text:
We stood at the gate, Alysha and I. I had an odd feeling in my stomach. Perhaps it was the eerie gargoyles decorating the windows, or the thick iron bars that made up the fence. Alysha, beside me, was shaking with excitement. I was also shaking, but from fear. I shivered. There was a ringing in my ears, but through that I could hear someone speaking. My eyes focused and I saw the ticket clerk. "Will you be going in or not? I don't have time for you to stand there not doing anything," he said indignantly. Before I could shake my head, Alysha nodded excitedly and gave him the money. He took it and stamped our hands. The stamp, I saw, was a clown. "Have a nice time, ladies," the clerk said, smiling creepily. There was something odd about him... His eyes looked empty of emotion. They looked *black.* Before I could dwell any longer on his eyes, Alysha grabbed my hand and dragged me into the maze. "Alysha, I really don't want to do this," I started saying, a slight tremble in my voice. She turned around, grabbing my other hand as well. "Aw, Lexie, are you scared? Don't worry, I'll protect you. Especially since we have a little alone time now," she purred, biting her bottom lip and winking. I inhaled sharply. *So that's why she wanted me to come. Not that I mind.* I had let her pull me farther into the maze, until we reached a dead end. "Oh no, Lexie, we're lost and I'm cold... Hold me," she growled playfully, pulling me closer. I nuzzled her cheek but did nothing else. "Alysha, I don't want to do anything here... I feel like we're being watched," I said in a low voice. She giggled, not realizing my fear. She stepped back, her back pushing into the hedge. "You're so paranoid, hun. Chill out and let's take advantage of this," she moaned quietly, pulling my face down to hers. Just as our lips had touched she had suddenly jumped, every muscle tightening. I pulled back to see a needle in her neck. "W-What? Alysha are you alright? Talk to me!" I had yelled, trying to pull her away from the hedge. But she wouldn't budge. In fact, she had begun being pulled back INTO the hedge. Her head bobbed down, her chin resting on her chest. I wrapped my arms around her, trying to pull her back. "No! Alysha, fight it, please," I cried, tugging on her arms. "I need you to fi-" I was cut off by a pair of arms wrapping around me, pulling me back into the opposite hedge. "No! Alysha!" I screamed as she was completely engulfed by the hedge. I looked back over my shoulder, to try and see who was grabbing me... But nobody was there. All I could see was what I thought were... *Branches?* I was being kidnapped by the HEDGE? I closed my eyes, giving up the fight. There was no way I'd win. As I felt my entire body be swallowed, I blacked out.

I am writing this in my cell. My captors have faked my death, same with all of the other prisoners. We have become a part of a... Machine. Some of us are assigned gate duty, like the cold man I saw before it all happened. Most of us, though, are assigned collection duty. We are in charge of doing the same thing others did to us. Kidnapping people. It's been 238 days. I haven't seen Alysha. Why they put a needle in her and not me, I will not know. I have been forgotten. I'm just a slave now.

title: Maze.

question: Write a ~17 sentence summary.

answer:
The narrator and his friend Alysha stand at the gate. Alysha is excited, the narrator fearful. Alysha paid for the tickets. Alysha drags her into the maze. She promises to protect Lexie saying that she wants them to have some alone time.

Alysha drags him to a dead-end; Alysha pulls him closer. Lexie says that he doesn’t want to do anything because he feels that they’re being watched. As their lips touch, Alysha jumps. He pulls back and sees a needle in her neck. She’s being pulled into the hedge. He tries to pull her back.
Then a pair of arms grab Lexie and pull him into the opposite hedge. They had both been kidnapped by a hedge.

He wakes up in a cell. His captors have faked his death. He hasn’t seen Alysha in 238 days. He’s now part of the machine capturing others.


split: train

text:
For police and pot smokers, traffic stops pose a huge problem. There’s no quick way to tell if a driver is high — whether they ingested pot a couple hours ago, or last week.

But an Oakland startup claims its new technology, announced Wednesday, will enable law enforcement to immediately detect and measure current levels of THC — the active ingredient in marijuana — by sampling a couple of breaths.

Developed at UC Berkeley, trials on Hound Labs’ new technology will begin early next year at UC San Francisco. That’s when Alameda County sheriff’s deputies will begin carrying prototypes of the firm’s handheld device to conduct voluntary roadside tests.

If it works — and receives Food and Drug Administration approval several years down the road — the gadget could prove quite profitable considering there are more than 12,000 local law enforcement agencies to count as potential customers in the United States alone.

Creating a Breathalyzer for pot could be the first step toward remedying one of the biggest issues facing marijuana advocates and law enforcement.

Unlike with alcohol, there’s no standardized system to measure marijuana impairment.

Tests that promise immediate results are cumbersome, and those that rely on metrics like blood, urine or saliva take longer to process. They can also detect pot usage from weeks earlier — implicating people who haven’t smoked in days. Medical marijuana patients who ingest cannabis regularly are at particular risk for testing positive — even when they’re not intoxicated.

“If they have a test like that, it would help both ways,” said retired California Highway Patrol Commissioner Dwight “Spike” Helmick, who has discussed the technology with Hound Labs CEO Mike Lynn. “It would help law enforcement and it would let a lot of people off the hook who may not have been under the influence when they were pulled over.

“By measuring the amount of THC in breath, we can focus on people who are impaired,” Lynn said.

“We hope that eventually this will start a national dialogue,” said Lynn, a former venture capitalist who is an emergency room physician at Highland Hospital in Oakland and a reserve officer in the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department.

That conversation could start soon as several companies are working on technologies to address drugged driving. So far, however, there has not been a lot of venture capital moving toward this corner of the cannabis world. But technology breakthroughs could spur more investment, experts said.

“This is an industry that is growing at a rapid clip — and this is a pain point for it,” said Troy Dayton, CEO of ArcView, whose investor group has put $59 million in 93 cannabis-related companies. “And whenever you have a pain point that can be solved with technology, there is going to be a lot of money headed that way.”

Hound Labs’ technology focuses on breath. It seeks to determine whether someone has smoked in the past two or three hours. (One thing the technology so far can’t determine is THC levels in a person who consumed edible cannabis.)

“There is very little in the scientific literature on THC and breath,” said Kara Lynch, a professor at UCSF, who will be the principal investigator on the study, which will be done on 20 medical marijuana patients early next year. She hopes to have some early results by spring.

There’s reason not to get overly excited about the technology, cautioned Andrea Roth, a professor of law at UC Berkeley who has written extensively about impairment testing. The development needs to be accompanied by studies of marijuana’s effects on driver impairment, including road tests.

Because alcohol and cannabis behave so differently on the human body, states considering legalization shouldn’t just adapt the blood-alcohol scale to measure cannabis impairment, Roth said.

Still, a standardized test could be a catalyst in softening opposition to marijuana legalization nationwide, she said.

“For many people out there, the concern about drugged driving is one of the main political hindrances to supporting legalization,” she said. “And I think anything that could be seen as a legitimate way of dealing with DUI-marijuana can only help the legalization movement.”

__
Joe Garofoli is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli

question: Why are traffic stops a huge problem for pot smokers?

answer: Because there's no way to tell if a driver is high and when the driver last ingested marijuana.

question: What did UC Berkeley develop?

answer: They developed a test for law enforcement to use that will immediately detect and measure current levels of THC through the user's breath.

question: Are Breathalyzers for pot effect/accurate?

answer: The article indicates that testing still needs to verify the Breathalyzer's effectiveness; result should be available by spring (after the article was written)

question: What is the problem with tests that measure THC in blood, urine, or saliva?

answer: Those types of tests can detect usage from weeks earlier.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: An Oakland-based startup, Hounds Labs, developed a new technology to detect THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, in the user's breath. The Breathalyzer is being tested for its effectiveness. The main benefit of this technology is it will detect if the user has smoked marijuana in the previous 2 to 3 hours.


text:
A JUDGE has supported East Lancashire MP Andrew Stephenson’s call for postal voting to be drastically scaled back.

The Pendle Tory has repeatedly warned the process is open to fraud.

The Electoral Commission has expressed concern about abuse in 16 areas including Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn, Burnley, and Pendle.

In a documentary broadcast last night, Judge Richard Mawrey said he had not the system is wide open to fraud.

In May 2012, Mr Stephenson used a Parliamentary debate to accuse members of the Asian community of falsifying postal votes.

That year, Lancashire Police referred a file on ‘proxy voting’ in Accrington’s Barnfield ward to the Crown Prosecution Service, while investigations in two other wards in Hyndburn, and two in Blackburn with Darwen, found no evidence of wrong-doing.

Electoral Commission chair Jenny Watson said it would not be ‘proportionate’ to end postal voting altogether.

The government has no plans to abolish the current system extended in 2001 so anyone on the electoral roll can apply for a postal ballot.

BBC Radio’s File on 4 last night revealed allegations that political activists are pressuring families into voting for their candidate, or illegally taking ballot papers away to fill them in themselves.

Mr Stephenson said in the broadcast: “There is real fraud going on.

“The government should really look at this issue and really look at going back to only allowing postal votes to people who have a genuine need.

“Everybody else should turn up at the polling station, like they always used to have to, in order to cast their vote.”

Judge Mawrey, who tries corruption cases, agreed: “Postal voting on demand, however many safeguards you build into it, is wide open to fraud...”

Woking returning officer Ray Morgan said: “I don't think any election that I've personally officiated over since 2006 has been totally fair and honest.”

Pendle peer Tony Greaves said: “Postal voting cannot be secure and secret and should be restricted to those who genuinely cannot turn up at a polling station.”

question: Who is Andrew Stephenson?

answer: He is the East Lancashire MP

question: What is the consensus on postal voting?

answer: The Pendle Tory has repeatedly warned the process is wide open to fraud, a sentiment echoed by Judge Mawrey, who tries corruption cases. The Electoral Commission has expressed concern about abuse in 16 areas including Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn, Burnley, and Pendle.

question: What was revealed on BBC Radio's File on 4?

answer: Political activists are pressuring families into voting for their candidate, or illegally taking ballot papers away to fill them in themselves.

question: Who did Mr. Stephenson accuse in a Parliamentary debate?

answer: He accused members of the Asian community of falsifying votes.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Postal voting has been an ongoing problem and remains a sore spot in the elections. Judge Mawrey and the Pendle Tory say that postal voting on demand is wide open to fraud, while the Election Commission has expressed concern about abuse in 16 areas. The BBC Radio's File on 4 reported that political activists are pressuring families into voting for their candidates and illegally taking ballot papers away to fill them in themselves. The good news is that a judge has supported East Lancashire MP Andrew Stephenson’s call for postal voting to be drastically scaled back.


text:
Birthday Girl

It’s my birthday! Come celebrate with me! I’m turning 30 so this is a big one. Dancing, fun, seafood and the Potomac River: all of my favorite things.

