text:
[An American XM1 Abrams of the pre-series, the first main battle tank type to be protected by Chobham armour] [The British Army's Challenger 1 was the second main battle tank to use Chobham armour]

CHOBHAM ARMOUR is the informal name of a composite armour developed in the 1960s at the British tank research centre on Chobham Common, Surrey. The name has since become the common generic term for composite ceramic vehicle armour. Other names informally given to Chobham armour include “Burlington” and “Dorchester.” “Special armour” is a broader informal term referring to any armour arrangement comprising “sandwich” reactive plates, including Chobham armour.

Although the construction details of the Chobham armour remain a secret, it has been described as being composed of ceramic tiles encased within a metal framework and bonded to a backing plate and several elastic layers. Owing to the extreme hardness of the ceramics used, they offer superior resistance against shaped charges such as high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rounds and they shatter kinetic energy penetrators.

The armour was first tested in the context of the development of a British prototype vehicle, the FV4211, and first applied on the preseries of the American M1. Only the M1 Abrams, Challenger 1, and Challenger 2 tanks have been disclosed as being thus armoured. The framework holding the ceramics is usually produced in large blocks, giving these tanks, and especially their turrets, a distinctive angled appearance.

Protective qualities

Due to the extreme hardness of the ceramics used, they offer superior resistance against a shaped charge jet and they shatter kinetic energy penetrators (KE-penetrators). The (pulverised) ceramic also strongly abrades any penetrator. Against lighter projectiles the hardness of the tiles causes a “shatter gap” effect: a higher velocity will, within a certain velocity range (the “gap”), not lead to a deeper penetration but destroy the projectile itself instead.[1] Because the ceramic is so brittle the entrance channel of a shaped charge jet is not smooth—as it would be when penetrating a metal—but ragged, causing extreme asymmetric pressures which disturb the geometry of the jet, on which its penetrative capabilities are critically dependent as its mass is relatively low. This initiates a vicious circle as the disturbed jet causes still greater irregularities in the ceramic, until in the end it is defeated. The newer composites, though tougher, optimise this effect as tiles made with them have a layered internal structure conducive to it, causing “crack deflection”.[2] This mechanism—using the jet's own energy against it—has caused the effects of Chobham to be compared to those of reactive armour. This should not be confused with the effect used in Non-Explosive Reactive Armour: that of sandwiching an inert but soft elastic material such as rubber, between two armour plates. The impact of either a shaped charge jet or long-rod penetrator after the first layer has been perforated and while the rubber layer is being penetrated will cause the rubber to deform and expand, so deforming both the back and front plates. Both attack methods will suffer from obstruction to their expected paths, so experiencing a greater thickness of armour than there is nominally, thus lowering penetration. Also for rod penetrations, the transverse force experienced due to the deformation may cause the rod to shatter, bend, or just change its path, again lowering penetration. All versions of Chobham armour have incorporated a large volume of non-energetic reactive armour (NERA) plates, with additional hard armour either ahead of the NERA (intended to protect the NERA elements and disrupt the penetrator before it encounters the NERA) and/or behind the NERA (intending to catch the fragments of long rods or HEAT jets after they have been fractured or disrupted by the front plate and NERA. This is another factor favouring a slab-sided or wedge-like turret: the amount of material the expanding plates push into the path of an attack increases as they are placed closer to parallel to the direction of that attack.[3]

To date, few Chobham armour-protected tanks have been defeated by enemy fire in combat; the relevance of individual cases of lost tanks for determining the protective qualities of Chobham armour is difficult to ascertain as the extent to which such tanks are protected by ceramic modules is undisclosed.

During the second Iraq war in 2003, a Challenger 2 tank became stuck in a ditch while fighting in Basra against Iraqi forces. The crew remained safe inside for many hours, the Burlington LV2 composite armour protecting them from enemy fire, including multiple rocket propelled grenades.[4]

Structure

Ceramic tiles have a “multiple hit capability” problem in that they cannot sustain successive impacts without quickly losing much of their protective value.[5] To minimise the effects of this the tiles are made as small as possible, but the matrix elements have a minimal practical thickness of about one inch (25 mm), and the ratio of coverage provided by tiles would become unfavourable, placing a practical limit at a diameter of about four inches (ten centimetres). The small hexagonal or square ceramic tiles are encased within the matrix either by isostatically pressing them into the heated matrix,[6] or by gluing them with an epoxy resin. Since the early nineties it has been known that holding the tiles under constant compression by their matrix greatly improves their resistance to kinetic penetrators, which is difficult to achieve when using glues.[7]

The matrix has to be backed by a plate, both to reinforce the ceramic tiles from behind and to prevent deformation of the metal matrix by a kinetic impact. Typically the backing plate has half of the mass of the composite matrix.[8] The assemblage is again attached to elastic layers. These absorb impacts somewhat, but their main function is to prolong the service life of the composite matrix by protecting it against vibrations. Several assemblages can be stacked, depending on the available space; this way the armour can be made of a modular nature, adaptable to the tactical situation. The thickness of a typical assemblage is today about five to six centimetres. Earlier assemblages, so-called DOP (Depth Of Penetration) -matrices, were thicker. The relative interface defeat component of the protective value of a ceramic is much larger than for steel armour. Using a number of thinner matrices again enlarges that component for the entire armour package, an effect analogous to the use of alternate layers of high hardness and softer steel, which is typical for the glacis of modern Soviet tanks.

Ceramic tiles draw little or no advantage from sloped armour as they lack sufficient toughness to significantly deflect heavy penetrators. Indeed, because a single glancing shot could crack many tiles, the placement of the matrix is chosen so as to optimise the chance of a perpendicular hit, a reversal of the previous desired design feature for conventional armour. Ceramic armour normally even offers better protection for a given areal density when placed perpendicularly than when placed obliquely, because the cracking propagates along the surface normal of the plate.[9] Instead of rounded forms, the turrets of tanks using Chobham armour typically have a slab-sided appearance.

The backing plate reflects the impact energy back to the ceramic tile in a wider cone. This dissipates the energy, limiting the cracking of the ceramic, but also means a more extended area is damaged. Spalling caused by the reflected energy can be partially prevented by a malleable thin graphite layer on the face of the ceramic absorbing the energy without making it strongly rebound again as a metal face plate would.

Tiles under compression suffer far less from impacts; in their case it can be advantageous to have a metal face plate bringing the tile also under perpendicular compression. The confined ceramic tile then reinforces the metal face plate, a reversal of the normal situation.

A gradual technological development has taken place in ceramic armour: ceramic tiles, in themselves vulnerable to low energy impacts, were first reinforced by glueing them to a backplate; in the nineties their resistance was increased by bringing them under compression on two axes; in the final phase a third compression axis was added to optimise impact resistance.[10] To confine the ceramic core several advanced techniques are used, supplementing the traditional machining and welding, including sintering the suspension material around the core; squeeze casting of molten metal around the core and spraying the molten metal onto the ceramic tile.[11]

The whole is placed within the shell formed by the outer and inner wall of the tank turret or hull, the inner wall being the thicker.

Material

Over the years newer and tougher composites have been developed, giving about five times the protection value of the original pure ceramics, the best of which were again about five times as effective as a steel plate of equal weight. These are often a mixture of several ceramic materials, or metal matrix composites which combine ceramic compounds within a metal matrix. The latest developments involve the use of carbon nanotubes to improve toughness even further. Commercially produced or researched ceramics for such type of armour include boron carbide,[12] silicon carbide, aluminium oxide (sapphire or “alumina”), aluminium nitride, titanium boride and Syndite, a synthetic diamond composite. Of these boron carbide is the hardest and lightest,[13] but also the most expensive and brittle. Boron carbide composites are today favoured for ceramic plates protecting against smaller projectiles, such as used in body armour and armoured helicopters; this was in fact in the early sixties the first general application of ceramic armour.[14] Silicon carbide is better suited to protect against larger projectiles than boron carbide as the latter material suffers a phase collapse when impacted by a projectile travelling at a speed over 850 m/s.[15][16] Silicon carbide was at that time only used in some prototype land vehicles, such as the MBT-70. The ceramics can be created by pressureless sintering or hot pressing. A high density is required, so residual porosity must be minimised in the final part.

A matrix using a titanium alloy is extremely expensive to manufacture but the metal is favoured for its lightness, strength and resistance to corrosion, which is a constant problem.

The backing plate can be made from steel, but, as its main function is to improve the stability and stiffness of the assemblage, aluminium is more weight-efficient in light AFVs only to be protected against light anti-tank weapons. A deformable composite backing plate can combine the function of a metal backing plate and an elastic layer.

Heavy metal modules

The armour configuration of the first western tanks using Chobham armour was optimised to defeat shaped charges as guided missiles were seen as the greatest threat. In the eighties however they began to face the improved Soviet 3BM-32, then 3BM-42 kinetic energy penetrators which the ceramic layer was not particularly effective against: the original ceramics had a resistance against penetrators of about a third compared to that against HEAT rounds; for the newest composites it is about one-tenth. A typical example, the 3BM-42 is a segmented projectile which frontal segments are sacrificed in expanding the NERA plates in the front of the armour array, leaving a hole for the rear segment to strike the ceramic with full efficiency. For this reason many modern designs include additional layers of heavy metals to add more density to the overall armour package.

The introduction of more effective ceramic composite materials allows for a larger width of these metal layers within the armour shell: given a certain protection level provided by the composite matrix, it can be thinner. Because these metal layers are denser than the rest of the composite array, increasing their thickness requires reducing the armour thickness in non-critical areas of the vehicle.[17] They typically form an inner layer placed below the much more expensive matrix,[18] to prevent extensive damage to it should the metal layer strongly deform but not defeat a penetrator. They can also be used as the backing plate for the matrix itself, but this compromises the modularity and thus tactical adaptability of the armour system: ceramic and metal modules can then no longer be replaced independently. Furthermore, due to their extreme hardness, they deform insufficiently and would reflect too much of the impact energy, and in a too wide cone, to the ceramic tile, damaging it even further. Metals used include a tungsten alloy for the Challenger 2[19] or, in the case of the M1A1HA (Heavy Armor) and later American tank variants, a depleted uranium alloy.[20] Some companies offer titanium carbide modules.

