text:
The rules were simple, but the game itself impacts a lot thought. I have played this game with lots of people. I remember my first time. I told him, ‘here are the cards. There are five of them.’

The idea of the game is to have a card with a high number, but as you turn over a new card, you must discard the previous one. I tell him that every time I’ve showed someone else this game, they mostly make the same mistakes. I turn over the first card and reveal the very first number: [76]. When I first played even I thought, ‘is it out of a hundred?’ If it were out of a hundred, everyone would stick with the first card. But what if it were out of a thousand, or a million? It’s the uncertainty that makes people pick a second card. If they stuck with just seventy-six, and found out that the next card was in the thousands, they’d kick themselves.

Pete asked, “another card please?” Perhaps it was my long hair, but he wasn’t paying attention to me when I boldly said that almost everyone makes the same mistakes. The next card shows: [32]. The second card is about half the first value, but just below. People still think that it could possibly be out of a much larger number, and no matter what, thirty-two appears to be a scam. Without much delay, “another.”

I like to think that these cards represent opportunities in life. No one wants to look like a fool and stick with something when they don’t know its relative value. You’re offered five cards in this game, and they could hold any number, why stick with the first one? The next card reveals the number: [1]. “What? That’s horrible, I got the lowest number!” With two cards left, Pete’s next choice was predictable.

People are given first opportunities in many aspects of life. Whether it’s a job or love, people always wonder if there’s a better one out there. With no ability to compare, we are unable to decide if something is worth committing to. When Pete drew the number one, he felt bad for not sticking with either of the first two cards. Like a homeless person, he appreciates whatever he had before much more so.

Obviously the seventy-six would be most ideal, but normally if people are given the choice to go back to thirty-two or draw a new card, some would go back. “Well there’s nothing lower than one… I may as well turn over a new card. If it’s anywhere near around seventy-six I’m sticking with that.” By this point his hope for a thousand or maybe a million is gone, he now appreciates what he was given before. I turn over the new card, knowing what was coming. It’s never what people expect.

The new card shows: [0.01]. Pete’s assumption that one was the lowest number was a common mistake. Before he thought that things couldn’t be worse. While it would be nice if the next card were a million, or even just anything close to thirty, it really doesn’t matter anymore, he would accept a two. People with big dreams are unable to appreciate what they have. Why shouldn’t a child hope to be a millionaire or marry the most beautiful girl in the world? What is wrong with hoping for the best, and giving up on what you have to make room for something better? To Pete, seventy-six is now a large number, whereas before he doubted if it was even a fraction of the other cards held.

“I really should have stuck with seventy-six!” Pete laughs, as I smile. Perhaps this was all a lesson? Perhaps all it was for him to understand his mistakes, learn to appreciate what he’s given, and now he’ll be rewarded for that. Whether or not life treats him to a larger opportunity, he would walk away from this with a lesson learnt. Without waiting for him, I give him the final card. It’s blank.

I hope Pete, whoever he is, takes from this game a valuable lesson. Whether wealthy or poor, I hope he appreciates what he has. In the struggle to become better versions of ourselves, we put ourselves at risk of loss. Some would argue that, so long as we have our health it’s okay, that everything else is superficial; why not take the risk? But the fact is that we will only feel bad if we give up something we once had, not what we could have had. I tell Pete to enjoy the rest of his time at the fair, and give a bow to say goodbye.

When I looked up, he was gone. He turned over the card that had nothing on it, so as I packed them up I collected all of the other cards first. I put them face down over the fifth card to put it away in the small box they came in. But before I do, I glanced at the bottom of the fifth card. Seventy-six was written in ink.

read more: www.mostthings.net

title: [MF] Five Cards

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Summarize the plot twist in the story.

answer: The narrator plays a game with Pete where they both draw cards. Pete draws first and says he should have stuck with the first card. The narrator explains that the cards represent opportunities in life. Pete draws again and gets the lowest number. He says he should have stuck with the second card. The narrator explains that people with big dreams are unable to appreciate what they have. Pete draws again and gets the lowest number again. The narrator tells Pete to enjoy the rest of his time at the fair and to remember the lesson he has learned. Pete turns over the card and it is blank. The narrator says he hopes Pete takes away a valuable lesson. Pete turns over the card and it has the number 76 written on it.

text: This could be worded in a more succinct way.

refinement: The narrator plays a game with Pete where they both draw cards. In hopes that he will get a higher number than the last, Pete keeps drawing a new card. However, each number is increasingly low. The narrator tells Pete to enjoy the rest of his time at the fair and to remember the lesson he has learned. Pete turns over the card and it is blank. The narrator says he hopes Pete takes away a valuable lesson. Pete turns over the card and it has the number 76 written on it.

text: This is unnecessary and can be omitted

refinement: The narrator plays a game with Pete where they both draw cards. In hopes that he will get a higher number than the last, Pete keeps drawing a new card. However, each number is increasingly low.  Pete turns over the card and it is blank. The narrator says he hopes Pete takes away a valuable lesson. Pete turns over the card and it has the number 76 written on it.

text: Specify this is the final card.

refinement: The narrator plays a game with Pete where they both draw cards. In hopes that he will get a higher number than the last, Pete keeps drawing a new card. However, each number is increasingly low. Pete turns over the final card and it is blank. The narrator says he hopes Pete takes away a valuable lesson. Pete turns over the card and it has the number 76 written on it.

text: Only Pete draws a card.

refinement: The narrator shows Pete a card game where the goal is to get the highest number. In hopes that he will get a higher number than the last, Pete keeps drawing a new card. However, each number is increasingly low. Pete turns over the final card and it is blank. The narrator says he hopes Pete takes away a valuable lesson. Pete turns over the card and it has the number 76 written on it.

text: Pete doesn't turn over the final card to see 76, the narrator does. Additionally, this should be specified as the twist.

refinement: The narrator shows Pete a card game where the goal is to get the highest number. In hopes that he will get a higher number than the last, Pete keeps drawing a new card. However, each number is increasingly low. Pete turns over the final card and it is blank. The narrator says he hopes Pete takes away a valuable lesson. The twist comes when the narrator turns over the blank card and it actually has the number 76 written on it.

answer: The story is told as a game being played with Pete, who makes the same mistakes that most people make when they are drawn to good opportunities and then fail to appreciate them. Evidence that Pete is playing the part of past whom are failing to appreciate the opportunities in life comes at the end when Pete has the fourth card with a blank underside. Without knowing it, Pete turned a card over so it was facing down. He then put the fifth card down, which turned out to be a card with a number engraved on the underside. The fifth card, which turned out to be a golden opportunity, ended up being a card made specifically for Pete, which meant that the card Pete held was of the kind that he had the ability to appreciate fully.

text: This is very confusingly written and seems to be inaccurate. The entire answer should be rewritten.

text: Blank response

refinement: The narrator shows Pete a card game where the goal is to get the highest number. In hopes that he will get a higher number than the last, Pete keeps drawing a new card. However, each number is increasingly low. Pete turns over the final card and it is blank. The narrator says he hopes Pete takes away a valuable lesson. The twist comes when the narrator turns over the blank card and it actually has the number 76 written on it.

answer: The narrator plays a game with Pete where they both draw cards from a deck. Pete is stuck with the card that has a low number and the narrator gives him the final card, which is blank. The narrator tells Pete to enjoy the rest of his time at the fair and Pete leaves. When the narrator packs up the cards, he notices that the final card has a high number on it. Pete's card has the number 76 written on it.

text: Only Pete draws a card.

refinement: The narrator plays a game with Pete where he has Pete draw a card from a deck in hopes he gets the highest number. Pete is stuck with the card that has a low number and the narrator gives him the final card, which is blank. The narrator tells Pete to enjoy the rest of his time at the fair and Pete leaves. When the narrator packs up the cards, he notices that the final card has a high number on it. Pete's card has the number 76 written on it.

text: Specify that Pete keeps trying to get a higher number than his last card, but keeps getting lower numbers.

refinement: The narrator plays a game with Pete where he has Pete draw a card from a deck in hopes he gets the highest number. Pete keeps getting low numbers after trading a his old card in hopes for a higher number. The narrator gives him the final card, which is blank. The narrator tells Pete to enjoy the rest of his time at the fair and Pete leaves. When the narrator packs up the cards, he notices that the final card has a high number on it. Pete's card has the number 76 written on it.

answer: The narrator plays a game with Pete where they both draw cards from a deck. Pete is stuck with the card that has a low number and the narrator gives him the final card, which is blank. The narrator tells Pete to enjoy the rest of his time at the fair and Pete leaves. When the narrator packs up the cards, he notices that the final card has a high number on it.

answer: The narrator plays a game with Pete where they both draw cards. Pete draws first and says he should have stuck with the first card. The narrator explains that the cards represent opportunities in life. Pete draws again and gets the lowest number. He says he should have stuck with the second card. The narrator explains that people with big dreams are unable to appreciate what they have. Pete draws again and gets the lowest number again. The narrator tells Pete to enjoy the rest of his time at the fair and to remember the lesson he has learned. Pete turns over the card and it is blank. The narrator says he hopes Pete takes away a valuable lesson. Pete turns over the card and it has the number 76 written on it. Pete turns over the card and it is blank. The narrator says he hopes Pete takes away a valuable lesson. Pete turns over the card and it has the number 76 written on it.

