text:
The phone vibrates in Brian’s lap and, taking his hand off the wheel, he reaches for it only to knock it unceremoniously between the center console and the driver’s seat, where he sat in the late model gold Toyota on his way to pick up his roommate from work.

“Fuck my life,” Brian mumbles under his breath, wiping the cold snot lining his nostrils across the arm of the long-sleeved shirt he’s been wearing for the past three days.  Actually, who can count?  He may well have been wearing it the whole week.

He reaches down to the power cord plugged into the cigarette lighter, wanting to fish the slippery phone out from no-hands’ land and, attempting to stifle a sneeze, pulls the plug right out from the back of the phone which falls back into the abyss with a taunting “cli-clack”.

The decoupling causes a sudden give in the taught cable and sends him into a rage.  He pulls the plug out of the dash and proceeds to whip himself on his bare calf with the cable.

“Awrrghhh,” he whines, rearing back with the cable to strike himself again.

“Yea, take it bitch,” he commands of himself, a slight smile appearing just above what might have been a five o’clock shadow at five o’clock some four days ago.

“It hurts so good, doesn’t it?  You fucking weirdo.”

His legs, previous poster-children of restless leg syndrome, temporarily stop their rapid shaking as he rubs the red strip slowly rising up in his pale skin.  He grabs some of the ginger hair that keeps his legs from being mistaken for exsanguinated corpse flesh and twists it hard one time before rearing back with the green USB cable.  He bears down with the cable again, harder this time and lets out a yelp, seemingly of pain, but the look on his face, that silly crooked smile of someone who is truly losing it, says otherwise.  The hierarchy of pain is an odd thing, but Brian has learned to take advantage of it during these times of withdrawal.

“Moments ago I hurt everywhere.  Now I just hurt right here,” he thinks to himself, rubbing the red strip of raised flesh, trying to convince himself that he’s not some masochistic lunatic.

These symptoms happen whenever Brian goes more than 24 hours without his almighty cure-all, his heroine: heroin.  He’s already spent all the money that he so slickly conned out of his aunt on his insatiable habit and is now rushing to pick up his roommate, the wonderful Sandra, who very well may want to send him on a sketchy mission to procure more of the holy substance.  She would undoubtedly share with him, just as he had with her.  To be quite honest though, she’s carried much more of the burden in this relationship than he.  This fact makes him want to escape from the reality of it all the more.

He hits the cruise control, pulls forward on the seat belt and, like a contortionist, reaches his hand around the back of and underneath the driver’s seat, retrieving the elusive phone with his finger tips.  He pulls it into view, corrects the course of the vehicle with his knee on the wheel, narrowly missing the back end of an 18-wheeler, and reads the offending message from Sandra: “I’ve got an emergency faculty meeting and won’t need you to pick me up for at least another hour.  Why don't you go pick up new points at the pharmacy?  We’ll get well after I get off.”

“Son of a bitch,” Brian whines, thinking about the eternity that another hour of this torture will feel like.
He thinks about the difficulty of picking up new insulin syringes, what Sandra referred to as “points.”

This requires him to walk up to the pharmacy counter and act like a straight, up-standing citizen who suffers from diabetes, a simple enough task under normal circumstances, but far more difficult when sweating profusely and actively experiencing the paradoxical relief of the inflicted pain of USB cables and mini-Indian burns.

Brian would very much like both to “get off” and to “get well,” however, so he plugs “Walgreen's” into the phone to receive GPS directions to the nearest one.  There is one just two blocks further down from where he was heading already, passed Sandra’s work.  He starts taking deeper breathes, trying to calm down, and takes some Axe body spray out of the center console.  He sprays himself across the chest and under his arms, hoping that the clean smell will deter any upstanding citizen from seeing the truth of his deplorable circumstances.

The sudden smell tickles his nose and sends him into another sneezing spell.  To sneeze eight times in a row and not crash the car is no small feat, but his pride is short-lived as a cramping pain in his bowels causes him to almost double over in his seat.  A sound like a bubbling oil pool emanates from and rumbles his whole torso.  He scantly wishes for death, an end to all this needless, self-induced suffering.  He slams on the brakes, noticing the light ahead is red, but he slides too far into the intersection.  He sees the flash of the red light cameras snapping a picture of the license plate.

“God dammit!  Sandra is going to kill me,” Brian said aloud.  The car he’s driving is Sandra’s and she would be responsible for that ticket.  He has already got her a ticket once before.

“I am the worst friend ever.  I really think people would be better off if I were dead.”

The light turns green and Brian pulls forward and into the Walgreen's.  He gets out of the car and into the store, walking towards the pharmacy.  He tries to go into the men’s room but the door is locked.  He bumps into a lanky man of about six feet with a large black trench coat on in spite of the extreme heat outside.  He shoves Brian a little bit forward, saying “Watch it, ass hole.”

Brian, needing more than anything to empty his bowels, calls out “Sorry,” as he passes by him en-route to the counter waving a hand up in apology without looking back.  He asks the pharmacist quickly for the keys to the bathroom, trying not to look as desperate as he truly was.  The long-haired Indian woman with a ruby bindi in her third-eye smiles and reaches into her lab coat pocket and shifts around inside.  She pulls out the keys and slides them jingling across the counter toward Brian’s outstretched, grateful hands.  He thanks her and quickly makes his way into the restroom.  He has no time to be concerned with putting the sanitary covers over the seat and, only slightly grossed out, drops his trousers and sits immediately on the unsuspecting toilet.  He lets out a small wail of simultaneous pain and relief in accompaniment to the sound of a bucket splashing into a lake which emanates up from between and beneath his legs.

He sits there, almost out of breath, but feeling very relieved.  He hears two loud banging noises through the bathroom door.  “Someone’s shitty car must be back-firing in the parking lot,” he thinks to himself.  He takes another few minutes on the commode to ensure the anal onslaught is over, and satisfied that it is, cleans himself up, washes his hands and face in the sink and dries up in the ridiculous blower attached to the wall, its jet engine drowning everything out, and echoing all over the tile bathroom.

He turns back to find where he set the keys to the bathroom and heads out to the pharmacy counter, ready at last to try and social engineer his way to some new points.  He opens the door and makes his way to the counter.

“Holy shit,” Brian thinks to himself as he notices the cash register lying on its side at the foot of the counter.  Bottles lay all around it and a large metal cabinet, usually locked until the pharmacist accesses its contents, lays open at a 45 degree angle tipped over the counter.  He looks around but there is not a single worker in sight.  He rushes over and notices that all the bottles strewn across the counter and floor are controlled substances: narcotics!

“Holy shit!  Don’t mind if I do,” he says to himself, grabbing a shopping bag and filling it with all of the bottles he could grab.  Oxycontin, roxicodone, meperidine, demerol, dilaudid, morphine, methadone, some fentanyl transdermal patches, and a few other things that even his street pharmacist brain had never heard of were all thrown in the bag.

Just when he was finishing up looting all the bottles on his side of counter, he leans over to see if he missed anything.  On the floor just on the other side lay the long-haired Indian pharmacist, breathing shallowly and holding a wound on her neck, blood pouring out between her fingers.  Brian immediately loops the pharmacopoeia over his sweaty, bony shoulders and jumps over the counter, grabs a spare lab coat hanging nearby and rushes to the pharmacist, immediately applying pressure with the coat.  It quickly soaks through with the blood spewing from her neck.  Her eyes look glossy and are wide with terror as she squeezes on Brian’s bicep as though she believes that if she could just hold on to this sickly junkie, the rushing darkness would not overcome her.  All would be well and she could be tricked by Brian into selling him the works he came for.

Brian quickly ascertains that this poor woman is lost to the world.  Should he hold on with her till the bitter end, or should he break away with enough drugs to sate his thirst for at least a month?  As he makes his decision a rookie police officer rushes into the pharmacy,  his Glock 9mm pistol drawn.  He sees the woman bleeding out, clutching at Brian’s arm, as he lurks over her, holding her neck with a bag full of stolen drugs slung over his shoulder.  He fires a single shot straight into the back of Brian’s head.  Brian’s face explodes into the Indian pharmacist’s dead eyes, her bindi lost in the dots of scarlet spraying her face.

“Police!” shouts the rookie officer.

title: [MF] Drugstore Detour

question: What does the story say about murderers?

answer: The long-haired Indian woman at the pharmacy is presumably killed by the man in the large black trench coat, who inflicted a neck wound. Brian is then murdered by the rookie officer, who shoots him in the back of the head due to a misunderstanding.

question: What does the story say about drugs?

answer: Brian is addicted to heroin. He and his roommmate Sandra share their drugs with each other. He goes to the pharmacy to get some insuling syringes to use for his drug habits. After the pharmacy is robbed, Brian finds bottles of narcotics strewn across the counter. He grabs as much of the drugs as he can and throws them into a bag.

question: What does the story say about the man in the trenchcoat's motivation for robbing the pharmacy?


split: test

text:
A whistle-blower has told police in France that Prince Andrew had been a regular visitor to billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein's £7million apartment in Paris.

Detectives in the French city are now probing reports that the Queen's son was often at the property.

It comes as the apartment was raided last week, with officers having discovered a custom-made massage parlour where Epstein and his friends are alleged to have raped their victims.

Now a key witness has claimed that he spotted Prince Andrew at the building on more than one occasion.

It has been claimed that Prince Andrew (left) visited Jeffrey Epstein's Paris apartment on more than one occasion  (Epstein, right)

The apartment building (above) owned by Epstein is thought to have hosted parties for businessmen and politicians

Speaking to The Sun, the source, who cannot be named for legal reasons said: 'Prince Andrew stayed at the address a number of times including when Epstein was not there.'

The paper also reported that the Duke is expected to avoid travelling to the country while the probe is ongoing.

The Paris apartment is said to have been used to entertain guests from politicians, businessmen and models.

It comes as the Duke of York could become further engulfed in the Epstein scandal, after police in the US seek to talk to alleged victims of the late American billionaire.

The US law enforcement agency expects to interview alleged trafficking victims over the next two months, and Scotland Yard is ready to assist.

The FBI are said to be looking to 'several' potential victims in the hope that they can provide more detail.

