text:
	(1)

"Well."
"Do ya like it sweetie? Do ya?" The father pleads.
"It will be a fun thing for you to practice on and get good at. Maybe one day, you'll be an expert!" The mother sells, but her heart is not in it.

The anxious parents lean over the unwrapped present, the muscles on their faces contorted into taut smiles. What is that saying? It takes 21 muscles to frown but only 2 to smile? The muscular faces of Elise's parents are evidence that the saying is an oversimplification. How tight do the drums stretch? Elise looked at the taut corners of her mother's mouth. So close to tearing. Will it feel like a paper cut, or worse?

Of course, Elise had known that her 'surprise gift' would be a handmade marionette for some time. She had noticed an extravagant expense on the Visa bill, and very nearly done something drastic, but since it was for her (and, boy did she ever deserve it) she let it slide for just a few dozen points. The points might not seem like much, but they add up.  They sure do.

Aside from being expensive, Elise liked the marionette because it provided an innocuous way to further intimidate and dominate her peer group. She used peer group in a broad sense; her IQ was more than a bit of an anomaly, something she had been smart enough keep hidden. Let them underestimate you. Let them take down their guard. Oh the neighbors need an emergency babysitter? Do they now? Oh, the wheel wall of the rear right tire appears to have collapsed? How very... unexpected. Is everyone OK? No I don't mind staying later. Just get home safe. I can stay all night.

"Well. It does not seem like much of anything went into this gift. Not much thought, that is clear as day. It wasn't cheap, no, but it barely clears the gift I received after my friend Sven left when you account for changes in the cost of living. Perhaps most hurtful, at least to me, is that the website selling these marionettes has a very intuitive interface for customizing individual dolls. Does a unique girl such as myself deserve a simple toy that could just as easily belong to any  other little girl? Are my talents so indelibly stamped with the stench of fungible mediocrity that further cultivation would be tantamount to teaching the niceties of calligraphy to fruit flies?"

"I ask these questions not to hurt you. The toy, though useless, is not repugnant. I don't see it as a harbinger of the proverbial nuclear winter that looms. Always. But I do really want you to think; what was successful, and what was not, about this very specific action? I imagine the desolate blankness of the former will weigh on you heavily. Let it. It's deserved. But remember it is a learning experience." Elise's voice exuded curt wisdom.

"I will be taking my evening meal tonight, and for the foreseeable future, at quarter to 8 in the aft. You know my secretary's hours and contact information. When you're prepared a proper apology, and have a meaningful plan of action to rectify your failure, please do contact her. If it merits my attention, I shan't withhold. I am your firmest believer, Cindy. And yours as well, Ray."

"What impeccable manners." Cindy (almost) said reflexively.

It was the first time since the recent cut in the corner of her mouth had blossomed from a sore dryness to actual bleeding wound. The pain, though slight in the scheme of things, combined in her mouth with the iron from her blood, and very very nearly completely annulled the 'sweet' part bittersweet.

	(2)

Mrs. Cullin's third-grade class in Detroit was run with clockwork precision.

"Yes, ma'am."

"No, ma'am."

"If you please, ma'am."

"Pardon me, ma'am. Truly, that was my mistake."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Yes, ma'am."

"All it takes is an iron fist," Mrs. Cullin would say, waiving her right arm and the plaster cast encasing it for dramatic effect. The teachers all championed her. "That Mrs. Cullin! What a sport." "Boy, she sure is. Coming back after a freak accident like that." Mrs. Cullin was right, all it takes is an iron fist.

"Mrs. Cullin?"

"Why yes Elise. What is the matter?"

"Can we see what your handwriting looks like, now that you're hand is broken?"

"Well, Elise, Mrs. Cullin is  an old woman with arthritis. I could hardly write before, ya know…,"

"Before what, Mrs. Cullin?"

"Before I foolishly slammed my hand in the freezer."

"That was quite, quite dumb Mrs. Cullin. You should write out 100 times how dumb it was. Then do the same in cursive. Don't worry about making it right on the first go-round; I'll make inspections when you're done, so you can get your penmanship back up to speed."

"Well, Elise won't that cut into the our social studies lesson plan?"

"Mrs. Cullin, your situational awareness must truly be beyond reproach to make such an astute observation. If only you could apply that very same skill, situational awareness I mean, when operating mechanically complex devices, like the door of a freezer."

"Thank you, Elis-."

"I'm sorry Mrs. Cullin, I don't believe I was finished. You had raised the issue of social studies, which I did not address in my initial comment. Whether social studies is interrupted or not, Mrs. Cullen, depends quite a bit on the accuracy and speed with which you can attack the assignment you've been given. After all, those lines are hardly going to write themselves, are they?"

(3)

"Mrs. Cullin?"

"Elise?"

"I just thought you should hear it from me first. Whilst you stood like a dope selfishly improving your handwriting, our fellow and classmate Randall Finley seems to have gone missing. The suspected culprit, or culprits, have fled through the wetland area behind the school with Mr. Finley in tow. Specifics about his condition are unknown, but I must say, having seen the wounds first-hand, things really do not look good. Unfortunately we may be looking at yet another funeral in this class. The luck we have, can you believe it?"

"My it truly is something you have to see to believe."

"One more thing, Mrs. Cullin. On a rather bizarre note, it appears that Mr. Finley shares not only your selective clumsiness, but his is also activated in the presence of freezer doors. Perhaps one of the higher-ups should look into, what do you think?"

"No… just a coincidence, Elise."

"Let me hear you say that again."

"It is just a bizarre coincidence."

"Again."

title: Simple Toys

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

What does it seem might have happened to Randall?

answer: It seems likely that Randall has been kidnapped or possibly even killed by someone who lured him into the swampy area behind the school.

answer: He might have injured himself in the freezer door.

text: Randall's freezer incident is only one part of what happened to him. The more important thing that happened to him was being kidnapped by unknown assailants and dragged through the wetlands behind shcool.

refinement: He might have injured himself in the freezer door.

answer: It seems likely that Randall has been kidnapped and possibly even harmed. It seems that both Randall and Mrs. Cullin are victims of their own clumsiness, as Randall also shares Mrs. Cullin's propensity to become clumsy when near a freezer.

text: "It seems that both Randall and Mrs. Cullin are victims of their own clumsiness, as Randall also shares Mrs. Cullin's propensity to become clumsy when near a freezer." - superfluous information that should be deleted and replaced with the fact that Randall was dragged across the wetlands behind the school.

refinement: It seems likely that Randall has been kidnapped and possibly even harmed as unknown assailants dragged him across the wetlands behind the school.

answer: Randall may have been kidnapped.

answer: It may be implied that Randall went missing as a result of an accident while he was being taken to a freezer.

text: "as a result of an accident while he was being taken to a freezer." - Randall was taken from school and dragged through the wetlands.

refinement: It may be implied that Randall went missing because he was kidnapped and dragged through the wetlands.

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

Why might the students have a shorter social studies period that day?

answer: The students may have a shorter social studies period because one of their classmates has gone missing. The likelihood is increased that a funeral may be necessary due to his uncertain condition. This would likely result in less time for social studies.

text: "because one of their classmates has gone missing. The likelihood is increased that a funeral may be necessary due to his uncertain condition." - this is incorrect. Randall's kidnapping has nothing to do with the shorter social studies period. Their social studies period was interrupted because Elise told Mrs. Cullin to write something 100 times and again in cursive. Rewrite the answer.

refinement: The students may have a shorter social studies period because Mrs. Cullin was given an assignment by Elise to write something 100 times to practice her handwriting.

answer: The students may have a shortened social studies period because one of their peers is now missing and presumed to be injured. Randall Finley's injury is most likely the result of a suspicious incident, and the students will likely need to be questioned about the incident and may need to help in the search.

text: "The students may have a shortened social studies period because one of their peers is now missing and presumed to be injured." - this is incorrect. Randall's kidnapping has nothing to do with the shorter social studies period. Their social studies period was interrupted because Elise told Mrs. Cullin to write something 100 times and again in cursive. Rewrite the answer.

refinement: The students may have a shorter social studies period because Mrs. Cullin was given an assignment by Elise to write something 100 times to practice her handwriting.

answer: Mrs Cullin's practicing her handwriting.

answer: The rest of the social studies lesson plan is taken up supporting and investigating Randall Finley's injuries and disappearance.

text: "The rest of the social studies lesson plan is taken up supporting and investigating Randall Finley's injuries and disappearance." - this is incorrect. Randall's kidnapping has nothing to do with the shorter social studies period. Their social studies period was interrupted because Elise told Mrs. Cullin to write something 100 times and again in cursive. Rewrite the answer.

refinement: The students may have a shorter social studies period because Mrs. Cullin was given an assignment by Elise to write something 100 times to practice her handwriting.

answer: Third-graders are having their attention focused on a missing schoolmate

text: "Third-graders are having their attention focused on a missing schoolmate" - this is incorrect. Randall's kidnapping has nothing to do with the shorter social studies period. Their social studies period was interrupted because Elise told Mrs. Cullin to write something 100 times and again in cursive. Rewrite the answer.

refinement: The students may have a shorter social studies period because Mrs. Cullin was given an assignment by Elise to write something 100 times to practice her handwriting.