answer: It's not clear how many rounds of cards are in the game at first, but as Pete is about to stump the narrator, he replies by saying "1" which is the lowest card that's in the game. Pete remains satisfied with the first card.

text: This is not the twist.

text: Blank response

refinement: Pete keeps drawing cards with increasingly low numbers. He eventually gives up the game as his last card is blank. However, the narrator notices Pete's final, blank card actually has the number 76, which is the plot twist.

answer: The story is told as a game being played with Pete, who makes the same mistakes that most people make when they are drawn to good opportunities and then fail to appreciate them. Evidence that Pete is playing the part of past whom is failing to appreciate the good opportunities in life comes at the end, when Pete has the fourth card with a blank underside. Without knowing it, Pete turned a card over so it was facing down. He then put the fifth card down, which turned out to be a card with a number engraved on the underside. The fifth card, which turned out to be a golden opportunity, ended up being a card made specifically for Pete, which meant that the card Pete held was of the kind that he had the ability to appreciate fully.

answer: It's not clear how many rounds of cards are in the game at first, but Pete is about to stump the narrator again, he replies by saying "1" which is the lowest card that's in the game. Pete becomes dissatisfied with following that card.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Explain how the card turned from blank to displaying the numbers "76".

answer: The author probably wrote the number in the card before giving it to the man.

text: It would be better to say the answer can't be found.

answer: The entire game was the back story for Pete.

text: This is completely false. The information can't be found.

answer: The author probably wrote the number in the card before giving it to the man.

text: It would be better to say that the answer can't be found.

answer: It probably wasn't him described in the story, but the events taking place could have been the back-story for who Pete met in the end.

text: This answer doesn't make sense. Additionally, it should say the answer can't be found.

refinement: There is no information about this in the story.

answer: It is not stated.

answer: The card wasn't blank at first.

text: It would be better to say that it's not stated.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Summarize the moral of the story.

answer: A person should appreciate what they have and not always hope for bigger things because life can and will take away the good things you have.

text: It should be mentioned that the moral is evidenced by Pete repeatedly choosing a new card in hopes he gets a higher number, but instead he keeps getting lower numbers.

refinement: A person should appreciate what they have and not always hope for bigger things because life can and will take away the good things you have. the moral is evidenced by Pete repeatedly choosing a new card in hopes he gets a higher number, but instead he keeps getting lower numbers.

answer: It's better to be grateful for the things in life rather than always expecting a lottery win.

text: This is phrased awkwardly. "Lottery win" would be better put as risking what you already have in hopes for something better.

refinement: It's better to be grateful for the things in life rather than always risking things in hopes for something better.

text: It's omitted that the moral is evidenced by Pete repeatedly choosing a new card in hopes he gets a higher number, but instead he keeps getting lower numbers.

refinement: It's better to be grateful for the things in life rather than always risking things in hopes for something better. The moral is evidenced by Pete repeatedly choosing a new card in hopes he gets a higher number, but instead he keeps getting lower numbers.

answer: The moral of the story is that people should appreciate what they have, and not be greedy.

text: It's omitted that the moral is evidenced by Pete repeatedly choosing a new card in hopes he gets a higher number, but instead he keeps getting lower numbers.

refinement: The moral of the story is that people should appreciate what they have, and not be greedy. The moral is evidenced by Pete repeatedly choosing a new card in hopes he gets a higher number, but instead he keeps getting lower numbers.

answer: The moral of the story is that you should appreciate what you have because it impacts what you have next. Pete learned that the hard way and it came in the form of a card. Some things in life are just impossible to predict and so valuing what you have can give you the best chance of moving onwards.

text: This is off base. It would be better to say that you should appreciate what you have instead of risking it in hopes for something greater.

refinement: The moral of the story is that you should appreciate what you have instead of risking it in hopes for something greater. Pete learned that the hard way and it came in the form of a card. Some things in life are just impossible to predict and so valuing what you have can give you the best chance of moving onwards.

text: "came in the form of a card" is too vague. How Pete was affected should be better explained.

refinement: The moral of the story is that you should appreciate what you have instead of risking it in hopes for something greater. Pete learned that the hard way by choosing a new card in hopes of getting a higher number, but instead he keeps getting lower numbers. Some things in life are just impossible to predict and so valuing what you have can give you the best chance of moving onwards.

answer: The moral of the story is that you should appreciate what you have because it impacts what you have next. Pete learned that the hard way and it came in the form of a card. Some things in life are just impossible to predict and so valuing what you have can give you the best chance of moving onwards. Pete learned from his card draw that it is important to appreciate what you have from life so that you can appreciate the gain of something new.

answer: The moral of the story is that people should appreciate what they have and not put themselves at risk of loss.

text: It's omitted that the moral is evidenced by Pete repeatedly choosing a new card in hopes he gets a higher number, but instead he keeps getting lower numbers.

refinement: The moral of the story is that people should appreciate what they have and not put themselves at risk of loss. The moral is evidenced by Pete repeatedly choosing a new card in hopes he gets a higher number, but instead he keeps getting lower numbers.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Summarize what the narrator has to say about opportunities.

answer: The narrator has a metaphor where cards represents opportunities in life.

text: This neglects the rest of what the narrator says about opportunities.

refinement: The narrator has a metaphor where cards represents opportunities in life. With those opportunities comes curiosity about if there is something better out there, and an inability to decide what to commit to.  Due to the curiosity, people sometimes squander their opportunities, you might leave to go to one that seems better. However, you may miss what you had once you leave.

answer: The narrator mentions that in the game of life that people would accept reaching for opportunities but may fail in prioritizing some. He says the game is a metaphor for life and the stories we tell for ourselves. The last card given to Pete was blank.

text: This doesn't really answer the question.

text: Blank response

refinement: The narrator says that people are given opportunities in life. With those opportunities comes curiosity about if there is something better out there, and an inability to decide what to commit to.  Due to the curiosity, people sometimes squander their opportunities, you might leave to go to one that seems better. However, you may miss what you had once you leave.

answer: The narrator says that people are given opportunities in life. Sometimes people make the same mistakes. The narrator says that people are given first opportunities in life. Sometimes people make the same mistakes, and those who hope for the best are unable to appreciate what they have.

answer: The narrator talks about how people are given opportunities in life, whether it's a job or love. People always wonder if there's a better opportunity out there. The narrator suggests it's better to appreciate what you have before giving up on it for something better.

answer: The narrator says that people are given opportunities in life. Sometimes people make the same mistakes. The narrator says that people are given first opportunities in life. Sometimes people make the same mistakes.

text: This isn't about opportunities, it's about the game. This should be omitted.

refinement: The narrator says that people are given opportunities in life. The narrator says that people are given first opportunities in life. Sometimes people make the same mistakes.

text: This is redundant and should be omitted

refinement: The narrator says that people are given opportunities in life.

text: It's omitted that with those opportunities comes wondering if there is something better out there, and an inability to decide what to commit to.

refinement: The narrator says that people are given opportunities in life. With those opportunities comes curiosity about if there is something better out there, and an inability to decide what to commit to.

text: It's omitted that due to the curiosity, people sometimes squander their opportunities, you might leave to go to one that seems better. However, you may miss what you had once you leave.

refinement: The narrator says that people are given opportunities in life. With those opportunities comes curiosity about if there is something better out there, and an inability to decide what to commit to.  Due to the curiosity, people sometimes squander their opportunities, you might leave to go to one that seems better. However, you may miss what you had once you leave.


split: test

text:
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Slowly, quickly, coldly he spoke to his mother. "Fine," he would say. "You're not my mother," he would say. It hurt her, but she knew it was only the function of his young mind. She had understood him. She knew what he wanted and she gave it to him. And he was off to experience the world. Motherless. "But he would be back," she thought. "I'll see him again," she would say. And so her life went on.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But the pain she had was not quenched by her mind's reasoning of the events that took place. She knew why he had left, but she wouldn't lie to you or to me. It hurt her and she wouldn't hide it from us.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The first day I saw her after he came back I didn't recognize her. You wouldn't have either. He just walked back in. She had missed him, but he had left her broken.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When the last drop of water leaves the cloud the cloud is not gone. It is simply empty. It understands that this is the cycle: grow up, rain down, grow up, rain down. It wouldn't argue with the cycle. She wouldn't argue that things hadn't happened for a reason, but the rain poured when he left. Her understanding soon escaped her. She thought he would be back sooner. "Today is the day," she would say. She talked to the pastor and he agreed. "Any day now," he would say. They hoped together.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That day that I saw her I could tell something in her had been restored, but she was not like before. The rain had poured down but I didn't see her being filled up again. I only saw a foggy mass, sitting in her house, wondering when the water would come to fill her again. So she sat, she cared for him, and her life went on. "My little boy will be back any day now," she repeated to herself. But he was not. She didn't know who the broken down man sitting on her couch was. She knew he needed a mom, but she knew not who he was.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;One cloud, raining into another. So who fills up the first cloud. I wonder. The pastor said, "Jesus, of course." She said, "Yeah, Jesus will fill it up." So they waited for Jesus. The empty women with her son. He was empty too. He was a tropical storm. He wouldn't hold onto what she gave him.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She laughed and she smiled. She remembered her boy. She remembered how she had understood him that day.  She told God that she was ready, and that she had run out. The fog disappeared. The boy lived on, and so would she. She would live on with the boy. She would watch him change. And she did. "So that's how the cycle works," she exclaimed. I hoped that she had finally found what she needed, but I wouldn't be the one to know. Neither would the pastor. Only the boy. He would speak and we would listen, but we would never be sure. But the cycle goes on.