The report quotes former head of royal protection at Scotland Yard, Dai Davies, saying a full investigation would be in Prince Andrew's best interests.

'I would have thought it's in Prince Andrew's interests to clear this matter up,' Mr Davies, who headed Prince Andrew's protection in the late 1990s, told The Sunday Times.

Virginia Roberts Giuffre (centre aged 17) claimed in a lawsuit dropped in 2015 that she was forced to have sex with the Duke of York (left) at the London home of Ghislaine Maxwell (right)

This is while witnesses in the ongoing French inquiry include 'sex slave' Virginia Roberts', who has appeared on camera, claiming that she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was just 17.

The claims have always been denied by Prince Andrew, however Miss Roberts has said she is prepared to testify against him in court and said he was an 'abuser and participant' in a worldwide sex trafficking ring.

It is claimed that the sex trafficking ring also included 12-year-old twin girls that had been 'recruited' in Paris.

The identities of the youngsters have been withheld but it is thought that they had been sent to the US for Epstein to abuse – while other girls were attacked in Paris.

The whistle-blower has been the caretaker of the Avenue Foch apartment since the early 2000s.

Epstein was jailed in the US in 2008 for over a year, however, it is not clear when the whistle-blower's allegation relate to.

Also speaking to the Sun, an investigating source said: 'The apartment was searched from top to bottom, and everybody who was associated with (Epstein) will now need to be spoken to.

'Those regularly in residence in the Foch property included politicians, business people and plenty of young models and masseurs, who ended up being raped.'

He added that guests also included Epstein's girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who has denied any criminal behaviour.

It was also reported this week that guests at the apartment had included people such as Bill and Melinda Gates.

Alleged ties: Jeffrey Epstein's butler Gabriel said Bill and Melinda Gates had visited the pedophile's Paris apartment (couple above in February)

Epstein's former Butler, known as Gabriel, who worked there for 18-years, said that Prince Andrew, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Steve Bannon were also guests at the residence - as were a number of 'very young, very thin and very tall girls'.

Those girls, who he said in recent years all looked to be of age, were kept separate from the other guests at all times according to Gabriel.

Andrew has previously said in a statement: 'At no stage during the limited time I spent with him (Epstein) did I see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction.'

Buckingham Palace could not be reached for comment this morning.

JEFFREY EPSTEIN'S UNDOING: A TIMELINE OF THE MILLIONAIRE PEDOPHILE'S DOWNFALL

1999 - Virginia Roberts Giuffre is allegedly recruited by Ghislaine Maxwell to became Epstein's 'sex slave,' at 17. She also claimed that he forced her to have sex with his friend Prince Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth.

2002 - Trump tells New York Magazine that his friend Epstein 'likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.'

2005 - A 14-year-old girl tells police that Epstein molested her at his Palm Beach mansion.

May 2006 - Epstein and two of his associates are charged with multiple counts of unlawful sex acts with a minor. State attorney of the time Barry Krischer, referred the case to a grand jury who heard from just two of the 12 girls law enforcement had gathered as potential witnesses. They returned just one single count of soliciting prostitution.

July 2006 - The case is referred to the FBI by the Florida Palm Beach police who were unhappy with how the case was handled.

2007 - Epstein's lawyers meet with Miami's top federal prosecutor Alexander Acosta, who would later become the Secretary of Labor in the Trump administration. They secretly negotiate the 'deal of a lifetime'.

June 2008 - After pleading guilty to two prostitution charges, the millionaire was sentenced to 18 months in a low-security prison in exchange for prosecutors ending their investigation into his sex acts with minors and give him immunity from future prosecution related to those charges. In reality, Epstein was able to work from his office six days a week while supposedly incarcerated at the jail.

July 2008 - Accusers learned of the deal for the first time.

July 2009 - Epstein is released from jail five months early.

July 2018 - The Miami Herald publishes investigative journalist Julie K. Brown's exposé on Epstein's long history of alleged sexual abuse and news of the 'deal of a lifetime' after Acosta was made Labor Secretary.

February 2019 - The justice department opens an internal review into Epstein's plea deal.

July 7, 2019 - Epstein is arrested after his private jet lands at New Jersey's Teterboro Airport from Paris. At the same time, federal agents break into his Manhattan townhouse where they uncovered hundreds of photographs of naked minors.

July 8, 2019 - Epstein is charged with sex trafficking charges which detail how he created a network of underage girls in Florida and New York, paying girls as young as 14 to provide 'massages and sex acts.' The charges carry a sentence of up to 45 years in prison.

July 11, 2019 - More than a dozen women, not previously known to law enforcement, came forward to accuse him of sex abuse.

July 24 - Epstein was found unconscious in his cell after an apparent suicide attempt. He was moved to suicide watch at the Metropolitan Correctional Center.

August 9, 2019 - More than 2,000 documents are unsealed which reveal the lurid allegations against Epstein in detail.

August 10, 2019 - Epstein is found dead in his cell.

question: Who is Jeffrey Epstein?

answer: He is a notorious billionaire pedophile and rapist who plead guilty to two prostitution charges via "the deal of a lifetime" he got from prosecutors in 2008. He was later charged with sex trafficking in July 2019 and found dead in his cell in August 2019.

question: Who is being probed as a regular visitor to Jeffrey Epstein's Paris apartment?

answer: The Queen's son, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York.

question: Who is the whistle-blower that implicated Prince Andrew and how is he related to Epstein?

answer: Gabriel, Epstein's former butler of 18 years and caretaker of the Foch apartment in Paris.

question: What did the investigating source say about Epstein's Foch property?

answer: The source claims that Epstein's guests at the Foch property included politicians and businesspeople. There were also plenty of young models and masseurs, who ended up being raped.

question: Write a ~8 sentence summary.

answer: Billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's former butler of 18 years and the caretaker of his Foch apartment in Paris, Gabriel, has blown the whistle on Prince Andrew, the Duke of York. Gabriel claims that Prince Andrew was a frequent visitor to Epstein's apartment in Paris, which was raided by the French police last week. Detectives discovered a custom-made massage parlor where Epstein and his friends are alleged to have raped their victims. The apartment hosted businessmen, politicians, and other powerful people. Gabriel claims there were always young models and masseuses at the apartment during parties, and they always ended up getting raped. Several women have come forward accusing the Duke of York of raping them. Prince Andrew has denied seeing any underage girls in the apartment and denies any wrongdoing. Epstein was finally charged with sex trafficking in July 2019 and was found dead in his cell a month later.


text:
A MONOLINGUAL LEARNER'S DICTIONARY (MLD) is designed to meet the reference needs of people learning a foreign language. MLDs are based on the premise that language-learners should progress from a bilingual dictionary to a monolingual one as they become more proficient in their target language, but that general-purpose dictionaries (aimed at native speakers) are inappropriate for their needs. Dictionaries for learners include information on grammar, usage, common errors, collocation, and pragmatics, which is largely missing from standard dictionaries, because native speakers tend to know these aspects of language intuitively. And while the definitions in standard dictionaries are often written in difficult language, those in an MLD use a simple and accessible defining vocabulary.

History of English language MLDs

The first English MLD, published in 1935, was the _New Method English Dictionary_ by Michael West and James Endicott, a small dictionary using a restricted defining vocabulary of just 1490 words. Since the end of World War Two, global sales of the MLD have run into the tens of millions, reflecting the boom in the English language teaching industry.

Probably the best-known English monolingual dictionary for advanced learners is the _Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary_, now in its ninth edition. It was originally published in Japan in 1942 as _The Idiomatic and Syntactic Dictionary of English_, written by A. S. Hornby and two collaborators. It was subsequently republished as _A Learner's Dictionary of Current English_ in 1948, before acquiring its current name.

Other publishers gradually entered the market. The _Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English_ was published in 1978, and its most striking feature was the use of a restricted defining vocabulary, which is now a standard feature of learners' dictionaries. There are currently six major MLDs for advanced learners. In addition to the Oxford and Longman dictionaries, these are:

-   _Collins Cobuild English Dictionary_, first published in 1987
-   _Cambridge International Dictionary of English_, 1995, now published as the _Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary_
-   _Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners_, 2002
-   _Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's English Dictionary_, 2008

All of these dictionaries are available in hard copy and online.

Since the 1980s, the English MLD has, arguably, been the most innovative area in the field of lexicography, in terms of both the way dictionaries are written and the aspects of language which dictionaries describe, in particular the use of software in combination with text corpora to:

-   generate language description - a radical innovation which was introduced by the COBUILD project in the 1980s[1]
-   automate the dictionary-making process[2]
-   identify collocations[3]

MLDs were among the first dictionaries to appear on CD-ROM, with the _Longman Interactive English Dictionary_ leading the way in 1993.[4] More recently the six MLDs listed above have become available in free online versions.

MLDs have been the subject of research into how people use dictionaries,[5] as well as the subject of scholarly work.[6][7] A standard book on the subject is Cowie 1999.[8]

Online dictionaries

The Internet offers a range of online dictionary resources. Some, like the Open Dictionary of English, are explicitly designed as learner's dictionaries, and may even include built-in, adaptive tutoring.

[1] Sinclair, J.M. (Ed.), _Looking Up: an account of the COBUILD project_, Collins, 1987

[2] Rundell, M. and Kilgarriff, A., 'Automating the creation of dictionaries: where will it all end?', in Meunier F., De Cock S., Gilquin G. and Paquot M. (Eds), _A Taste for Corpora. A tribute to Professor Sylviane Granger_. Benjamins, 2011

[3] Kilgarriff, A. & Rundell, M. Lexical profiling software and its lexicographic applications – a case study. In Braasch and Povlsen (Eds.) _Proceedings of the Tenth Euralex Congress_, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. 2004, 807–818.

