text:
The night crept on the carousel as if light itself was on ‘paid stress leave.’ The fog lights exhausted their last sigh and sputtered to an abrupt stop. All the maintenance workers had gone home, and the gates locked up tighter than a mental institution on Mardi Gras. The winds gusted up swirls of dust and litter into mini-twisters and pummeled the walls of the Sea-House, eroding the seashells that were glued there last summer’s eve by the Sedgwick twins. Even though the stars and the moon upheld their false lie and pretended to illuminate the landscape, darkness and confusion rose from the horizon and swallowed all hope from the neighborhoods surrounding the park. The gulls, even, had been dismayed from their usual posts and sought refuge from the impending gloom. The waves and pulses of the ocean invaded the shore in a sort of perpetual attack on the land, and brought with them tidings from the sea. Although the clocks chimed six, the sun knew where its place was; hidden behind a veil of earth, cloud, trees, and the endless horizon of the land. The artificial horses and ponies of the carousel, with their glassy eyes and rounded, glazed knees, dimmed in their gloss, and fell to the night before them. The light wained away and succumbed to the starry sky. The queer dark draped over the park, and seeped into every imaginable nook and cranny. It climbed the lighthouse as if driven from its home by some unseen force, perhaps the light and dark trading spaces. Not even in the parks long history had it been so resentful, or so repressed by the dark judgment. The greasy, blackened wheels and hocks of the turn-wheel on the merry-go-round were all rusted and grimed out, yet still managed to produce an odd, familiar quality that would ring out in day or night. The paint on the twisting candy poles of the handles flaked and peeled, but still yielded a faint yet bright representation of the past. The Fun-House had some mirrors cracked and smashed, but still the music played on as if ignoring the fact that its prime had come and go a long time past.

The night had come before, no doubt about it, but this was different. This dark was penetrating, and intrusive. It dove deep into your thoughts and kept you from waking. It trickled through the cracks of everyones happiness and glee, yet caught the tangled web of the common fear of the unknown. This, truly, was not only the absence of light, but the knowledge that the light would never surface in the consciousness of this world again. The locks on the gate may keep people out, but more so, may keep change from also entering and destroying the pristine, never-changing persona of the Park on the Pier. They would click and lock, ringing a certain and yet distinct chime into the halls of time. Rusted and still strong, after years of abuse and torture brought on by years of wear and tear. Only one key, only one, could open these gates, and this key has seemed to slip away from those wanting in. Perhaps by mistake or perhaps by intent, the key just isn't there to satisfy those who want it the most. Beyond the gates, the ticket booth rots away, with its characteristic stained white and baby-blue paneling. It once stood firm and tall, loved for its colors and charm. Now it lays there, a shell of what it once was. A hollow record of the care-free times, with a physical reminder to the past, offering little in the way of mental rememberings.

The apartment complex that overlooked the acreage crumbled from the beating of time against its tough exterior, and although it stood tall and firm, it also took a familiar trait that of an empty reminder of the times that once were. The grimy, metallic walls dulled under the artificial lights, and the carpet accumulated a certain black muddy buildup, with a well-beaten flatness all around the edges and center. The stench of sweat and old cooking filled the halls, finding every wisp of fabric and corrupting it beyond repair. The elevators, every now and again, would grumble to life and serve its ever-knowing masters, only to return to the dark underworld of the basement. Their purpose: to willfully accept and blindly serve those whoever wished of their services, only to be cast off to a dark and unseen chamber, where others of its kind were held, waiting eagerly to serve the cruel masters. The hallways especially were a transform from a wonderful earlier go. The plaster on the ceilings and walls lifted at the simplest of touches, and the doors at the end of the hall, although never touched, still gathered the mold and filth abundant in this post-Victory Mansion era dwelling. The doorknobs, with their own locks, were the only shining pieces in this terrace, but even then, dust and sweat deteriorated the state of the knobs to near replacement. The lights flickered an orange halo reminiscent to that of a deranged traffic light. The peepholes on the doors themselves were grimy and had built up the blackened carbon around the splotty edges. Through the peephole, down at the end of the third hallway, room 324 sleeps. It sleeps because there is no one to wake it. Room 324 has no furniture and no tenants. It is simply waiting for its tenants to return, their arms full of tidings and gifts. Room 324, with its open windows and bedroom doors widely ajar, opens its eyes to the morning sun. Room 324, and the whole apartment complex for that matter, is on an expansive hill, overlooks the coastal town of Mayfair, CA. But in its immediate backyard lies a quiet and subtle inkling of a meadow. The meadow faces the sun when it rises, as to catch the sun before anyone else in Mayfair.

In this meadow, a single car, windows broken and smashed long ago, lay undeterred and untouched for what might seem an eternity. The hood, crumpled from a collision, had been the subject of abuse and battery from the local teenagers for as long as the car had remained there. Blackened by fire, the car may seem like all hope is lost, but the glass from the windows and windshield lay undisturbed on the grassy meadow surrounding the car. The glass reflects and magnifies the incoming morning sunlight, pushing forth a notion of one last stand against the forces of darkness and despair. The sun rises from above its alcove of retainment, and pushes with it one last beacon of hope in the darkness.

**But with that statement, I have come to realize one thing, and that is the hope is always there; just because your eyes haven't adjusted to the darkness, doesn't mean the light is never coming back.**

title: [Mayfair]

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

Explain what is meant by this sentence: "The glass reflects and magnifies the incoming morning sunlight, pushing forth a notion of one last stand against the forces of darkness and despair".

answer: The glass from the windows and windshield lay undisturbed on the grassy meadow surrounding the car. The glass reflects and magnifies the incoming morning sunlight, pushing forth a notion of one last stand against the forces of darkness and despair. The sun rises from above its alcove of retainment, and pushes with it one last beacon of hope in the darkness.

text: The response didn't explain what the sentence meant. It only repeated it. The response needs to be replaced.

refinement: What the sentence means is that hope is always there because darkness doesn't mean the light is never coming back.

answer: The glass reflects and magnifies the incoming morning sunlight, pushing forth a notion of one last stand against the forces of darkness and despair.

text: The response repeated the question.

refinement: What the sentence means is that hope is always there because darkness doesn't mean the light is never coming back.

answer: The glass from the windows and windshield lay undisturbed on the grassy meadow surrounding the car. The glass reflects and magnifies the incoming morning sunlight, pushing forth a notion of one last stand against the forces of darkness and despair.

answer: The glass in the car reflects the sun, which is the last beacon of hope in the darkness.

answer: The sentence describes how the sun rises from above the horizon with the glass of a broken window protected from the elements by the grass. The sun reflects off the glass and magnifies a hopeful sign to all the residents in Mayfair.

text: "with the glass of a broken window protected from the elements by the grass. The sun reflects off the glass and magnifies" - extraneous information.

refinement: The sentence describes how the sun rises from above the horizon is a hopeful sign to all the residents in Mayfair.

text:
"The sentence describes how" - this can be deleted to improve sentence structure and flow.
"rises" - will become "rising"

refinement: The sun rising from above the horizon is a hopeful sign to all the residents in Mayfair.

answer: Forces of darkness and despair are mentioned as synonyms for what is habitually etopped of in darkness and despair, whether or not that is warranted. The glass taken in to the sun, reflects and magnifies what was, for it wasnt form often, but the glass of the windshield, removed from the car, does the same. The glass employed the sun to beg for another their bet chance at hope, another chance at life. With the comments it could be assumed there is a hierarchy to the degrees of despair, but in the face of such an external force nothing is worse than helplessly sitting idly. The very act of things happening can be seen as deplorable, and such in its scope, but to be in the very act of hope could be a way of one having hope.

text: The response is hard to read and makes little sense because it goes around in circles without really explaining anything.

refinement: What the sentence means is that hope is always there because darkness doesn't mean the light is never coming back.

answer: The glass reflects the light and reflects out through the sun.

text: The response doesn't answer the question.

refinement: What the sentence means is that hope is always there because darkness doesn't mean the light is never coming back.

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

What is meant by the simile "...as if light itself was on paid stress leave"?

answer: The use of the word "light" to describe light is not literal as evidenced by the phrase "night crept/lit upon/upon the carousel". The narrator is extending the metaphor of darkness setting in to convey the point that light abdicated its past majesty on the park.

text: The response makes little sense, esp "The use of the word "light" to describe light is not literal". This part should be removed.

refinement: The narrator is extending the metaphor of darkness setting in to convey the point that light abdicated its past majesty on the park.

answer: It's like illumination is in a holding pattern.

answer: The author is saying that the light is not there, as if it was on paid stress leave.

answer: The narrator is comparing the darkness to light on paid stress leave.


split: train

text:
When you deploy an application to a Liberty server using Open Liberty Tools, it attempts to detect what features your application needs and add them to the server configuration automatically. This applies to the entire application that is being deployed. If you are deploying an EAR project that includes several web projects in its deployment assembly, Open Liberty Tools looks at the following things across all of the projects:

-   The facets that are set on the application projects.

-   For CDI, the beans.xml file. It looks at the version, if specified, otherwise it looks at the schema version.

-   For JSP, files with the following extensions: .jsp, .jspf, .jsw, .jsv and .jspx.

-   For JSF, the existence of a WEB-INF/faces-config.xml file.

-   For JDBC or JMS, certain resource references in the web.xml.

-   All of the Java imports in all of the application projects to try to map them to features. For example, if there is an import for javax.persistence, Open Liberty Tools adds the JPA feature to the server configuration.

