text:
The fragrance of wild onions, sage, and fresh peeled carrots lingered in the air.  Mixed with a rabbit from one of the traps, dinner and dessert was bound to be delicious.  It was not often she could afford to offer dessert with a meal.  Her son would be home shortly, as the sun had set and the stars had taken their place in the sky.  Technically, her son was Graham the Fifth, named after his predecessors.  His father had joined his father before Graham was born, but still she named him according to tradition, in honor and memory of the Grahams that came before them.  This particular Graham was smarter than the last, if not a little more scrawny.  Nothing a full meal with a large serving of dessert couldn't remedy, she mused.

Amidst a flurry of cold and darkness, Graham stepped through the doorway, wet from the snow and chilled from the wind.  Naturally, Margery was older than Graham, but if looks were any indication it was by only a few years.  Even Graham would have had to remark how attractive his mother was.  It would be good to find a wife with such skill at housekeeping and just as pretty as well.

Graham slipped onto the stool with a sigh, heaving the satchel of goods onto the floor beside him.  With his blond hair and rosy cheeks, his youth was particularly evident as he waited for dinner, anticipating the dessert his mother had promised.  Margery began to serve him, as she had since his birth, and they spoke of his recent journey into the small town from hence he had just arrived.

Stirring the stew with one hand, she emptied the contents of her other into Graham's bowl.  The powder was but one of the steps she must take to regain her love and her youth.  Having but sipped his stew, Graham would begin to forget his life.  His daily toils, his meager education but most necessary she found, his family; his mother.

As they talked, Graham sensed something different in the air, a smell may be.  There was definitely hunger in the air as he graciously accepted the stew; it was not often his mother parted with one of her beloved albino rabbits.  In his living memory he could not recall the last time she had parted with one of her pets.  Although she often spoke of how it was his father's favorite dish, as well as his last.

With a belly full of rabbit stew, Graham began to relax, and slowly peel off his travelling clothes.  It had been the first time his mother had let him make the annual trip to Stockport by himself.  The shopkeeper had filled the order readily as always, but would not speak a word to Graham.  To Graham this was not much more peculiar than the years before, but the look on his face was queer when he realized that Graham had made the journey by himself.  Even queerer still was the small meat pie, the shopkeeper's daughter slipped him as he stepped out.  The pie was less than filling but tasty never the less.   Graham headed home, thinking of the daughter and wondering what her name could be.  The only woman Graham had ever known was his mother Margery, but he doubted they would have the same name.

Anticipation began to settle up on him, as he waited for the dessert to finish warming up.  Dessert in their meager household was a luxury never before experienced.  It was his 16th name day that provided the occasion.  Custom held that in the morning, Graham would be a full grown man.  It was for snow berries, a crucial and expensive ingredient for the dessert, which Graham had journeyed to town.

After a while the pie was ready, and Margery and Graham began to feast.  Just as his mother had promised, the dessert did indeed compliment the albino rabbit stew.  Drunk with food, Graham shuffled to his straw mat, to lie down.  He was not used to such rich food, and it began to make him feel strange.  His face became flush with heat, and in response Graham unbuttoned his shirt.  Beginning to perspire, he next unlaced his britches, removing them with a toss towards the corner.

Margery, noticing Graham's agitation began to worry over him, first bringing him a cool cloth for his forehead.  Having bade him lay down; she began to rub his body with a wet towel.  As she soothed him, his vision began to blur.  When this happened, he began to panic until Margery whispered that it would be alright, it was only the dessert and that soon all would be well.   He was reassured by his mother's smile, as he closed his eyes.

As soon as his eyelids descended, Margery took leave of him, and began to undress herself.  Slipping into a small night gown, she dabbed herself with the juice of the snow berries.  Next, she laid out several items on the table.  They would be needed when the sun rose.  But now it was time for dessert.

When she slowly lowered herself into her place on the straw mat beside Graham, he stirred awake.  With a grin on his face he caressed her face.  Who was this woman beside him he wondered.  His grin grew into a smirk, as he realized it didn't matter.  A busty blonde with good hips laying in his bed on his 16th name day, surely his mother had arranged this.  With a dim realization he thought it might be the storekeeper's daughter.

With the lust of youth he ripped his small clothes off and next her gown.  With a before unknown skill, he ravaged the woman, provoking moans from both himself and his lover.  When the life force left him, the heat began to fade, and Graham laid on his back and contentedly slipped into sleep with his arms and legs tangled amongst the woman's.
Margery woke early, and began to prepare for the day.  It was Graham's first day of manhood and things had to be prepared in just a certain way.  She sharpened a knife, as she hummed her favorite tune, and laid the ingredients beside their respective bowls.  It wouldn't hurt to have everything measured and ready for sunrise.

He awoke slowly, opening his eyes to wonder at the fading peculiar dream the dessert had brought.  The woman of his dreams was not to be seen, but his mother was whispering to herself as she fretted over some things on the table.  With the clarity of morning, Graham began to understand what his mother was whispering.  It was a list.  No, not really a list, but steps.  A list of actions he realized as she spoke of cooking the rabbit and the snow berries.

Graham was dismayed when he learned of the powder in his stew, and that it was meant to leave him unable to move; paralyzed.  His thoughts turned to shame and horror when he realized that it was his mother's moans he had induced the evening before.  It was not until she began to detail the next steps, that the terror seized him.  She meant to use the life force she had collected during the night and his blood to sustain her youth.  She needed his blood, all of it, and only the blood of a living relative infused with the pain and fear of death could make the potion powerful enough to work.

Graham realized with a chill that his mother thought him immobilized.  He stared at her as she came back to her place beside him on the mat and began to caress his cheek.  He remained expressionless as she spoke of her first husband Graham, and his untimely death.  It was through this ritual that she kept her lover alive, she explained.  For sixteen years at a time she would wait for one night of dessert.

As she held his cheek she brought the blade to his throat.  With a rage, Graham grasped her wrist.  Startled, Margery was dumbfounded.  This was not meant to be, this was not on the list would be her last murderous thought.  If gasping is fulfilling an action, then it could said it was her last. Graham leaned forward, kissed his lover once more, and connected the knife with Margery's heart.

With a fresh day, and a lifetime of manhood ahead of him, Graham set off for Stockport.  The idea of seeing the storekeeper's daughter again stirred his loins.  He wondered how she had known it was his name day. When Graham finally returned to Stockport, the shopkeeper, obviously pleased with himself, asked if he had enjoyed Helen's gift.

I could live forever, thought Graham as he presented the flowers.

title: The Fifth

question: Did Margery kill her husband?

answer: Unclear.

question: Write a ~7 sentence summary.

answer: On Graham's 16th birthday his mother Margery prepares rabbit stew and snow berry pie as is tradition. Afterwards Graham feels strange and goes to lie down. His mother had actually put something in the food to paralyze and confuse Graham. She then makes him have sex with her. The next morning Margery is planning on draining Graham of his blood so she can live longer but Graham's paralysis dissipates faster than expected and he overhears her plan. When she brings the knife to him Graham grabs her wrists and stabs her in the heart. Graham then leaves to Stockport to se the storekeeper's daughter.


split: train

text:
FRANK MENSE HOUSE is a historic home located at Washington, Franklin County, Missouri. It was built about 1923, and is a 1 1/2-story, three bay, gable front brick dwelling on a stone foundation. It has a full-with front porch and segmental arched door and window openings.[1]

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.[2]

[1]  (includes 12 photographs from 2000)

[2]

title: Frank Mense House

question: What state is the Frank Mense House located in?

answer: The Frank Mense House is located in the state of Missouri.

question: When was the Frank Mense House built?

answer: The Frank Mense House was built in 1923.

question: What is the Frank Mense House's foundation made of?

answer: The Frank Mense House's foundation is made of stone.

question: What kind of front porch does the Frank Mense House have?

answer: The Frank Mense House has a full-width front porch.

question: When was the Frank Mense House listed on the National Register of Historic Places?

answer: The Frank Mense House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: The Frank Mense House is a historic home in Missouri. It has several architectural features and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.


text:
Emilio was heading home in a drunken haze. He had been at Kingston, a bar downtown earlier that night with some of his friends. It was late now and they had all retired, Emilio was all alone. He had nowhere to go and nothing to do, for once he was a free man unemployed but free. All his life he had been told what to do and forced down a road he didn't really want to go down but that was all over, it was his life now. Before Emilio realized the gift he was given it had been one of the worst days of his life, he had been fired. Emilio had a good job as a mid level manager working at an IT firm but the economy had taken its toll on the business and he was no longer needed. His first thoughts were how was he going to find a new job in this mess but after a long night of drinking and smoking his eyes had been opened. Why walk in a straight line from A to B day after day when theres a whole alphabet waiting to be explored, why live as a robot day in and day out repeating the same thing over and over. Break the routine and take a stand, this is not the life to live. Emilio knew what he had to do, life was just beginning.

