed and ruffled her, was at heart as fond of him as was her husband. She considered, and not altogether wrongly, that his wilderness, as she called it, was in no slight degree due to his association with her husband's brother.

Ronald looked forward to the periodical visits of the drover with intense longing. He was sure of a sympathetic listener in Malcolm, who listened with approval to the tales of the various scrapes into which he had got since his last visit; of how, instead of going to school, he had played truant and with another boy his own age had embarked in a fisherman's boat and gone down the river and had not been able to get back until next day; how he had played tricks upon his dominie, and had conquered in single combat the son of Councillor Duff, the butcher, who had spoken scoffing words at the Stuarts. Malcolm was, in fact, delighted to find, that in spite of repression and lectures his young charge was growing up a lad of spirit. He still hoped that some day Leslie might return, and he knew how horrified he would be were he to find that his son was becoming a smug and well conducted citizen. No small portion of his time on each of his visits to Glasgow Malcolm spent in training the boy in the use of arms.

Question: Who did Ronald Leslie conquer in single combat?

Context: Ronald Leslie conquered the Son Of Councillor Duff in single combat.

(Ronald Leslie)-[CONQUERED_IN_SINGLE_COMBAT]->(Son Of Councillor Duff)


Michael J. "Crocodile Dundee" (also called Mick), played by Paul Hogan, is the main character in the fictional Crocodile Dundee film series consisting of Crocodile Dundee, Crocodile Dundee II, and Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles. The character is a crocodile hunter, hence the nickname.

In the first film, Crocodile Dundee, Mick is visited by a New York reporter, Sue Charlton, who travels to Australia to investigate a report she heard of a crocodile hunter, who had his leg bitten off by a crocodile in the outback. The hunter supposedly walked more than a hundred miles back to civilization and miraculously survived his injuries. However, by the time she meets him, the story turns out to be a somewhat exaggerated legend where the "bitten-off leg" turns out to be just being some bad scarring on his leg; a "love bite" as Mick calls it. Still _ by the idea of "Crocodile Dundee", Sue continues with the story. They travel together out to where the incident occurred, and follow his route through the bush to the nearest hospital. Despite his old-fashioned views, the pair eventually become close, especially after Mick saves Sue from a crocodile attack.

Feeling there is still more to the story, Sue invites Mick back to New York with her, as his first trip to a city (or "first trip anywhere," as Dundee says). The rest of the film depicts Dundee as a "fish out of water," showing how, despite his expert knowledge of living outdoors, he knows little of city life. Mick meets Sue's boyfriend, Richard, but they do not get along. By the end of the film, Mick is on his way home, lovesick, when Sue realizes she loves Mick, too, and not Richard. She runs to the subway station to stop Mick from leaving and, by passing on messages through the packed-to-the-gills crowd, she tells him she won't marry Richard, and she loves him instead. With the help of the other people in the subway, Mick and Sue have a loving reunion as the film ends.

Question: What is their occupation?

Context: Sue Charlton has the occupation of Reporter. Michael J. "Crocodile Dundee" has the occupation of Crocodile Hunter.

(Sue Charlton)-[has occupation]->(Reporter) || (Michael J. "Crocodile Dundee")-[has occupation]->(Crocodile Hunter)


UniProt is a freely accessible database of protein sequence and functional information, many entries being derived from genome sequencing projects. It contains a large amount of information about the biological function of proteins derived from the research literature.

The UniProt consortium comprises the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI), the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), and the Protein Information Resource (PIR). EBI, located at the Wellcome Trust Genome Campus in Hinxton, UK, hosts a large resource of bioinformatics databases and services. SIB, located in Geneva, Switzerland, maintains the ExPASy (Expert Protein Analysis System) servers that are a central resource for proteomics tools and databases. PIR, hosted by the National Biomedical Research Foundation (NBRF) at the Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, DC, USA, is heir to the oldest protein sequence database, Margaret Dayhoff's Atlas of Protein Sequence and Structure, first published in 1965. In 2002, EBI, SIB, and PIR joined forces as the UniProt consortium.

Each consortium member is heavily involved in protein database maintenance and annotation. Until recently, EBI and SIB together produced the Swiss-Prot and TrEMBL databases, while PIR produced the Protein Sequence Database (PIR-PSD). These databases coexisted with differing protein sequence coverage and annotation priorities.

Swiss-Prot was created in 1986 by Amos Bairoch during his PhD and developed by the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics and subsequently developed by Rolf Apweiler at the European Bioinformatics Institute. Swiss-Prot aimed to provide reliable protein sequences associated with a high level of annotation (such as the description of the function of a protein, its domain structure, post-translational modifications, variants, etc.), a minimal level of redundancy and high level of integration with other databases. Recognizing that sequence data were being generated at a pace exceeding Swiss-Prot's ability to keep up, TrEMBL (Translated EMBL Nucleotide Sequence Data Library) was created to provide automated annotations for those proteins not in Swiss-Prot. Meanwhile, PIR maintained the PIR-PSD and related databases, including iProClass, a database of protein sequences and curated families.

Question: Which institution is Rolf Apweiler affiliated with?

Context: Rolf Apweiler is affiliated with the European Bioinformatics Institute.

(Rolf Apweiler)-[AFFILIATED_WITH]->(European Bioinformatics Institute)


Wide awake in Aunt Bet's Southern house, Annie Van Lew shivered at the sounds of distant guns. It was bad enough that America was at war, but the young Virginia girl was not used to battles being fought this close. _ .Annie sat up in bed and listened.Had a stranger broken in? Earlier, the family had heard that captured officers recently escaped from a prison nearby.

Quietly opening her bedroom door, Annie walked out. A figure in a black gown was walking down the hall. It was Aunt Bet, carrying a candle in one hand and a plate of fried chicken in the other.

Annie followed her aunt to a stairway at the far end of the house. Aunt Bet climbed to the top, and opened a door leading to the attic . Annie followed closely behind.

In the attic, Aunt Bet stopped at a chest of drawers, moved it aside, and felt along the wall behind it. Slowly a door sprang open, revealing a hidden room. A thin man stepped out of the opening. As Aunt Bet handed him the plate of food, the young man saw Annie in the doorway and froze.

Desperately shaking her head "no", the girl raised one finger to her lips. The officer understood and shifted his look. Quickly Annie went back downstairs and hid, waiting until after Aunt Bet left to return. Back inside the attic,Annie called softly to the man inside, who told her where to find the hidden spring.

Soon the young officer stood in the open doorway. A small candle burned on a table behind him and, in its soft light, Annie studied his face. Clear eyes reflected the calm of one who faced death bravely.

Smiling, he said,"What trouble you should have gotten into if your aunt had turned around!" That night, Annie learned Aunt Bet was one of many daring Southerners whose hatred of slavery drove them to risk their lives by spying for the North. The girl chatted as she dared, wishing her new friend luck when he said he would leave at dawn.

Back in her room, Annie felt proud and was determined to guard her family's secret to the end.

Question: According to the provided information, who is the niece of Aunt Bet?

Context: Annie Van Lew is the niece of Aunt Bet.


Washington (CNN) -- The Virginia governor's race has often been looked to as an off-year barometer of national political sentiment.

This year's grind-it-out race, an acrimonious spitball contest between two candidates only slightly more likeable than Walter White, is anything but.

In a lesser-of-two-evils campaign, Terry McAuliffe, the longtime Democratic fundraiser and confidante to former President Bill Clinton, is clinging to a modest but sturdy lead over Republican Ken Cuccinelli, the state's attorney general.

Republicans have pilloried McAuliffe as a sleazy political operator and failed businessman who exploited his Washington connections to help his sputtering car company, GreenTech Automotive. Cuccinelli has been targeted as a far-right social crusader who would curb abortion rights and access to contraception. Democrats on Twitter are fond of calling him #creepyken.

McAuliffe is leading Cuccinelli among likely voters by an eight-point margin, 47% to 39%, according to a Washington Post poll out this week.

McAuliffe is hardly bulletproof: A federal investigation into GreenTech has sullied his reputation, and only two-thirds of Democrats -- his own party -- consider him "honest and trustworthy."

But Cuccinelli is on much shakier ground. While Republicans are slightly more fired up about voting for him than Democrats are for McAuliffe, Cuccinelli's favorable ratings are next-to-toxic: More than half of likely voters view him unfavorably.

Enter Robert Sarvis.

As public dismay with the two main candidates calcifies, the baby-faced 37-year old Libertarian candidate from Fairfax has quietly crept northward in the polls, reaching 10% in the Post poll.

That's not nearly enough to win in November -- with just five weeks until Election Day, even Sarvis admits "we have to get a lot higher" -- but he looks increasingly likely to play the role of spoiler by siphoning conservative votes away from Cuccinelli.

Question: He is a member of which political party?

Context: Terry Mcauliffe is a member of the Democratic Party. Ken Cuccinelli is a member of the Republican Party. Robert Sarvis is a member of the Libertarian Party.

