text:
Sharon didn't want his death the be too painful, even though that bastard deserved it. Cheating on her with that bitch at the office. Not his office even, her office. Her husband Mike would often visit her at work during lunch. It was always a surprise to see him there, right when Sharon got back from lunch, sitting in her desk chair.
	“Hey Sharon!” He would say with that toothless smile she had grown to hate. “Just got finished with all my work for the day so I thought I’d drop by and see you.” He would chirp, or something along those lines. But this particular day something different happened. Mike was there, but he wasn't waiting in Sharon’s chair. No, Mike was coming out of her coworker’s office. Sharon saw her giggle at him as he left and make a sly shhhh sign with her finger. They both nervously laughed as Mike walked away with a prideful grin on his face. He would almost always have with him chocolate cheesecake- Sharon’s favorite food. Then they would eat together and Mike would give her a short peck on the lips and leave. That’s how she knew he was cheating on her. She tasted something on Mike’s lips that day, something sweet. It wasn't the chocolate cheesecake though. No, this was a sweet strawberry flavor upon his this lips that she tasted.
	Mike made a lot of money. He was a writer for a popular newspaper company in New York. Sharon hardly made any money. She didn't even have to work actually, Mike made more than enough to keep them both more than alive and happy. Mike was kinda famous too. He wrote the political cartoons for the paper. Sometimes people would recognize him in resturaunts or places like that. They would come up to him with a big smile and shake his hand or ask for a picture. They wouldn’t even acknowledge Sharon. And that made her mad.
	Melissa. That’s the bitch that was doing her husband at her workplace. Sharon wasn’t completely sure it was Melissa, but it was most likely her. Melissa wasn't even that pretty, at least not in Sharon’s eyes. Melissa had to have been at least forty with her brown hair that was starting to show strands of grey. Sharon’s hair had more grey in her blonde hair, she used products to keep it from showing, but it never seemed to work for her. Melissa was also kinda plump. Not fat by any means, but not close to skinny either. Sharon was skinny. Too skinny. She had lost a lot of weight lately and she didn't know why. Maybe Mike didn't like her being skinny, maybe he wanted something more plump like Melissa. That’s what Sharon figured at least.
	Poison. That’s how Mike was going to die. Sharon got the poison from a guy in the city. She knew from some of the ladies in her office that he could get anybody anything that they want, drugs, guns it didn't matter. “I’ve actually never done drugs before, not even in high school or college.” Sharon overheard Melissa saying one day. That bitch.
	“You’ve outdone yourself this time sweetie.” Mike said as he finished the potato soup that Sharon made him. Mike loved potato soup. He was always pestering Sharon to buy it for him. Sharon put the poison in the potato soup, the dealer said it was tasteless and the affects of the poison would kick in in about 6 hours. After dinner they cuddled on the couch. She actually liked being with him like this. It was a shame he had to die. Oh well, he shouldn't have cheated on her. They were in love for 15 years. Their anniversary was just last week and Mike took her ballroom dancing, something they both found out they were getting too old for.
	“I love you so much.” Michael whispered into her ear. His breath smelled like potato soup.
	Sharon smiled at him and stared back into his dark brown eyes. “I love you too babe.” And they started kissing like they were teenagers again, sitting in the back of Mike’s chevy truck.
	Sharon tasted something horrible in her mouth while they were kissing. It tasted like potato soup but something wet and metallic. “The hell, Mike?” Sharon asked as she pushed him away.
	Mike was bleeding. Everywhere. There was blood streaming out of his mouth, but that’s not the only place it was pouring out of. His eyes, ears and nose were all spewing out dark red blood. Sharon screamed. And so did Michael. The look of terror and pain in his eyes suddenly made Sharon forget that he was a dirty cheater. Mike was crying too. She could see the tears over the blood that was now all over his face. Michael was still on top of Sharon while all of this was going on. His blood was all over her body and white blouse.
	“Sharon.” Mike garbled as blood came spitting out if his mouth and onto Sharon and her opened mouth. “Help. 911.” He spewed quickly. But Sharon didn't move. She didn't know what to do. Mike was on top of her and wouldn't move. Couldn't move, so it seemed. This wasn't supposed to happen this way. It wasn't supposed to end like this. The dealer told Sharon that Mike would just die in his sleep. No pain. No blood spewing out of every orrfice in the man’s body. Mike’s torture went on for about forty-five minutes. And then he finally died, laying on top of his wife. Sharon carefully pushed him off of her and onto the floor. She took her blood-soaked clothes off and got in the shower. She was just getting out of the shower when the doorbell rang. “One minute!” she cried out. Sharon wasn’t thinking about her dead husband’s tortured body laying in the living room floor. Sharon wasn’t really thinking about anything at all. She opened the door. And there was Melissa.
	“Happy birthday, Sharon!” Melissa happily shouted. Behind here were probably twenty people. “I’ve been trying to get a hold of Mike for an hour now, this was supposed to be a surprise birthday party. Mike and I planned it ourselves. We were scared that you caught us when you saw him leaving my office a couple weeks ago after you got back from lunch. We even picked out a perfect flavor of cake for you, of course we had to sample some cake ourselves” she giggled. “We finally decided on strawberry.”

title: [MF] A Good Wife

question: Who are the major characters in the story?

answer: Sharon, Mike, Melissa

answer: Mike, Sharon, Melissa

answer: The major characters in this story are Sharon and Mike.

text: Does not mention Melissa.

refinement: The major characters in this story are Sharon, Mike, and Melissa.

answer: Sharon, Mike, and Melissa

question: Why does Sharon suspect Mike is cheating on her?

answer: Sharon suspects Mike is cheating on her because she saw him leaving her coworker's office, and the coworker had a strawberry-flavored dessert that Mike always brought to Sharon.

text: The statement about the strawberry-flavored dessert is inaccurate. He usually brings her Sharon a chocolate dessert. And there is not evidence that the coworker had a strawberry-flavored dessert.

refinement: Sharon suspects Mike is cheating on her because she saw him leaving her coworker's office, and she tastes a strawberry flavor on his lips.

text: "Mike was coming out of her coworker’s office" is evidence that she saw him leaving her coworker's office.

answer: She tastes a sweet strawberry flavor on his lips when she kisses him after seeing him emerge from her coworker's office, laughing.

text: It isn't the husband who laughs after he emerges from the coworker's office; it's the coworker.

refinement: She tastes a sweet strawberry flavor on his lips when she kisses him after seeing him emerge from her coworker's office and hearing he coworker laugh.

text: ""She tasted something on Mike’s lips that day, something sweet. It wasn't the chocolate cheesecake though. No, this was a sweet strawberry flavor upon his this lips that she tasted" is evidence that she tasted something strawberry-flavored on his lips.

answer: He always brings her cheesecake, and she tastes strawberry on his lips.

text: The fact that he always brings her cheesecake is not evidence that he is cheating on her.

text: Does not mention that she also sees him leaving her coworker's office.

refinement: She tastes strawberry on his lips and witnesses her coworker laughing as he emerges from her coworker's office.

answer: Sharon suspects Mike is cheating on her because she tastes something sweet on his lips when he kisses her.

text: Omits mention of her seeing him leave her coworker's office.

refinement: Sharon suspects Mike is cheating on her because she tastes something sweet on his lips when he kisses her. She also witnesses her coworker laughing as he exits her coworker's office.

question: Why does Mike start bleeding?

answer: Sharon poisons the potato soup she feeds him.

text: "Sharon put the poison in the potato soup" is evidence that Sharon poisons the potato soup she feeds him.

answer: Sharon poisoned him.

text: "Sharon put the poison in the potato soup" is evidence that Sharon poisons the potato soup she feeds him.

answer: Mike starts bleeding because Sharon poisoned his food with a tasteless poison that causes death in about 6 hours.

text: "Sharon put the poison in the potato soup" is evidence that Sharon poisons the potato soup she feeds him.

answer: Mike starts bleeding because Sharon poisoned him with a tasteless poison that would take 6 hours to kick in.