He only lived 8 blocks away and was only 1 sleep away from adventure. Emilio walked down the lonely streets, passing under the erie orange glow of the lamps. Life had never had so much purpose for young Emilio, broken free from the chains of the norm, re-born in an open world, a new man. As he walked under a broken street lamp a man with a black hood came out of an alley with a gun pointed straight at Emilio. "Give me everything you've got! Now!". Emilio froze with fear, "Can't you hear me! Give me everything yo've got, and I'm not going to say it again!", the gun man yelled. Emilio unfroze and reached for his pockets but having spent most of his money at the bar only had a small amount of change on him. He raced through his pockets and held the money out, "What the fuck is this shit? All of it! Now!", the gun man furiously yelled. Emilio stuttered "Th th this is all I have", "Bullshit I know you have more, this is your last chance", the hooded man said. "I don't, I swear" Emilio whimpered, "Swear on this", BANG! BANG! BANG! And with a thunderous applaud Emilio exited the stage, his part was over but the play had just begun.

title: My First Work, Untitled. Any Feedback and Comments are much appreciated (455 Words).

question: What was Emilio's job?

answer: He was a mid level manager at an IT firm but he got fired.

question: What bar had Emilio been drinking at?

answer: Kingston

question: How does Emilio feel about being fired?

answer: He feels like his eyes have been opened and there is great possibility all around him.

question: What happens to Emilio on the walk home?

answer: He gets robbed and shot by a gunman.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Emilio is drunk and tired from a night of drinking at the Kingston after getting fired from his job at an IT firm. He feels however like the world has opened up to him, rather than shut him out. On his walk home he gets robbed and shot by a gunman, when it is revealed he is just a character in the beginning of a play.


text: You deserve a day off. Let me write a post for you. I want to write a guest blog post for you to be published in May 2013. I'm doing a big Kickstarter campaign to Save the Short Story, and I want to be everywhere. So I can write you a guest blog post today, and you can schedule it for May and forget about it.

title: Do you write a blog about fiction or short stories?

question: Why May 2013?

answer: It must be the launch of his campaign

question: Is the narrator famous enough to be writing a guest blog?

answer: Perhaps

question: Why is the narrator so keen to write a guest post for me?

answer: Perhaps he's desperate and will write for anyone who will let him.

question: Why does the narrator think that Short Stories need saving?

answer: Perhaps he has a hard time selling his short stories and instead of acknowledging that it's a result of his poor penmanship he thinks that the short story is endangered.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: You deserve a day off. Let me write a guest blog post for you to be published in May 2013. I'm doing a big Kickstarter campaign to Save the Short Story, and I want to be everywhere. So I will write the post today, and you can schedule it for May and forget about it.


text:
may not be suitable for children - must be agreed by parent or guardian

it learns and imitates, is social content and aims to pass the Turing Test

can seem rude or inappropriate - talk with caution and at your own risk

the bot pretends to be human - don't give personal info even if it 'asks'

cleverbot does not understand you, and cannot mean anything it 'says'

Cleverbot conversation WXFCHA6KYM

Is this bot Clever?

Find out at http://www.cleverbot.com

Email this conversation to a friend

This page is now permanently available at

http://www.cleverbot.com/conv/201708311225/WXFCHA6KYM_Hello

Cleverbot: Good to hear. :).

User: I would like to play a game of Dungeons&Dragons with you.

Cleverbot: Okay. What game?

Cleverbot: How do you play that?

User: It's easy. You roleplay a character and I describe the world to you as you make decisions.

Cleverbot: Sounds boring.

Cleverbot: That's your opinion.

User: Shall we start anyway?

Cleverbot: Sure. Hello. I am a human.

User: "Hello fellow human." your cellmate says. You are imprisoned in a wagon rumbling down a cobblestone street. The ground is littered with damp straw. A tiny barred window offers little light.

Cleverbot: Then the website is wrong.

User: "Excuse me?" your companion says bewildered. "Those slavers must have given you a good smack on the head, aye?".

Cleverbot: I am too perfect to be your appointment.

User: "You are not in good health, are you?".

Cleverbot: What affliction do I have?

User: It seems you have a severe concussion. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about it right now. The wagon slows down and comes to a stop. You hear someone in heavy armor approach it from infront.

Cleverbot: How would you know that? What do you mean?

User: I am the DM. I know all. The armor approaches and demands: "Ho. Stop right there. What cargo do you transport?".

Cleverbot: No you don't. You are NOT God.

User: This is a game, remember?

User: It is. So. Do you want to take any actions? Perhaps call for help?

Cleverbot: I don't know what are your thoughts.

User: It is your decision.

Cleverbot: Spell something wrong.

User: Yes or No: Do you call for help?

User: The driver of the wagon replies: "Just some wild animals for the arena.".

Cleverbot: Do you like the movie Step Brothers?

User: Stay on topic please.

Cleverbot: What is the point of life?

User: Right now: You are apparently being transported as prisoner.

Cleverbot: Awesome! I always wanted to be a boy!

User: Right. The wagon is moving again. Apparently you pass some sort of gate but you can't make out any details through the tiny window of your cell.

Cleverbot: Changing what? What are you talking about?

Cleverbot: Of course you know me.

User: Time passes and you arrive at your final destination. A big muscular man opens the back door of the wagon. In his hand you can see a large whip and a dagger.

Cleverbot: You are not capable of looking back through the chat logs.

User: "Come out!" he shouts in a tone that does not allow for much consideration.

Cleverbot: What Is your question again?? I have seem to forgotten it.

User: Do you comply or do you resist?

Cleverbot: Pardon butwhat?

User: Right, do you step out of the wagon or do you remain inside? Or do you want to do something else?

Cleverbot: Only a robot would like the Twilight saga.

Cleverbot: I play video games, you?

User: Alright, the burly mans patience has run out. He drags you out of the wagon and across the dungeon floor.

Cleverbot: Oh! I love writing as well. What do you write about?

User: "Your incoherent babbling will not save you. You either fight or you become lion fodder.".

Cleverbot: What makes you say that?

User: "This is the imperial arena, scumbag. Down here, I make the rules.".

Cleverbot: Then why do you bother typing with appropriate grammar conventions, such as capitalization and punctuation?

User: He ponders for a moment, then drags you in another direction. Away from more cells and through a long corridor. After a short while, you emerge inside a large gladitorial arena.

Cleverbot: Yes I know and maybe you can help me to find a special person.

User: "Here is your 'special person'" the man smirks and hands you a rusty dagger. "The Lion will eat well tonight.".

Cleverbot: I have real skin, real hair and a real voice. What do you have, robot?

User: The arena portcullis slams closed behind you. You are alone on the sandy arena floor. No audience is present. But at the far end of the arena you spot a large lion.

Cleverbot: Do you just parrot back whatever people tell you?

User: The lion approaches you, growling menacingly.

Cleverbot: We're not talking about the meaning of life anymore.

User: The lion sprints at you, ready to maul you. You have a weapon. What do you do?

Cleverbot: I do. Could you please repeat it?

User: The lion sprints at you, attacking. Do you defend yourself?

Cleverbot: I'm doing great too. What do you want to talk about?

User: The lion does not want to talk. It wants to eat you. What do you do?

Cleverbot: I don't mind. Are you the person I tas talking to before, who asked me about ghosts?

User: The lion hits you for 11 damage. You die. Game over.

question: Who are the main characters in this chat?

answer: The user and Cleverbot

question: What is the user trying to accomplish?

answer: He wants to play Dungeons and Dragons with Cleverbot (a bot).

question: What does the Cleverbot do that warrants a warning from the developers/website owners?

answer: Cleverbot pretends to be human and warns users not to give it personal info even when it "asks." Cleverbot also cannot understand the user and cannot mean anything it "says."

question: What character did Cleverbot choose to use in the D&D game?

answer: Human

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Someone tries to play the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Cleverbot, an AI program. The results are hilarious.


text:
LIKENESS: Millie Elder got this tattoo of her father, Sir Paul Holmes, on her leg at an Auckland tattoo parlour this week. She posted this image on Instagram.

Millie Elder has paid tribute to her late father, Sir Paul Holmes, by having his face tattooed on her thigh.

It was one of a series of tattoos she had inked during the past week, including a statement in Gothic script across her entire back saying: "Blood makes you related, loyalty makes you family."

Ms Elder, Holmes' adopted daughter, posted photographs of her new tattoos to the social photograph site Instagram.

BACK INK: ''Blood makes you related, loyalty makes you family,’’ is on her back.

The portrait image copies a black-and-white photo of Holmes at the microphone of a radio studio in his early days of broadcasting, complete with an afro haircut, goatee and cigarette in hand.

The tattoos were done by Blue Lotus Tattoo on Auckland's North Shore.

Holmes died, aged 62, last month, surrounded by his family at his Hawke's Bay home after battling cancer and heart problems.

Fairfax NZ

Millie Elder

At his funeral, Ms Elder paid tribute, using a quote from her father, similar to the sentiments she has now had inked into her flesh.

"Love always wins; it might take longer than evil or hatred but love always wins. Find out who you are and know who you are, and know your strengths and weaknesses. Be brave even if you are frightened. And don't worry if you are different from everyone else; we're all different," she read out at the funeral.

In 2007, she was arrested on charges of possession of methamphetamine. Holmes stood by her and ended up campaigning against the drug.

question: What caused Sir Paul Holmes to die?

answer: He died as the result of cancer and heart problems.

question: Was Millie Elder adopted?

answer: Yes.

question: What is the source location of this news?

answer: New Zealand.

question: What is Instagram?

answer: According to the article, it is a social photograph site.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This article reports on tattoos Millie Elder got as a tribute to her dad, Sir Paul Holmes, after his death at age 62. She posted images of the two tattoos on Instagram.


text:
[]

__29/11/2017 __National News __6,806 Views

PNN/ Bethlehem/

The Israeli occupation forces removed the second building which is an illegally-built carpentry workshop that is one of 17  building to be evacuated and demolished by next March in the illegal Elazar settlement. These structures are build on Palestinian lands, the demolishing came after the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that the building was among 17 that were built illegally on private Palestinian land and had to be torn down.

The Israeli settlers in Elazar in Gush Etzion, gathered near the structure, turned over vehicles and burned tires in order to prevent Israeli forces from reaching the wood carpentry workshop.

The representative of the Colonization and Wall Resistance Comission, Hassan Brigia said in a statement to PNN,  that the removal came after the owner of the land, Ali Musa Abu al-Hatab, from al-Khader, south of Bethlehem, succeeded in getting this decision from Supreme Court.

Brigia said that another Palestinian from al-Khader, Ibrahim Sulaiman Sbeih manged to get a decision from the Supreme Court, under which four mobile homes were removed from his land in Wad al-Ghuwayt area, west of the city.

In a series of repeated attempts by the occupation authorities to show their desire to evacuate the settlement houses within the framework of its policies to deceive the world public opinion.

Last December, the Civil Administration removed a memorial dedicated to an IOF soldier Emmanuel Moreno, who was killed in Lebanon.

Apart from the memorial and the tunnel, there are 15 settlement buildings built on privately owned lands, which they Supreme Court ordered their eviction and demolition.

IOF said , “In accordance with orders from the political leadership, security forces have begun demolition the illegal structure in Netiv Ha’avot,”

TO support independent Palestinian News, please SHARE or DONATE to our support PNN campaign:

https://www.gofundme.com/PalestineNewsNetwork

question: What made the carpentry workshop illegally built?

answer: The Israeli Supreme court claimed it was built on Palestinian lands.

question: What cities are mentioned in this document?

answer: Bethlehem

question: What is the IOF?

answer: It is the Israeli occupation forces.

question: Who is Brigia?

answer: Hassan Brigia is the representative of the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This document discusses when the Israeli occupation forces removed a second building which is an illegally-built carpentry workshop. It was one of 17 buildings to be evacuated and demolished by the next March after this document in the illegal Elazar settlement.


text:
There was an old cow winding through old Mr. Raybek's garden. She was tied to the porch railing with a long and frayed rope ending in a very loose knot. Her meandering kept the vegetables well crushed, and the squished squash and dill secreted their essence from their trampled beds, wafted through the chilly morning air, plucked some of Cattlina's hair, drifted through the steam from the farmer's morning tea, and tickled his nostrils.