(Terry Mcauliffe)-[member of]->(Democratic Party) || (Ken Cuccinelli)-[member of]->(Republican Party) || (Robert Sarvis)-[member of]->(Libertarian Party)


"It's this time of year when the weather starts warming up and frogs start breeding - but they haven't been breeding," says John Wilkinson, research and monitoring officer at the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust (ARC).

Amphibians are just one of the groups of animals that nature observers fear may have problems reproducing this year, as groundwater levels are even lower now than in the infamously dry summer of 1976, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). According to the UK's Centre for Hydrology and Ecology the average rainfall so far this winter has been the lowest since 1972.

"If ponds dry up totally," says Mr. Wilkinson, "you could have lots of dead tadpoles." Drier and windier conditions could also make it more difficult for juvenile amphibians to survive their journeys between wet habitats.

But Peter Brotherton, the biodiversity manager for Natural England, says that "drought is part of nature's cycle", and, at present, a lot of animals, plants and insects are still in hibernation. This means that the population picture is unclear. "However, when we get extreme events, we get animals dying," he says. "And what is worrying is that normally at this time of year we expect soil to be near saturation after winter."

Charlie Kitchin, the RSPB's site manager of the Nene Washes in Cambridgeshire, says the 2,000-acre wetland and grassland area is now struggling following two winters with relatively little winter rain and no flooding. One species that could suffer, he says, is the black-tailed godwit . "There are only 50 breeding pairs in the country, and we have 40 of them, and everything is bone-dry," Mr Kitchin says.

But one bad nesting season, he says, is "not the end of the world". "One of the features of flood plains is that they're _ anyway," he adds. "But if they fail to breed another year, the population is likely to dip again."

Question: Tadpoles are the juvenile form of what class of animal?

Context: Tadpoles are the juvenile form of amphibians.


(EW.com ) -- Back in 1977, Ron Howard made his directorial debut with a low-budget, high-octane car-crash comedy called "Grand Theft Auto."

As first impressions go, it did not signal the second coming of Orson Welles. But the freckle-faced former "Happy Days" star radiated an infectious delight in smashing as many roaring muscle cars as he could get away with.

Since then, of course, Howard has become one of Hollywood's most consistent and respected filmmakers, crafting well-made crowd-pleasers that tackle more highbrow subjects. But judging from his white-knuckle new film, "Rush," he hasn't outgrown his youthful sweet tooth for four-wheeled mayhem. He still has hot rods and the death-defying men who drive them on his mind.

Based on the real-life rivalry between Formula One racing legends James Hunt and Niki Lauda, "Rush" is a tale of two opposite personalities eyeing the same checkered-flag goal: winning the 1976 world championship. Chris Hemsworth draws the flashier role in Hunt, a fast-burning British bad boy with flowing blond locks, silk shirts unbuttoned to his navel, and a rakish playboy swagger.

On and off the track, he's wild, cocky, and undisciplined â€” a deadly combination when you're strapped into a coffin on wheels going 170 miles an hour. ''The closer you are to death, the more alive you feel,'' Hemsworth's Hunt says. And it's thanks to the "Thor" star's champagne-spraying charisma that he makes risking your neck look like the coolest job on the planet.

As Lauda, "Inglourious Basterds'" Daniel BrÃ¼hl buries his boyish good looks behind ratlike prosthetic teeth. With his clipped Austrian accent, everything that comes out of his mouth sounds like a brusque insult. And it usually is. He may not be a particularly likable fellow, but he's a methodical grinder with the unshakable conviction of someone who's calculated the odds on what it takes to win. Pitted against each other, they're like Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. It's not just about beating the other guy, it's about humiliating him in the process.

Question: What did he star in?

Context: Daniel BrÃ¼hl starred in Inglourious Basterds. Ron Howard starred in Happy Days. Chris Hemsworth starred in Thor.

(Daniel BrÃ¼hl)-[starred in]->(Inglourious Basterds) || (Ron Howard)-[starred in]->(Happy Days) || (Chris Hemsworth)-[starred in]->(Thor)


ISO 639-5:2008 "Codes for the representation of names of languagesâ€”Part 5: Alpha-3 code for language families and groups" is a highly incomplete international standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). It was developed by ISO Technical Committee 37, Subcommittee 2, and first published on May 15, 2008. It is part of the ISO 639 series of standards.

ISO 639-5 defines "alpha-3" (3-letter) codes, called "collective codes," that identify language families and groups. As of August 29, 2008 update to ISO 639-5, the standard defined 114 collective codes. The United States Library of Congress maintains the list of Alpha-3 codes that comprise ISO 639-5.

The standard does not cover all language families used by linguists. The languages covered by a group code need not be linguistically related, but may have a geographic relation, or category relation (such as "Creoles").

Some of the codes in ISO 639-5 codes are also found in the ISO 639-2 "Alpha-3 code" standard. ISO 639-2 contains codes for some individual languages, some ISO 639 macrolanguage codes, and some collective codes; any code found in ISO 639-2 is also found in either ISO 639-3 or ISO 639-5.

Languages, families, or group codes in ISO 639-2 can be of type "group" ("g") or "remainder group" ("r"). A "group" consists of several related languages; a "remainder group" is a group of several related languages from which some specific languages have been excluded. However, in ISO 639-5, the "remainder groups" do "not" exclude any languages. Because ISO 639-2 and ISO 639-5 use the same Alpha-3 codes, but do not always refer to the same list of languages for any given code, the languages an Alpha-3 code refers to can't be determined unless it is known whether the code is used in the context of ISO 639-2 or ISO 639-5. The committee draft of ISO 639-5 was issued on February 23, 2005. Voting on the draft terminated on July 5, 2005; the draft was approved.

Question: Which specific committee was responsible for developing the ISO 639-5:2008 standard?

Context: The ISO 639-5:2008 standard was developed by ISO Technical Committee 37, Subcommittee 2.

(Iso 639-5:2008)-[DEVELOPED_BY]->(Iso Technical Committee 37, Subcommittee 2)


Pacing and Pausing Sara tried to befriend her old friend Steve's new wife, but Betty never seemed to have anything to say. While Sara felt Betty didn't hold up her end of the conversation, Betty complained to Steve that Sara never gave her a chance to talk. The problem had to do with expectations about pacing and pausing. Conversation is a turn-taking game. When our habits are similar, there's no problem. But if our habits are different, you may start to talk before I'm finished or fail to take your turn when I'm finished. That's what was happening with Betty and Sara. It may not be coincidental that Betty, who expected relatively longer pauses between turns, is British, and Sara, who expected relatively shorter pauses, is American. Betty often felt interrupted by Sara. But Betty herself became an interrupter and found herself doing most of the talking when she met a visitor from Finland. And Sara had a hard time cutting in on some speakers from Latin America or Israel. The general phenomenon, then, is that the small conversation techniques, like pacing and pausing, lead people to draw conclusions not about conversational style but about personality and abilities. These habitual differences are often the basis for dangerous stereotyping . And these social phenomena can have very personal consequences. For example, a woman from the southwestern part of the US went to live in an eastern city to take up a job in personnel. When the Personnel Department got together for meetings, she kept searching for the right time to break in -- and never found it. Although back home she was considered outgoing and confident, in Washington she was viewed as shy and retiring. When she was evaluated at the end of the year, she was told to take a training course because of her inability to speak up. That's why slight differences in conversational style -- tiny little things like microseconds of pause -- can have a great effect on one's life. The result in this cause was a judgment of psychological problems -- even in the mind of the woman herself, who really wondered what was wrong with her and registered for _ training.

Question: With whom did Sara have a conversational style conflict?

Context: Sara had a conversational style conflict with Betty.


With America's national debt continuing to climb, Congress is constantly debating ways to save money. The Dollar Coin Alliance, a lobbying group, says billions could be saved if dollar coins were used instead of paper bills. But many people won't use them. The U.S. government tried to push dollar coins again in recent years, but then suspended almost all production in 2011. American likes paper dollars, but Jim Kolbe, co-chairman of the Dollar Coin Alliance, thinks switching to the coin is worth it. "The coin does cost more to produce, roughly on the neighborhood of 17 cents versus the 5 or 6 cents that a paper dollar costs to produce," he said. "However, the coin lasts 35 years, and it's made of mostly recycled metals, and the paper has to be produced from new materials, and we shred 3 billion of those every year because they wear out." For years, the former Arizona congressman has been pushing legislation that would prop up the dollar coin by phasing out the greenback -- a move that has met resistance from both politicians and the public. But today, he said, _ and a recent poll indicates 61 percent of Americans like the idea. "When they learn of the savings that can be involved with this, they will support the idea of substituting the coin for the paper dollar," he said. Major savings Kolbe points to a study by the Government Accountability Office, which investigates how the government spends taxpayer dollars. The GAO estimates taxpayers would save more than $4 billion over 30 years, and that figure could be much higher. That appeals to taxpayer Christy Thompson, who said, "I'd probably say, yes, we need to do it." But plenty of people aren't convinced, including Kim Doering of Alexandria, Virginia. "It's easier to carry the paper bill than a bunch of coins. They're louder; they're heavier in your pocket," she said. Washington, D.C. restaurant owner Sue Fouladi doesn't like the idea of having more dollar coins in her cash register. "It's very inconvenient," she said. "If I don't have a choice, then I'll do it, but I'll be a very unhappy person." Adding to the problem is that the gold- and silver-colored metal coins are about the same size as the 25-cent quarter. Robert Blecker, an economics professor at American University in Washington, says the dollar coins should be a different size and thickness. "And if we can design a dollar coin that's not so big and bulky, probably Americans would like it better," he added. But that doesn't bother college student Emily Sturgill. "Sometimes they fit into your pocket easily and you don't have to worry about them slipping out, like a dollar bill would if you brought your keys or your phone out," she said.