Some of these have version information (such as facets) and they are given higher priority than Java imports which, for example, have no version information. If Open Liberty Tools determines that a feature is needed but there is no information about which version of the feature to use, it will add the latest version.

To see what features Open Liberty Tools has detected for an application, right-click the application projects then click PROPERTIES > LIBERTY > REQUIRED FEATURES. A dialog shows you the features and also allows you to modify whether the feature is added to the server configuration or not.

If you do not see any features listed in the dialog, make sure that your project is targeted to a Liberty runtime. To check this, right-click the project then click PROPERTIES > TARGETED RUNTIMES. Make sure a Liberty runtime is selected. Also remember that some projects, such as EARs, don’t usually have any required features so the dialog can be empty for these projects as well.

[blog feature detection required features]

Handling feature conflicts

If Open Liberty Tools adds a feature to the server configuration that conflicts with an existing feature, it displays a feature conflict dialog so that you can resolve the conflict. If, for example, your server configuration has the servlet-3.0 feature enabled and you deploy a Web 3.1 project with a JSP file to the server, you see a dialog similar to the one below. In this example, the jsp-2.3 feature added by Open Liberty Tools conflicts with the existing servlet-3.0 feature. Select the features in the dialog to see what other features they enable and to understand how they conflict. The jsp-2.3 feature enables the servlet-3.1 feature which conflicts with servlet-3.0. The easiest way to fix this is to select the servlet-3.0 feature then click REMOVE.

[blog feature detection confict dialog]

Open Liberty Tools also detects existing feature conflicts within the server configuration and shows a warning in the MARKERS view such as: servlet-3.0 and [jsp-2.3 -→ servlet-3.1] features are in conflict. Select a compatible set of features.

If Open Liberty Tools determines that more than one feature satisfies a requirement (such as more than one feature providing the same package specified in a Java import), Open Liberty Tools does not add the feature because it does not know which one to add.

Open Liberty Tools cannot always detect if an application has its own implementation of a feature, such as its own JPA provider. It still adds the feature to the server configuration. This is why it is useful to know how to disable feature detection when needed.

The required features dialog mentioned earlier can be used to prevent Open Liberty Tools from adding particular features. Click the arrow in the ACTION column and change the action from ALWAYS ADD to one of PROMPT BEFORE ADDING or NEVER ADD. Remember to check all of the projects that make up the application to catch all the places that might cause the feature to be added.

To disable feature detection on a more global basis go to WINDOW > PREFERENCES > SERVER > LIBERTY SERVER. Here, you can disable feature detection altogether or just change the default action from ALWAYS ADD to one of PROMPT BEFORE ADDING or NEVER ADD.

Some features have a container version of the feature which tells both Open Liberty and Open Liberty Tools that the implementation of the feature is provided in the application. If jpaContainer-2.1 is already enabled in the server configuration, for example, Open Liberty Tools does not add the jpa-2.1 feature. Other examples are jsfContainer, jsonbContainer, and jsonpContainer.

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

What does the article say about unwanted features?

answer: An application tries to detect what features a server needs, automatically adding them to server configuration. If the application tries to add a feature that conflicts with an existing feature, a feature conflict dialog pops up for you to resolve the conflict; everything is user detectable. The desired features that do not conflict with anything can be prevented from being added by selecting the arrow in the ACTION column and changing the action from ALWAYS ADD to one of PROMPT BEFORE ADDING or NEVER ADD.

text: When deploying an application to a Liberty server using Open Liberty Tools, it attempts to detect what features your application needs. Change the wording in the response to reflect that it is not the application that tries to detect what features a server needs.

refinement: When deploying an application to a Liberty server using Open Liberty Tools, it tries to detect what features your application needs, automatically adding them to server configuration. If the application tries to add a feature that conflicts with an existing feature, a feature conflict dialog pops up for you to resolve the conflict; everything is user detectable. The desired features that do not conflict with anything can be prevented from being added by selecting the arrow in the ACTION column and changing the action from ALWAYS ADD to one of PROMPT BEFORE ADDING or NEVER ADD.

text: Open Liberty Tools cannot always detect if an application has its own implementation of a feature and still adds the feature to the server configuration. Add this as the reason for wanting to disable unwanted features to the response.

refinement: When deploying an application to a Liberty server using Open Liberty Tools, it tries to detect what features your application needs, automatically adding them to server configuration. If the application tries to add a feature that conflicts with an existing feature, a feature conflict dialog pops up for you to resolve the conflict; everything is user detectable. Open Liberty Tools cannot always detect if an application has its own implementation of a feature and still adds the feature to the server configuration. The desired features that do not conflict with anything can be prevented from being added by selecting the arrow in the ACTION column and changing the action from ALWAYS ADD to one of PROMPT BEFORE ADDING or NEVER ADD.

text: Remove the second sentence of the response, it is not necessary to include this information in such detail in response to the question.

refinement: When deploying an application to a Liberty server using Open Liberty Tools, it tries to detect what features your application needs, automatically adding them to server configuration. Open Liberty Tools cannot always detect if an application has its own implementation of a feature and still adds the feature to the server configuration. The desired features that do not conflict with anything can be prevented from being added by selecting the arrow in the ACTION column and changing the action from ALWAYS ADD to one of PROMPT BEFORE ADDING or NEVER ADD.

text: The unwanted features can be disabled on an individual project or global basis. Include this information in the response as well.

refinement: When deploying an application to a Liberty server using Open Liberty Tools, it tries to detect what features your application needs, automatically adding them to server configuration. Open Liberty Tools cannot always detect if an application has its own implementation of a feature and still adds the feature to the server configuration. The desired features that do not conflict with anything can be prevented from being added by selecting the arrow in the ACTION column and changing the action from ALWAYS ADD to one of PROMPT BEFORE ADDING or NEVER ADD. The unwanted features can be disabled on an individual project or global basis.

answer: Open Liberty Tools does not add any features to the server configuration that conflict with existing features. If more than one feature satisfies a requirement, Open Liberty Tools does not add the feature.

text: Open Liberty tools cannot always detect if an application has its own implementation of a feature, and still adds the feature to the server configuration. When this happens, an unwanted feature can be disabled either locally or globally by using the required features dialog mentioned in the article. Include this information in the response because it relates directly to the question.

refinement: Open Liberty Tools does not add any features to the server configuration that conflict with existing features. If more than one feature satisfies a requirement, Open Liberty Tools does not add the feature. Open Liberty tools cannot always detect if an application has its own implementation of a feature, and still adds the feature to the server configuration. When this happens, an unwanted feature can be disabled either locally or globally by using the required features dialog mentioned in the article.

text: Remove the first two sentence of the response because it does not directly relate to the question.

refinement: Open Liberty tools cannot always detect if an application has its own implementation of a feature, and still adds the feature to the server configuration. When this happens, an unwanted feature can be disabled either locally or globally by using the required features dialog mentioned in the article.

answer: If Open Liberty Tools adds a feature to the server configuration that conflicts with an existing feature, Open Liberty Tools displays a feature conflict dialog so that the conflict can be resolved. Open Liberty Tools cannot always detect if an application has its own implementation of a feature, however disabling feature detection can prevent unwanted features from being added.

text: Remove the first sentence of the response because it does not directly address the question.

refinement: Open Liberty Tools cannot always detect if an application has its own implementation of a feature, however disabling feature detection can prevent unwanted features from being added.

text: The unwanted features can be disabled on an individual project or global basis. Include this information in the response as well.

refinement: Open Liberty Tools cannot always detect if an application has its own implementation of a feature, however disabling feature detection can prevent unwanted features from being added. The unwanted features can be disabled on an individual project or global basis.

answer: There are a couple of different ways Open Libert Tools can add unwanted features to a server configuration. It may add a feature that conflicts with a pre-existing one or fail to detect an application having its own implementation of a feature. In these cases, the "required features" dialog allows their removal. Additionally, the action column in the same dialog can be used to warn before adding a feature or completely disable the addition of some features.

text: The unwanted features can be disabled on an individual project or global basis. Include this information in the response as well.

refinement: There are a couple of different ways Open Libert Tools can add unwanted features to a server configuration. It may add a feature that conflicts with a pre-existing one or fail to detect an application having its own implementation of a feature. In these cases, the "required features" dialog allows their removal. Additionally, the action column in the same dialog can be used to warn before adding a feature or completely disable the addition of some features. The unwanted features can be disabled on an individual project or global basis.

text: Correct spelling of 'Libert' to 'Liberty'.

refinement: There are a couple of different ways Open Liberty Tools can add unwanted features to a server configuration. It may add a feature that conflicts with a pre-existing one or fail to detect an application having its own implementation of a feature. In these cases, the "required features" dialog allows their removal. Additionally, the action column in the same dialog can be used to warn before adding a feature or completely disable the addition of some features. The unwanted features can be disabled on an individual project or global basis.

answer: There have been some instances when Open Liberty Tools discovered and added a feature that conflicted with a preexisting one. In these cases, a popup warnings appears.

text: Remove the current response because it does not address the question.

text: Open Liberty tools cannot always detect if an application has its own implementation of a feature, and still adds the feature to the server configuration. When this happens, an unwanted feature can be disabled either locally or globally by using the required features dialog mentioned in the article. Include this information in the response because it relates directly to the question.

refinement: Open Liberty tools cannot always detect if an application has its own implementation of a feature, and still adds the feature to the server configuration. When this happens, an unwanted feature can be disabled either locally or globally by using the required features dialog mentioned in the article.