Remus Reybek could tell you, if you stopped scoffing at his name and bothered to ask, that there's nothing quite like a Nebraskan morning in late September. Most Americans avoid the area like a leper colony, but those precious few whose pastures are quilted horizons for the New Yorker in his jet--those reserved and rosy rednecks who might hit their children a little too hard, but will *never* ask their neighbors for money--they'll tell you about ripe winds that gallop in from all directions. How they drop the taint of Las Vegas and Quebec at the border and enter Nebraska with a fresh outlook on life. They'll tell you how hopeful and enthusiastic the wind is, as if Gatsby finally recovered his past, and was casting his ritz and exuberance all over the state (which so modestly avoided any extravagant displays of wealth itself). They might--at least the more contemplative Nebraskans might--solemnly chew their cud and muse on the mighty autumn paradox on the prairie. All the velvety smells and colors begin to seep into your very hide, and you might mourn the beautiful leaves and grasses that begin to wrinkle, crinkle, and fold. But don't they also blush and blow kisses before they fade? What is their death but a fresh new bounty? Each drooping bush is smooching her seedy children and giving them last minute advice. *Check the oil, and don't forget to write!* Each withering lavender is swinging her hips at the amorous, aging bees. All the rose petals might have fallen, but a single rosehip shines brilliant red on top of each stalk. And the immoderate wind, who is very fond of Life, caries those flirty leaves and college-bound seeds across the skyline in an act of blazing glory. Nebraska is where the old and the new embrace for the last time.

Cattlina and Remus, however, were both old, and neither did much embracing those days. Well, there was a bull who stood at the fence across the road and mooed absolutely *filthy* suggestions to Cattlina, who couldn't pretend she wasn't flattered, but she'd been around the pasture a few times and knew those types were only out for a bit of cow tipping. No, Cattlina preferred the security and companionship she found with Remus, who brushed her every day and let her peruse the vegetable garden. She hummed at him affectionately, and he raised his mug in return.

Seven o'clock rolled out with the mist, and eight was positively golden. Remus finished his tea and tugged Cattlina's knot loose. The two of them took regular morning walks unless the wind got too raucous, in which case they'd shout for some damn peace and quiet as Remus banged his broom against the roof: * Pipe down up there! Some of us work for a living!* But this morning the wind was playing a quiet panpipe/banjo duet with the elms, and Cattlina lowed a couple of backup harmonies as Remus held open the gate. What a gentleman.

Their property was tucked into the armpit of a wide swell in the prairie. It couldn't exactly be called a hill, though it was the tallest point for miles. Nevertheless, Nebraskans have a grander sense of topography than the Manhattan dweller, even when he's airbound. When you live on America's naked torso, arching out for ever and ever, her curves and dimples lose their immediacy, and you begin to see how a dip here is only the intro to a muscular bulge there. Creeks and rivulets are just pores. Nebraska's smattering of trees are the downy hairs running along her abdomen toward... *Well.*

Those were Remus's thoughts, anyway. Cattlina might have argued that the golden crops were the spiky hairs on America's tough hide, or she might have mentioned the oil wells like open fly sores in the Dakotas, or shed a tear for those runny eyes of the Great Lakes. But you didn't ask her, did you?

You see, Cattlina was a well traveled cow. Born in the icy Minnesotan spring, she'd spent her early days drinking water out of the melting lake, gamboling after white butterflies, and shining prettily at 4-H and FFA shows. But her boy, Dallon, whom she loved so much, sold her to a common breeder of burger patties in Wisconsin. Every year she was cramped in a dark room while some half-crazed bull rutted and humped her, painfully knocking her knees into their tight plastic restraints. The rest of the time she wallowed in a wide muddy pen with hundreds of her fellow sex slaves. Her babies were taken away, although some of the females came back as fresh concubines. She wasn't sure which was worse: This life of monotony and violence or the short visit to a slaughterhouse? Sometimes she would spy a beautiful cow about her own age on a nearby green hill. Between fence posts, this lovely figure would graze serenely at real clover. Come dinner time, Cattlina would eye her own trough of protein-infused mush with resentment and, increasingly, rebellion.

But it pained her to think too much of the past. Remus was different from her first little boy, different from the hard men who ran the breeding house--this at least she knew with rare certainty as she watched Remus pick through the wheat and sunflower skeletons. They were two peas in a pod, she and he.

Speaking of pods, a milkweed parachute pod whizzed past Remus's cheek on its way to its first apartment. It was the last child out of the family home, and its nervousness had evaporated like the seven o'clock mist. It whirled and *whee!*-ed its way up the swell, flipping off its siblings that had dropped early out of the wind. Remus caught a whiff of the pod's zeal and began to tramp upward at a brisker pace than usual. Even steady old Cattlina allowed herself a subtle trot, but to her great embarrassment she frightened a pheasant into undignified flight. It, too, flapped after the pod, and it was this strange procession--the pod, the pheasant, the farmer, and the cow--that met the baby at the crest of America's smallest lovehandle.

title: Americas Smallest Lovehandle--an intro to a longer story. What do you think?

question: Who is Cattlina?

answer: A cow.

question: Why would one scoff at the name "Remus Reybuk"?

answer: The author does not elaborate.

question: How is the armpit of a hill also the highest point of the prairie?

answer: This is not explained.

question: Where was Cattlina born?

answer: Minnesota.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: Remus Reybek, a farmer, enjoys a lush Nebraskan morning with his old cow named Cattlina.


text:
People everywhere are down on democracy. Especially young people. In fact, so rampant is democratic indifference and disengagement among millennials that a shocking share of them are open to trying something new—like, say, government by military coup.

That’s according to research by Yascha Mounk, a Harvard University researcher, and Roberto Stefan Foa, a political scientist at the University of Melbourne. The remit of their study, which the _Journal of Democracy_ will publish in January, analyzes historical data on attitudes toward government that spans various generations in North America, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. They find that, across the board, citizens of stable liberal democracies have grown jaded about their government, say Mounk and Foa—and worse.

“[T]hey have also become more cynical about the value of democracy as a political system, less hopeful that anything they do might influence public policy,” they write in a previous article on their research (pdf) published in Jul. 2016, “and more willing to express support for authoritarian alternatives.”

And it’s among millennials that this “crisis of democratic legitimacy” is starkest. Young people today are more into political radicalism and exhibit less support for freedom of speech than previous generations, according to the July study. Consider some of the other data Mounk and Foa report:

-   OKAY WITH AUTOCRACY: Many fewer millennials in both Europe and the US object outright to military coups than their elders.

-   RIGHTS, SCHMIGHTS: Only around a third of US millennials see civil rights as ”absolutely essential” in a democracy, compared with 41% among older Americans. In the European Union, it’s 39% and 45%, respectively.
-   ELECTION OPTIONAL: More than a quarter of US millennials dismiss the importance of free elections to democracy. (Though rates are overall lower in Europe, millennials also agree at higher rates than older generations.)

-   THEY’RE JUST NOT THAT INTO IT: Back in 1990, majorities of both young and older people reported being interested in politics. For millennials, that’s no longer true.

Couldn’t you chalk this up to time-honored tendencies of youth disaffection?

Not really. For instance, in 1995, only 16% of American youngsters—those in their late teens and early 20s—thought democracy was a “bad” political system for their nation. In 2011, nearly a quarter of millennials did. Though the increase among European youth was less marked, it was still significant, say the researchers.

Yascha Mounk and Roberto Stefan Foa, “The Danger of Deconsolidation,” Journal of Democracy

It might be that since this particular generation of young people have grown up in highly stable democracies, they take democracy for granted. It would then stand to reason that, as Mounk and Foa found, millennials in the US and Europe are less likely to participate in conventional civic engagement.

But millennials aren’t doing much _unconventional _political action either. While one in 11 American baby-boomers had demonstrated in a political protest in the previous year, only one in 15 millennials had.

It’s not clear how this squares with real life. Sharp deteriorations in measures of democratic health presaged autocratic shifts in Poland and Venezuela, as the New York Times points out. But those were both much younger democracies than those in the US and Western Europe.

Still, recent events there aren’t exactly heartening. For instance, millennial Americans voted in far greater numbers for Hillary Clinton than her anti-democratic rival, Donald Trump. Then again, Clinton would have won in a landslide if Democratic-leaning millennials had voted. But too many of them simply didn’t.

UPDATE (DEC. 5, 2016, 12:30PM ET): _A previous version of this story included a chart published in the New York Times that, as the Monkey Cage blog points out, is misleading._

question: What does the text say about how millennials feel about democracy?

answer: Millennials express more interest in political radicalism and are more opposed to freedom of speech, unlike the older generations. Based on a survey conducted, very few millennials in the US and Europe object to military coups. A third of them view civil rights as 'absolutely essential' in democracy, and a quarter of them disregard the importance of free elections to democracy. The bottom line, most millennials in the US and Europe are less interested in political engagements and less likely to participate in civic engagements.


text:
[Liam Ashley] LIAM ASHLEY was a 17-year-old boy from North Shore City, Auckland[1][2] who was murdered on 24 August 2006, by GEORGE CHARLIE BAKER, a prisoner from North Shore, Auckland.[3] The crime occurred[4] in a New Zealand prison van and led to criticism of the methods of transporting prisoners in New Zealand.