title: The Boy and the Mother

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

How do the boy and the mother feel about each other?

answer: It seems that both the boy and the mother care for each other but refuse to admit it.

text: "The empty women with her son. He was empty too." is evidence that neither mother nor son knew what to do with their emotions. There is no evidence of the son's feelings towards the mother in the story. Her son is empty when he returns and incapable of caring for his mother. Change the answer to reflect only the mother's feelings.

refinement: It seems that the mother cares for her son but refuse to admit it.

text: "She talked to the pastor and he agreed." is evidence that she shared her worries about her son with her pastor. Change the answer to include the pastor.

refinement: It seems that the mother cares for her son and shares this with the pastor.

text: "Slowly, quickly, coldly he spoke to his mother. 'Fine,' he would say. 'You're not my mother,' he would say." is evidence that the boy would not admit his feelings toward his mother.

text: "It hurt her, but she knew it was only the function of his young mind." is evidence that the mother cares for her son, but lets him go nevertheless.

text: "She didn't know who the broken down man sitting on her couch was. She knew he needed a mom, but she knew not who he was." is evidence that it was difficult to care for her son when he returned.

answer: Though both of them claim they miss each other, it's not clear if the relationship is on good terms. The boy wants to leave. The mother expects the boy to come back.

text: There is no evidence in the story that the boy missed his mother while he was out exploring the world. Change the answer to reflect this imbalance of care.

refinement: While the mother misses her son, it is not clear if the son feels the same way. The relationship is not on good terms. The boy wants to leave. The mother expects the boy to come back.

text: "She thought he would be back sooner. "Today is the day," she would say." is evidence that the mother missed the son while he was gone and that she expects him to come back.

text: "And he was off to experience the world. Motherless." is evidence that the boy leaves his mother.

answer: Despite the boy leaving his mother, both are aware that they need each other. The mother misses her son dearly, but she understands that he is young and still growing. The boy also realizes how much he needs his mother, even if he does not show it. Both feel incomplete without the other.

text: "It hurt her, but she knew it was only the function of his young mind. She had understood him. She knew what he wanted and she gave it to him." is evidence that the mother understands the mission of her son.

text: "She thought he would be back sooner. "Today is the day," she would say." is evidence that she misses her son dearly.

text: "The empty women with her son. He was empty too. He was a tropical storm. He wouldn't hold onto what she gave him." is evidence that both are empty and needs someone to care for.

answer: The mother loves the boy; the boy takes from his mother, but he emotionally hurt her.

text: "And he was off to experience the world. Motherless." is evidence that the son leaves his mother to experience the world. Correct the action of the son in the answer.

refinement: The mother loves the boy; the boy walks away from his mother, but he emotionally hurt her.

text: Correct the wording in the last part to remove the contradiction.

refinement: The mother loves the boy; the boy walks away from his mother, and hurts her.

text: "But the pain she had was not quenched by her mind's reasoning of the events that took place. She knew why he had left, but she wouldn't lie to you or to me. It hurt her and she wouldn't hide it from us." is evidence that the boy hurt his mother.

text: "She had missed him, but he had left her broken." is evidence of her love for her son.

answer: The boy and his mother feel deeply connected to each other, but they also feel hurt and confusion because he left for awhile. However, both remain hopeful that he will return and their relationship can continue to grow.

text: "Slowly, quickly, coldly he spoke to his mother. "Fine," he would say. "You're not my mother," he would say." is evidence of the terms on which the son left his mother. Correct the answer to reflect that the boy denies the connection with his mother.

refinement: The mother feels deeply connected with her son, while he remains indifferent. She feels hurt and confused because he left for awhile. However, both remain hopeful that he will return and their relationship can continue to grow.

text: "Only the boy. He would speak and we would listen, but we would never be sure." is evidence that the feelings of the son surrounding repairing the relationship with his mother is not clear. Correct the answer to reflect that the mother feels hopeful about their relationship.

refinement: The mother feels deeply connected with her son, while he remains indifferent. She feels hurt and confused because he left for awhile. However, she remains hopeful that he will return and their relationship can continue to grow.

text: "She had understood him. She knew what he wanted and she gave it to him." is evidence of the deep connection between the mother and her son.

text: "It hurt her and she wouldn't hide it from us." is evidence that the mother was deeply hurt by her son.

text: ""My little boy will be back any day now," she repeated to herself. But he was not. She didn't know who the broken down man sitting on her couch was. She knew he needed a mom, but she knew not who he was." is evidence of the confusion upon her son's return.

text: "The fog disappeared. The boy lived on, and so would she. She would live on with the boy. She would watch him change." is evidence that her son and their relationship changes over time.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Is there a conflict between them? Is it resolved?

answer: The conflict is that the boy emotionally takes from his mother and doesn't give back. The behavior doesn't change, but the mother resolves that it is the cycle of how things work.

text: "I hoped that she had finally found what she needed, but I wouldn't be the one to know." is evidence that it is unclear from the text if the conflict was ever resolved. Include this uncertainty in the text.

refinement: The conflict is that the boy emotionally takes from his mother and doesn't give back. The behavior doesn't change, but the mother resolves that it is the cycle of how things work. It is unclear from the text if they are able to resolve the conflict.

text: "The empty women with her son. He was empty too. He was a tropical storm. He wouldn't hold onto what she gave him." is evidence that both are empty.

text: "It hurt her and she wouldn't hide it from us." is evidence that the woman was hurt badly when her son left.

text: "The boy lived on, and so would she. She would live on with the boy. She would watch him change. And she did. "So that's how the cycle works," she exclaimed." is evidence that the mother kept building and caring for her son.

answer: It seems as though the conflict is that she understands all that her son means when he claims she's not his mother. It seems part of the conflict is resolved when he comes back.

text: "So she sat, she cared for him, and her life went on. "My little boy will be back any day now," she repeated to herself. But he was not. She didn't know who the broken down man sitting on her couch was. She knew he needed a mom, but she knew not who he was." is evidence that she did not recognize her son when he came back and that a part of the conflict still remained. Include this fact in the answer.

refinement: It seems as though the conflict is that she understands all that her son means when he claims she's not his mother. It seems part of the conflict is resolved when he comes back although a large part of the mother and son relationship remains broken.

text: "The fog disappeared. The boy lived on, and so would she. She would live on with the boy. She would watch him change. And she did. "So that's how the cycle works," she exclaimed." is evidence that the mother recognized this change as part of life. Include this resignation in the answer.

refinement: It seems as though the conflict is that she understands all that her son means when he claims she's not his mother. It seems part of the conflict is resolved when he comes back although a large part of the mother and son relationship remains broken. The mother recognizes this as being part of a cycle.

text: "I hoped that she had finally found what she needed, but I wouldn't be the one to know." is evidence that it is unclear from the text if the conflict was ever resolved. Include this uncertainty in the text.

refinement: It seems as though the conflict is that she understands all that her son means when he claims she's not his mother. It seems part of the conflict is resolved when he comes back although a large part of the mother and son relationship remains broken. The mother recognizes this as being part of a cycle. It is unclear from the story if they are able to repair their relationship.

text: "Slowly, quickly, coldly he spoke to his mother. "Fine," he would say. "You're not my mother," he would say. It hurt her..." is evidence of the conflict between the mother and the boy.

text: "It hurt her, but she knew it was only the function of his young mind. She had understood him. She knew what he wanted and she gave it to him. And he was off to experience the world. Motherless." is evidence that the boy leaves home without resolving the conflict and that his mother understands why he does this.

text: "That day that I saw her I could tell something in her had been restored, but she was not like before" is evidence that he came back, but that the situation was not the same as before.

answer: There is a conflict between them. The conflict is unresolved. He hurt her when he left, and she misses him. However, the cycle goes on and it appears that he has moved on. It is unclear if they will be able to repair the relationship.

text: "Slowly, quickly, coldly he spoke to his mother. "Fine," he would say. "You're not my mother," he would say. It hurt her..." is evidence of the conflict between the mother and the boy.

text: "It hurt her, but she knew it was only the function of his young mind. She had understood him. She knew what he wanted and she gave it to him. And he was off to experience the world. Motherless." is evidence that the boy leaves home without resolving the conflict.

text: "She had missed him, but he had left her broken." is evidence that the mother continues to care for her son even though he left on such bad terms.

text: "That day that I saw her I could tell something in her had been restored, but she was not like before" is evidence that he came back, but that the situation was not the same as before.

text: "So she sat, she cared for him, and her life went on. "My little boy will be back any day now," she repeated to herself. But he was not. She didn't know who the broken down man sitting on her couch was. She knew he needed a mom, but she knew not who he was." is evidence that she did not recognize her son when he came back.

text: "The empty women with her son. He was empty too. He was a tropical storm. He wouldn't hold onto what she gave him." is evidence that the conflict remains unresolved.

answer: There may have been a conflict at the very end, since the pastor is there.

text: "Slowly, quickly, coldly he spoke to his mother. "Fine," he would say. "You're not my mother," he would say. It hurt her..." is evidence of the conflict between the mother and the boy. Include this evident conflict in the answer.

refinement: There is a conflict at the start of the story evidenced by the words of the son. Since the pastor is there.