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

What would've been a major flaw with Open Liberty Tools if it wasn't implemented?

answer: A system administrator could not disable specific features for a server, for example the filter-setting part of the JSF module.

text: Although the response is correct, it does not address the question sufficiently. Remove the current response.

text: The server would not have been configured correctly if Open Liberty Tools did not attempt to detect what features the application that is to be deployed needs. Include this in the response.

refinement: The server would not have been configured correctly if Open Liberty Tools did not attempt to detect what features the application that is to be deployed needs.

answer: Open Liberty Tools would not be able to detect which features are needed for an application which could result in inaccurate server configurations which could lead to errors and other anomalies when deploying applications.

answer: If Open Liberty Tools wasn't implemented, features would not be automatically detected which would cause major problems when deploying an application to a Liberty server. This could lead to incompatibility issues and incorrect functionality.

answer: The result would've been that server configurations would not be as dynamic as they currently are.

text: The server would not have been configured correctly if Open Liberty Tools did not attempt to detect what features the application that is to be deployed needs. Change the response to reflect this and remove the reference to dynamism.

refinement: The result would've been that server configurations would not be able to detect what features an application needs once deployed.

answer: The feature removal option is necessary to get rid of conflicts and unwanted features. Its absence would've been debilitating.

text: Although the response is correct, it does not address the question sufficiently. Remove the current response.

text: The server would not have been configured correctly if Open Liberty Tools did not attempt to detect what features the application that is to be deployed needs. Include this in the response.

refinement: The server would not have been configured correctly if Open Liberty Tools did not attempt to detect what features the application that is to be deployed needs.

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

Commentate on the "ACTION" menu.

answer: It allows preemptive decisions against undesirable features. It can be set up so it prompts the user before adding or completely disable the addition of chosen features. It can also completely disable the feature detection altogether or change the default behavior.

answer: The ACTION menu allows you to change the default action Open Liberty Tools takes when it detects a feature is needed. The options from left-to-right are ALWAYS ADD, PROMPT BEFORE ADDING, and NEVER ADD. ALWAYS ADD ensures that any features required for the application that are not already enabled in the server configuration are added. PROMPT BEFORE ADDING asks if Open Liberty Tools should add a feature if one is needed but not already enabled in the server configuration. NEVER ADD prevents Open Liberty Tools from adding any features that are not already enabled in the server configuration.

answer: The "ACTION" menu contains additions to servers. When trying to add a feature to a server, users can click the "ACTION" button and select what action to take. It functions similarly to the checkbox feature in other similar programs.

text: The ACTION menu allows the user to toggle the automatic feature detection of Open Liberty Tools between three options. The first is to always add features, the second to prompt before adding features, and the third to never add features. Change the current response to reflect this.

refinement: The "ACTION" menu contains toggle option to automatic feature detection of Open Liberty Tools. When trying to add a feature to a server, users can click the "ACTION" button and select what action to take, the toggle options are to always add features, prompt before adding features, or to never add features. It functions similarly to the checkbox feature in other similar programs.

answer: Open Liberty Tools does not add the feature because it does not know which one to add, possible due to multiple add-ons for one feature.

text: The ACTION menu allows the user to toggle the automatic feature detection of Open Liberty Tools between three options. The first is to always add features, the second to prompt before adding features, and the third to never add features. Change the current response to reflect this.

refinement: Open Liberty Tools does not add the feature because it does not know which one to add, possible due to multiple add-ons for one feature. The ACTION menu allows the user to toggle the automatic feature detection of Open Liberty Tools between three options. The first is to always add features, the second to prompt before adding features, and the third to never add features.

text: Remove the first sentence of the response because it does not have bearing on the question.

refinement: The ACTION menu allows the user to toggle the automatic feature detection of Open Liberty Tools between three options. The first is to always add features, the second to prompt before adding features, and the third to never add features.

answer: The "ACTION" menu in the required features dialog allows you to change the default action that Open Liberty Tools will take if there is a feature conflict. Open Liberty Tools defaults to ALWAYS ADD but you can change it to one of PROMPT BEFORE ADDING or NEVER ADD. This allows you to either prevent Open Liberty Tools from adding the additional feature or to just be prompted before the feature is added. Generally, this presents another opportunity to make sure that the additional feature does not cause a conflict, based on the output of the required features dialog.


text:
Standing Up Against Hate, Racism And Discrimination.
Changing The Culture With Inclusion, Equality, Civility And Unity Becomes Our Destiny.

STOMP OUT BULLYING™ is the leading national nonprofit dedicated to changing the culture for all students. It works to reduce and prevent bullying, cyberbullying and other digital abuse, educates against homophobia, LGBTQ+ discrimination, racism and hatred, and deters violence in schools, online and in communities across the country. In this diverse world, STOMP Out Bullying promotes civility, inclusion and equality. It teaches effective solutions on how to respond to all forms of bullying, as well as educating kids and teens in school and online. It provideshelp for those in need and at risk of suicide, and raises awareness through peer mentoring programs in schools, public service announcements by noted celebrities, and social media campaigns.

A pioneer on the issue, STOMP Out Bullying™ is recognized as
the most influential anti-bullying and cyberbullying organization in America and beyond.

Our Story

In 2005, STOMP Out Bullying was born with the passion and commitment to help all youths in need. Our founder, Ross Ellis, never wants to see another child in pain, and she never again wants to hear the words, “I want to die.”

Helping youths like 13 year-old Shani, who signed onto our HelpChat Line, not wanting to live with the torment of being bullied was so gratifying. She was on the verge of taking her life the night she contacted us. She had a plan in place. One of our trained volunteer counselors helped her to see that although she was hurt by these rumors, that ending her life was not the solution. Through our counselor’s help and resources, Shani is thriving today as a peer mentor at school and standing up for others. This is just one of millions of ways we have made an impact on the lives of America’s students.

Our Impact

• Helping over 5 million students resolve Bullying and Cyberbullying situations

• Assisting over 100,000 students and saving over 2,000 lives through the STOMP Out Bullying HelpChat Line

• Through our various support networks we have saved a total of 6,000 lives. These numbers increase daily.

• Working with over 15,000 school partners to raise awareness and educate students

• Over 20 Youth Leaders working to change the culture in schools across the country

Our Manifesto

We have always been an organization for kindness. The types of problems we tackle may have changed over the past decade,
But our passion has never wavered.
Ours is a higher purpose.
We work so that youth may stand tall and be respected. With our help, youth are kinder.
Schools are more inclusive.
Communities have more equality.
Society has more unity.
So that, a culture of cruelty can
become a culture of civility.
So we devote ourselves to breaking down barriers, we give voice to the voiceless.
We give belonging to those feeling left out.
We welcome diversity and inclusivity.
We work shoulder to shoulder in unity.
We empower the fearful to be fearless in this pursuit. And together we will find the answers, to change the culture, for good.

HAVE MADE A COMMITMENT TO BE AN UPSTANDER AND TO STOMP OUT BULLYING™

It’s not just a donation...

When you donate online to STOMP Out Bullying, you join our cause and directly support kids and teens. No matter how little or big the amount, donating makes a difference in the lives of our youth.

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

What does the article say about how STOMP Out Bullying was founded?

answer: STOMP Out Bullying was founded by Ross Ellis with the commitment to help all youths in need. Their goal is to reduce and prevent bullying, cyberbullying and other digital abuse, and to educate against homophobia, LGBTQ+ discrimination, racism, and hatred. The organization has helped over 5 million students resolve bullying issues and has saved over 2,000 lives. Donating to STOMP Out Bullying ensures that this important work continues.

text: The answer could mention the year the organization was founded.

refinement: STOMP Out Bullying was founded by Ross Ellis in 2005 with the commitment to help all youths in need. Their goal is to reduce and prevent bullying, cyberbullying and other digital abuse, and to educate against homophobia, LGBTQ+ discrimination, racism, and hatred. The organization has helped over 5 million students resolve bullying issues and has saved over 2,000 lives. Donating to STOMP Out Bullying ensures that this important work continues.

text: Everything beyond the first sentence is not related to the organization's founding.

refinement: STOMP Out Bullying was founded by Ross Ellis in 2005 with the commitment to help all youths in need.

answer: Ross Ellis founded STOMP Out Bullying in 2005 to help all youths in need. She never wants to see another child in pain. STOMP Out Bullying is dedicated to reducing and preventing digital abuse, educating against homophobia, LGBTQ+ discrimination, racism and hatred, and deterring violence.

answer: STOMP Out Bullying was founded with a passion and commitment to help all youths in need and to give voice to those who feel left out. The organization's mission is to change the culture through civility, inclusion, diversity, and unity.

text: The answer should mention who founded the organization and when.

refinement: STOMP Out Bullying was founded by Ross Ellis in 2005 with a passion and commitment to help all youths in need and to give voice to those who feel left out. The organization's mission is to change the culture through civility, inclusion, diversity, and unity.

answer: No answer

answer: No answer

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

What does the article say about STOMP Out Bullying's success?

answer:
STOMP Out Bullying is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to changing the culture for all students by reducing and preventing bullying and bullying-related incidents. The organization is successful in this commitment by helping over 5 million students resolve bullying situations, assisting over 100,000 students, and saving over 2000 lives through its help chat line. Additionally, the organization has saved 6,000 lives through various support networks.