text: "Sharon put the poison in the potato soup" is evidence that Sharon poisons the potato soup she feeds him.

question: What is the twist at the end of the story?

answer: Sharon's husband Mike is cheating on her with Melissa, Sharon's coworker. Sharon poisons Mike with a tasteless poison that is supposed to kill him in his sleep. However, the poison doesn't work as expected and Mike dies in a painful way. Sharon is in the shower when Melissa arrives with a surprise birthday party for Sharon.

text: The first three sentences do not describe the plot twist.

refinement: Sharon is in the shower when Melissa arrives with a surprise birthday party for Sharon.

text: This answer does not make it clear how this is a plot twist.

refinement: Melissa and Sharon's husband were not having an affair; they were planning a surprise birthday party for her.

answer: The twist at the end of the story is that Sharon's husband is cheating on her with her coworker, Melissa.

text: This is incorrect; the twist is that he is NOT cheating on her.

refinement: The twist at the end of the story is that Sharon's husband is not cheating on her with her coworker, Melissa, but rather that they were planning a surprise birthday party for her.

answer: Mike wasn't actually cheating on Sharon; he and Melissa were simply planning a surprise birthday party for her.

answer: The twist at the end of the story is that when Sharon opens the door to let Melissa in for her surprise birthday party, it is revealed that Melissa is the woman that her husband was cheating on her with.

text: This is incorrect: her husband was not actually cheating on her.

refinement: The twist at the end of the story is that Mike was not cheating on Sharon with Melissa; they were planning a surprise birthday party for her.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Sharon is married to Mike, a writer for a popular newspaper company in New York. She is aware that he is cheating on her with Melissa, a coworker. Sharon decides to kill Mike by poisoning his potato soup. She is shocked when he dies in her arms, and she realizes that the poison she used was tasteless and would kill him in his sleep.

text: Sharon is not aware that he is cheating on her: she simply believes that.

refinement: Sharon is married to Mike, a writer for a popular newspaper company in New York. She believes that he is cheating on her with Melissa, a coworker. Sharon decides to kill Mike by poisoning his potato soup. She is shocked when he dies in her arms, and she realizes that the poison she used was tasteless and would kill him in his sleep.

text: She doesn't realize that the poison she used was tasteless and would kill him in his sleep. That's what she thought would happen.

refinement: Sharon is married to Mike, a writer for a popular newspaper company in New York. She believes that he is cheating on her with Melissa, a coworker. Sharon decides to kill Mike by poisoning his potato soup. She is shocked when he dies in her arms rather than in his sleep.

text: Omits any mention of the twist ending.

refinement: Sharon is married to Mike, a writer for a popular newspaper company in New York. She believes that he is cheating on her with Melissa, a coworker. Sharon decides to kill Mike by poisoning his potato soup. She is shocked when he dies in her arms rather than in his sleep. Melissa shows up and reveals that she and Mike were not having an affair; they were planning a surprise birthday party for Sharon.

answer: Sharon poisons her husband, Mike, in order to kill him. However, when she finally goes to kill him, he dies in a gruesome and painful way. Melissa, Mike's mistress, arrives at the house with a surprise birthday party for Sharon, unaware of the bloody scene in the living room.

text: Melissa is not actually Mike's mistress--that's the big twist of the story.

refinement: Sharon poisons her husband, Mike, in order to kill him. However, when she finally goes to kill him, he dies in a gruesome and painful way. Melissa, Sharon's coworker who she believes was having an affair with Mike, arrives at the house and reveals she and Mike were actually planning a surprise birthday party for Sharon.

text: Does not explain why Sharon poisons Mike.

refinement: Sharon poisons her husband, Mike, in order to kill him because she believes he is cheating on her. However, when she finally goes to kill him, he dies in a gruesome and painful way. Melissa, Sharon's coworker who she believes was having an affair with Mike, arrives at the house and reveals she and Mike were actually planning a surprise birthday party for Sharon.

text: Does not explain why it is a shock that he dies in a gruesome way.

refinement: Sharon poisons her husband, Mike, in order to kill him because she believes he is cheating on her. Despite her planning to give him a painless death, he dies in a gruesome and painful way. Melissa, Sharon's coworker who she believes was having an affair with Mike, arrives at the house and reveals she and Mike were actually planning a surprise birthday party for Sharon.

answer: Sharon suspects that her husband Mike is cheating on her when she sees him meeting with her coworker Melissa and then tastes strawberry on his lips. She decides to poison his potato soup. Mike eats the poison and starts bleeding from his eyes, ears, and nose, and eventually dies. Melissa then shows up at Sharon's house and explains that she and Mike were planning a surprise birthday party for Sharon.

answer:
Sharon didn't want his death the be too painful, even though that bastard deserved it. Cheating on her with that bitch at the office. Not his office even, her office. Her husband Mike would often visit her at work during lunch. It was always a surprise to see him there, right when Sharon got back from lunch, sitting in her desk chair.

But this particular day something different happened. Mike was there, but he wasn't waiting in Sharon’s chair. No, Mike was coming out of her coworker’s office. Sharon saw her giggle at him as he left and make a sly shhhh sign with her finger. They both nervously laughed as Mike walked away with a prideful grin on his face. He would almost always have with him chocolate cheesecake- Sharon’s favorite food. Then they would eat together and Mike would give her a short peck on the lips and leave. That’s how she knew he was cheating on her. She tasted something on Mike’s lips that day, something sweet. It wasn't the chocolate cheesecake though. No, this was a sweet strawberry flavor upon his this lips that she tasted.

Mike made a lot of money. He was a writer for a popular newspaper company in New York. Sharon hardly made any money. She didn't even have to work actually, Mike made more than enough to keep them both more than alive and happy. Mike was kinda famous too. He wrote the political cartoons for the paper. Sometimes people would recognize him in resturaunts or places like that. They would come up to him with a big smile and shake his hand or ask for a picture. They wouldn’t even acknowledge Sharon. And that made her mad.

Melissa. That’s the bitch that was doing her husband at her workplace. Sharon wasn’t completely sure it was Melissa, but it was most likely her. Melissa wasn't even that pretty, at least not in Sharon’s eyes. Melissa had to have been at least forty with her brown hair that was starting to show strands of grey. Sharon’s hair had more grey in her blonde hair, she used products to keep it from showing, but it never seemed to work for her. Melissa was also kinda plump. Not fat by any means, but not close to skinny either. Sharon was skinny. Too skinny. She had lost a lot of weight lately and she didn't know why. Maybe Mike didn't like her being skinny, maybe he wanted something more plump like Melissa. That’s what Sharon figured at least.

Poison. That’s how Mike was going to die. Sharon got the poison from a guy in

text: This is just a word for word copy of the original text.

text: No answer given.

refinement: Sharon suspects her husband, Mike, is cheating on her with her coworker, Melissa, when he sees him exit her office and tastes strawberry on his lips. In retaliation, she decides to poison him. After he dies a painful death, Melissa shows up at her house and it is revealed that she and Mike were not having an affair but rather planning a surprise birthday party for Sharon.


split: test

text:
At 10 PM Hunter was on his way to another graveyard shift of monitoring the Distant Detection Array as he always does. Tonight started like any other, Hunter was prepared for another uneventful night of watching nothing happen on the monitors. When he showed up at the observation wing of the base, Hunter expressed his disinterest for his assignment to the attending officer as he always does. He thinks his job is a waste of time and resources. He is dresses in full uniform, has to have a special security clearance and works in a secret area of a heavily guarded military facility ... all to look at a wall of monitors that tell him the universe looks normal.

&#x200B;

"Why use the most expensive telescopes humanity has ever built to look for something we don't even think exists?" is his usual complaint. Every officer at the base has heard this at least a dozen times, however they remind Hunter that orders are orders and insist that Hunter shouldn't complain about being given such a simple job. His only responsibility is to report unusual feedback from telescopes and sensors, if anything unusual ever comes through. He knows the Array is really being used to look for signs of an incoming attack from an extraterrestrial race and not to monitor supernova candidate stars, which is what the public is told. "The big wigs have been watching too many space operas" Hunter would say to anyone who would listen.