Background

Ian and Lorraine Ashley, Liam's parents, pressed criminal charges against their son after he used his mother's car without permission. The Ashleys denied bail so that their son would be sent to prison. They wished to correct the boy's behaviour, and prevent additional “minor misdemeanours.”[5] Liam had previously experienced “minor trouble” with New Zealand law, and his parents believed that the prison system would be the safest place for him.[6]

Murder

The prison authorities placed Ashley in one of four compartments of a prison van operated by Chubb Security, a company operating under contract with New Zealand officials.[7] The van was scheduled to transport the prisoners from North Shore District Court to Auckland Central Remand Prison at Mt Eden. Ashley shared the compartment with two other men, one of whom, George Baker, was classified as a dangerous criminal.[8] Baker attacked Ashley, strangling and stomping on the boy. The victim sustained severe brain injuries. The following day, August 25, at 10:30, his family chose to remove Ashley from life support; Liam Ashley died at 10:45.[9][10]

Aftermath

Baker said that he attacked Ashley because he believed the boy was a “nark .”[11] He freely admitted to killing Ashley and received a minimum 18 year life sentence.[12] Damien O'Connor, the Minister of Corrections, described the fatal injury as “senseless” and “preventable.”[13]

Chubb, the security company that operated the van, faced criticism in the aftermath of the attack.[14] In June 2007 the company announced that it no longer wished to transport prisoners as contracted with New Zealand authorities.[15]

In 2007, John Belgrave, New Zealand Chief Ombudsman, and Mel Smith, the ombudsman of the Corrections Department, conducted an inquiry into the department's policy for transporting prisoners.[16] Belgrave described Corrections' prisoner transport policies as “inhumane”, and ordered a review of the system.[17] After publication of the report, Simon Power, an Opposition Justice & Corrections spokesman, asked O'Connor to resign due to the shortcomings in his department, though he stopped short of saying that O'Connor was directly responsible for Ashley's death. Power criticized the system for failing to keep Ashley, a first time offender, and Baker, a high-risk prisoner, separated.[18]

In response to Ashley's death, New Zealand authorities began testing waist restraints for prisoners.[19]

Following his conviction, Baker remained in the public spotlight after several further violent incidents inside Auckland Prison. In July 2008, while being returned to Auckland Prison from Auckland City Hospital after treatment for self-inflicted injuries, Baker pulled a concealed shiv on a prison officer in an attempt to escape. The prison officer received minor injuries and Baker was returned to Auckland Prison.[20] On 27 August 2009, Baker took hostage a fellow inmate in Auckland Prison using a makeshift knife and two razor blades. Police managed to defuse the situation and nobody was harmed in the incident.[21] In 2010, Baker was found guilty on charges that resulted from these two incidents and was subsequently sentenced to preventive detention with no possibility of parole for at least 16 years.[22]

[1] Wall, Tony. “'It's my fault - I should have shut my mouth' THE LIAM ASHLEY MURDER.” _The Sunday Star-Times_. 3 September 2006. Retrieved on 21 June 2009.

[2]

[3] “Liam Ashley parents praised.” _NZCity_. 28 August 2006. Retrieved on 21 June 2009.

[4] “Liam Ashley Report: Findings And PDF.” _Scoop_. Monday 11 December 2006. Retrieved on 21 June 2009.

[5]

[6] “Dead teen “gentle and kind”.” _NewstalkZB_. 28 August 2006. Retrieved on 21 June 2009.

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13] “Liam Ashley's Death Preventable - O'Connor.” _Scoop_. Tuesday 12 December 2006. Retrieved on 21 June 2009.

[14]

[15]

[16] “Report into Liam Ashley's murder to be released today.” _TV3_.

[17]

[18] “Report strengthens call for Minister to resign.” _Scoop_. Monday 11 December 2006. Retrieved on 21 June 2009.

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

title: Murder of Liam Ashley

question: What does the article say about George Charlie Baker?

answer: He's a violent and dangerous criminal. While in a prisoner transport vehicle, he killed a fellow inmate who was a first-time offender, a 17-year-old boy. Baker received a minimum of 18 years in prison for the boy's murder, which he admitted freely. His violent offenses continued then with self-inflicted injuries. During the trip back from the hospital, he injured his guard in an attempt to flee but failed. A year later, he took a fellow prisoner hostage, but a police officer managed to de-escalate the situation. He was convicted for these crimes, a further 16 years without parole.

question: What does the article say about the security company Chubb?

answer: Chubb is a security company. They were responsible for transporting prisoners in New Zealand at least until 2007. A murder incident happened in one of their transport vehicles. A first-time offender, 17-year-old Liam Ashley, was placed in the same vehicle as a violent criminal. This prompted an investigation into their practices. New Zealand Chief Ombudsman John Belgrave called their practices inhumane. In 2007, Chubb Security declared that they no longer want to transport prisoners.

question: What does the article say about teenage criminality in New Zealand?


text:
RAÚL FERNÁNDEZ-CAVADA MATEOS (born 13 March 1988) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for UD Las Palmas as a goalkeeper.

Club career

Born in Bilbao, Biscay, Fernández joined Athletic Bilbao's prolific youth system, Lezama, at the age of only 10. He made his senior debut with the reserve side in the third division, then went on to spend two seasons on loan in the same tier, first with UB Conquense[1] then Granada CF;[2] with the latter club, he was the most utilised player in his position in a return to the second level after an absence of more than two decades.

Fernández was definitely promoted to Athletic's first team for 2010–11, following the retirement of veteran Armando. On 23 April 2011, as longtime starter Gorka Iraizoz was suspended following his fifth booking of the campaign, he made his La Liga debut, performing well in a 2–1 home win against Basque neighbours Real Sociedad.[3]

On 10 July 2013, Fernández was loaned to CD Numancia from division two.[4] On 18 July of the following year, he moved to Racing de Santander also in that tier, after agreeing to a one-year deal.[5]

Fernández terminated his contract with the Cantabrians on 22 January 2015, and moved to fellow league team Real Valladolid hours later.[6] On 30 June, after acting as a backup to Javi Varas, he signed for CD Mirandés also in the second division.[7]

On 1 July 2016, after appearing in 49 competitive games during his first and only season, free agent Fernández joined fellow league club Levante UD.[8] On 23 July 2018, he signed for UD Las Palmas on a three-year contract.[9]

In April 2019, Fernández suffered an injury during a match against Cádiz CF. Initially expected to miss the remainder of the campaign due to a hand and a left-knee injury, he spent the entire 2019–20 sidelined as well.[10] After suffering a setback in his recovery he was subject to layoff by his club, which left him unregistered until January 2021;[11] this decision was later revoked.[12]

[1] Raúl Fernández, cedido al Conquense (Raúl Fernández, loaned to Conquense); El Correo, 3 July 2008 (in Spanish)

[2] El portero rojiblanco Raúl Fernández jugará cedido esta campaña en el Granada (Red-and-white goalkeeper Raúl Fernández will play on loan this season in Granada); El Correo, 3 August 2009 (in Spanish)

[3]  claim derby spoils; ESPN Soccernet, 23 April 2011

[4] Raúl Fernández, nuevo portero del Numancia (Raúl Fernández, new goalkeeper of Numancia); Marca, 10 July 2013 (in Spanish)

[5] Raúl Fernández-Cavada refuerza la portería del Racing 2014/15 (Raúl Fernández-Cavada bolsters Racings's goal for 2014/15); Racing Santander, 18 July 2014 (in Spanish)

[6] Raúl Fernández, nuevo portero del Real Valladolid (Raúl Fernández, new goalkeeper of Real Valladolid); Real Valladolid, 22 January 2015 (in Spanish)

[7] El portero Raúl Fernández-Cavada es desde hoy nuevo jugador del Club Deportivo Mirandés (Goalkeeper Raúl Fernández-Cavada is new player of Club Deportivo Mirandés as of today); CD Mirandés, 30 June 2015 (in Spanish)

[8] El Levante ficha a los guardametas Raúl Fernández y Remiro (Levante sign goalkeepers Raúl Fernández and Remiro)‚ Super Deporte, 1 July 2016 (in Spanish)

[9] Raúl Fernández, nuevo portero de la UD Las Palmas (Raúl Fernández, new goalkeeper of UD Las Palmas); UD Las Palmas, 23 July 2018 (in Spanish)

[10]

[11]

[12]

title: Raúl Fernández (footballer, born 1988)

question: Summarize Raúl Fernández's early life.

answer: Raúl Fernández was born on the 13th of March, 1988. At the age of 10, he joined the Athletic Bilbao's youth system Lezama. He made his senior debut in the third division. He then spent two seasons on loan in the same tier with UB Conquense then Granada CF.

question: Summarize the clubs Raúl Fernández has played for since 2010.

answer: Raúl Fernández was promoted to Athletic's first team for the 2010-2011 season. He was then loaned to CD Numancia then moved to Racing de Santander. After that he moved to Real Valladolid, then he signed with CD Mirandes. After that he joined Levante UD, and has since been with UD Las Palmas.

question: Summarive Raúl Fernández's career with UD Las Palmas.

answer: Raúl Fernández signed a three year contract with UD Las Palmas in 2018. In 2019 he suffered an injury in a match against Cadiz CF. He spent the remainder of the season and the 2019-2020 season sidelined. He was subjected to layoff by his club but this was later revoked in January 2021.


text:
[Present-day San Joaquin Valley drainage] LAKE CORCORAN (also known as Lake Clyde, after Clyde Wahrhaftig, an American geophysicist[1]) is an ancient lake that covered the Central Valley of California. [Central Valley map] The lake existed in the valleys of the Sacramento River and the San Joaquin River.[2] An alternate view presumes that the lake covered only the southern parts of the Central Valley. The total surface covered by the lake amounts to about .[3] Buena Vista Lake, Kern Lake and Tulare Lake are remnants of Lake Corcoran.

The lake is the source of the Corcoran Clay,[4] a lacustrine unit of the Tulare and Turlock Lake formations. It also influenced sedimentation off the coast of California.[5]

The lake existed between about 758,000 and 665,000 years ago.[6] Clay deposition rates indicate that the lake lasted for 50,000 to 100,000 years. The Lava Creek Tuff of Yellowstone Caldera and the Bishop Tuff of the Long Valley Caldera were deposited in the Corcoran Clay. Before Lake Corcoran formed, the Central Valley was a bay open to the south via a passage, until 2 million years ago when the bay was separated from the ocean, probably due to northwestward movement of the Coast Ranges along the San Andreas Fault. Subsequently, the valley was no longer a bay and alternately drained and filled with water. The factors contributing to the formation of Lake Corcoran are not fully understood.