When:
Saturday, June 11th at 7:30pm

Where:
Pier 30 Restaurant
113 Macnamara Pl
Alexandria, Va 22314

       The e-vite was pink and yellow with balloons surrounding it. I haven’t seen Anna in two years. We met while I was working for the Recreational Center, teaching kids to swim and play soccer. I spent my nights studying, reading and contemplating the meaning of life. She spent her nights doing karaoke, working odd jobs around the city and networking with other local musicians. We were opposites, yet I felt like I needed her spirit in my life. I loved who she was and idolized her for what I thought I didn’t have at all. We spent hours laughing, talking, exploring the zoo’s new exhibits and painting messy portraits. We spent other moments improving my wardrobe; I became her own personal canvas. I could’ve run away with her and never come back. She had that affect on me. It was one of those romances no one really knew about and one I don’t share with everyone. She was different and beautiful yet she left a big hole in my heart. She left suddenly and I just wanted to see her again, for closure, one more time.

“She’s inviting you?” Joan asked over the phone. She was my co-worker and the closest friend I’ve had since moving to the city.
“Yes. I haven’t heard from her in two years and suddenly I get a birthday invitation. Just like her to do something like that.”
“So what are you gonna do?… about Abe? She asked, whispering for some reason.
“I’m gonna tell him of course. You know, about the party.”

Abe is my everything. I’ve been loyal, and would never dream of hurting

him. ‘I ridiculously trust you’ he said once, while we drove through Nevada,

on our way back from our trip to Monterrey.

“So the party’s tonight?” Abe asked, gluing a wing to his small, modeled airplane.
“Yes, you coming with me?” I said, sitting across from him.

“I don’t think so, I’ve got to finish this.” He said.

“You’ve been working on that thing for over a year. What makes you think

you’re gonna finish it tonight?”

“I wanna finish this by next week so I can take it to the air show this time.

Go, have fun. I’ll see you when you get back.” He said.

I was glad he said no. I didn’t want him to come. I needed to go on my own.

Pier 30 was loud, packed and filled with pink and white balloons. I had on

my tight black dress, one of three dresses that I owned. It itched but I knew I

needed to femme it up a bit, just a little bit as Abe would say. Everyone

looked dressed in their business attire, like they just got off of work. It’s a

DC crowd, that’s not surprising.

“Hey there, you made it.” She flashed her huge smile.

I stood there for a minute and stared. There she was. She’s made her way

back into my life, again. So suddenly.

“I see you’ve changed a bit” She said, looking me up and down.

“Yes, you know. It’s my attempt to soften up.” I said, pulling my dress down

a bit, uncomfortably.

“I like it, it’s you. I knew you would start wearing dresses, it was only a

matter of time.” She said.

“Yeah, I just wanted to try something new.” I said.

Her eyes still in the shape of almonds, her hair pulled up perfectly in a bun.

Things haven’t changed. My heart still filled with excitement just being in

her presence.

She grabbed my hand and we walked around the party together. She

introduced me to a few people, everyone nice and welcoming, half of them

drunk already.

The night was filled with birthday cake, red wine and a piñata. She’ll be

using piñata’s on her 80th birthday, I guarantee that.

It was 2 am and there was trash, popped balloons and party streamers all

over the floor. We both walked out of the door together and stood in front of

the place. “Thank you for inviting me, it was great to see you.” I said.

“It was great to see you too. Are you coming with me tonight?” She asked,

suddenly.

My heart skipped a beat. I wanted to be with her again. I

wanted to share everything, go on road trips, run away with her. All of those

feelings hadn’t changed.

“Anna, I can’t do that. I’m sorry.”

She stood there and watched me, like she expected me to say that.

 “You left, remember? And now you want everything to be ok? It’s not.” I

said.

She looked right in my eyes. It was like she could read my mind, like we had

an unspoken agreement.

She reached down and adjusted my dress. Stared at it, then looked right at

me. Then she turned around and walked away. I wanted to stop her, but I

didn’t. I turned around and walked back into my life, back into Abe’s

with part of my heart still with hers, knowing I could probably never see her

again.

title: Birthday Girl

question: What does the text say about the narrator's relationship with Anna?

answer: The narrator had a romantic encounter with Anna two years earlier. The narrator was, and continues to be, drawn to Anna, particularly how full of life she is. Anna's 30th birthday invitation comes out of the blue and the narrator thinks it will be a good opportunity for closure. At the party, Anna asks the narrator to go home with her but the narrator declines. Despite feeling all the same affection and excitement with Anna, Anna was the one who left, and the narrator returns to her life with her current partner.

question: What does the text say about the narrator's relationship with Abe?

answer: Abe is the narrator's significant other. Their relationship is characterized by trust and loyalty, to the point where the narrator goes alone to her ex's birthday party and there is no argument or infidelity. In the end, the narrator chooses to return to Abe despite having lingering feelings for Anna.

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

question: What does the text say about Joan?

answer: Joan is the narrator's co-worker and closest friend in the city. The narrator confides in her about Anna, which is not something the narrator commonly shares. Joan acts conspiratorial when asking about the narrator's boyfriend, Abe, as though the narrator might keep the invitation a secret from him.


text:
THE BOOK OF DAVE

     In the beginning, Dave created a bunch of stuff like the earth, water, animals, and humans. He thought "Meh, it's cool I guess...", and then he pretty much sat back and watched everything unfold, chillin' like a villain and taking many forms. Mostly though he liked to be a plastic dove. He saw all his creations screw up the world he created, and it pissed him off pretty badly. He thought for centuries about how he could save the world he put so little effort into creating.

     One day, in the late 1990's he came up with a plan. It was about time too, because the world he created was in pretty pitiful condition by this time. He set out to create 5 strong men who would spread his holy name. One of them appearing to be a heretic, but obviously a believer. One of them a natural born leader to guide the prophets. One of them tall and strong willed and convert others. One of them with great musical talents with which to sing and play instruments in the name of Dave, and the last one. Dave's only son. He arranged so that these men would one day come together and use their own talents to spread the word of Dave.

     These young men grew and realized their talents (except for the son of Dave, who had a hard time because he had not yet recognized his true purpose in life). They misused their talents, however, because they did not know that their destiny was the destiny that Dave set for them. They would know in the future that Dave needed them to rid the world of ignorance and stupidity. It would take time, though, for them to be ready for the task at hand.

     By the time these 5 young men were ready for their destiny, the world was even worse than it was before. There had been terrorist attacks, wars, destruction in massive proportions. They were indeed ready at the last minute. The 5 boys had grown to be good friends, and were like family. One day, fate brought them all together, and set them on a journey that would open their eyes to the truth. Open their eyes to Dave.

    They found themselves in their leader's house, discussing the most important of current events, politics, economics, history, and other things of the like. Then, as fate may have it, they embarked on a journey. They started with a trip to a local general store to purchase liquid refreshment, and to win the heart of a fair maiden. They failed miserably at the winning the heart part, but succeeded in buying refreshments. They also caused the son of Dave to smudge a dipping sauce on his trousers. They then headed to a larger store to buy him a new pair of trousers.

     They failed in their quest to acquire new trousers, but had good hearty laughs and made the son wear clothes meant for girls. However, it was here that they discovered The Great Dave. They found him in his usual form, a plastic bird, perched upon a raised surface. They were drawn to him, and immediately knew that it was to be theirs. They did not know why, but they knew it must be.

     They purchased the plastic bird, took him home, and immediately idolized him. They knew that his name was to be Dave, and that he was of great importance. The boys did not truly understand that Dave was of much more importance until much later. The day after their trip to the store, their land was ice-ridden. The plants outside were enveloped in a solid sheet of ice, and the roads were only traversible by foot, because none of their automobiles were equipped to operate on the ice-covered roads.

     The young men grew hungry, and weary of being held inside their home, and by the will of Dave, which they still failed to recognize, decided to embark on a long journey to obtain cheap, delicious food. They left their home and started down the road, talking and laughing, unaware of the great events that awaited them. They would soon find out the true purpose of what was happening.

     They noticed a bird that looked exactly like their plastic bird that was perched upon a telephone wire. Then they realized that this, in fact, WAS their bird, but in the form of a living version of it's plastic form, guarding them, and guiding them. They then began to realize that they had a greater purpose in this journey, and that Dave was more than a mere plastic bird.

     They began to have revelations and realizations that Dave placed in their minds. They came to the conclusion that Dave was the true God, and that they were prophets, since they were the only ones who realized this truth. They then realized that the one with no apparent useful talent must have been the son of Dave, because of the hardships he faced and trials and tribulations. They realized that since he had no talent to offer Dave, he didn't require one, because him simply being among the other prophets was enough to please Dave.

     Then came their true sign that they were led by The Great and Powerful Dave. They noticed on the side of the path a beautiful sight. A useless, disappointing, fresh, beautiful sight. They knew in their hearts that Dave put this there for them, that he loved them, and that he wanted them to cleanse the world of the wrongness that had befallen it.

title: The Book of Dave

question: When did Dave decide to rid the world of the evil in it, and how?

answer: Sometime in the late 1990s, and he created five men to spread his holy name.

question: What was the purpose of Dave's only son?

answer: It might be implied that he served as a spiritual guide.

question: Why didn't Dave's son have any useful talent?

answer: It appears he didn't need any useful talent because Dave put him among the prophets. After all, it pleased him.

question: How did the men misuse their talents?

answer: It is not stated how.

question: Where did the men discover The Great Dave and his true form?

answer: At a local store while shopping for a pair of trousers for Dave's son.

question: What was the true form of Dave?

answer: He liked to appear as a plastic dove.

question: How did the men realize that the plastic bird was Dave?

answer: They noticed a bird that looked exactly like their plastic bird, and they eventually realized that the bird was theirs but in the form of a living version of its plastic form.

question: When did they finally realize their true purpose in life?

answer: After they discovered the plastic bird in its live form and began to have revelations and realizations.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: The Great Dave, the creator of the earth, usually in the form of a plastic dove, witnessed the destruction of the earth and decided centuries later to create five men who would spread his holy name and save humanity. Among those five men was his only son, who appeared to face trials and tribulations and had the least useful talent, unlike the others. They encountered Dave at a local store one day when they sighted a plastic dove that they didn't know was their creator. Later, they would discover the bird was, in fact, their creator and began to have revelations. They also realized that they were prophets, and Dave's son, without a useful talent, didn't require any because it pleased Dave to have him among the prophets.


text:
[CFe 4/4 of the Elektrische Strassenbahnen im Kanton Zug (ESZ)]

CFE 4/4 was the designation of the electric railcar of the Elektrische Strassenbahnen im Kanton Zug (ESZ) (English: Electric Tramways of the Canton of Zug), build by the Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon and delivered from 1913 onwards. One of the CFe 4/4 of the ESZ had the nickname “elephant”.