[4] Nesi, H., 'Dictionaries in electronic form', in Cowie, A.P. (Ed.), _The Oxford History of English Lexicography_, Oxford University Press 2009: 458–478

[5] Lew, R., Introduction to Special Issue on Dictionary Use, _International Journal of Lexicography_, 24/1, 2011: 1–4

[6] Rundell, M., 'Recent trends in English pedagogical lexicography', _International Journal of Lexicography_, 11/4, 1998: 315–342

[7] Bejoint, H., _The Lexicography of English_. Oxford University Press, 2010: 163–200

[8] Cowie, A.P., _English Dictionaries for Foreign Learners_, Oxford University Press 1999

title: Monolingual learner's dictionary

question: What is the purpose of a monolingual dictionary?

answer: A monoligual learner's dictionary MLD is designed to meet the reference needs of foreign language learners who should progress from a bilingual to a monolingual dictionary as they learn the new language. General-purpose dictionaries used by first language speakers are inappropriate since they don't contain essential information such as collocations, common errors, and usage.


text:
In an essay titled "Inerrancy as Inheritance: Competing Genealogies of Biblical Authority," Published in a book titled _Evangelicals and Scripture: Tradition, Authority and Hermeneutics_, a collection of essays by various authors, Dr. Thomas Buchan, Associate Professor of Church History at Nashotah House Theological Seminary reviews the late Dr. Harold Lindsell's _The Battle for the Bible_, Dr. Jack Rogers and Dr. Donald McKim's _The Authority and Interpretation of the Bible: An Historical Approach_, and Dr. John Woodbridge's _Biblical Authority: A Critique of the Rogers/McKim Proposal_. In this essay, Dr Buchan notes, that Lindsell, Rogers and McKim all agree that the doctrines of biblical inerrancy were not meaningfully discussed or engaged with by theologians until after the 19th centry.

  Lindsell's work, in my opinion, correctly identified the fact that the issue of biblical inerrancy did not become a matter of contention until the nineteenth and twentieth centrues.

  ...

  Rogers and McKim argued correctly that biblical inerrancy as he conceived of it could not be found in the earlier periods of church history.

Dr. Buchan goes on to note:

  These three works sought to settle the question of the status of biblical inerrancy as the authentically evangelical doctrine of Scripture by means of accounting for its historical lineage. Our consideration of them ,however, raises another question: does the project of writing the history of biblical authority need to be re-envisioned? We must face the possibility that Lindsell was right when he observed that the inerrancy of the bible has only become a controversial issue within the recent history of the church. If this is so, we ought not be surprised if we fail to find inerrancy as it has been articulated in the twentieth-century evangelicalism in the theology of the patristic, medieval or Reformation periods.

And concludes by saying,

  None of this rules out a an evangelical commitment to biblical inerrancy as a theology of Scripture, but it does call into question the perceived weight of the claim that an evangelical conception of biblical authority is historically normative.

This is not to say that the doctrine of inerrancy did not exist as an assumed fact by early church fathers, as other answers, like Dick Harfield's have pointed out. The problem is that because the inerrancy of scriptures was assumed, little to no meaningful thought was given to the difference between the original autographs and present manuscripts. The assumption was that there was no difference or only minor topographical errors - errors so minor as to render them essentially meaningless differences. As Mr. Harfield notes:

  Church Fathers up to the time of Augustine were unanimous in considering the scriptures perfect and inerrant, with no apparent thought that the manuscripts known to them differed in any way from the autographs.

Within Jewish circles, there was a belief that scripture was inerrant as early as 200CE (or as late as 500CE) as recorded in the Babylonian Talmud. In _A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ_, author Emil Schürer notes

    "He who says that Moses wrote even one verse of his own knowledge is a denier and despiser of the word of God"³

  The whole Pentateuch was thus now regarded as dictated by God, as prompted by the Spirit of God.⁴ Even the last eight verses of Deuteronomy, in which the death of Moses is related, were said to have been written by Moses himself by means of divine revelation.⁵ Nay at last, the view of a divine dictation was no longer sufficient. The complete book of the law was declared to have been handed to Moses by God, and it was only disputed whether God delivered the whole Thorah to Moses at once or by volumes.⁶

  ³ Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin 99a
  ⁴ See in general, Joh. Delitzsch, _De inspiratione scriptura sacrae quid statuerint patres apostolici et apologetae secundi saeculi_ (Lips, 1872, pp. 4-8, 14-17
  ⁵ _Baba bathra 15a_ (lat. in Marx, _Traditio rabbinorum veterrima de librorum Bet. Test ordine atque arigine_, Lips. 1884, p 23). Philo, _Vita Mosis_ iii. 39 ed Mang. ii 179). Joseph. _anit._ iv. 8 48.
  ⁶ _Gittin_ 60a

Yet despite this, there was still no distinction between the _textis receptus_ and the manuscripts of the time. This was largely due to the belief that not just the written Torah was inerrant, but the oral Torah was also inerrant and supernaturally preserved as well. User [Aaron Shaffier] of the Mi Yodea Stack Exchange explains:

  Maimonides (also know as the Rambam) codifies 13 principles which are basic to Judaism. These principles are pretty much universally accepted as binding in all Orthodox forms of Judaism. Principle number 8 is, "The belief in the divine origin of the Torah." Principle number 9 is, "The belief in the immutability of the Torah."

  This being said, it is important to differentiate between the idea of the Torah being perfect as understood in Judaism and the concept of "Biblical Inerrancy" as understood by many Christian groups.

  Judaism believes that the Torah was revealed in two parts. The written text of the Torah was dictated to Moses exactly as we have it today. Together with this "Written Torah", much additional information about each commandment, as well as a complete system of Torah interpretation was was also given to Moses and passed down through the generations.

  After the destruction of the Second Holy Temple in 70 CE, a process of collecting and recording these teachings was begun. The teachings of the Oral Torah were eventually codified in the Talmud, Midrash, Zohar etc. This process is explained in great detail in the Introduction of the Mishneh Torah by Maimonides.

  This means that according to Judaism, one cannot just read the text of the Written Torah and fully understand what God wants from us. One needs to also consult the teachings of the Oral Torah.

This explanation, which is supported by Dr. Elizabeth Shanks Alexander in her essay "The Orality of Rabbinic Writing" published in _The Cambridge Companion to the Talmud_ and William Gaventa in his book _Jewish Perspectives on Theology and the Human Experience of Disability_ provides an important clue as to why, though church fathers may have mentioned that there could be differences between the manuscripts of the time and the original autographs, this did not rise to the level of being a distinction between the modern manuscript being inerrant and the original autographs being inerrant.

In much the same way that Judaism had a tradition of oral Torah and a system of adjudicating and clarifying apparent errors in the Torah, so too did Catholicism. Should an issue or question regarding the inerrancy the the original autographs vs. the Vulgate, Geneva Bible or King James, one need only look to the Pope for clarification through an encyclical, decretal, Papal Bull, or other such means of issuing church doctrine. This rendered the question of inerrancy and the whole discussion moot and rather silent until it began to stir in 1512 when Desiderius Erasmus began to collect as many variants and copies of the Vulgate as he could in order to publish a Greek and Latin New Testament Critical Text. Shortly thereafter (1645–1707) John Mill collated 82 additional Greek manuscripts into the _Novum Testamentum Graecum, cum lectionibus variantibus MSS._ he reprinted Desiderius Erasmus' original work, but also enumerated 30,000 textual variants. A few years after publication, Daniel Whitby criticized the work of Mill, and in some way it could be said that this was the first inkling of the idea that only the original autographs might be inerrant. About this same time, Richard Simon, a French Catholic Priest who published a work titled _A Critical History of the Old Testament_ in 1682. This work was controversial in the Catholic Church and 1,300 copies of his work were seized and destroyed by royal decree. According to historian Philip Shaff in _Theological Propaedeutic: A General Introduction to the Study of Theology_ IT WAS SIMON WHO WAS FIRST TO MAKE THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE INERRANCY OF THE BIBLE AND THE INERRANCY OF THE ORIGINAL AUTOGRAPHS IN A MEANINGFUL WAY.

It was not until 1881 with the publication of _Inspiration_ by Archibald Hodge and Benjamin B. Warfield, leaders of Princeton Theology that the issue of Biblical inerrancy entered the mind of the theology community, and Warfield and Hodge put forth the doctrine that it was only the original autographs which were inerrant. Only _after_ the topic of inerrancy entered the main stage of theological discussion could the more narrow idea of the inerrancy of the original autographs be put forth and discussed. Though it is obvious that they were not the first, Warfield and Hodges were the most influential in bringing this idea to center stage and it was _Inspiration_ which introduced the topic to the world as we know it today.

This also coincides with the rise of archaeology at the beginning of the 1800s and the Discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered between 1946 and 1956. As we began to discover older manuscripts and were able to compare them, only then were we able to realize just how different the original manuscripts could be from the present day manuscripts, thus bringing into focus the idea and question that it might only be the original autographs which were inerrant.

Software developer Brandon Staggs has an excellent video discussing the topic.

question: What does the text say about Dr. Thomas Buchan's qualifications?

answer: Dr. Thomas Buchan is an Associate Professor of Church History at Nashotah House Theological Seminary.

question: What does the text say about excavations in Jerusalem?

question: What does the text say about the Talmud?

answer: The Talmud is part of the Oral Torah, which is as important as the Written Torah in understanding what God wants, according to Judaism. The belief that scripture was inerrant as early as 200CE or as late as 500CE was recorded in the Babylonian Talmud. Author Emil Schürer cites part of the Talmud (Sanhedrin 99a) that states anyone who says that Moses wrote even one verse on his own is a denier of God.


text:
MONROE COUNTY is a county on the northeast border of the U.S. state of Mississippi next to Alabama. As of the 2010 census, the population was 36,989.[1] Its county seat is Aberdeen.[2]

History

The county is named in honor of James Monroe, fifth President of the United States.[3] Part of the county east of the Tombigbee River originally made-up part of the Alabama Territory, belonging to Marion County, until new lines of demarcation put it in the State of Mississippi in 1821.[4]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.9%) is water.[5]

In 1922, the Commissioner of Agriculture for the county published a report in a local newspaper which described in some detail the soil conditions and agriculture of the county.[6] He described the areas as the Black Lands and the soil as black lime, a “stiff” soil, derived from the Selma chalk formation and extremely rich in potassium and phosphorus.[7]

Flora

Sweet clover is an indigenous wild ground cover in the county.[8]