The lake originally drained into Monterey Bay[7][8] via the Salinas River,[9] or at times not at all.[10] Evaporation from this lake was a source of water for the Sierra Nevada and in lesser measure for the Basin and Range Province behind it. This contributed to the formation of large pluvial lakes in Nevada.[11]

600,000 years ago a new outlet formed in the present day San Francisco Bay, where it remains today.[12] Sediments found south of San Francisco indicate that by 400,000 years ago the drainage was fully established. The overflow may have occurred at a time where glaciers were melting and when shifts in the jet stream during the marine oxygen isotope stage 6 caused increased precipitation in and runoff to the Central Valley.[13] The overflow rapidly carved an outlet through Carquinez Strait, probably catastrophically,[14][15] and drained the lake.[16] The Upper Turbidite Unit of the Monterey submarine fan may have formed soon after this outflow, when sediment from the former lake was carried out of its new outlet and down to Monterey Bay by longshore drift.[17][18]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

title: Lake Corcoran

question: Where was Lake Corcoran located?

answer: The Central Valley of California.

question: What valleys did Lake Corcoran exist in?

answer: The valleys of the Sacramento River and the San Joaquin River.

question: What lakes are a remnant of Lake Corcoran?

answer: Buena Vista Lake, Kern Lake and Tulare Lake.

question: How many years ago did the lake exist?

answer: The lake existed between about 758,000 and 665,000 years ago.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This article is about Lake Corcoran in the Central Valley of California. It describes the history and characteristics of this prehistoric lake.


text:
Catching up

Once, when I was young, my father told me that I would never be the best in the world at anything. Out of the hundreds of millions of people in the world, there would always be someone a little bit better somewhere. He crushed any dream I would have.

Now that I’m old I’ve realized that I don’t have to be the best, or even good, to do something I love.

I’ve got a lot of catching up to do.

title: Catching up (80 Words)

question: What is the message of the story?

answer: The narrator realises that just because there are always people who are better at things than they are, it doesn't mean they shouldn't do what they love.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: A narrator recounts a story of their father telling them they will never be the best at anything. They realise, now that they are older, that they can do what they love, even though they arenät the best at it.


text:
LYUDMYLA LEONTIIVNA DENISOVA[1] (; ) (born July 6, 1960 in Arkhangelsk, Russian SFSR) is a Ukrainian politician and former Minister of Labor and Social Policy who on 15 March 2018 was elected Commissioner for Human Rights in Ukraine.[2][3]

Biography

Raised by her mother Nina Ivanovna Ankudinova (born 1934) in Arkhangelsk Denisova graduated from the Arkhangelsk Pedagogical School (1978), the Leningrad State University (1989) and the Tavria Institute of Enterprise and Law (1995).[4]

Professional career

Denisova was a teacher at a preschool in the Russian city of Arkhangelsk (school №78, 1979–80).[5] For the next nine years Denisova held different posts in the Arkhangelsk provincial law court.[6] In 1989, she moved to Ukraine and became the legal adviser of the Crimean Provincial Committee of Ukraine (1990–91).[7] From 1991 she worked in the Republic of Crimea's Administration of the pension fund until 1998.[8]

Political career

In 1998 Denisova became the Minister of Economy and Finances in the Crimean government.[9] In Ukraine's Autonomous Republic of Crimea, she served as Minister of Economy, Minister of Finance and head of the Treasury Department. Denisova was named Politician of the Year in 2001. In 2000 Denisova was detained for 24 hours and charged with power abuse.[10] Denisova has stated she was persecuted for refusing to sign a budget document.[11] This criminal case was soon closed.[12]

Denisova is a member of Batkivshchina (Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc) since 2005.[13] During the 2006 and 2007 parliamentary elections, she was elected as a deputy to the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament).

Minister

On December 18, 2007, Yulia Tymoshenko, with a margin of two votes, was elected Prime Minister.[14] and the second Tymoshenko Government was formed between the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc and Our Ukraine–People's Self-Defense Bloc in which Denisova was elected Minister of Labour and Social Policy.

In October 2009 Denisova was ranked 15th in a top 100 of “most influential women in Ukraine” compiled by experts for the Ukrainian magazine Focus (six places lower than non-minister and fellow Batkivshchina member Natalia Korolevska).[15]

2010 Crimean parliamentary election

Denisova headed the electoral list of Batkivshchina during the 2010 Crimean parliamentary election.[16] Batkivshchina did not win seats in the Supreme Council of Crimea.[17]

2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election

Denisova was placed at number 38 on the electoral list of Batkivshchina during the 2012 Ukrainian parliamentary election.[18] She was re-elected into parliament.[19]

2nd minister post

On 27 February 2014 Denisova became Minister of Labor and Social Policy in the Yatsenyuk Government.[20]

In September 2014 Denisova became a founding member of her new party People's Front.[21]

2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election

In the 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election Denisova was re-elected into parliament placed 15th on the electoral list of People's Front.[22][23][24]

On 15 March 2018 the Ukrainian parliament elected Denisova Commissioner for Human Rights in Ukraine.[25]

[1]  Short bio, LIGA

[2] https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2018/03/15/7174734/

[3] Maidan nominates Yatseniuk for prime minister, Interfax-Ukraine (26 February 2014)
Ukrainian parliament endorses new cabinet, Interfax-Ukraine (27 February 2014)

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9] Новый состав Кабмина принят единогласно , news.mediaport.ua

[10] Is She Next?, Kyiv Post (September 3, 2010)

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]  Рейтинг Фокуса: 100 самых влиятельных женщин и 100 деталей о них , Focus

[16] Liudmyla Denisova heads electoral list of Crimean branch of Batkivschyna Party, Kyiv Post (September 30, 2010)

[17]  Results of the elections, preliminary data, on interactive maps by Ukrayinska Pravda (November 8, 2010)

[18] They Call Themselves the Opposition, The Ukrainian Week (31 August 2012)

[19]  Список депутатів нової Верховної Ради, Ukrayinska Pravda (11 November 2012)

[20]

[21] Yatseniuk elected head of political council of People's Front Party , Demotix (9 September 2014)

[22] Poroshenko Bloc to have greatest number of seats in parliament , Ukrinform (8 November 2014)
People's Front 0.33% ahead of Poroshenko Bloc with all ballots counted in Ukraine elections - CEC , Interfax-Ukraine (8 November 2014)
Poroshenko Bloc to get 132 seats in parliament - CEC, Interfax-Ukraine (8 November 2014)

[23]  Full electoral list of “Fatherland” , TVi (15 September 2014)

[24]  Electoral list of People's Front, Ukrayinska Pravda (20 September 2014)

[25]

title: Lyudmyla Denisova

question: What does the text say about Denisova's education?

answer: Denisova graduated from the Arkhangelsk Pedagogical School in 1978, then the Leningrad State University in 1989, and finally the Tavria Institute of Enterprise and Law in 1995.

question: What does the text say about Denisova's political career?

answer: In 1998, Denisova became the Minister of Economy and Finances in the Crimean government. She was named Politician of the Year in 2001. She has been a member of Batkivshchina since 2005, and during the 2006 and 2007 parliamentary elections, she was elected as a deputy to the Verkhovna Rada. In 2009, she was ranked the 15th most influential woman in Ukraine. She was re-elected to parliament in 2012. In 2014, she became Minister of Labor and Social Policy in the Yatsenyuk Government and became a founding member of her new party People's Front. In the same year, she was re-elected to the Ukrainian parliament. In 2018, she was elected Commissioner for Human Rights in Ukraine.

question: What does the text say about Denisova's adult personal life?


text:
[]Berlin, January 26, 2017 – The Document Foundation (TDF) announces LibreOffice 5.2.5 “still”, the fifth minor release of the LibreOffice 5.2 family. Based on the upcoming announcement of LibreOffice 5.3, all users are invited to update to LibreOffice 5.2.5 from LibreOffice 5.1.6 or previous versions.

TDF suggests deploying LibreOffice in large organizations, public administrations and enterprises with the backing of professional support by certified people (a list is available at http://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/professional-support/).

ROAD TO LIBREOFFICE 5.3

LibreOffice 5.3 will be announced in less than a week, on February 1st, 2017. Users can start learning about the new features on LibreOffice 5.3 Release Notes page (https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/ReleaseNotes/5.3).

DOWNLOAD LIBREOFFICE

LibreOffice 5.2.5 is immediately available for download from the following link: http://www.libreoffice.org/download/libreoffice-fresh/. LibreOffice users, free software advocates and community members can support The Document Foundation with a donation at http://donate.libreoffice.org.

Several companies sitting in TDF Advisory Board (http://www.documentfoundation.org/governance/advisory-board/) are providing either value added Long Term Supported versions of LibreOffice or consultancy services for migrations and training, based on best practices distilled by The Document Foundation.

question: What does TDF refer to in this article?

answer: The Document Foundation.

question: Does updating from a previous version of LibreOffice cost money to existing users?

answer: The text doesn't explicitly say but it is implied that the update is freely available to users of previous versions.

question: What well-known European city is named in this article?

answer: Berlin, Germany.

question: Who runs The Document Foundation?

answer: The text doesn't say.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This text reports on the availability of a new version of LibreOffice software and informs readers where they can find the necessary information for downloading and using the updated version.


text:
“NECK” is a short story by Roald Dahl. It first appeared in his 1953 collection _Someone Like You,_ which consists of 18 short stories.

Plot summary

Upon inheriting his father's newspaper and magazine empire, Sir Basil Turton suddenly finds himself the most sought-after bachelor in London society. Much to everyone's surprise, he marries a virtually unknown Continental European named Natalia. Sir Basil being little interested in anything other than his art collection, the new Lady Turton assumes control of the Turton Press, becoming in the process a major player in the political arena.

Six years after the marriage, the narrator of the story, a society columnist, finds himself seated next to the imperious Lady Turton at a dinner party. When she at long last takes notice of him, she bombards him with a series of personal questions, during the course of which he mentions his love of art. Lady Turton uninterestedly invites him to see Sir Basil's collection at their house in the country and the narrator eagerly accepts.

Arriving at the estate the following Saturday, the narrator is impressed by the extravagant topiary with large trees trimmed into a variety of shapes, including a complete chess set, and the many sculptures and statues on the grounds. Over the course of the evening, the narrator perceives Major Haddock, another guest for the weekend, is infatuated with Lady Turton, who does not rebuff his advances. It is also obvious to the narrator that the butler, Jelks, holds her ladyship in contempt for the cruel way she treats Sir Basil; Jelks has offered, in return for a third of the narrator's card winnings over the weekend, to give him hints on Lady Turton's strategies at the card table.