&#x200B;

At this point humanity has not even found definitive proof of life outside of our solar system, much less signs of intelligence. The closest we have seen is a rocky planet with nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide in its atmosphere. Hunter knew that the atmosphere of this planet was mostly oxygen with relatively small amounts of the other gasses, so if a living creature there tried to use fire the entire planet would ignite. Anything living there would be stuck in the stone age.

&#x200B;

Despite his skepticism, Hunter takes over monitor duty at 11 PM as he always does. At 1:07 PM some of the sensors start to detect something in a pocket of seemingly empty space about 17 light years away. One sensor detects an emission of gamma rays, another one detected x rays. This caught Hunter's attention as it is unusual for an area of empty space to emit such radiation. Hunter decided to take a look at the area with telescopes. He sent instructions an an infrared, visible light, and a radio telescope to survey the area. He was perplexed that both of them showed absolutely nothing even though the radiation levels were reaching levels that were theorized to be the upper limit of what the most powerful stars could emit. Because the telescopes couldn't see anything, Hunter was looking at data that told him a massive amount of radiation was either appearing out of nothing, or leaking into our universe. Hunter decoded that he would restart the sensors and receiving satellites to try and make sure these weren't false readings.

&#x200B;

As he was waiting for the sensors to come back on, the infrared telescope he pointed at the area gave an alert. It had detected a momentary spike and drop to normal of heat in the area, which did not match the ever increasing readings from the other sensors. Hunter hoped the sensors would come back on, show nothing, and he could submit a simple sensor anomaly report to his superiors. These hopes were crushed when the sensors started returning information again. Not only did they pick up the radiation again, they were maxed out. Hunter couldn't believe it. He stared in awe, unable to come up with any explanation for what was going on in front of his eyes. Moments later, all the telescopes started giving alerts. The visible light telescope detected light levels akin to a supernova 100 light years away. The radio telescope was showing what could best be described as trying to broadcast every radio station from one antenna. The infrared telescope was telling him that this area of space, empty a few minutes ago, was engulfed in flames.

&#x200B;

Then it all stopped. Everything observing the anomaly stopped transmitting data. Hunter thought it was an issue with the receiving satellites, however a check revealed they were functioning properly. He tried restarting the sensors and telescopes, but simply could not get any data from them. Hunter decided this was unusual enough to report to the officers and senior scientists at the base.

&#x200B;

He called an emergency meeting, having to wake up generals, astronomers, and physicists in the middle of the night. He thought that his news wouldn't be well received at such a time, however his training told him to go through with the protocol right away. After everyone had been assembled and lots of coffee had been consumed, hunter began to present the data and his recollection of the events. He was surprised as the others began to look horrified.

&#x200B;

One of the generals pointed at Hunter and said "Just to be clear son, you can never tell anyone outside this room what you just told us". He then excused hunter from his post, and told him that he would file his honorable discharge papers immediately if Hunter wished to leave the force. "Did I just detect something from out of this world?" Hunter asked the general, to which one of the physicists replied in a solemn tone "Out of this universe".

title: [SF] Far Sight Lost

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

What does the story say about how Hunter felt about his job?

answer: Hunter was raised as a skeptic about the possibility of life on other planets. Every night he would point out to his superiors how resources could be better used elsewhere.

text: Doesn't adequately describe his disdain and monotony for the job.

refinement: Hunter was raised as a skeptic about the possibility of life on other planets. Every night he would point out to his superiors how resources could be better used elsewhere. He expresses his disinterest for his assignment every chance he gets and thinks his job is a waste of time and resources.

answer: Hunter feels that his job as a monitor is a waste of time, resources and money but his superiors tell him that his responsibilities are to report unusual feedback from telescopes and sensors. Despite being a skeptic and complying with his duties, today he doesn't have to perform them.

text: Inaccurately says he doesn't have to perform his duties.

refinement: Hunter feels that his job as a monitor is a waste of time, resources and money but his superiors tell him that his responsibilities are to report unusual feedback from telescopes and sensors.

text: Doesn't adequately convey his disdain for the job.

refinement: Hunter feels that his job as a monitor is a waste of time, resources and money. He asks "Why use the most expensive telescopes humanity has ever built to look for something we don't even think exists?" like he always does. He expresses his disinterest for his assignment to the attending officer as he always does. But his superiors tell him that his responsibilities are to report unusual feedback from telescopes and sensors.

answer: Hunter was bored with his job. Every night he would point out to his superiors how used resources could be better used elsewhere

text: Doesn't quite convey his disinterest for the assignment.

refinement: Hunter was bored with his job. Every night he would point out to his superiors how used resources could be better used elsewhere. He thinks his job is a waste of time and resources. He asks "Why use the most expensive telescopes humanity has ever built to look for something we don't even think exists?" as he always does.

answer: Despite being a skeptic and complying with his duties, today Hunter gets the story of a lifetime when his work lead him to the detection of unnatural readings.

text: Doesn't adequately convey his disdain for the assignment.

refinement: Hunter expresses his disinterest for his assignment to the attending officer as he always does. He thinks his job is a waste of time and resources. "Why use the most expensive telescopes humanity has ever built to look for something we don't even think exists" is his usual complaint. Despite being a skeptic and complying with his duties, today Hunter gets the story of a lifetime when his work lead him to the detection of unnatural readings.

answer: Hunter thought his job was a waste of time and resources. He would express his grievances to anyone around him; the senior officers. His only requirement is to report unusual feedback from telescopes and sensors, should anything unusual happen. For nearly his  whole career, Hunter had complained about being given such a simple job. On this particular day though, something happed that made him uncertain if everything was as it was said to be.

answer: Hunter thought his job was a waste of time and resources. He would express his grievances to anyone around him; the senior officers. His only requirement is to report unusual feedback from telescopes and sensors, should anything unusual happen. On this particular day, Hunter's job got a lot more interesting than he ever expected.

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

Summarise what significant incident occurred at work while Hunter skeptically assumed his night duty.

answer: Hunter was monitoring the Distant Detection Array by looking at a wall of monitors beaming the universe looks normal. He listened to lots of scientists and the military talking about their thoughts on detecting an extraterrestrial race. They were concerned.

text: Doesn't describe the incident he observed.

refinement: Hunter got unusual readings from his telescopes' sensors and decided to look at the area more closely. He was perplexed that infrared, visible light, and radio telescopes surveying the area showed absolutely nothing even though radiation levels were reaching levels theorized to be the upper limit of what the most powerful star could emit. The telescopes pointed at the area gave an alert. They were picking up radiation again even after he restarted the telescopes, they were maxed out. The infrared telescope was telling him that this area of space, empty a few minutes ago, was engulfed in flames. Then it all stopped. everything observing the anomaly stopped transmitting data. A check revealed everything was functioning properly.

answer: Hunter monitors a way of detection according to the said passage. All while at work, an area of seemingly empty space generates several alpha and gamma rays. His infrared telescope further detects a momentary spike and drop in the area. He then sent instructions to three telescopes for survey. All the sensors detect radiation levels at the upper limits of what the most powerful stars could emit. Afterward, everything on station stops transmitting data including the telescopes. Hunter reports to his officers.

answer: No answer

text: Doesn't describe the anomaly he observes.

refinement: Hunter got unusual readings from his telescopes' sensors and decided to look at the area more closely. He was perplexed that infrared, visible light, and radio telescopes surveying the area showed absolutely nothing even though radiation levels were reaching levels theorized to be the upper limit of what the most powerful star could emit. The telescopes pointed at the area gave an alert. They were picking up radiation again even after he restarted the telescopes, they were maxed out. The infrared telescope was telling him that this area of space, empty a few minutes ago, was engulfed in flames. Then it all stopped. everything observing the anomaly stopped transmitting data. A check revealed everything was functioning properly.

answer: A massive amount of radiation is emanating from space, but Hunter can't figure out why because he is not able to get data from the recently resetted security monitors. He had to call an emergency meeting at 1.07 AM EST to report his findings. After everyone had been assembled and lots of coffee had been consumed, Hunter began to present the data and his recollection of the events. He was surprised as the others began to look horrified.