Question: What is it made of?

Context: The Dollar Coin is made of Recycled Metals. The Paper Bill is made of New Materials.

(Dollar Coin)-[made of]->(Recycled Metals) || (Paper Bill)-[made of]->(New Materials)


"Norton," Sheppard said, "I saw Rufus Johnson yesterday. Do you know what he was doing?" The child looked at him with a kind of half attention, his eyes forward but not yet engaged. They were a paler blue than his father's as if they might have faded like the shirt; one of them listed, almost imperceptibly , toward the outer rim.

"He was in a path," Sheppard said, "and he had his hand in a garbage can. He was trying to get something to eat out of it." He paused to let this soak in. "He was hungry," he finished, and tried to pierce the child's conscience with his gaze.

The boy picked up the piece of chocolate cake and began to bite it from one corner.

"Norton," Sheppard said, "do you have any idea what it means to share?"

A flicker of attention. "Some of it is yours," Norton said.

"Some of it is his," Sheppard said heavily. It was hopeless. Almost any fault would have been preferable to selfishness--a violent temper, even a tendency to lie.

The child turned the bottle of tomato sauce upside-down and began thumping sauce onto the cake.

Sheppard's look of pain increased. "You are ten and Rufus Johnson is fourteen," he said. "Yet, I'm sure your shirts would fit Rufus." Rufus Johnson was a boy whom he had been trying to help at the reformatory for the past year. He had been released two months ago. "When he was in the reformatory, he looked pretty good, but when I saw him yesterday, he was skin and bones. He hasn't been eating cake with peanut butter on it for breakfast."

The child paused. "It's not fresh," he said. "That's why I have to put stuff on it."

Sheppard turned his face to the window at the end of the bar. The side lawn, green and even, sloped fifty feet or so down to a small suburban wood. When his wife was living, they had often eaten outside, even breakfast on the grass. He had never noticed then that the child was selfish. ks5u

"Listen to me," he said, turning back to him, "look at me and listen."

The boy looked at him. At least his eyes were forward.

"I gave Rufus a key to the house when he left the reformatory---to show my confidence in him and so he would have a place he could come to and feel welcome any time. He didn't use it, but I think he'll use it now because he's seen me and he's hungry. And if he doesn't use it, I'm going out and find him and bring him here. I can't see a child eating out of garbage cans."

The boy frowned. It was dawning upon him that something of his was threatened.

Sheppard's mouth stretched in disgust. "Rufus's father died before he was born," he said. "His mother is in the state penitentiary . He was raised by his grandfather in a shack without water or electricity and the old man beat him every day. How would you like to belong to a family like that?"

"I don't know" the child said lamely.

"Well, you might think about it sometime," Sheppard said.

Sheppard was City Recreational Director. On Saturday he worked at the reformatory as a counselor, receiving nothing for it but the satisfaction of knowing he was helping boys no one else cared about. Johnson was the most intelligent boy he had worked with.

Norton turned what was left of the cake over as if he no longer wanted it.

"You started that, now finish it," Sheppard said.

"Maybe he won't come," the child said and his eyes brightened slightly.

Question: Who was responsible for raising Rufus Johnson?

Context: Rufus Johnson was raised by his grandfather.

(Rufus Johnson)-[WAS_RAISED_BY]->(Rufus Johnson'S Grandfather)


Found in applications as diverse as industrial fans, blowers and pumps, machine tools, household appliances, power tools, and disk drives, electric motors can be powered by direct current (DC) sources, such as from batteries, motor vehicles or rectifiers, or by alternating current (AC) sources, such as from the power grid, inverters or generators. Small motors may be found in electric watches. General-purpose motors with highly standardized dimensions and characteristics provide convenient mechanical power for industrial use. The largest of electric motors are used for ship propulsion, pipeline compression and pumped-storage applications with ratings reaching 100 megawatts. Electric motors may be classified by electric power source type, internal construction, application, type of motion output, and so on.

Perhaps the first electric motors were simple electrostatic devices created by the Scottish monk Andrew Gordon in the 1740s. The theoretical principle behind production of mechanical force by the interactions of an electric current and a magnetic field, AmpÃ¨re's force law, was discovered later by AndrÃ©-Marie AmpÃ¨re in 1820. The conversion of electrical energy into mechanical energy by electromagnetic means was demonstrated by the British scientist Michael Faraday in 1821. A free-hanging wire was dipped into a pool of mercury, on which a permanent magnet (PM) was placed. When a current was passed through the wire, the wire rotated around the magnet, showing that the current gave rise to a close circular magnetic field around the wire. This motor is often demonstrated in physics experiments, brine substituting for toxic mercury. Though Barlow's wheel was an early refinement to this Faraday demonstration, these and similar homopolar motors were to remain unsuited to practical application until late in the century.

Question: What kind of energy did Michael Faraday demonstrate the conversion of?

Context: Michael Faraday demonstrated the conversion of electrical energy.


Variety is a weekly American entertainment trade magazine and website owned by Penske Media Corporation. It was founded by Sime Silverman in New York in 1905 as a weekly; in 1933 it added Daily Variety, based in Los Angeles, to cover the motion-picture industry; in 1998 it brought out Daily Variety Gotham, based in New York. Variety.com features breaking entertainment news, reviews, box office results, cover stories, videos, photo galleries and more, plus a credits database, production charts and calendar, with archive content dating back to 1905. The last daily printed edition was put out on March 19, 2013. "Variety" originally reported on theater and vaudeville.

"Variety" has been published since December 16, 1905, when it was launched by Sime Silverman as a weekly periodical covering vaudeville with its headquarters in New York City.

On January 19, 1907, "Variety" published what is considered the first film review in history.

In 1933, Sime Silverman launched "Daily Variety", based in Hollywood.

Sime Silverman had passed on the editorship of the "Weekly Variety" to Abel Green as his replacement in 1931; he remained as publisher until his death in 1933 soon after launching the Daily. His son Sidne Silverman (1901â€“1950), known as "Skigie", succeeded him as publisher of both publications. Both Sidne and his wife, stage actress Marie Saxon (1905â€“1942), died of tuberculosis. Their only son Syd Silverman (1932-2017), was the sole heir to what was then Variety Inc. Young Syd's legal guardian Harold Erichs oversaw Variety Inc. until 1956. After that date Syd Silverman was publisher of both the "Weekly Variety" in New York and the "Daily Variety" in Hollywood, until the sale of both papers in 1987 to the Cahners Corp. In L.A. the Daily was edited by Tom Pryor from 1959 until 1988.

Question: Who is he the son of?

Context: Sidne Silverman is the son of Sime Silverman. Syd Silverman is the son of Sidne Silverman.

(Sidne Silverman)-[son of]->(Sime Silverman) || (Syd Silverman)-[son of]->(Sidne Silverman)


CHAPTER XX.

THE FIRST EASTERN WAR.

215-183.

Scipio remained in Africa till he had arranged matters and won such a claim to Massinissa's gratitude that this king of Numidia was sure to watch over the interests of Rome. Scipio then returned home, and entered Rome with a grand triumph, all the nobler for himself that he did not lead Hannibal in his chains. He had been too generous to demand that so brave an enemy should be delivered up to him. He received the surname of Africanus, and was one of the most respected and beloved of Romans. He was the first who began to take up Greek learning and culture, and to exchange the old Roman ruggedness for the graces of philosophy and poetry. Indeed the Romans were beginning to have much to do with the Greeks, and the war they entered upon now was the first for the sake of spreading their own power. All the former ones had been in self-defence, and the new one did in fact spring out of the Punic war, for the Carthaginians had tried to persuade Philip, king of Macedon, to follow in the track of Pyrrhus, and come and help Hannibal in Southern Italy. The Romans had kept him off by stirring up the robber Ã†tolians against him; and when he began to punish these wild neighbors, the Romans leagued themselves with the old Greek cities which Macedon oppressed, and a great war took place.

Titus Quinctius Flaminius commanded in Greece for four years, first as consul and then as proconsul. His crowning victory was at CynocephalÃ¦, or the Dogshead Rocks, where he so broke the strength of Macedon that at the Isthmian games he proclaimed the deliverance of Greece, and in their joy the people crowded round him with crowns and garlands, and shouted so loud that birds in the air were said to have dropped down at the sound.