History and development

The company Electric Tramways of the Canton of Zug (ESZ) opened on 9 September 1913 the overland tramway track Zug–Oberägeri, Zug–Baar–Thalacker and Nidfurren–Menzingen. On all routes, in the first years, the motor vehicles CFe 4/4 ran as solo coaches and replaced the motor bus, because the previously used nine-pound Orion Autobuses were not reliable and were not comfortable with their solid rubber wheels on the unpaved road.

These were driven solo or, as from on 1920, with railroad cars of the type ESZ Personenwagen C 36 – C 38. Closed and open goods wagons were used for freight transport.

Three CFe 4/4 were purchased as passenger railcars (Nos. 1, 2 and 4). The CFe 4/4 with the number 3 was procured as a goods railcar with the designation Fe 4/4 and the ESZ number 21.

The name “elephant” comes from the grey paint, which the third CFe 4/4 initially had. This was converted to passenger railcar in 1916 as a result of the need for more transport capacity for passengers. The tram service on these routes was put to an end in 1953 and were replaced by buses. The four CFe 4/4 of the ESZ were sold to the Wynental- and Suhrentalbahn WSB (Wynental and Suhrental Railway), Langenthal-Jura-Bahn (LJB) and Oberaargau-Jura-Bahnen (OJB).

After the end of the electric tramways in the canton of Zug, all vehicles were sold. Today the passenger railcar C-37 is still in possession of the Jagsttalbahn, an ESZ CFe 4/4 was brought again from Langenthal to Neuheim and restored in the original colours. This ESZ CFe 4/4 is now located in the Zug depot technology history (German: Zuger Depot Technikgeschichte).

Technical specifications

-   Numbering: 1-4
-   Number: 4
-   Manufacturer: Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon
-   Year of construction: 1913/1921/1926
-   End of service by the ESZ: 1953
-   Wheel arrangement: 4/4
-   Track gauge: 1435 mm (Standard gauge)
-   Length over buffers: 20'600 mm
-   Service weight: 21 t
-   Maximum speed: 30 km/h
-   Hourly power: 512 kW (696 hp)
-   Power system: 15 kV 16.7 Hz
-   Power transmission: pantograph
-   Number of motors: 4
-   Seating: 53

Pictures

File:CFe4 4 Front.jpg| CFe 4/4 Front File :CFe4 4 Führerstand links.jpg| Cockpit left-hand side File :CFe4 4 Führerstand rechts.jpg| Cockpit right-hand side File: CFe4 4 Heizung.jpg| Heater File: CFe4 4 Passagierraum.jpg|Passenger cabin File:CFe4 4 Heck.jpg| End

title: ESZ CFe 4/4

question: What is ESZ CFe 4/4?

answer: It was the designation of the electric railcar of the Electric Tramways of the Canton of Zug.

question: What happened to the Orion Autobuses?

answer: They were replaced by the CFe 4/4 because the Autobuses weren't reliable or comfortable with their solid rubber wheels on the unpaved road.

question: Describe the name "elephant".

answer: The ESZ has the nickname "elephant" due to its grey paint.

question: What was put to an end in 1953?

answer: The tram service on these routes were put to an end.

question: What happened in 1916?

answer: The third CFe 4/4 was converted to passenger railcar as a result of the need for more transport capacity for passengers.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This article discusses the history, development, and the technical specifications of the ESZ CFe 4/4. The CFe 4/4 was the designation of the electric railcar of the Electric Tramways of the Canton of Zug (ESZ).


text:
KOZMA is a Hungarian surname. Notable people with the surname include:

-   Dominik Kozma (born 1991), Hungarian swimmer
-   István Kozma (footballer) (born 1964), Hungarian footballer
-   Július Kozma (1929-2009), Slovak chess player
-   Mihály Kozma (born 1949), Hungarian footballer
-   Miklós Kozma (1884−1941), Hungarian politician
-   Robert Kozma, American mathematician
-   Pete Kozma (b. 1988), American baseball player
-   András Kozma (b. 1952), Hungarian musician and philosopher
-   Alonso Pizarro Kozma (b. 1991), Chilean architect and philosopher.

title: Kozma

question: What is Kozma?

answer: Kozma is a Hungarian surname.

question: Who was Istvan Kozma?

answer: Istvan was a Hungarian footballer.

question: Who is Pete Kozma?

answer: He is an American baseball player.

question: Who is Robert Kozma?

answer: He was an American mathematician.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Kozma is a Hungarian surname. A few of the famous people with the surname are - Miklos Kozma, Pete Kozma, and Robert Kozma.


text:
EDWARD JOSEPH MCNAMARA (September 19, 1894 – 1928) was an Australian born vaudevillian who made a career on stage in Australia, the US and in Hollywood silent films, before dying suddenly in 1928.

McNamara was born in Melbourne, Australia.[1][2] As a juvenile, he appeared on stage in numerous productions while travelling Australia and New Zealand, with great acclaim.[3] In 1905, he joined a long tour by Pollard's Lilliputian Opera Company through Japan, China, Canada and the US,[4] the company achieving considerable renown.[5]

He married former company member and Australian actress Phyllis Hill in Canada in 1913, while both were underage. She returned to Australia in 1915, obtaining a divorce nine years later, in 1926, on the grounds of desertion. There was one child of the union.[6] McNamara continued to perform in North America, including on Broadway through 1922–1924.[7]

In 1926, Raoul Walsh teamed him with fellow comedian Sammy Cohen for supporting character roles in the war film _What Price Glory?_ As a comedy duo, McNamara and Cohen would appear together in several films.

He died of pneumonia in early 1928. Many of the former Pollard's performers living in Hollywood attended the funeral, including Alf Goulding, Billy Bevan, Snub Pollard and Daphne Pollard.[8] He had remarried by this time.

Partial filmography

-   ''Shore Leave ''(1925)
-   _What Price Glory?_ (1926) (with Sammy Cohen)
-   _Upstream_ (1927)
-   _Rich But Honest_ (1927)
-   _Colleen_ (1927) (with Sammy Cohen)
-   _Chain Lightning_ (1927)
-   _The Gay Retreat (1927)_ (with Sammy Cohen)
-   _The Gateway of the Moon_ (1928)
-   _Mother Machree_ (1928)
-   _Why Sailors Go Wrong_ (1928) (with Sammy Cohen)

[1] US World War I Draft registration Card accessed 23 December 2016

[2] However, Victorian Births Deaths and Marriage records state 1893

[3] “DRAMATIC NOTES” _The Mercury_ (Hobart, Tasmania, Wed 24 Aug 1904, Page 2. Accessed 23 December 2016

[4] Truth (Brisbane, Qld. : 1900 - 1954), Sun 29 Sep 1907 Page 2 “POLLARD'S LIVELY LILLIPUTIANS”

[5] “INTERSTATE NEWS” _The Referee_ (Sydney), Wed 13 Dec 1916, Page 14, accessed 23 December 2016

[6] ACTRESS OBTAINS DIVORCE _The Telegraph_ (Brisbane), Tue 11 May 1926, Page 20, accessed 23 December 2016

[7] Entry for Ted McNamara. The Broadway League, 2016 _The Internet Broadway database_, accessed 23 December 2016

[8] COMEDIAN'S DEATH _The Daily News_ (Perth), Fri 23 Mar 1928, Page 11, Accessed 23 December 2016

title: Ted McNamara

question: When was McNamara born?

answer: September 19, 1894

question: What was the cause of his death?

answer: Pneumonia

question: Who was McNamara's first wife?

answer: Phyllis Hill, an Australian actress

question: On what grounds did his first wife divorce him?

answer: Desertion

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Edward Joseph McNamara was an Australian born vaudeville actor. He married Phyllis Hill, an Australian actress, but she later divorced him on the grounds of desertion. He appeared in several films with Sammy Cohen as a comedy duo. He died suddenly of pneumonia in 1928.


text:
"I'm not *gorging*. I'm simply asking to dive *deeper*."

"You do realize that diving into a rift at these depths is practically suicide. The pressure from the hydrothermal vents will crush your organs Kyle, not to mention the risk of being ambushed by..."

"Okay, okay, I won't go into the rift, I promise Orna. I went to school, I know. Fuck.”

Orna grunted in his breathing apparatus.

“Five minutes max. You hear me?

"Capisce Doc!"

Kyle glided down into the kelp forest, just next to the rift, a gateway to the abyss.

*We are in kraken territory, Kyle. I hope you understand that.*

Orna's flashlight flickered. His spine vibrated.

The new diving suits issued by the company were tested a few days before this dive, and nothing more. Anything past the deadline meant closure, and they couldn't risk losing this client. *Archetypes are always flawed, bound to Murphy’s law. Focus.*

"We have to dive today! They expect samples by next week!" said his boss during this morning's phone call.

Orna tried to convince his boss it was mating season, and although rare in the wild, no dive team ever would compensate for the risks held by encountering one. Not even SEALs.

"They don't even prey on humans Orna!" *Money first I guess though.*

Countless dives under the ocean, this place was Orna's second home, a haven to him. He lost sight of Kyle in the kelp bed. The flashlight flickered again.

*It won't happen to me.*

He recalled those memories. How his former master convulsed in front of him, lapsing into a state of undeniable, pure and utter delirium after her lights relinquished, finalizing her into a state similar to schizophrenia.

He closed his eyes. He saw the shore, his wife, his daughters. He took a staccato-type-breathe.

Orna's light finally died isolating him three-thousand fathoms under the ocean in complete darkness. *You got your test. Get us out of here now.*

"Kyle, my light just died. You have to abort. It's too dangerous." he said over the radio.

Orna heard a whisper in the distance, a deranged voice. A woman.