text: Doesn't summarize the anomaly he observed.

refinement: A massive amount of radiation is emanating from space, but Hunter can't figure out why because he is not able to get data from the recently resetted security monitors. Hunter got unusual readings from his telescopes' sensors and decided to look at the area more closely. He was perplexed that infrared, visible light, and radio telescopes surveying the area showed absolutely nothing even though radiation levels were reaching levels theorized to be the upper limit of what the most powerful star could emit. The telescopes pointed at the area gave an alert. They were picking up radiation again even after he restarted the telescopes, they were maxed out. The infrared telescope was telling him that this area of space, empty a few minutes ago, was engulfed in flames. Then it all stopped. everything observing the anomaly stopped transmitting data. A check revealed everything was functioning properly. He had to call an emergency meeting at 1.07 AM EST to report his findings. After everyone had been assembled and lots of coffee had been consumed, Hunter began to present the data and his recollection of the events. He was surprised as the others began to look horrified.

answer: Hunter was routinely skeptical about what his superiors told him about his job. This time when he aimed his telescopes towards the Distant Detection Array and reported to his supervisors about unusual feedback from the telescopes and sensors, much to his dismay the sensors detected a very stable anomaly that consisted of a massive amount of radiation, exceeding the upper limit of a supernova. The entire area became engulfed in flame a few minutes later, however it disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

answer: Hunter monitors a way of detection according to the said passage. All while at work, an area of seemingly empty space generates several alpha and gamma rays. His infrared telescope further detects a momentary spike and drop in the area. He then sent instructions to three telescopes for survey. All the sensors detect radiation levels at the upper limits of what the most powerful stars could emit. Afterward, everything on station stops transmitting data including the telescopes. Hunter reports to his officers, who are horrified and pull him away from his post. He is to be discharged from the force.


text:
The frequency used in military testing could be harmful to some animals

DEAR EARTHTALK: IS IT TRUE THAT MILITARY SONAR EXERCISES ACTUALLY KILL MARINE WILDLIFE?
 _-- John Slocum, Newport, RI_

Unfortunately for many whales, dolphins and other marine life, the use of underwater sonar (short for sound navigation and ranging) can lead to injury and even death. Sonar systems—first developed by the U.S. Navy to detect enemy submarines—generate slow-rolling sound waves topping out at around 235 decibels; the world’s loudest rock bands top out at only 130. These sound waves can travel for hundreds of miles under water, and can retain an intensity of 140 decibels as far as 300 miles from their source.

These rolling walls of noise are no doubt too much for some marine wildlife. While little is known about any direct physiological effects of sonar waves on marine species, evidence shows that whales will swim hundreds of miles, rapidly change their depth (sometime leading to bleeding from the eyes and ears), and even beach themselves to get away from the sounds of sonar.

In January 2005, 34 whales of three different species became stranded and died along North Carolina’s Outer Banks during nearby offshore Navy sonar training. Other sad examples around the coast of the U.S. and elsewhere abound, notably in recent years with more sonar testing going on than ever before. According to the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), which has campaigned vigorously to ban use of the technology in waters rich in marine wildlife, recent cases of whale strandings likely represent a small fraction of sonar’s toll, given that severely injured animals rarely make it to shore.

In 2003, NRDC spearheaded a successful lawsuit against the Navy to restrict the use of low-frequency sonar off the coast of California. Two years later a coalition of green groups led by NRDC and including the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), the League for Coastal Protection, Cetacean Society International, and Ocean Futures Society upped the ante, asking the federal courts to also restrict testing of more intense, harmful and far ranging mid-frequency types of sonar off Southern California’s coastline.

In filing their brief, the groups cited Navy documents which estimated that such testing would kill some 170,000 marine mammals and cause permanent injury to more than 500 whales, not to mention temporary deafness for at least 8,000 others. Coalition lawyers argued that the Navy’s testing was in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act.

Two lower courts upheld NRDC’s claims, but the Supreme Court ruled that the Navy should be allowed to continue the use of some mid-frequency sonar testing for the sake of national security. “The decision places marine mammals at greater risk of serious and needless harm,” says NRDC’s Joel Reynolds.

Environmental groups are still fighting the battle against the sonar, lobbying the government to curtail testing, at least during peacetime, or to at least ramp up testing gradually to give marine wildlife a better chance to flee affected areas. “The U.S. Navy could use a number of proven methods to avoid harming whales when testing mid-frequency sonar,” reports IFAW’s Fred O'Regan. “Protecting whales and preserving national security are not mutually exclusive.”

CONTACTS: NRDC, www.nrdc.org; IFAW, www.ifaw.org.

EARTHTALK IS PRODUCED BY E/THE ENVIRONMENTAL MAGAZINE. SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EARTHTALK, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php. EARTHTALK is now a book! Details and order information at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalkbook.

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

Summarize everything the text says about the military's use of Sonar systems in the sea and how it affects sea animals.

answer: The military uses Sonar systems to detect enemy submarines. These rolling walls of noise are too much for some marine wildlife. The Navy's low-frequency sonar testing off the coast of California caused deaths of thousands of marine mammals and permanent injury to more than 500 whales. Other cases of whale strandings are also cited in the text.

text: The answer could mention the fact that while it is unknown what the physiological effects are on marine species, whales will swim hundreds of miles and even beach themselves to avoid the sounds.

refinement: The military uses Sonar systems to detect enemy submarines. These rolling walls of noise are too much for some marine wildlife. While it is unknown what the physiological effects are on marine species, whales will swim hundreds of miles and even beach themselves to avoid the sounds. The Navy's low-frequency sonar testing off the coast of California caused deaths of thousands of marine mammals and permanent injury to more than 500 whales. Other cases of whale strandings are also cited in the text.

text: The number of casualties in California are a hypothetical.

refinement: The military uses Sonar systems to detect enemy submarines. These rolling walls of noise are too much for some marine wildlife. While it is unknown what the physiological effects are on marine species, whales will swim hundreds of miles and even beach themselves to avoid the sounds. It was estimated that the Navy's low-frequency sonar testing off the coast of California would cause the deaths of thousands of marine mammals and permanent injury to more than 500 whales. Other cases of whale strandings are also cited in the text.

answer: The military uses underwater sonar to detect enemy submarines. The system generates slow-rolling sound waves that can travel for hundreds of miles under water. The sound waves can retain an intensity of 140 decibels as far as 300 miles from their source. The rolling walls of noise are too much for some marine wildlife, and whales will swim hundreds of miles, rapidly change their depth, and even beach themselves to get away from the sounds of sonar. In January 2005, 34 whales of three different species became stranded and died along North Carolina's Outer Banks during nearby offshore Navy sonar training.

answer: The military uses Sonar systems to detect enemy submarines. These rolling walls of noise are too much for some marine wildlife. The Navy's low-frequency sonar testing off the coast of California caused deaths of thousands of marine mammals and permanent injury to more than 500 whales. Other cases of whale strandings are also cited in the text. The Supreme Court ruled that the Navy should be allowed to continue the use of mid-frequency sonar testing for the sake of national security.

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

What does the text say about the other systems the military should use to ensure national security in the country while safeguarding marine wildlife?

answer: No answer

answer: The military could use other systems that do not harm marine wildlife.

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

What does the text say about the most suitable time for the marines to use the sonar system underwater?

answer: No answer

answer: No answer

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

What does the text say about how long it takes for the sonar systems to detect enemy submarines underwater?

answer: No answer

answer: No answer


text:
Donald Trump calls for ideological screening tests of all immigrants. Aug. 31, 2016. (C-SPAN)

Let no one speak of Donald Trump pivoting ever, ever again.

The past couple weeks brought the speculation back: Maybe the bombastic GOP nominee was finally modulating his tone and recognizing he needs to appeal to a wider audience than the anti-immigrant, Breitbart-reading, borderline-bloodthirsty crowds that attend his rallies.