Question: What was he the king of?

Context: Massinissa was the king of Numidia. Philip was the king of Macedon.

(Massinissa)-[king of]->(Numidia) || (Philip)-[king of]->(Macedon)


Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is one of the most loved children's books of all time, and many adults enjoy it as well. It tells the story of a young girl named Alice, who follows a rabbit entering a magical world called Wonderland: she has many experiences which seem to change the rules of reasoning or common sense. The popularity of the book comes from its imagination, interesting story, and art work. The writer of the book is Lewis Carroll. In fact, Lewis Carroll was not the writer's real name. His real name was Charles Dodgson. One day, he took a boat ride down the Thames River to have a picnic with three little girls who were friends of the family. To keep them entertained on the ride, he told them a story in which Alice, the middle child, was the main character. They enjoyed the story very much. Charles later wrote the story down under the name Alice's Adventures under Ground and gave it to Alice as a Christmas present. Later, he gave a copy to his friend George MacDonald. George read it to his children and they loved it. George suggested to Charles that he make a book from his story. Charles then wrote more parts to the story until it was around 35,000 words. It was first printed in 1866, with art work by John Tenniel, under the name Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The book was an immediate success. One of its first fans was Queen Victoria. She immediately requested a collection of all of Lewis Carroll's works. She was surprised to find that they included many works on math. In fact, Charles Dodgson was a highly respected mathematician. This can be seen in many puzzles and plays on reasoning that appear in his books and poems. Since the story was first printed, it has kept selling up to the present day. It has been translated into over fifty languages and has had several movies based on it. The story is even mentioned in the popular 1999 film The Matrix by the character Morpheus.

Question: What are they a character in?

Context: Alice is a character in Alice'S Adventures In Wonderland. Morpheus is a character in The Matrix.

(Alice)-[character in]->(Alice'S Adventures In Wonderland) || (Morpheus)-[character in]->(The Matrix)


Unlike chemists and physicists, who usually do their experiments using machines, biologists and medical researchers have to use living things like rats. But there are three Nobel prize-winning scientists who actually chose to experiment on themselves - all in the name of science, reported The Telegraph. 1. Werner Forssmann (Nobel prize winner in 1956) Forssmann was a German scientist. He studied how to put a pipe inside the heart to measure the pressure inside and decide whether a patient needs surgery. Experiments had been done on horses before, so he wanted to try with human patients. But it was not permitted because the experiment was considered too dangerous. Not giving up, Forssmann decided to experiment on himself. He anaesthetized his own arm and made a cut, putting the pipe 30 centimeters into his vein. He then climbed two floors to the X-ray room before pushing the pipe all the way into his heart. 2. Barry Marshall (Nobel prize winner in 2005) Most doctors in the mid-20th century believed that _ was down to stress, spicy food or an unusually large amount of stomach acid. But in 1979 an Australian scientist named Robin Warren found that the disease might be related to a bacteria called Helicobacter pylori. So he teamed up with his colleague, Barry Marshall, to continue the study. When their request to experiment on patients was denied, Marshall bravely drank some of the bacteria. Five days later, he lost his appetite and soon was vomiting each morning - he indeed had gastritis. 3. Ralph Steinman (Nobel prize winner in 2011) This Canadian scientist discovered a new type of immune system cell called the dendritic cell. He believed that it had the ability to fight against cancer. Steinman knew he couldn't yet use his method to treat patients. So in 2007, when doctors told him that he had cancer and that it was unlikely for him to live longer than a year, he saw an opportunity. With the help of his colleagues, he gave himself three different vaccines based on his research and a total of eight experimental therapies. Even though Steinman eventually died from his cancer, he lived four and a half years, much longer than doctors had said he would.

Question: When did he win an award?

Context: Ralph Steinman won award in 2011. Barry Marshall won award in 2005. Werner Forssmann won award in 1956.

(Ralph Steinman)-[won award in]->(2011) || (Barry Marshall)-[won award in]->(2005) || (Werner Forssmann)-[won award in]->(1956)


The old camera Brownie picked up in a charity shop was a splendid find. But the undeveloped film still inside turned out to be even more of a treasure.

New owner Don Roccoforte had it developed and saw in it an attractive dark haired woman in her thirties with two young boys. He immediately determined to try to find out who they were.

A few weeks later the California-based camera collector received the news that left him _ . The woman was his wife Jaqueline's aunt in a picture taken around 50 years ago, and one of the boys, her cousin.

The couple have now unraveled the astonishing coincidence, which leads back to Mrs. Roccoforte's native Lancashire, where many of her family still live. The camera was bought from a shop in Preston, England by Brownie, a friend of Mr. Roccoforte, who knew of his interest in photography and thought it would be an unusual gift.

Back in California, the contents of his new possession inspired Mr. Roccoforte's curiosity. Recognizing the water in the background of the photo as a lake in Lancashire, he sent a copy to the local paper in Preston to see if any readers could help.

Another relative recognized the group as Winnie Bamber, still living in the area at the age of 81, her son Tony, Mrs. Roccoforte's cousin, and Tony's childhood friend, Mick Murphy.

Yesterday Mrs. Bamber was still gasping at the turn of events which has reunited two strands of her family. She said she remembered taking the boys to the lake and losing the camera. The two boys, both now 58, still live near Preston.

Mrs. Roccoforte's father is Winnie Bamber's brother, Billy Charnley. He and his wife moved to America in the 1960s. Their daughter met Mr. Roccoforte there and they married and moved to Preston for two years before returning to America.

Question: Who is he a childhood friend of?

Context: Tony is a childhood friend of Mick Murphy. Mick Murphy is a childhood friend of Tony.

(Tony)-[childhood friend of]->(Mick Murphy) || (Mick Murphy)-[childhood friend of]->(Tony)


New Yorkâ€”often called New York City or the City of New York to distinguish it from the State of New York, of which it is a partâ€”is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York metropolitan area, the premier gateway for legal immigration to the United States and one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world. A global power city, New York exerts a significant impact upon commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment, its fast pace defining the term New York minute. Home to the headquarters of the United Nations, New York is an important center for international diplomacy and has been described as the cultural and financial capital of the world.

Situated on one of the world's largest natural harbors, New York City consists of five boroughs, each of which is a separate county of New York State. The five boroughs â€“ Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island â€“ were consolidated into a single city in 1898. With a census-estimated 2014 population of 8,491,079 distributed over a land area of just 305 square miles (790 km2), New York is the most densely populated major city in the United States. As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world. By 2014 census estimates, the New York City metropolitan region remains by a significant margin the most populous in the United States, as defined by both the Metropolitan Statistical Area (20.1 million residents) and the Combined Statistical Area (23.6 million residents). In 2013, the MSA produced a gross metropolitan product (GMP) of nearly US$1.39 trillion, while in 2012, the CSA generated a GMP of over US$1.55 trillion, both ranking first nationally by a wide margin and behind the GDP of only twelve and eleven countries, respectively.

Question: It has a population of millions, but what is its population?

Context: The Metropolitan Statistical Area has a population of 20.1 Million Residents. The Combined Statistical Area has a population of 23.6 Million Residents.

(Metropolitan Statistical Area)-[has population]->(20.1 Million Residents) || (Combined Statistical Area)-[has population]->(23.6 Million Residents)


"The Lord of the Rings", one of the best sellers in the new millennium , was made up of three parts--"The Fellow Ship of the Ring", "Two Towers", and "The Return of the King". Millions upon millions of people have read it in over 25 different languages, but fewer know about the author and the history of the composition of the creative masterwork.

John Ronald Refuel Tolkien was born in South Africa in 1892. His parents died when he was a child. Living in England with his aunt, Tolkien and his cousins made up play languages, a hobby that led to Tolkien's becoming skilled in Welsh, Greek, Gothic, Old Norse and Anglo--Saxon.

After graduating from Oxford, Tolkien served in World War I. In 1917, while recovering from trench fever he began composing the mythology for The Rings. As a professor of Anglo-Saxon in the 1930s at Oxford, Tolkien was part of an informal discussion group called the Inklings, which included several writers. The group was soon 1istening to chapters of Tolkien's imaginative work "The Hobbit".

Hobbit was a name Tolkien created for people that could best be described as half-sized members of the English rural class. Hobbits live in hillside holes. One of them,Bilbo Baggins, looks for treasures with a group of dwarves . On the way, he meets the twisted, pitiful creature Gollum, from whom he sees a golden ring that makes the holder invisible.

One of Tolkien's students persuaded her employer, publisher Allen & Unwind, to look at a draft . The chairman of the firm, Stanley Unwind, thought that the best judge for a Children's book would be his ten-year-old son. The boy earned a shilling for reporting back that the adventure was exciting, and "The Hobbit" was published in 1937.

It sold so well that Unwind asked for a continuation. Over a dozen years later, in 1954, Tolkien produced "The Lord of the Rings", a series of books so creative that they hold readers both new and old -- after their publication.