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

How do we know Elise is smart?

answer: She uses big words and abstract concepts in playing with her dolls.

text: "She uses big words and abstract concepts in playing with her dolls." - while it's true that she uses big words and abstract concepts, Elise shows she's smart by dealing with adults as if she is their superior, not by playing with her dolls.

refinement: She uses big words and abstract concepts when talking to adults.

answer: Through her internal monologue.

text: "Through her internal monologue." - this could be considered an answer, but it doesn't explain much.

refinement: Her IQ was more than a bit of an anomaly, something she had been smart enough to keep hidden.

answer: Elise shows her intellect primarily through her ability to strategically and persuasively make judgments about her peers. She does so in a way that causes distress to those around her, and to Mrs. Cullin specifically. Elise has an impeccable ability to identify weaknesses and capitalize on them.

answer: From the passage, we know that Elise is smart because she is able to use her intelligence to intimidate and dominate others, empathize with Mrs. Cullin while also realizing she made a mistake, recognize a coincidental pattern in Randall Finley's unfortunate state, and point out problems with her classmate in an accusatory but intelligent manner.

answer: She's meticulous and apt for mental anguish. Elise believes if she is smart, others may underestimate her. She is intelligent and well read. She has a logical mind and immense analytical skills.

text: "Elise believes if she is smart, others may underestimate her." - this is inaccurate. She keeps her smarts hidden to let others underestimate her.

refinement: She's meticulous and apt for mental anguish. Elise keeps her smarts hidden to let others underestimate her so they lower their guard. She is intelligent and well read. She has a logical mind and immense analytical skills.

text: "She is intelligent and well read. She has a logical mind and immense analytical skills." - these were never mentioned in the story and should be deleted.

refinement: She's meticulous and apt for mental anguish. Elise keeps her smarts hidden to let others underestimate her so they lower their guard.

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

Who is Cindy?

answer: A marionette, it seems.

text: "A marionette, it seems." - is incorrect. Cindy is her mother.

answer: It may be implied that Cindy is Elise's secretary/babysitter.

text: "It may be implied that Cindy is Elise's secretary/babysitter." - Cindy is her mother.

refinement: It may be implied that Cindy is Elise's mother.

answer: Cindy is Elise's mother.

answer: The mother of Lise/Elise.

answer: Cindy is Mrs. Cullin's third-grade class' peer and classmate.

text: "Cindy is Mrs. Cullin's third-grade class' peer and classmate." - is incorrect. Cindy is her mother.

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Elise, the children's mother is gifted a hand-made marionette by her husband for her child. She laments the lack of creativity and expense, has expectations of a big payoff and is disappointed. When it does not bring out the imagination in her daughter, she is unhappy. She then berates a teacher in front of the class.

text: "Elise, the children's mother is gifted a hand-made marionette by her husband for her child." - is incorrect. Elise is the child, not the mother. Fix this mistake and add that Elise has an exceptionally high IQ but no EQ, and her parents are going out of their way to please her.

refinement:
Elise, a child with an exceptionally high IQ but no EQ, is gifted a hand-made marionette by parents trying extra hard to please her.
She laments the lack of creativity and expense, has expectations of a big payoff and is disappointed.
When it does not bring out the imagination in her daughter, she is unhappy.
She then berates a teacher in front of the class.

text: "big payoff and" - add a comma after "payoff"

refinement:
Elise, a child with an exceptionally high IQ but no EQ, is gifted a hand-made marionette by parents trying extra hard to please her.
She laments the lack of creativity and expense, has expectations of a big payoff, and is disappointed.
When it does not bring out the imagination in her daughter, she is unhappy.
She then berates a teacher in front of the class.

text: "When it does not bring out the imagination in her daughter, she is unhappy." - specify what "it" is and replace 'her daughter' with 'Elise' and mention that she is unhappy with her parents.

refinement:
Elise, a child with an exceptionally high IQ but no EQ, is gifted a hand-made marionette by parents trying extra hard to please her.
She laments the lack of creativity and expense, has expectations of a big payoff, and is disappointed.
When it does not bring out Elise's imagination, she is unhappy and lets her parents know about it.
She then berates a teacher in front of the class.

text: Replace "She" with "Elise"

refinement:
Elise, a child with an exceptionally high IQ but no EQ, is gifted a hand-made marionette by parents trying extra hard to please her.
She laments the lack of creativity and expense, has expectations of a big payoff, and is disappointed.
When it does not bring out Elise's imagination, she is unhappy and lets her parents know about it.
Elise then berates a teacher in front of the class.

answer: Elise is a precocious third-grader who speaks to her marionettes-which she got as a birthday gift-in abstract concepts, using big words. At school she insists her teacher, who's injured her hand in a freezer door accident, write in cursive that she will never repeat her mistake. Along with the punitive measure, Elise wants to see if her teacher's handwriting has changed. Mrs Cullin submits, and as she's writing, Elise tells her a student has gone missing, speculating that maybe Randall Finley also had a freezer incident.

text: "who speaks to her marionettes" - is inaccurate because it was never implied if she talks to her dolls. Rewrite to delete this part and reflect that she speaks to adults like she is their superior due to her high IQ.

refinement:
Elise is a precocious third-grader with a high IQ who speaks to adults in abstract concepts, using big words.
At school she insists her teacher, who's injured her hand in a freezer door accident, write in cursive that she will never repeat her mistake.
Along with the punitive measure, Elise wants to see if her teacher's handwriting has changed.
Mrs Cullin submits, and as she's writing, Elise tells her a student has gone missing, speculating that maybe Randall Finley also had a freezer incident.

text: "Mrs" - add a period

refinement:
Elise is a precocious third-grader with a high IQ who speaks to adults in abstract concepts, using big words.
At school she insists her teacher, who's injured her hand in a freezer door accident, write in cursive that she will never repeat her mistake.
Along with the punitive measure, Elise wants to see if her teacher's handwriting has changed.
Mrs. Cullin submits, and as she's writing, Elise tells her a student has gone missing, speculating that maybe Randall Finley also had a freezer incident.

answer: The main character, Elise, investigates a shoddy gift from her parents and criticizes their poor decision-making skills. In addition, she points out how Mrs. Cullin's iron fist has paid off in her third-grade class. Finally, Elise tells Mrs. Cullin that one of her fellow classmate, Randall Finley, has gone missing. There is suspicion of foul-play, and Elise wonders if there might be a connection between his clumsiness and being in the presence of a freezer door. Mrs. Cullin denies any connection, but Elise insists there might be more to the story.

text: "a shoddy gift from her parents" - is inaccurate. The gift was actually expensive, but not unique enough for Elise.

refinement:
The main character, Elise, investigates an expensive yet uninspiring gift from her parents and criticizes their poor decision-making skills.
In addition, she points out how Mrs. Cullin's iron fist has paid off in her third-grade class.
Finally, Elise tells Mrs. Cullin that one of her fellow classmate, Randall Finley, has gone missing.
There is suspicion of foul-play, and Elise wonders if there might be a connection between his clumsiness and being in the presence of a freezer door. Mrs. Cullin denies any connection, but Elise insists there might be more to the story.

text: "she points out how Mrs. Cullin's iron fist has paid off in her third-grade class." - is incorrect. Mrs. Cullin's fellow teachers pointed this out, not Elise.

refinement:
The main character, Elise, investigates an expensive yet uninspiring gift from her parents and criticizes their poor decision-making skills.
According to her fellow teachers, Mrs. Cullin's iron fist has paid off in her third-grade class.
Finally, Elise tells Mrs. Cullin that one of her fellow classmate, Randall Finley, has gone missing.
There is suspicion of foul-play, and Elise wonders if there might be a connection between his clumsiness and being in the presence of a freezer door. Mrs. Cullin denies any connection, but Elise insists there might be more to the story.