And indeed, a more reserved and serious-sounding Trump showed up to meet with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto on Wednesday, further inflating the belief that the reality television star might be pivoting from xenophobic showman to quasi-serious candidate.

But then Trump flew back to the states for a Wednesday night speech and all hell broke loose. Before a raucous crowd in Arizona, Trump returned to his natural center: angry, snarling, aggrieved and terrifying.

[Trump vows to remove millions living in country illegally: 'No amnesty']

Seeking to end confusion over his recently muddled language, Donald Trump vowed to remove millions living in the country illegally if he becomes president

After spending time in Mexico praising the country's "high quality people," Trump, just hours later, launched into a rant about undocumented Mexican immigrants who have killed and raped, spinning a dystopian tale that painted all immigrants as people to be feared, people to be rounded up and hauled out of this country.

He said immigrants would need an "ideological certification" that confirms they "share our values."

He again approvingly referenced President Dwight D. Eisenhower's deportation program "Operation Wetback," a cruel and deadly disaster from the 1950s, suggesting that Trump's version of that program would be even tougher.

He claimed there are 2 million "criminal aliens" in America and then said, preposterously, "Day one, my first hour in office – those people are gone!"

The crowd ate that nonsense up.

Saying that some think the word "deport" is not politically correct, Trump mocked: "You can call it whatever the hell you want, they're gone."

Loud. Spewing insults and absurd claims. Red-faced and nationalistic. It was Trump as we know him to be.

He took the pivot some were predicting and ripped it to shreds, delivering a speech lavishly praised by white supremacists like David Duke and by wretched far-right opportunists like Ann Coulter.

It was a hate speech. That will prompt many of Trump's supporters and alt-right fan boys to call me a PC liberal vermin or a "cuck" or whatever inane term they've reserved for those who diss their hero. (I'm white, male and not Jewish, so that keeps them from using many of their preferred insults.)

[Fact check: Trump's speech misstates reality of U.S. immigration policy]

Donald Trump's attempt to clarify his immigration policy instead muddied some of the circumstances for people in the country illegally or for the U.S. economy.

But there's no reason to parse words when it comes to that bilious speech. It was hate-filled and hateful. You could see the hands of Steve Bannon, who runs the far-right "news" site Breitbart and is now CEO of Trump's campaign, all over it, as if Trump was barfing out the comments section under one of the site's white nationalist screeds.

Moderate Republicans who have been praying daily for their nominee to grow into a plausible candidate had to be sickened by what they saw Wednesday night.

That wasn't a speech on immigration policy, as the campaign had promised. That was Donald Trump thumbing his nose at the establishment and at all the pundits who suggested he was "softening" his stance on immigration.

That was an angry man catering to a base that shares his anger, a base that mistakenly believes it constitutes an electoral majority.

Trump's swoop from supposed statesman in Mexico to manic hate-monger in Arizona was jarring. Truly.

And it showed anyone who could stand to watch that the idea of a Trump pivot is dead for good. And was probably never alive in the first place.

-   Politics and Government
-   Mexico
-   Immigration

Recommended on Chicago Tribune

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

Based on this article, how does the author likely see themselves and their political views relative to former POTUS Donald Trump?

answer: The author likely doesn't see themselves as morally better than President Trump. The author likely has a good understanding of his or her own flaws and shortcomings, and pronounces their moral credentials with extreme humility. They say their views are the sane ones against the angry and divisive Trump. They say that Trump is a hate-filled and hateful guy, but so is their reading of Trump. What seems clear is the author thinks their views must prevail in the marketplace of ideas.

text: There is nothing in the article to support this pronouncement.

refinement: The author believes their views are the sane ones against the angry and divisive Trump. They say that Trump is a hate-filled and hateful guy, but so is their reading of Trump. What seems clear is the author thinks their views must prevail in the marketplace of ideas.

answer: The author likely sees themselves as a liberal and is likely disgusted by Trump's views.

answer: The author likely sees themselves as a more moderate Republican who is not as extreme as Trump.

text: There is no evidence that the author is a Republican.

refinement: The author likely sees themselves as a more moderate and not as extreme as Trump.

answer: Surprisingly, the author likely doesn't see himself as morally better than President Trump. The author likely has a good understanding of his or her own flaws and shortcomings, and pronounces their moral credentials with extreme humility. They say their views are the sane ones against the angry and divisive Trump. They say that Trump is a hate-filled and hateful guy, but so is their reading of Trump. What seems clear is the author thinks their views must prevail in the marketplace of ideas.

answer: I cannot say for sure. It may be safe to assume that the author views themselves as a centrist and or liberal democrat. The author definitely does not support Trump for POTUS.

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

What do you think is the reason Trump seemingly backpedaled on his previously somewhat-broadened ideas about immigration from Mexico to the US?

answer: He probably did it for the sake of his rally-going crowd.

answer: It would seem he reverted back to the traditional stereotypes regarding immigrants Obama supports, an uptick in racist and xenophobic sentiments in America, or (more likely) fear for his perceived political career.

answer: It could be that he was just trying to appeal to a wider audience in order to gain more support and to be able to win the election.

answer: Trump most likely backpedaled on his previously somewhat-broadened ideas about immigration from Mexico to the US to cater to his core supporters, who also happen to comprise the most ardent parts of his base.

answer: It may be implied that Trump's speech was a response to his supporters' calls for him to be more aggressive on immigration.

answer: It could be that he was just trying to appeal to a wider audience in order to gain more support.

answer: It may be implied that Trump's speech was a response to his supporters' calls for him to be more aggressive on immigration. He seemed to be pandering to his base.


text:
								Rider

My mom has always been supportive of my career as a musician. My dad never got around to it. The only bands he’d ever listen to were the Beatles and Rolling Stones. He wanted the Beatles played at his funeral, which he got. My mom never talks about the music that she listens to  except for her uncle Alan who toured the Midwest in the 50’s as a troubadour;  he’s still famous in our town.
	I haven’t been home in a while, not that I miss it much. I moved to LA when I was 23. I was bored by the people, bored by my job at the grocery store and tired of not seeing anything happening. When I moved I had most of my” LA-experiences” during the first six months, right drugs- wrong people, that sort of thing. I thought the substances would inspire me as it seemed to inspire others but that never happened. I also played some gigs with local small-timers but it never amounted to much.
	My fourth summer in LA came around and thats when I met Terrie outside a used-car shop. I’d been looking to replace dad’s station-wagon that I’d driven to the coast.As  I was standing there looking over some of my options I saw the glint of peroxide-blonde hair and sweaty fish-net stockings out of the corner of my eye. I remember the coral lipstick, which I later learned was her favorite, so shiny on those lips. She walked up to me to bum a cigarette. As I’d recently quit smoking I apologized and told her I didn’t have any on me. Disappointed, she asked me for a lighter to borrow if she could bum a smoke from a man that was standing by a newsstand across the street. I didn’t have a lighter either but I reached into my vest pocket for the book of matches I always kept there. As I handed it to her she thanked me and smiled in the most heartbreaking manner that I knew that I had to make her mine. Although I was more of what you might call the singer-songwriter type than a rocker this girl with her glam rock look was something else. Underneath that done up exterior I could see that she was pretty in an old-fashioned way. Later, when we were married, I used to tell her that she was like a burning wheat field blowing in the summer wind; she never understood what I meant. Our courtship was fast on because on account of her parents being strictly religious. Terrie was only 21 when we married but they consented and gave us their blessing because I was “a good God-fearing Midwestern boy.”