text: Remove the pastor from the answer, it has no relevance to the conflict between the mother and her son.

refinement: There is a conflict at the start of the story evidenced by the words of the son.

text: "It hurt her, but she knew it was only the function of his young mind. She had understood him. She knew what he wanted and she gave it to him. And he was off to experience the world. Motherless." is evidence that the boy leaves home without resolving the conflict. Include this lack of resolution in the answer.

refinement: There is a conflict at the start of the story evidenced by the words of the son. This conflict remains unresolved as the son leaves home to experience the world.

text: "That day that I saw her I could tell something in her had been restored, but she was not like before" is evidence that he came back, but that the situation was not the same as before. Include the progression of their relationship in the answer.

refinement: There is a conflict at the start of the story evidenced by the words of the son. This conflict remains unresolved as the son leaves home to experience the world. He returns to his mother, but the unresolved tension remains between them.

text: "The fog disappeared. The boy lived on, and so would she. She would live on with the boy. She would watch him change. And she did. "So that's how the cycle works," she exclaimed." is evidence that the mother recognized this change as part of life. Include this resignation in the answer.

refinement: There is a conflict at the start of the story evidenced by the words of the son. This conflict remains unresolved as the son leaves home to experience the world. He returns to his mother, but the unresolved tension remains between them. The mother recognizes this as a part of the cycle.

text: "The pastor said, 'Jesus, of course.'"; "Neither would the pastor." is evidence that the pastor was present and involved at the end.

answer: There is a conflict between the mother and the boy. Their relationship is not resolved. The boy does not stay with the mother, and though he does return, the relationship is not the same again. There is an unresolved tension and conflict in their relationship.

text: "Slowly, quickly, coldly he spoke to his mother. "Fine," he would say. "You're not my mother," he would say. It hurt her..." is evidence of the conflict between the mother and the boy.

text: "It hurt her, but she knew it was only the function of his young mind. She had understood him. She knew what he wanted and she gave it to him. And he was off to experience the world. Motherless." is evidence that the boy leaves home without resolving the conflict.

text: "She had missed him, but he had left her broken." is evidence that the mother continues to care for her son even though he left on such bad terms.

text: "That day that I saw her I could tell something in her had been restored, but she was not like before" is evidence that he came back, but that the situation was not the same as before.

text: "So she sat, she cared for him, and her life went on. "My little boy will be back any day now," she repeated to herself. But he was not. She didn't know who the broken down man sitting on her couch was. She knew he needed a mom, but she knew not who he was." is evidence that she did not recognize her son when he came back.

text: "The empty women with her son. He was empty too. He was a tropical storm. He wouldn't hold onto what she gave him." is evidence that the conflict remains unresolved.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What is the setting of the story?

answer: The story is about a mother and her son. The story takes place in their home as they wait for the son to return. The setting is primarily inside the mother's house.

text: "The first day I saw her after he came back I didn't recognize her."  is evidence that her son returned toward the end of the story. Remove the second sentence of the answer due to this. It is superfluous.

refinement: The story is about a mother and her son. The setting is primarily inside the mother's house.

text: Remove the first sentence of the answer because it has no bearing on the question.

refinement: The setting is primarily inside the mother's house.

text: "I only saw a foggy mass, sitting in her house, wondering when the water would come to fill her again."; "She didn't know who the broken down man sitting on her couch was." is evidence that the story takes place, primarily, in the mother's house.

answer: A mundane everyday house setting

text: "I only saw a foggy mass, sitting in her house, wondering when the water would come to fill her again."; "She didn't know who the broken down man sitting on her couch was." is evidence that the story takes place, primarily, in the mother's house. From the evidence it is clear that it is a usual house setting.

answer: The setting isn't described.

text: Some information is given about the setting of the story, although it is not described fully. Remove the answer.

text: "I only saw a foggy mass, sitting in her house, wondering when the water would come to fill her again."; "She didn't know who the broken down man sitting on her couch was." is evidence that the story takes place, primarily, in the mother's house. Include the information regarding the usual house setting in the answer.

answer: It is unclear where the story happened, presumably somewhere in the U.S.

text: There is no evidence that the story takes place in the U.S. Remove this from the answer.

text: "I only saw a foggy mass, sitting in her house, wondering when the water would come to fill her again."; "She didn't know who the broken down man sitting on her couch was." is evidence that the story takes place, primarily, in the mother's house. Include the information regarding the usual house setting in the answer.

refinement: It is unclear where the story happened, although it is clear the story takes place primarily in a house.

text: "I only saw a foggy mass, sitting in her house, wondering when the water would come to fill her again." is evidence that the story takes place in an ordinary home.

answer: The story takes place in the present, between a mother and her son. She is letting him go into the world, and he returns after a longer absence than she expected. The mother is hurting and worried about her son, but is slowly able to trust again and find hope for a future with him. The setting is their home.

text: "She thought he would be back sooner." is evidence that the mother expected her son back sooner.

text: "I only saw a foggy mass, sitting in her house, wondering when the water would come to fill her again."; "She didn't know who the broken down man sitting on her couch was." is evidence that the story takes place, primarily, in the mother's house. From the evidence it is clear that it is a usual house setting.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Are there any other important characters?

answer: A boy he repeatedly calls "his mother," a mother, a pastor

text: The answer is confusing. Remove the double mention of 'mother' to reflect the three main characters - the boy, his mother and her pastor.

text: "The Boy and the Mother" is evidence of the two main characters.

text: "She talked to the pastor and he agreed." is evidence of the only other character in the story - the pastor.

answer: There aren't any other important characters.

text: "She talked to the pastor and he agreed." is evidence of the only other character in the story - the pastor. The answer is incorrect, remove it.

text: "She talked to the pastor and he agreed." is evidence of the only other character in the story - the pastor. Change the answer to the pastor.

answer: There are two important characters in this passage, the boy and the mother.

text: "She talked to the pastor and he agreed." is evidence of the only other character in the story - the pastor. Change the answer to include the pastor in the answer.

refinement: There are two important characters in this passage, the boy and the mother, and one other character - the pastor.

text: "The Boy and the Mother" is evidence of the two main characters.

answer: There are not any other important characters in the passage. The only character is the mother and her son.

text: "She talked to the pastor and he agreed." is evidence of the only other character in the story - the pastor. Change the answer to include the pastor in the answer.

refinement: The main characters are the mother and her son. The only other character is the pastor.

text: "The Boy and the Mother" is evidence of the two main characters.

answer: Pastor

text: "She talked to the pastor and he agreed." is evidence of the only other character in the story - the pastor.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: The story is about a mother who loves her son; the boy emotionally takes from his mother, and he emotionally hurts her. One day he leaves and she feels very empty; she waits for his return. He finally returns as a broken down man; he's empty. He continues to take from his mother, and she resolves that it is the cycle of how things work.

text: "I hoped that she had finally found what she needed, but I wouldn't be the one to know. Neither would the pastor. Only the boy. He would speak and we would listen, but we would never be sure." is evidence that the feelings of her son remains unclear. Include this as the final sentence in the answer.

refinement: The story is about a mother who loves her son; the boy emotionally takes from his mother, and he emotionally hurts her. One day he leaves and she feels very empty; she waits for his return. He finally returns as a broken down man; he's empty. He continues to take from his mother, and she resolves that it is the cycle of how things work. It is unclear if their relationship is restored.

text: "She wouldn't argue that things hadn't happened for a reason, but the rain poured when he left." is evidence of the mother's love for her son described through a metaphor.

text: "Slowly, quickly, coldly he spoke to his mother. "Fine," he would say. "You're not my mother," he would say." is evidence of the way the boy speaks to his mother that hurt her.

text: "It hurt her and she wouldn't hide it from us." is evidence that the mother was hurt by the boy's words.

text: "And he was off to experience the world. Motherless." is evidence that the boy leaves.

text: "It is simply empty." is evidence of how the mother feels after the boy leaves.

text: "'But he would be back,' she thought. 'I'll see him again,' she would say. And so her life went on." is evidence that the mother waits for the return of her son.

text: "The empty women with her son. He was empty too. He was a tropical storm. He wouldn't hold onto what she gave him." is evidence of the condition of her son when he came back.

text: "'So that's how the cycle works,' she exclaimed." is evidence that the mother resigns herself to the cycle.

answer:
The narrator describes the life of a mother. Her interaction with her son and her acknowledgement of his teenage years frustrates her a bit, but she has faith that one day he will return to her.

What might be the moral of this story? The nature of human relationships is unreadable to most observers, but pain arises in situations which are like this one.

text: "And he was off to experience the world. Motherless." is evidence that the boy left his mother to experience the world.

refinement:
The narrator describes the life of a mother. Her interaction with her son and when he leaves her she is frustrated and anxiously waits for him to come back, but she has faith that one day he will return to her.