These metal modules function on the principle of perforated armour (typically employing perpendicular rods), with many expansion spaces reducing the weight by up to one third while keeping the protective qualities fairly constant. The depleted uranium alloy of the M1 has been described as “arranged in a type of armour matrix”[21] and a single module as a “stainless-steel shell surrounding a layer (probably an inch or two thick) of depleted uranium, woven into a wire-mesh blanket”.[22]

Such modules are also used by tanks not equipped with Chobham armour. The combination of a composite matrix and heavy metal modules is sometimes informally referred to as “second generation Chobham”.[23]

Development and application

[British Army Challenger 2] [The most recent US Army M1 Abrams]

The concept of ceramic armour goes back to 1918, when Major Neville Monroe Hopkins discovered that a plate of ballistic steel was much more resistant to penetration if covered with a thin (1–2 millimetres) layer of enamel.[24][25] Additionally, the Germans experimented with ceramic armour in World War I.[26]

Since the early sixties there were, in the US, extensive research programmes ongoing aimed at investigating the prospects of employing composite ceramic materials as vehicle armour.[27] This research mainly focused on the use of an aluminium metal matrix composite reinforced by silicon carbide whiskers, to be produced in the form of large sheets.[28] The reinforced light metal sheets were to be sandwiched between steel layers.[29] This arrangement had the advantage of having a good multiple-hit capability and of being able to be curved, allowing the main armour to benefit from a sloped armour effect. However, this composite with a high metal content was primarily intended to increase the protection against KE-penetrators for a given armour weight; its performance against shaped charge attack was mediocre and would have to be improved by means of a laminate spaced armour effect, as researched by the Germans within the joint MBT-70 project.[30]

An alternative technology developed in the US was based on the use of glass modules to be inserted into the main armour;[31] although this arrangement offered a better shaped charge protection, its multiple hit capability was poor. A similar system using glass inserts in the main steel armour was from the late fifties researched for the Soviet _Obiekt 430_ prototype of the T-64;[32] this was later developed into the “Combination K” type, having a ceramic compound mixed with the silicon oxide inserts, which offered about 50% better protection against both shaped charge and KE-penetrator threats, compared with a steel armour of the same weight.[33] It was, later in several improved forms, incorporated into the glacis of many subsequent Soviet main battle tank designs. After an initial period of speculation in the West as to its true nature, the characteristics of this type were disclosed when the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the introduction of a market system forced the Russian industries to find new customers by highlighting its good qualities;[34] it is today rarely referred to as Chobham armour. Special armour much more similar to Chobham appeared in 1983 under the name of BDD on the T-62M upgrade to the T-62, was first integrated to an armour array in 1986 on the T-72B, and has been a feature of every Soviet/Russian MBT since. In its original iteration, it is built directly into the cast steel turret of the T-72 and required lifting it to perform repairs.[35]

[The British MBT-80 main battle tank was planned to field Chobham armour, before being cancelled in favour of the Challenger 1] In the United Kingdom another line of ceramic armour development had been started in the early 1960s, meant to improve the existing cast turret configuration of the Chieftain that already offered excellent heavy penetrator protection; the research by a team headed by Gilbert Harvey[36] of the Fighting Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (FVRDE), therefore was strongly oriented at optimising the ceramic composite system for defeating shaped charge attack.[37] The British system consisted of a honeycomb matrix with ceramic tiles backed by ballistic nylon,[38] placed on top of the cast main armour.[39] In July 1973 an American delegation, in search of a new armour type for the XM815 tank prototype, now that the MBT-70 project had failed, visited Chobham Common to be informed about the British system, the development of which had then cost about £6,000,000; earlier information had already been divulged to the US in 1965 and 1968.[40] It was very impressed by the excellent shaped-charge protection combined with the penetrator impact damage limitation, inherent to the principle of using tiles. The Ballistic Research Laboratory at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, which later became a part of the Army Research Laboratory, initiated the development of a version that year named _Burlington_, adapted to the specific American situation, characterised by a much higher projected tank production run and the use of a thinner rolled steel main armour. The increased threat posed by a new generation of Soviet guided missiles armed with a shaped charge warhead—as demonstrated in the Yom Kippur War of October 1973, when even older-generation missiles caused considerable tank losses on the Israeli side—made Burlington the preferred choice for the armour configuration of the XM1 (the renamed XM815) prototype.[41]

However, on 11 December 1974 a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Federal Republic of Germany and the US about the common future production of a main battle tank; this made any application of Chobham armour dependent on the eventual choice for a tank type. Earlier in 1974 the Americans had asked the Germans to redesign the existing Leopard 2 prototypes, considered by them too lightly armoured, and had suggested adoption of _Burlington_ for this purpose, of which type the Germans had already been informed in March 1970; the Germans however in response in 1974 initiated a new armour development programme of their own.[42] Having already designed a system that in their opinion offered satisfactory protection against shaped charges, consisting of multiple-laminate spaced armour with the spaces filled with ceramic polystyrene foam[43] as fitted to the Leopard 1A3, they put a clear emphasis on improving KE-penetrator protection, reworking the system into a perforated metal module armour. A version with added Burlington was considered, including ceramic inserts in the various spaces, but rejected as it would push vehicle weight well over sixty metric tonnes, a weight then seen as prohibitive by both armies.[44] The US Army in the summer of 1974 faced the choice between the German system and their own Burlington, a decision made more difficult by the fact that Burlington offered, compared with steel armour, no weight advantage against KE-penetrators:[45] the total armour system would have a RHA equivalence against them of about 350 mm (compared to about 700 mm against shaped charges).[46] No consensus developing, General Creighton Abrams himself decided the issue in favour of Burlington.[47] Eventually each army procured its own national tank design, the project of a common tank failing in 1976. In February 1978 the first tanks protected by Burlington left the factory when the first of eleven pilot M1 tanks were delivered by Chrysler Corporation to the US Army.

Beside these state projects, private enterprise in the US during the seventies also developed ceramic armour types, like the Noroc armour made by the Protective Products Division of the Norton Company, consisting of boron carbide sheets backed by resin-bonded glass cloth.[48]

[US Marine Corps M1A1 on a live fire exercise in Iraq, 2003. It is a modern Main Battle Tank that extensively uses Chobham armour]

In the United Kingdom application of Chobham armour was delayed by the failure of several advanced tank projects: first that of a joint German-British main battle tank; then the purely British MBT-80 programme. A first directive to prepare Chobham armour technology for application in 1975 was already given in 1969.[49] It was determined by a study of a possible Chobham-armour protected MICV that a completely new design using only Chobham armour for the most vulnerable front and side sectors (thus without an underlying steel main armour) could be 10% lighter for the same level of protection against KE-ammunition, but to limit costs it was decided to base the first design on the conventional Chieftain. The prototype, FV 4211 or the “Aluminium Chieftain”, was fitted with a welded aluminium add-on armour, in essence a box on the front hull and front and side turret to contain the ceramic modules, of which box the fifty millimetre thick inner wall due to its relative softness could serve as their backing plate. The extra weight of the aluminium was limited to less than two tonnes and it was shown that it was not overly susceptible to cracking, as first feared.[50] Ten test vehicles were ordered but only the original one had been built when the project was cancelled in favour of the more advanced programmes.[51] However, the Iranian government ordered 1,225 vehicles of an upgraded Chieftain type, the _Shir-2_ (FV 4030/3), using the same technology of adding Chobham armour to the main cast armour, bringing total weight to 62 metric tonnes. When this order was cancelled in February 1979 because of the Iranian Revolution, the British government, under pressure to modernise its tank fleet to maintain a qualitative superiority relative to the Soviet tank forces, decided to use the sudden surplus production capacity to procure a number of vehicles very close in design to the Shir-2, called the Challenger 1. On 12 April 1983 the first British tank protected by Chobham armour was delivered to the Royal Hussars.

In France from 1966 GIAT Industries performed experiments aimed at developing a light vehicle ceramic armour, in 1970 resulting in the CERALU-system consisting of aluminium-backed alumina weldable to the vehicle, offering a 50% increase in weight-efficiency against ballistic threats compared to steel plate. An improved version was later applied in helicopter seats.[52]

The latest version of Chobham armour is used on the Challenger 2 (called _Dorchester armour_), and (though the composition most probably differs) the M1 Abrams series of tanks, which according to official sources is currently protected by silicon carbide tiles. Given the publicly stated protection level for the earliest M1: 350 mm steel equivalence against KE-penetrators (APFSDS), it seems to have been equipped with alumina tiles.

Though it is often claimed to be otherwise, the original production model of the Leopard 2 did not use Chobham armour,[53] but a combined spaced armour and perforated armour configuration, cheaper in terms of procurement, maintenance and replacement than a ceramic armour system. For many modern tanks, such the Italian Ariete, it is yet unknown which type is used. There was a general trend in the eighties away from ceramic armour towards perforated armour,[54] but even many tanks from the seventies like the Leopard 1A3 and A4, the French AMX 32 and AMX 40 prototypes used the latter system; the Leclerc has an improved version.[55]

Aerospace applications

The first ceramic plates found application in the aerospace sector: in 1965, the helicopter UH-1 Huey was modified with HFC (Hard-Faced-Composite) around the seats of pilot and copilot, protecting them against small arms fire. The plates were in boron carbide, which, though exceedingly costly, due to its superior lightness has remained the material of choice for aerospace applications. An example among many, the modern V-22 Osprey is protected similarly.[56]

Notes

[1] Chang, Albert L. and Bodt Barry E., “JTCG/AS Interlaboratory Ballistic Test Program — Final Report”, _Army Research Laboratory – TR-1577 – December 1977_ p. 12

[2] Chan, H. M., “Layered ceramics: processing and mechanical behavior”, _Annu Rev Mater Sci 1997_; 27: p. 249–82

[3] United Kingdom Ministry of Defence, "Feasibility study of Burlington (Chobham armour) fitted to Chieftain tank – WO 194/1323 – 1969''

[4]

[5] W. S. de Rosset and J. K. Wald, “Analysis of Multiple-Hit Criterion for Ceramic Armor”, _US Army Research Laboratory TR-2861, September 2002_

[6] Bruchey, W., Horwath, E., Templeton, D. and Bishnoi, K.,“System Design Methodology for the Development of High Efficiency Ceramic Armors”, _Proceedings of the 17th International Symposium on Ballistics, Volume 3, Midrand, South Africa, March 23–27, 1998_, p.167-174