Question: What were they the author of?

Context: The Lord Of The Rings was the author of John Ronald Refuel Tolkien. John Ronald Refuel Tolkien was the author of The Hobbit.

(The Lord Of The Rings)-[author of]->(John Ronald Refuel Tolkien) || (John Ronald Refuel Tolkien)-[author of]->(The Hobbit)


As Amy Hagadorn rounded the corner across the hall from her classroom, she crashed with a tall boy from the fifth grade running in the opposite direction.

"Watch it, Squirt," the boy yelled, as he dodged around the little third grader. Then, with an unfriendly smile on his face, the boy took hold of his right leg and mimicked the way Amy limped when she walked.

Amy closed her eyes for a moment. --Ignore him, she told herself as she headed for her classroom.

But at the end of the day, Amy was still thinking about the tall boy's mean teasing. It wasn't as if he were the only one. Amy was tired of it. Sometimes, even in a classroom full of other students, the teasing about her speech or her limping made her feel all alone.

Back home at the dinner table that evening Amy was quiet. That's why Patti Hagdorn was happy to havesome exciting news to share with her daughter.

"There's a Christmas Wish Contest on the radio station," she announced. "Write a letter to Santa and you might win a prize. I think someone at this table with blond curly hair should enter."

Amy giggled. The contest sounded like fun. She started thinking about what she wanted most for Christmas.

A smile took hold of Amy when the idea first came to her. Out came pencil and paper and Amy went to work on her letter. --Dear Santa Claus, she began.

While Amy worked away at her best printing, the rest of the family tried to guess what she might ask from Santa. Amy's sister, Jamie, and Amy's mom both thought a 3-foot Barbie Doll would top Amy's wish list. Amy's dad guessed a picture book. But Amy wasn't ready to reveal her secret Christmas wish just then. Here is Amy's letter to Santa, just as she wrote it that night:

Dear Santa Clause,

My name is Amy. I am 9 years old. I have a problem at school. Can you help me, Santa? Kids laugh at me because of the way I walk and run and talk. I have cerebral palsy . I just want one day where no one laughs at me or makes fun of me.

Love,

Amy

At radio station WJLT in Fort Wayne, Indiana, letters poured in for the Christmas Wish Contest. The workers had fun reading about all the different presents that boys and girls from across the city wanted for Christmas.

When Amy's letter arrived at the radio station, manager Lee Tobin read it carefully. He knew cerebral palsy was a muscle disorder that might confuse the schoolmates of Amy who didn't understand her disability. He thought it would be good for the people in Fort Wayne to hear about this special third grader and her unusual wish. Mr. Tobin called up the local newspaper.

The next day, a picture of Amy and her letter to Santa made the front page of the News Sentinel. The story spread quickly. All across the country, newspapers and radio and television station reported the story of the little girl in Fort Wayne, Indiana, who asked for such a simple, yet remarkable Christmas gift - just one day without teasing.

Suddenly the postman was a regular at the Hagadorn house. Envelopes of all sizes addressed to Amy arrived daily from children and adults all across the nation. They came filled with holiday greetings and words of encouragement.

During that unforgettable Christmas season, over two thousand people from all over the world sent Amy letters of friendship and support. Amy and her family read every single one. Some of the writers had disabilities; some had been teased as children. Many people thanked Amy for being brave enough to speak up. Others encouraged her to ignore teasing and to carry her head high. Each writer had a special message for Amy. Through the cards and letters from strangers, Amy glimpsed a world full of people who truly cared about each other. She realized that no amount or form of teasing could ever make her feel lonely again.

Amy did get her wish of a special day without teasing at South Wayne Elementary School. Additionally, everyone at school got an added bonus. Teachers and students talked together about how bad teasing can make others feel.

That year, the Fort Wayne mayor officially proclaimed December 21st as Amy Jo Hagadorn Day throughout the city. The mayor explained that by daring to make such a simple wish, Amy taught a universal lesson.

"Everyone," said the mayor, "wants and deserves to be treated with respect, dignity and warmth."

Question: What grade is she in?

Context: Amy Hagadorn is in Third Grade. Tall Boy is in Fifth Grade.

(Amy Hagadorn)-[is in grade]->(Third Grade) || (Tall Boy)-[is in grade]->(Fifth Grade)


(CNN) -- Mohamed Morsi is an American-educated engineer who vows to stand for democracy, women's rights, and peaceful relations with Israel if he wins the Egyptian presidency.

He's also an Islamist figure who has argued for barring women from the Egyptian presidency and called Israeli leaders "vampires" and "killers." One analyst describes him as an "icon" of those seeking an "extreme agenda."

As Morsi, 60, battles to win the presidency, questions surround how much of a hard line he would take, and what direction he would steer the country.

Morsi leads the Freedom and Justice Party, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood -- the most powerful political movement in the new Egyptian government, controlling about half of parliament.

His party notes that he was arrested several times under President Hosni Mubarak's regime for protesting "repressive measures and oppressive practices," as well as "rigged elections." At one point he spent seven months in jail.

Analysts say Morsi is focusing his campaign on appealing to the broadest possible audience.

But he "represents the older, more conservative wing of the Brotherhood and openly endorses a strict Islamic vision," Isobel Coleman of the Council on Foreign Relations wrote in a column for CNN.com.

"A vote for Mohamed Morsi will consolidate the Brotherhood's political influence, which could translate into a constitution with weaker provisions for protection of minority and women's rights."

A slogan associated with his campaign, "Islam is the solution," is sparking concerns Morsi could introduce a fundamentalist Islamic theocracy.

He told CNN he has no such plans. His party seeks "an executive branch that represents the people's true will and implements their public interests," Morsi told CNN's Christiane Amanpour.

Question: Under the regime of which leader was Mohamed Morsi arrested?

Context: Mohamed Morsi was arrested under the regime of Hosni Mubarak.


She almost did not run. Christine Williams admits that now. She could barely put one foot after another following the wake for her sister, who had died in an automobile accident. But she did run. With the cheers of friends and strangers reaching her heart, Williams set a C.W. Post record in Boston. Now she will run again, in the national Division II cross-country championships in Evansville, Ind. She wanted to be sure she was doing the right thing by running. She was the middle of three sisters, between Kerry, who is 25, and Jennifer, who was 18.

Just going through any motions was hard enough, but Christine Williams wanted to know if she should put on her uniform and her shoes and run through the woods on an autumn afternoon, in the awful gaping time between her sister's wake and her funeral. "I kind of got upset beforehand." Williams admitted. Not a chatterbox under normal conditions, she now holds herself the best way she can, the fewer words the better. She almost walked away from the start line. But her friend Angela Toscano, who had flown up to Boston with her, directly from the wake, was standing near the line and talked her through it. "She said my sister would have wanted me to run." Christine said. And that was enough to get her started.

The accident happened just after midnight on Nov, 4. Four young women were driving in an unfamiliar area of Long Island in Eastport, N.Y., when one of them apparently ran a yield sign, and the car was hit by another vehicle. Heather Brownrigg and Jennifer Williams died, and their friends April Brown and Kaci Moran were treated at a hospital and released.

The crash made the papers. April Brown was charged with drunken driving and driving without a license.

The wake began on Nov. 6. The next day Christine was to run with the Post cross-country team at the regional meet. Rich Degnan, the Post coach,"and Post officials offered a car service and tickets on the last flight-to Boston for Christine and Toscano. When they arrived at the hotel, the entire team was waiting up for her.

Everybody knew about it at the regional meet. Degnan had to arrange for the flexibility of an alternate, just in case Christine could not go. Several times during the race, Christine felt she could not continue. But then she heard her friends and all those other people, those strangers from other colleges, calling her name. She thought about Jennifer. And she ran. She finished fourth in 22 minutes 58 seconds, breaking the Post record for the 6-kilometer distance by 15 seconds. And although the Post team didn't qualify for the nationals, Christine did.

Question: Where is it located?

Context: The National Division Ii Cross-Country Championships is located in Evansville, Ind. The Automobile Accident is located in Eastport, N.Y. Eastport, N.Y. is located in Long Island.

(National Division Ii Cross-Country Championships)-[located in]->(Evansville, Ind.) || (Automobile Accident)-[located in]->(Eastport, N.Y.) || (Eastport, N.Y.)-[located in]->(Long Island)


Oscar-winning actress Joan Fontaine, who rose to fame during Hollywood's golden age as the star of several Alfred Hitch.cock classics, died from natural causes at her home in Carmel, northern California on December 16, 2013 aged 96, US media reports said.

Born in Japan to British parents, Fontaine moved in 1919 to California, where she and her elder sister -screen idol Olivia de Havilland-were to shape successful movie careers.Fontaine and de Havilland remain the only sisters to have won lead actress honours at the Academy Awards.Yet the two sisters also had an uneasy relationship, with Fontaine recording a bitter competition in her own account "No Bed of Roses ".