What might be the moral of this story? The nature of human relationships is unreadable to most observers, but pain arises in situations which are like this one.

text: "Slowly, quickly, coldly he spoke to his mother. "Fine," he would say. "You're not my mother," he would say." is evidence that the narrator describes the life of a mother.

text: "She had understood him. She knew what he wanted and she gave it to him. And he was off to experience the world. Motherless." is evidence that the woman is frustrated with his teenage years.

text: "'But he would be back,' she thought. 'I'll see him again,' she would say. And so her life went on." is evidence that the mother has faith that her son will return.

text: "I hoped that she had finally found what she needed, but I wouldn't be the one to know. Neither would the pastor. Only the boy. He would speak and we would listen, but we would never be sure." is evidence that observers might not always know what is going on.

text: "It hurt her and she wouldn't hide it from us." is evidence of the pain that came from this situation.

answer: The narrator is the mother of a young boy. The boy pulls away from the mother, hurting her deeply. The mother waits for the boy to come back but he never does. However, when the boy suddenly reappears after months, the mother knows that her trust in him will be tested. She believed that her boy would return but wasn't sure who this broken man sitting on her couch was anymore. The mother laughs but knows that her heart has been broken by her son's abandonment. However, despite all that has happened, she is ready to welcome him back into her life.

text: The narrator is a bystander to the story. The mother is one of the main characters of the story. Remove the first sentence of the answer.

refinement: The boy pulls away from the mother, hurting her deeply. The mother waits for the boy to come back but he never does. However, when the boy suddenly reappears after months, the mother knows that her trust in him will be tested. She believed that her boy would return but wasn't sure who this broken man sitting on her couch was anymore. The mother laughs but knows that her heart has been broken by her son's abandonment. However, despite all that has happened, she is ready to welcome him back into her life.

text: "I hoped that she had finally found what she needed, but I wouldn't be the one to know. Neither would the pastor. Only the boy. He would speak and we would listen, but we would never be sure." is evidence that the feelings of her son remains unclear. Include this as the final sentence in the answer.

refinement: The boy pulls away from the mother, hurting her deeply. The mother waits for the boy to come back but he never does. However, when the boy suddenly reappears after months, the mother knows that her trust in him will be tested. She believed that her boy would return but wasn't sure who this broken man sitting on her couch was anymore. The mother laughs but knows that her heart has been broken by her son's abandonment. However, despite all that has happened, she is ready to welcome him back into her life. Her son's feelings are unclear.

text: "Slowly, quickly, coldly he spoke to his mother. "Fine," he would say. "You're not my mother," he would say." is evidence that the boy pulls away from his mother.

text: "It hurt her..." is evidence that the boy hurt his mother.

text: "'But he would be back,' she thought. 'I'll see him again,' she would say. And so her life went on." is evidence that the mother waits for the boy to come back.

text: "The first day I saw her after he came back I didn't recognize her." is evidence that the boy eventually came back.

text: "She didn't know who the broken down man sitting on her couch was. She knew he needed a mom, but she knew not who he was." is evidence that the mother does not recognize her son after his return and that he is broken.

text: "She laughed and she smiled." is evidence that she laughed after the boy returned.

text: "She would live on with the boy. She would watch him change. And she did." is evidence that the woman lets her back in her life.

answer: The boy and his mother experience pain when the boy leaves to explore the world. The mother hopes the boy will come back soon, but when he does not, she goes on living though empty. Then, the boy unexpectedly returns, and they reconcile. The mother realizes that the cycle is that rain falls and then rises again. She is ready, and ready to watch the boy change.

text: "I hoped that she had finally found what she needed, but I wouldn't be the one to know. Neither would the pastor. Only the boy. He would speak and we would listen, but we would never be sure." is evidence that the feelings of her son remains unclear. Include this as the final sentence in the answer.

refinement: The boy and his mother experience pain when the boy leaves to explore the world. The mother hopes the boy will come back soon, but when he does not, she goes on living though empty. Then, the boy unexpectedly returns, and they reconcile. The mother realizes that the cycle is that rain falls and then rises again. She is ready, and ready to watch the boy change. Her son's feeling is unclear from the story.

text: "It hurt her, but she knew it was only the function of his young mind. She had understood him. She knew what he wanted and she gave it to him. And he was off to experience the world. Motherless." is evidence that the mother is hurt when the boy leaves but accepts it as part of the cycle.

text: "'But he would be back, she thought. 'I'll see him again,' she would say. And so her life went on." is evidence that the mother was eager for his return.

text: "When the last drop of water leaves the cloud the cloud is not gone. It is simply empty." is evidence that the mother is empty when the son does not return.

text: "That day that I saw her I could tell something in her had been restored, but she was not like before." is evidence that when the son comes home she is restored.

text: "The rain had poured down but I didn't see her being filled up again." is evidence that the rain falls.

text: "One cloud, raining into another. So who fills up the first cloud. I wonder. The pastor said, "Jesus, of course." She said, "Yeah, Jesus will fill it up." So they waited for Jesus." is evidence that the woman is waiting to be filled up again.

text: "She would live on with the boy. She would watch him change. And she did." is evidence that the woman is ready to watch her son change.

answer: The boy would speak nonstop to his mother in complete gibberish, enjoying himself whenever his mother would understand the nonsense he spoke to her. She would give the boy everything he wanted, allowing him to leave her without a mother when he grew up. He would come back after years and the mother would quickly accept him. He would then leave again, leaving her without a son once more.

text: "Slowly, quickly, coldly he spoke to his mother. "Fine," he would say. "You're not my mother," he would say." is evidence that the boy hurts his mother with his words. Correct the answer to reflect the conflict between the mother and her son.

refinement: The boy would speak hurtfully to his mother. She would give the boy everything he wanted, allowing him to leave her without a mother when he grew up. He would come back after years and the mother would quickly accept him. He would then leave again, leaving her without a son once more.

text: "She had understood him. She knew what he wanted and she gave it to him. And he was off to experience the world. Motherless." is evidence that the boy leaves as though he has no mother, hurting his mother deeply. Correct the wording of the answer.

refinement: The boy would speak hurtfully to his mother. She would give the boy everything he wanted, allowing him to leave to experience the world. He would come back after years and the mother would quickly accept him. He would then leave again, leaving her without a son once more.

text: "The first day I saw her after he came back I didn't recognize her." is evidence that he came back. The time period that he is gone is not mentioned, remove it from the answer.

refinement: The boy would speak hurtfully to his mother. She would give the boy everything he wanted, allowing him to leave to experience the world. He would come back and the mother would quickly accept him. He would then leave again, leaving her without a son once more.

text: The son does not leave again, remove this from the answer.

refinement: The boy would speak hurtfully to his mother. She would give the boy everything he wanted, allowing him to leave to experience the world. He would come back and the mother would quickly accept him.

text: "I hoped that she had finally found what she needed, but I wouldn't be the one to know. Neither would the pastor. Only the boy. He would speak and we would listen, but we would never be sure." is evidence that the feelings of her son remains unclear. Include this as the final sentence in the answer.

refinement: The boy would speak hurtfully to his mother. She would give the boy everything he wanted, allowing him to leave to experience the world. He would come back and the mother would quickly accept him. The conflict between them remains unresolved.

text: "Slowly, quickly, coldly he spoke to his mother. "Fine," he would say. "You're not my mother," he would say." is evidence that the boy speaks.

text: "She had understood him. She knew what he wanted and she gave it to him. And he was off to experience the world. Motherless." is evidence that the mother allows the boy to leave, even though he sees himself as motherless.

text: "The first day I saw her after he came back I didn't recognize her." is evidence that he came back.

text: "So she sat, she cared for him, and her life went on." is evidence that his mother accepts him when he comes back.


text:
_INTRODUCTION TO CIRCLE PACKING: THE THEORY OF DISCRETE ANALYTIC FUNCTIONS_ is a mathematical monograph concerning systems of tangent circles and the circle packing theorem. It was written by Kenneth Stephenson and published in 2005 by the Cambridge University Press.

Topics

Circle packings, as studied in this book, are systems of circles that touch at tangent points but do not overlap, according to a combinatorial pattern of adjacencies specifying which pairs of circles should touch. The circle packing theorem states that a circle packing exists if and only if the pattern of adjacencies forms a planar graph; it was originally proved by Paul Koebe in the 1930s, and popularized by William Thurston, who rediscovered it in the 1970s and connected it with the theory of conformal maps and conformal geometry. As a topic, this should be distinguished from sphere packing, which considers higher dimensions (here, everything is two dimensional) and is more focused on packing density than on combinatorial patterns of tangency.

The book is divided into four parts, in progressive levels of difficulty. The first part introduces the subject visually, encouraging the reader to think about packings not just as static objects but as dynamic systems of circles that change in predictable ways when the conditions under which they are formed (their patterns of adjacency) change. The second part concerns the proof of the circle packing theorem itself, and of the associated rigidity theorem: every maximal planar graph can be associated with a circle packing that is unique up to Möbius transformations of the plane. More generally the same result holds for any triangulated manifold, with a circle packing on a topologically equivalent Riemann surface that is unique up to conformal equivalence.

The third part of the book concerns the degrees of freedom that arise when the pattern of adjacencies is not fully triangulated (it is a planar graph, but not a maximal planar graph). In this case, different extensions of this pattern to larger maximal planar graphs will lead to different packings, which can be mapped to each other by corresponding circles. The book explores the connection between these mappings, which it calls discrete analytic functions, and the analytic functions of classical mathematical analysis. The final part of the book concerns a conjecture of William Thurston, proved by Burton Rodin and Dennis Sullivan, that makes this analogy concrete: conformal mappings from any topological disk to a circle can be approximated by filling the disk by a hexagonal packing of unit circles, finding a circle packing that adds to that pattern of adjacencies a single outer circle, and constructing the resulting discrete analytic function. This part also includes applications to number theory and the visualization of brain structure.