[7] Hauver, G. E., Netherwood, P. H., Benck, R. F. and Kecskes, L. J., 1994, “Enhanced Ballistic Performance of Ceramics”, _19th Army Science Conference, Orlando, Florida, June 20–24, 1994_, p. 1633-1640

[8] V. Hohler, K. Weber, R. Tham, B. James, A. Barker and I. Pickup, “Comparative Analysis of Oblique Impact on Ceramic Composite Systems”, _International Journal of Impact Engineering_ 26 (2001) p. 342

[9] D. Yaziv1, S. Chocron, C. E. Anderson, Jr. and D. J. Grosch, “Oblique Penetration in Ceramic Targets”, _19th International Symposium of Ballistics, 7–11 May 2001, Interlaken, Switzerland_ TB27 p. 1264

[10] Yiwang Bao, Shengbiao Su, Jianjun Yang, Qisheng Fan, “Prestressed ceramics and improvement of impact resistance”, _Materials Letters_ 57 (2002) p. 523

[11] Chu, Henry S.; McHugh, Kevin M. and Lillo, Thomas M., “Manufacturing Encapsulated Ceramic Armor System Using Spray Forming Technology” _Publications Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory_, Idaho Falls, 2001

[12]

[13]

[14] S. Yadav and G. Ravichandran, “Penetration resistance of laminated ceramic/polymer structures”, _International Journal of Impact Engineering_, 28 (2003) p. 557''

[15] S.G. Savio, K. Ramanjaneyulu, V. Madhu & T. Balakrishna Bhat, 2011, “An experimental study on ballistic performance of boron carbide tiles”, _International Journal of Impact Engineering_ 38: 535-541

[16] Chen Mingwei, McCauley James W & Hemker Kevin J. 2003. “Shock induced localized amorphization in boron carbide”. _Science_ 299: 1563-1566

[17] Lakowski, Paul, _Armor Basics_, p. 1

[18] Clancy, Tom, _Armored Cav — a guided Tour of an Armored Cavalry Regiment_, New York 1994, p. 65

[19] Claessen, Luitenant-kolonel A.H.J., _Tanks & Pantserwagens — De Technische Ontwikkeling_, Blaricum, 2003, p. 96

[20] _M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank_, p. 13

[21] Gelbart, Marsh, _Tanks — Main Battle Tanks and Light Tanks_, London 1996, p. 126

[22] _Armored Cav — a guided Tour of an Armored Cavalry Regiment_, p. 61

[23] Gelbart, Marsh, _Tanks — Main Battle Tanks and Light Tanks_, London 1996, p. 114

[24] Hazell, P.J. (2010), “Sviluppi nel settore delle corazzature ceramiche”, _Rivista Italiana Difesa_, 5: 36-44

[25]

[26] https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.co.uk/&httpsredir=1&article=1214&context=etd

[27] Hanby, K.R., _Fiber-Reinforced Metal-Matrix Composites-1967_, Defense Metals Information Center DMIC-S-21, MCIC-005839 PL-011311 MMC-700204

[28] Kolkowitz, W. and Stanislaw, T.S., “Extrusion and Hot Rolling - Two Advanced Fabrication Techniques for the Preparation of Whisker-Metal Composites”, _Proceedings of the 14th National Symposium and Exhibit, Vol. 14 - 'Advanced Techniques for Material Investigation and Fabrication', 5-7 Nov 68, Cocoa Beach, Florida, Paper No. 11-4A-3_

[29] _M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank_, p. 5

[30] Trinks, Walter, “Hohlladungen und Panzerschutz — Ihre wechselweise weiterentwicklung”, _Jahrbuch der Wehrtechnik 8_, 1974, p. 156

[31]

[32] _Soviet/Russian Armor and Artillery Design Practices_, p. 88

[33] _Soviet/Russian Armor and Artillery Design Practices_, p. 92

[34] _Soviet/Russian Armor and Artillery Design Practices_, p. 164-169

[35] Journal of Military Ordnance – “T-72B MBT – The First Look at Soviet Special Armor”, 2002, pp. 4-8

[36] Thomas H. Flaherty (1991), _The Armored Fist — New Face of War_, Time Life Education, p. 82

[37] Kelly, Orr _King of the Killing Zone: The Story of the M-1, America's Super Tank_, New York 1989, p. 111

[38] Long, D., _Modern Ballistic Armor — Clothing, Bomb Blankets, Shields, Vehicle Protection_, Boulder 1986, pp. 82-84

[39]

[40] House of Commons, Debates of 11 November 1976, vol. 919 cc272-3W

[41] _M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank_, p. 6

[42] Spielberger Walter J., _Von der Zugmachine zum Leopard 2_, München 1980, p.230

[43] Van Zelm, G. and Fonck B.A., “Leopard-1 Gevechtstank”, _De Tank, Juni 1991_ p. 53

[44] Claessen, Luitenant-kolonel A.H.J., _Tanks & Pantserwagens — De Technische Ontwikkeling_, Blaricum, 2003, p. 95

[45] _Armored Cav — a guided Tour of an Armored Cavalry Regiment_, p. 5

[46] _M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank_, p. 9-10

[47] Kelly, Orr, _King of the Killing Zone: The Story of the M-1, America's Super Tank_, New York 1989, p. 121

[48] Duncan Crow and Robert J. Icks, _Encyclopedia of Tanks_, p. 75, Barrie & Jenkins, London 1975

[49] _Chieftain_, p. 155

[50] _Chieftain_, p. 156

[51] _Chieftain_, p. 157

[52] Richard Strickland, _Jane's Armour & Artillery Upgrade, 2004-2005_, p 143, London 2005

[53] _Armored Cav — a guided Tour of an Armored Cavalry Regiment_, p. 298

[54]

[55] Marc Chassillan, (2005); _Char Leclerc: De la guerre froide aux conflits de demain_, Editions ETAI

[56] P. J. Hazell, RID, May 2010, Sviluppi nel settore delle corazzature ceramiche

title: Chobham armour

question: Describe Chobham armor.

answer: The composition of Chobham armor is a a secret. It is thought to be composed of ceramic tiles encased in a metal frame. It is bonded to a backing plate and has several elastic interlayers.

question: Why is the Chobham armor used for military tanks and other military transport equipment?

answer: They offer superior resistance against shaped chargers and they shatter kenetic energy penetrators. They also destroy the attacking projectile.

question: What is the tell tale sign of a tank which is built with Chobham armor?

answer: Their tanks and their turrets have a distinctive angled appearance.

question: How does the Chobham armor destroy projectiles fired at the tank?

answer: The ceramic tiles are very brittle so the channel created by the projectile is not smooth or symmetric. The asymmetric pressures disturb the geometry of the jet, on which its penetrative capabilities are critically dependent as its mass is relatively low. This initiates a vicious circle as the disturbed jet causes still greater irregularities in the ceramic, until in the end it is defeated. New composites use the jets own energy against it.

question: What was the first application of the ceramic armor?

answer: Ceramic armor was first used in the 1960's for body armor and helicopters.

question: How is the multiple hit problem of ceramic tiles dealt with in the manufacture of Chobham armor?

answer: The tiles are made as small as possible. Keeping the tiles under constant compression increases their resistance to penetration. The ceramic tiles are attached to a steel frame and the whole assembly is attached to elastic sheets. the elastic sheets are intended to absorb some of the impact and the vibrations caused by the penetrator to extend the life of the ceramic plates.


split: train

text:
Just over a century ago, German colonial troops engaged in genocide against the Herero and Nama people in what is today Namibia. The debate over the form of reparations and who specifically should benefit rages not just between Germany and Namibia as we would expect, but also within Namibia.

The historical facts are clearly documented by a wide range of historians. (here, here and here) Key pieces of evidence include the infamous extermination order issued by the German Lieutenant General Lothar von Trotha, details of the pursuit and killing of men, women and children, the poisoning of wells, and the use of concentration camps with extraordinary rates of death. An estimated 80% of the Herero people and up to 50% of the Nama living at the time were killed. As a result of the work of activists and researchers, today both the Namibian and the German governments agree: German forces engaged in genocide. Getting to such agreement has not been an easy process. The German and Namibian governments have been engaged in negotiations for Berlin to offer a formal apology, as well as some form of payment. But, negotiations have stalled.

First there are those who continue to dispute the facts of the genocide. One prominent denialist is Hinrich Schneider-Waterberg, a German-Namibian farm owner and amateur historian who has written a short book challenging the argument for genocide. Schneider-Waterberg has a clear stake in the debate, as he owns land in the Waterberg where many Herero were killed. It is hard to estimate how significant his support is among German-Namibians, but his book has been prominently displayed in central bookstores in both Swakopmund and Windhoek, areas where there are concentrations of German descendants. But, even among the older generation of German-Namibians, in such colonial towns as Swakopmund, there are a few who work to draw attention to the crimes of the past. Erika Rusch is a key example. She participated in the creation of a unified Cemetery Park to protect the unmarked graves of black African Namibians and to acknowledge German crimes against the Herero.

It is not surprising that some, perhaps most, German-descended Namibians would feel threatened by the acknowledgement of genocide. Colonial era crimes include not just the pursuit and killing of civilians but also the seizure of cattle and land. The vast farms that some, such as Schneider-Waterberg, own formerly comprised Herero and Nama land. Land reform has been minimal since independence, relying on the largely ineffective willing-buyer willing-seller model. Increasingly, activists in Namibia, as in neighboring countries, are demanding that the state seize and redistribute land.

Discussion of crimes of the past is therefore quickly linked to questions of who has the rights to land today. When activists organized a reparations march in Swakopmund in 2007, the local German language newspaper printed unsubstantiated claims that a group fashioning itself along the lines of Kenya’s Mau Mau would be seizing land from whites.

Beyond the white, German-speaking community in Namibia, whose political influence is waning, there are others in the seat of power who resist fully addressing the genocide. Some German Namibians argue that so many crimes were committed during and prior to colonial rule that it makes no sense to focus on one. Interestingly, prominent members of SWAPO, the popular liberation movement and the governing party since Namibian independence, make similar arguments about charges of crimes committed during their struggle for independence from South Africa. Representatives of SWAPO warn of the dangers of delving into past injustices and turned down an offer by the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission to host a hearing in Namibia. SWAPO so effectively blocked investigations into disappearances at their camps that one former SWAPO activist sought to file a case against the government with the International Criminal Court. These attempts to stifle discussion about the legacies of the past stem from a fear of tipping the balance of power.