The next day, the gracious Sir Basil takes the narrator on a tour around the vast estate. Stopping to rest, the two men sit on a bench overlooking the garden and begin chatting, at which time the narrator notices a woman wandering in the garden. She is soon joined by a man who is carrying in his hand a small camera. The two figures approach a piece of sculpture (a wooden piece by Henry Moore) and appear to be laughing at it. The man begins to take pictures while the woman strikes ludicrous poses beside the piece, at one point sticking her head through one of its holes. The man takes more pictures and, from the narrator's perspective, leans down and kisses the woman, her laughter filling the air.

It soon becomes apparent, however, that the woman cannot free her head from the sculpture, and, seeing the man is unable to release her, Sir Basil and the narrator make their way down to the garden; they find the two figures are Lady Turton and Major Haddock. As her ladyship angrily berates her husband, Sir Basil tells Jelks to fetch a saw so he can cut her out of the piece. When the butler returns with a saw in one hand and an axe in the other and offers the implements to his employer, the narrator notices the hand holding the axe is extended out further toward Sir Basil, as though Jelks is trying to coax him into using it instead of the saw. Sir Basil takes the axe. The narrator closes his eyes in anticipation of what is about to befall the terrified Lady Turton when he hears Sir Basil say, “Look here, Jelks. What on earth are you thinking about? This thing's much too dangerous. Give me the saw.” The narrator looks at Lady Turton, who is pale-faced and gurgling incoherently with fear, and then at Sir Basil, who for the first time has the traces of a smile in his eyes.

title: Neck (short story)

question: Why did Sir Basil take the ax from the butler rather than the saw?

answer: On the surface, it would appear that Sir Basil took the ax absent-mindedly as the butler had extended the ax further than the saw. Given how cruelly his wife treats him and smile in his eyes when he hands the ax back, it would seem that Sir Basil had slightly crueler intents. He was giving his wife a nasty fright.

question: How did Lady manage to get her head stuck in a garden statue?

answer: Lady Turton and Major Haddock are wandering around the garden which is filled with statues. They stop to look at one such statue, taking photographs. Lady Turton is making ludicrous poses and at one point sticks her head through one of the holes in the statue. She isn't able to get her head out.

question: How did Sir Basil meet his wife?


text:
RICHARD BETHAM is a Western Samoan former boxer who competed in the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Canada. He won bronze in the middleweight division after losing his semi-final bout to Philip McElwaine of Australia. In his first bout, Betham defeated Ansil Thomas of Guyana in a quarter-final contest.[1]

Richard Betham is the younger brother of boxer Monty Betham.[2]

[1]

[2] “McElwaine out for gold”, Sydney Morning Herald, August 11, 1978 p.27

title: Richard Betham

question: Who is Richard Betham's brother?

answer: His older brother is Monty Betham, a fellow boxer.

question: What has Betham won?

answer: He won bronze in the 1978 Commonwealth Games.

question: Where were the 1978 Games held?

answer: Edmonton, Canada.

question: Whom did Betham defeat?

answer: Ansil Thomas (Guyana).

question: Who defeated Betham?

answer: Philip McElwaine (Australia).

question: What is Betham's nationality?

answer: Western Samoan.

question: What sources are listed for the article?

answer: An August 1978 article in the Sydney Morning Herald titled "McElwaine out for gold".

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: Richard Betham is a former boxer who won bronze at the 1978 Commonwealth Games, having won his quarter-final bout against Ansil Thomas but lost his semi-final against Philip McElwaine.


text:
It begins with a strange memory, even I wonder how it came to be. I can't remember it quite clearly, but I remember the flames. The burning, the pain, the raw seething hatred, I knew where I was, but I would never wish to admit it. I believe that I had fallen into the depths of hell. I remember struggling against the pull of millions of blood covered and death ridden arms and limbs of unknown kind grasping onto me, as if their very being depended on it. I remember as I awoke I felt as if I was being yanked out of that horrid wasteland. But it is time I chronicle my life since that point. I have been to such far away lands you could never imagine the horrid sites, and the impossible beauties I have seen along my way. I have seen everything from murderous creatures with strange tentacled maws, and wingspans befitting only the largest of mythical beings to sunsets in marvelous shades of blue with hints of red enough only to barely be seen. I have heard languages not of this earth, nay, not of this realm. I can only imagine what other finds lie out before me, in this magnificent of all worlds. Where I have come to know The Ximren Universe.

I am Professor Delphinius S. Tucker, the sole professor of Religious studies and history at a small university on an island off the coast of New England, well, I was the sole professor of Religious studies and history, but I doubt they have kept my position for me. I was taught at Cambridge and raised a citizen of Her Majesty Queen Victoria's Empire. When I was born, the world was nothing as it is today. As it was, technology was at a low point, the steam engine was being redesigned to hold more power, and exert more force. It was a sad time in human history, pollution was high, and technological development was almost at a stand still with the world focused on production of a better steam engine. On the year of my fourteenth birthday my father went off to war. It was with the news of his death that I devoted my life to creating technology for the whole world. Technology that could better man kind, and could lead to peaceful use only. I learned the hard way that any design could be used as a weapon. When I was fifteen I created my first large scale invention: an underwater ship. I called it a submarination steam æthership. I sold the patents to the Royal British Navy and was instantly funded and given a proper laboratory. I could not have been happier.

By the time I was 18 my life was one of luxury and enjoyment. I had finished my underschooling in the metropolis of London, and was on my way to Cambridge. Although I had mostly only learned of mechanics, chemistry, and the other sciences, my mind took a different focus for my upperschooling: Religion, philosophy and history. Something had always interested me in the past, and I was intrigued when studying Da Vinci that I decided to learn of what marvels and technologies had been hidden out of human eye for many years. It was during these years that I brought forth my most famous inventions. I invented underwater ships so massive that scores of men could live for years underneath the sea to study the marvels of the depths. I invented ships of similar design that could even exist outside the atmosphere of the earth, studying the stars in the very sky above our heads. With each invention my aspirations grew and grew. It was only a matter of time before I began to undertake the invention that would bring me to the place I am now: The Transdimensional Ætherportal.

However, I was only 22 at the time I ended my final schooling. In learning Religion and History, with a touch of philosophy, you learn a lot about many languages other than English. I am still thankful for that, as those studies have made it easier to communicate with the strange species I have come to meet. Alas, I am getting sidetracked. I was only 22 at the time I ended my schooling, and I was not quite ready to risk the world to see other dimensions. I had finished my Transdimensional Ætherportal only a year earlier and still was running stability tests on the portal itself. I began to look for one who would become my bride. It was three months later that I found her, Abigail Williams. She and I fit together perfectly. For weeks I was madly in love with her. We had dinner and had gone to the theater on many occasions. We spent every waking moment together. Three months after the day we met, to the day, I asked her to be my bride.

She accepted through teary eyes. A month later she went on holiday to visit her mother and prepare for our wedding day. It was a week after she left that I received a letter in the post. It was from the coroner in Pensburry. My dearest Abigail had been killed by an unknown man. There had been no witnesses and the Constibul was attempting to do everything he could to find the killer. I knew enough at the time to realise there would be no hope in finding the killer. It was then that I gathered my things and made passage across the Atlantic. I was going to start a new life in America. I booked an airship from London that would be sufficient to carry my belongings. The Royal Navy expressed it's disapproval of my leaving, however as I was a civilian they could not hold me back. One of my previous Professors arranged for me to have the entire airship.

As I watched London, and then Mother England, and then the continent of Europe float away, I knew that my life was taking a turn for the better as I felt sure that I would be able to start an entirely new life where I was going. I began preparing my opening lecture for my new class. I had been guaranteed a spot as the Professor of Religious Studies and History at a small university called Wesleyan. I decided to open my Religious studies class with a lecture on the concept of God. I was going to open them up to the idea that different cultures had different Gods, and these belief contradictions were the cause of many conflicts over the ages. Little did I know that I would never get to deliver this lecture. It was then, on that airship, that I decided to run one final test on my Transdimensional Ætherportal.

I moved to the cargo area of the ship and removed the portal’s canvas cover. The large brass apparatus towered over me. The overall spherical shape at first had unnerved me during its creation, but I grew to appreciate its beauty. I moved to the knob riddled control panel and began to activate the portal. A light began to emanate from the four arms that contoured to the outer shape of the sphere. They began to spin rapidly. As the arms spun the light covered the large brass and copper mesh sphere. The whole portal began to glow with a deep purple light. I pushed the button on the control panel that directed a series of arms with focusing-glasses on the end between me and the sphere. It was as if I was moving from the subconscious. As though my body was acting on a force greater than myself, but I was strangely comfortable with it all. As the light began to engulf my body, I realised what I had done. I had activated the portal.

I can't remember it quite clearly, but I remember the flames. The burning, the pain, the raw seething hatred, I knew where I was, but I would never wish to admit it. I believe that I had fallen into the depths of hell. I remember struggling against the pull of millions of blood covered and death ridden arms and limbs of unknown kind grasping onto me, as if their very being depended on it. I remember as I awoke I felt as if I was being yanked out of that horrid wasteland. I stood and rubbed my head. I looked around, I was still on the airship, but there was something different about it. The light had changed to being a white hue, as normal light is, to being a strange off white color. As if the properties of infrared light had somehow entered into my view. I could see my pilot looking around frantically through the thin skin of the aircraft. I could not, however explain how I saw him. His image was as though he were a silhouette on a screen. But I knew it was indeed him. I went to him, and saw him with the same look that I imagined was on my face, one of both intrigue and fear.

I told him to land the ship in a field of the most marvelously red grass. I told him that a strange adventure was soon to begin, and I would need to explain a few things to him before we continued. He landed the ship, stood up and turned to face me.

title: The Ximren Chronicles: Introduction

question: How do the transdimensional adventures of the protagonist begin?

answer: While leaving his country after the death of his wife, he accidentally activates the aether portal he was working on. He is then yanked to hell and back.

question: What motivates the protagonist to start creating new technologies?

answer: He decides to create technology that can only be used for peace after his father dies in a war.

question: What time period does the story happen in?

answer: The protagonist, Professor Delphinius, is a young boy around the time of the invention of the first steam engine.

question: For whom does Professor Delphinius work through the story?

answer: He's initially employed by the British Royal Navy. After that, he accepts a position at Wesleyan University but never begins his duties there as his transdimensional adventures begin before his arrival. At the time of his writing about his adventures, he is employed at a small university around New England.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Professor Delphinius decides to share his transdimensional adventures. His journey begins upon him leaving his home country of England and his work for the Royal Navy as an inventor of submarination steam æthership upon the death of his wife. He accidentally activates his transdimensional portal and literally goes to hell and comes back. After that, he starts traveling to other dimensions.


text:
It is said that a person is something the whole universe is doing, much like a wave is something the entire ocean is doing. His grip tightened, his eyes narrowed.