"Kyle do you read me?" He began to panic.

Silence.

"Kyle!"

The voice became louder.

The water displaced around him. Orna Piccardo recalled was this morning's call with his boss. *They don't even prey on humans.*

title: "Piccardo" (392 words, critique welcomed)

question: Where is the passage set?

answer: Kyle and Orna are very deep in the ocean.

question: What are Orna and Kyle investigating?

answer: It seems as though they are investigating a kraken.

question: What animals do not prey on humans?

answer: Kraken.

question: Whose voice does Kyle hear?

answer: Not answered.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: Kyle and Orna are in the deep ocean. Kyle wants to go deeper, but Orna is hesitant. As the descend, Orna's flashlight goes out. They are now three fathoms beneath the surface, surrounded by complete darkness. Orna hears a woman's voice, and it grows louder and louder.


text:
BLOCK LINE is a stop on the Region of Waterloo's Ion rapid transit system.[1] It is located alongside Courtland Avenue in Kitchener, just north of Block Line Road. It opened on June 21, 2019.

Access to the platform is from the south, from the Block Line sidewalk; and from the north, from the Courtland and Hillmount intersection.

thumb|left|_Three Sisters_ The station features the artwork _Three Sisters_ by Haudenosaunee/ Anishinaabe artist Lindsey Lickers and Katharine Harvey, having a digitally printed glass wall with images narrating the history and culture of the First Peoples.[2]

St. Mary's High School is located about southwest of the station, and the recreational facilities of the Peter Hallman Ball Yard and the Activa Sportsplex are also nearby.

With the adjustment of bus routes following the launch of light rail service in June 2019, several routes require buses to perform U-turns to stop at the station. This is stated to be a temporary measure until bus bays and a bus terminal are built.[3]

[1]

[2]

[3]

title: Block Line station

question: Where is the Block Line station?

answer: The stop is located alongside Courtland Avenue in Kitchener.

question: Where can you access the platform from?

answer: You can access the platform from the Block Line sidewalk in the south and from the Courtland and Hillmount intersection in the north.

question: List a few nearby facilities.

answer:
- St. Mary's High School
- Peter Hallman Ball Yard
- Activa Sportsplex

question: Whose artwork does the state feature?

answer: The station features artwork "Three Sisters" by Haudenosaunee/ Anishinaabe artists Lindsey Lickers and Katharine Harvey.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer:
Block Line is a stop on Waterloo's Ion rapid transit system. The stop is located alongside Courtland Avenue in Kitchener.

The station is accessible from the Block Line sidewalk and the from the Hillmount intersection. The interior showcases artwork by Lindsey lickers and Katharine Harvey.

Currently, several buses have to take a U-turn to reach the station, but this is a temporary measure until bus bays and bus terminal are built.


text:
Mother knows best. At least it's true for a pile of successful founders and CEOs who point to their mothers for steering them in the right directions. Check out the stellar advice they say they'll never forget.

1. Always remember where you came from.

"My mom was tough with me on my academic achievements and always expected the best from me and my siblings. But she led by example, graduating at the top of her class from med school, getting a master's while we were in elementary school, and a PhD she finished just two years ago. She did all of this while working full time. Her continuous striving for knowledge and personal growth is inspiring to me as a woman. One of the most memorable pieces of advice she gave me was 'Never forget where you came from.'  This is a sentence I have never forgotten, living now so far from where I grew up--Tijuana--and in such a different reality. I remind myself constantly of the blessings I've received and now to be where I am. Remembering where you came from is also remembering who has been with you all along."

--Alexandra Zatarain, co-founder of Eight, a nonwearable sleep tracker that senses and analyzes more than 15 factors from a person's sleep patterns and bedroom environment, to determine the conditions that encourage optimal rest

2. Don't go to jail.

"Our mother always told us that confidence is what will make or break whatever you do, whether it comes to relationships or work. Be confident in your decisions but still take ownership of your mistakes. [Doing so] makes you more credible in the long term. That, and don't go to jail."

--Emily Motayed and Lee Mayer, sisters and co-founders of the online interior design platform Havenly

3. Never take shortcuts.

"My mother and I are close, and one of the best pieces of advice she has given was that throughout life's journey, never take shortcuts and always trust your employees by showing them respect. This always shows integrity, and helps empower and encourage everyone to work together and do their best."

--Constantin Bisanz, founder and CEO of on-the-go wellness company Aloha

4. Wake up with a smile or change something.

"Work hard and have fun. The more hours you invest, the more you get things done. But it is also key to remember that if you don't wake up with a smile, do something else. Simple as that."

--Magnus Larsson, CEO of Rebtel, a mobile communications company offering unlimited international calling to mobile phones and landlines for a nominal monthly rate

5. Build something you love.

"I grew up an only child, raised by a single mother. My mother worked her ass off to raise me, and it wasn't easy. She taught me to work hard to cultivate and build something you love, and something special: In her case, it was me. In my case--right now--it's [my app], Overnight. I'm lucky that I got to see this kind of work ethic, and it's the most impactful example that has shaped me into who I am today. No matter how hard it could be, just keep climbing, and something great will come out of it. That's your only choice when you have something special you're bringing up."

--Asher Hunt, co-founder and CEO of Overnight, an app for booking last-minute spaces with local hosts

6. Always stay active.

"My mother has always represented persistence, confidence, and a can-do attitude. She regularly woke up at 4:30 a.m. to drive me to crew practice and then jump in a boat herself to learn to row and race in the master's program. Next, she took on golf and at 60-plus years old is regularly ranked in the top women at PGA National and Jonathan's Landing clubs in Florida. My parents supported my brother and me in any undertaking we embarked on, as long as we agreed to give it our all."

--Erin Sykes, founder and CEO of Mission 360, a curated community dedicated to empowering people seeking a stronger body, enriched spirit, and expanded mind

7. Stay exactly the way you are.

"My mum is a true fighter ... She always motivated me to push my limits and elevate to excellence in any space that I was in. I have a Christmas card that I still carry with me in my wallet every day. It must have been more than 10 years ago that I got it and it translates to: 'Dear Pia, Stay exactly the way you are--headstrong, determined, with your heart in the right place.'"

--Pia Poppenreiter, co-founder and CEO of Ohlala, a paid dating app that connects people to instant dates on demand

8. Everything is possible.

"My mother is an amazing woman who is a little eccentric and has the strongest momentum. I think the best advice she's ever given me is that everything is possible and the world is yours, and to remember that everything is created by people who are no smarter than you."

--Michael Cassau, founder and CEO of ByeBuy, a startup that grants unlimited access to gadgets via a subscription program.

9. Know which pocket to reach into.

"My mom is a fascinating woman. Beautiful as she is brilliant, she could've spent her life immersed in academic or professional pursuits had she not birthed me and my sisters. Instead, this highly educated, accomplished woman chose to focus all her efforts on raising us and caring for our every need. She would always say that in one pocket you keep a note that says 'the whole world was built for me' and in the other pocket a note that says 'my only purpose is to serve others.' All of life is knowing when to reach into which pocket. As I grow older, I keep discovering new layers of depth to this saying."

--Asher Weinberger, co-founder and CEO of Twillory, a New York City-based startup that provides quality dress shirts at a fair price

10. Take risks and go on adventures.

"My mom has taught me how to be independent, while always putting family first. When I broke both knees while kite surfing, she took care of me and still encouraged me to get back out there once I was healed. Starting when I was 4 years old, she would send me to Argentina alone to spend the summer with my grandparents and cousins. At first, this was a terrifying experience, but over time I become quite the little world traveler. When it comes to work-life balance, my mom is a total rock star. She has always had her own successful business, while juggling family and lots of overseas adventures."

--Eric Sanchez, founder and CEO of the smart action camera company REVL

question: What does the text say about fatherly advice?

question: What does the text say about Alexandra Zatarain?

answer: Alexandra Zatarain is the co-founder of Eight. Eight is a nonwearable sleep tracker that senses and analyzes more than 15 factors from a person's sleep patterns and bedroom environment to determine the conditions that encourage optimal rest. Her mother's advice is to "never forget where you came from". For Alexandra, remembering where you can from is also remembering who has been with you all along.

question: What does the text say about Magnus Larsson?

answer: Magnus Larsson is the CEO of Rebtel. Rebtel is a mobile communications company offering unlimited international calling to mobile phones and landlines for a low monthly fee. Magnus says that it's important to work hard and have fun. He also says that "if you don't wake up with a smile, do something else".

question: What does the text say about Michael Cassau?

answer: Michael Cassau is the founder and CEO of ByeBuy. ByeBuy is a startup that grants unlimited access to gadgets via a subscription program. His mother's advice to him is "everything is possible and the world is yours". She also told him to remember that "everything is created by people who are no smarter than you."


text:
Upon his countenance, he wore the appearance of a shameless murderer, a killer void of all mercy and remorse. This man, however, was not insane or delirious. His blood ran no colder than any others. This look, though worn with ease, was nothing more than a façade. It was a mask worn by a man driven mad by his revenge.

It was a distance of no more than ten feet between my father and me. I closed it quickly. Seeing me sprinting, the man stepped back into the smoke. I dropped to my knees and began to cry. It surprised me how quickly my father’s body became cold after being kissed by the cold lips of death. The very blood I was kneeling in felt warmer than the blood dripping from my father’s now limp body.

Glancing now at my father’s murderer, I saw him smiling. It was an odd, melancholy smile. It seemed as though this man had not smiled for many years and was trying to remember how. He uttered one short, drawn out line to me. “This man, your father, deserved everything I just gave him.” With this, the murdered holstered his black Scofield and casually strolled out the front door. Embracing the damp air, he mounted his horse, and rode off into the fog and the mountains.