Power relations clearly play a role in SWAPO’s reticence to support demands for reparations. Its support base is concentrated in the north, among various communities collectively referred to as Owambo. The Owambo were not the target of German colonial-era crimes because they lived outside the established police zone. The descendants of the Herero and Nama, in contrast, have supported a range of parties including prominent opposition parties. Herero and Nama activists demand that reparations payments be paid directly to affected communities rather than the government negotiating on their behalf.  This has undermined the Namibian government’s talks with Berlin regarding a special aid package, payable to the government. SWAPO has tried to keep negotiations and disputes behind closed doors, but recently some of these boiled over into the public domain.

In support of their demands, Herero and Nama activists have filed a class action suit in the Southern District Court in New York. While this suit is likely to fail as the US Supreme Court has restricted the application of the Alien Tort Statue, the attention it receives in the press helps to pressure the two governments. Conflicting reports have also surfaced of the Namibian government contemplating a suit against Germany.

The German government hoped to issue a formal apology, announce an expanded aid package and move on before German elections upcoming in September. This is now highly unlikely. Berlin has also refused to respond to the charges laid in the US District Court, leading to delay in proceedings that were set for July.

For activists seeking both a formal apology from the German government and reparations, the struggle continues and the road ahead is a long one.

question: What is the main topic of the article?

answer: The focus of the article is the debate over the form reparations should take regarding the genocide carried out by German colonial troops against the Herero and Nama people.

question: When did the atrocities occur?

answer: The genocide occurred over a century ago.

question: What are the reparations suggested?

answer: Suggested reparations include a formal apology from the German and Namibian governments, land reform - seizure and redistribution, and aid package.

question: Has the issue been resolved?

answer: No, it hasn't been resolved.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The focus of the article is the debate over the form reparations should take regarding the genocide carried out by German colonial troops against the Herero and Nama people over a century ago. Suggested reparations include a formal apology from the German and Namibian governments, land reform - seizure and redistribution, and aid package.


text:
First the explosion. Deafening. Then the pain. Excruciating. Then the blackness. Oblivion. It was all in front of him as he planned the shot. Yet to happen, but predetermined by people who sought this man’s bloody and sudden end.

Will calculated the distance, wind, angle and speed of all the factors and event that would occur before his bullet slammed through the man’s heart. His breathing steadied, he cleared his mind of all doubt he would miss, he squeezed the trigger.

First the explosion as the bullet left the barrel. Sound deafening. The pain as the bullet entered the man’s chest and pierced his heart. Excruciating thoughts entered his mind as he realized his fate. Then blackness as he fell, entering oblivion before his still warm body collapsed to the stage.

Panic. The crowd scattered at the sight of their Leader collapsing from an unknown missile. Shock. His family and guard scramble to his fallen side. Realization. Heads swivel looking for the culprit. Determination. The chase begins as sirens screech and voices are raised. Hope. A rifle sighted in a window, a black clad man fleeing the scene.

Will realized his mistake as he sprinted down the fire escape. He hadn’t thoroughly inspected his escape route, seeing now all too late the 4 metre drop awaiting him where an old rusty ladder had broken off years ago. There was no going back the sirens were getting closer and he knew he didn’t have enough time to find another way out. He jumped. Rolling as he landed to break the fall helped only so much, realizing now the crack he heard had come from his ankle.

He limped down the alley to where his motorbike awaited him on the street, his heart thumping loudly in his chest as the adrenaline spread through his system. The sirens reached the building and surrounded it cutting off all exits from the street as they did so. All except for one. Will forced his helmet on and jumped on his bike, feeling it come alive beneath him he surged away back down the alley. The sirens now turned away from the building towards the man making his getaway. The chase was on.

Will snaked between traffic as he fled down streets and alleys. The sirens still on his tail as he sped dangouresly through another intersection. A helicopter’s blades spun overhead, its massive eye shining a bright light to the ground below as it searched for any sign of the fleeing suspect.

The eye turned, its light striking him as he sped between a pair of sirens attempting to block the road. The way forward was cast almost completely out of view as the light from above blinded him. He turned, hoping to get away from the blinding light and back on to his original escape route. The bridge he needed to cross was only a few more blocks away, he knew once he got there that his escape would be guaranteed.

He sped through another alley and found himself on a familiar street on the opposite side, the eye above had momentarily lost sight of him and now was his chance to make for the bridge. Bike in full rev he sped forwards following the bend in the road. As he rounded the corner the bridge came into view, as did the fact that it was now parted in two and raised far above the water.

Sirens blared loudly behind him, he had no other option they would close in on him soon and the eye would set his sights on him. He couldn’t run forever, he had to make the jump. He shot forward like a bullet out of a gun gaining as much speed as he could before he had to make the distance over the water. 300 metres. 200.100. 50. 25… he saw them too late.

Road spikes lain out just before the bridge. Trying to stop he skid out of control and hit the spikes on an angle. The bike stopped instantly as its tires caught the spikes and he was thrown forward tumbling into the air. Slamming into the ground he skidded and rolled the remaining 10 metres to the foot of the bridge. His helmet and jacket the only thing keeping him alive on the rough tarmac.

He sat up, dazed and confused he took off his helmet to alleviate some of the pain from his brain thrashing around in his skull only seconds before. Amazed he was still alive he began to stand up, wincing at the pain in his ankle and the new pain that he now felt from his broken left arm. The sirens closed in on him, surrounding him. It was all a trap, how they knew he had no clue. He looked up, guns were being drawn level with him. He started to raise his own.

First the explosion. Deafening. Then the pain. Excruciating. Then the blackness. Oblivion.

title: [AA,RF] We Live for Oblivion

question: Summarize the pinnacle of action in the story.

answer: The pinnacle of action is probably when, in a last-ditch effort to evade capture, Will attempts to jump his motorcycle over the bridge. Instead of clearing, he catches on some previously undetected spikes lain out, and the bike wrecks. This is the pinnacle because it greatly slows down all of the frenetic action in the story up until that point-Will is suspended in air for a moment. He then collects himself dizzily and resigns himself to the fact that he is caught as guns train on him.

question: Summarize why Will is on the lam.


text:
The plan was to take three friends, and our motorcycles to the summit of Mt. Washington New Hampshire. The planning began in a bar, only this hair brained idea seemed to stick with me more then anyone else. Over beers, me and two friends were thinking of destinations that we could ride our motorcycles to. Being in New Hampshire, ten minutes out of the city and you are in motorcycle heaven. Twisty roads along all the best scenery possible; farms, forrests, and winding roads that follow riversides for hours. The plan was to ride up to Mt. Washington, New Hampshires' tallest peak. A date was chosen about two Sarurdays away.
Over the next two weeks we would plan our route, our stops and where to stop for lunch.
Plans have a way of falling apart. Commitments from friends, especially commitments made at the bar, have a way of falling through. For this trip I would be on my own.
The Saturday morning came, and I sprang out of bed ready for for action. I had my bike a 2006 Honda CBR 600rr, ready to go and recently tuned. I ate a hurried breakfast too excited to get on the road and begin my adventure. I left and jumped onto the highway, a quick blast to get the blood flowing. Merging into traffic with the throttle wide open, shifting through gears  up into sixth. Looking down I was suprised to see my speed. It didn't feel like I was going that fast. Easing up on the throttle and asimulating with the flow of the traffic around me, I took a deep breath and settled into the seat.
The first leg of the journey was about an hour of highway. (this is a classic new hampshire coloquialism: in reference to distance, give the travel time rather then the mileage.) Legal highway riding is usually uneventful. The corners are usually mild, the engine noise is very consistent, it can almost place the rider into a lull or meditative state. You can completely forget everything. The everyday problems of your life are trivial. You aren't quite completely focused but not quite in a trance like state. This can be dangerous because you are travelling on a vehicle that you are actively balancing, at 70 mph. The actual reality is that any small mistake could kill you or leave you seriously injured. That is why the best highway rides are uneventful.
I arrived in Lincoln New Hampshire, and merged onto Route 112, also known as the Kancamangus Highway. (kank-a-mangus) This is where the real motorcycling begins. In the heart of the White Mountains, the motorcycle is free at last. Twisting turns through untouched forrest keep you sharp and alert. The air is sweet, and smells different then city air. Climbing hills with banking turns, the CBR was made for this. The hills peak quickly and just a quickly as I reach the top I am descending in the opposite direction. Constantly working the controls, just to stay on the road, takes all your focus and attention. Racing up the hills are simple enough crack the throttle open and hang on, as I reach the apex of a hill I can feel my stomach lift for a moment as the road quickly turns, I feel as though I'm going too fast to hold my line. Trusting my tires and my technique, I stay on the gas and look as far down the road as I can see. Descending hills with turns at speed is equally challenging. I make a wise decision to downshift, the engine revs up and I lose a bit of speed and gain a bit more time before the corner. I take an intentionally wide entrance to the turn, and as I lean in I can see the corner opens up into a long downhill straightaway. I open the gas all the way and let the bike stay in the lower gear until the engine crescendos.
At the base of Mt. Washington there is a small field and a small shack. Its two dollars to take the auto road to the top. The man in the booth gives me a sticker "this motorcycle climbed Mt. washington" Thats a bit premature, I thought, but I accepted it and pulled over just past the shack. I got off my bike and stretched my legs. You can't see the summit from here but you can tell this mountain is quite steep. Meandering around I see a plaque. Travis Pastrana next to a Subaru, world record ascent, very quick time , forget the time but he looked happy.
I mounted back onto my bike and began my ascent. I was suprised the road was paved. The road is nice and there are lots of trees, every now and then in the trees would be a clearing, and I could see how much altitude I was gaining. At this point the riding was very mellow. The road was paved but with very old pavement. There were cracks and potholes everywhere. I was taking in the scenery and enjoying the ascent. needing to keep my speed well below 30. Cars would wave me past, I guess figuring I was more nimble then they were amongst the bumps and holes. As I  made my way above the treeline, the pavement ends. It is replaced by a smooth dirt road. It is easy to ride on even on a sportbike. The views are spectacular even before the summit. I can see the nearby mountains, and their peaks, a sea of green forrest in painted variance that is impossible to capture. As the dirt road continues upward wrapping up the sides of the mountain, the colors around me change from green to brown. Gone are the trees and pavement, replaced by basketball sized rocks, jagged and sharp lining the road. Peering over the edge quickly makes me wish I hadnt. It is a long way down, a mistake would surely be fatal. Roads below look pencil thin, cars on then look like they could be crushed if you were to step on them.
When I do reach the top, I am surely the only motorcycle, and an out of place one at that. Most of the other vehicles are four wheel drive SUVs and dirt splattered subaru outbacks. My CBR is next to spotless and looks very bright. I park the bike and find a rock to put under my kickstand. Up a small staircase to the mount washington weather center the wind picks up. Mt. Wahington is one of the windiest places on earth. Even on a mild day down below, the temperature, is easily 30 degrees cooler at the summit, and the wind is constant. The wind pushes  around 30 mph, and gusts to 50 every minute or so. There is a large concrete structure at the top. Inside the building are some historic photos, black and whites of some tough looking men who built the road to the summit. Also cheesy t-shirts of a tourist hanging onto a flag pole being blown horizontal by the world record wind. I left empty handed from the gift shop and went back outside. I took one more long look out from the top. Annother plaque indicated that on a clear day, you can see skyscrapers in  Boston, some 200 miles away. I made my way back to my bike and started her up, and turnded it around. From there I began a long and winding road home.