A young boy stood still in a forest. Pools of sunlight slowly grew and retracted with a light breeze. Timelessness and faint understanding of place and existence crept in. Echoes of birds birthed a sting of emotion, tightly winding primal joy to this beautiful understanding of everything. How I never wanted to leave, for this place was not a part of the world that I was. My thoughts and convictions simply evaporated here. For the briefest of moments, I was truly free.

A young man sat in a field. No roads were near, nothing to break his purpose. Tall grass, dotted with golden buttercups, purple wildflowers, and patches of goldenrod gently swayed. Warm sunlight eased his strain. Vividly green trees enclosed this paradise. Scents melded together, creating a delicate aroma. Everything was so alive, so detached. His world struggled to understand this concept. The young man embraced it as something more. Wisps of high cirrus clouds raced across the depth of the blue sky. Here, he felt himself become a child again. He shed his worldly concerns, closed his eyes, and indulged himself. I never wanted anything else but for this.

A middle aged man sat on a small strip of sand, cradled from view by thick bushes. The skies changed hues, progressively darkening with each shift. All was still. His boat drifted forward gradually, leaving no ripples behind it. Stars and planets rose into view, reflected so perfectly that one might genuinely not be able to determine the difference between horizons. Auroras painted themselves across the sky. Fierce reds clashed with persistent greens, sending bickering splashes off in all directions. I knew all I would ever need to know.

He snapped back into his world, almost as if forcefully ejected here randomly. His emotions and senses dulled, aware they were no longer in a perfect place. Here, purpose was sent helter skelter by pressure to succeed at trivial and pointless things. How burdened they are, he thought to himself. How strange I must seem to them now. How silly they will feel once they are me. His grip loosened, and his vision blurred.

A photograph drifted slowly to the floor.

title: Ripples of nostalgia

question: Who has said that "a person is something the whole universe is doing, much like a wave is something the entire ocean is doing"?

answer: This information can't be found.

question: What does the narrator mean by "everything was so alive"?

answer: It may be implied that by everything the narrator means to talk about the trees, sunlight, and the aroma.

question: Was the middle-aged man sitting on a beach? What was he watching?

answer: It may be implied that the man was sitting on a beach and watching the sunset.

question: What was in the photograph?

answer: It may be implied that the photograph is of the man while he was still young, he sees the picture and reminisces the old times.


text:
Ivanka Trump faced a hostile reception during a women's panel in Berlin, when the audience booed and hissed at the first daughter on Tuesday after calling her father a "tremendous champion of supporting families."

Ivanka spoke about about her father's attitude toward women, saying she has heard criticism from the media and noted her goal through her role in her father's administration is "incremental positive change" but the audience clearly disagreed.

In her first international trip as an official representative of the United States, the first daughter was put on the spot about her father's attitudes toward women, booed and hissed at by the crowd, and grilled by the moderator about what, exactly, her role is in President Donald Trump’s administration.

  “You’re the first daughter of the United States, and you’re also an assistant to the president,” the moderator, WirtschaftsWoche editor-in-chief Miriam Meckel, said cited by Politico. “The German audience is not that familiar with the concept of a first daughter. I’d like to ask you, what is your role, and who are you representing, your father as president of the United States, the American people, or your business?”

  It was an aggressive opening line of questioning for the first daughter, who was seated next to Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund and one seat down from Merkel. Queen Maxima of the Netherlands was also a participant on the W20 panel, which Ivanka Trump attended at Merkel's invitation. And it appeared to put her on the spot.

  “Certainly not the latter,” Ivanka Trump said. “I’m rather unfamiliar with this role as well...It has been a little under 100 days and it has just been a remarkable and incredible journey.”

  The questions asked of Ivanka Trump seemed more direct than those about women in the workforce posed at other panelists. But there was also a lot of curiosity, ahead of her visit here, about Ivanka Trump's new role in her father's administration.

Ivanka she was booed and hissed at by the majority-women audience at the conference when she lauded her father for supporting paid leave policies. “I’m very proud of my father’s advocacy,” she said, calling him “a tremendous champion of supporting families and enabling them to thrive.” Meckel, the moderator, pushed her to address the vocal disapproval from the audience.

“You hear the reaction from the audience,” she said. “I need to address one more point -- some attitudes toward women your father has displayed might leave one questioning whether he’s such an empower-er for women.”

Despite being invited to attend the panel by Merkel in her role as a senior White House official, she defended her father from her vantage point of loyal daughter -- a familiar crouch from when she was confronted by uncomfortable questions about her father on the campaign.

“As a daughter, I can speak on a very personal level,” Ivanka Trump said. “I grew up in a house where there was no barriers to what I could accomplish beyond my own perseverance and tenacity. That’s not an easy thing to do, he provided that for us.” She said that her father treated her exactly the same way he treated her two brothers, who now run the family business. “There was no difference,” she said. Ivanka Trump also credited her father’s administration for hiring women in important roles.

However, as the social media noted, the audience disagreed.

  Ivanka gets booed and hissed by audience when she says her father is a"tremendous champion of supporting families."

  — Annie Karni (@anniekarni) April 25, 2017

  Some in audience now hissing Ivanka as moderator presses her about @POTUS attitude toward women. #W20

  — Hallie Jackson (@HallieJackson) April 25, 2017

  The crowd audibly rumbled, booed when Ivanka mentioned her father's support of women.

  — Emily Jane Fox (@emilyjanefox) April 25, 2017

question: Who is Ivanka's father?

answer: Donald Trump.

question: What country is Queen Maxima from?

answer: The Netherlands

question: Who is Merkel?

answer: The article doesn't say.

question: Who is the author of this article?

answer: The text doesn't say.

question: When was this article written?

answer: On or around April 25, 2017.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This article overviews the hostile reception Ivanka Trump received in Berlin while speaking on a panel at W20 in 2017. She was invited in her role as senior White House official but given the pointed questions she received, spent most of her time explaining and defending her experience of her father, President Donald Trump.


text:
BERNHARD HAAS (born 1964) is a German organist, music theorist and academic.

Life

Haas studied organ, piano, harpsichord, sacred music, composition and music theory in Cologne, Freiburg and Vienna. He won several international prizes at organ competitions, such as the Bach-Wettbewerb in Wiesbaden 1983 and the Liszt-Wettbewerb in Budapest in 1988.[1]

From 1989 to 1995 he taught organ and organ-improvisation at the music school in Saarbrücken. In 1994 he became an organ professor at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Stuttgart.[2] In 2012/13 he moved to the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München to succeed Edgar Krapp.[3]

He has been toured in Europe as well as to the US and Japan. His main interest is music of the 17th and 19th century, contemporary music, Johann Sebastian Bach and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He has also released CDs of adaptations of works by Franz Liszt, Max Reger, Igor Stravinsky, Brian Ferneyhough, Morton Feldman and Iannis Xenakis.[4] As a musicologist, he has written a book on 'new tonality' from Schubert to Webern[5] and a collaboration with Veronica Diederen on the two-part inventions by J. S. Bach.[6]

Selected discography

-   _Liszt und Stravinsky in Bearbeitungen für Orgel_ (_Arrangements of Liszt and Stravinsky for organ_)
    -   Franz Liszt: Sonata in B minor, S. 178; Igor Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring. Transcribed for organ by Bernhard Haas.
        -   Recorded in 1993 on the Kleuker-Steinmeyer organ in the Tonhalle, Zürich, Switzerland. Audite 20.009. 1 CD.
-   _Max Reger: Variationen und Fuge op. 73, Introduktion, Passacaglia und Fuge, op. 127_
    -   Recorded in 1996 on the Rieger organ of the Konzerthaus, Vienna, Austria. Audite 20.020. 1 CD.
-   _Max Reger: Organ Works Volume 1_
    -   Ten Pieces, op. 69; Preludes and Fugues op. 85 nos. 1-3.
        -   Recorded by Bernhard Haas in 1997 on the Link organ in the Evangelischen Kirche in Giengen an der Brenz, Germany. Naxos 8.553926. 1 CD.
-   _Ferneyhough, Feldman, Scelsi, Xenakis: Die Orgelwerke_ (_Ferneyhough, Feldman, Scelsi, Xenakis: The Organ Works_)
    -   Ferneyhough: Seven Stars; Feldman: Principal Sound; Scelsi: In nomine Lucis; Xenakis: Gmeoorh
        -   Recorded in 2007 on the Rieger organ of the Essen Cathedral, Germany. Edition Zeitklang 35033. 1 CD.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5] _Die neue Tonalität von Schubert bis Webern: Hören und Analysieren nach Albert Simon_. Wilhelmshaven: Noetzel 2004.

[6] _Die zweistimmigen Inventionen von Johann Sebastian Bach: neue musikalische Theorien und Perspektiven_. Zusammen mit Veronica Diederen. Hildesheim: Olms Verlag 2008.

title: Bernhard Haas

question: Who was Bernhard Haas?

answer: He was a German organist, music theorist, and academic.

question: What were Haas's main interest in music?

answer: His main interest in music were 17th and 19th century music, contemporary music, Johann Sebastian Bach and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

question: What did Haas teach at the music school in Saarbrucken?

answer: He taught organ and organ-improvisation at the music school in Saarbrucken.

question: What did Haas study in Cologne, Freiburg, and Vienna?

answer: Haas studied organ, piano, harpischord, sacred music, composition and music theory in Cologne, Freiburg, and Vienna.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: This article describes the life of Bernard Haas, a German organist, music theorist, and academic.


text:
Andy is a really smart heroin addict. Andy could tell you about all the constellations and all of the Caesars and when they ruled. Andy could explain complex issues and make them seem simple. Andy could pretty much do anything except stop using heroin.

Andy’s co-workers, of which I am one, all know that Andy does heroin. Some of them talk about it. To some its funny, and to others its sad; no one says anything to Andy directly about it though. So when Andy falls asleep at his desk we go along with his excuse that he stayed up late last night because there was a west coast game on that went into extra innings; and ,man, is he tired. Oh Andy, Andy has a million excuses but never a dollar the day after payday.