I loved my father, but not another tear of mine was shed over his death.  I had caught the very many responsible for my father’s death. However, I did not pursue the outlaw, because, well, I believed the line he uttered to me. I could not help it, I respected him. I respected the man known to me and everyone else as, Abilene’s Outlaw.

title: An introduction to a longer, short story I'm writing.

question: Who is the narrator?

answer: The child of a man who has just been killed

question: List the main characters.

answer: The narrator, their father, and Abilene's Outlaw

question: Where is the story set?

answer: That information can't be found, but the word "outlaw" conjures images of the Old West

question: In what time period does the story take place?

answer: Likely sometime before the adoption of automobiles, since a character rides off on a horse

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator runs to their father, who has just been killed by a man known as Abilene's Outlaw. The narrator looks at the killer, who tells them that their father deserved it and then rides off on a horse. The narrator loved their father, but they feel inclined to believe the outlaw.


text: John liked to dance. The beat, the sweat, the daze, he liked dancing. John liked the intimacy of the dance floor. The DJ was mixing some cool tracks, and John had just ordered his typical gin & tonic. It was an acquired taste, his friends never stole a sip. That’s the night when he first saw her. You wouldn't believe it, but for John it seemed as if time had stopped. It was her green eyes that he first locked on to. Piercing green, greener than the backside of a 20. Frozen in a moment of everlasting bliss. John would break every single law of physics to have time stand still for him. Emily was statuesque. Her long, brown hair fell over her shoulder like leaves that have felt winter’s touch. He felt flushed with heat. Yet, her smile calmed the tension building in his body. He was never much of a playboy, but John couldn't let this opportunity slip. He leaned in, “care to dance?”

title: John's Dance

question: Who is John on the dancefloor with?

answer: Emily

question: What is the first thing that John noticed about Emily?

answer: Her green eyes

question: When does this take place?

answer: It is unclear when it takes place

question: What does John decide to do?

answer: He asks Emily to dance with him

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: John loves to dance. He is on the dancefloor with his drink, when he notices a woman and her piercing green eyes. He thinks she is beautiful, and decides to ask her for a dance.


text:
_PRELUDE_ is the third extended play by South Korean girl group April. It was released on January 4, 2017 by DSP Media and distributed by LOEN Entertainment. It marks the group's first comeback as a six member-group with the addition of Chaekyung and Rachel.

Background and release

On December 20, 2016, DSP Media confirmed that April would release their third extended play, _Prelude_ on January 4, 2017.[1][2] The title of the album _Prelude_ represent the group's new beginning, with their new line-up consisting of Chaekyung, Chaewon, Naeun, Yena, Rachel and Jinsol.[3][4] The next day, the album's tracklist was released, revealing that the album will includes 9 tracks with 5 new songs, a re-recorded version of 3 of their previous tracks: “Dream Candy”, “Muah!” and “Snowman”, and an instrumental version of the title track.[5][6]

On December 27, they revealed two concept images of the group were unveiled, the first follows the “cute and innocent” image of the group and the second showing a still “innocent” but more mature side.[7] On December 28, April released a teaser with member Rachel for showing the choreography key point dance moves and also revealed that the title track of the album, “April Story”.[8][9]

On December 30, their music video making teasers for Jinsol, Chaekyung and Rachel were revealed,[10] followed by Naeun, Chaewon and Yena's on December 31.[11][12][13] On January 1, 2017, the highlight medley of the five new songs from the mini-album was released.[14]

Promotions

From January 1 to January 3, Chaekyung, Chaewon, Naeun, Yena, Rachel and Jinsol held a series of live appearances on their Naver's V-app channel. On January 3, the music video for “April Story” was released on the group's YouTube channel.[15]

On January 4, the group also held a live aired comeback showcase for _Prelude_, on Naver's V-app. On January 6, April had their comeback stage on KBS's _Music Bank_ that were eventually followed by appearances on Mnet's _M Countdown_, MBC's _Show! Music Core_ and SBS's _Inkigayo_.

On January 19, the Special choreography MV of “April Story” was released.[16]

On February 14, 2017, Chaekyung, Chaewon, Naeun, Yena, Rachel and Jinsol performed a special stage of Apink's _“LUV”_ for the 100th episode of SBS MTV _The Show_.[17] Starting from February 16, the group performed, on Mnet's, _M! Countdown_, a series of special stages of “WOW” a song also figuring on the _Prelude_ album.

Track listing

Release history

  Region        Date               Format   Label
  ------------- ------------------ -------- ------- ------
  South Korea   January 4, 2017                     [18]
  Various       Digital download   [19]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7] http://www.allkpop.com/article/2016/12/april-drops-a-new-concept-photo-for-comeback

[8]

[9]

[10] http://www.allkpop.com/article/2016/12/aprils-jinsol-chaekyung-and-rachel-give-you-a-spoiler-of-their-upcoming-comeback-mv

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14] http://www.allkpop.com/article/2017/01/april-give-a-preview-for-their-3rd-mini-album-prelude

[15] https://www.soompi.com/2017/01/03/watch-april-returns-6-cute-dancing-dolls-april-story-mv/

[16] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8HHMFfI_t0

[17] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U77DIHmCp78

[18]

[19]

title: Prelude (EP)

question: Who is April?

answer: They are a South Korean girl group.

question: Who are April's newest members?

answer: Chaekyung and Rachel.

question: What is "Prelude?"

answer: It is the third extended play by April, released on January 4, 2017, marking the group's first comeback as a six member-group with their new members.

question: When and where did April stage their comeback performance?

answer: KBS's Music Bank

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: April is a South Korean girl group that just released their third extended play entitled "Prelude," on January 4, 2017. Prelude marks April's first comeback as a six-member group with their newest members, Chaekyung and Rachel.


text:
VICTORIA PARK is a stop on the Region of Waterloo's Ion rapid transit system. It is located alongside Charles Street, just west of Gaukel Street, in Kitchener.[1] Its namesake, Victoria Park, has its eastern entrance about south of the station along Gaukel. It opened in 2019.

The station serves southbound trains only; the nearest northbound platform is at Kitchener City Hall station, about away up Gaukel and Young streets.

The station's feature wall consists of brown stone tiles with flowing, random striations.

The platform is connected with Charles Street's sidewalks at either end, and pedestrians passing through walk along the platform.

The station is located at the southwest corner of the intersection of Charles Street West and Gaukel Street. It is immediately adjacent to 44 Gaukel Street, a modernist building constructed in 1962–64 which was formerly a Canada Post depot before it was converted to its current use as an arts centre.[2] Across Gaukel Street is the Charles Street Transit Terminal, the former Grand River Transit hub in Kitchener until the launch of light rail service in 2019. As of early 2020, intercity buses still stop at the terminal.

[1]

[2]

title: Victoria Park station (Kitchener)

question: Where is Victoria Part located?

answer: It is located alongside Charles Street, just west of Gaukel Street, in Kitchener.

question: What is Victoria Park?

answer: Victoria Park is a stop on the Region of Waterloo's Ion rapid transit system.

question: What does this station serve?

answer: It serves only southbound trains.

question: How can you describe the station's features?

answer: The station's features can be described as consisting of brown stone tiles with flowing, random striations.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This article describes Victoria Park, a stop on a transit system. It describes where the stop is located and its features.


text:
This was my first short story I had to write for my Creative Writing class back when I was a Junior in high school. I hope you like it!

    "Ooohhhh," Helen groaned. She hurt everywhere. Being in a hospital for six weeks is really something that she wasn't looking forward to. She was about to call for a nurse to change the channel on her tiny tv (golf was not her thing!) when all of a sudden there was a knock on the door. "Come in," she called weakly.

   "Hello, I'm Dr. Bandade, how are you feeling?" He smiled a toothy smile.

   She gave the burly man a sarcastic look. "How do you *think* I'm feeling? I fell out of a five-story window!"

    The doctor pulled up a chair next to her. "Yes about that, how exactly did it happen? On this statement is says that you were pushed?"

    Helen cringed at the very thought of it, not only because it was painful, but she wasn't sure if he would believe her. "Well, it started out as a normal day. I woke up, ate breakfast, completed the daily crossword puzzle in the paper.

    "It was then I noticed that my window was open. A cool breeze swept through, so I decided to close it. I got up and went over to the window.

    "Right as I reached out to grab the handle, Rufus, my cat, rubbed against my leg, causing me to lose my balance. Before I knew it, I was falling out the window!

    "I screamed. I heard people screaming below me. I felt breathless. Panic swept over me.

    "It was only too soon when I came into contact with the ground. I heard bones shattering and I cried out in pain. In the distance, sirens wailed. The ambulance charged down the street.

    "After they put me on the stretcher, they hauled me away to the hospital, where they told me I was lucky to even be alive. They said I broke every bone in my body. I'll be here about six weeks, if not more." Her face fell when she told the doctor this. "And that's all that happened."

    Dr. Bandade looked over at her. "So you fell out accidentally then."

    "No! I was *pushed* out!" she yelled.

    "But you even said that you lost your balance, and no one was with you."

    "Yes there was... Rufus! *He* pushed me out!"

    The doctor rationalized, "But he's a *cat.* He probably didn't realize that rubbing against you to show affection would-"

    But Helen cut him off. "He *deliberately* rubbed too hard and made me lost my balance."

    "What would be the purpose for Rufus to push you?" The doctor raised an eyebrow.

    "He's just evil," she simply said.

    "Oh." He wrote some things down on his clipboard.

    Helen stared at him suspiciously. "What kind of doctor are you anyway, asking me all these questions?"

    "I'm a psychiatrist." He wrote some more things down.

    "What? You think I'm crazy don't you?! I'm telling you, my cat is trying to *kill me!"*

    Before Dr. Bandade could say anything, there was a knock at the door.

    "Excuse me, doctor," the nurse said, "but there's someone here to see her."

    Helen perked up a bit. A visitor to see her!

    The visitor walked into the room.

    "Rufus!" Helen shrieked.

    Standing there was the tabby cat. He was staring at her with glossy green eyes, slanted into slits. His tail twitched as if to say, "I'm *back."*

title: Paranoid?... Or Just Plain Evil?

question: List the main characters.

answer: Helen, Dr. Bandade, and Rufus

question: Where is the story set?

answer: Helen's hospital room

question: In what time period does the story take place?

answer: That information can't be found (but we might assume around the present)

question: What is Helen's relationship to Dr. Bandade?

answer: Dr. Bandade is a psychiatrist questioning her

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Dr. Bandade enters Helen's hospital room and asks her how she was injured. Helen recounts falling from her window and breaking every bone in her body; she insists her cat, Rufus, pushed her because he is evil. A nurse tells the doctor that Helen has a visitor, and Helen sees Rufus walk into her room.


text:
HYMMI LENITA AULIKKI AIRISTO (born 1 January 1937 in Helsinki, Finland) is a Finnish business leader, promoter of Finnish industrial and cultural exports, TV journalist and author.

Biography

Maiden of Finland

Airisto began her public career in 1954, when she became Maiden of Finland, nominated by the Disabled War Veterans' Association of Finland. Her duties involved raising funds for the rehabilitation of men, who had been severely wounded in the Winter War and Continuation War in the late 1930s and early 1940s, to help them return to a normal life.