title: What it's like to Fly

question: How do the plans fall apart?

answer: The narrator's friends back out of a group trip.

question: What does the narrator do?

answer: He rides his motorcycle to the summit of Mt. Washington.

question: What is CBR?

answer: It's implied to be a kind of motorcycle.

question: What does the narrator buy in the gift shop?

answer: Nothing.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: This story about a man's day trip to Mt. Washington covers his travel along the highway and visit to a gift shop. While riding his motorcycle, the narrator describes the local scenery.


text:
My name is Joshua Callenway, written some time in 2013:

Im writing this because I have no idea what else to do. I don't know how long its been since the 21st. Nobody really believed this would happen, I didnt believe. But here I am, walking the same streets I did before. Why Am I still here? Im not the strongest, Im not the smartest, Im not even handy for fuck's sake! Im just an accountant! Yet im here. I haven't seen a living person since the office party. Im so lonley and scared. I need help, from anyone or anything. I see signs on buildings claiming " Survivers Inside!" But nobody is in there; only trash and blood. The rummbling in my stomach is so loud and painful; my once plump stomach has now receeded to expose my entire rib cage. Every time I sleep I only have nightmares, if I even dream at all. If this be Hell, where is Satan? Unless this is Purgatory. Im not a religious man, however I think I might start. I miss everyone I know. To whomever reads this, if anyone ever does, if you find a woman named Caitlin with a birth mark on her left elbow, tell her that Josh loves her and he spent the rest of his life trying to find her. Im in Boston now, but I need to see if my family is ok. Im going to start walking to Spokane Washington. I'll walk the I-90 until i get there or drop dead. Im sorry for the things I've done, but im going to make it up to everyone, somehow, someway, I will make things right...

title: To whom it may concern- The last written words of a surviving man.

question: What is the narrator's name?

answer: Joshua Callenway

question: Who is the women Josh wants to send a message to?

answer: Caitlin, with a birth mark on her left elbow

question: What is Josh's stated occupation?

answer: An accountant

question: Where does Josh say he is?

answer: In Boston

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Joshua Callenway seems to be in a very bad state, hungry and sleep-deprived, and is wondering if he is in hell. He leaves messages for others and is determined to make it up for everyone.


text:
Thousands of residents fled the eastern Gaza City neighborhood of Shejaiya on Sunday morning as the Israeli military continued to expand its operation.

Credit...Mahmud Hams/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

-   []

    Slide 1 of 9

    Thousands of residents fled the eastern Gaza City neighborhood of Shejaiya on Sunday morning as the Israeli military continued to expand its operation.

    Credit...Mahmud Hams/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

-   July 20, 2014
-

GAZA CITY — The mayhem began in the early hours of Sunday morning in Shejaiya, an eastern neighborhood of Gaza City, where Israeli forces battled with Hamas militants. Terrified civilians fled, sometimes past the bodies of those struck down in earlier artillery barrages. By dusk it was clear that Sunday was the deadliest single day for the Palestinians in the latest conflict and the deadliest for the Israeli military in years.

At least 60 Palestinians and 13 Israeli soldiers and officers were killed in Shejaiya alone, and the shattered neighborhood was quickly becoming a new symbol of the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict, underlining the rising cost of this newest Gaza war.

The death tolls and the withering assault on Shejaiya appeared to shake the international community, with world leaders continuing to carefully call for both sides to step back but with criticism of Israel rising. Within hours, President Obama had called the Israeli prime minister for the second time in three days, the United Nations Security Council had called an emergency session at the urging of the Palestinians, and Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had issued a statement calling the attack on Shejaiya “an atrocious action.”

By early evening, the Obama administration announced that Secretary of State John Kerry would head to Cairo to meet with Egyptian officials in an attempt to negotiate a cease-fire to end the bloodshed.

Throughout Gaza, at least 87 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire on Sunday, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, bringing the death toll there since the Israeli air offensive began on July 8 to at least 425, with more than 3,000 injured. The toll includes more than 100 children.

Israel has lost 18 soldiers so far, as well as two citizens killed by rocket and mortar fire. Two Americans were among the soldiers killed in Gaza; Jen Psaki, the State Department spokeswoman, identified them as Max Steinberg and Sean Carmeli. Mr. Steinberg’s family lives in California, and Mr. Carmeli was from Texas, The Associated Press reported.

In Shejaiya, the panic Sunday was palpable. Some of the men, women and children who streamed out of the area were barefoot. Israeli shells crashed all around, rockets fired by Palestinian militants soared overhead in the direction of Israel and small-arms fire whizzed past. Asked where they were going, one woman said, “God knows.”

The casualties quickly overwhelmed local hospitals. Doctors treated some victims on the floor.

As the day wore on and the casualties mounted, it became apparent that what had begun on Thursday night as a limited ground invasion to follow 10 days of intense airstrikes had developed into a more extensive and dangerous phase for both sides.

Late Sunday, Hamas’s military wing announced it had captured an Israeli soldier, though the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, Ron Prosor, said, “There is no kidnapped Israeli soldier,” adding, “Those rumors are untrue.”

Despite the growing international alarm, Israel’s political and military leaders said that while acknowledging the pain for both sides, they were determined to continue with their mission. They have said the offensive is meant to root out Hamas’s vast network of underground tunnels, many of them leading into Israel, and to quell the rocket fire from Gaza, which continued on Sunday.

In a televised prime-time address to the nation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “We are not deterred,” adding, “We will continue to operate as long as necessary.”

Mr. Netanyahu said he had “laid the diplomatic foundation that has given us international credit to operate,” listing major Western countries that he said understood Israel’s right to defend itself.

In another sign that the conflict could continue to take a high toll, a senior Israeli military official noted that the Hamas fighters Israel faced in Shejaiya had “learned lessons” from past conflicts and were tough adversaries. “I have to admit that we were facing good fighters on the other side,” he said.

So far, Mr. Netanyahu appears to have the support of many Israelis, who were particularly shaken in recent days when militants used what the government had warned were “terror tunnels” to infiltrate their country.

It is unclear how much support Israel will receive abroad if the bombardment continues. Last week, Mr. Obama reaffirmed his “strong support for Israel’s right to defend itself,” but suggested that it was based on his understanding that “the current military ground operations are designed to deal with the tunnels.”

On Sunday, he again backed Israel’s right to self-defense, but also raised “serious concern about the growing number of casualties,” according to a statement released by the White House.

Mr. Kerry, who used his appearances on the talk shows to vociferously defend Israel’s right to take action, expressed his own consternation in private critical comments that were captured by Fox News on a live microphone. Mr. Kerry is heard to say to an aide: “It’s a hell of a pinpoint operation,” adding, “We got to get over there.”

His later answers to on-air questions suggested that he had been speaking sarcastically of an operation that is aimed at militants but had killed so many Palestinian civilians, including many children. He is expected to arrive in Egypt on Monday.

Video

[Video player loading]

A look at why Israel and Hamas have repeatedly chosen to intensify the violence at every stage of the continuing conflict.CreditCredit...Ronen Zvulun/Reuters
Late Sunday night, diplomats on the Security Council called for an “immediate cessation of hostilities” in brief remarks to the news media, falling far short of the resolution that Palestinians had hoped for.

Mr. Ban called on Israel to halt its operation in Gaza immediately, saying, “Israel must exercise maximum restraint and do far more to protect civilians.” He also called for an end to the rocket fire from Gaza.

Mr. Ban spoke in Doha, Qatar, hours before a scheduled meeting with President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority. Mr. Abbas called the Israeli action in Shejaiya “a crime against humanity,” according to Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency.

Like other Israeli officials, Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, an Israeli military spokesman, noted that ground forces moved into Shejaiya after area residents had been warned to leave for days. But some residents have said they are unsure where they could go to be safe in the small, densely populated enclave.

Colonel Lerner said Hamas had “fortified” the whole neighborhood not far from the border with Israel, building a labyrinth of tunnels beneath the houses, which he called “Lower Gaza.” The fighting started about 1 a.m. and lasted about seven hours. Colonel Lerner said the Hamas fighters were armed with antitank missiles, rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons.

As the battle waned, the horror unfolded. Dark smoke rose at the edge of Shejaiya, and shelling cracked and thumped nearby with just a few seconds’ pause between rounds. Clusters of people periodically emerged from the narrower streets and rushed up the hill toward downtown.

Image[A Palestinian family collected belongings from the rubble of their home in Rafah after it was struck by air missiles.]

Credit...Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times

A chain of five children holding hands trotted uphill, dragged by an adult — the smallest boy, around 3, with an expression of confusion and terror. Barefoot, he clutched his flip-flops in his hand. Taxis ventured only to the bottom of the street, where they picked up pedestrians, so many on occasion that some had to sit in an open hatchback or trunk. In the chaos, many parents were separated from their children.

At Shifa Hospital, a girl who looked about 9 was brought into the emergency room and laid on a gurney, blood soaking the shoulder of her shirt. Motionless and barely alive, she stared at the ceiling, her mouth open. There was no relative with her to give her name. The medical staff stood quietly around her. Every now and then, they checked her vital signs, until it was time. They covered her with a white sheet, and she was gone. A few moments later, a new patient lay on the gurney.