Fontaine began her acting career in her late teens with Largely less important roles on the stage and later in mostly B-movies in the 1930s. It was not before famous British film director Hitchcock spotted her a decade later that her career took off.

Greatly surprised by her expressive looks, the suspense master cast Fontaine in his first US film, a 1940 adaptation of the Daphne du Maurier novel "Rebecca". She received an Academy Award nomination for her performance as a troubled wife. A year later, Fontaine finally won the long-sought golden figure, for her role as leading lady in "Suspicion" opposite Cary Grant, becoming the first and only actress to earn the title for a Hitchock film.

Although her sister, Olivia de Havilland, preceded her in gaining Hollywood fame, Fontaine was the first of the sisters to win an Oscar, beating Olivia's nomination as best actress in Mitchell Leisen's "Hold Back the Dawn".

The dislike ,between the sisters was felt at the Oscars ceremony."I froze. I stared across the table, where Olivia was sitting.'Get up there!' she whispered commandingly," Fontaine said."All the dislike we'd felt toward each other as children...all came rushing back in quickly changing pictures...I felt Olivia would spring across the table and seize me by the hair."

Olivia did not win her first Oscar until 1946, for her role as the lover of a World War I pilot in Leisen's " To Each His Own". Fontaine later made it known that her. sister had slighted her as she attempted to offer congratulations."She took one look at me, ignored my hand, seized her Oscar and wheeled away," she said.

The sisters were also reportedly competitors in love. Howard Hughes, a strange businessman who dated the elder de Havilland for a time, offered marriage to Fontaine several times."I married first, won the Oscar before Olivia did, and if I die first, she'll undoubtedly be extremely angry because I beat her to it!" Fontaine once joked.

As her film career fruited in the 1950s, Fontaine turned to television and dinner theatre, and also appeared in several Broadway productions, including the Lion in Winter". Anything but the ordinary lady, Fontaine was also a licensed pilot, a champion balloonist, an accomplished golfer, a licensed .decoration designer and a first-class cook.

Question: She is the sibling of whom?

Context: Joan Fontaine is the sibling of Olivia De Havilland. Olivia De Havilland is the sibling of Joan Fontaine.

(Joan Fontaine)-[sibling of]->(Olivia De Havilland) || (Olivia De Havilland)-[sibling of]->(Joan Fontaine)


The Smithsonian Institution, established on August 10, 1846 "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge", is a group of museums and research centers administered by the Government of the United States. The institution is named after its founding donor, British scientist James Smithson. Originally organized as the "United States National Museum", that name ceased to exist as an administrative entity in 1967.

Termed "the nation's attic" for its eclectic holdings of 154 million items, the Institution's nineteen museums, nine research centers, and zoo include historical and architectural landmarks, mostly located in the District of Columbia. Additional facilities are located in Arizona, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York City, Pittsburgh, Texas, Virginia, and Panama. More than 200 institutions and museums in 45 states, Puerto Rico, and Panama are Smithsonian Affiliates.

The Institution's thirty million annual visitors are admitted without charge. Its annual budget is around $1.2 billion with 2/3 coming from annual federal appropriations. Other funding comes from the Institution's endowment, private and corporate contributions, membership dues, and earned retail, concession, and licensing revenue. Institution publications include "Smithsonian" and "Air & Space" magazines.

The British scientist James Smithson (1765â€“1829) left most of his wealth to his nephew Henry James Hungerford. When Hungerford died childless in 1835, the estate passed "to the United States of America, to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an Establishment for the increase & diffusion of knowledge among men", in accordance with Smithson's will. Congress officially accepted the legacy bequeathed to the nation, and pledged the faith of the United States to the charitable trust on July 1, 1836. The American diplomat Richard Rush was dispatched to England by President Andrew Jackson to collect the bequest. Rush returned in August 1838 with 105 sacks containing 104,960 gold sovereigns (about $500,000 at the time, which is ).

Question: Who dispatched Richard Rush to England?

Context: Andrew Jackson dispatched Richard Rush to England.


Meryl Streep is an American actress who has worked in theatre, television and film. She is regarded as one of the most talented actresses of all time. The following is a list of movies that Meryl Streep has been involved with:

Kramer vs. Krammer (1979)

In the film, Meryl plays a mother caught up in a custody dispute . Her co-star, Dustin Hoffman, said, "She's extraordinarily hardworking. I think she thinks about nothing else but what she's doing." Meryl won her first Oscar for her performance in this film.

Sophie's Choice (1982)

Meryl plays Sophie, a Polish war survivor. To prepare for the role she learned to speak German and perfected a Polish accent. Film critic Roger Ebert said, "This is one of the most astonishing and yet one of the most natural performances I can imagine." Meryl won her second Best Actress Oscar for her performance.

Out of Africa(1985)

Meryl is Karen Blixen, a Danish woman living in Kenya in the early 20th century. The story follows Karens attempts to run a coffee plantation and her love affair with big-game hunter Denys. The film is based on the memoirs of the real Karen Blixen.

A Cry in the Dark (1995)

This is based on the true-life case of the disappearance of baby Azaria. Meryl plays Linda Chamberlain, a mother who is wrongly accused of killing her own child. After spending four years in prison, it was found that wild dogs had taken away the baby. Meryl won Best Actress at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival.

The Bridge of Madison County (1995)

This movie is based on one of the biggest bestsellers of the 20th century (the book sold 50 million copies worldwide). Meryl plays Francesca Johnson, an Italian war bride living in 1960s Iowa. It's about her brief affair with photographer Robert Kincaid.

Mamma Mial(2008)

This is a romantic comedy based on the stage musical Mamma Mial, featuring the music from 1970s Swedish pop group ABBA. Meryl plays Donna Sheridan, a hotel owner on the Greek island of Kalokairi. Mamma Mial made over U.S. $ 600 million worldwide. Apparently, Meryl had seen the musical in 2001 and was completely absorbed in it. She had no idea that seven years later she'd be in the movie version.

Question: According to the story, who did Francesca Johnson have an affair with?

Context: Francesca Johnson had an affair with Robert Kincaid.


A barangay (Brgy. or Bgy.; Filipino: "baranggay", ; also pronounced the same in Spanish), formerly referred to as barrio, is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward. In metropolitan areas, the term often refers to an inner city neighbourhood, a suburb or a suburban neighborhood. The word "barangay" originated from "balangay", a kind of boat used by a group of Austronesian peoples when they migrated to the Philippines.

Municipalities and cities in the Philippines are subdivided into barangays, with the exception of the municipalities of Adams in Ilocos Norte and Kalayaan, Palawan which each contain only one barangay. The barangay itself is sometimes informally subdivided into smaller areas called "purok" ("English: "), barangay zones consisting of a cluster of houses, and "sitios", which are territorial enclavesâ€”usually ruralâ€”far from the barangay center. , there were 42,029 barangays throughout the Philippines.

When the first Spaniards arrived in the Philippines in the 16th century, they found well-organized independent villages called "barangays". The name "barangay" originated from "balangay", a Malay word meaning "sailboat".

The first barangays started as relatively small communities of around 50 to 100 families. By the time of contact with Spaniards, many barangays have developed into large communities. The "encomienda" of 1604 shows that many affluent and powerful coastal barangays in Sulu, Butuan, Panay, Leyte and Cebu, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Pasig, Laguna, and Cagayan River were flourishing trading centers. Some of these barangays had large populations. In Panay, some barangays had 20,000 inhabitants; in Leyte (Baybay), 15,000 inhabitants; in Cebu, 3,500 residents; in Vitis (Pampanga), 7,000 inhabitants; Pangasinan, 4,000 residents. There were smaller barangays with less number of people. But these were generally inland communities; or if they were coastal, they were not located in areas which were good for business pursuits. These smaller barangays had around thirty to one hundred houses only, and the population varies from one hundred to five hundred persons. According to Legazpi, he found communities with twenty to thirty people only.

Question: How many people were in the communities that Legazpi found?

Context: Legazpi found communities with 20 to 30 people.

(Legazpi)-[FOUND_COMMUNITIES_WITH]->(20 To 30 People)


"Your first home," Laurence Yep wrote in his book, The Lost Garden, "will always be the one that you remember best. I have been away from it for over twenty years, but I still go back in my dreams." For Yep, whose father came from China, home was an apartment and the family grocery store in a neighborhood of San Francisco. It was there that he learned about patience, hard work, and getting along with neighbors.

Mr. Brown, Laurence Yep's high school English teacher, often set high goals for his students. He was the first person to encourage Yep to write. The experience of that class changed the direction of Yep's life. At the age of 18 Yep published his first short story, a sci-fi fantasy. He has since written many books and many kinds of books. He has retold Chinese folk stories and written for the theater. In nearly all these varied works, Yep, who is married to the children's book author Joanne Ryder, has returned to questions he has been asking himself since childhood: What does it mean to be Chinese and American? Can one who belongs to two cultures ever feel at home anywhere?