Education

Working as a fashion model gained Airisto the financial means for pursuing academic studies in Finland and abroad. She earned a Bachelor of Science, B.Sc. degree from the Swedish-speaking Hanken School of Economics in Helsinki, Finland, and studied TV journalism at the BBC and ITV studios in London, with RTF in Paris and with German TV channels in Hamburg, Munich and Berlin. Airisto also studied at Stanford University in California. Her studies concluded with practical experience at various TV studios in Los Angeles, including an internship with the show of Steve Allen. He also asked her to join him live on air to tell American TV viewers about Finland and Finns on the NBC channel.

Career

Airisto had a career as a TV journalist for over 30 years, and she has appeared on more than 300 prime time current affairs shows over the years. She has also produced, designed and carried out export promotions for both individual companies and the export industry in general all around the world, the first promotion campaigns aimed at the international media and customers taking place in the 1960s. Airisto has also given lectures based on her several books at universities, schools of economics and other academic educational institutions for many years.

Accolades

In 2008, Airisto's influence in Finland was verified by a survey commissioned from Taloustutkimus - she ranked among the ten most influential women in the country. Airisto has also been nominated as _Woman of the Year_ and decorated with the Knight, First Class of the Order of the Lion of Finland.

Other

Airisto is a very public figure who often has been an opinion-maker in even very mundane things, such as style and etiquette. She is arguably best known to the public for having made wearing tennis socks with a suit socially unacceptable in Finland in the 1980s, a practice that up to then was a common practice for Finnish businessmen abroad. Later she has among other things criticized politicians, such as Matti Vanhanen, for insufficient language skills.[1]

[1] Lehti: Lenita Airisto haukkuu Vanhasen kielitaidon - http://www.mtv3.fi/viihde/uutiset/muut.shtml/833843/lehti-lenita-airisto-haukkuu-vanhasen-kielitaidon

title: Lenita Airisto

question: Who is Lenita Airisto?

answer: A Finnish business leader, TV journalist and author.

question: How did Lenita Airisto begin her public career?

answer: In 1954, she became Maiden of Finland nominated by the Disabled War Veterans' Association of Finland.

question: Explain how Airisto gained financial means.

answer: Working as a fashion model gained her financial means to pursue academic studies in Finland and abroad.

question: Summarize Airisto's career as a TV journalist.

answer: She concluded her studies with practical experience at various TV studios in Los Angeles. Airisto had a career as a TV journalist for over 30 yers and appeared on more than 300 prime time shows.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Lenita Airisto is a Finnish business leader, TV journalist and author. She first worked as a fashion model until she gained the financial means to pursue her academic studies in Finland and abroad. She concluded her studies with practical TV experience and had a 30 year career as a TV journalist.


text:
I can rarely write about the things that make me sad, but I managed with this one:

	For as long as I can remember, her hands where always rough. They had long fingers, thick and strong. Her fingertips were wide and calloused and too tough to hold. They made my own hands itch. She would have been painless in sewing, but she was never that kind of woman. Roses had no effect on her, on her hands or on her heart.
My mother always sought solitude in her gardening, though. But she never planted anything with flowers, only bushes that needed a lot of pruning. She was obsessed with maintaining things, but never helped anything flourish and reach their highest potential. And because of her gardening, there was always dirt underneath her nails, like a perpetual mark of labour; labour that she preferred over many normal things. Like her family, like her children. And when I held her hand, it was an act of confusion: the care and familiarity was there, but it was marked by something rough and hard to recognise as comforting. We’d walk to the store hand-in-hand, but it was more of a whisk, so I wouldn’t stray into the street. She’d lick her finger and use her salty saliva to wipe chocolate off of my face, and it was painful and motherly all at the same time.
 My hands do not take after her hands. They are petite, and quick, hands made for a creator, not a maintainer. I write with them and I comfort the kids with them. They portray creativity and mend ripped jeans. Her hands, well, they were mothers before they wanted to. Perhaps that’s why they were perpetually dirty; she was marked by the things she preferred, because I came along all too early for her. We all did and her hands had to hide themselves away in a distraction; she ended up doing nothing more than just maintaining us children, like her shrubs, never pushing us to reach beyond the sky. My mother’s hands are not like my hands, but I can’t believe they could never have been great.  She could have been that mother. The one taught you “Patty Cake”, that made scrapbooks with you of your trip to the petting zoo. She could have expected more of us, of her creations, but for some reason I don’t blame her for not being that mother. After all, flowerless plants will never push you to your limits and they can always be trimmed back down into submission.
But I will always have the image in my mind of the mother who smiles when tucks you in for bed, who picks flowers for the vase on the dining table, rather than letting the water grow stagnant and the bits of leaves unsaved.  She would mix cookie batter with her bare hands and feed you pieces of apples from her long and elegant fingers. Her hands would be her own tools for the world she would make for herself, for the creations she had perfected.
However, as I look at her bent over some flowerless hydrangea bushes, sun peaking through the perfectly-pruned leaves, I realise now that despite her absence as “that mother”, she has accidentally done her job. She can make sure over and over again that her garden never changes. She can ignore what her children strived for and give them only the bare minimum. But we have all grown up taller than any sunflower or vine of ivy ever could. Though we are the things she tried to avoid, we are her creations. We changed and she could not control us. We bloomed.

title: First ST Post: "My Mother's Hands"

question: What does the narrator suspect the reason is why their mother's hands are perpetually dirty?

answer: The narrator suspects their mother's hands were marked by the things she preferred (gardening).

question: What is the relationship like between the narrator and their mother today?

answer: The narrator realizes that they and their siblings flourished despite the fact that their mother was somewhat neglectful of them, only providing them with the bare minimum of care.

question: What was the labour that the narrator's mother preferred over many normal things?

answer: The narrator's mother prefers gardening.

question: What happened to the narrator's father?

answer: That information can't be found.

question: How many siblings did the narrator have?

answer: That information can't be found.

question: What was the narrator's mother's job?

answer: That information can't be found.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator reflects on how their mother only provided them with the bare minimum of care, preferring to tend to her garden rather than to her children. But, despite that, the narrator and their siblings have managed to flourish, which leads the narrator to believe that their mother succeeded.


text:
The "quantum efficiency" (Q.E.) is the ratio of the number of carriers collected by the solar cell to the number of photons of a given energy incident on the solar cell. The quantum efficiency may be given either as a function of wavelength or as energy. If all photons of a certain wavelength are absorbed and the resulting minority carriers are collected, then the quantum efficiency at that particular wavelength is unity. The quantum efficiency for photons with energy below the band gap is zero. A quantum efficiency curve for an ideal solar cell is shown below.

[quantum efficiency]

The quantum efficiency of a silicon solar cell. Quantum efficiency is usually not measured much below 350 nm as the power from the AM1.5 contained in such low wavelengths is low.

While quantum efficiency ideally has the square shape shown above, the quantum efficiency for most solar cells is reduced due to recombination effects. The same mechanisms which affect the collection probability also affect the quantum efficiency. For example, front surface passivation affects carriers generated near the surface, and since blue light is absorbed very close to the surface, high front surface recombination will affect the "blue" portion of the quantum efficiency. Similarly, green light is absorbed in the bulk of a solar cell and a low diffusion length will affect the collection probability from the solar cell bulk and reduce the quantum efficiency in the green portion of the spectrum. The quantum efficiency can be viewed as the collection probability due the generation profile of a single wavelength, integrated over the device thickness and normalized to the incident number of photons.

The "external" quantum efficiency of a silicon solar cell includes the effect of optical losses such as transmission and reflection. However, it is often useful to look at the quantum efficiency of the light left after the reflected and transmitted light has been lost. "Internal" quantum efficiency refers to the efficiency with which photons that are not reflected or transmitted out of the cell can generate collectable carriers. By measuring the reflection and transmission of a device, the external quantum efficiency curve can be corrected to obtain the internal quantum efficiency curve.

The animation below shows the effect on surface recombination and diffusion length on the internal quantum efficiency of a solar cell. The emitter thickness is 1 µm, the base thickness is 300 µm, the emitter diffusivity is 4 cm²s-1 and the base diffusivity is 27 cm²s-1. For base diffusion lengths greater than the device thickness of 300 µm the rear surface recombination velocity has a large effect on QE. For low diffusion lengths recombination at the rear surface has no effect.

Lbase_log =

101000

Srear_log =

1.01000000

Lemitter_log =

0.110

Sfront_log =

1.01000000

Internal quantum efficiency. Lp is the emitter diffusion length (µm), Sp is the front surface recombination velocity (cm/s), Ln is the base diffusion length (µm), Sn is the rear surface recombination velocity (cm/s).

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question: Who is the intended audience?

answer: Audience with some sort of background in physics (since it presumes an existing understanding / knowledge of a number of physics-related terms).

question: Where is this article published?

answer: A science / physics-focused website (but probably not a science journal as there is an animation mentioned on the page).

question: What other media appears on this page?

answer: A diagram and an animation.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article discusses quantum efficiency and demonstrates what the quantum efficiency of a solar cell should look like.


text:
This, this a story without a planned plot, protagonist, antagonist or even a climax at that. Why, do you ask? Leave it to personal opinion to tell you that life doesn't have a story line, a good guy, or a bad guy, and it could end mid sentence, or after three hundred pages. So with that said, meet Riley, Riley Mattheux. A quiet kid, with loud noises in his head. Didn't say a whole lot, but that doesn't mean he had nothing to say. He had a hard time speaking when put on the spot, driving peers and people affiliated with him absolutely crazy. He was gentleman, a little less of a scholar, and even less of a manly man. He would never break six foot tall, or know the luxury of having the opposite sex swoon over him. This is a transcript of my conversations with Riley, see how he starts off keeping to himself, and slowly opens up. I hope you all get to know him as well as i did.

Me: Good morning Riley, how are you doing this morning.

Riley: Im good.

Me: Just good?

Riley: Yeah.

Me: No elaboration on how well you slept or how the events of your morning affected your good mood?

Riley: Any elaboration on how much you really wanna psycho-analyze me for your putrid tests?

Me: All I asked is how your morning was...

Riley: And "good" wasnt good enough? You asked me a question, and i answered it, in a timely manner, and directly, what else do you want from me?

Me: Well, I would like to have a normal conversation, without the hostility, and without you looking to deep into implications that do not exist.