Overall, STOMP Out Bullying is successful in its efforts to improve the lives of youth by affecting positive change in communities across the country.

text: The last paragraph is unnecessary.

refinement: STOMP Out Bullying is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to changing the culture for all students by reducing and preventing bullying and bullying-related incidents. The organization is successful in this commitment by helping over 5 million students resolve bullying situations, assisting over 100,000 students, and saving over 2000 lives through its help chat line. Additionally, the organization has saved 6,000 lives through various support networks.

answer: STOMP Out Bullying helped a 13-year-old girl who was going to commit suicide because she was bullied. One of STOMP Out Bullying's volunteer counselors helped her to see that ending her life was not the solution. STOMP Out Bullying helped over 5 million students resolve Bullying and Cyberbullying situations and assisted over 100,000 students. They saved a total of 6,000 lives. They worked with over 15,000 school partners to raise awareness and educate students.

answer: Over 20 Youth Leaders across the country directly helping to change the culture of school students and active role in saving students lives. The organization is also extremely effective at its job due to the help they give to at risk students and the creation of a community to enable students to better cope with life. The organization is - it is ever present wherever the students are and they are continuing to save the lives of thousands of youths.

text: This answer does not  provide any specific details.

text: The answer should mention its status as a leading nonprofit.

refinement: The organization is the leading national nonprofit dedicated to changing the culture for all students.

text: The answer should mention the lives saved.

refinement: The organization is the leading national nonprofit dedicated to changing the culture for all students. It has assisted over 100,000 students. It has saved over 2000 lives through its HelpChat Line and a total of 6000 lives through its various support networks.

answer: STOMP Out Bullying has a clear track record of preventing bullying, helping students resolve situations, assisting students in need and saving lives. The organization has been very effective in its mission and continues to grow in influence and impact.

answer: STOMP Out Bullying or STOMP Out Bullying has saved 6,000 lives so far. They've helped over 5 million students resolve bulling and cyberbully situations and working with over 15,000 school partners to raise awareness and educate students.


text:
[Reasons to Add Riviera Nayarit to Your Travel Bucket List]

If you have been compiling your own travel bucket list, here is another Pacific coast destination to add. Once an under-the-radar location, Riviera Nayarit is becoming more popular and widely known by travelers looking for a relaxing Mexican getaway. There are a variety of activities to keep tourists as busy as they would like to be. And with such a laid-back atmosphere, vacationing in the area can help even high-strung travelers to mellow out and enjoy everything that this Mexican gem has to offer. Take a look at the following 10 reasons to make sure you vacation in Riviera Nayarit in the near future:

1.  PRISTINE BEACHES – With soft sand and azure waters, the alluring beaches around Riviera Nayarit set the perfect scene for rest and relaxation. Lounge around under a palapa in the sand, swing in a hammock or jump into the surf to cool off.
2.  ADVENTURE AWAITS – Jungle-covered mountains encompass the area beaches to create magnificent vistas within nature. If you want to get your adrenaline pumping in the great outdoors, set out on a thrilling ATV tour or zipline through the trees on a canopy tour.
3.  PLENTIFUL WATERSPORTS – The splendid waters of Banderas Bay and surrounding Pacific Ocean that lap up on the coastline of Riviera Nayarit are filled with incredible biodiversity, which makes the area a popular spot for snorkeling and scuba diving. Boating opportunities, from sport fishing to sailing, allow you to get out on the water and have a blast. There are also several renowned surf breaks for those who want to catch some waves.
4.  SCRUMPTIOUS DINING – Whether you are trying out a top-rated gourmet restaurant or a local seafood shack or taco truck, you can look forward to delicious food at every meal because the food in this region is phenomenal!
5.  FASCINATING CULTURE – You will notice vibrant artwork and handicrafts at every turn in Riviera Nayarit, where local indigenous peoples such as the Huichols honor and cherish their rich cultural heritage. From handmade stuffed animals to intricate string art, you will be finding reasons to take it home with you!
6.  SHOP ‘TIL YOU DROP! – The area is filled with shopping opportunities ranging from authentic Mexican markets where you can practice your bargaining skills, to upscale boutiques selling fine jewelry, clothing, artwork and decor.
7.  WELCOMING HOSPITALITY – The people of Mexico are known as some of the friendliest folks in the world, and those who reside in Riviera Nayarit are especially so. Whether you want to know more about the local history or just need directions while walking around town, you will find plenty of friendly faces who will be glad to help.
8.  WORLD-CLASS SPAS – If your travels typically involve some indulgent spa treatments, you will be pleased to discover incredible spas with talented therapists awaiting your arrival to make you feel delightfully pampered.
9.  LUXURY ACCOMMODATIONS IN RIVIERA NAYARIT- Discerning travelers enjoy staying in Riviera Nayarit because the area offers chic hotels and resorts that provide unforgettable stays in the lap of luxury. The area’s all-inclusive resorts are a great choice for families.
10. GOLF LOVER’S DREAM – Travelers who enjoy a few rounds of golf while on vacation will definitely be in the right place, as there are several breathtaking courses that boast incredible views and fun challenges.

Check out other blog posts:

HOW TO PLAN THE BEST VACATION

4 TRAVEL DISCOUNTS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT

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

Describe some of the reasons that would make someone want to vacation in Riviera Nayarit.

answer: Riviera Nayarit offers a fabulous getaway with plenty of activities, nature hikes, and beautiful beaches. The area is also terrific for shopping, with unique opportunities ranging from markets to upscale boutiques. There are also luxurious resorts and spas to indulge in. Lastly, Riviera Nayarit features some incredible golf courses sure to test your skills. With such an array of opportunities, travelers of all types will find many reasons to come and vacation in Riviera Nayarit.

answer: There are pristine beaches, adventure available, plenty of water activities, delicious dining, fascinating culture, and shopping opportunities.

answer: Some of the reasons that one should vacation at Riviera Nayarit is because it has pristine beaches that set the perfect scene for rest and relaxation. Additionally, there are plentiful watersports, ranging from boating opportunities to sports fishing to even surfing. The dining there is amazing and there are many food options from gourmet restaurants to food trucks. And last but not least, the culture is fascinating there and something that everyone can enjoy and appreciate.

answer: Riviera Nayarit has pristine beaches ideal for rest and relaxation. There are jungle-covered mountains that surround its narrow beaches to form majestic vistas within nature. Riviera Nayarit is also a popular spot for snorkeling and scuba diving, and it also has terrific discovered for surf breaks. There are plenty of fun activities for anyone, especially for those who want to shop.

answer: Some of the primary reasons to vacation in Riviera Nayarit include its stunning beaches with soft sand and azure waters, abundant water activities such as snorkeling and scuba diving, incredible dining opportunities, interesting indigenous culture, and world-class spas. The welcoming hospitality of the locals, coupled with luxury accommodations and top-notch golf courses, make Riviera Nayarit the perfect destination for travelers looking to relax, get active, and explore a fascinating and culturally rich region.


text:
The sheets were warm underneath as December seeped through the cracks between the windows and walls. The lights within their room shone bright and they wore clothes this night, these lovers, and were as sober as children should be. There were milk and cookies beneath the polaroid, and the radio sat silent.

Adam, in his pajamas, sat waiting, a stack of pillows supporting his back as Kate slid upon the bed. She crossed her legs under her, pulled up her hair and tied it.

“Come now, get to it,” he said, eager.

“Do be patient.” She whipped out a book from behind her, and Adam made himself comfortable.

Taking out the bookmark, she picked up where she had left of.

Adam was read to of the boy who wouldn’t grow up. They flew, these children; their thoughts much as what he felt now. Adam had read this story before. He would not pass up, however, how she looked when she read. He liked her gesturing and intoning during the exciting bits; her melodramatic whispering and her sudden sullen air during the sad parts. He dipped a cookie in milk as she told him of the ticking, and the clock ingested.

She would, at times, act out scenes she knew well with fervor and passion — he thought her pretty when she did. It was a sight he very liked to behold, that, and she does not notice when she does it.

I have a place where dreams are born
And time is never planned.
It’s not on any chart;
You must find it with your heart,
Never Never Land.

Kate held the book in one hand as she moved and swayed, telling the story. She was entirely aware of Adam and his knowledge of this story. How could he not? Kate had often badgered and blustered him to bury his face between the pages of her favorite books. She would not pass up, however, how he looked when he was read to. She liked how his jaw hung slightly open as she gestured and intoned during the exciting bits; how he edged ever so slightly closer as she whispered melodramatically, with a sudden sullen air, during the sad parts. He would fold his toes and tug his legs towards him as she spoke.

She would see him thoroughly crestfallen as Wendy implored not to be forgotten — she thought him adorable when he did. It was a sight she very liked to behold, that, and he does not notice when he does it.

“You won’t forget me, will you Peter, before spring cleaning time comes?”

She slipped beside him as he placed the book beside the empty plate of cookies.

“Well, that’s enough adventures for one night.” He placed an arm around her.

Oh, I think we can afford one more before we go to bed,” she said, looking up at him.

He grinned. “Do tell.”

“This adventure I have in mind, it shall invite a need of your lips, and mine, of course. A task too great, I think — even for one such as you.”

“Really now? I will have to be very courageous then.”

“That, you would. But, before this grand undertaking of ours,” she said, pushing herself off of him. “You must first brave the frigid air, journey to a far, far away land, and tidy those teeth. Cookie bits plague them.”