text: "one of her fellow classmate" - use plural "classmates"

refinement:
The main character, Elise, investigates an expensive yet uninspiring gift from her parents and criticizes their poor decision-making skills.
According to her fellow teachers, Mrs. Cullin's iron fist has paid off in her third-grade class.
Finally, Elise tells Mrs. Cullin that one of her fellow classmates, Randall Finley, has gone missing.
There is suspicion of foul-play, and Elise wonders if there might be a connection between his clumsiness and being in the presence of a freezer door. Mrs. Cullin denies any connection, but Elise insists there might be more to the story.

text: "Finally," - replace with "During class,"

refinement:
The main character, Elise, investigates an expensive yet uninspiring gift from her parents and criticizes their poor decision-making skills.
According to her fellow teachers, Mrs. Cullin's iron fist has paid off in her third-grade class.
During class, Elise tells Mrs. Cullin that one of her fellow classmates, Randall Finley, has gone missing.
There is suspicion of foul-play, and Elise wonders if there might be a connection between his clumsiness and being in the presence of a freezer door. Mrs. Cullin denies any connection, but Elise insists there might be more to the story.

text: "Mrs. Cullin denies any connection, but Elise insists there might be more to the story." - delete to meet the 4-sentence summary requirement.

refinement:
The main character, Elise, investigates an expensive yet uninspiring gift from her parents and criticizes their poor decision-making skills.
According to her fellow teachers, Mrs. Cullin's iron fist has paid off in her third-grade class.
During class, Elise tells Mrs. Cullin that one of her fellow classmates, Randall Finley, has gone missing.
There is suspicion of foul-play, and Elise wonders if there might be a connection between his clumsiness and being in the presence of a freezer door.

text: "foul-play" - remove the hyphen

refinement:
The main character, Elise, investigates an expensive yet uninspiring gift from her parents and criticizes their poor decision-making skills.
According to her fellow teachers, Mrs. Cullin's iron fist has paid off in her third-grade class.
During class, Elise tells Mrs. Cullin that one of her fellow classmates, Randall Finley, has gone missing.
There is suspicion of foul play, and Elise wonders if there might be a connection between his clumsiness and being in the presence of a freezer door.

answer: Elise criticizes her parents for giving her a simple and poorly created handmade toy. She then proceeds to criticize Mrs. Cullin for her iron fist in running her classrooms. Elise points out that fellow classmate Randall Finley has gone missing, and suspects he was kidnapped. The wounds he endured were severe and Elise speculates that he is in danger of dying. She additionally points out that both Mr. Finley and Mrs. Cullin are clumsy around mechanical devices such as a freezer door. Elise tries to prod Mrs. Cullin to recognize the correlation between these facts.

text: "a simple and poorly created handmade toy" - is inaccurate. The toy was expensive and not poorly handmade.

refinement:
Elise criticizes her parents for giving her an expensive yet simple handmade toy.
She then proceeds to criticize Mrs. Cullin for her iron fist in running her classrooms.
Elise points out that fellow classmate Randall Finley has gone missing, and suspects he was kidnapped.
The wounds he endured were severe and Elise speculates that he is in danger of dying.
She additionally points out that both Mr. Finley and Mrs. Cullin are clumsy around mechanical devices such as a freezer door.
Elise tries to prod Mrs. Cullin to recognize the correlation between these facts.

text: "criticize Mrs. Cullin for her iron fist in running her classrooms" - is inaccurate. Elise criticizes Mrs. Cullin for her injury and not being able to write properly.

refinement:
Elise criticizes her parents for giving her an expensive yet simple handmade toy.
She then proceeds to criticize Mrs. Cullin for her injury and not being able to write properly.
Elise points out that fellow classmate Randall Finley has gone missing, and suspects he was kidnapped.
The wounds he endured were severe and Elise speculates that he is in danger of dying.
She additionally points out that both Mr. Finley and Mrs. Cullin are clumsy around mechanical devices such as a freezer door.
Elise tries to prod Mrs. Cullin to recognize the correlation between these facts.

text: "She additionally points out that both Mr. Finley and Mrs. Cullin are clumsy around mechanical devices such as a freezer door. Elise tries to prod Mrs. Cullin to recognize the correlation between these facts." - delete these two sentences to make the 4-sentence requirement.

refinement:
Elise criticizes her parents for giving her an expensive yet simple handmade toy.
She then proceeds to criticize Mrs. Cullin for her injury and not being able to write properly.
Elise points out that fellow classmate Randall Finley has gone missing, and suspects he was kidnapped.
The wounds he endured were severe and Elise speculates that he is in danger of dying.

answer: The protagonist, Elise, is gifted a damaged marionette by her parents. She is so devastated by the gift, she asks her mother to recite the gift's three lacks: (1) the gift isn't lavishly expensive like earlier gifts; (2) it was made empirically and has no sentimental value, and (3) it lacks a truly intuitive interface. At Helen's third-grade classroom, Elise starts to ask the teacher, Mrs. Cullin, about Randall Finley, the classmate who has gone missing.

text: "The protagonist, Elise, is gifted a damaged marionette by her parents." - is incorrect. The marionette wasn't damaged in any way. Rewrite to mention that the gift was expensive but simple in Elise's eyes.

refinement:
The protagonist, Elise, is gifted an expensive, handmade marionette by her parents, but she thinks it's simple and not unique enough for her.
She is so devastated by the gift, she asks her mother to recite the gift's three lacks: (1) the gift isn't lavishly expensive like earlier gifts; (2) it was made empirically and has no sentimental value, and (3) it lacks a truly intuitive interface.
At Helen's third-grade classroom, Elise starts to ask the teacher, Mrs. Cullin, about Randall Finley, the classmate who has gone missing.

text: "She is so devastated by the gift, she asks her mother to recite the gift's three lacks: (1) the gift isn't lavishly expensive like earlier gifts; (2) it was made empirically and has no sentimental value, and (3) it lacks a truly intuitive interface." - only the first "lack" is correct, but last two are inaccurate esp number 3. Elise was hurt that her parents didn't customize the doll when they ordered it online. Elise also didn't ask her mother to recite anything. Rewrite everything.

refinement:
The protagonist, Elise, is gifted an expensive, handmade marionette by her parents, but she thinks it's simple and not unique enough for her.
Elise demands answers from her parents as to why the doll wasn't as expensive as previous gifts and why they didn't bother to customize it when the website selling the marionettes offers an intuitive interface for doing so.
At Helen's third-grade classroom, Elise starts to ask the teacher, Mrs. Cullin, about Randall Finley, the classmate who has gone missing.

text: "At Helen's third-grade classroom" - there is no evidence to suggest that "Helen" exists in this story.

refinement:
The protagonist, Elise, is gifted an expensive, handmade marionette by her parents, but she thinks it's simple and not unique enough for her.
Elise demands answers from her parents as to why the doll wasn't as expensive as previous gifts and why they didn't bother to customize it when the website selling the marionettes offers an intuitive interface for doing so.
At Elise's third-grade classroom, she starts to ask the teacher, Mrs. Cullin, about Randall Finley, the classmate who has gone missing.

text: Add one more sentence to meet the 4-sentence summary requirement.

refinement:
The protagonist, Elise, is gifted an expensive, handmade marionette by her parents, but she thinks it's simple and not unique enough for her.
Elise demands answers from her parents as to why the doll wasn't as expensive as previous gifts and why they didn't bother to customize it when the website selling the marionettes offers an intuitive interface for doing so.
At Elise's third-grade classroom, she starts to ask the teacher, Mrs. Cullin, about Randall Finley, the classmate who has gone missing.
Elise then criticizes Mrs. Cullin for being a clumsy dope for injuring her hand on the freezer door.


split: train

text:
I sat down on the bench, wiped the sweat off my brow, and set down my shovel and pail. July heat is merciless. I considered calling it a day; I wanted to go inside for some lemonade and a *Salade Nicoise* but the garden is never finished until Oiga has been watered.

I got Oiga many years ago at a flea market, a little field maple sapling I thought would add some charm to the corner of our garden. At that time I had just removed the cracked concrete in that corner, stained by bleach and paint, and had finally put in a new planter with fresh soil. I don't typically...name my plants, but Oiga grew to be somewhat of an anomaly. After two years of growth, a knot in Oiga's trunk left me with an uneasy feeling of pareidolia. The face that had twisted into place grew soft and flexible, until Oiga whimpered his first word, "fall". I was watering the morning glories along the fence when I heard it; the deep, dark, creaking voice caught me completely off guard. I went to go investigate the noise, and I shrieked when in the trunk there stood a face, yawning as if waking up from a long cat nap. I fainted.