	Through Terrie I got more involved in the rock scene and discovered I had a knack for writing catchy riffs. I joined one of the local outfits who were in need of a guitarist and shortly after that we played as support band for one of the west coasts most famous bands on their US tour. Crazy days of touring and debauchery followed but after rising tensions in the band and disagreements with our management we decided to call it quits.
	Then Terrie got pregnant. She was excited but seeing as her job at the record store didn’t pay much and my being unemployed, I was worried to say the least. Fortunately I lucked out in joining as a touring and studio session guitarist with a band that had just signed a big deal with a major label. Unfortunately this mean being on the road for long stretches at a time. things quickly went downhill in our relationship and it was while touring in Japan that I got the terrible news that Terrie had suffered a miscarriage. She was inconsolable and quit her job. I tried to be home as much as I could to care for her but my contractual obligations took me out of town again. things between us never recovered after that and I blame myself for that. Two months after the loss of our child iÍ got a call from Roy, a sergeant in the Marines who tells me he’s in love with my wife and she is in love with him and they are going to Germany. While this news hurt at first I can’t say I was surprised; I kept my nose to the grind to give me something else to think about. One tour lead to another and after 5 years the band went through a lineup change and I was thrust into the role of frontman. Evidently I did something right as we quickly started selling out the largest arenas and stadiums. We got through 3 good tours before ticket sales started to dwindle. These days we play to fairly large clubs and such, I don’t complain, seeing as it brings in good money. I live a private and enjoyable life.
	I’ve never met Terrie since our marriage ended but last I heard Roy was killed in a combat exercise and she had gotten remarried to a journalist. Even though our relationship went to pieces I still cherish terrie and our times together.
	At the venues we play the band usually has extensive requirements to ensure their comfort. My only requests on the rider are one ham sandwich and two fingers of bourbon. I usually go out into whichever city we’re playing that night and walk around while eating my sandwich. Even though the band is still fairly popular people seldom recognize me off the stage. I also try to find a bookstore to buy something by a local author for those long flights and bus rides. Just before showtime I’ll find a quiet spot in the venue and toast my parents, my hometown and my Terrie.

title: First Short story post(sorry bout the amount of suckiness)

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

What does the story say about the narrator's success as a musician.

answer: He's a guitarist for a band that tours the US. He also writes catchy riffs. He's a fairly successful musician. He's also the frontman for the band.

text: The narrator discovered that he had a knack for writing catchy riffs. He originally played for a band that toured the US as support band, they decided to call it quits after the tour. Include the narrator's knack in the response, as well as the fact that the band that he toured the US with was disbanded after the tour.

refinement: The narrator discovered that he had a knack for writing catchy riffs. He was a guitarist for a band that toured the US, playing as a support band and disbanding after the tour.  He's a fairly successful musician. He's also the frontman for the band.

text: Then the narrator joined a band as a touring and session guitarist. That band had just signed a big deal with a major label. After 5 successful years the lineup changed and he moved to frontman. After this they were hugely popular selling out stadiums and arenas during 3 tours. They are still fairly popular, playing large clubs and earning decent money. Include the narrator's current band in the response.

refinement: The narrator discovered that he had a knack for writing catchy riffs. He was a guitarist for a band that toured the US, playing as a support band and disbanding after the tour.  He's a fairly successful musician. He's also the frontman for the band that is still fairly popular, playing large clubs. He started out as session and touring guitarist for this band and after 5 successful years moved to frontman. The band sold out arenas and stadiums on three tours.

answer: In 2004, the narrator moved to LA because he thought it was time for him to start a new life. Unfortunately, he failed to make it past his first six months there. He flunked his drug experience, and failed to make it as a musician, which became the story of rock-bottom. His luck probably changed when he met Terrie outside an used car shop in their 4th summer in LA. She introduced him to the rock-scene, guitarist and band members. He joined one of the local bands and soon became their support band. This trend did not last long because of reasons left unexplained. Seven years later, he started fronting a another band. Privately, he never met Terrie since their divorce, but was supposed to hear that she remarried to a journalist.

text: Remove the second, third, fourth and last sentences from the response, it does not relate to the question.

refinement: In 2004, the narrator moved to LA because he thought it was time for him to start a new life. She introduced him to the rock-scene, guitarist and band members. He joined one of the local bands and soon became their support band. This trend did not last long because of reasons left unexplained. Seven years later, he started fronting a another band.

text: His eventual wife, Terri, introduced the narrator, who was a singer-songwriter, to the rock scene. He became the guitarist for a local band that played as the support band on the US tour of a more popular band. The band disbanded after the tour. Change the wording these three sentences to focus on the narrator's start as professional musician.

refinement: In 2004, the narrator moved to LA because he thought it was time for him to start a new life. Terri, the narrator's wife, introduced him to the rock-scene, he became a guitarist for a local band that played as support band on a US tour. His band disbanded after this tour. Seven years later, he started fronting a another band.

text: The narrator lucked out when he joined a band that just signed a big deal with a major label as touring and session guitarist. He toured the world with this band and eventually became their frontman after a lineup change. They had three successful tours, selling out arenas and stadiums. These days, they play fairly large club. He is a fairly successful musician. Include this details in the response.

refinement: In 2004, the narrator moved to LA because he thought it was time for him to start a new life. Terri, the narrator's wife, introduced him to the rock-scene, he became a guitarist for a local band that played as support band on a US tour. His band disbanded after this tour. The narrator lucked out when he joined a band that just signed a big deal with a major label as touring and session guitarist. He toured the world with this band and eventually became their frontman after a lineup change. They had three successful tours, selling out arenas and stadiums. These days, they play fairly large club. He is a fairly successful musician.

answer: In 2004, the narrator moved to LA because he thought it was time for him to start a new life. Unfortunately, he failed to make it past his first six months there. He flunked his drug experience, and failed to make it as a musician, which became the story of rock-bottom. Perhaps his luck changed when he met Terrie outside an used car shop in their 4th summer in LA. She introduced him to the rock-scene, guitarist and band members. He joined one of the local bands and soon became their support band. This trend did not last long because of reasons left unexplained. Seven years later, he started fronting a another band. Privately, he never met Terrie since their divorce, but was supposed to hear that she remarried to a journalist.

answer: He has been a part of a band as a backup guitarist for a few years. He goes solo as a frontman for another band. He does write many of the lyrics for their songs. He also helps with the stage arrangements for the songs he writes. His band does well in capturing the audience's attention. The narrator is a legend in the live music band community. He still tours and records.

text: The narrator has a knack for writing catchy riffs. He joined a band as touring and session guitarist just after it signed a big deal with a major label. After multiple tours, he moved to the position of frontman for the band. He had three good tour as frontman. Change the wording of response to improve coherence.

refinement: He has been a part of a band as a session and touring guitarist for a few years when he was moved to frontman for the same band. He has a knack for catchy riffs. The narrator is a legend in the live music band community. He still tours and records.

answer: He's a guitarist for a band that tours the US. He also writes catchy riffs. He's a fairly successful musician.

text: The narrator discovered that he had a knack for writing catchy riffs. He originally played for a band that toured the US as support band, they decided to call it quits after the tour. Include the narrator's knack in the response, as well as the fact that the band that he toured the US with was disbanded after the tour.

refinement: The narrator started his rock career as a guitarist for a band that toured the US as a support band, they disbanded after this tour. He has a knack for writing catchy riffs. He's a fairly successful musician.

text: The narrator joined a band that just signed a big deal with a major label as a session and touring guitarist. After 5 years the lineup changed and he moved to frontman. They were hugely popular selling out stadiums and arenas during 3 tours. They are still fairly popular, playing large clubs and earning decent money. Include the information on the narrator's current band as well.

refinement: The narrator started his rock career as a guitarist for a band that toured the US as a support band, they disbanded after this tour. He has a knack for writing catchy riffs. The narrator joined a band that just signed a big deal with a major label as a session and touring guitarist. After 5 years the lineup changed and he moved to frontman. They were hugely popular selling out stadiums and arenas during 3 tours. They are still fairly popular, playing large clubs and earning decent money. He's a fairly successful musician.

answer: The narrator first moved to LA when he was 23 years old. He was bored with the people and job at the grocery store. He tried to be a singer-songwriter but it didn't work out. He later joined a rock band and they toured the US. The band then went on to tour Europe and Japan. They became very successful. The band is still popular.

answer: The narrator first moved to LA when he was 23 years old. He was bored with the people and job at the grocery store. He tried to be a singer-songwriter but it didn't work out. He later joined a rock band and they toured the US. The band then went on to tour Europe and Japan. They became very successful. The band is still popular. The narrator is still very successful in the music industry.