The hospital grounds were crowded with displaced families sitting on the grass. Taghreed Harazin, 34, sat under a gazebo with her 6-month-old son, Diaa, in the car seat in which she had carried him on foot until finding a taxi. She said she had believed the evacuation order was only for the eastern part of the neighborhood, and mistakenly thought she would be safe at home. Moving was frightening, she said, because of airstrikes.

But during the night, heavy shelling started. They went to the basement for three hours, then ventured out at dawn.

As the family dashed through the streets to avoid crashing shells, Ms. Harazin, said, she saw the decapitated body of a boy who looked about 4.

“We are not Hamas, and we are not with the others,” Ms. Harazin said. “We just want to live in our homes.”

Image

Credit...Andrew Burton/Getty Images
[]

Asked what she thought of Hamas’s handling of the current war, she said, “Sometimes it’s difficult to express your opinion.” She said her husband had been beaten for complaining about Hamas.

Wadha Abu Amr, 62, said her family were refugees from what is now Beersheba, who fled in 1948 during the war over Israel’s founding.

“I’m afraid that this is another 1948,” she said, “God forbid. We were driven out in 1948 and we are being driven out again now.”

In the worst-hit area, a cinder-block building had been flattened; a neighboring one was only partially standing and others across the street were burned. On side streets, glass and rubble littered the ground, and the walls were pocked with shrapnel marks. Workers tried to pull bodies from rubble.

Several men appeared to be fighters, emerging from a hole broken in a concrete wall and shooing photographers away.

The remains of an exploded ambulance littered one street, the engine blown away from the ripped body of the vehicle. During the fighting, a Palestinian journalist who had ridden with an ambulance crew into the neighborhood was killed, along with a paramedic, whose body lay on a stretcher at Shifa Hospital, still in green scrubs.

In Israel, the mood was grim but determined. The military, suffering its heaviest loss in a single day since the 2006 war in Lebanon, said seven of the 13 soldiers were killed when militants detonated an explosive device against their armored personnel carrier, three died in clashes with militants and three died trapped in a burning building.

The senior military official, who briefed reporters in Tel Aviv and spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with army rules, said the forces faced hundreds of Hamas fighters.

“It was a real battle there,” he said. “They were hiding in the apartments, shooting at the Israeli soldiers from the apartments, from the houses, from the windows.”

question: Why did Israel attack Gaza in this particular instance?

answer: It was meant to root out Hamas’s vast network of underground tunnels, many of them leading into Israel, and to quell the rocket fire from Gaza.

question: What happened with the Israeli soldier kidnapped by Hamas's people?

answer: It seems like there was no kidnapping.

question: What was Obama's stance on Israel attacking Gaza?

answer: At the time, he supported Israel's right to self-defend but was concern over the high numbers of casualties.

question: How many Israeli soldiers. were killed in these attacks?

answer: 13.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The article is a summary of the Israelies occupying the neighborhood of Shejaiya in east Gaza.


text:
[Municipalities of Mexico] MUNICIPALITIES (_municipios_ in Spanish) are the second-level administrative divisions of Mexico, where the first-level administrative division is the _state_ (Spanish: estado). As of the establishment of two new municipalities in Chiapas in September 2017,[1] there are 2,448 municipalities in Mexico, not including the 16 _alcaldías_ of Mexico City.[2] The internal political organization and their responsibilities are outlined in the 115th article of the 1917 Constitution[3] and detailed in the constitutions of the states to which they belong. are distinct from , a form of Mexican locality; some municipalities as large as states, while cities can be measured in city blocks.

Structure

[Municipal palace and esplanade of the zocalo of Ecatepec] All Mexican states are divided into municipalities. Each municipality is autonomous; citizens elect a “municipal president” (_presidente municipal_) who heads a municipal council _(ayuntamiento),_ responsible for providing all the public services for their constituents. This concept, which originated after the Mexican Revolution, is known as a _municipio libre_ (“free municipality”).

The municipal president is elected by plurality and cannot be reelected for the next immediate term. The municipal council consists of a _cabildo_ (chairman) with a _síndico_ and several _regidores_ (trustees).

If the municipality covers a large area and contains more than one city or town (collectively called _localidades_), one city or town is selected as a _cabecera municipal_ (head city, seat of the municipal government) while the rest elect representatives to a _presidencia auxiliar_ or _junta auxiliar_ (auxiliary presidency or council). In that sense, a municipality in Mexico is roughly equivalent to the counties of the United States, whereas the auxiliary presidency is equivalent to a township. Nonetheless, auxiliary presidencies are not considered a third-level administrative division since they depend fiscally on the municipalities in which they are located.

North-western and south-eastern states are divided into small numbers of large municipalities (e.g. Baja California is divided into only five municipalities), and therefore they cover large areas incorporating several separated cities or towns that do not necessarily conform to one single conurbation. Central and southern states, on the other hand, are divided into many small municipalities (e.g. Oaxaca is divided into 570 municipalities), and therefore large urban areas usually extend over several municipalities which form one single conurbation. Although an urban area might cover an entire municipality, auxiliary councils might still be used for administrative purposes.

Municipalities are responsible for public services (such as water and sewerage), street lighting, public safety, traffic, supervision of slaughterhouses and the cleaning and maintenance of public parks, gardens and cemeteries. They may also assist the state and federal governments in education, emergency fire and medical services, environmental protection and maintenance of monuments and historical landmarks. Since 1983, they can collect property taxes and user fees, although more funds are obtained from the state and federal governments than from their own collection efforts.

History

[Veracruz City Hall] Since the Conquest and colonization of Mexico, the municipality became the basic entity of the administrative organization of New Spain and the Spanish Empire. Settlements located in strategic locations received the status of _ciudad_ (the highest status within the Empire, superior to that of _villas_ and _pueblos_) and were entitled to form an _ayuntamiento_ or municipality. After Independence, the 1824 Constitution did not specify any regulation for the municipalities, whose structure and responsibilities were to be outlined in the constitution of each state of the federation. As such, every state set its own requirements for a settlement to become a municipality (usually based on population). The Constitution of 1917 abolished the _jefatura política_ (“political authority”), the intermediate administrative authority between the states and converted all existing municipalities into _municipios libres_ (“free municipalities”), that is, gave them full autonomy to manage local affairs, while at the same time restricting the scope of their competencies.[4] However, in 1983 the 115th article was modified to expand the municipalities' authority to raise revenue (through property taxes and other local services) and to formulate budgets.

Ranking of municipalities

By population

Data from the 2015 Intercensal Survey by the INEGI.[5]

  Ranking   Municipality   State             Population
  --------- -------------- ----------------- ------------
  1         Ecatepec       Mexico            1,677,678
  2         Tijuana        Baja California   1,641,570
  3         León           Guanajuato        1,578,626
  4         Puebla         Puebla            1,576,259
  5         Guadalajara    Jalisco           1,460,148
  6         Juárez         Chihuahua         1,391,180
  7         Zapopan        Jalisco           1,332,272

By area

Data from _Los Municipios con Mayor y Menor Extensión Territorial_ by the Instituto Nacional Para el Federalismo y el Desarrollo Municipal[6]. Please note that on February 12th, 2020, the congress of the state of Baja California unanimously voted for the incorporation of the municipality of San Quintín, wholly from the southern part of the municipality of Ensenada, first place in the table below. The official population and area figures of this new municipality, as well as the reduced municipality of Ensenada might be published later in 2020 as part of the 2020 census data, or else it will be made known later in the decade, even as late as the next Intercensal Survey to be taken in 2025. [Ensenada]

  Ranking   State                 Municipality               Area (km²)
  --------- --------------------- -------------------------- ------------
  1         Baja California       Ensenada                   51,952.26
  2         Baja California Sur   Mulegé                     33,092.20
  3         Coahuila              Ocampo                     26,433.60
  4         Baja California Sur   La Paz                     20,275.00
  5         Quintana Roo          Othón P. Blanco            17,189.75
  6         Chihuahua             Ahumada                    17,131.48
  7         Baja California Sur   Comondú                    16,858.30
  8         Chihuahua             Camargo                    16,066.01
  2,438     Tlaxcala              San Lorenzo Axocomanitla   4.34

Municipalities of Mexico City

Mexico City is a special case in that it is not organized as a municipality, but as a federal district as the capital of the federation. It is administered through the Government of the Federal District and it has its own unicameral Legislative Assembly. For administrative purposes, the Federal District is subdivided into _delegaciones_, or boroughs. They are not identical to municipalities, but since 2000, they enjoy a certain degree of political autonomy since residents within a borough directly elect a local borough head of government (called _jefe delegacional_). However, boroughs do not form local [municipal] councils, are not constituted by a group of trustees, and do not have regulatory powers, most of which are exercised by the Federal District's government. Most public services are organized by the Federal District even if some responsibilities are carried out by the boroughs. Still, at the federal level, the boroughs are considered a second-level territorial division for statistical data collection and cross-municipal comparisons.

Other municipalities in Mexico have chosen to use a similar administrative internal organization. All municipalities of Baja California are subdivided into boroughs, or _delegaciones_. The municipality of Mexicali for example, is divided into 14 boroughs besides the City of Mexicali, which comprises the municipal seat and three additional metropolitan boroughs.

The Municipality of Santiago de Querétaro is subdivided into seven boroughs. Nonetheless, the heads of government of the boroughs are not elected by the residents but rather appointed by the municipal president. Unlike the boroughs of Mexico City, which are second-level administrative divisions, the boroughs of the municipalities are third-level administrative divisions.

[1]

[2] At the time of the 2015 Intercensal Survey, there were 2,441 municipalities in Mexico according to INEGI, excluding the _alcaldías_ of Mexico City: Since then, six municipalities have been created in Chiapas (Belisario Domínguez, Emiliano Zapata, El Parral, Mezcalapa, Capitán Luis Ángel Vidal, Rincón Chamula San Pedro) and one in Quintana Roo (Puerto Morelos), bringing the total to 2,448.

[3]

[4] Inform sobre Desarrollo Humano México 2004 p. 50

[5]

[6] Los Municipios con Mayor y Menor Extensión Territorial Instituto Nacional Para el Federalismo y el Desarrollo Municipal

title: Municipalities of Mexico

question: How do you say "municipalities" in Spanish?

answer: Municipios.

question: What are municipalities in Mexico?

answer: The second-level administrative divisions of Mexico, where the first-level administrative division is the state.

question: How do you say "state" in Spanish?

answer: Estado.

question: When did San Quintin get incorporated as a municipality?

answer: 2012


text:
_THE VILLA IN TIERGARTEN PARK_ () is a 1927 German silent romance film directed by Franz Osten and starring Joe Stöckel, Aud Egede-Nissen, and Elsa Krueger. It still survives unlike many films from the silent era.