My husband saw me collapse and brought me inside. Thankfully the soil in that corner softened the blow, and I was only out for a few minutes.

"Did you see it?"

"Yes."

"The face? The face in the tree I bought for the garden, *you saw it?*"

"Yes, I saw it."

"So I'm not crazy?"

"No, just a little lightheaded. Have some tea."

I gently pulled the mug toward my lips.

"I heard him. He said 'fall' just before I collapsed."

He looked away before gathering his thoughts.

"Do you know when my birthday is?"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"The tree, it said something else while you were out. Do you know when my birthday is?"

"Of course, it's..."

His birthday was in two days. He was turning thirty and...I had completely forgot.

"What did the tree say?"

"It said, 'don't expect anything.'"

We stared at each other for a minute in utter confusion.

That was years ago. Eventually we got used to Oiga's presence. We had company over a few times, and each time Oiga would predict something...bad. Something unfortunate. First we stopped having barbeques. Then people just stopped coming over for dinner altogether. No one wanted to hear it. Thankfully, Oiga's gruesome mug faced the corner of the garden. He had to yell to be heard. Even still, never once did Oiga predict good news. Scientists came to our home a few times to observe the tree, but they never found anything biologically unusual. And now I'm looking over to Oiga contemplatively, thinking just what to do with this particularly unusual field maple. I looked over at the axe by the screen door.

I noiselessly got up, grabbed the axe, and slowly walked toward this cursed tree.

"Inside."

I stopped.

"You should go inside."

"What if I don't want to go inside Oiga?"

"It wouldn't make any difference to me."

"Really?"

I tossed the axe from hand to hand.

"I know you have an axe. You should know that I know that by now."

"You want to tell me why I shouldn't use it?"

"Depending on when you get inside, either you'll feel grateful or regretful."

"Tell me why I shouldn't swing this axe, Oiga."

"Because it'll hurt. But also because you'll be out here for a while doing it, and I'm telling you, *go inside.*"

"Why don't you tell me why you would never predict anything positive."

Oiga was silent for a moment.

"Good things take time. Happy marriages, getting an education, rebuilding a nation, it all takes time. And there are so many variables the longer things take. They're wonderful things, but they aren't like tragedy. The bad, it happens all at once. Swiftly, abruptly, bombs drop. People die, bridges fall. They're awful, but they happen."

"What are you saying?"

"Start looking ahead. Forget about the past, and stop worrying about the future. Good things take time. If anything good is going to happen, it won't happen all at once. Conversely, there isn't much time left; you need to go inside."

For reasons I still can't explain to you, I set down the axe. Oiga was smart enough to know that this was just delaying the inevitable. He knew I was ready to chop him down. And yet, I trusted him enough to know that if I needed to go inside, I should probably do it. I turned around, opened the screen door, closed the sliding glass door and looked out at the garden.

It started...raining. The July heat turned to a muggy overcast almost immediately. It was drizzling. I was confused, but then in minutes, the rain picked up. Winds whipped Oiga's branches violently. I called my husband. He said he was only five minutes from home, and that the radio turned to an emergency broadcast...a flash flood warning.

He came in the door soaking wet; I was still standing by the screen door. Two feet of water rushing through the garden. The flowers were dead. The herb garden was uprooted and devastated. The planters split open and destroyed. And Oiga, still facing the corner of the garden, was waiting for the water to rise.

title: Oiga.

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

Summarize a surprise in the plot.

answer: In the heat of summer, a character decides to chop down the tree that had spoken to him. Against their better judgment, the tree warns them not to do it, predicting bad things would happen if they follow through with their plan. The character reconsiders when a warning comes on the radio of a nearby flash flood. The garden is ruined and Oiga lives to see another day.

text: It is most likely that the character is a woman since she has a husband.

refinement: In the heat of summer, a character decides to chop down the tree that had spoken to her. Against their better judgment, the tree warns them not to do it, predicting bad things would happen if they follow through with their plan. The character reconsiders when a warning comes on the radio of a nearby flash flood. The garden is ruined and Oiga lives to see another day.

text: Mixed pronouns

refinement: In the heat of summer, a character decides to chop down the tree that had spoken to her. Against her better judgment, the tree warns her not to do it, predicting bad things would happen if she follow through with her plan. The character reconsiders when a warning comes on the radio of a nearby flash flood. The garden is ruined and Oiga lives to see another day.

text: Doesn't make sense.

refinement: In the heat of summer, a character decides to chop down the tree that had spoken to her. The tree warns her not to do it, predicting bad things would happen if she follows through with her plan. The character reconsiders when a warning comes on the radio of a nearby flash flood. The garden is ruined and Oiga lives to see another day.

text: The character had already set down the ax and gone inside when she heard of the warning.

refinement: In the heat of summer, a character decides to chop down the tree that had spoken to her. The tree warns her not to do it, predicting bad things would happen if she follows through with her plan. The character reconsiders. Then a warning comes on the radio of a nearby flash flood. The garden is ruined and Oiga lives to see another day.

answer: The narrator has a field maple in the corner of the garden and after two years of growth, it began to speak. Its first word was heard by the narrator and the event caused her to faint. The narrator's husband saw her fall and brought her inside, confirming that the tree really was talking. The tree had predicted to him that the narrator would forget to get him a gift for his upcoming birthday.

answer: After a long streak of bad news, Oiga finally gives the narrator some good news-the impending storm. The narrator and husband take a different route home, see other flood warnings on the radio, and make it home before the storm REALLY arrives. The narrator relates to Oiga about how the years of warnings taught her to not worry about the future or the past, and just learn to appreciate the good things in life.

text: The answer is full of inaccuracies

refinement: In the heat of summer, a character decides to chop down the tree that had spoken to her. The tree warns her not to do it, predicting bad things would happen if she follows through with her plan. The character reconsiders. Then a warning comes on the radio of a nearby flash flood. The garden is ruined and Oiga lives to see another day.

answer: The tree warns the narrator not to chop it down because it would hurt and because she would be out there for a while doing it. The rains came right at that moment and flooded the backyard, due to the warning.

text: The answer is incomplete

refinement: The tree warns the narrator not to chop it down because it would hurt and because she would be out there for a while doing it. Oiga warns the narrator that she needs to get inside quickly. Since Oiga has a history of accurate predictions, the narrator goes inside. There is a flash flood, and the garden is quickly flooded. Oiga gets to live another day.

answer: The narrator was ready to chop down Oiga, their field maple tree, only to be surprised moments later by a flash flood warning. The flood destroyed the garden, including all of the flowers, herb garden, and planters. Oiga weathered the flood unharmed.

text: The narrator had already gone inside when the flash flood happened.

refinement: The narrator was ready to chop down Oiga, their field maple tree. This talking warns the narrator to quickly go inside. Moments later she's told of a flash flood warning. The flood destroyed the garden, including all of the flowers, herb gardens, and planters. Oiga weathered the flood unharmed.

text: The text doesn't say whether Oiga suffered damage during the storm.

refinement: The narrator was ready to chop down Oiga, their field maple tree. This talking warns the narrator to quickly go inside. Moments later she's told of a flash flood warning. The flood destroyed the garden, including all of the flowers, herb gardens, and planters. It is presumed that Oiga weathered the flood.

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

Summarize what the story says about good.

answer: The story says that good things take time and that, unfortunately, bad things happen quickly. Focusing on the good that is to come would be a more positive and productive way to spend time.

answer: According to the narrator, good things take time, and bad things happen all at once. Consequently, one should focus on looking ahead and try to avoid worrying about the future.

text: it is Oiga who tells the narrator this.

refinement: Oiga tells the narrator, good things take time, and bad things happen all at once. Consequently, one should focus on looking ahead and try to avoid worrying about the future.

answer: No answer

text: Why no answer

refinement: Oiga tells the narrator, good things take time, and bad things happen all at once. Consequently, one should focus on looking ahead and try to avoid worrying about the future.

answer: The tree Oiga indicates that it requires time for good things to manifest. There is an important variable with bad things. They happen all at once. Good happens over time, because good things come to fruition over time. Oiga states, "good things take time. Happy marriages, getting an education, rebuilding a nation, it all takes time."

text: repetition

refinement: The tree Oiga indicates that it requires time for good things to manifest. There is an important variable with bad things. They happen all at once. Oiga states, "good things take time. Happy marriages, getting an education, rebuilding a nation, it all takes time."

text: Omits an important lesson

refinement: The tree Oiga indicates that it requires time for good things to manifest. There is an important variable with bad things. They happen all at once. We should forget about the past and stop worrying about the future and concentrate on building good things. Oiga states, "good things take time. Happy marriages, getting an education, rebuilding a nation, it all takes time."

answer: The story refers to good in two ways: good news and good things. Oiga, the talking maple tree, never predicts good news. Oiga reminds the narrator that good things take time, like happy relationships and rebuilding things, and juxtaposed the time good things take with what is often the immediacy of tragedy.

text: This answer omits an important lesson from the text.

refinement: The story refers to good in two ways: good news and good things. Oiga, the talking maple tree, never predicts good news. Oiga reminds the narrator that good things take time, like happy relationships and rebuilding things, and juxtaposed the time good things take with what is often the immediacy of tragedy. The tree advises the narrator to forget the past and stop worrying about the future because good things take time to happen.