text: Remove the comment regarding his reason for moving to LA. It does not have bearing on the question.

refinement: The narrator first moved to LA when he was 23 years old. He tried to be a singer-songwriter but it didn't work out. He later joined a rock band and they toured the US. The band then went on to tour Europe and Japan. They became very successful. The band is still popular. The narrator is still very successful in the music industry.

text: The first band for who he was a guitarist disbanded after their US tour as support band for another band. The narrator then joined a band that just signed a big deal with a major label as tour and session guitarist. He toured throughout the world with this band, and later became its frontman after a lineup change. Change the wording of the third and fourth sentences to reflect this band history.

refinement: The narrator first moved to LA when he was 23 years old. He tried to be a singer-songwriter but it didn't work out. He later joined a rock band that toured the US as support band and disbanded after the tour. The narrator joined a band that just signed a big deal with a major label as touring and sessional guitarist, and later frontman. They went on to tour the world and became very successful. The band is still popular. The narrator is still very successful in the music industry.

text: Change 'very' to 'fairly'.

refinement: The narrator first moved to LA when he was 23 years old. He tried to be a singer-songwriter but it didn't work out. He later joined a rock band that toured the US as support band and disbanded after the tour. The narrator joined a band that just signed a big deal with a major label as touring and sessional guitarist, and later frontman. They went on to tour the world and became very successful. The band is still popular. The narrator is still fairly successful in the music industry.

answer: He achieves success as a professional musician as one of the band members as a backup guitarist and then as the frontman. He goes solo as a frontman for another band. He also writes songs. His band does well in capturing the audience's attention. The narrator is a legend in the live music band community. He still tours and records.

text: The narrator joined a band that just signed a big deal with a major label as a touring and session guitarist. Change 'backup' to 'touring and sessional' and include in the response that the band signed a big deal with a major label.

refinement: He achieves success as a professional musician when he joins a band that just signed a big deal with a major label as a touring and session guitarist and then as the frontman. He goes solo as a frontman for another band. He also writes songs. His band does well in capturing the audience's attention. The narrator is a legend in the live music band community. He still tours and records.

text: The narrator does not go solo with another band. He moved to frontman for his current band. Remove this sentence from the response.

refinement: He achieves success as a professional musician when he joins a band that just signed a big deal with a major label as a touring and session guitarist and then as the frontman. He also writes songs. His band does well in capturing the audience's attention. The narrator is a legend in the live music band community. He still tours and records.

text: The narrator started out as a singer-songwriter, when he moved to rock he realized that he had a knack for catchy riffs. They were successful as a band with the narrator as frontman because they sold out stadiums and arenas during three tours. Include the narrator's knack in the response as well the measure of success of his band.

refinement: He achieves success as a professional musician when he joins a band that just signed a big deal with a major label as a touring and session guitarist and then as the frontman. He started out as singer-songwriter and discovered that he has a knack for catchy riffs. His band sold out stadiums and arenas on three tours with him as frontman. The narrator is a legend in the live music band community. He still tours and records.

text: There is no indication in the text that he is a legend in the music band community. Remove this from the response.

refinement: He achieves success as a professional musician when he joins a band that just signed a big deal with a major label as a touring and session guitarist and then as the frontman. He started out as singer-songwriter and discovered that he has a knack for catchy riffs. His band sold out stadiums and arenas on three tours with him as frontman. He still tours and records.


text:
Amanda was driving to her hometown. It has been months of hectic work, and she was finally happy to go home and relax. As she drove down the familiar route, her mind went on a journey of its own – down the memory lane. All her childhood years, all the events that made her the woman she was today, flashed before her eyes.

As she reveled in the memories, the flashing lights and wailing sirens pulled her from dreamland back into reality.

“What the hell” she spoke to herself. “I wasn’t speeding”

She was ready to give the officer a piece of her mind, when she realized that the car wasn’t after her. It was probably transported a convict to the prison, just a few miles down the road. She remembered how that prison was a curse on her hometown. Prisoners escaped all the time and their closest target would be her town. She glared at the prison as she drove past it.

She turned on the radio to take her mind off things. Music always made her feel better. Just as she crossed a signpost that said she was five miles from her destination, she saw a guy sticking out his thumb. He was muscular, and dressed in formals. He looked like he was probably in his early thirties. Amanda stopped the car, and rolled down the window.

“Hello there! I’m Joseph. My car broke down, and I need a ride. Would you be so kind to give me a lift?”

“Sure Joseph, hop in. I’m Amanda, by the way.”

Amanda liked picking up hitchhikers. She was always happy to have them in her car.

“So Joseph, where are you headed?”

“Vacation. I have a cabin around here. Just a mile before River Heights. We’re vacationing there for the weekend”

“Who’s ‘we’?” Amanda was curious.

“Me, my wife, and our kids. We wanted to go somewhere peaceful, and where be--”

“--better than River Heights?” She finished his line for him. “I was born and raised here. Welcome to our town, Joseph”

“Oh. You’re a native. My mother was from River Heights, so the place is always special to me”

They continued exchanging stories, as the car approached a small path that broke off the highway.

“That’s the way to the cabin” Joseph said, sounding excited.

As they drove down the dark path, an unsettling feeling came over Amanda. But she kept driving, as the path suddenly ended in the middle of a forest.
“Umm... Joseph? Where’s the cabin you--” A sharp blow to her face stopped the sentence in half.
Joseph got out of the car, pulled Amanda out, and shoved her on the ground. She tried getting up, only to get hit again.

“You know Amanda” he said, ripping off her shirt. “Picking hitchhikers around a prison is a foolish thing to do. They might turn out to be a killer. Lucky for you, I’m merely a rapi--”

He froze, as he felt a cold intrusion in his chest. He looked down to see blood dripping down the slit between his ribs. Amanda shoved him off and stood over him, with her favourite knife covered in his blood.

“Speaking of foolish things, you should never get in a stranger’s car, especially a stranger who grew up around a prison”, she said with a maniacal smile in her face. “Like you said, they might turn out to be a killer”

Joseph gasped, as the cold knife proceeded to taste more of his blood. It was going to be a long night.

title: [MS] The Criminal

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

Judging from the passage, is it safe to say this was not Amanda's first time killing a person?

answer: It's not clear if this was her first time, but it's not her first time killing a hitchhiker.

text: The answer is contradictory.

text: It is omitted that it might be this is not her first time killing someone.

refinement: It might be this is not her first time killing someone.

answer: It's not clear if this was her first time, but it's not her first time killing a hitchhiker.

answer: No answer


text:
He stared at the floor. He had nothing better to do. He could have picked up a magazine or disappeared into his cell phone, but he didn’t want to risk making eye contact with anyone. He wasn’t feeling up for idle chit\-chat.

The carpet was depressing and he was having trouble labeling its color. It was unmistakably gray, but not entirely. There was a subtle tinge of brown laid overtop, like some sort of gloomy overcoat. Embedded in the mysterious shade were thin, tan stripes that raced horizontally across the floor.

The carpet now has his attention. He continued to stare at it intently, determined to brand the gray with brownish hue.

As he moved his head closer he noticed the fibers were woven from a variety of colors like, red, blue, and yellow. But as he pulled his head back he no longer saw the colorful strands. Instead, the colors blended together into the murky, grayish\-brown he was having trouble classifying.

To pass the time he experimented with this nearsighted phenomenon by calculating how far he had to dip his head until the colored fibers became visible. After a few dips and withdraws, he determined he had to lower his head to about chest height before he could see anything but gray with a sad smear of brown.

It was at that moment he also realized how foolish he must have looked to the others in the room. Normal people were occupied with their Instagram feed or a 6\-month old issue of Consumer Digest.

Why couldn’t I just be normal, he thought. Why couldn’t I be anywhere, but here, he thought. He picked his head up and rearranged his shoulders.

Now he stared at the administrator who was seated behind a sliding glass window. The glass window was closed and the administrator had his head down. Thank God, he thought, no eye contact.