The film's sets were designed by Max Heilbronner.

Synopsis

The easygoing lifestyle of a playboy bachelor and his friends who live in a village in Berlin's Tiergarten Park is threatened by the arrival of a new disciplinarian housekeeper.

Cast

title: The Villa in Tiergarten Park

question: What is The Villa in Tiergarten Park?

answer: It is a 1927 German silent romance film directed by Franz Osten.

question: Who was cast in the film?

answer: Joe Stockel, Aud Egede Nissen, and Elsa Krueger

question: What was the reception of the film?

answer: It isn't said specifically, but the article states that it still survives unlike many films from the silent era.

question: What is the synopsis of the film?

answer: The easygoing lifestyle of a playboy bachelor and his friends who live in a village in Berlin's Tiergarten Park is threatened by the arrival of a new disciplinarian housekeeper.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This article describes the movie The Villa in Tiergarten Park, a a 1927 German silent romance film directed by Franz Osten. The film still survives unlike other silent films from that era.


text:
The start of the work week.

I burst through the door after a hard day's work of bosses pressuring me to do, or not do this thing or that. No "Honey I'm Home." Although I think it every time I walk in the door. I bring a bit of work home with me coating my hands and face. My feet ache so I strip off my boots, followed by my layers of work clothes, and I start a hot shower. I stop by the fridge to look inside even though I know it's contents by heart. After a quick glance I shut the door and make my way to the shower.
     Dirty little rivers run off my toes and down the drain. I watch them swirl and disappear when I hear the phone ring. I know it's not real, I always hear the old home phone ring when I'm in the shower. That phone hasn't rang for years. I'm not really hearing running footsteps in the hallway either. I don't have a hallway and there's no one here to run.
     I don't think I'm lonely, in fact the quiet solitude is nice, peaceful. I turn on the news to catch up on local events that mean nothing to me, and it wouldn't matter if I never learned of them.
     "Oh my god that poor kid was hit by a car."
That's got to suck.
     The news makes me angry so I turn off the tv and I look at my little apartment. "I should move the boxing book off of the baseball shelf, it doesn't go there. Do I need a whole shelf for boxing stuff or do I need a miscellaneous sports shelf?"
     After ten minutes of attempting to find a new home for the boxing book. I gently place it back where it was and walk to Lizzi's room. I shove the folded clothes off of her bed and onto the floor and lie down. It's so quiet here. I lie my head down and rest my eyes for a bit day dreaming about this weekend when my kids will be here and it wont be so quiet.
     "When did I give Lizzi the good pillow?" I think.
     I should call...no, never mind...What is this? What are you doing here? Am I dreaming?

Surprise Nap.

title: Monday

question: Explain why the narrator had such a hard day at work.

answer: Because of bosses pressuring them to do or not to do things.

question: What is the first thing the narrator does after arriving home from work?

answer: Remove the work clothes and start a shower.

question: What is the narrator dreaming about?

answer: About this weekend when their kids will be there and it won't be so quiet.

question: Explain what the narrator does after ten minutes of attempting to find a new home for the boxing book.

answer: Places it back to where it was.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator has a rough start to the work week, getting pressured by bosses. After their usual routine around the house, narrator lays down and dreams about this weekend when their kids will be there and it won't be so quiet.


text: A long time ago there was a wizard who lived above a small village. We was rarely seen, and only summoned when there was no other solution. The village people below told stories of his once-powerful abilities. He could move mountains, change the flow of a river, and even part clouds whenever he wanted to. However it had been a long time since any of the villagers had seen any fantastical work done by the wizard, and so, they lost hope. One day, a few of the young village children wandered up the road in search of the old Wizard's home. They were curious to see if the wizard would show them some of his magic. When they arrived at the small cottage they noticed that it looked as though no one had lived there in years. They peered through the dusty windows and attempted to see inside, but all that could be seen was darkness. When they turned around an old man was smiling at them. "What are you youngins doing up here?" the old man asked them. "We were hoping to see some of your magic!" one of the children exclaimed excitedly. "Magic? Why would want to see something like that?" the old man asked them. "Because we have heard the stories! They say you can do things no other person can!" another one said, almost shouting. "They say that, but has anyone in the village ever seen it?" the man asked with a grin. "Well no, but thats why we were hoping you could show us!" said the oldest of the children. "Well Im sorry, I've lost my magic abilities. But, if you care to stay, I can give you some advice on any problems you may be having" the man offered them, hoping to not be left so quickly. "Advice? We came to see magic, and if you dont have any, we are leaving" one of the kids exclaimed as he started walking back down towards the village. The other children followed closely on his heels and the old man was left outside his cottage, watching them as they left. When the children returned to the village they told their friends about what had happened. They began to call him the Dumb Wizard since we did not possess any magic. The name caught on quickly in the village and soon it was his identity. As the name changed for the Dumb Wizard, so did his stories. They no longer involved cloud parting, river changing, mountain moving fantasies, but instead told of his advice he would give to the young. As the generations began to come and go and long after the old Wizard had died, his stories remained as just the advice he gave. The village called this advice Wizdumb. The word, along with the advice associated with it, soon evolved in their language and spread around the land. If only I could have met that old man, and ask him of his wisdom.

title: The Old Wizard

question: Who are the main characters of the story?

answer: The old wizard, the kids

question: Where does the story take place?

answer: The small village (unnamed).

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

answer: That information can’t be found.

question: Who coined the term "Wizdumb?"

answer: The next generation of villagers.

question: Write a ~7 sentence summary.

answer: A rarely-seen old wizard lives up the road from a small village and stories of his magical abilities have been told throughout generations. The villagers only summon the old wizard as a last resort and they haven't seen any fantastic magic for a while. A few kids go to the wizard's home to see for themselves and talk to an old man, who tells them he is whom they seek. However, he has lost his powers and can only give them advice. Since the wizard doesn't have any magic, the kids rudely leave him and return to the village. They spread the news that the wizard has no powers and can only dispense advice, so the people begin calling him the Dumb Wizard. The name and stories about the wizard change throughout the years, until villagers start referring to the wizard's advice as Wizdumb, which evolves to the word "wisdom."


text:
(At my radio station, my work space is in the production studio. There’s a quirk on the phone where, after one ring, it’ll automatically pick-up and go to speaker phone. I’m working one day, when the phone rings. Before I can acknowledge the person on the speaker phone, our receptionist brings a client into the studio.)

Receptionist: Yes, this is [client]. He’s here today to voice some new spots.

Me: Excellent! Just come on in and have a seat behind the microphone. Do you have a copy of the script with you?

Client: Uh, I actually thought I’d be working with [co-worker] today, so I e-mailed the script to him before I came here.

Me: No worries. Something tells me that’s him on the speaker phone, to tell me I can get the script from him.

Co-Worker: (from the speaker phone) YES IT IS! AND YES, THAT’S RIGHT!

Client: Holy s**t, you guys are on top of things!

question: What is the quirk on the phone?

answer: After one ring, it automatically picks up and goes to speaker phone.

question: Where does the narrator work?

answer: He works in the production studio of a radio station.

question: Who did the receptionist bring into the studio?

answer: A client doing some voice scripts.

question: Who was on the phone at the time the client walked in?

answer: The narrator's co-worker, who was supposed to work with the client.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator works in the production studio of a radio station that has a quirky phone that automatically picks up puts the caller on speaker. A phone call comes in at the same time the receptionist ushers in a client to do some voiceovers. The client didn't have a script because he was supposed to be working with the narrator's co-worker, who was actually on the phone and heard everything and acknowledges he has the script. The client is impressed.


text:
China likes its trains and it has deployed some of the most advanced and the most out-of-the-box train technologies in the world.

Now its latest train is so out-of-the-box that it could just as easily not be considered an actual train.

The new vehicle developed by China’s CRRC Corporation, one of the world’s largest train manufacturers is presented as a ‘trackless electric train’.

As you can see on the pictures above and below, the train is not constrained to actual tracks, but it instead follows virtual ones using tires and an electric powertrain – much like a bus.

The new vehicle is called ‘Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit’ (ART) system and it has a maximum speed of 70 km/h (43 mph) and carries up to 300 passengers in three carriages, reported local news outlet People’s Daily Online (via Channel News Asia).

It was first unveiled in June, but it has now started testing in Zhuzhou in the Hunan Province.

Now the idea behind the system is that it operates just like a tram or urban train, but it requires only a fraction of the investment in terms of infrastructure since tracks are not required.

The battery packs enabled only 25 km (15 miles) of range on a charge, but it charges in only 10 minutes using connectors on top of the carriages when stopped – similar to some electric bus charging systems.

Speaking of electric buses, it’s not clear what are the advantages of this particular system over deploying more electric buses, but I suppose they might find some through their test program.

China is certainly no stranger to out-of-the-box transportation systems. Last year, another Chinese company unveiled a futuristic-looking electric straddling bus concept.

They actually built a working prototype of the system, but the project failed and ended in a scandal with several arrests for “illegal fundraising.” The project has been described as “a scam from the start.”

Hopefully, this new project has a better fate. Either way, China is rapidly electrifying its transport industry with electric buses and trains regardless of if they combine both to make a hybrid.

_FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links._ More.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Subscribe to Electrek on YouTube for exclusive videos and subscribe to the podcast.

You’re reading Electrek— experts who break news about Tesla, electric vehicles, and green energy, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow Electrek on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our YouTube channel for the latest reviews.

question: What is the source of this article?

answer: Electrek

question: Who developed the new vehicle in China?

answer: China's CRRC Corporation

question: What is the new vehicle called?

answer: Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit (ART) system

question: Where is testing for the new vehicle happening?

answer: In Zhuzhou in the Hunan Province.

question: How long does this vehicle take to charge?

answer: 10 minutes

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: China's CRRC Corporation has created a new trackless electric train. Also known as the Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit (ART) system, this train requires significantly less infrastructure. It carries up to 300 passengers and moves at 70 km an hour, and only needs 10 minutes to charge. China is rapidly electrifying its transport systems.


text:
HE () means the clastics of wheat or rice originally and generally refers to coarse cereals. In China, it is a specifically traditional pastry in the west area of Guangdong province. In traditional festivals such as Spring festival)( also called Chinese New Year) Spirit festival (July 14) and winter solstice, and wedding. ceremony, birthday feast and housewarming party, 籺(hé) is an inevitable pastry in the west area of Guangdong province, especially in Maoming City, Guangdong Province. People regard 籺(hé) as an symbol of jubilance and share them with their relatives and friends, which can truly strengthen kinship and friendship.