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

What does the story say about rain?

answer: The story says that rain is bad, and can cause destruction.

text: The story doesn't even imply that rain is always bad.

refinement: The story says that rain can be an unexpectedly destructive force. It can devastate gardens, destroy property, and lead to unforeseen consequences.

answer: The narrator sits on a bench, wipes the sweat off her brow, and sets her shovel and pail down. She considers calling it a day to go inside for lemonade and a Salade Nicoise. She never names plants but she had a peculiar experience with Oiga. It gave the impression of being a remnant of something, a face with eyes and a mouth formed by the tree, who said, "fall." This particular tree is their only flower, and it's a maple tree, so the two only have tea. The narrator is worried about Oiga predicting bad news, but the scientists tell her that there is nothing biologically unordinary about Oiga.

text: This doesn't answer the question

refinement: Rain in the story was unexpected and picked up quickly. The narrator's husband calls when he's close to home and says the radio gave a flash flood warning. The narrator notes that two feet of water are moving through the garden, which destroys most of the plants and threatens to harm Oiga, the maple tree, as well.

answer: During an August heat wave in the middle of July, the narrator decided to go into the garden. The sweat poured down her brow. She was considering calling it a day because of the heat. However, the garden wasn't finished yet as she needed to water Oiga. Two years ago, the woman had put a new planter with fresh soil and removed the damaged concrete. She doesn't like to name her plants but she named Oiga. Then the woman heard the voice of Oiga. Oiga said, 'fall' before the narrator fainted.

answer: The story says that rain can be an unexpectedly destructive force. It can devastate gardens, destroy property, and lead to unforeseen consequences.

answer: Rain in the story was unexpected and picked up quickly. The narrator's husband calls when he's close to home and says the radio gave a flash flood warning. The narrator notes that two feet of water are moving through the garden, which destroys most of the plants and threatens to harm Oiga, the maple tree, as well.


text:
Awakening
There is this slight beeping noise every few seconds…..beep…….beep, it comes and goes every now and then. The first time I could feel a large quake and at the time it felt like the area around me was being torn apart, but after a few minutes the feeling went away. Noises could be slightly heard all around me, they sounded like voices, but doing what exactly I couldn’t tell. Then my surroundings faded and so did I.  …….beep……beep…….beep…….beep….. Again I could sense my environment, but I was not granted sight. What was this place that I was in? I could not tell, it was dark and my thoughts were disoriented, where am I, what am I, what is my purpose (faded away, yet again)? Beep……beep….beep……beeeeeeeeep….. I could feel this pain as if I was dying then there was a noise close, but muffled and then I could see! The first figure I saw was blurred and augmented in a way that its figure wasn’t what it seemed to be. The figure had what seemed to be its face pressed up again whatever I was contained in.
 There was this faded color of green that blurred my images, but in the distance I could see more blurred figures walking about, they were doing something. There were many of these creatures walking about my surrounding, but I was still lost in this place and didn’t know where or what I was (faded again). The next time awoke there was no beeping noise I just came to, and there the creature was again, over and over every time I slipped away into darkness and saw the light again there was that figure identical to the rest pressed against my space looking at me. What it wanted I could not tell, I tried to ask but couldn’t get my words out, it sounded like I was trapped in a bubble with everyone looking in on me. For time on end I tried to figure out where or what I was without prevail, except one time the creature lifted me up. Confused with the feeling of falling I started to panic and I felt this rush of energy within me, and a new feeling of feeling trapped or about to come to an end of my unidentified existence. The creature moved my container and me to another location within the space around me. I was placed near a large piece of plated glass perhaps a window of sorts and in the distance I could see this bright burning light that hurt my sight even though the veil of green.
As I stared into the abyss I could see faded spheres and ovals out the widow just floating around. I began to wonder is this what my existence is to be, just like those spheres to float endlessly in this place for no purpose at all. The creature turned me around and then an appendage appeared and it pointed out into the abyss then it turned me back around. There was this large quake that shook the surrounding and this time it was so massive that I too shook. Then there was the cacophony that took place then I could see a fast moving shiny sphere that shined as the light from the burning sphere reflected off of its surface. The object kept traveling into it came to a stop then a bright light enveloped it and then there was the shaking again. The light began to dull and all the masses in the abyss began to be pulled into the light. All the object were being sucked towards that one position and I watched for what seemed to be a lifetime whatever mine was to be as the masses were sucked in as I faded away again. When I came to, there were no multiple objects floating about, but yet one giant dark mass that seemed to have streaks of bright colors all over it. Again I began to slowly fade as I sat their watching the blurred, but shiny sphere.
When I had awoken the sphere was no longer there and I had been moved. There was this bright light shining through my container and the color was clear, it was a peaceful light that filled my container with warmth, and then a sharp pain surged through me. It felt so painful then it stopped, then it came again. As my mind screamed with pain it continued on and off for a few minutes then finally it stopped. I could hear something within me going lub dub, lub dub. I couldn’t understand what it was, but my sight was clear, my green film that shrouded my surrounding was gone and I could see clearly.
Rebirth
The sights were strange and baffling, the sounds clear, and the feelings that surged through me were exhausting. I was always curious what had happened, and finally I found out. The creature had moved my container to another larger container and I could see the creatures more clearly than before, but their shape was undefined. I spent minutes trying to see what they were, but my attention was drawn to the green blurred reflection in the glass. There was this small blob like creature and within it was a red beating thing. It’s what you call a heart I do believe and the creature in the reflection moved when I did. It was making it hard to see outside the container and I moved trying to avoid it and it followed me all over the container. Finally I started yelling and trying to bash it to get it to move, even though I couldn’t be heard the creature in the container with me did everything I did. When I rushed towards it I hit the container wall, the creature made a flinching motion as if it took a blow, but so did I. Ramming the creature was doing nothing for me, I began to hurt and started to feel exhausted, but the other creature seemed to be feeling it too. After a few hours had passed of trying to remove it from my view I began to ponder as the beings began to crowd around my container and watch. As I moved to the left so did the other creature, when I moved to the right it followed in suit. I began to think “hmm when I move it does too, when I’m tired it looks tired too, but what is it?” After a few minutes of pondering on it I began to think to myself perhaps it’s just ….. A large wall began to lower from the top of the container making everything dark and the other creature was gone. The lights in the container turned and began to fill it with some sort of goop. It was a light blue goop and the feeling was splendid. Then there was that pain again as it surged through my container sometimes striking at me, and that had continued for hours. It was torture and it hurt so badly.  I finally passed out and when I awoke it seemed as if I was asleep for a really long time. There was this cold that remained in the glass container and there were these crystal stars formed on the inside of my container and I couldn’t move. I sat frozen still in that container for a really long time as my mind wandered into a place where the warmth of the light filled me up and kept me from becoming still like the crystals. I began to imagine that large bright shiny sphere just floating amongst the eternal blackness.

title: Coming Into Existance

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

Why did the narrator try and fight to get out of the confinement it found itself in?

answer: The narrator tried to fight to get out of its confinement because it was in pain. Fighting was the only option the narrator had to alleviate the pain it felt. Additionally, while the narrator initially could not figure out where or what it was, it became curious and wanted to understand what was happening to it and its surroundings.

text: "The narrator tried to fight to get out of its confinement because it was in pain. Fighting was the only option the narrator had to alleviate the pain it felt." - this is incorrect. The narrator or creature wasn't trying to get out of the confinement it found itself in despite being hurt twice.