When asked, "How has being of a Chinese by origin been important to you?" Laurence Yep replied, "As a child I wanted to be as American as possible. Then, in my early twenties, I became very interested in my Chinese roots. For years after that, I thought that my function as a Chinese American writer was to act as a bridge between two cultures. Now, though, I am not so sure that it is possible to join them together. Compared with Asian culture, American culture pays more attention to individuals and competition. The two cultures pull in opposite directions. So I see myself now as someone who will always be on the border between two cultures. That works to my benefit as a writer because not quite fitting in helps me be a better observer."

Question: Who encouraged Laurence Yep to pursue a career in writing?

Context: Mr. Brown encouraged Laurence Yep to write.


In mathematics and mathematical logic, Boolean algebra is the branch of algebra in which the values of the variables are the truth values "true" and "false", usually denoted 1 and 0 respectively. Instead of elementary algebra where the values of the variables are numbers, and the prime operations are addition and multiplication, the main operations of Boolean algebra are the conjunction "and" denoted as âˆ§, the disjunction "or" denoted as âˆ¨, and the negation "not" denoted as Â¬. It is thus a formalism for describing logical relations in the same way that ordinary algebra describes numeric relations.

Boolean algebra was introduced by George Boole in his first book "The Mathematical Analysis of Logic" (1847), and set forth more fully in his "An Investigation of the Laws of Thought" (1854). According to Huntington, the term "Boolean algebra" was first suggested by Sheffer in 1913.

Boolean algebra has been fundamental in the development of digital electronics, and is provided for in all modern programming languages. It is also used in set theory and statistics.

Boole's algebra predated the modern developments in abstract algebra and mathematical logic; it is however seen as connected to the origins of both fields. In an abstract setting, Boolean algebra was perfected in the late 19th century by Jevons, SchrÃ¶der, Huntington, and others until it reached the modern conception of an (abstract) mathematical structure. For example, the empirical observation that one can manipulate expressions in the algebra of sets by translating them into expressions in Boole's algebra is explained in modern terms by saying that the algebra of sets is "a" Boolean algebra (note the indefinite article). In fact, M. H. Stone proved in 1936 that every Boolean algebra is isomorphic to a field of sets.

Question: What are its variable values?

Context: Elementary Algebra has variable value Numbers. Boolean Algebra has variable value Truth Values.

(Elementary Algebra)-[has variable value]->(Numbers) || (Boolean Algebra)-[has variable value]->(Truth Values)


There was once a beautiful nymph called Echo. But Echo had one failing; she was fond of talking, and whether in chat or argument, would have the last word. As she was good company, she and Zeus became good friends. However, Zeus' wife, Hera, became jealous. She followed Zeus to the earth to find out what he was doing and Zeus asked Echo to distract Hera until he could escape. Later when Hera discovered she had been tricked, she became very angry. She turned on Echo and said, "You shall lose the use of your tongue because you cheated me. You'll have the last word, bur no longer have the power to speak first." So from that moment on, Beautiful Echo was hardly able to hold a conversation because she could only repeat the last words of those around her. She became very embarrassed and hid herself deep in the woods.

One day a handsome young man called Narcissus came into the woods. He had been hunting deer and lost his way. However, the moment Echo saw him, she fell in love with him. She followed him, wishing to tell him but unable to begin a conversation. Oh, how she wished she could speak first. Unfortunately, Narcissus was far too busy worrying about where his companions might be and how he could find his way home.

Eventually Narcissus, with Echo following behind along, came to a pool of water in the middle of the woods. Feeling thirsty, Narcissus bent down to drink. As he did so, he saw a beautiful creature in the water staring up at him. He immediately bent over and said to him, "I love you!" Echo, nearby, and seeing her chance, immediately responded ".... I love you!" But it was too late. Narcissus was already in love, with himself.

The stranger seemed to rise up closer to Narcissus who was so involved that he entirely failed to notice Echo. "I want to stay and look at this beautiful sight forever," he whispered dreamily to himself."... Forever," repeated Echo sadly. "Come here," called Narcissus to his reflection as he moved his head and the creature seemed to move away. "...Here." responded Echo. Narcissus bent back down to see his reflection more clearly. "So beautiful! I've never seen anything so beautiful!" "....So beautiful!" responded Echo truthfully.

Narcissus remained by the water refusing all Echo's silent offers of food and drink until he died. Where he had been, a flower grew in his place, as beautiful as Narcissus himself. As for Echo, from that time forward, she also didn't eat or drink till she turned to rocks and all that was left was her voice. Even now you can still hear Echo trying to attract Narcissus' attention by repeating his words and still see Narcissus as a beautiful flower growing near a pool.

Question: What is a notable characteristic of Narcissus?

Context: A notable characteristic of Narcissus is that he is handsome.


Tony Hawken, 57, is divorcing his wife Xiu Li, 51, Britain's wealthiest woman entrepreneur , because he says he doesn't like being rich and is 'not in the habit' of spending lots of money.

The pair traded up their semi-detached home in South Norwood, London, and bought a PS1.5million house in Surrey.

Li, who is now worth $1.2billion (PS700million) according to Forbes, quickly settled into a life which included sipping a PS900 bottle of wine on a luxurious yacht.

However, Mr Hawken says he felt more comfortable getting lunch in his local Wetherspoon's.

Despite his sudden wealth he continued to buy books from charity shops, and _ dear clothes.

In an interview with The Times, he said: 'I think it made me uncomfortable because I'm not in the habit, I don't like spending lots of money -- I've been brought up that way.

'Until recently I was never a wealthy person. I've been moderately comfortable because I have been careful with my money.'

Now the couple have decided to part, Mr Hawken will walk away with just PS1million, but says it will be enough for him.

He added: 'I have got a settlement which is not great, but it's enough for me because I don't have an extravagant lifestyle. I won't have to work if I'm careful.'

On a recent trip to China, Mr Hawken said his wife took him on a yacht and treated him to a PS900 bottle of wine, but he prefers his local Wetherspoon pub.

'I'm getting a little pay when you consider her potential wealth, but I don't really want to fight it.'

Mr Hawken met Li on a blind date while he was still a teacher and she was studying English.

The couple married, but as Li's business took off the couple spent more and more time apart. Mr Hawken says the couple have spent most of the relationship apart.

Far from driving them apart, Mr Hawken believes the distance kept them together, and says they would have divorced a long time ago if they were under the same roof.

Mr Hawken says his only regret is not getting a divorce sooner, but he didn't push for it over fears it would affect the couple's teenage son William, now 17.

Mr Hawken no longer teaches full-time, but instead gives free tuition to under-privileged children.

Question: According to Forbes, who is Xiu Li's husband and what is their current marital status?

Context: Xiu Li's husband is Tony Hawken, and he is currently divorcing her.


He's out there somewhere, an instant icon in the records of American conflict, the final big-game hunter. But a puzzle, too, his identity would be kept a secret for now, and maybe forever.

He is the unknown shooter. The nameless, faceless triggerman who put a bullet in the head of the world's most notorious terrorist, Bin Laden.

He's likely between the ages of 26 and 33, says Marcinko, founder of the "SEALs Team 6" that many believe led the attack on Bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan. He'll be old enough to have had time to hurdle the extra training tests required to join the counter-terrorism unit, yet young enough to stand the body-punishing harshness of the job. The shooter's a man, it's safe to say, because there are no women in the SEALs. And there's a good chance he's white, though the SEALs have stepped up efforts to increase the number of minorities in their ranks, Marcinko and Smith say.

He was probably a high school or college athlete, Smith says, a physical specimen who combines strength, speed and wisdom. "They call themselves 'tactical athletes,'" says Smith, who works with many future SEALs in his Heroes of Tomorrow training program in Severna Park. "It's getting very scientific."

Marcinko puts it in more conventional terms: "He'll be ripped," says the author of the best-selling autobiography "Rogue Warrior.""He's got a lot of upper-body strength. Long arms. Thin waist. Flat stomach."

On this point, Greitens departs a bit. "You can't make a lot of physical assumptions," says the author of "The Heart and the Fist: The Education of a Humanitarian, the Making of a Navy SEAL." There are SEALs who are 5 feet 4 and SEALs who are 6 feet 5, Greitens says. In his training group, he adds, there were college football boys who couldn't hack it; those who survived were most often men in good shape, but they also had a willingness to show their concerns in favor of the mission.

The shooter's probably not the crew-cut , neatly shaven ideal we've come to expect from American fighting forces. "He's bearded, rough-looking, like a street naughty boy," Marcinko supposes. "You don't want to stick out." Marcinko calls it "modified grooming standards."

His hands will be calloused , Smith says, or just rough enough," as Marcinko puts it. And "he's got frag in him somewhere," Marcinko says, using the battlefield shorthand for "fragments" of bullets or explosive devices. This will not have been the shooter's first adventure. Marcinko estimates that he might have made a dozen or more deployments , tours when he was likely to have dealt with quite a number of dangerous situations, getting ready any time for explosive devices or bullets.