[Peach-shaped 籺(hé)] [Peach-shaped wormwood 籺(hé)]

Meaning of 籺(hé)

Basic meaning

The clastics of wheat or rice, usually used for coarse grain [1] In general, it always refers to grain of rice and wheat [2]

Input method

  Unicode   Wubihua method   Zhengma method   Stroke order Method   Cangjie input method
  --------- ---------------- ---------------- --------------------- ----------------------
  U+7C7A    OTNN             UFMY             丶ノ一丨ノ丶ノ一フ    FDON

  : Input method of 籺(hé)

Origin

It is believed that people in Gaozhou County, Maoming City, Guangdong Province firstly made the 籺(hé) and kept ongoing reshaping. Long ago, Gaozhou County was a wasteland grown with weeds. A war broken out, a group of refugees made their way there and decided to live there. At the beginning, the first-generation settlers here could only plant tuber crops and other coarse cereals (e.g. maize, sorghum, millet, etc ) because of the barren land. In order to make good use of the crops, settlers used mallet to pound the grain into flour, and then the flour was mixed with water and cooked with the purpose of increasing overall size. This is the fundamental method of making 籺(hé) a smooth paste.[3]

Afterward, people successfully planted rice and gained harvest. To celebrate the harvest, or, to a certain degree, to improve their life, they followed the basic method to pound the rice into flour, and add the vegetables filling inside, and knead them into a specific shape. This was the original 籺(hé). [4] Also, they used the polished round-grained rice flour to make 籺(hé) but found glutinous rice flour was more suitable to make 籺(hé) with its strengthening viscosity and taste. From then on, people gradually made 籺(hé) with glutinous rice flour. Glutinous rice flour “he” gained widespread popularity in the west area of Guangdong province and became a shared custom.

Stuffing

The stuffing of 籺(hé)can be various according to everyone’s taste and flavor. Yet, in general, the stuffing is mainly divided into two type: sweet stuffing and salty stuffing.[5]

Sweeting stuffing

Mainly contain sesame, peanut, desiccated coconut, lotus root, etc.

Salty stuffing

Mainly contains green bean, peanut, bacon, shrimps, etc.

Dressing and sauces(调料和酱料)

Dressing and sauces are also significant in the process of making 籺(hé). Roughly, in West area of Guangdong Province, people tend to use ginger, peanut oil, soy sauce and other traditional seasoner.[Raw 籺(hé)]

Making process

Taking salty peach-shaped 籺(hé) for instance[6]

-   Preparing related material: glutinous rice flour, clean jackfruit leaves, skinless green bean,[7] peach-shaped mould[specific mould for making 籺(hé)]
-   Making stuffing: put shrimps into fried oil, and fry green beans, blend all the ingredients together and stir evenly
-   Boiling proportional water in a pot, pouring moderate glutinous rice flour, stirring evening until cooking thoroughly. Mixing the cooked flour with the raw flour and kneading well until it is not enough hand-sticky
-   Shaping the kneaded dough into ball and adding stuffing into it [Doughing into ball]
-   Putting stuffed ball into the mould to become peach-shaped 籺(hé)
-   Using jackfruit leaves to separate shaped 籺(hé) and then stewing for half an hour
-   Dotting red color in the surface of 籺(hé) which stand for jubilance and celebration

Related Folklore of 籺(hé)

Peach-shaped 籺(hé)

During the Tang Dynasty(618-907AD), one day, the Nanshan god of longevity passed by Gaozhou County and accommodated himself to a courier hostel. At the midnight, he heard a woman next door bursting into crying. He was so curious that he asked for information from the crying woman. He learned that the woman was an impoverished widow and completely bound by her parents-in-law.[8] Yet, her parents-in-law were seriously ill and she decided to go to the seek longevity herb to save her parents-in-law’s life. The god was deeply moved by the woman’s filial behaviors and took two rice balls out and gave them to the woman. The woman brought them home and made them into peach-shaped 籺(hé). After eating the 籺(hé), her parents-in-law were recovered. From then on, this kind of 籺(hé) represented longevity and ecstasy and gained growing popularity.

[1] 汉字释义 汉典网 Accessed 25 Oct.2016

[2]

[3] [http://www.cnki.net/KCMS/detail/detail.aspx?QueryID=2&CurRec=1&filename=NFLK201605037&dbname=CJFDLAST2016&dbcode=CJFQ≺=&urlid=&yx=&uid=WEEvREcwSlJHSldRa1Fhb09jeVVYS29DSmE5VnlSaURuR0MwNFlCYlBjUT0=$9A4hF_YAuvQ5obgVAqNKPCYcEjKensW4ggI8Fm4gTkoUKaID8j8gFw!!&v=MTc1NTVUcldNMUZyQ1VSTHllWmVSdkZpbmtWTDdLS3l2SFpiRzRIOWZNcW85R1k0UjhlWDFMdXhZUzdEaDFUM3E= 粤西方言“籺”类词与粤西民俗] 中国知网Accessed 20 Dec.2016

[4]

[5] [http://www.cnki.net/KCMS/detail/detail.aspx?QueryID=2&CurRec=3&filename=NYJI201230040&dbname=CJFD2012&dbcode=CJFQ≺=&urlid=&yx=&uid=WEEvREcwSlJHSldRa1Fhb09jeVVYS29DSmE5VnlSaURuR0MwNFlCYlBjUT0=$9A4hF_YAuvQ5obgVAqNKPCYcEjKensW4ggI8Fm4gTkoUKaID8j8gFw!!&v=MDExMDR1eFlTN0RoMVQzcVRyV00xRnJDVVJMeWVaZVJ2RmlubVc3M0tLelRCWjdHNEg5UFByNDlCWklSOGVYMUw= 糯米籺的加工技术及研究进展] 中国知网Accessed 20 Dec.2016

[6]

[7]

[8] making procedures of 籺(hé) Accessed 20 Dec.2016

title: He (Chinese pastry)

question: What are the key ingredients in He?

answer: Glutinous rice flour, jackfruit leaves, green bean, and stuffing (salty or sweet)

question: Describe the process for making He.

answer: First, the stuffing is made by blending the ingredients together. Then water is boiled in a pot and the glutinous rice flour is added until cooked thoroughly. The cooked flour is mixed with raw flour and kneaded. This dough is then shaped into a ball, filled with stuffing, and placed into a peach-shaped mould. It is then separated with jackfruit leaves and stewed for half an hour. The surface is then dotted with a red color.

question: Where did He originate?

answer: It is believed to have originated in Gaozhou County, Maoming City, Guangdong province.

question: What is He?

answer: A traditional pastry in the west area of the Guangdong province that is usually served in traditional festivals, wedding ceremonies, birthday feasts, and housewarming parties.

question: What types of stuffings are used in He?

answer: Sweet stuffings can contain sesame, peanut, desiccated coconut, or lotus root. Salty stuffings can contain green bean, peanut, bacon, or shrimp.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: He is a peach-shaped Chinese pastry. It is believed to have originated in Gaozhou County in the Guangdong Province. It typically contains either sweet or salty stuffing and is made using glutinous rice flour. The article provides instructions for making the pastry.


text:
Streets were dead. As silent as haunted hill. As deathly quiet as a wake with only the sound of mourning played by the rustling tree branches. The puddles were un-jumped in. The sidewalk as still as the stars and the streetlights shined forlornly upon nothingness. It was then that the dead rose from their holes that man had dug for them. It was then, when Halloween spirit had died, that the dead took their vengeance.
The bodies clambered door to door on weak and knocking bones. They trouped through the night, stopping at every house, gathering every pumpkin as their helmets, for their fleshless skulls. And it was the living they preyed on. Stronger and more alive they grew, more like their former selves with every morsel of life they devoured.
Soon enough, the dead had more life than the living and the victims of this Halloween night crawled into the holes they dug for their loved ones. They snuggled down into their new homes, covered themselves with earth and awaited the next Hallow's Eve for the revenge that would taste as sweet as candy to their tongueless mouths.

title: In light of Halloween, here's my short about the lack of trick-or-treaters in my neighborhood.

question: Why are there no trick-or-treaters?

answer: It's unclear; they could be the dead who rise, possibly murdered?

question: Who are the main characters?

answer: The dead who rise from their graves on Halloween.

question: When is the story set?

answer: Halloween, across several years.

question: Why do the dead rise?

answer: To take revenge by eating the living.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: The streets are quiet, absent of Halloween spirit, when the dead rise from their graves to take revenge by going door to door and devouring the living before returning to their graves for another year.


text:
_HARRY MUNTER_ is a 1969 Swedish drama film directed by Kjell Grede. It was entered into the 1970 Cannes Film Festival.[1] At the 7th Guldbagge Awards Carl-Gustaf Lindstedt won the award for Best Actor.[2]

Cast

-   Georg Adelly - Manne
-   Märta Allan-Johnson - Grandma
-   Gerda Calander - Kristina Birgitta Eleonor
-   Inga Dahlbeck - Girl #1
-   Britt Marie Engstroem - Girl #2
-   Gun Jönsson - Gudrun Munter
-   Carl-Gustaf Lindstedt - Valle Munter
-   Marie-Louise Mark
-   Jan Nielsen - Harry Munter
-   Elina Salo - Lonely Woman
-   Alan Simon - Mr. Burne
-   Palle Westerlund - Grim

[1]

[2]

title: Harry Munter

question: What is Harry Munter?

answer: It is a 1969 Swedish film.

question: Who directed Harry Munter?

answer: Harry Munter was directed by Kjell Grede.

question: Who won the award for Best Actor at the 7th Guldbagge Awards?

answer: Carl-Gustaf Lindstedt.

question: Who played Harry Munter in the film?

answer: The character of Harry Munter was played by Jan Nielsen.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article describes the 1969 Swedish film, Harry Munter.