refinement: The narrator wasn't fighting or trying to get out of the container even after it was subjected to pain. Additionally, while the narrator initially could not figure out where or what it was, it became curious and wanted to understand what was happening to it and its surroundings.

text: Extraneous information.

refinement: The narrator wasn't fighting or trying to get out of the container even after it was subjected to pain.

answer: The narrator tried to get out of the confinement it found itself in because of the pain it was experiencing. This pain marked something different and unfamiliar, causing the narrator to wonder what was going on and try various tactics in order to alleviate the pain. When the wall closed in, the other creature disappeared and the narrator began to realize that they were not alone in this confinement. This provoked further attempts at fighting to get out, in order to escape the pain.

text: "The narrator tried to get out of the confinement it found itself in because of the pain it was experiencing. This pain marked something different and unfamiliar, causing the narrator to wonder what was going on and try various tactics in order to alleviate the pain. When the wall closed in, the other creature disappeared and the narrator began to realize that they were not alone in this confinement. This provoked further attempts at fighting to get out, in order to escape the pain." - this is inaccurate because the narrator didn't try to leave.

refinement: The narrator never tried to get out of the container.

answer: The narrator was probably not born ready, to quote the event.

text: "The narrator was probably not born ready, to quote the event." - is incorrect.

refinement: The narrator never tried to get out of the container.

answer: It is implied that the narrator is being born.

text: The response "It is implied that the narrator is being born." - is inaccurate. While it was being implied that the narrator was being born, it never fought to get out of the container.

refinement: The narrator never tried to get out of the container.

answer:
The narrator woke up to intermittent beeps that come and go. It could hear all kinds of noises signifying different activities going on around it but was unable to see anything.

After some time, the narrator gained the ability to see a little bit of what was going on around it. however, it was unable to communicate. The narrator felt helpless and tried to escape but wore itself out in the process.

The narrator regained consciousness after a while and tried again to make itself heard and noticed, but to no avail. Tired and frustrated, the narrator fell into a deep sleep.

The lack of understanding of its situation, as well as a surge of energy, seem to be responsible for the narrator's desperate struggle to get out of the situation it found itself in.

text: The response is more of a summary of the events. It doesn't answer the question.

refinement: The narrator never fought to get out of the container it was in.


text:
[] BIRDS' PARADISE is located in Tianma Village, Xinhui District, Jiangmen, Guangdong Province, China.[1] It is a unique tourist attraction which is known for its beautiful natural environment and rich bird life. The main body of Birds' Paradise is a small island with a thick banyan tree forest on it. In 1933, Ba Jin () happened to take a trip here, and was deeply impressed by its wonderful views, so he wrote a famous article, _Birds' Heaven_ to in memory of this special experience. In 1984, Ba Jin () inscribed the words 小鳥天堂, and since then, this place was named after Birds' Paradise (). In 2016, the local government decided to make Birds' Paradise a national wetland park.[2]

History

Its history can date back to the late Ming dynasty and the early Qing dynasty. It is said that a serious drought attacked the village around that time, so the villagers tried their best to dredge a river to water the farmland. However, the rich man in the village and the officers strongly disagreed with this, and they forced the villagers to block the channel, because they thought the river would destroy the geomancy (), which might become a threat to them later. Therefore, the villagers had no choice but to fill the river with soil, and thus a small island was formed. Someone inserted a branch into the small island, and the branch sprouted and grew into a banyan tree in the next year. Many years later that banyan tree had spread and developed into a forest, which gradually covered the island.

Biology and ecology

[Black-crowned night heron]

Animal

There are almost 40 species of birds inhabiting the forest in Birds' Paradise. Nycticorax nycticorax, Ardeola bacchus, Bubulcus ibis are the most common birds found on the island. In addition, there are also other species of birds like Ardea alba, Motacilla alba, oriental magpie-robin, Copsychus saularis, Turdus merula, Parus major, Pycnonotus sinensis, Pycnonotus jocosus.

[]

Flora

The thick forest on the island consists of many banyan trees. Among the forest, there is one especially large and ancient banyan tree, and it is so large that even ten people can not hold the tree. Besides, in order to make the environment more suitable for the birds to live, the staffs plant some other plants like Anubias, Salix babylonica, Hedychium coronarium, Nelumbo, Nelumbo nucifera and Argyranthemum frutescens, so that the ecosystem there can be more intact.

Tourist attractions

Water Channel (榕荫水道)

The water channel around the island contains many banyan trees on both sides. These provide shade for visitors who can take boat trips to enjoy the scenery, as well as listen to local folk tunes, sung by professional singers.[3]

Bird Museum (鸟博馆)

Covering an area of over 1500 square meters, the bird museum aims to share information about the site's avian fauna. Different kinds of bird specimens and pictures are displayed, whilst live bird shows are provided by trained staff.[4]

Waterfront Culture Pavilion (水乡风情展示馆)

This pavilion shows visitors the special waterfront culture in Lingnan area (). It contains exhibits relating to waterfront culture, including hand-tools, furniture, and old-styled clothing. Many items have been donated by the local people.[5]

Artwork

Ba Jin (巴金) – Birds' Heaven

Birds' Paradise was made famous by the passage _Birds' Heaven_, written by Ba Jin, a renowned Chinese writer. He visited the site in 1993 with friends, and was so impressed by the beautiful scene that he wrote about his trip. Many years later, this passage, _Birds' Heaven_, was listed into the textbook for primary school students. As a result of this article, many more people now know about this place.[6]

Wu Guanzhong (吴冠中) – Paradise for Small Birds

This picture is an ink painting painted by Wu Guanzhong in 1989. After hearing about Birds' Paradise, Wu Guanzhong looked forward to visiting because he thought the site might accord with his own ideal image of paradise.[7] When he finally arrived, he was so impressed by its scenery that he decided to draw it. In 1992, Wu Guanzhong donated this picture to the British Museum in London.[8]

[1] Birds' Paradise 小鳥天堂. Accessed 18 Oct. 2016

[2] 广东拟建10个国家级湿地公园 江门小鸟天堂占一席. Accessed 23 Dec. 2016

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6] 巴金：鸟的天堂. Accessed 20 Dec. 2016

[7] 吴冠中著名画作《小鸟天堂》的背后. Accessed 20 Dec. 2016

[8] Paradise for Paradise for Small Birds 小鳥天堂. Accessed 22 Nov. 2016

title: Birds' Paradise

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

What is the main body of Birds' Paradise?

answer: Birds' Paradise is a small island with a thick banyan tree forest.

text: The main body of Birds' Paradise is a small island with a thick banyan tree forest on it.

answer: A small island with a thick banyan tree forest on it.

text: The main body of Birds' Paradise is a small island with a thick banyan tree forest on it.

answer: The main body of Birds' Paradise is a small island with a thick banyan tree forest on it.

text: The main body of Birds' Paradise is a small island with a thick banyan tree forest on it.

answer: A small island containing a thick banyan tree forest

text: The main body of Birds' Paradise is a small island with a thick banyan tree forest on it.

answer: Birds Paradise is a small island with a thick banyan tree forest.

text: The main body of Birds' Paradise is a small island with a thick banyan tree forest on it.

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

Who was the first to describe Birds' Paradise?

answer: Ba Jin.

answer: Ba Jin, an author

answer: Ba Jin was the first to describe Birds' Paradise with the passage "Birds' Heaven" while he visited the site in 1993.

answer: Ba Jin was the first to describe Birds' Paradise.

answer: Ba Jin in a famous article.