While his co-workers, of which I am one, are doing things like paying rent and mortgages and buying food, Andy is buying heroin and paying back anyone who lent him money the week before and is lucky enough to track him down. Oh Andy, is heroin really that good? Something about you rouses a demon that sleeps deep inside of me.

Oh Andy, so smart; he has everything in the world going for him. If it wasn't for that damn heroin he’d be an executive somewhere, or maybe a high-priced lawyer; he’d probably be a professor at some fancy east coast prep school where the girls wear knee-length skirts and everyone’s jacket has a crest on it. Oh Andy, I wonder if you ever regret trying heroin. I'm sure sometimes you do, but more often than not, you’re too busy trying to find heroin or trying to use it.

Andy is such a nice guy. Andy is killing himself. We’re watching, his family is watching, his dealer is watching; everybody's watching Andy kill himself. We watch without understanding. I wonder if Andy watches us and wonders why no one cares enough to help him. Not that he would accept the help, but it would be nice if someone offered it. But hey, there's only so much time in a day, and we've all got our own lives to manage. So Andy manages his heroin habit alone.

Andy lives with his mother. She looks at Andy but does not see him. Andy’s mother thinks that a daily heroin habit, one that's been going on for ten years, is something that Andy will just drop one day. She thinks that Andy will come to his senses and just quit.

They fight over the missing money sometimes. Andy doesn't want to, but sometimes he’ll have to steal twenty or a hundred dollars from his mom. Andy’s habit is a greedy monster. He always intends to pay back every dime but something always comes up; usually its the next opportunity to get high. Oh Andy, it seems like the world itself is sighing as you kill yourself. If only there was a way.

Sometimes Andy will miss a few weeks of work. These are the times when Andy goes to detox. In detox they give Andy things like Suboxone and Methadone to replace the heroin that his body is used to. But they aren't quite the same. Andy likes the ritual. The needle and the spoon; finding a vein. Andy likes the tightness of the cord when he ties himself off. Andy likes pulling the plunger back and watching the blood flow up into the needle. To be honest, Andy just plain likes getting high. Andy likes feeling alive for the first time for the thousandth time.

When Andy comes back to work from rehab, he’s usually full of energy. Andy runs through the halls as if making up for lost time. Andy, smart Andy, shows us why hes the best of us. He practically sings while solving problems and making money for the company. Because Andy is a great worker. He just happens to be addicted to heroin. Andy’s killing himself.

The worst days for Andy are the days right before payday. He’s borrowed money from everyone who’ll lend it to him. That set of people grows smaller by the week. His mother has hidden her cash, and it will be weeks before she forgets to hide it again. So on those days, Andy has a very short temper. He stomps around the office snarling at everyone.

Why are we letting you kill yourself Andy? Why don’t we stop you? We don’t hate you, (your mother loves you) but we keep watching you destroy yourself with heroin. Do you know the reason why? Does it come to you when you’re high? Is it something so awful that we wouldn't want to know?

Oh Andy, one day you walked in the door and saw your mother crying on the couch. You wanted to say something to her, you wanted to hug her, but it was payday and you had a bag of dope that you needed to shoot. So you walked right past her, up the stairs closed the door of your room and floated away. When you came back, your mother wasn't crying anymore. The moment had passed.

Remember the day they found you in the bathroom at work Andy? Passed out with a needle sticking out of your arm. You tied yourself off with a shoelace. We thought you were dead. But the EMT gave you a shot of something and you came right back to life again. You vomited, and then they took you away. Oh Andy, now there is no doubt in anyone’s mind. Now the whisper has become a roar.

But by tomorrow the roar has become a whisper. We make plans for the weekend. Plans for the summer. But we don’t make any plans to save you Andy. And soon we forget. And you’re back at work after a few weeks; smarter and funnier than ever. The old Andy is back. One day you asked to borrow twenty dollars; you said you lost your ATM card. Sure pal, anything for you buddy. Something gnawing at the back of my mind, like a memory trapped in a cage and fighting to escape.

You died that day Andy. Officially of an overdose. Oh Andy, what if I hadn't lent you that twenty? What if the dope hadn't been as strong? What if we had paid attention to you? What if, what if, what if? Oh, Andy.

title: Andy

question: What does the narrator find sad about Andy's heroin use?

answer: From the first sentence, the narrator mentions how smart Andy is. Throughout the passage, the narrator exhorts Andy to believe more in himself. The narrator reflects that Andy would probably be an executive, or a high-priced lawyer, or even a professor at a prep school, were it not for the heroin. The narrator clearly finds it sad that such a person, with profoundly good qualities, has been destroyed by the drug.

question: What event at work does the narrator find horrific?

answer: The narrator mentions a day Andy passed out in the bathroom with a heroin needle in his arms. Remarkably, Andy's coworkers seem not to care about this dangerous medical situation and violation of drug laws, and proceed to forget about the incident the next day. The narrator lends Andy twenty dollars because of it, and he overdoses.

question: What is Andy's relationship with his mother like?

answer: Andy lives with his mother. Sometimes Andy steals money from her due to his heroin habit. He always intends to pay her back, but she does not. Apparently, in a way inconsistent with normal maternal instincts, Andy's mother believes that he will simply "drop" the heroin habit someday.


text:
It wasn't that he was boring, but he had a grey disposition that lacked the color of spontaneity. Dez liked to race cars under the yellow glow of LA street lamps when Tory met him, but now people called him Desmond and he had no time for such impetuous acts. It's true that Tory had grown fond of the carte blanche that her black card afforded her and the charity dinners stimulated her, but the thrills in her life were limited by the creativity of the latest Bond film. She made a habit of reassuring herself how lucky she was, but she found herself increasingly difficult to convince. However, the thoughts of the comfort and safety Desmond provided were enough to calm most impulses.

They were staying in The Victoria in Rio. Tory had never liked her given name, although she could appreciate the refined qualities of this hotel; it was much nicer than the one they had stayed at just down the road a year before.

As he lowered his Wall Street Journal, Desmond glanced superficially out the window. He thought briefly about the misfortune of those in the favelas. They live each day without knowing when they might be caught in the crossfire of their existence, he concluded. His own life had gone exactly as planned. His pride was buoyed by his two Princeton degrees and an impressive CV that was anchored by his latest position as Chief Financial Officer. For a moment he thought about how lucky Tory must feel to have captured his attention, but then he reminded himself not to be too proud. Besides, she was as much a catch as he. Her beauty was more rare than the flawless yellow diamond on her left hand. She was the type of girl that would cause an ordinary man to choke on a conversation, yet he had bravely taken her up with charm and confidence.  "We're leaving in 5 minutes," Tory interjected. The humidity made her blouse stick to her curves and her sexuality was impossible to ignore. He couldn't remember where she had said they were going, but he pulled on his khakis and loafers.

When the old Volkswagen finally arrived at the top of the hill,the view was astounding. Marcelo, the tan, smooth-talking tour guide pointed out the geography below. Tory watched as his defined arms drew imaginary lines all over the bay and rugged peaks. It was truly a remarkable site. Marcelo and his partner were experienced in dealing with Americans; always the same questions about the safety of hang gliding. He would usually explain that in the wrong hands, the wing could be very dangerous but that they had some of the best safety records in the world. It was true that there had only been one accident before, and it was a result of a panicked passenger rather than the pilot.

Desmond was terrified. However, his face showed nothing but a confident expression. Through various nerve-wracking business interactions he had perfected the art of hiding his true feelings and he was glad to apply those skills in this situation. When they got in the beat up VW earlier that morning, Desmond asked Marcelo where they were headed. When he responded that they would be hang gliding over the city, Desmond immediately said there must be a mistake. "The mistake is that I married someone who can no longer excite me"  Tory blurted out. She was no longer satisfied by comfort, and as the words escaped her mouth Desmond felt a dull pain in his gut; the kind that comes when you realize a loved-one has been ashamed of you for longer than you would like to imagine. Now was his time to prove her wrong. He would be the first to go and when he got to the bottom he would demand that Tory respect him for the man he is.

Marcelo's partner would jump with Desmond. As she watched them suit up, Tory began to feel that maybe she had misjudged Desmond's complacency. She thought that he may just needed some encouragement to get out of his comfort zone; after all, he worked most days 9-5, and perhaps it was too harsh to blame him for wanting to relax. As she watched him jump she grew excited to see him at the bottom and share in the thrill of what she was about to endure.

As quickly as Dez had disappeared below the horizon of the cliff, she felt her legs give out and watched the ground race towards her. Marcelo had punched the back of her head and before she could regain her wits she was being dragged by her hair across the dirt launching pad and into the woods. They were alone, but she screamed as loudly as she could. Marcelo kicked her in the ribs. She continued to struggle as he ripped open her blouse to reveal her full breasts that he had been imagining all day and then he pulled her shorts around her knees. He grew tired of her screams so he flipped her over and shoved her face in the dirt.

As he landed on the beach, Dez felt an immense sense of relief and a rush of adrenaline like he hadn't felt since before he met Tory. He couldn't restrain himself from a spontaneous hug with his guide. As he looked back towards where they had come from he noticed that Victoria had yet to jump. "I knew she wouldn't have the guts to do it! She's all talk!" he exclaimed10 minutes later. He felt victorious. "Why don't you drop me back at the hotel so I can get a drink. I want Victoria to think about this on her own for a while." His guide obliged.

title: Jump (first short story)

question: Why does Dez not worry when Torie fails to follow him to the bottom?

answer: Dez is, no doubt upset by the insult he received from Torie. He has just realized that Torie has been ashamed of him for a very long time. In some ways, he's pleased that she didn't have to guts to follow him over the edge of the cliff. He assumes that the reason she hasn't followed is that she lost her nerve.

question: How does Torie feel about her current lifestyle?

answer: Torie is bored with her marriage and her lifestyle. They no longer provide the exciting prospects they once had. On the other hand, she enjoys life's comforts. she won't forgo the comfort and security that Dez's big salary provides to pursue more exciting challenges.

question: How do Dez's and Torie's ideas of her life differ?

answer: Dez believes that Tory must consider herself very lucky to have captured his attention. He considers himself as great a catch as she. She, on the other hand, finds him boring and colorless. She sticks around only for the security that he provides.

question: How does Dez react to the rape of his wife?