He laughed. “And then the adventure?”

“An awfully big one, I imagine,” she said, amused by him.

He flew, her Adam, towards the sink and was swift in his return. He stood there, his eyes on her.

“Hello there,” he began, as he sat on the bed. “Now there’s a sight to make me fly.”

“Oh, you’ll do nothing of that sort,” she said, pulling him in. “I’d rather like you to stay here, and I’d rather you’d stay with me tonight.”

She had him sit in front of her; she held his face in her hands and said, “You won’t leave me, will you Adam, before spring cleaning time comes?” Her eyes met his.

“Leave you at spring? We don’t have spring where we live, Kate.”

She smiled. “Precisely.”

Of course Adam promised; and then he flew — or, at least, that was what he felt, as her lips met his.

title: Adam & Kate #019

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

Summarize everything relating to cookies in the story.

answer: Kate dips a cookie into milk. Adam flies after putting his socks on and sat back down reading stories.

text: The answer should mention the presence of milk and cookies by the polaroid.

refinement: There are milk and cookies beneath the polaroid in Kate and Adam's room. Kate dips a cookie into milk. Adam flies after putting his socks on and sat back down reading stories.

text: The last line has nothing to do with cookies.

refinement: There are milk and cookies beneath the polaroid in Kate and Adam's room. Kate dips a cookie into milk.

text: Adam is the one who dips the cookie.

refinement: There are milk and cookies beneath the polaroid in Kate and Adam's room. Adam dips a cookie into milk.

text: Should mention the cookie bits in his teeth.

refinement: There are milk and cookies beneath the polaroid in Kate and Adam's room. Adam dips a cookie into milk. Before they kiss, Kate requests that Adam brush the cookie bits out of his teeth.

answer: Adam eats cookies with milk and she eats the melted part of the cookie that has milk. She also states that she has a place for dreams, the viewpoint of which, according to her, contains milk and cookies.

text: Unclear who "she" is.

refinement: Adam eats cookies with milk and Kate eats the melted part of the cookie that has milk. She also states that she has a place for dreams, the viewpoint of which, according to her, contains milk and cookies.

text: Kate eating cookies is unattested.

refinement: Adam eats cookies with milk. She also states that she has a place for dreams, the viewpoint of which, according to her, contains milk and cookies.

text: The second sentence is unattested.

text: The answer should mention the cookie bits.

refinement: Adam eats cookies with milk. Before they kiss, Kate requests that Adam brush the cookie bits out of his teeth.

answer: The narrator reads Adam to and ate some cookies. Later, Adam eats cookies with milk and she eats the melted part of the cookie that has milk. She also states that she has a place for dreams, the viewpoint of which, according to her, contains milk and cookies.

answer: There are milk and cookies beneath the photograph. They met on milky ways. Kate dips a cookie into milk. Adam flew after putting his socks on and sat back down reading stories.

answer: In the first scene, they have cookies under the plastic photo. Adam eats some while Kate reads him a story.

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

How is Peter Pan referenced in the story?

answer: Kate reads Adam a book, Peter Pan.

text: The answer could mention their use of Peter Pan imagery as a metaphor.

refinement: Kate reads Adam a book, Peter Pan. They also make references to Peter Pan as they flirt, leading up to their kiss.

answer: It's embedded in the reader's minds via nostalgia of Kate and Adam reading the book together.

text: The phrasing is confusing.

refinement: Kate reads a passage from Peter Pan to Adam.

text: The answer could also mention their flirting.

refinement: Kate reads a passage from Peter Pan to Adam. They also reference Peter Pan as they flirt in anticipation of their kiss.

answer: Kate reads Adam the book, Peter Pan.

answer: Later Kate puts a reference to Peter Pan when she asks Adam not to forget her as he does with Wendy and Daedalus before spring cleaning sometime comes.

text: The answer should mention that Kate reads to Adam from Peter Pan.

refinement: Kate reads a passage from Peter Pan to Adam. Later Kate puts a reference to Peter Pan when she asks Adam not to forget her as he does with Wendy and Daedalus before spring cleaning sometime comes.

text: The reference to Daedalus is unattested.

refinement: Kate reads a passage from Peter Pan to Adam. Later Kate puts a reference to Peter Pan when she asks Adam not to forget her as Wendy fears Peter will.

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

What conceit does Peter Pan suggest?

answer: The story does not suggest a specific action or deed

text: Should be "no answer"

answer: Peter Pan keeps reminding everyone about his belief that his thoughts are their thoughts and therefore their adventures are their adventures

text: Should be "no answer"

answer: Peter Pan.

answer: Peter Pan essentially suggests to numb the pain of growing up by forgetting one's former/current relationship and living life like a child. Music suggests otherwise, asking the protagonist to live a new life where dreams are made and dreams are born where time is not planned. Living life like a child sounds like an escape of a lonely reality and is also dependent on another person's absence (death, departure, divorce, etc)


text:
**The Pro.**

You swing your car into the dingy lot in front of Gutter Ball's and kill the engine. You sit there for a few moments preparing yourself. Almost game time.

You hit the trunk release and get out of the car. The rain stopped about an hour ago and for the first time this week the evening air is cool rather than muggy. Opening the trunk, you retrieve you bag and head toward the entrance, passing Ten Pin's truck on the way.

Gutter Ball's is the kind of place where men take the game of bowling very seriously. Despite it's dim, dingy interior, the lanes are well-kept and gleam with fresh oil. It's like stepping directly into a hurricane sometimes, the balls roaring down the lanes sound like approaching thunder and you can feel the punctuating booms in your chest as they strike the pins.

Classic rock plays nonstop at Gutter Ball's. At the moment Don Henley is lamenting about a certain hotel he never should have stayed in. Gutter Ball is behind the counter chatting up a leggy brunette with an amazing case of acne. Gutter is no prize himself, though at well over 6' 4" his sheer mass seems to cause some women's panties to loosen and from what you can glean from the conversation, it seems to be working for him at the moment.

The place is packed tonight, you knew it would be. Everywhere people are gathered in small groups either at the bar or down in the alley. The chatter is so loud you can barely hear the music. You like it that way though, the chaos helps you concentrate. You can see a much larger crowd than the rest gathered at the far end of the alley, obviously occupying both of the last two lanes. That must be Ten Pin's crowd of admirers. Looking closer, you see him stand up and get into form. He takes a deep breath, moves forward 3 paces and throws a clean strike.

*Good,* you think, *I hope he's already warmed up.*

As you approach the counter Gutter glances at you in annoyance only briefly before resuming his conversation with the brunette.

"I swear. Just by *hearin*,'" he tells her.

"Ain't no way," she says.

Gutter holds up one finger. "Wait for it," he says.

Frustrated, you glance toward Ten Pin's groupies once more and see him going through his motions again. His release is silky smooth, the ball screams down the lane. Gutter stabs his finger in the brunette's direction.

"*That* one's a strike," he says. The brunette whips around to follow the sound. A half-second later Ten Pin's ball slams into the pocket with a crash- not a pin stands. The brunette jumps up and down and giggles with glee.

"AMAZING!" she exclaims. "Do it again! *Please?*" she whines.

"In a sec', sweetheart," he says, finally turning in your direction.

"I don't know you," he says, frowning. "The fuck do you want?"
"I'd like a lane." you tell him. "Down alley next to Ten Pin if you've got one."

Gutter's gaze loosens a bit and he raises an eyebrow at you."Ten Pin, huh?" he eyes you up and down, frowning a little once more. "You for real?" he asks.

You lean over the counter and regard Gutter closely, trying to appear intense.

"You just pay attention," you tell him. "Keep your ears peeled." you smile at Gutter and wink. For a moment he only stares at you and then he cracks a huge grin and slaps you on the shoulder.

"I like you, kid!" he exclaims loudly. Gutter gestures toward the brunette. She smiles at you politely, obviously uninterested. "This here's Sally," he says. She nods in your direction. "What's you name, son?" he asks.

"English," you tell him. "You can call me English."

"English, huh?" Gutter says, his frown returning. Gutter glances at Sally and she giggles once again.

"Well, you go ahead and see to your lane," he says, "*Mr.* English." Sally can't help but laugh loudly this time.

"Thank you," you tell him. Part of you really wanted to like Gutter but another part of you wanted to shove his stone face into the counter-top.

You take your score sheet and head down toward the end of the alley.

title: The Pro.(short fiction)

question: What is Gutter Ball?

text: No answer.

answer: Gutter Ball is a bowling alley.

text: Gutter Ball's is the kind of place where men take the game of bowling very seriously.

answer: Gutter Ball is a bowling alley in which people take the game of bowling very seriously.

text: Gutter Ball's is the kind of place where men take the game of bowling very seriously.

answer: Gutter Ball is a bowling alley where people take the game seriously.

text: Gutter Ball's is the kind of place where men take the game of bowling very seriously.

question: Who is Ten Pin?

answer: Ten Pin is the bowler who is currently attracting a large crowd of admirers.

text: That must be Ten Pin's crowd of admirers.

answer: Ten Pin seems to be the hotshot in the bowling alley, and has a crowd of admirers around him.

text: That must be Ten Pin's crowd of admirers.

text: No answer.

refinement: Ten Pin seems to be a popular fixture at the bowling alley, based on the crowds of admirers and groupies he has garnered.

answer: Ten Pin is a professional bowler.

text: There's nothing to indicate he gets paid to bowl.

refinement: Ten Pin seems to be a popular fixture at the bowling alley, based on the crowds of admirers and groupies he has garnered.

question: Why does the narrator want a lane next to Ten Pin?

answer: Not answered

text: There is probably an answer you can reasonably deduce from context clues.

refinement: They might want a lane next to Ten Pin to watch how well he bowls or to admire him along with the groupies. They might also be feeling competitive and want to steal the spotlight.

answer: The narrator wants a lane next to Ten Pin because he wants to compete against him.

answer: He wants to beat Ten Pin.

answer: The narrator wants a lane next to Ten Pin because they want to compete against him.

question: Who is English?

answer: English is a bowler.

text: He's also the narrator.

answer: English is the nickname that the narrator gives themselves.

text:
"What's you name, son?" he asks.