Major highways

-   [] U.S. Highway 45
-   [] U.S. Highway 278
-   [] Mississippi Highway 6
-   [] Mississippi Highway 8
-   [] Mississippi Highway 25
-   [] Mississippi Highway 145

Adjacent counties

-   Lowndes County (south)
-   Clay County (southwest)
-   Chickasaw County (west)
-   Lee County (northwest)
-   Itawamba County (north)
-   Lamar County, Alabama (east)
-   Marion County, Alabama (northeast)

Demographics

As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 38,014 people, 14,603 households, and 10,660 families residing in the county. The population density was 50 people per square mile (19/km²). There were 16,236 housing units at an average density of 21 per square mile (8/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 68.37% White, 30.77% Black or African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.11% from other races, and 0.47% from two or more races. 0.69% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 14,603 households, out of which 34.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.00% were married couples living together, 17.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.00% were non-families. 24.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.20% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 27.60% from 25 to 44, 22.50% from 45 to 64, and 14.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 89.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,307, and the median income for a family was $36,749. Males had a median income of $30,232 versus $20,411 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,072. About 13.60% of families and 17.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.30% of those under age 18 and 21.70% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

both the largest creamery and the largest hog-feeding plant “in the South” were located in the county.[10]

corn was the most important grain crop grown in the county.[11] Corn was typically planted after the planting and harvest of a crop of clover or oats.[12] At that time, oat crops typically yielded forty to sixty bushels per acre.[13] Other crops grown, either for harvest or pasture, included wheat, rye, barley, rape, cotton, Japan clover.[14] Monroe had the largest acreage devoted to alfalfa production and exported more alfalfa hay than any other county in the state.[15]

Communities

Cities

-   Aberdeen (county seat)
-   Amory

Towns

-   Hatley
-   Nettleton (partly in Lee County)
-   Smithville

Village

-   Gattman

Census-designated places

-   Hamilton
-   New Hamilton

Other unincorporated communities

-   Athens
-   Bartahatchie
-   Becker
-   Bigbee
-   Binford
-   Bristow
-   Central Grove
-   Darracott
-   Flinn
-   Gibson
-   Greenwood Springs
-   Lackey
-   Mormon Springs
-   Muldon
-   Parham
-   Prairie
-   Quincy
-   Riggins
-   Sipsey Fork
-   Splunge
-   Strong
-   Tranquil
-   Westville
-   Wise Gap
-   Wren

Ghost towns

-   Bolivar
-   Camargo
-   Cotton Gin Port

Politics

  Year                               Republican                                   Democratic                                  Third parties
  ---------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- ----------------------------
  style=“text-align:center;” |2016   style=“text-align:center;” |64.0% _10,167_   style=“text-align:center;” |34.8% _5,524_   1.2% _193_
  style=“text-align:center;” |2012   style=“text-align:center;” |57.5% _9,723_    style=“text-align:center;” |41.7% _7,056_   0.8% _139_
  style=“text-align:center;” |2008   style=“text-align:center;” |58.2% _10,184_   style=“text-align:center;” |41.0% _7,169_   0.8% _143_
  style=“text-align:center;” |2004   style=“text-align:center;” |59.5% _9,308_    style=“text-align:center;” |39.9% _6,237_   0.6% _87_
  style=“text-align:center;” |2000   style=“text-align:center;” |55.4% _7,397_    style=“text-align:center;” |43.3% _5,783_   1.4% _180_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1996   style=“text-align:center;” |46.0% _5,206_    style=“text-align:center;” |45.8% _5,184_   8.3% _934_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1992   style=“text-align:center;” |49.0% _5,994_    style=“text-align:center;” |40.4% _4,933_   10.6% _1,297_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1988   style=“text-align:center;” |57.7% _6,447_    style=“text-align:center;” |41.8% _4,669_   0.5% _57_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1984   style=“text-align:center;” |62.3% _7,387_    style=“text-align:center;” |37.4% _4,437_   0.3% _36_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1980   style=“text-align:center;” |39.2% _4,793_    style=“text-align:center;” |57.2% _6,998_   3.7% _448_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1976   style=“text-align:center;” |42.2% _4,737_    style=“text-align:center;” |54.3% _6,097_   3.6% _400_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1972   style=“text-align:center;” |84.1% _7,273_    style=“text-align:center;” |14.8% _1,279_   1.1% _96_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1968   style=“text-align:center;” |11.1% _1,167_    style=“text-align:center;” |14.3% _1,506_   74.6% _7,856_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1964   style=“text-align:center;” |85.1% _5,627_    style=“text-align:center;” |14.9% _985_     style="text-align:center;|
  style=“text-align:center;” |1960   style=“text-align:center;” |28.8% _1,400_    style=“text-align:center;” |39.1% _1,901_   32.1% _1,559_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1956   style=“text-align:center;” |15.3% _705_      style=“text-align:center;” |78.5% _3,630_   6.3% _289_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1952   style=“text-align:center;” |28.8% _1,417_    style=“text-align:center;” |71.3% _3,512_   style="text-align:center;|
  style=“text-align:center;” |1948   style=“text-align:center;” |1.8% _54_        style=“text-align:center;” |21.1% _624_     77.1% _2,281_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1944   style=“text-align:center;” |4.9% _159_       style=“text-align:center;” |95.1% _3,104_   style="text-align:center;|
  style=“text-align:center;” |1940   style=“text-align:center;” |2.8% _94_        style=“text-align:center;” |97.1% _3,263_   0.1% _3_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1936   style=“text-align:center;” |1.7% _55_        style=“text-align:center;” |98.2% _3,199_   0.1% _3_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1932   style=“text-align:center;” |2.3% _82_        style=“text-align:center;” |97.6% _3,448_   0.1% _3_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1928   style=“text-align:center;” |11.0% _376_      style=“text-align:center;” |89.0% _3,033_   style="text-align:center;|
  style=“text-align:center;” |1924   style=“text-align:center;” |4.9% _121_       style=“text-align:center;” |93.8% _2,326_   1.3% _32_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1920   style=“text-align:center;” |6.8% _139_       style=“text-align:center;” |92.5% _1,881_   0.7% _14_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1916   style=“text-align:center;” |4.6% _82_        style=“text-align:center;” |94.6% _1,684_   0.8% _15_
  style=“text-align:center;” |1912   style=“text-align:center;” |1.7% _25_        style=“text-align:center;” |95.8% _1,377_   2.5% _36_

  : PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION RESULTS[16]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4] John M. Allman III (ed.), “An Abbreviated History of Marion County, Ala.”, The Marion County Historical & Genealogical Societies, _Alabama Tracks_ vol. XI #4 1992. See online at:

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

title: Monroe County, Mississippi

question: What does the text say about cities?

answer: The cities Aberdeen and Amory are listed as being part of Monroe County, Mississippi. Aberdeen is the county seat.

question: What does the text say about Kansas?


text:
[A group of turtles sits on a log in a sunny lake.]

Turtles bask in the sun at Jewel Lake in Tilden Regional Park. In the middle, a western pond turtle, one of California’s few native turtles, holds up it’s head, and on the far right sits an invasive red-eared slider turtle, which can be identified by the characteristic red stripe on the side of its head. (Photo by Robin Lopez)

In the summer of 2011, visitors to the University of California, Davis, Arboretum may have witnessed an unusual sight: small teams of students wielding large nets, leaping into the arboretum’s waterway to snag basking turtles.

The students weren’t in search of new pets — quite the opposite, in fact. The teams were part of a massive project to remove hundreds of invasive red-eared slider turtles from the arboretum in an effort to observe how California’s native western pond turtles fare in the absence of competitors.

Red-eared sliders are the most commonly traded pet turtles in the world, but are often released into the wild by disgruntled owners when they get too big to handle. Thanks to illegal dumping, the sliders, which are native to the Central United States and Northeastern Mexico, can now be found all over the world. Their new stomping grounds include California, where they vie for food and sunny basking sites with western pond turtles, whose populations are in rapid decline due to agriculture and urbanization.

The results of the removal study, published recently in the journal _PeerJ_, showed that western pond turtles get a lot fatter and healthier without competition from their invasive brethren — and the remaining sliders likely fair better, too. The study is the first to quantify competition between these two species in the wild.

“I think, finally, we have some good evidence in the United States that it’s time to critically think about not having pet slider turtles, and likely other aquatic turtles, and mitigating this pet trade because it’s not great for the pets, and it’s not great for these wild species either,” said Max Lambert, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, and lead author of the study.

[Two turtles bask on rocks that are covered in a chain-link fence]

A western pond turtle (left) and a red-eared slider (right) sit side by side in the UC Davis Arboretum. (Photo by Max Lambert)

It’s not hard to see why red-eared sliders are the most popular pet turtle in the United States: As hatchlings, sliders are small, friendly and sport striking red stripes on either side of their heads.

But give it a few years, and the once-cute reptiles grow snappy, smelly and can expand to the size of a dinner plate.

“They are so cheap, they are in every single pet store, and they seem like a great pet until they get to be a few years old, and then they get big, mean, smelly and are a pain to take care of,” Lambert said. “So, people just take them to a nearby pond and let them go.”

As an undergraduate studying ecology and conservation at UC Davis, Lambert was curious to know what effect these invasive turtles might be having on western pond turtles, which are currently listed as vulnerable on IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species. While experiments in laboratory settings have hinted that sliders will compete for food with pond turtles, he couldn’t find any data looking at how the two species interact in the wild.

Lambert and five other UC Davis undergraduates teamed up with their faculty adviser, H. Bradley Shaffer, who is a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UCLA, and Gregory Pauly, curator of herpetology at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and senior author of the study, to design the removal experiment.

With the help of volunteers and other UC Davis undergraduates, including Jennifer McKenzie and Robyn Screen, who are co-first authors of the recent publication, the team used turtle traps, nets and, when necessary, their own hands, to remove and euthanize 177 red-eared sliders living in the UC Davis Arboretum waterway during the summer of 2011. Lambert estimates they caught about 90 percent of the total red-eared slider population in the arboretum.

They also tracked the weight of the western pond turtles and observed the turtles’ basking habits. Time spent basking in the sun is critical for cold-blooded turtles; they need the heat to power digestion and their immune systems, Lambert said.