Stephenson has implemented algorithms for circle packing and used them to construct the many illustrations of the book, giving to much of this work the flavor of experimental mathematics, although it is also mathematically rigorous. Unsolved problems are listed throughout the book, which also includes nine appendices on related topics such as the ring lemma and Doyle spirals.

Audience and reception

The book presents research-level mathematics, and is aimed at professional mathematicians interested in this and related topics. Reviewer Frédéric Mathéus describes the level of the material in the book as “both mathematically rigorous and accessible to the novice mathematician”, presented in an approachable style that conveys the author's love of the material. However, although the preface to the book states that no background knowledge is necessary, and that the book can be read by non-mathematicians or used as an undergraduate textbook, reviewer Michele Intermont disagrees, noting that it has no exercises for students and writing that “non-mathematicians will be nothing other than frustrated with this book”. Similarly, reviewer David Mumford finds the first seven chapters (part I and much of part II) to be at an undergraduate level, but writes that “as a whole, the book is suitable for graduate students in math”.

title: Introduction to Circle Packing

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What does the article say about circular logic?

answer: No answer

answer: No answer

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What are some related fields to circle packing?

answer: Sphere packing is a related field.

text: The answer is missing additional information on other related fields.

refinement: Sphere packing is a related field, as well as the theory of conformal maps and conformal geometry.

answer: Some related fields are sphere packing, which considers higher dimensions (here, everything is two dimensional) and is more focused on packing density than on combinatorial patterns of tangency.

answer: Sphere packing is a related field. It is more concerned with packing density than with a combinatorial pattern of tangency.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What parts of the book does the reviewer David Mumford call out as exceeding the abilities of a novice?

answer: The first seven chapters of the book

text: The response is completely the opposite of what was written in the passage.

refinement: While the first seven chapters of the book are suitable for undergraduate students, the rest of the book is not.

answer: The first seven chapters of the book (part I and much of part II).

answer: The first seven chapters.


text:
 This article is more than 2 YEARS OLD

Sales bested 2017’s 17% increase over Labor Day, according to Edison Trends, despite Trump’s protests of the campaign

The Nike ad starring Colin Kaepernick does not appear to have adversely affected sales, an analyst said on Saturday.

According to Edison Trends, a digital commerce research company: “Nike sales grew 31% from Sunday through Tuesday over Labor Day this year, besting 2017’s comparative 17% increase.”

The sportswear giant released the first version of its ad on Monday, the Labor Day holiday. It featured the quarterback and the slogan: “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything. Just do it.”

Kaepernick, 30, has been without a team since opting out of his San Francisco 49ers contract in March 2017. In 2016 he was an originator of protests by NFL players, targeting racial injustice and police brutality, which often involve kneeling during the pre-game playing of the national anthem.

Donald Trump has made the protests a key part of his appeal to his base, arguing that the players are disrespecting the anthem, the US flag and the military.

On Tuesday, the president told the rightwing website Daily Caller: “I think it’s a terrible message that [Nike] are sending and the purpose of them doing it, maybe there’s a reason for them doing it. But I think as far as sending a message, I think it’s a terrible message and a message that shouldn’t be sent. There’s no reason for it.”

He also said Nike paid him “a lot of rent” in New York and admitted that the protests and the Nike ad were “in another way … what this country is all about, that you have certain freedoms to do things that other people think you shouldn’t do”.

“But I personally am on a different side of it,” Trump said.

In the following days, the president pursued the issue via Twitter. On Wednesday, he wrote: “Just like the NFL, whose ratings have gone WAY DOWN, Nike is getting absolutely killed with anger and boycotts. I wonder if they had any idea that it would be this way? As far as the NFL is concerned, I just find it hard to watch, and always will, until they stand for the FLAG!”

Trump did not supply evidence for his claim of “anger and boycotts” but opposition to the company’s move was expressed widely and in some instances creatively on social media.

On Friday, the morning after the full version of the Nike ad played during the Philadelphia Eagles v Atlanta Falcons NFL season opener, the president asked: “What was Nike thinking?”

Nike releases full ad featuring Colin Kaepernick - video
Edison Trends’ analysis suggested the company will be thinking its gambit has worked, allowing it to surf familiar controversy and create a “Trump bump” all of its own.

“Nike’s 2018 late summer sales show much the same trend as last year’s,” the company wrote, “with order volume decreasing slightly going into late August. The similarity decreases coming out of Labor Day weekend, however, with sales seeing a bigger bump on Monday and Tuesday than in the past.”

Edison Trends said its analysis was based on “anonymised and aggregated e-receipts from more than 3 million consumers”.

The NFL has not resolved how to respond to or govern the protests, which were widely discussed again on Thursday after Eagles defensive end Michael Bennett sat down before the anthem had finished.

In July, in an open letter to league owners, the NBA great and Guardian sports columnist Kareem Abdul Jabbar wrote: “It’s been two years since Colin Kaepernick first took a knee to protest systemic racial injustice, especially police brutality, against people of color.

“The worst thing about that isn’t that two years later we’re still debating whether players have the right to protest, it’s that not much has changed regarding what Kaepernick was protesting.”

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Summarize the arguments against Kaepernick.

answer: Donald Trump has made the protests a key part of his appeal to his base, arguing that the players are disrespecting the anthem, the US flag, and the military.

text: It is omitted that Kaepernick organized the protests.

refinement: Donald Trump has made the protests organized by Kaepernick a key part of his appeal to his base, arguing that the players are disrespecting the anthem, the US flag, and the military.

answer: Trump states that Kaepernick is disrespecting the anthem, the US flag and the military.

answer: Trump states that Kaepernick is disrespecting the anthem, the US flag and the military by kneeling during the pre-game playing of the national anthem.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What does the article say about the effects of Kaepernick's protests?

answer: The article states that Nike sales went up by 31% during Labor Day weekend, despite Trump's protests. The analyst that is quoted believes that Nike's sales will continue to grow. However, Trump believes that Nike has sent a terrible message to the country.

text: It is omitted that not much has changed regarding what Kaepernick was protesting.

refinement: The article states that Nike sales went up by 31% during Labor Day weekend, despite Trump's protests. The analyst that is quoted believes that Nike's sales will continue to grow. However, Trump believes that Nike has sent a terrible message to the country. However, not much has changed regarding what Kaepernick was protesting.

answer: According to Edison Trends, Nike sales went up 31% after their ads featuring Kaepernick. Trump has been critical of the protests, arguing that they are disrespectful towards the anthem, flag, and military. Despite this, Nike's sales have not been negatively affected.

answer: The article states that Nike sales went up by 31% during Labor Day weekend, despite Trump's protests. The analyst that is quoted believes that Nike's sales will continue to grow. However, Trump believes that Nike has sent a terrible message to the country.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What does the article say about ways to resolve racial injustice and police brutality?

answer: No answer

answer: No answer


text:
The Sunspider crawls along my arm, its gem-body focusing the sun, leaving a tingling pain and barely burned line in my skin. It backs along, licking up the cooked flesh. It doesn't bother me, but I know it once made the others squeamish. I've grown used to it, and I love that I am contributing to the next generation of partners in my world. At the end of the hot months, I will spy them among the early ice crystals and know I am part of them. I move my arm down to the sand to allow this little mother to move on, and walk through past the small rock outcrop.

Away from the rocks, the sun seems harsher, and I squint from the pain it brings my eyes. The summer months are still to come; the spring is short. I must find a quiet place to sleep again.

As I move across the dried salt plains, I shield my eyes with my robe and look out to the horizon. The next set of rocky hills are distant. When I sleep so long, all changes. Mountains rise, though the oceans are long gone. For so long here it has been just the Sunspiders and I...I sleep my seasons, awake to greet them, and walk ahead to find the next tomb, hoping I am not the only and the last doing so.

The thousands-of-days winter has led to my travelling springtime. I sleep during the blackness and cold, then again during the fiery long summers as it bakes the world. The short spring and autumn are wonderful to me as I rise again to walk.

The days are brilliant, and each step forward is a memory so many before. The tap of my feet in the dust echoes the past. The nights are my calm rest, as I stare at the stars. I remember clouds. When they existed, I ignored them except as they prevented me from seeing into the distances. I know all things move, even those stars, but I'm not able to visualize the changes that have happened since my youth, though it's been so long that they must have.

I'm not sure what to expect. I spend all these times thinking that this will be the moment when I see something left behind from when I was not alone. Yet I know that with each sleep and each cycle around the sun the chance of spotting a connection to history lessens. Apparently I am the only thing made to last forever, as even the decaying foundations of our previous civilization fade away into oddly-coloured dust, and then disappear entirely in the winds.

I don't count the days walking toward my goal. I note that it gets hotter as I move along. The spring seems shorter each time, and I wonder if next time I will remember to keep track.

And then I am at the bottom of the outcropping. I stare up, the sun behind me, looking for glints and squared shadows that might be some sign. I am not disappointed when I don't find what I did not expect to see. The next morning I climb, and move sideways around the rocks, stopping frequently to stare again. Nothing.

I climb, and seek the caves, cracks and shadows...seeking a safe place to retire. Each small shadow is a relief from the sun, but not accommodating to my form. With practised effort, I pull myself up on a ledge and stop, as everything inside me screams. From deep within me, I yell and shriek, while standing utterly motionless.

A line! A depth! The remains of an old fire! A scrap of metal! My eyes are on fire, pupils opened as wide as they can, taking this simple but incredible view deep inside me!