Riley: Okay then, continue.

Me: Well, what is it you like? Any hobbies, interests, passions?

Riley: Music is my passion.

Me: What kind of music do you enjoy?

Riley: I just said I love music, all music, there isn't a certain genre i love more than another, I appreciate art, I appreciate the emotions and the fullness of the heart that was poured into that little four minute composition. You can always tell a good song by how it makes you feel, it it doesnt make you feel anything, it's garbage. If you feel anger, sadness, happiness etc, then the artist has done what they were looking to do. Which is all anyone wants anyway, is the piece of mind know that they accomplished what they set out to do.

Me: Wow, i wasn't expecting an answer that in depth.

Riley: I'm an in depth guy.

Me: I'm starting to see that.

Riley: Well i would hope so, you got four sets of eyes there to see it with.

Me: Fair Enough. Im noticing that your answers to my questions are very black and white, is that how you view life?

Riley: As a matter of fact it is. It is yes or no, this or that, right or left, simple as that, when you start making things more complicated is when problems arise, whether it be a small or huge problem. Life isn't that hard of a thing to figure out, once you simplify it, all the complications become clear, still complex nonetheless. Its kinda like taking pre-calculus, you learn the hard complicated way to work all the problems out to get the same answer, as opposed to calculus, you learn why, instead of how, and sometimes knowing why is better than knowing how.

Me: So, you are saying that everything is black and white, but your explanations as to why that is so is all colors of the rainbow. If its so simple, why does it require explaining? If it were as cake as you say, it would just require common sense to understand that nothing is as hard as we make it?

Riley: Sense, is not a common thing anymore.

Me: Why do you say that?

Riley: What the hell do you mean, why do I say that? I say that because i believe it, if you have to ask, you are walking proof that sense is an uncommon trait.

Me: Anger, Riley, watch it, I'm asking you why you believe that common sense is a dying trait.

Riley: It doesnt matter why i believe anything, no one is going to care what i think. I tell you what though, if someone would just sit the fuck down, shut up, and listen, I have it figured out, as god as my witness, I have this life figured out, and how it works, and why it works, and why the path we are going down is gonna be the end, and a new beginning at the same time.

After that, Riley got worked up, and left the room. I personally believe i can break to the inner core of this kid, there is something interesting that i am seeing, and something even more interesting that i have yet to see. Is anyone else interested in my future conversations with Riley?

title: Emotions Overriding Configurations

question: Summarize the main point of the interview.

answer: The narrator wants to interview Riley to show how he blossoms from keeping to himself to slowly opening up when he's talked to long enough. He wants his readers to get to know him. This is proven in the interview when Riley is first closed off in his responses, but then goes into more detail and even is emotional in his responses. When Riley storms off at the end of the interview, the narrator now feels hopeful they can make him open up even more.

question: Summarize what happens after Riley says that sense is no longer a common thing.

answer: The narrator questions Riley on why he believes this, but Riley believes if he has to ask than his point is proven. The narrator notes that Riley is growing angry and asks his question again. After stating that he has this life figured out, Riley gets worked up and leaves the room. Despite this, this leaves the narrator believing he can eventually make Riley open up more.

question: What does the story say about anger?

answer: Riley mentions that if a song can make you feel an emotion, anger included, then the artist has done their job. Riley himself exhibits anger when the narrator asks him why he believes common sense is a dying trait. He begins to swear, and insists that if people just listened to him they would realize he has this life figured out. His anger eventually gets him so worked up that he leaves the interview.

question: What does the story say about Riley's home life?


text:
READING AND WRITING IS FUNDAMENTAL TO FUNCTION IN TODAY’S SOCIETY.

NOT BEING ABLE TO, FOR EXAMPLE, UNDERSTAND THE INSTRUCTIONS ON A MEDICINE BOTTLE IS A SCARY THOUGHT.

DID YOU KNOW THAT ON AVERAGE:

-   1 in 5 adolescents and 1 in 5 adults in Europe lack the literacy skills to do so?
-   11 persons in every European street can not read or write well?
-   4 children in every European school class have literacy problems?

OUR DREAM IS THAT EVERY EUROPEAN ADULT CAN READ AND WRITE WELL ENOUGH TO FULLY AND INDEPENDENTLY PARTICIPATE IN SOCIETY.

THE AIM OF LITERACY WEEK 2015 IS TO ORGANISE EVENTS THROUGHOUT EUROPE TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR THIS DREAM AND TO START ACTING ON IT.

The European Literacy Week, endorsed by Casino Online Portugal (the Portuguese online casino review website) started on International Literacy Day (September 8) and ended on the 17 September 2015 with an event for high-level influencers in Brussels.

Events

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| STORYBOOKS AS A WAY TO IMPROVE LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL LITERACY         |
| Sep 7 – Feb 15, Floresti, Cluj, RO                                    |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| HOW I BECAME A WRITER                                                 |
| Sep 7 – Oct 6, Floresti, Cluj, RO                                     |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| HOW TO IMPROVE VISUAL LITERACY THROUGH STORY BOOKS                    |
| Sep 7 – Mar 30, Floresti, Cluj, RO                                    |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| THE LIBRARY FROM A TO Z                                               |
| Sep 7 – Sep 17, Brussels, BE                                          |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| SPEECH THERAPY MAGAZINE                                               |
| Sep 7 – Sep 17, Woerden, NL                                           |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| BEANSTALK – MILTON KEYNES ROAD SHOW                                   |
| Sep 7 – Sep 18, Milton Keynes, GB                                     |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| KICK OFF TRAINING LANGUAGE ASSESMENT FOR SIGN LANGUAGE                |
| Sep 7 – Sep 11, Den Bosch, NL                                         |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| BLOG WEEK                                                             |
| Sep 7 – Sep 14, Den Bosch, NL                                         |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

question: What does the text say about the 2015 European Literacy Week and the importance of literacy to society?

answer: Reading and writing are considered necessary skills every individual ought to possess. Having literacy skills not only saves lives in more ways than one, but it also gives individuals the capacity to stand out in society. The European Literacy Week endorsed by Casino Online Portugal in 2015 aimed to raise awareness for the dream of equipping every child and adult with the capacity to read and write sufficiently to become fully functioning members of society.


text:
The chariot is often associated with the ancient Egyptian civilization. It became a prominent weapon of war during the New Kingdom. In fact, it is often considered a superweapon of the ancient world.

Some have speculated that the chariot was introduced by the invading Hyksos (although there is no factual evidence to support this claim). The history of the chariot, however, stretches back more than a millennium prior to its introduction into ancient Egypt. Additionally, one has to travel to the west of Egypt’s borders to discover its ancient origins.

In 1927/8, the British archaeologist, Sir Leonard Woolley was excavating the Royal Cemetery of Ur in modern day Iraq, when he discovered an artifact known today as the Royal Standard of Ur (dated to the third millennium BC). Portrayed on one side of this artifact is the Mesopotamian war machine, which included four-wheeled, cart-like structures being pulled by four donkeys. The artist even demonstrates the use of this weapon by depicting it in different states of motion. Thus, the donkeys, first shown walking, begin to trot, and then break into a gallop. To clarify that this was a weapon of war, the artist adds a trampled enemy or two under it for good measure. This is one of the earliest known depictions of the chariot, though it is far different from the ones used by the Egyptians. Apart from the fact there were four instead of two wheels, another big difference was that the wheels of these Mesopotamian chariots were solid rather than spoked. In a way, these may be regarded as ‘proto-chariots’.

[E Lawrence with Leonard Woolley, the archaeological director, with a Hittite slab on the excavation site at Carchemish near Aleppo before the First World War. An archer riding a chariot can be seen on the slab.]

_E Lawrence with Leonard Woolley, the archaeological director, with a Hittite slab on the excavation site at Carchemish near Aleppo before the First World War. An archer riding a chariot can be seen on the slab. _ _Wikimedia_ _Commons_

[Standard of Ur, 26th century BC. Bottom panel depicts chariots in action.]

_Standard of Ur, 26th century BC. Bottom panel depicts chariots in action._ _Public Domain_

-   ANCIENT VILLA RUINS FOUND TO BE THE ESTATE OF CHARIOT-RACER AND BEN-HUR RIVAL
-   THE LADY OF THE SPIKED THRONE AND HER MYSTERIOUS ENTOURAGE
-   RARE AND ORNATE CHARIOT PARTS AND EQUESTRIAN TOOLS UNEARTHED IN IRON AGE HILLFORT

It has been commonly assumed that the wheel was further improved in the Near East, and contributed to the development of the chariot into the type we are more familiar with today. Representations of chariots, for instance, can be found on Anatolian seal impressions from the second millennium BC. Unlike their Mesopotamian predecessors, these chariots have wheels with four spokes. Archaeological investigation, however, has suggested that this stage of chariot development occurred at an earlier time in the Eurasian steppes. The excavation of _kurgans_ (elite graves covered by earth mounds) of the Sintasha-Petrovka culture have yielded objects believed to be chariots. While the chariots themselves have decayed into dust, the lower part of their wheels left an imprint of their shape and design into slots cut for them in the dirt floor of the burial chamber. Some parts of the chariot structure were also preserved in this way. It has also been pointed out that they might not have been used in military campaigns, but in ritual races to settle disputes or win prizes, which was an Aryan practice.

[Cybele drawn in her chariot by lions towards a votive sacrifice (right). Above are the Sun God and heavenly objects. Plaque from Ai Khanoum, Bactria (Afghanistan), 2nd century BCE.]

_Cybele drawn in her chariot by lions towards a votive sacrifice (right). Above are the Sun God and heavenly objects. Plaque from Ai Khanoum, Bactria (Afghanistan), 2nd century BCE._ _Public Domain_

Indeed, the chariot was more than just an effective killing machine. During the ninth century BC for instance, chariots were being used as shock troops by the Assyrians. By the following centuries, however, the chariot’s role on the battlefield was superseded by more efficient cavalry units. Nevertheless, chariots were still retained by the Assyrians. Instead of using them on military campaigns, chariots were used as prestige or ceremonial vehicles.