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

What is available for visitors at the water channel?

answer: Visitors can take boat trips along the water channel, where there is a thick forest of banyan trees on both sides. Musicians also provide local folk tunes for visitors. In addition, there is a bird museum and a cultural pavilion dedicated to waterfront culture.

answer: Boat trips that include songs sung by professional singers

answer: Visitors have the option to take their boat trips here to enjoy the scenery, as well as to listen to local folk tunes sung by professional singers.

answer: Visitors can take boat trips to enjoy the scenery, as well as listen to local folk tunes sung by professional singers.

answer: There is an abundance of shade due to the banyan trees, and visitors can take boat trips and enjoy local folk tunes sung by professional singers

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

When was the site made a national wetland park?

answer: 2016

text: In 2016, the local government decided to make Birds' Paradise a national wetland park.[2]

answer: The site was made a national wetland park in 2016.

text: In 2016, the local government decided to make Birds' Paradise a national wetland park.[2]

answer: 2016

text: In 2016, the local government decided to make Birds' Paradise a national wetland park.[2]

answer: 2016

text: In 2016, the local government decided to make Birds' Paradise a national wetland park.[2]

answer: The local government decided to make Birds' Paradise a national wetland park in 2016.

text: In 2016, the local government decided to make Birds' Paradise a national wetland park.[2]

question: Write a ~4 sentence summary.

answer: Where is Birds' Paradise? It is located in Tianma Village in China, and it a part of the country known as Lingnan. It is China's largest wetland. Why is "paradise" the keyword? Dozens of species of birds live in the Birds' Paradise, and there is one especially large ancient banyan tree.

answer: Birds' Paradise is a small island located in Xinhui District, Jiangmen, Guangdong Province, China. It is known for its rich bird life and its gorgeous natural environment. The island is covered by a forest of banyan trees and a water channel. A rich man disagrees when the villagers try to build a channel to water their farmland, and so they have to fill the river with soil. Now, there are over 40 species of birds and tree banyans on the small island. Ba Jin wrote a passage called "Birds' Heaven" which made its beauty more famous. Wu Guanzhong also painted a picture of the site.

answer: Birds' Paradise is a national wetland park in Tianma Village, Xinhui District, Jiangmen, Guangdong Province, China. It was first described in 1933 by Ba Jin, who wrote an article about its beauty. It is a small island containing a thick banyan tree forest. Almost 40 species of birds inhabit the forest there.

answer: Birds' Paradise is a unique tourist attraction in the Xinhui District of Jiangmen, Guangdong Province, China. The island is covered in lush banyan tree forest and it attracts a large number of birds. There are about 40 species of birds that inhabit the island and an art piece by Ba Jin about his visit to the site made it famous. The site also houses a bird museum and a waterfront culture pavilion.

answer: Birds' Paradise is a unique tourist attraction in Tianma Village in China. It has a thick banyan tree forest. While in 1933, Ba Jin wrote a famous article about his visit to the site, which is known as Birds' Heaven. The local government has recently established it as a national wetland park.


text:
I got really bored, and wrote this weird story about a psychotic guy with a split personality, dealing with tiny ordeals in his life, like waiting for a package in the mail, it basically covers a few days following his descent into insanity, and the resulting confusion when he returns to his original state of mind, its not entirely serious, and some parts may seem out of place, maybe you will get a chuckle out of the end, who knows.
it reads like a diary, constructive feedback is welcome but please remember this was the result of intense boredom, and is in no way a professional piece of text, i wrote it for fun, it mainly focuses on somebodies fascination with the dull and mundane.

day 4 of waiting for package.

the package has not yet arrived, the predicted delivery date was the 10th of june, as you can see, today is not the 10th of june, but still i sit at my letterbox, pen ready in my hand to sign for my package, weeping endlessly, i don't think i can endure this suffering for much longer.

the mailman has visited, but with him, no packages, i inquire as to their current location, but all i get is a swift dismissal and some pathetic excuse claiming that he does not handle the shipping, only the local deliveries, to this i give him a swift middle finger, and tell him to notify me when my package is on its way.

it has been exactly 76 seconds since i wrote that last body of text, and still, no package, seconds feel like months, minutes feel like years, hours feel like decades, i have lived a long, prosperous life in the past 6 hours, but to my bewilderment, still...no package has blessed me with its beige and crinkly glory, i decide to sit back down by the letterbox, novelty calendar by my side, clock perched at my knee, ticking endlessly.

day 5 waiting for package

i fall asleep at the door, and when i awake i notice a small red slip hanging from the half closed letterbox, my eyes widen, could this be it? has my day of reckoning finally come? no, it is a "sorry we missed you!' notification slip, i silently curse the wretched postman for not doing as i asked and take the slip, pinning it to the bathroom door adjacent to me, and continue my endless wait.

day 6 waiting for package

i have watched the sun set and rise, all within a matter of seconds, i do not know what happened to my clothes, i do not know why my hair has been torn out, all i know is that my ball of postal love is now its way to my very location, this thought fills me with glee, and then it fills me with endless melancholy, at the wait i face, i consider buying plane tickets to the US, so i can go and collect it myself, but i quickly dismiss the idea, realising that if i had the money to do that, i could have just bought first class.

I realise it has only been 2 days, but my red hot brain simply does not care, rattling inside my head, bouncing off the walls of my skull, every single lobe and cortex filled with the image of a perfectly square, brown package with a neatly placed, anatomically perfect sticker in the middle, and in glorious black text, my name and address, obviously i will have to defile this work of consumerist art, but for now the idea of it being sat there, in all its glory, fills me with a feeling of pure elation, like drinking a bottle of human endorphins, and then rolling around on a soft, silk carpet.

day 8 waiting for package

My wait has become torture, an acute sense of pure dread, time means nothing anymore, all of the letters and scam slips that have been delivered lie in a crumpled heap on the floor below the letterbox, i keep them there so that when my package arrives, it will have a soft cushiony landing, consumed in unpaid bills and religious propaganda.

i painted the walls red, i don't know why, nor do i have memory of this incident, all i know is that my walls are now red, with a slight hint of magenta, and a picture of someone elses child is pinned to the back wall, my deep descent into insanity has taken me to the dark depths of my own subconscious, painting colours i had not seen before, flinging at me balls of compacted sound, so tightly packed that i could see wavelengths leaking from the tiny cracks that litter its surface, my mind feels ready, volatile, the moment the package slides through my now immaculate letter box, i will burst through the door and cut the postmans trachea with a long thin knife. Although i do not remember leaving this spot, it seems i now have a large array of sharp weapons surrounding me in a perfect semi circle.

i no longer know how long i have been waiting here, i have not slept, i have not eaten, i simply phase out of my own body and sit there, completely still, for hours and hours, my ear drums feel like thin ice, a hint of pressure and they will smash, cracking my surroundings and instantly making me aware of my imminent doom, or in this case, my imminent salvation, i will sacrifice this postman to the gods of logistics and shipment, in hope they reward my dedication with a gift only a great deity could give.

my package arrived and its a fucking yoga dvd, this isn't what i fucking ordered, wait...what did i order? i run outside and hastily drag the dead and bleeding postman into my hall and frantically pace the room, where the hell have i been? what have i been doing? who the fuck ordered this yoga dvd? why are my walls red? why is there a dead guy in my living room? oh god there is blood everywhere, little flecks of bloody skin are stuck to the fur on the carpet, what the fuck am i gonna tell my insurance company? i went into a frenzy of psychosis while waiting for a package and murdered a postman in cold blood?

i consider the obvious, and dash for the yoga dvd sat in a crumple of stupid fucking beige packaging, i tear the protective film off and violently open the dvd, a note is delicately slid beneath the disc, i take a moment, compose myself, and pull the note from beneath the disc, appropriately named "Betty's 5 Star Workout" on the back of the slip of paper, there is a note that reads:

"regards, us.”

title: [MF] Untitled short story i wrote.

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

Why is it foolish to ask the postman where the parcel is?

answer: Because a company handles the shipping of packages, and not the actual postman who delivers just a handful of local deliveries.

text: The comma is not necessary.

refinement: Because a company handles the shipping of packages and not the actual postman who delivers just a handful of local deliveries.

answer: The parcel is scheduled to arrive on the 10th. It is not yet the 10th. The postman receives a bag of mail to deliver to the houses in his area. He has no insight into where in the system the parcel is.

text: It should be mentioned that the postman does not handle the shipping.

refinement: The parcel is scheduled to arrive on the 10th. It is not yet the 10th. The postman receives a bag of mail to deliver to the houses in his area. He has no insight into where in the system the parcel is because he does not handle the shipping.

answer: Because it is clear that the postman has no idea where the parcel is, and is not responsible for its location. The protagonist's madness has led him to overestimate the postman's abilities. Even if the postman does know, the protagonist is unreliable and violent under the grip of his insanity, making it unsafe to approach him.

text: The information about the protagonist's insanity and negative characteristics are irrelevant to the question.

refinement: Because it is clear that the postman has no idea where the parcel is, and is not responsible for its location. The protagonist's madness has led him to overestimate the postman's abilities.

text: The story does not mention that the protagonist overestimates the postman's abilities. The sentence should be removed.

refinement: Because it is clear that the postman has no idea where the parcel is, and is not responsible for its location.

text: Comma is unnecessary.

refinement: Because it is clear that the postman has no idea where the parcel is and is not responsible for its location.

answer: It is foolish to ask the postman where the parcel is because the postman does not handle the shipping. Rather, the postal worker only handles the local deliveries. This means that there is a very low probability that the postman would even know where the parcel is. Unless the postal worker had handled the shipment himself, it is unlikely that he would know where the package is. The best option would be to refrain from asking the postman where the parcel is, and simply wait for it to arrive.

answer: He is not handling the shipping.