Question: Who is the author of the book 'The Heart And The Fist: The Education Of A Humanitarian, The Making Of A Navy Seal'?

Context: Greitens is the author of 'The Heart And The Fist: The Education Of A Humanitarian, The Making Of A Navy Seal'.

(Greitens)-[AUTHOR_OF]->(The Heart And The Fist: The Education Of A Humanitarian, The Making Of A Navy Seal)


The Armenian language (classical: ; reformed: "") occupies an independent branch of the Indo-European language tree. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh. It has historically been spoken throughout the Armenian Highlands and today is widely spoken in the Armenian diaspora. Armenian is written using the Armenian alphabet, introduced in 405 AD by Mesrop Mashtots.

Armenian has developed since the separation from Indo-European mother tongue in the third millennium BCE to at least the time of the first Armenian dynasty (the Yervanduni dynasty, founded in the 6th century BCE). Hellenistic influences during the Artashesian Dynasty (2nd century BCE to 1st century CE) led to word borrowings from Greek and Latin. As the state language of the Arshakuni dynasty of Armenia (1st to 5th century CE) was Parthian, a large portion of Armenian vocabulary has been formed from Parthian borrowings. The earliest extant form of written Armenian is from the 5th century and is known as Classical Armenian (5th to 11th century); translations of the Bible and other religious texts during this period led to extensive word borrowings from Hebrew and Syriac. Middle Armenian (12th to 15th century) began with the establishment of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia in the 12th century and is marked by an increased influence of European languages on Armenian, particularly Old French (which had become the secondary language of the Cilician nobility) and Italian (which had become the secondary language of Cilician commerce). Middle Armenian is the first written form of Armenian to display Western-type voicing qualities. Early Modern Armenian (16th to 18th centuries) is a mix of Middle Armenian and an evolving, non-standardized literary Modern Armenian (in Constantinople, Venice, the Ararat plain, and the Persian Armenian communities, particularly New Julfa). As Armenian communities were spread across a large geographic area during this period, early Modern Armenian was influenced by the languages of host societies, with loan words being borrowed from Arabic, Turkish, Persian, Georgian, Latin, Greek, Italian, French, German, Polish, Hungarian, and Russian.

Question: For the translation of which major religious text was Classical Armenian utilized?

Context: Classical Armenian was utilized for the translation of the Bible.


The Internet has greatly changed the way people communicate. But some teachers think the changes are not all for the better.

Eleanor Johnson, an English professor, thinks that text messaging has made students believe that it is far more acceptable than it actually is to just make terrible spelling and grammatical errors. And she says her students over the past several years have increasingly used less formal English in their writing. Words and phrases like "guy" and "you know" now appear in research papers.

Professor Johnson supposes there is a strong relationship between the rise of informal online communication and an increase in writing mistakes. But she says there may not be much scientific information, at least not yet.

David Crystal, a British linguist , says the actively changing nature of the Internet makes it difficult to keep up-to-date in studying its effects. But he believes its influence on language is small. The main effect of the Internet on language is the way it has added to the expressive richness of language, providing language with a new set of communicative tools that haven't existed in the past.

Erin Jansen is founder of NetLingo.com, an online dictionary of the Internet and text messaging terms. She says the new technology has not changed existing language but has greatly added to its vocabulary. Basically it's freedom of expression.

And what about those teachers who find these new kinds of mistakes in spelling and grammar in their students' work? What is her message to them?

Erin Jansen said, "I am always on the students' side and won't get angry or upset about that. If it's helping the kids write more or communicate more, that's great. That's what teachers and educators want--to get kids communicating."

But Erin Jansen and David Crystal agree with Eleanor Johnson on at least one thing. Teachers need to make sure students understand the uses and rules of language.

Question: How did the Internet impact the expressive richness of language?

Context: The Internet added to the expressive richness of language.


Garry Golden is a futurist. Futurists are scientists who analyze the way the world is today and use that information.to predict what the world will be like in the future. Golden focuses on the study of transportation. He spends his days studying the relationships between cars, subways, and trains. But he's most excited about imagining the way these relationships will change in the future. Many public transportation supporters dislike big cities because they spend hours driving from one side of the city to the other. And there aren't enough buses and. subways. However, Golden sees a trend toward fewer cars' in the future. He explains, "Cities have a cost of car ownership, which is a challenge. All these vehicles cost the city in services, in having to repair roads and other things. "Cars also take up a lot of space. Golden points out that having so many parking spaces is wasteful. Much of the time the parking spaces sit empty. What is the solution?"I think cities will make new laws to limit the number of cars people can have ," says Golden. "Instead, people will use taxis, subways, and buses. New technology, like smartphones, can make these forms of public transportation even better. Imagine if everyone had a smartphone and used them to signal when they wanted to ride the bus. Buses could change their route to meet people's requests." How soon would these changes come? Golden admits that it will take several years. Cities can be slow to change. Also, new systems of transportation can be expensive. "But it's coming," he says. "The trend of the empowered city will be here soon. " The other trend that excites Golden is electric cars. Golden especially believes in the future of electric cars that have sensors to understand the world around them. "If we have cars that can communicate with one another, they can adjust speeds to cut down on traffic jams,"he says. Rush hour in big cities would be much less painful. One challenge is that it is hard to cheaply produce batteries that are strong enough for these cars. But Golden argues we could, also make cars out of strong plastic composites . The cars would then be much lighter and much cheaper to make. Golden remains positive about the future. "There are so many exciting developments ,"he says. "In thirty years we will live a different world. "

Question: What is he?

Context: Garry Golden is a Futurist. A Futurist is a Scientist.

(Futurist)-[is a]->(Scientist) || (Garry Golden)-[is a]->(Futurist)


CHAPTER XI

Thus William Wetherell became established in Coniston, and was started at last--poor man--upon a life that was fairly tranquil. Lem Hallowell had once covered him with blushes by unfolding a newspaper in the store and reading an editorial beginning: "We publish today a new and attractive feature of the Guardian, a weekly contribution from a correspondent whose modesty is to be compared only with his genius as a writer. We are confident that the readers of our Raper will appreciate the letter in another column signed 'W. W.'" And from that day William was accorded much of the deference due to a litterateur which the fates had hitherto denied him. Indeed, during the six years which we are about to skip over so lightly, he became a marked man in Coniston, and it was voted in towns meeting that he be intrusted with that most important of literary labors, the Town History of Coniston.

During this period, too, there sprang up the strangest of intimacies between him and Jethro Bass. Surely no more dissimilar men than these have ever been friends, and that the friendship was sometimes misjudged was one of the clouds on William Wetherell's horizon. As the years went on he was still unable to pay off the mortgage; and sometimes, indeed, he could not even meet the interest, in spite of the princely sum he received from Mr. Willard of the Guardian. This was one of the clouds on Jethro's horizon, too, if men had but known it, and he took such moneys as Wetherell insisted upon giving him grudgingly enough. It is needless to say that he refrained from making use of Mr. Wetherell politically, although no poorer vessel for political purposes was ever constructed. It is quite as needless to say, perhaps, that Chester Perkins never got to be Chairman of the Board of Selectmen.

Question: Who is he a friend of?

Context: William Wetherell is a friend of Jethro Bass. Jethro Bass is a friend of William Wetherell.

(William Wetherell)-[friend of]->(Jethro Bass) || (Jethro Bass)-[friend of]->(William Wetherell)


CHAPTER XXIII. Anne Comes to Grief in an Affair of Honor

Anne had to live through more than two weeks, as it happened. Almost a month having elapsed since the liniment cake episode, it was high time for her to get into fresh trouble of some sort, little mistakes, such as absentmindedly emptying a pan of skim milk into a basket of yarn balls in the pantry instead of into the pigs' bucket, and walking clean over the edge of the log bridge into the brook while wrapped in imaginative reverie, not really being worth counting.

A week after the tea at the manse Diana Barry gave a party.

"Small and select," Anne assured Marilla. "Just the girls in our class."

They had a very good time and nothing untoward happened until after tea, when they found themselves in the Barry garden, a little tired of all their games and ripe for any enticing form of mischief which might present itself. This presently took the form of "daring."

Daring was the fashionable amusement among the Avonlea small fry just then. It had begun among the boys, but soon spread to the girls, and all the silly things that were done in Avonlea that summer because the doers thereof were "dared" to do them would fill a book by themselves.

First of all Carrie Sloane dared Ruby Gillis to climb to a certain point in the huge old willow tree before the front door; which Ruby Gillis, albeit in mortal dread of the fat green caterpillars with which said tree was infested and with the fear of her mother before her eyes if she should tear her new muslin dress, nimbly did, to the discomfiture of the aforesaid Carrie Sloane. Then Josie Pye dared Jane Andrews to hop on her left leg around the garden without stopping once or putting her right foot to the ground; which Jane Andrews gamely tried to do, but gave out at the third corner and had to confess herself defeated.

Question: What is considered fashionable in Avonlea?

Context: Daring is considered fashionable in Avonlea.