The researchers found that, in the year after the slider removal, the pond turtles gained an average of about 40 grams, representing about 5 to 10% of their body weight — quite a lot for a turtle. This weight gain is especially important for female turtles, whose egg clutch size is related to their overall size, Pauly said.

“If these females are much healthier and much more likely to have larger clutch sizes, that increases the likelihood that we are then going to get more juvenile turtles cruising around these urban waterways,” said Pauly, who was a postdoctoral researcher studying reptile and amphibian conservation at UC Davis at the start of the experiment.

While the slider removal didn’t have much of an impact on the western pond turtles’ basking behavior, the researchers did find that the remaining sliders spread out to a few select basking sites, indicating that they were actually crowding each other out before the removal.

“The reality is, in many of these urban ponds, there are so many red-eared sliders that there are high levels of competition amongst those sliders for basking sites and also probably for food,” Pauly said. “It’s not just that red-eared sliders are having negative impacts on the western pond turtles, but the red-eared sliders are themselves facing this huge series of challenges.”

As a postdoctoral researcher at UC Berkeley, Lambert says he has plans to study western pond turtles and red-eared sliders in the Bay Area. He is initiating partnerships with the East Bay Regional Park District to first observe western pond turtles in ponds and lakes in the system, and then conduct another intensive removal of red-eared sliders in and around places like Jewel Lake.

“What we found with our slider removal at Davis was that it was just so human-intensive and would cost any agency a ton of money to do what we did at that scale,” Lambert said. “And so, while it seems that slider removal has an effect, the question is, ‘How much of an effect is it having, relative to western pond turtles living in an urban place, where they get run over by cars, eaten by raccoons and coyotes and dogs and sometimes taken home as pets by people not realizing the negative impacts they are having?’ We’re hoping to parse out a bit better the degree to which sliders are having an impact relative to every other challenge we throw at these turtles.”

Co-authors of the paper include Jennifer M. McKenzie of the University of Kentucky, Robyn M. Screen of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Adam G. Clause of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Benjamin B. Johnson of Cornell University and Genevieve G. Mount of Louisiana State University.

This work was supported by National Science Foundation DEB grants (1257648 & 1457832), the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the Northern California Herpetological Society.

RELATED INFORMATION

-   Experimental removal of introduced slider turtles offers new insight into competition with a native, threatened turtle (_PeerJ_)

question: What is so special about the red-eared sliders?

answer: Most pet turtles sold worldwide are red-eared sliders, which typically end up being released into the wild when their owners can no longer care for them. These sliders are endemic to the Central and Northeastern parts of the United States and Mexico. They're now found throughout the earth. They compete for food and sunbathing spots with western pond turtles whose populations are quickly declining due to cultivation and urbanization. Sliders are adorable as hatchlings, with their red stripes along the sides of their heads.

question: What was the essence of the removal study?

answer: In 2011, students at the UC Davis Arboretum set out to catch basking turtles. They launched a major study to see how California's native west pond turtles thrive without competitors like the red-eared slider turtles. The removal study found that western pond turtles get fatter and healthier without invasive relatives and that the remaining sliders fare better. The pond turtles acquired an average of 40 grams, or 5-10% of their body weight, in the year following the slider removal. Feminine turtles' egg clutch size is proportional to their body weight. The researchers discovered that the remaining sliders dispersed out to a few select basking areas, showing that they were really crowding each other out before the removal.

question: What are the downsides to having a red-eared slider as a pet?

answer: Although red-eared sliders are attractive creatures to have as pets and as hatchlings, they are also small, gentle, and have bright red stripes on either side of their heads, making them stand out among other animals. However, after a few years, they become snappy and smelly, and they can grow to the size of a dinner plate in size. They are pretty inexpensive in pet stores, and while they may appear to be excellent as pets, they become cruel and challenging to care for. It's ideal if they stay in the wild instead of being kept as pets because it's not beneficial for them long term.


text:
How the Adventures Began

	It was the eve of Joe Sullivan’s twelfth birthday, and he was fast asleep in his bed. You must understand that this was not a boy chosen for any outstanding trait or deed of his own. Joe Sullivan was not a particularly special boy. He was your normal, average American boy. And yet, this completely insignificant boy was chosen to live lifetimes of heroism. At least, it all felt so real that it could not have been anything else, right?
	Anyways, the grandfather clock downstairs struck midnight, chiming out the hour in metallic peals that echoed through the house. Little Joe Sullivan was completely oblivious to this though, wrapped up in blankets and embraced by soft slumber. He would not have stirred until morning, had he not felt a coolness brush his shoulder…
	Or was it warmth? A warm, and yet cool, hand gently pressing his shoulder, trying to wake him…
	Joe rolled onto his stomach in his half-sleep, a stubborn child not wanting to wake up. He heaved a sigh, mumbling, “Go away,” through his pillow. It came out to be more like, “Gawuuuuh…”
	Down, down, down, he felt it taking him, slipping back into sweet sleep, when…
	“Joe.”
	It was the voice of his father. He didn’t sound urgent, why was he even here? It’s the middle of the night.
	“Gawwuuuh, Daaaa,” Joe whined out of his pillow.
	“Joseph,” said his father, a bit more sternly but not unkindly.
	Was it his father? That voice sounded familiar…he thought. It sounded like a man…maybe? It definitely wasn’t a voice to be feared…well, probably not.
	Joe shoved these thoughts away, burrowing back into his pillow and refusing to let go of the last shreds of sleep.
	“Joseph! Come here.”
	That father’s voice was a shout this time, one that filled his head and surprised Joe so much that all he was aware of next was standing, bleary eyed and shaky next to his bed.
	He was in an empty room. His father was not here, in fact he was the only one in the room! That couldn’t be, he knew he heard a voice, but these questions were forgotten as he paid more attention to his doorway. In front of him, the door leading into the hallway was faintly glowing, as if lit from behind by a bright, flickering light. That wasn’t how it looked when the hall light was on. He stepped up to it, listening.
	Maybe Dad was messing with him, finally paying him back for the pranks he pulled on his family. He must be in the hall waving a flashlight to make that weird, dancing light. Dad, Mom, and Eliza were probably standing in the hall now, barely containing their laughs because they knew this must have shaken him. The only thing Joe couldn’t figure out was how Dad moved so quiet and fast as to get out of the room without slamming the door, without him seeing…
	Oh that doesn’t matter, he thought, naw it’s gotta be them. I’ll fix them, I’ll turn this on them.
	He went fast and silent back to his bed, digging his Halloween ghoul mask out from where he kept it. He slipped it on his face, trembling with excitement, and crept back to the door. He stood behind it, thinking they’ll wonder where the heck he was when he opened it, they’d step inside and boy, then he’d get them!
	Ooone…
	Twooo…
	Threeeee, aaaand…
	WHOOSH! The door flew open from his hand, but thank goodness he was standing behind the door because a blinding light surged out from the doorway. He didn’t understand, no way did Dad have a flashlight That big.
	“Dad, cut it out! That’s friggin’ bright, Dad, c’mooon, you got me, okay?” Joe said, whimpering almost, that light was so powerful.
	The light lessened a bit, becoming less of a blinding light and more of a warmth that he wished to bask in. That father’s voice rang out again, “Alright Joseph, come out from behind the door.”
	Was that Dad? What? It’s gotta be.
	“No! Turn off the friggin’ light, Dad,” he whined again.
	The light became more of a glow. “That is all, son. Come out and let me see you.”
	Joe grumbled, “Dangit Dad, so weird,” but started to shift out from behind the door when the voice also said, “And take off that mask, Joe. I know you have it on.”
	Joe moodily slipped the mask up off his face and came round from behind the door. He dramatically squinted and shaded his eyes, just to make a point.
	But what he saw was not his father.
	In fact, for a moment Joe didn’t see anything. When he came out from his failed hiding place, the light flared up to blinding him again. Only for a second, but Joe was left seeing stars, on his knees in the now soft light issuing from the doorway.
	Joe rubbed the stars from his eyes and looked again, cautiously opening his eyelids, almost expecting another blast. He was not met with one, but nor was he met by anybody. There was not the face of his father, nor his mother, nor his little sister… there was no one. He didn’t even see the hallway. What he saw from out of his doorway was something totally different. He rubbed his eyes again, not because they hurt, but this time in disbelief of what he saw.
	Looking out from his doorway, Joe saw what he imagined the clouds must look like at sunrise. Not from the ground, everyone knows what that looks like. No, he saw what they looked like from the air. He’d been on a plane once before, but that was nothing compared to this. He wasn’t peering out of a tiny plane window, no sir, he was there. Well, his feet were on the comfy carpet of his room but two big steps forward and he’d be on a fluffy, golden-orange cloud, walking on air. He didn’t want to test that yet, though. Besides, where did that voice come from?
	“Joe, I am here,” said that familiar, father-voice, as if it knew what he was thinking. It just might, that voice seemed to rumble through his head. “Do not be afraid, I am here to tell you good news.”
	Joe knew he should say something, but all he could do was rigidly stare out at the brilliant clouds, thinking, oh god, oh god, what is going on. He was able, however, to choke one thing out.
	“Sure, ahem, um…freaky voice, dad…thing. Shoot.”
	He swore the clouds rippled a bit, as if that disembodied voice was connected to the clouds and it was laughing at him, or something. He felt his face get red, but all of a sudden he wasn’t scared at all anymore. He began to feel quite calm when the voice murmured at him again.
	“My child, you haven’t done anything very wrong. For that matter, you haven’t done anything very right, either, but that is not important. This is not a punishment. I am here to give you a chance for a great experience. What you can gain cannot be measured, but is more valuable than any treasure you dream of, anything on this earth or elsewhere. Dreams are your key for unlocking more to this life. Men have sometimes tried to live through their dreams, neglecting life because it is hard. But you, perhaps, can live and learn in the nighttime hours so that you may live fuller in the daylight.”
	The voice paused. Joe had become a bit braver, edging to the end of his carpet and peering out, looking for if that voice came from somewhere. The clouds darkened a bit…they seemed unhappy.
	Joe cleared his throat and snapped back, apologizing, “I’m sorry, but I am paying attention. I just don’t have a clue what you’re talking about, Voice. I don’t even know who you are! Am I even awake? This is impossible.”
	It seemed to help. The clouds looked happier again.
	“I am here, as are you. Pinch yourself, you are not asleep.”
	“Okay, Voice, but what are you then? Where are we? What’s your name? You gotta name?”
	The clouds took on a deep, mournful hue of red, as if they were sighing.
	“You have many questions, child, as all do. Most of the time, answers are not given for such great questions, but here are a few. I am who I am. We are in my house. And finally, I do have a name. I have many names. You can call me Shad, though.”
	He wanted to slam his head on the door. Instead, she smacked his palm to his forehead.
	“Are you kiddin’ me!? We’re floatin’ in the clouds, your voice is IN MY HEAD, I can’t even SEE you, and YOU, YOU want me…to call… YOU… SHAD!?!”
	Even darker…
	“Yes.”
	He threw his hands up in the air, knocking the mask completely off his head. It tumbled out the door and he saw it disappear through the clouds.
	“Okay then, Shaaad,” he said exasperated, adding in like his Dad always did, “you got it, bud.”
	“Be still.”
	That voice was so firm, Joe sat right down on his rear as if smacked. He brought his legs crisscrossed and hugged his arms, tucking his chin to his chest, embarrassed for his frustration but still upset at this blasted bossy voice. Ohh, excuse me, blasted bossy Shad.
	He knew he shouldn’t be so difficult. This sort of thing doesn’t happen to just anyone, but still. Why me?
	“Because, Joe, I know your heart. I knew you before you were even a thought, and I want you and others like you to know me. I want you all to do more than just live. I want for you to live well. Look up, child.”
	Reluctantly, slowly, Joe tilted his head back up and looked out the doorway once more. The view was more spectacular than ever. The clouds were rising up, beautiful puffs of rose-gold that seemed lifelike, like wings on the breeze. His whole body relaxed and he crawled to the doorway to get closer, reached out a hand to feel…feathers.
	He started, losing grip, he’d leaned too far and now he was out of the door, falling, falling down ever further, but those golden wings, or clouds, or whatever they were never stopped, and not for an instant did Joe feel afraid.
	“Joseph, things will happen to you in the future that you will not understand, and nor will anyone else. Things that cannot be explained. Know this: you are not alone. You can make it through it all if only you keep moving forward.”
	Joe smiled as he fell, brushed by wisps of golden clouds, golden feathers, wrapped in a golden velvet voice, wrapped up in a…blanket.
	He was wrapped in a blanket.
	His blanket, to be precise.
	Joe sat up in bed, blinking sleep from his eyes. Sleep? Or was it golden mist he was scraping from the corner of his eyes?
	The light was on. Well, actually there was daylight streaming through the window above his bed.
He rubbed his eyes again. Nope. Just the normal eye boogies.
He had been asleep.
	Had he been asleep all night? The mask! Was the mask there?
	He leaped out of bed and began digging under it, everywhere, tearing everything out, and he couldn’t find it. He couldn’t find it! There’s no way that wasn’t a dream, but there was no way it Was just a dream!
	He felt like jumping for joy, and he did. He leaped up on the bed, jumping and laughing like never before, laughing like a madman! But he wasn’t crazy, he was just excited. He hopped off the bed to run and tell his family, when his door burst open and his mother walked in.
	“What in the World, Joseph! First I find this in the hall, and just now I know you were jumping on the bed! I could hear it, don’t argue! You know better than that, I won’t tolerate such behavior, even for the birthday boy. Put this away now and come down for breakfast, dear. I’ve made your favorite.”
	She didn’t seem to notice how far his face fell when she came inside. In her hands she held nothing other than his ghoul mask… it hadn’t fallen out of his room and down through an eternity of soft feather-clouds. It was just sitting outside his doorway.
	“Don’t forget to wash up before breakfast, sweetie,” she handed him his mask, “and be quick! It won’t stay hot forever, and we won’t wait forever!” Mom said as she briskly exited and closed the door.
	He sat on the corner of his bed and the mask slipped through his weak fingers, thumping to the floor.
	Joe moped for a moment. He threw himself back on the bed and rolled around. He jumped off it and kicked the mask back under the bed, then stripped off his pajamas angrily, angry at his own stupidity for believing something, something so, so…
	The normal routine. Go to the bathroom, wash his face, throw on clean underpants, pull on his favorite Batman t-shirt, put on pants, and comb his short, black hair. Nothing unusual about this.
	He started to leave to go downstairs, trying to get in a good mood. After all, it’s still his birthday, right? You only turn twelve once, his dad said yesterday night.
	Might as well not let some stupid dream ruin His day.
	He opened the door but paused right before he left the doorway. He turned on one heel and looked back for the mask. It was there, just visible under the corner of his blanket.
	One small thing nagged him… he never moved that mask. How did it get into the hallway?