I clutch at my sides and shake. I cannot move forward. I cannot risk this being a mirage.

I turn away, overwhelmed with everything...and fall. With shock I don't scramble to find hold in the empty air. I watched what I have sought for so long disappearing away from me in the distance, like it were falling away from me, and the whole world shifting in my view.

I think I remember bouncing. I don't remember coming to a stop between two jagged boulders. I am broken, flesh torn and whatever has been keeping me going all this time falling apart and falling out. It's early morning and I am looking up toward the sun. Its heat shines at my eyes and I watch where I hope shadows begin to appear.

A fire glints above me. A Sunspider, an identical diamond to the ones I have known. Not quite alive, and not dead. Much like me.

Another, and another...and soon hundreds. A thousand Sunspiders above me, their scattered light twinkling on everything around me. I cannot move, but I watched. I could not begin to count them above me, as they crawl over each other, refracting each others light, sending it in all directions. The are joining, separating, and spreading across the gap above me, creating a glowing shield. It's like nothing I have seen before, and I nearly forget my state. As they lock together and slow their frenzied actions, I seem them adjust, like a ripple on a pond, and I am struck that I still remember water.

They are focusing that light, and that sun. Together, like a giant lens, and I know they are part of me from all the times I've taken care of them. A shudder, and I know. They are finishing things. With that much power together, they are taking care of me. A funeral pyre. I think I smile, as they put an end to my journey. I'll become the dust in the winds and still keep travelling this world.

title: "Sunspider Sunset" - please comment and constructively critique. Note that nameless/ageless/genderless is entirely intentional.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Summarize the primary source of tension in this story.

answer: The primary source of tension in this story is the narrator's search for something to connect them to the past. The narrator is the only thing that has lasted forever, and they are searching for something that will connect them to the past.

text: The narrator doesn't truly last forever, dying at the end of the story.

refinement: The primary source of tension in this story is the narrator's search for something to connect them to the past. The narrator is the only thing that almost lasted forever, and they are searching for something that will connect them to the past.

answer: The primary source of tension in this story is the narrator's search for something to connect them to the past. The narrator is the only thing that has lasted forever, and they are searching for something that will connect them to the past. The narrator is also searching for a place to rest and sleep.

answer: The primary source of tension in this story is the narrator's search for a safe place to sleep, which is also a search for a connection to history. The narrator knows that other people existed on the planet before, but they've been extinct for a long time. The narrator is looking for the remains of the civilization that existed before the Sunspiders.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Describe how and why this is the end of the narrator's journey.

answer: The narrator is dying, and the Sunspiders are finishing things for the narrator. They are taking care of the narrator, and the narrator knows it. The Sunspiders are creating a funeral pyre for the narrator.

text: The answer should mention how the narrator dies.

refinement: The narrator falls unexpectedly, flesh torn apart. The narrator is dying, and the Sunspiders are finishing things for the narrator. They are taking care of the narrator, and the narrator knows it. The Sunspiders are creating a funeral pyre for the narrator, focusing sunlight on the narrator.

text: The answer is written with too many repetitions.

refinement: The narrator falls unexpectedly, flesh torn apart. The narrator is dying, and the Sunspiders are taking care of the narrator, and the narrator knows it. The Sunspiders are creating a funeral pyre for the narrator, focusing sunlight on the narrator to light up.

answer: The narrator is dying, and the Sunspiders are finishing things for the narrator. They are taking care of the narrator, and the narrator knows it.

answer: The narrator is dying, and the Sunspiders are using their light to create a funeral pyre. The narrator will become the dust in the winds and still keep travelling this world.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Summarize what this story says about seeing.

answer: At first, the narrator cannot remember what it was like before the last of their species died. This makes the narrator feel like there are members of their species at every turn. They feel sad about this.

text: There's nothing about seeing in the text. The correct answer is that there's no answer.

answer: The narrator sees the sun spider crawl across their arm. They see the sun behind them as they climb the outcropping. They see the remains of an old fire, a scrap of metal, and hundreds of sun spiders. They see the sun as they are dying.

answer: [rewrite]

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Summarize what motivates the narrator to keep going in this story.

answer: The narrator is motivated by the hope of finding something left behind from when they were not alone. They are also motivated by the hope of finding a connection to history.

answer: The narrator is motivated by the hope of finding something left behind from when they were not alone. They are also motivated by the hope of finding a connection to history. They are also motivated by the Sunspiders, which they are taking care of.

answer: The narrator is motivated to keep going because they are the only thing that has lasted forever. They are also motivated by the hope that they will find something left behind from when they were not alone.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Describe the turning point in the story.

answer: The turning point in the story is when the narrator finds a scrap of metal. This is the first time the narrator has found something that is not a Sunspider. The narrator is overwhelmed with emotion and falls. The Sunspiders are focusing the light and the sun, like a giant lens, and the narrator knows they are part of me from all the times I've taken care of them. The narrator realizes that the Sunspiders are finishing things and taking care of the narrator. The narrator knows they are becoming dust in the wind and will keep travelling the world.

text: The events after the narrator's fall are irrelevant to the question.

refinement: The turning point in the story is when the narrator finds a scrap of metal. This is the first time the narrator has found something that is not a Sunspider. The narrator is overwhelmed with emotion and falls.

text: The narrator is trying to find something of the past, and they get surprised when they do after such a long time. The story doesn't say that the narrator only saw sunspiders before then.

refinement: The turning point in the story is when the narrator finds a scrap of metal. This is the first time the narrator has found something from ancient times when they weren't alone. The narrator is overwhelmed with emotion and falls.

answer: The turning point in the story is when the narrator finds the remains of an old fire, scrap metal, and then sees the Sunspiders.

answer: The turning point in the story is when the narrator finds a scrap of metal. This is the first time the narrator has found something that is not a Sunspider. The narrator is overwhelmed with emotion and falls. The Sunspiders are focusing the light and the sun, like a giant lens, and the narrator knows they are part of me from all the times I've taken care of them. The narrator realizes that the Sunspiders are finishing things and taking care of the narrator. The narrator knows they are becoming dust in the wind and will keep travelling the world.


text:
Two Houses.

Picture two houses across the street from one another. They looked perfectly normal and sturdy on the outside, but on the inside they were run down and falling apart. Inside of one lived a quiet and peaceful man, and in the other lived a beautiful and cheerful woman. Neither of them, however, liked being outside the confines of their own house.

One day, the peaceful man ventured across the street to the other house and was invited inside. The two strangers visited, shared laughs, told stories, and enjoyed the others company. At the end of the day, the man returned to his house.

The next day he visited again, but instead of talking, he started to slowly repair the inside of the run down house. When one of his repairs would break, he would immediately come over to fix the damage with a smile on his face. The two housekeepers became used to seeing one another each day, and eventually, the woman would come over to the man's house to visit. The woman noticed that his house looked much worse on the inside than hers, and started to sneak inside at night while he was asleep to make repairs. When the man would try to fix something himself, or repair damages to his own house, he would fail, and sometimes even make things worse. But the next morning,  he would notice that things would be fixed. This puzzled the man and he decided to ask the woman about it the next time she came over.

The next evening they spent together, he asked and she informed the man of what she had been doing, and the man asked why. She replied,
"Because people who show a caring and wholesome heart deserve to receive the same treatment they give to others." The man became confused.
          "But I am a shut in. Nobody gives to me, and I don't give to them. Why does somebody like me deserve somebody as wonderful as you?"

The woman put her hand on the man's shoulder and looked into his dark brown eyes. She noticed a hurt that had always seemed to hide beneath his smile, a sorrow that hadn't been revealed in a very long time. She said in a soft and gentle voice: "Somebody that prefers to be alone does not always prefer being lonely. There is always somebody who will care."

The two embraced, and the man sobbed and became limp in the woman's arms. Once he had calmed down, the woman kissed him on the cheek and returned to her house without saying a word.

The following morning, he noticed another man performing landscaping on her lawn, painting the outside of her house, and cleaning her patio. Each day the house would look more and more beautiful. He became sad that the woman had found somebody else to do her work, and started to loathe the landscaper that would beautify her house all the time.

The woman remained indoors all day, trying to make the interior of her house look as pleasant as the exterior. However, most of her attempts at repairs or renovation were disasters. The person she hired was no help, and was only after her money. She began to miss her neighbors company, along with his sturdy repairs and his gentle smile. As days went by, the man and woman thought about each other more and more, but never saw each other.

One afternoon, the woman heard her doorbell ring. Knowing it wasn't the landscaper she hired, she curiously approached the peephole of the door. Seeing that nobody was outside, she opened the door and looked for pranksters. Looking down, she saw a small, dirty looking tin with a bow neatly placed on top of it.

The interior of the unkempt tin was extravagantly decorated with soft velvet from top to bottom, and in the center laid a simple necklace with a key on it, resting on top of a small note. Putting the necklace on, she unfolded the small note and noticed little droplets of water on the page.

"You are the only one that can make it feel less empty. Please take care of it for me while I'm gone. I must go, but I will return one day."

After reading it the woman dropped to her knees, and tears started to form in her tightly shut eyes. For what seemed like years, she spent the next few months wishing the man would come back and going into his house to take care of it while he was gone. She noticed that every little thing she had done to the house remained unchanged, as if he never tried to correct the small mistakes she had made.