[Scene from Ashurbanipal (668-627 BC) campaign against the Elamite city Hamaru, shows an Assyrian chariot with charioteer and archer protected from enemy attack by shield bearers. Assyrian relief from Nineveh. Alabaster relief, made about 650 BC. ]

_Scene from Ashurbanipal (668-627 BC) campaign against the Elamite city Hamaru, shows an Assyrian chariot with charioteer and archer protected from enemy attack by shield bearers. Assyrian relief from Nineveh. Alabaster relief, made about 650 BC. Wikimedia_ _Commons_

For example, a relief decorating a room in the palace of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh shows the king in his ceremonial chariot (topped with a parasol) presiding over the deportation of the conquered Elamites. Another relief from the palace shows that chariots were also used by the Assyrians during their lion hunts. It was not only the Assyrians who viewed chariots as luxury goods. About half a millennium before the reign of Ashurbanipal, Egyptian tombs at Amarna contain reliefs depict the pharaoh Akhenaten (who was not known as a warrior king) and his wife, Nefertiti, riding on chariots.

[Ramses II at the Battle of Kadesh rides a chariot (relief at Abu Simbel).]

Ramses II at the Battle of Kadesh rides a chariot (relief at Abu Simbel). Public Domain

-   THE REVOLUTIONARY INVENTION OF THE WHEEL
-   4,000-YEAR-OLD CHARIOTS DISCOVERED IN BURIAL CHAMBER OF BRONZE AGE CHIEF
-   COMPLETE REMAINS OF 2,500-YEAR-OLD CHARIOT AND TWO HORSES FOUND IN BULGARIA

Other pharaohs, however, used chariots in warfare, the most famous perhaps being Ramesses II at the Battle of Kadesh, where both the Egyptians and their enemies, the Hittites, had chariots in their armies. The chariots of the Egyptians, however, were much different than those of the Hittites. Unlike the Hittite chariots, the Egyptian carriages were lighter and faster.

[Orthostat relief in basalt; battle chariot, Carchemish, 9th century BC; Late Hittite style with Assyrian influence.]

_Orthostat relief in basalt; battle chariot, Carchemish, 9th century BC; Late Hittite style with Assyrian influence._ _Wikimedia_ _Commons_

Among the reasons for these modifications is that the Egyptian chariots were used primarily used to protect the infantry, and that the terrain of Egypt and Canaan was not suitable for the deployment of heavy chariots. Instead of using them to charge into the enemies, the Egyptian chariots were used as mobile firing platforms. The warrior in the chariot was armed with a bow and arrows as well as several short spears. In addition to effectively raining a hail of arrows on the enemy before quickly moving away, the Egyptian chariot was also perfectly suited to chasing down fleeing enemies.

While most people are aware of the use of chariots in the ancient Near East, it is perhaps relatively less well-known that chariots were also used by other ancient societies. In the next part, we shall be looking at the use of chariots further east in Asia.

_Featured image: Detail, The Pharaoh Tutankhamun riding a chariot and destroying his enemies. Painting on wood, Egyptian Museum of Cairo._ _Public Domain_

By Ḏḥwty

REFERENCES

Bart, A., 2015. _The Tombs at Amarna._ [Online] Available here.

BBC, 2015. _A History of the World in 100 Objects: Standard of Ur._ [Online] Available here.

Dollinger, A., 2009. _The Chariot._ [Online] Available here.

Dunn, J., 2015. _The Chariot in Egyptian Warfare._ [Online]
Available at: http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/chariots.htm

Noble, D., 2015. _Assyrian Chariotry and Cavalry._ [Online]
Available at: http://www.helsinki.fi/science/saa/4.1%2006%20Noble.pdf

The British Museum, 2015. _Stone panels from the North Palace of Ashurbanipal._ [Online]
Available here.

The Louvre, 2015. _King Ashurbanipal on his Chariot and Elamite Prisoners._ [Online]
Available here.

Wilford, J. N., 1994. _Remaking the Wheel: Evolution of the Chariot._ [Online]
Available here.

www.historynet.com, 2006. _Battle of Kadesh._ [Online]
Available at: http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-kadesh.htm

question: What was one of the main differences between the Egyptian chariot and the older Mesopotamian chariot?

answer: The Egyptian chariot had two spoked wheels, while the Mesopotamian chariot had four solid wheels.

question: Why does the author call the Mesopotamian chariots "proto-chariots"?

answer: Because the Mesopotamian chariots pre-date Egyptian chariots by more than a millennium and the Egyptians may have gotten the idea of the chariot as a weapon of war from the Mesopotamians.

question: Why were chariots the dominant weapon of war of the ancient world?

answer: Heavier chariots were used to trample enemy soldiers, often charging into the fray. The lighter Egyptian chariots were used to protect infantry units in battle, often serving as mobile platforms for archers and spearmen to rain arrows on the battlefield and quickly move to another location. Chariots were also used to chase down fleeing enemy soldiers.


text:
[Artist's rendering of the proposed skytran design]

SKYTRAN is a Personal Rapid Transit system concept first proposed by inventor Douglas Malewicki in 1990, and under development by Unimodal Inc. A prototype of the skyTran vehicle and a section of track have been constructed. The early magnetic levitation system, Inductrack, now abandoned by skytran, has been tested by General Atomics with a full-scale model.[1] In 2010 UniModal Inc. signed an agreement with NASA to test and develop skyTran.[2] SkyTran has proposed additional projects in France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.[3][4][5][6]

System details

To minimize maintenance and make switching on and off the tracks efficient at high speeds, early versions of the system proposed using the Inductrack passive magnetic levitation system instead of wheels. Passive maglev requires no external power to levitate vehicles. Rather, the magnetic repulsion is produced by the movement of the vehicle over shorted wire coils in the track.[7] The cars would be driven by a Linear motor in the track or vehicle. Therefore, the system will have very few moving parts; primarily just the vehicle itself moving along the track, its parking wheels and door, and fans in heating and air conditioning units; so its promoters refer to the system as “solid state”.[8]

On this first version, the passive maglev coils are enclosed and supported by a light shell called a guideway that also captures the vehicles mechanically to prevent derailment. Malewicki proposes a 3D grid design that avoids accident-prone intersections by grade separation, with guideways and their exit and entry ramps crossing above or below each other. Tracks will be supported above the ground by standard metal utility poles. They could also be attached to the sides of buildings.

After identifying problems with Inductrack and the cost associated with it, skyTran described an improved design during a Horizon BBC interview with skyTran at NASA Ames in Mountain View, CA.

New details about the levitation and motor were described in a keynote speech in June 2016, showing levitation stator being plain aluminium plates and motor stator an aluminium tube. The guideway is also significantly enlarged and wider than the vehicle, so the switching can be vertical, going through the guideway. Guideway shape is shown at 16:26 in above referenced video. This new concept can be seen in a short simulation film. Instead of the purely passive inductrack system, the new mechanism modify lift by mechanically angling the magnetic pads and need a servo controlled actuation. The lift control also do the switching by moving vertically through the rails.

Patents applications were filed by skytran for this new system: and

History

Malewicki conceived the basic idea of skyTran in 1990, filing a US patent application that year that was granted as US Patent #5108052 in 1992.[9] He published several technical papers on skyTran in the following years. In 1991, he presented a paper entitled “People Pods - Miniature Magnetic Levitation Vehicles for Personal Non-Stop Transportation” to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Future Transportation Conference in Portland, Oregon.[10] The paper is a thorough description of the concept at that point, although some important features of the current skyTran design are only discussed as options, including magnetic levitation rather than wheels and hanging below the guideway instead of riding above it.

The paper describes how Malewicki had built and driven a freeway-legal 154-MPG car in 1981, but realized it could never be safe on a street surrounded by far larger and heavier vehicles. Elevated tracks would allow a very light vehicle to be safe. They are also basic to the system's inexpensiveness, because there is no need to acquire a huge right of way and tear down buildings. It presents an aerodynamic analysis (Malewicki is an aerospace engineer) supporting claims of very high energy efficiency (the paper claims for skyTran's current two-passenger tandem design, though the Unimodal site claims only, “over ”).[11][12] It also described how a very light vehicle that can squeeze both surfaces of a track simultaneously could reliably achieve a 6-G deceleration, allowing it to brake safely to a stop from in just .[13]

The 2008 energy shortages stimulated renewed interest in Green vehicle proposals such as skyTran. The “Maglev skyTran” topic quoted a number of skyTran and Personal Rapid Transit ideas, such as passengers exiting and boarding at off-line elevated “portal” stops while high-speed traffic continues to speed by on its main line.[14]

In September 2009, the US NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) signed a Space Act joint development agreement with Unimodal. Unimodal has tested prototype vehicles on short guideway sections at NASA's Ames Research Center, in Mountain View, California. NASA control and vehicle dynamics simulation software was made available to Unimodal, which hired NASA subcontractors to program them using US DOT grant funding.[15]

In June 2014, Unimodal and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) contracted to build a 400-500 meter elevated loop test track on IAI's campus in central Israel. If the pilot project is successful, IAI will build a commercial skyTran network in the city of Tel Aviv, Herzliya and Netanya.[16][17] In April 2015, the Herzliya city council approved a budget for the skyTran project.[18]

In June 2016 skyTran signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the United Arab Emirates for the study and implementation of a personal rapid transit system in Yas Island.[19]

In 2018, it was announced that Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries had acquired a 12.7% stake in SkyTran. As part of the deal, Reliance would supply communication equipment and a prototype would be built in India.[20]

In April 2019, skyTran signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Eilat to build an elevated rail system serving Ramon Airport.[21]

In June 2019 a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between skyTran and the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to develop a Sky Pod suspended transit system.[22]

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title: SkyTran

question: What does the text say about levitation?

answer: A magnetic levitation system was proposed by skyTran instead of wheels, resulting in transportation that hovers above the ground or hovers below guideways. This was meant to eliminate many maintenance issues and substantially reduce external power use. Douglas Malewicki presented a paper connected to the topic of levitation in 1991, called Miniature Magnetic Levitation Vehicles for Personal Non-Stop Transportation.

question: What does the text say about Israel's connection to skyTran?

answer: Israel Aerospace Industries in Israel was among the first to contract with Unimodal to build a text track for skyTran on their campus. After the pilot project, IAI would commercially expand skyTran in other parts of Israel. Herzliya city passed a budget for skyTran in 2015.

question: What does the text say about Douglas Malewicki's personal life?

question: What does the text say about energy efficiency?

answer: Douglas Malewicki presented a paper in 1991 called "People Pods - Miniature Magnetic Levitation Vehicles for Personal Non-Stop Transportation" in which he presents an analysis that supports the vehicles he designed have extreme energy efficiency. In 2008, interest was renewed in energy-efficient transportation due to shortages. Malewicki's design was revisited for its efficiency during that time.