"English," you tell him. "You can call me English."

text: No answer.

refinement: "English" is the name the narrator and bowler-or "you"-gives themselves.

answer: English is a bowler who is challenging Ten Pin for a lane.

text:
"What's you name, son?" he asks.

"English," you tell him. "You can call me English."

text: "I'd like a lane." you tell him. "Down alley next to Ten Pin if you've got one."

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: The Pro. is a short story about a man who is a professional bowler. He is competing against another bowler, Ten Pin, and is trying to win the game.

answer: The narrator arrives at Gutter Ball's, a bowling alley, and heads to the counter to ask for a lane. Gutter Ball, the man behind the counter, is busy flirting with a woman, Sally, and doesn't seem to want to help the narrator. The narrator, English, asks for a lane next to Ten Pin, a well-known bowler. Gutter Ball seems to like English and tells him to go ahead and take his lane.

answer: The protagonist goes to Gutter Ball's to bowl against Ten Pin, a popular local bowler. Gutter Ball is reluctant to give the protagonist a lane, but eventually agrees. The protagonist is able to beat Ten Pin in their first match, despite some initial skepticism from Gutter Ball.

answer: The narrator arrives at Gutter Ball. The place is packed, and they notice that Ten Pin has amassed a large crowd on his lane. The narrator approaches Gutter, the man behind the counter, and asks for a lane right by Ten Pin. Gutter agrees, and the narrator approaches the lane.


text:
The copy room is right down the hall from my office.  Which is both a good and a bad thing and I'll tell you why.  Its a good thing because when I need to make a copy, its very convenient for me to do so.  This is doubly good because, as an accountant, I often need to make copies of things even in this new digital age.  We get a lot of different documents that require copying like time cards, purchase orders, receipts, invoices and various other things of those types.

It is a bad thing because the copy room, at least in my office, is where people go to have the most awkward and strained conversations that I believe the human race is capable of having.  The conversations I hear in the copy room make me wish that we had never invented language and we were still all just rummaging around in the underbrush looking for grubs or whatever to eat.  I hate copy room conversations.

My friend Frank gets to sit by the water cooler.  And even better, he's got one of those old-style tall-walled cubes so that when he's sitting there or whatever nobody really thinks he's sitting there at all because they can't see him.  I don't even need to tell you that he gets all the good gossip.  Seriously, his work day is like sitting around listening to old fashioned radio dramas all day.  He's personally witness four home-wrecking office romances begin and then crash and burn while filing all collating.  Its amazing.  One time he stopped a terrorist attack.  I swear.  He heard something and he said something.

And what do I get?  Just last week I heard a sales rep and a girl from accounts receivable discuss…in detail…the proper constancy for oatmeal.  I swear - you can't make this up.

That one was especially horrible but I do exaggerate just a little.  Most of the time when I'm distracted by the conversation in the copy room, it tends to be about what people did with their weekend and slash or nights before.  Let me tell you something:  nobody does anything even remotely fun on the weekends.  Including me. Like, did you know there's a skydiving school not ten minutes away from this office?  Or there's a soup kitchen that always needs volunteers.  And a place where you can learn to shoot a bow and arrow while riding a horse.  But all everyone ever does is barbecue.  I swear, if I have to hear about one more barbecue, I'm going to ride a horse into this office and shoot the lazy conversationalist with a bow and arrow.  Without dismounting.

The terrorist attack that Frank stopped was when a guy got fired and then he was going to bring in his AK-47 or his gun or something and shoot all of us for still having our jobs.  And Frank heard about it and Frank told someone and that guy went to jail.  Swear to god.  He's a hero because of that water cooler.

I guess I can't talk too badly about the people in the copy room.  I mean, I do only listen to what they have to say because I'm so bored sitting in my half-tall cube that whatever mindless drivel they are going on about is just about on par with the purchase orders I'm filing or whatever.  Did you know that before I took this job, I was kind of hazy on what a purchase order actually was?  I'm not going to lie to you, I'm still a little unclear.  Its like money - you write down what you want and say you promise to pay for it and then you get it almost right away.  But you don't actually pay for it right away.  Did you know that some places prefer a purchase order to actual money?  I don't get it.  I think I should try to buy groceries with a purchase order then move before the bill comes.  That might work.

I will say this, Frank has it worse then me because nobody every whispers weirdly in the copy room.  They're always doing stuff that's shady by the water cooler -whispering and making you feel like they're talking about you.  But over by the copy room, they're pretty on the level, I guess.  They don't really have anything to whisper about or lie about or anything like that while they are making copies.  But I'm pretty sure people are always lying while they drink water out of paper cones.  Don't ask me why but its true.  Maybe the cones remind them of dunce hats or something and they think that they can get away with being small-minded assholes while they drink out of them.

Anyway, the other day Frank told me he heard some people at the water cooler talking about the weird lady who sits by the copy room.  I thought it might be someone else at first but then I realized that everyone in the cubes around me are man.  There are one or two empty cubes but they've been empty so long that we kind of just ignore them like they're null-space that doesn't exist or like they're full of concrete and just…empty.  Frank came up to me over in the copy room and told me that some people were talking about how weird I was.  I have to be honest with you, I was so excited to have some gossip happening in the copy room for once that I didn't even have time to get offended.  So I guess what I'm trying to get at is that you have to, like, I don't know - if you want gossip in the copy room instead of stupid conversations, then you have to get up and start gossiping in the copy room instead of just copying your purchase orders and then going back to your cube.

title: COPY ROOM

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

What does the story say about the difference in gossip quality of the copy room and the water cooler?

answer: The copy room tends to be more mundane and less interesting than the water cooler. The copy room is full of dry conversations about work while the water cooler is full of juicy gossip and scandalous dirt. The copy room is better for quick information exchanges and basic office gossip, while the water cooler is more vulnerable to conspiracy theories, as well as discussions of fantastic (and/or scandalous) claims that might or might not have any truth to them.

answer: The difference in gossip quality between the copy room and the water cooler is that the gossip at the copy room is likely to be legitimate discussion about people or events. The gossip at the water cooler is more likely to be idle talk or uninformed rumors.

answer: The narrator complains about the gossip in the copy room because it's boring, while the water cooler has the juiciest topics. People talk about office romances, even committing terror attacks. However, the copy room has them talking about oatmeal or weekend barbecues. When a gossip about a weird woman around the copy room reaches the narrator, she's too excited to have an interesting gossip involving the copy room to feel offended. She resolved to gossip in the copy room to make it more interesting.

answer: The narrator suggests that the gossip quality in the copy room is better because there are papers to tangle with and no gossipers want to make their conversations public with the ability to record them. The gossip from the copy room isn't vindictive or malicious, it's innocuous and as a result, it's enjoyable to be a part of. Whereas the gossipers around the water cooler work sheepish people into tense situations and worst-case scenarios, causing them to give straight answers instead of the usual gossip.

text: The gossip in the copy room is actually worse than the ones that happen by the water cooler.

refinement: The narrator suggests that the gossip quality in the copy room is worse. The gossip from the copy room isn't vindictive or malicious, it's innocuous and as a result, it's enjoyable to be a part of. Whereas the gossipers around the water cooler work sheepish people into tense situations and worst-case scenarios, causing them to give straight answers instead of the usual gossip.

text: The narrator claims that because the gossip in the copy room is boring, it isn't too enjoyable.

refinement: The narrator suggests that the gossip quality in the copy room is worse. The gossip from the copy room isn't vindictive or malicious, it's innocuous and as a result, it's not too enjoyable to be a part of. Whereas the gossipers around the water cooler work sheepish people into tense situations and worst-case scenarios, causing them to give straight answers instead of the usual gossip.

answer: No answer

text: There is an answer. The story says that the gossip in the copy room is much more boring than the ones by the water cooler.

refinement: The narrator claims that the gossip in the copy room tend to be dry and boring as compared to the gossip happening by the water cooler.

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

What does the story say about Frank?

answer: The story implies that Frank gets lots of interesting and juicy gossip from the water cooler compared to the less interesting conversations and conversations about mundane topics that happen in the copy room.

answer: Frank sits by the water cooler and hears gossip because he gets a view of the action that the people in the copy room don't have. He is a skilled and crafty gossip hound.

answer: Frank is a friend and colleague to the narrator. He works at the same company as the narrator, but he has a cubicle near the water cooler. This allows him to eavesdrop on his coworkers, so he knows a lot of the juiciest gossip. These include a case where he overheard an ex-employee planning to shoot the people still working there out of anger, which turned Frank into a hero after reporting it. He delivers the gossip about the narrator to her.

answer: Frank's cube is next to the office's water cooler, which means he overhears a lot of co-worker gossip and even overheard a fascist attempting to carry out a mass shooting at the office. Frank is aware of the copy room gossip too, and he once overheard someone gossiping about the narrator.

answer: Frank's position at work is by the water cooler. He is one of those employees who has managed to make themselves indispensable by being involved in every bit of gossip. A former employee was going to come in with an AK-47 and shoot up the office when he was fired. One time, Frank saved the office from an actual attack. Even after leaving the company, Frank keeps on getting himself involved in such gossip.