...

Part 2 coming soon

title: [SP] The Adventures of Joe Sullivan, part 1

question: What does the text say about the narrator's sadness?

answer: He saw a dream where he was offered the ability to live an exciting double life while sleeping. Upon waking up, he thought it wasn't just a dream until his mother brought the mask he threw away to the clouds in his dream, crushing his hopes. However, his sadness was lessened after realizing the mask couldn't have gotten out of his room on its own.

question: What does the story say about unrealistic expectations?


text:
BOSTON, Nov. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- New research ties bike-friendly infrastructure changes in United States cities to increases in "active commuting" by bike-riding residents, which can improve and sustain weight[i] and reduce cardiac risk[ii]. The research comes as many of the largest U.S. cities, including New York, Chicago and Minneapolis, add hundreds of miles of bike lanes and launch bike-sharing programs, which _Bicycling_ magazine editor calls "an indicator of an urban area's vibrancy and livability." The findings will be presented during a poster session on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at The Obesity Society Annual Meeting at ObesityWeek 2014 in Boston, Mass.

"Recently released Census Bureau data show that the number of people commuting by bike has increased by 60% over the past decade - but until now, the increase has not been closely tied to a supportive city infrastructure," said senior study author Penny Gordon-Larsen, PhD, TOS Vice President and Professor of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina. "Our goal was to evaluate how the development of the Minneapolis Greenway affected the commute of residents over a ten-year period. We found that bicycle commuting increased most significantly in communities along the Greenway. These data are supportive, but not proof, that a commitment to urban cycling infrastructure can increase active commuting by bicycle."

Research led by the University of North Carolina team used previously collected data from Minneapolis, where increases in commuting by bicycle have significantly exceeded the national average over the past decade. During the same period, the city made major bicycle infrastructure changes, including the Greenway - a trans-city, off-road trail system linking major residential and employment centers. Results show greater increases in commuting by bicycle among residents living near the Greenway. For example, the percentage of workers commuting by bike increased by 89%, from 1.8% (95% CI: 1.2, 2.4) in 2000 to 3.4% (2.9, 4.0) among those living three miles of the Greenway, while those living six miles from the greenway increased by 33%, from 1.2% (0.1, 2.4) to 1.8% (0.7, 2.9).

"While it's well known that bicycling and walking are effective physical activities to promote healthy weight and reduce cardiac risk, this type of active transportation remains more common in European cities than in North America," said Dr. Gordon-Larsen. "Some of this difference between Europe and North America can be attributed back to safety concerns associated with cycling in most North American cities, which provides even greater emphasis for infrastructure changes for North American decision-makers to provide safe active commuting routes."

TOS agrees that a population approach is one of the key pieces to combatting the obesity epidemic.

"This study reinforces the idea that the way our environment is constructed has the potential to positively impact community health," said John M. Jakicic, PhD, FTOS, of the University of Pittsburgh speaking on behalf of TOS. "As proposals are designed for new developments or the renovation of existing infrastructure, we call on architects, engineers, and city planners - among others involved in the process - to consider designs that make physical activity safe and accessible for the community. We've seen encouraging momentum during the past decade, and hope to see even more infrastructure changes that broadly encompass all communities to encourage active and healthy lifestyles across the U.S. and all of North America."

The full abstract is included below.

ABSTRACT
_Increased Municipal Investment in Bicycle Commuting and Increased Tract-Level Commuting in Minneapolis over a 10 Year-Period
_Katie Meyer Carrboro North Carolina, Le Zhang Chapel Hill NC, Daniel Rodriguez Chapel Hill NC, Marc Peterson Chapel Hill NC, Penny Gordon-Larsen Chapel Hill NC
BACKGROUND: Walking or biking to work is inversely associated with weight gain. Municipalities have invested in major infrastructure changes (e.g., greenways) to promote commuting by bicycle. The extent to which infrastructure changes influence commuting behavior is not known.
METHODS: We used data from Minneapolis, where past-decade increases in commuting by bicycle have significantly exceeded the national average. Over the same period, Minneapolis has made major bicycle infrastructure changes, including a trans-city, off-road trail system (greenway) linking major residential and employment centers. Using decennial Census (1990, 2000) and American Community Survey (pooled 2007-2011) data, we quantified tract-level changes in commuting by bicycle with respect to greenway development. We controlled for tract-level covariates, such as sociodemographic indicators and street connectivity.
RESULTS: In multivariable-adjusted random-effects tobit regression, among tracts 3 miles from the greenway the percentage of workers commuting by bike increased from 1.8% (95% CI: 1.2, 2.4) in 2000 to 3.4% (2.9, 4.0) in 2007-2011, while in tracts 6 miles from the greenway bike commuting (%) changed from 1.2 (0.1, 2.4) to 1.8 (0.7, 2.9).
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that municipal infrastructure influences bicycle commuting, which has been inversely associated with weight gain and cardiometabolic risk. (Grant support: R01HL114091)

ABOUT THE OBESITY SOCIETY
_The Obesity Society (TOS) is the leading professional society dedicated to better understanding, preventing and treating obesity. Through research, education and advocacy, TOS is committed to improving the lives of those affected by the disease. For more information visit:_ _www.Obesity.org__. Find TOS disclosures_ _here__._

ABOUT OBESITYWEEK
_ObesityWeek is the premier, international event focused on the basic science, clinical application, prevention and treatment of obesity. TOS and the_ _American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS)_ _host the world's pre-eminent conference on obesity, ObesityWeek 2014, Nov. 2-7, at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in Boston, Mass. For the second year, both organizations hold their respective annual scientific meetings under one roof to unveil exciting new research, discuss emerging treatment and prevention options, and network and present._

[i] L Ming Wen, C Rissel - Preventive medicine, 2008 – Elsevier, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743507003714

[ii] M Hamer, Y Chida - Preventive medicine, 2008 – Elsevier, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743507000989

SOURCE The Obesity Society

Related Links

http://www.obesity.org

question: What does the article say about bicycle infrastructure changes in Minneapolis?

answer: The increases in commuting by bicycle in Minneapolis have significantly exceeded the national average over the past decade. There are greater increases in commuting by bicycle among residents living near the Greenway. For example, the percentage of workers commuting by bike increased by 89% among those living three miles of the Greenway, while those living six miles from the greenway increased by 33%.

question: What does the article say about the difference between Europe and North America?

answer: Bicycling and walking remain more common in European cities than in North America. Some of this difference can be attributed back to safety concerns associated with cycling in most North American cities.

question: What does the article say about traffic accident statistics?


text:
This is a list of the native living mammals of New Zealand.[1] It does not include introduced species, nor extinct Saint Bathans Fauna.