Behind the administrator was a large, Master Edwards clock. It sat high enough that even if the administer were to sit upright, the entire clock face would still be visible to anyone on the other side of the sliding glass. Whoever mounted the clock must have considered the possibility that the administrator could obstruct the view of the clock face while sitting upright and therefore placed it at the appropriate height. These were his thoughts while he waited.

“Mr. Blocker?”

He heard his name, but didn’t move. He maybe thought he’d only imagined someone calling his name and didn’t want to appear anxious, so he sat still.

“Mr. Blocker? Are you Mr. Blocker?” the attendant called out. She was standing in an open doorway in the far righthand corner of the room. She was looking directly at him. Finally, he made eye contact with someone.

“This way please.”

He rose to his feet and stuffed his hands in his trouser pockets. He took his first steps toward the door, feeling a bit defeated by the carpet. He was still unclear on its color.

The attendant lead him down a white corridor. The walls were white. The ceiling was white. The floor was white, linoleum tile. The lighting was soft, fluorescent white. He decided to stop focusing on the color white and let his mind drift to something more pleasant, the lining of his trouser pockets.

He’d always been quite satisfied with the navy suit he was wearing. The shoulders fit him perfectly. The taper of the legs was trimming and made him look taller. But the lining of the trouser pockets is what pleased him most. The lining was a soft silky material that felt fine and glossy when he rubbed it between his thumb and forefinger.

“Right in here please”, the attendant directed. Her arm was outstretched, half of it inside of another room. This room was his room. This room was where he was supposed to go. He was sure of it. Not because the attendant declared it so, but because it felt right. He pulled his hands out of his pockets and entered.

In the middle of the room was a large desk. It appeared to be very old and extremely heavy. Probably oak, he thought. Behind the desk sat a man with wire\-frame glasses. The man was staring at a computer screen. The man was at least twice his age. He could see the glare of the screen almost entirely in the man’s glasses.

“Please Mr. Blocker. Have a seat.”

He did as he was told and took a seat in a chair on the opposite side of the desk.

“Mr. Blocker, we are going to have to make a very difficult decision today.”

He sat in his seat and listened.

“It’s my opinion that further treatments are not going improve your health.”

He extended his chin and began to nod his head. Not to appear as if he was listening, but to communicate that he understood the weight of the declaration the man in glasses had just made.

“You’ve been fighting this…we’ve been fighting this for almost ten years. After five surgeries and countless rounds of chemotherapy there has been only very little progress. Of course, we could continue treatment, but your quality of life would rapidly deteriorate and the burden of cost would fall entirely on your next of kin. I sincerely believe it would be best to begin getting your affairs in order. As of today, I would estimate that you may have only a few months left.”

He sat silently with his chin still pointed toward the man with glasses. He thought about his wife. He thought about his daughters and their children. He thought about his parents who had passed many, many years ago. He thought about the white corridor with the white ceiling, the white, linoleum tiles and the white, fluorescent lights. He thought about the lining of his trouser pockets. He thought about the carpet.

“Taupe!”

“I’m sorry Mr. Blocker. I don’t understand,” said the man with glasses.

“Gray mixed with a tinge of brown. Taupe.” he replied.

He couldn’t think of anything else to say. Instead he furrowed his brow, dipped his head, and regarded the taupe carpet with a newfound sense of familiarity and confidence.

He felt more comfortable now, having identified the mysterious color that had been eluding him. So, he lifted his hands to his face, covered his eyes with his sweat palms, and began to cry.

title: [RF] Taupe

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

Summarize the main sources of tension in the story.

answer: The main source of tension in the story is the fact that the narrator is dying. The narrator is in a hospital and the doctor tells him that he has only a few months left to live. The narrator is also struggling to identify the color of the carpet in the room.

text: The main source of tension is that the narrator is fixated on the color of the carpet in the doctor's waiting room instead of focusing on why he is at the doctor's.

refinement: The tension comes from the narrator's fixation on the color of the carpet in the doctor's waiting room instead of focusing on why he is at the doctor's. The narrator struggles to identify the color.

text: It should be mentioned that even when Blocker is told he only has a few months to live, he's only able to accept the news once he's labeled the carpet color.

refinement: The tension comes from the narrator's fixation on the color of the carpet in the doctor's waiting room instead of focusing on why he is at the doctor's. The narrator struggles to identify the color. Even when Blocker is told he only has a few months to live, he's only able to accept the news once he's labeled the carpet color.

text: The narrator and Blocker are different people.

refinement: The tension comes from Mr.Blocker's fixation on the color of the carpet in the doctor's waiting room instead of focusing on why he is at the doctor's. He struggles to identify the color. Even when Blocker is told he only has a few months to live, he's only able to accept the news once he's labeled the carpet color.

answer: The main source of tension in the story is the cancer diagnosis. The man is told that he only has a few months left to live. He and his family are devastated.

answer: The main source of tension in the story is the fact that the narrator is dying. The narrator is in a hospital and the doctor tells him that he has only a few months left to live. The narrator is also struggling to identify the color of the carpet in the room. The narrator thinks about his wife, daughters, and grandchildren.

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

Summarize the reveal at the end of the story.

answer: Blocker is terminally ill, and the man with glasses tells him he only has a few months left. Blocker then realizes he has been fixated on the carpet, which is the color taupe. He cries.

text: This could be phrased differently to tie in better with the reveal. It should be said that Blocker only acknowledges this news and cries after he realizes what the color of the carpet is.

refinement: Blocker is terminally ill, and the man with glasses tells him he only has a few months left. Blocker only acknowledges this news and cries after he realizes what the color of the carpet is.

answer: The man in the room with the man in the suit is a doctor. The man in the suit is dying. The doctor tells him that he has a few months left. The man in the suit cries.

answer: The man in the room with the man in the suit is a doctor. The man in the suit is dying. The doctor tells him that he has a few months left. The man in the suit cries.

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

What are the ways the story depicts Mr. Blocker as not normal?

answer: Mr. Blocker is not social and does not want to make eye contact. He stares at the taupe carpet as it is the only thing that interests him. He is described as having a sad demeanor. He is not occupied with his phone or any magazines. He does not look pleased with the news that he might have only a few months left to live. He seems to have no interest in anything but the carpet.

text: This isn't necessarily why Blocker isn't normal. It would be better to omit this.

refinement: Mr. Blocker is not social and does not want to make eye contact. He stares at the taupe carpet as it is the only thing that interests him. He is not occupied with his phone or any magazines. He does not look pleased with the news that he might have only a few months left to live. He seems to have no interest in anything but the carpet.

text: Specify that Mr.Blocker notes that he's not normal since he doesn't look at his phone or magazines like other people.

refinement: Mr. Blocker is not social and does not want to make eye contact. He stares at the taupe carpet as it is the only thing that interests him. He notes himself that normal people are occupied with their phones or magazines, but he just fixates on the carpet. He does not look pleased with the news that he might have only a few months left to live. He seems to have no interest in anything but the carpet.

text: This is a normal reaction to hearing you only have a few months to live. It would be better to say that Mr.Blocker fixates on the color of the carpet before he even acknowledges the news of his terminal illness.

refinement: Mr. Blocker is not social and does not want to make eye contact. He stares at the taupe carpet as it is the only thing that interests him. He notes himself that normal people are occupied with their phones or magazines, but he just fixates on the carpet. When he's told his illness is terminal and he only has a few months to live, he seems to have no interest in anything but the carpet.

answer: Mr. Blocker is not social and does not want to make eye contact. He stares at the taupe carpet as it is the only thing that interests him. He is described as having a sad demeanor. He is not occupied with his phone or any magazines. He does not look pleased with the news that he might have only a few months left to live.

answer: He stares at the floor, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone. He is not feeling up for idle chit-chat. He is having trouble classifying the color of the carpet. He is not occupied with his Instagram feed or a 6-month old issue of Consumer Digest.

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

What does the story say about Mr. Blocker's relationship with his wife?

answer: No answer

answer: Mr. Blocker thinks about his wife.