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

What does the story say about the ethics of eavesdropping?

answer: The narrator seems amused by the stories she hears at the water cooler and by Frank's gossip collection. She goes as far as considering such behaviour her rather than their own. She does not think their behaviour is discreet, but it does not seem to upset her.

text: "She goes as far as considering such behaviour her rather than their own." is incoherent.

refinement: The narrator seems amused by the stories she hears at the water cooler and by Frank's gossip collection.She does not think their behaviour is discreet, but it does not seem to upset her.

text: The response is irrelevant to the question. There does not seem to be an answer to this question. The story makes no explicit comment on the ethics of eavesdropping.

answer: The story doesn't make explicit commentary about the ethical side of eavesdropping. The narrator considers the ability to overhear exciting gossip to be a positive thing. In one case, her friend Frank hears about an ex-employee planning to shoot his coworkers because they still have their jobs. Frank reports this event and becomes a hero in the office. By the end, there is office gossip about the narrator being the "weird lady around the copy room," which she's excited about because it's at least different gossip to the usual copy room stuff. Apart from being boring, no bad quality is attributed to gossip or eavesdropping.

answer: The story appears to be critical of people who gossip in the copy room, but also suggests that if you want to get good gossip, then you must be willing to participate in the gossip yourself and not just passively listen. This seems to indicate that the story does not have a high opinion of eavesdropping, or of the people who engage in gossiping in the copy room.

text: The story makes no comment on the ethics of eavesdropping.

answer: The story seems to imply that eavesdropping is justifiable if it results in juicy gossip, even if it is overheard in an awkward environment like the copy room. While there are some ethical considerations, the primary motivation is to gather information that is of interest or temptation.

text: The story makes no comment on the ethics of eavesdropping.

answer: The narrator says that the various conversations she hears about at her office are not the kind of happy stories that gossipers would be interested to share. She says there's gossip and then there's gossip, that gossiping isn't always what people think it is and that it's okay to eavesdrop. She claims she can't talk badly about the people in the copy room as she eavesdrops on their conversations as a way to kill time. In the end, her friend Frank tells her he heard other people gossiping about how weird she is.

text: The response is irrelevant to the question. The story makes no comment on the ethics of eavesdropping nor does it imply a lesson regarding eavesdropping.


text:
A wave of development may be transforming Imperial Beach.

The 27,000-person coastal city closest to the border has often been overlooked because of concerns over crime and pollution. It was often considered not only the most affordable coastal town in San Diego, but one of the more affordable places in the county overall.

But a big hotel project opened in 2013 has brought new investment.

There are several major developments either slated to start construction soon or are awaiting final approval. The development surge is being touted for increasing the local housing supply and adding new commercial amenities for Imperial Beach residents, and for boosting local tourism, too.

“People have always overlooked Imperial Beach as being dirty,” said Jed Bratt, a real estate agent living in Imperial Beach. “In late 2013, Pier South opened and from that point on, Imperial Beach took an incredible turn. Small businesses got facelifts and began to expand. It’s just really starting to take off.”

Many of the projects were started years ago, but with the end of the state’s tax-funded redevelopment program, which helped cities rebuild rundown areas, they were put on hold indefinitely.

One such project is the Breakwater Town Center, a large commercial and retail center expected to start construction at the end of February. It will include IB’s first national grocery chain.

The developer, Sudberry Properties, first began working on the project in 2009.

“We stuck tight and it ended up being great that we waited,” said Estean Lenyoun, who is leading the project at Sudberry. “We’re excited to participate in the pivotal transformation of the city.”

The Breakwater Town Center will be the final project in a trifecta that will begin the transformation of Imperial Beach, said Lenyoun. The other two projects were Pier South, a resort hotel on the coast, and its restaurant, the Sea 180, from the Cohn Group, a prolific local restaurateur.

“Those two have very much been a catalyst and a catapult for the city to embrace another level of recognition and transition,” Lenyoun said. “And the only thing to add to those two would be a real town center.”

Other major projects in the works include Bernardo Shores, which will construct more than 180 new townhomes in the site of a former RV park, the Bikeway Village, which will redevelop two warehouses adjacent to the Bayshore Bikeway to include a bicycle repair shop, a café and maybe even a hostel to boost tourism, and a second resort hotel on the beach on the site of a rundown hotel.

There are also a few smaller housing developments in the works, including one at the site of an old mortuary. The lease of the Tin Fish, the restaurant at the end of IB’s pier, will be up in 2016 and the city is looking at what to do next with the commercial space. The city’s public library, a building that’s been around for about 50 years, is also undergoing a major renovation.

One of the most surprising things, though, is that there has been nearly no has been very little opposition at public meetings to any of the projects so far, said Tyler Foltz, a senior planner at the city’s planning department.

People living in Imperial Beach are concerned about things like parking and community character, Foltz said. They don’t want to intensify things too much and lose the laid-back character of the city. But so far community members have been participating in the process without resisting the new projects.

“The people who have lived here for a long time just view it as a treasure,” Foltz said. “But there have been changes over many years that allow the people who live here to really enjoy it more.”

Another concern, said Foltz, is keeping housing costs from rising too much with the new developments.

“We wouldn’t want to have things where people get priced out of anything, but at the same time allowing owners of properties to be able to propose projects,” he said.

Bratt conducted a survey of about 120 Imperial Beach residents to gauge their feelings on the wave of new development in the city. Seventy percent of respondents said they felt the Pier South had a positive impact on Imperial Beach. About 65 percent said they supported the other new developments in the city.

Anonymous comments in the survey expressed more varied opinions.

Some embraced the city’s changes: “My husband and I grew up in IB, graduated from Mar Vista…… and moved back about 5 years ago and we are thrilled with the change. There are no more gangs and it’s safe to walk the streets in the evening not to mention how much cleaner the city is.”

Others were more resistant: “I don’t know why people are always trying to ‘fix’ IB. We like it the way it is, or we wouldn’t continue to live here. Let us continue to be the funky little town down by the border. We’re not fancy. If you want fancy, move to Coronado!”

Ron Chapman helped set up the Imperial Beach location for the Coronado Brewing Company, which opened in fall 2014. Chapman said he’s had his sights on the city since 2008, but didn’t find the right building until five years later.

“It’s been phenomenal, well beyond our expectations,” Chapman said. “There were so few options in IB for dining, so we thought there was nothing like it down there at the time. We thought it would be worth the risk.”

And it has been, he said. Chapman said he enjoys the “bedroom community” feel of Imperial Beach, where he often sees the same customers three or four times a week. It’s different than Coronado, which has a strong military presence and a lot of tourism.

Imperial Beach is changing, though, he said. A Naval Special Warfare campus being built in the existing Silver Strand Training Complex is expected to bring many more military families to Imperial Beach, said Chapman. He also expects tourism to grow, with the recent opening of Pier South and the new resort hotel that will be built in the next few years.

“I just hope it doesn’t change too much,” said Chapman. “It’s one of the slowest beach communities in San Diego. It reminds me of Coronado in the ‘60s. I’d like for businesses here to be able to grow a little, but I don’t want IB to change too much.”

question: Where is Imperial Beach located?

answer: Imperial Beach is located in southern San Diego County, close to the US-Mexico border.

answer: Imperial Beach is located in Southern San Diego County, close to the Mexican border.

answer: San Diego, California.

question: What year did the development project open?

answer: The development project in Hypothetical City began in late 2013.

text: Hypothetical City is not a place

answer: 2013

answer:
- 2004
- 1943

2013

text: Gives three years for answers

question: What will be the final project in its transformation?

answer: The Breakwater Town Center.

answer: A resort hotel and its restaurant.

text: The hotel and restaurant were some older projects brought in by private citizens

answer:
1) A new bicycle repair shop.
2) A bike and scooter sharing program for residents.
3) A new resort hotel that will be built in the next few years.
4) A café.
5) An artisanal pastry shop.

text: These are other major projects, not the final project

question: What sorts of concerns do local inhabitants have regarding the new development?

answer: Most people are concerned about urban development increasing the cost of living, the change in the town's character, and the demolishing of rents that already exist.

answer: Most inhabitants are in favor of the new development. Residents are concerned with parking, community character, some inhabitants are resistant to the changes  while others are not. Concern over how drastically development in the town will change and over development costs

answer: Things like parking availability and community character.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: New development projects are transforming Imperial Beach.

answer: Imperial Beach, a small city on the border of California and Mexico, may be undergoing a development surge according to the article. There are many projects in the works all at the same time, and they all seem to be well received by the current residents.

answer: The author discuss Imperial Beach, California in 2016 and the changes it has undergone. The author describes the beginnings of the Disney Concert Hall which highlights the state tourism boards' efforts towards development.

text: discusses not discuss

refinement: The author discusses Imperial Beach, California in 2016 and the changes it has undergone. The author describes the beginnings of the Breakwater Town Center which highlights the state tourism boards' efforts towards development.