Conservation status

The following tags are used to highlight each species' conservation status as assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature:

  -- ----------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     EXTINCT                 No reasonable doubt that the last individual has died.
     EXTINCT IN THE WILD     Known only to survive in captivity or as a naturalized populations well outside its previous range.
     CRITICALLY ENDANGERED   The species is in imminent risk of extinction in the wild.
     ENDANGERED              The species is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
     VULNERABLE              The species is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
     NEAR THREATENED         The species does not meet any of the criteria that would categorise it as risking extinction but it is likely to do so in the future.
     LEAST CONCERN           There are no current identifiable risks to the species.
     DATA DEFICIENT          There is inadequate information to make an assessment of the risks to this species.
  -- ----------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Order: Chiroptera (bats)

The most distinguishing feature of bats is that their forelimbs are developed as wings, making them the only mammals capable of flight. Bat species account for about 20% of all mammals.

-   Family: Mystacinidae
    -   Genus: _Mystacina_
        -   New Zealand greater short-tailed bat, _Mystacina robusta_ (possibly extinct)
        -   New Zealand lesser short-tailed bat, _Mystacina tuberculata_
-   Family: Vespertilionidae
    -   Subfamily: Vespertilioninae
        -   Genus: _Chalinolobus_
            -   New Zealand long-tailed bat, _Chalinolobus tuberculatus_

Order: Cetacea (whales, dolphins and porpoises)

[Southern right whale] [Bryde's whale] [Sperm whales made Kaikoura as a world-famous whale-watching region] [Pygmy sperm whale] [Pantropical spotted dolphin] [Dusky dolphins off Kaikoura] [A Hector's dolphin near Akaroa] The order Cetacea includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. They are the mammals most fully adapted to aquatic life with a spindle-shaped nearly hairless body, protected by a thick layer of blubber, and forelimbs and tail modified to provide propulsion underwater. New Zealand is the first country in the world to protect marine mammals by law.

-   Suborder: Mysticeti
    -   Family: Balaenidae
        -   Genus: _Eubalaena_
            -   Southern right whale, _Eubalaena australis_
    -   Family: Balaenopteridae
        -   Subfamily: Balaenopterinae
            -   Genus: _Balaenoptera_
                -   Minke whale, _Balaenoptera acutorostrata_
                -   Bryde's whale, _Balaenoptera edeni_
                -   Sei whale, _Balaenoptera borealis_
                -   Fin whale, _Balaenoptera physalus_
                -   Blue whale, _Balaenoptera musculus_
        -   Subfamily: Megapterinae
            -   Genus: _Megaptera_
                -   Humpback whale, _Megaptera novaeangliae_
    -   Family: Neobalaenidae
        -   Genus: _Caperea_
            -   Pygmy right whale, _Caperea marginata_
-   Suborder: Odontoceti
    -   Superfamily: Platanistoidea
        -   Family: Phocoenidae
            -   Genus: _Phocoena_
                -   Spectacled porpoise, _Phocoena dioptrica_
        -   Family: Physeteridae
            -   Genus: _Physeter_
                -   Sperm whale, _Physeter macrocephalus_
        -   Family: Kogiidae
            -   Genus: _Kogia_
                -   Pygmy sperm whale, _Kogia breviceps_
                -   Dwarf sperm whale, _Kogia sima_
        -   Family: Ziphidae
            -   Genus: _Ziphius_
                -   Cuvier's beaked whale, _Ziphius cavirostris_
            -   Genus: _Berardius_
                -   Arnoux's beaked whale, _Berardius arnuxii_
            -   Genus: _Tasmacetus_
                -   Shepherd's beaked whale, _Tasmacetus shepherdi_
            -   Subfamily: Hyperoodontinae
                -   Genus: _Hyperoodon_
                    -   Southern bottlenose whale, _Hyperoodon planifrons_
                -   Genus: _Mesoplodon_
                    -   Andrews' beaked whale, _Mesoplodon bowdoini_
                    -   Blainville's beaked whale, _Mesoplodon densirostris_
                    -   Ginkgo-toothed beaked whale, _Mesoplodon ginkgodens_
                    -   Gray's beaked whale, _Mesoplodon grayi_
                    -   Hector's beaked whale, _Mesoplodon hectori_
                    -   Layard's beaked whale, _Mesoplodon layardii_
        -   Family: Delphinidae (marine dolphins)
            -   Genus: _Cephalorhynchus_
                -   Hector's dolphin, _Cephalorhynchus hectori_
                -   Maui's dolphin, _Cephalorhynchus hectori maui_
            -   Genus: _Steno_
                -   Rough-toothed dolphin, _Steno bredanensis_ vagrant
            -   Genus: _Stenella_
                -   Pantropical spotted dolphin, _Stenella attenuata_ vagrant
                -   Striped dolphin, _Stenella coeruleoalba_ (southernmost record of the species occurred in 2017)Stuff.co.nz.

2017. Rare striped dolphin stranding on Otago beach. Retrieved on September 26, 2017

-   -   Spinner dolphin, _Stenella longirostris_ vagrant

-   -   Genus: _Delphinus_
        -   Long-beaked common dolphin, _Delphinus capensis_
        -   Short-beaked common dolphin, _Delphinus delphis_
    -   Genus: _Lagenorhynchus_
        -   Hourglass dolphin, _Lagenorhynchus cruciger_
        -   Dusky dolphin, _Lagenorhynchus obscurus_
    -   Genus: _Lissodelphis_
        -   Southern right whale dolphin, _Lissodelphis peronii_
    -   Genus: _Grampus_
        -   Risso's dolphin, _Grampus griseus_
    -   Genus: _Pseudorca_
        -   False killer whale, _Pseudorca crassidens_
    -   Genus: _Orcinus_
        -   Orca, _Orcinus orca_
    -   Genus: _Globicephala_
        -   Short-finned pilot whale, _Globicephala macrorhynchus_
        -   Long-finned pilot whale, _Globicephala melas_

Order: Carnivora (carnivorans)

[Southern elephant seal] Typical carnivorans feed primarily on meat. They have a characteristic skull shape and teeth.

-   Suborder: Caniformia
    -   Family: Otariidae (eared seals, sealions)
        -   Genus: _Arctocephalus_
            -   New Zealand fur seal, _Arctocephalus forsteri_
            -   Subantarctic fur seal, _Arctocephalus tropicalis_ vagrant
        -   Genus: _Phocarctos_
            -   New Zealand sea lion, _Phocarctos hookeri_
    -   Family: Phocidae (earless seals)
        -   Genus: _Hydrurga_
            -   Leopard seal, _Hydrurga leptonyx_ vagrant
        -   Genus: _Leptonychotes_
            -   Weddell seal, _Leptonychotes weddellii_ vagrant
        -   Genus: _Lobodon_
            -   Crabeater seal, _Lobodon carcinophaga_ vagrant
        -   Genus: _Mirounga_
            -   Southern elephant seal, _Mirounga leonina_ vagrant

[1] This list is derived from the IUCN Red List which lists species of mammals and includes those mammals that have recently been classified as extinct (since 1500 AD). The taxonomy and naming of the individual species is based on those used in existing Wikipedia articles as of 21 May 2007 and supplemented by the common names and taxonomy from the IUCN, Smithsonian Institution, or University of Michigan where no Wikipedia article was available.

title: List of mammals of New Zealand

question: What does the text say about amphibians in Australia?

question: What does the text say about bats?

answer: Bats are from the order Chiroptera. Bats have forelimbs that developed as wings, making them the only mammals that can fly. Bat species account for 20% of all mammals. In New Zealand, there are three bat species: the greater short-tailed bat "Mystacina robusta" (possibly extinct), the New Zealand lesser short-tailed bat "Mystacina tuberculata", and the New Zealand long-tailed bat "Chalinolobus tuberculatus".

question: Summarize everything about Cetacea.

answer: The order Cetacea includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises - mammals that are the most fully adapted to aquatic life. They have spindle-shaped, nearly hairless bodies that are protected by a thick layer of blubber perfect for life underwater. Their forelimbs and tails are modified to provide propulsion. New Zealand is the first country in the world to protect marine mammals by law. Some of the marine mammals that belong to the order Cetacea are Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), Sperm whales, (Physeter macrocephalus), Long-beaked common dolphins, (Delphinus capensis), and Orcas (Orcinus orca).

question: What does the text say about Carnivorans?

answer: Carnivorans (from the order Carnivora) are marine mammals that feed primarily on meat. They have a characteristic skull shape and teeth. Seals, sea lions, and elephant seals belong to this order. Some examples of Carnivorans include the New Zealand fur seal, (Arctocephalus forsteri), the New Zealand sea lion, (Phocarctos hookeri), and Southern elephant seal, (Mirounga leonina_ vagrant).