Eventually, the man returned. The woman was thrilled and filled with happiness, but also saddened by the fact that the man no longer came across the street to visit her. A few days after his return, she noticed he was packing his belongings into boxes. Fearing that he might move away, the woman mustered up the courage to go talk to the man.

"Why are you putting everything into boxes?" The woman asked.
    "Because," the man replied solemnly, "I am looking to create new memories and find a fresh start." The woman said nothing and returned to her house, slamming the door and fighting back tears.

The next morning, the man was loading his belongings into a moving truck when he saw a pile of boxes bigger than his own sitting in the woman's lawn. He walked across the street to the pile, and saw a note taped to one of the boxes.

"I will always love you, and I promise that I will always be next to you. No matter where we go."

The man's face turned into a broad smile, and he looked up to see the woman on her front patio, looking right back at him, the necklace glistening in the sunlight. She ran into his arms and they kissed for what felt like an eternity. The pair continued to load all of their belongings into the one moving truck, and left that very evening. Holding hands with his true love, the man looked into the rear view mirror to see the sun setting on the old, abandoned houses for the last time, and felt what was truly a pure happiness. An odd and relieving sensation washed over him like a tide, as he realized that he would never have to search for anything in his life, as long as he lived.

title: Some OC for you all to enjoy

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Summarize what the story has to say about loneliness.

answer: Loneliness can be overcome. If a person prefers to be alone, they may feel lonely. There are people in this world that will care, but they need to be found. The man was lonely because he was a shut-in. He didn't give to others and no one gave to him.

text: The last sentence is not accurate and should be removed.

refinement: Loneliness can be overcome. If a person prefers to be alone, they may feel lonely. There are people in this world that will care, but they need to be found. The man was lonely because he was a shut-in.

answer: The story seems to suggest that loneliness is a state of mind. The man and woman are both lonely, but the woman is more proactive about fixing her loneliness. The man, on the other hand, is content to be alone.

answer: If a person prefers to be alone, they may feel lonely. There are people in this world that will care, but they need to be found. The man was lonely because he was a shut-in. He didn't give to others and no one gave to him.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Summarize the surprise in the conclusion of the story.

answer: The man learns that he doesn't have to worry about searching for anything as long as he lives - his love will always be there for him.

text: The response goes into the theme rather than the surprising event. Rewrite it to be more specific.

refinement: The man learns that his love will always be there for him when her packed boxes appear on her lawn, along with a note that indicates she's coming with him when he moves.

answer: The surprise is that the woman gives the man a necklace, and he realizes that she is his true love.

answer: No answer

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Summarize the source of tension in the story.

answer: The source of tension in the story is the fact that the man and woman are neighbors, but they don't know each other. The man is a shut-in, and the woman is a cheerful person who likes to be around people. The man repairs the woman's house, and the woman repairs the man's house. The man is sad that the woman has found someone else to do her work, and the woman is sad that the man has found a new start.

answer: The tension in the story comes from the fact that the man and woman are neighbors, but they are both shut-ins. They do not interact with each other, but they both seem to want to. The man repairs the woman's house, and the woman repairs the man's house. They both like each other, but they do not interact. The woman hires a landscaper to fix up her house, and the man becomes jealous.

answer: The tension in the story comes from the fact that the man and woman are neighbors, but they are both shut-ins. They do not interact with each other, but they both seem to want to. The man repairs the woman's house, and the woman repairs the man's house. They both like each other, but they do not interact. The woman hires a landscaper to fix up her house, and the man becomes jealous.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Explain the relationship between the occupants prior to this story.

answer: They were neighbors who kept to themselves. The woman was in love with the man.

text: There is no evidence for the second sentence, so it should be removed.

refinement: They were neighbors who kept to themselves.

answer: They were neighbors who kept to themselves.


text:
“JANUARY 1ST” (stylised as JANUARY 1ST) is a song by Japanese rock band Coldrain. It is the third single and sixth track on their sixth studio album _The Side Effects_, produced by Michael Baskette, written by Masato Hayakawa and was released on 8 August 2019.[1][2][3][4]

“January 1st” is the first ever soft song by the band to ever be released as a single.

Background

“January 1st” was released on 8 August 2019 as the band's third single and the sixth track off their sixth studio album _The Side Effects_, following the release of the second single “Coexist” which was released just the month prior. It was the last single to be released prior to the album's release.

On 7 August, several teases were made on Coldrain's social media accounts with a photo of lead singer, Masato Hayakawa, surrounded by darkness, as well as a translucent image of him in the same photo which is contrasted by a flame and water. This tease would be followed up by an announcement made of the official music video, which would be slated for release on the following day.[5]

Composition

“January 1st” is an alternative rock song. The track runs at 150 BPM and is in the key of A major. It runs for four minutes and 40 seconds.[6] The song was written by Masato Hayakawa and Ryo Yokochi, it was produced by Michael Baskette.

Meaning and lyrics

“January 1st” is written about Hayakawa's dog, who passed away on January 1, 2019. Struggling to cope with his loss, who felt like family to him. He wrote the song to cope about how he could not let go for someone he loved dearly and had many memories of. As a result of this, the chorus would be a direct reference to how Hayakawa felt about it.[7]

Hayakawa would directly request “January 1st” to be a single and a music video released by the band. This would prove to be ambitious, as it would be the first slow song by the band to ever be released as a single.[8]

Track listing

Music video

The music video for “January 1st” was released alongside the single on 8 August 2019, and was directed by Koh Yamada.[9]

The video starts out with frontman, Masato Hayakawa, walking up from the ocean on the beach during the night to join his bandmates to perform the song. Flames from campfires surround the band as they perform. These scenes are intertwined with Hayakawa singing the song during the day on an escalator, under a bridge, and in the sea on the same beach while also scaling up stairs in a well which symbolises moving on.

As of October 2020, the song has 710K views on YouTube.

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[10]

COLDRAIN

-   Masato Hayakawa – lead vocals, lyrics
-   Ryo Yokochi – lead guitar, programming, composition
-   Kazuya Sugiyama – rhythm guitar
-   Ryo Shimizu – bass guitar
-   Katsuma Minatani – drums

ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL

-   Michael Baskette – producer, mixing, arrangements
-   Ted Jensen – mastering
-   Jeff Moll – recording engineer
-   Joshua Saldate – assistant engineer

Charts

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Charts (2019)                     | Peak                              |
|                                   | position                          |
+===================================+===================================+
| Japanese Daily Hot 100[11]        | 57                                |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Japanese Weekly                   | 74                                |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

title: January 1st (Coldrain song)

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What does the text say about recording an album in Tokyo?

answer: The article doesn't mention anything about recording an album in Tokyo.

answer: No answer

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What does the text say about Coldrain?

answer: Coldrain is a Japanese rock band. January 1st is the third single and sixth track off their sixth studio album, The Side Effects. The band's lead singer, Masato Hayakawa, wrote the song to cope with the death of his dog on January 1, 2019. The other members of the band are Ryo Yokochi, Kazuya Sugiyama, Ryo Shimizu, and Katsuma Minatani.

answer: Coldrain is a Japanese rock band. January 1st is the third single and sixth track off their sixth studio album, The Side Effects. The band's lead singer, Masato Hayakawa, wrote the song to cope with the death of his dog on January 1, 2019.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

What does the text say about Coldrain's album, The Side Effects?

answer: Coldrain's sixth studio album, The Side Effects, was released on August 8, 2019. It was produced by Michael Baskette and written by Masato Hayakawa. The album contains six tracks, including "January 1st."

text: There is no evidence the album contains six tracks, so remove this.

refinement: Coldrain's sixth studio album, The Side Effects, was released on August 8, 2019. It was produced by Michael Baskette and written by Masato Hayakawa. The album contains the track "January 1st."

text: Add that "January 1st" was the third single from the album, and "Coexist" was the second.

refinement: Coldrain's sixth studio album, The Side Effects, was released on August 8, 2019. It was produced by Michael Baskette and written by Masato Hayakawa. The album contains the track "January 1st", which was the third single from the album, with "Coexist" the second.

answer: Coldrain's sixth studio album, The Side Effects, was released on August 8, 2019. It was produced by Michael Baskette and written by Masato Hayakawa. The album contains six tracks, including "January 1st" as the third single.

question:
Answer the following question based on the above passage:

Summarize the most interesting facts about Coldrain's single, "January 1st"?

answer: "January 1st" is a song by Japanese rock band Coldrain. It is the band's first soft song. "January 1st" was released on 8 August 2019.

text: It is the band's first soft song as a single, not in general.

refinement: "January 1st" is a song by Japanese rock band Coldrain. It is the band's first soft song to be released as a single. "January 1st" was released on 8 August 2019.

text: Add that it's about Hayakawa's dog, who passed away on January 1st, 2019.

refinement: "January 1st" is a song by Japanese rock band Coldrain. It is the band's first soft song to be released as a single. "January 1st" was released on 8 August 2019. It's about Hayakawa's dog, who passed away on January 1st, 2019.

answer: "January 1st" is the first soft song by the band to ever be released as a single. It is also the first slow song by the band to ever be released as a single. Additionally, it was written about Hayakawa's dog, who passed away on January 1, 2019.

answer: "January 1st" is a song by Japanese rock band Coldrain. It is the band's first soft song. "January 1st" was released on 8 August 2019. The song is about the singer's dog that passed away.