text: Breakwater Town Center not Disney Concert Hall

refinement: The author discusses Imperial Beach, California in 2016 and the changes it has undergone. The author describes the beginnings of the Breakwater Town Center which highlights the state tourism boards' efforts towards development.

answer: The article discusses the impact of new development in Imperial Beach: a small beach town near the border of Mexico in the state of California. The main focus of the article is a renovation plan for the city's center, including two resort hotels and other projects.

answer: A new housing and business development on Imperial Beach in San Diego, California has been met with both enthusiasm and concern. Due for completion in 2013, some residents are concerned that parking availability will decrease, and community culture will suffer from what's sure to be an onslaught of new businesses and consumers.

text: Construction began in 2013, it was not completed

refinement: A new housing and business development on Imperial Beach in San Diego, California has been met with both enthusiasm and concern. Construction began in 2013, and some residents are concerned that parking availability will decrease, and community culture will suffer from what's sure to be an onslaught of new businesses and consumers.

answer: This article is about the changes happening in Imperial Beach, a town in San Diego, such as development projects, event parks, and new businesses.


text:
The sunset cast a pink glow over the horizon. The last few rays stretched across the ocean, casting small shadows on the grains of sand like tendrils creeping from the water. The tendrils kept stretching and stretching as the light slowly faded from view. A man sat on the beach, these tendrils slowly sneaking towards him. His foot shifted, breaking the illusion as he leaned back. The sand softly clinked against the bottle of wine to his right and scraped against the pistol to his left.

The mans name was unimportant. He was easily forgettable. He could blend into a crowd, disappear into the night. He was the guy in the apartment building, in 8B, who you pass every day. Who stares longingly at you as you walk buy but as far as you'd be concerned he's just a part of the tacky wallpaper. But he's always there whether you realize it or not.

This feature of his was excellent in this case. Sitting on a beach in Florida, he was unnoticed by the countless runners and late tourists watching a sunset on a clear summer evening. As the last few stragglers went back to their homes and hotels, the man sat up straight. He grasped the bottle of wine, letting a few mouthfuls of the drink slide down his throat before wiping the bottle down and tossing it into the bushes.

He stood up, the sand filling the void between his toes, as he slowly walked to the pier. Sitting out of view behind a support beam he waited. There was now no light in the sky. The faint glow of the city behind him made the waves visible but if anything was out there it was lost in the inky blackness. But a faint dot could be made on the horizon, a tiny light that could be easily mistaken as a star low on the horizon but the man knew better. He had dealt with this light before.

As the light slid across water, he followed. Walking down the beach and wading through water, all the while making sure the pistol was kept dry. He followed it for what felt like hours, his heartbeat pounding in his ears and his mind filled with anticipation. Eventually it came towards land, near a marina. Hiding behind a pillar once again, the man made sure the gun was loaded and the safety off. The boat grew near, the lights now completely on instead of hiding in the background.

Another man, a Cuban, jumped off the boat, mooring her to the pier and made sure the locks were all locked tight. As he turned to leave he was faced by a man with a cocked pistol pointed squarely at his head. The Cuban could almost see the hollowpoint 9mm round lurking in the barrel. He closed his eyes. A loud pop was heard, birds scattered, and you could hear a thud as his body slumped to the wooden deck. The man quietly slipped away into the night, the black enveloping him.

The police arrived a few hours later, shooing the critters away trying to feast on the Cuban. They checked his pockets, retrieving the keys to his boat and climbed aboard. They found a hollow compartment and using the keys, popped the lock. Inside it was filled with water, they were about to close it when a hand slowly rose to the surface.

After digging through the Cubans information they realized he went by a name that was respected out of fear in the Cuban community. The Coyote. A man who profited off the love of others by smuggling people out of Cuba and into the United States. They identified the remains, 12 in all, in the compartment and looked up their relatives. A stack of files with photos attached sat on a detectives desk as he worked through them. Considering their motive and wondering if they were the man that killed the Coyote.

However in that stack of files was a man. A man who had lost his family to the Coyote. A man who had killed the Coyote. A man who blended into the background, slipping out of reality and disappearing once again into the dark. And as the file was eventually placed into the cold cases, waiting for a solution that would never come, the Man sat smiling on a chair in his small apartment. A man who raised his gun to his temple and pulled the trigger.

title: A Man

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

Summarize the conflict in the story.

answer: The man follows the Coyote who smuggles Cubans out into the US. The Coyote has 12 people in a compartment. They killed him and left.

text: The 12 people in the compartment line is confusing without context and isn't necessarily key to summarizing the conflict.

refinement: The man follows the Coyote who smuggles Cubans out into the US. They killed him and left.

text: It should be clear that the man kills the Coyote and not the other way around.

refinement: The man follows the Coyote who smuggles Cubans out into the US. The man kills the Coyote.

text: The man's motivation should be mention.

refinement: The man follows the Coyote who smuggles Cubans out into the US. The man kills the Coyote. He does this out of revenge, as he lost his family to the Coyote.

answer: The man is hunting down and killing a man who helped smuggle his family out of Cuba, who ultimately lost them to the shipwreck.

text: The details about how the man lost his family are unattested.

refinement: The man is hunting down and killing a man who helped smuggle his family out of Cuba, as revenge for having lost his family.

answer: A man is tasked with assassinating a Cuban man who smuggles unidentified immigrants into the United States from Cuba. He manages to complete the assignment, and the police come. They find the remains of 12 immigrants in the vessel. It seems that the man was not a hero-even to his country-for smuggling the refugees; rather, he was guilty of either killing them or letting them die, probably for profit.

text: The man isn't an assassin; he is motivated personally.

refinement: A man goes to kill a Cuban man who smuggles unidentified immigrants into the United States from Cuba. He manages to kill the Coyote, and the police come. They find the remains of 12 immigrants in the vessel. It seems that the man was not a hero-even to his country-for smuggling the refugees; rather, he was guilty of either killing them or letting them die, probably for profit.

text: Should be made clear that the man being referred to in the last sentence is the Coyote.

refinement: A man goes to kill a Cuban man who smuggles unidentified immigrants into the United States from Cuba. He manages to kill the Coyote, and the police come. They find the remains of 12 immigrants in the vessel. It seems that the Coyote was not a hero-even to his country-for smuggling the refugees; rather, he was guilty of either killing them or letting them die, probably for profit.

answer: The protagonist silently follows a smuggling boat to the marina after overhearing that there will be approximately 12 illegal immigrants onboard. The protagonist kills the Cuban smuggler by shooting him in the head. The protagonist is working to protect the lives of the immigrants by assassinating the smuggler. The story is primarily a conflict between the protagonist and the Cuban smuggler.

answer: The conflict in the story centers around a man tracking down the man responsible for killing his family. The protagonist tracks down the Cuban "Coyote," shoots and kills him, and slips away into the night. The police eventually find the Coyote's body along with twelve other victims he had smuggled into the United States. The protagonist's identity remains unknown but he is presumed to be responsible for the Coyote's death.

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

Summarize the plot twist in the story.

answer: At first glance it may seem the man was hired by the US government or an agency therein to complete thie assassination assignment. However, when the police rifle through the files on all found and involved, it seems the man who shot the Cuban had relatives who were directly affected by this smuggling-perhaps they even perished in the process which was, at best, negligent.

text: This story doesn't really have a twist.

answer: The story is about an assassin for hire who the narrator refers to as "The Man". The Man kills someone known as Coyote, whose profession was to smuggle people out of Cuba into the United States. It is revealed that the Coyote is actually the narrator/narrator's target. As a twist, the Man is revealed as the dead bodies he himself had taken. What makes this twist particularly disturbing is that the Man had lost his family to the Coyote, but he ultimately kills him anyway. He commits suicide afterwards.

answer: The protagonist is observing the Coyote, an illegal Cuban immigrant smuggler. The protagonist kills the Coyote in cold blood and makes his escape into the darkness. The detective investigating the Coyote's murder discovers the Coyote's remains and finds out the protagonist was the killer.

answer: No answer

answer: The protagonist is the killer of the Cuban, who is the Coyote in disguise. The Coyote was smuggling people off of Cuba and into the United States and the protagonist killed him to end his operation. The plot twist comes when the protagonist escapes from being identified as the killer by blending into the background. The protagonist commits suicide at the end of the story.

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

What does the story have to say about doing the right thing?

answer: No answer

answer: First of all, the writing might lead the reader to perceive the anonymous man as bad, as he shot someone who was seemingly helping refugees. However, as one gets deeper into the story, it turns out the man who had been assisting Cuban refugees was likely pocketing money from their relatives and then leaving them to die without aid. It remains unknown and highly subjective as to whether or not the anonymous shooter did the right thing, or if he had been hired to carry out orders.

text: The story doesn't answer this question.

answer: The story implies that doing the right thing is not always easy, but sometimes necessary to make things right. This man was not happy with the events that took place, but used his anonymity to do what needed to be done. He obeyed the law and justice prevailed, even though his own life was difficult in the process. By taking the necessary steps, the right outcome was reached. Though it was not easy, right prevailed in the end.

answer: The story is about doing the right thing, even when it is difficult. The protagonist kills the Coyote in order to put right the damage done by the smuggler. He does the right thing even though there is a certain amount of personal risk involved. The story implies that the taking of action can be rewarding in the long run. The protagonist feels satisfaction in doing what is right, even if it is difficult or dangerous.

answer: No answer