question: Summarize everything about the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

answer: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) implemented tags used to highlight the conservation status of species. The categories used to assess species include Extinct, Extinct in the Wild, Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, Near Threatened, and those that are not at risk (Least Concern, Data Deficient). The IUCN has a Red List that lists species of mammals that includes mammals that have been recently classified as extinct (since 1500 AD). The taxonomy and naming of the individual species are based on those used in existing Wikipedia articles (as of May 2007) and supplemented by the common names and taxonomy from the IUCN, Smithsonian Institution, or the University of Michigan where no Wikipedia article was available.


text:
	One afternoon, I was playing basketball with a few of my friends at the outdoor courts by our old Junior High. It was summer and it was hot, probably in the upper 90s. Not everyone’s ideal weather for some ball, but we loved to play and had nothing better to do.We are all moderately good at the game, some of us better than the others. I wouldn’t consider myself to be the best. Will, my best friend, is on the varsity team for his fourth year in a row, while I only played my first two years in high school for JV. Our other two friends, Jordan and Andres, weren’t necessarily as good as us two, but they knew the game and could play at a moderate level.
	We usually play two-on-two, but after we get bored of that we go to H-O-R-S-E or Baseketball, a hybrid of basketball and baseball that Jordan said he saw in a movie once. That day, after a few games of two-on-two, Cooper and Andres winning two games, while Jordan and I beat them once, we decided to play a game of H-O-R-S-E. Honestly, I hate the game and all the guys know it. For some reason, my shooting turns to complete crap and I can’t sink a single shot. Andres always tells me that I suck at shooting to begin with, but I know for a fact that I could beat him in a game of one-on-one any day. He knows it too.
	Anyway, we started our game of H-O-R-S-E by figuring out the order, which was according to the order of who could make a 3-pointer first. Will made the first three, so he went first. His first attempt was a successful baseline jumper. I followed, since I was second in the order, and got lucky. Swish. No “H” for me. Andres went after me and he also made the shot. Last but not least, Jordan went for it. Airball. He missed completely and received his first letter. H.
	About five rounds later, I found myself in last place. I had H-O-R-S, while Andres and Jordan both had H-O-R, and Will had merely an H. It was my turn. Will just made a simple free throw. Easy. I could make that shot in my sleep any day. But this was in a game of H-O-R-S-E. I took my time, bouncing the ball a couple of times, spinning it in my hands. Finally, I took a deep breath and released the shot. I felt good about it, the ball was headed for the center of the rim, and I knew I put the right amount of arc on it. Everything was smooth sailing right up until it hit the back of the rim. The ball bounced up, as we all stared directly at it, and then took another bounce on the front of the rim. The rim gave the ball a bad bounce and, after what felt like hours, it was obvious that I had missed. I was the first one knocked out. H-O-R-S-E. I let out a dramatic “NOOO!” letting everyone in a fifty mile radius of how upset I was. The other guys yelled obnoxiously also, as if I hadn’t known I missed my shot.
	I was pissed that I had to just sit there bored-to-death and wait for the guys to finish their game, so I decided to steal Jordan’s basketball and shoot at the next court over. I started with a free throw shot, which I made. Of course.
	I then began to work on my slam dunks. I’m 6’2, so I can touch the rim easy, but it’s always a struggle to actually dunk with the ball. I tried a couple of times without the ball, just like I said, too easy. So, finally, I gave it a shot with the ball in my hands. I went up for the dunk, and boing! The ball bounced right off the rim as I tried slamming it through. I tried again, but this time I gave myself a longer running start. One step. Dribble. Another. Dribble. Two steps, and then I jumped.
	Liftoff.
	I felt good about this one right from the start. I jumped higher. I had a good grip on the ball. Everything felt right. I knew it was going to go in this time. And right I was.
	It felt so cool to finally dunk the ball. I mean I had before, technically, but on a 9ft hoop. But this time, 10ft baby! The noise the ball made as I forced it down the basket’s throat, making that net swoosh, was like no other.
	“YAAAA! You guys see that?!”
	“See what?” Bill asked.
	“My dunk!”
	“No joke?” said Jordan.
	Andres added, “Yeah right, man. We know you ain’t got no skill!”
	“Whatever! I’ll do it again! Just watch this time.”
	With all eyes on me, I went through the same motions I  made previously. I took my steps and jumped. Everything felt about the same, except I wasn’t as focused. I was all jittery since I knew everyone was watching. Regardless, I did my best to follow through. I attempted to slam the ball into the hoop and grab onto the rim, but rather I slammed it directly against the rim, which made me lose my balance. Instead of being able to hold onto the rim and swing my body, my momentum caused my legs to fly forward as my upper body, including my head began to fly back. And then the world seemed to stop.
	Black.
	I woke up and saw all the guys standing around me. They were shouting at each other. I think Will yelled at Jordan to call 9-1-1. I asked them what happened, but they just told me to stay calm. I couldn’t remember much of anything at first, but it all rushed backed to me when Andres said something about how much “damn blood” there was, and I realized I was laying on the ground. I tried to get up, but I couldn’t move. I couldn’t feel my legs at all and could barely feel my arms.
	“Guys, I can’t feel anything!”
	“Evan, it’s gonna be okay! Just stay on the ground. An ambulance is on it’s way,” Will said, trying to relax me.
	“There’s so much damn blood, man!” Andres shouted.
	Will yelled to him, “Shut up, Andres! Gimme your shirt. Here Evan, lift up your head. I’m gonna put his shirt underneath your head as a pillow and to stop the bleeding.”
	I lifted my head for Will to put the shirt underneath. When I set it back down, I noticed the tingling sensation on the back of my head. I immediately forgot about it because of the burning I felt on my back. It was almost 100 degrees and I was laying on the blacktop, probably with numerous scrapes. The pain I felt made everything extremely uncomfortable but it also gave me some ease. I could feel my back. I knew this might mean my spine wasn’t completely messed up. Regardless, it still hurt. It hurt so bad I just wanted to fall asleep so I didn’t have to deal with it. I closed my eyes.
	Will shouted at me to wake up. He told me to stay awake. Jordan then asked for my mom’s cell phone number and I recited it to him quite well. I still couldn’t feel my legs though.
	I heard sirens growing closer.
	Jordan said my mom didn’t answer but he left her a voicemail telling her what happened. I started to worry. I felt like such an idiot. How could I have let this happen? I honestly thought there was a possibility of me dying that day.
	“There’s so much damn blood!”
	An ambulance and a firetruck arrived shortly thereafter and a bunch of the paramedics and firefighters started to surround us. The asked me a ton of questions, like who the president was, what year it was, who am I, where I live, etc. Obama. 2013. Evan Benowitz. 255 Alderglenn Drive.
	They turned me over to look at the wound on the back of head. I started to get the feeling back in my legs around then. Then they asked more questions about where I felt pain and how bad it was. I told them it was just my head, neck, shoulders, and back. I didn’t say anything about the feeling in my legs. They then loaded me up with a neck brace onto a stretcher and into the back of the ambulance, which was the most uncomfortable ride of my entire life. One of the paramedics road back there with me, talking to me, trying to keep me calm. He gave me my phone to make any calls, but my mom still didn’t answer her phone. Before I put my phone in my pocket, I sent a text to Will saying “Thank you guys.”
	The ambulance arrived at the hospital fifteen minutes later and they rolled me into the emergency room. A nurse cleaned me up and then took me into many a couple different rooms to get X-rays and a CAT scan. After all the various tests, which were very uncomfortable, the nurse took me back into the ER section and left me to find the doctor.
	I laid there, just looking up at the ceiling. I barely even noticed that I was in a room designed for kids. Dora and Boots were both painted on the walls probably to cheer up young patients. I wasn’t tired. I just thought to myself. I was upset and scared. An hour or so before that, I thought I might be paralyzed or even dead.
	“Hey, buddy.” It was the paramedic who was in the back of the ambulance. “I hope you get better soon. No more pretending to be like Mike, okay?”
	“Promise. Thank you for everything.”
	“No problem. It’s my job.”
	I could tell he truly cared, which made me feel somewhat better.
	Right after that, my mom walked into the room. At first she didn’t say anything, and neither did I. She kinda just looked at me with relieved yet sad look on her face. She had been through a lot. Ever since my dad died right before high school, she had been on her own.
	I was the first one to speak: “I’m sorry, mom.”
	With those words, I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I started crying. She rushed to my side. Then she started crying.
	“I know the bills are gonna cost so much money. Money we don’t have with dad gone. Mom, I’m so sorry.”
	“Evan, forget the money. I’m just glad you’re okay. I never want to lose you.”

	“I love you, mom.”

	“I love you too, son.”

title: Paralysis

question: What does the story say about how Evan sustained his injuries?

answer: Evan and his friends played a game of H.O.R.S.E at a basketball court. Shortly after, Evan was the first to lose, so he began working on his slam dunks out of boredom. After making the shot, Evan excitedly told his friends about his achievements, which they didn't see. So, he tried again to prove to them he could slam dunk. Evan felt less confident like before when he could make the shot, but regardless, he was determined to follow through. However, when he made the jump, the ball bounced off the rim instead of going through the net like before, and he lost his balance, sending him down headfirst. When he came to, his friends surrounded him and looked worried about his condition. Evan lay in a pool of his blood and was paralyzed. Later, he was able to feel a tingling sensation at the back of his head when Will placed a shirt to support his head and then began to feel the burning sensation on his back. Soon, the ambulance arrived, and the paramedics asked Evan questions to know if he could recollect anything because of the head injury he suffered. As he arrived at the hospital, they took him for X-ray and CAT scans before leaving him in the ER. His mother later arrived at the hospital to stay by his side to comfort him and assure him everything will be fine.

question: What does the story say about Evan's basketball skills?

answer: Evan and his friends enjoyed playing basketball together, some of them with average basketball skills, while others had better skills. Evan played ball in his first two years in high school and had average skills. While his best friend Will, a better basketball player, played basketball for the varsity team for four years back to back. Evan possessed the ability to slam dunk but required repeated tries and a level of confidence in himself to achieve a jump shot.

question: What does the story say about the qualities of a paramedic?

question: What did the result of Evan's X-ray and CAT scan reveal?