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

On day six what are the signs of mental deterioration?

answer: The signs of mental deterioration include painting the walls red, temporarily losing memory, painting random colors and patterns in the subconscious, losing grasp on the passage of time, expressing increased anxiety and paranoia, and losing touch with reality.

text: The painting of the walls red and not having memory of how it happened on the eighth day.

refinement: The signs of mental deterioration include painting random colors and patterns in the subconscious, losing grasp on the passage of time, expressing increased anxiety and paranoia, and losing touch with reality.

text: The story does not mention that the protagonist painted random colors and patterns in the subconscious.

refinement: The signs of mental deterioration include losing grasp on the passage of time, expressing increased anxiety and paranoia, and losing touch with reality.

answer: Inability to feel and comprehend basic sensations; bleeding from the eyeballs is also mentioned.

text: Bleeding from the eyeballs is not mentioned in the story.

refinement: Inability to feel and comprehend basic sensations.

text: It's not mentioned in the story that the protagonist can't feel and comprehend his basic sensations.

text: It should be mentioned in the response that the protagonist started to lose track of time and being overly obsessed with the thought of the package arriving already.

refinement: On day 6, the signs of mental deterioration are losing track of time and being overly obsessed with the thought of the package arriving already even.

answer: By day six, the narrator of this passage has begun to experience significant signs of mental deterioration. They have completely lost track of time, they have experienced a full-blown psychotic episode while waiting for a package arrival, and they imagine a gruesome death for the mailman. This indicates a loss of focus, and problems with distinguishing reality from delusion.

text: It's not mentioned in the story that on day 6 the narrator had imagined the mailman's death. This happened on day 8.

refinement: By day six, the narrator of this passage has begun to experience significant signs of mental deterioration. They have completely lost track of time, and they have experienced a full-blown psychotic episode while waiting for a package arrival. This indicates a loss of focus, and problems with distinguishing reality from delusion.

text: The narrator is male.

refinement: By day six, the narrator of this passage has begun to experience significant signs of mental deterioration. He has completely lost track of time, and he has experienced a full-blown psychotic episode while waiting for a package arrival. This indicates a loss of focus, and problems with distinguishing reality from delusion.

text: "For a package arrival" should be "for the package's arrival."

refinement: By day six, the narrator of this passage has begun to experience significant signs of mental deterioration. He has completely lost track of time, and he has experienced a full-blown psychotic episode while waiting for the package's arrival. This indicates a loss of focus, and problems with distinguishing reality from delusion.

text: The comma is unnecessary in the last sentence.

refinement: By day six, the narrator of this passage has begun to experience significant signs of mental deterioration. He has completely lost track of time, and he has experienced a full-blown psychotic episode while waiting for the package's arrival. This indicates a loss of focus and problems with distinguishing reality from delusion.

answer: Clearly, more than a few seconds have passed between the setting and the rising of the sun but perhaps the narrator slept. It appears as though he may be naked and has torn out clumps of hair. He considers buying plane tickets to the US to collect his parcel. That doesn't make sense since the parcel is in transit. He thinks compulsively about the package and he becomes elated by the very thought.

text: The first sentence should be reworded so that it supports the fact that the narrator is mentally deteriorating.

refinement: The narrator has not realized the passage of time between sunrise and sunset. It appears as though he may be naked and has torn out clumps of hair. He considers buying plane tickets to the US to collect his parcel. That doesn't make sense since the parcel is in transit. He thinks compulsively about the package and he becomes elated by the very thought.

answer: Delusion and psychosis

text: The response lacks supporting details.

refinement: On day 6, delusion and psychosis are the signs of the narrator's mental deterioration. He lost track of time, didn't know what happened to his clothes and hair, and obsessively thought about the package arriving already.

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

Why is the narrator disappointed with the contents of the parcel?

answer: The narrator has put his life on hold. He has been waiting at the front door for four days. He has descended into psychosis. He has killed the postman. When he finally receives the parcel, he doesn't remember ordering it and he probably has no use for the yoga DVD.

text: The narrator waited for the parcel for 8 days, not 4.

refinement: The narrator has put his life on hold. He has been waiting at the front door for eight days. He has descended into psychosis. He has killed the postman. When he finally receives the parcel, he doesn't remember ordering it and he probably has no use for the yoga DVD.

answer: He obviously thought it was something else.

text: It should be mentioned that he received a yoga DVD.

refinement: The parcel was a yoga DVD. He obviously thought it was something else.

answer: The narrator is disappointed because the parcel is not the package they were waiting for. At first, it appears that the parcel is the package they were waiting for, but when they open it, they discover a yoga DVD instead of the package they were expecting. The narrator is disappointed because they assumed they would receive the package they were waiting for, which was not delivered.

text: The narrator does not really know what package he was expecting.

refinement: The narrator is disappointed because the parcel is not the package they were waiting for. At first, it appears that the parcel is the package they were waiting for, but when they open it, they discover a yoga DVD, which is not what they expected, although they can't recall what they ordered.

text: The narrator is male.

refinement: The narrator is disappointed because the parcel is not the package he was waiting for. At first, it appears that the parcel is the package he was waiting for, but when he opens it, he discovers a yoga DVD, which is not what he expected, although he can't recall what he ordered.

text: The response is too wordy and can be trimmed down without losing its intended meaning.

refinement: The narrator is disappointed because, when he opens the parcel, he discovers a yoga DVD, which is not what he expected, although he can't recall what he ordered.

answer: - The parcel contains yoga DVDs instead of his order

text: It should be clearly expressed that the narrator is not sure what he ordered.

refinement: The parcel contains yoga DVDs, which is not what he expected to receive, although he's not sure what he ordered in the first place

text: It's just one DVD, hence singular.

refinement: The parcel contains a yoga DVD, which is not what he expected to receive, although he's not sure what he ordered in the first place

text: A period is missing.

refinement: The parcel contains a yoga DVD, which is not what he expected to receive, although he's not sure what he ordered in the first place.

answer: The narrator is disappointed because the parcel contains a yoga dvd instead of the package they were expecting. The package was expected to contain something precious, or something they had ordered, but instead they received a standard parcel of something they didn't want or need.

text: The story does not mention that the package was expected to be something precious but was a standard parcel instead. In fact, the narrator can't recall what he ordered.

refinement: The narrator is disappointed because the parcel contains a yoga DVD, which is not what they expected. However, they can't recall what they ordered.

text: The narrator is male. Masculine pronouns should be used.

refinement: The narrator is disappointed because the parcel contains a yoga DVD, which is not what he expected. However, he can't recall what he ordered.


text:
_BOTHROCHILUS FREDPARKERI_, the KARIMUI BASIN WHITELIP PYTHON, is a species of snake in the family Pythonidae.

Etymology

The specific name, _fredparkeri_, is in honor of Australian naturalist Fred Parker (born 1941).[1]

Geographic range

It is found in Papua New Guinea.[2]

[1] Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). _The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles_. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (_Leiopython fredparkeri_, p. 94; “Parker, F.”, p. 200).

[2]

title: Bothrochilus fredparkeri

question: BOTHROCHILUS FREDPARKERI is found in which biological family?

answer: It is found in the family Pythonidae.

answer: The KARIMUI BASIN WHITELIP PYTHON is in the family Pythonidae.

answer: BOTHROCHILUS FREDPARKERI is found in the family Pythonidae.

question: Where is this species of snake found?

answer: It is found in Papua New Guinea.

answer: This species of snake is mostly found in Papua New Guinea.

answer: It is found in Papua New Guinea.

question: Who is the specific name, fredparkeri, in honor of?

answer: The name is in honor of Australian naturalist Fred Parker.

answer: The specific name _fredparkeri_ is in honor of Australian naturalist Fred Parker.

answer: The specific name, fredparkeri, is in honor of Australian naturalist, Fred Parker.

question: What is the non-scientific name of the species of snake listed?

answer: The species listed is known as the Karimui Basin Whitelip Python.

answer: The non-scientific name of the species of snake is Karimui Basin Whitelip Python.

answer: The species listed is the Karimui Basin Whitelip Python, or Bothrochilus fredparkeri.

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: Bothrochilus fredparkeri, the Karimui Basin Whitelip Python, is a species of snake found in Papua New Guinea.

answer: This text is a description of the Bothrochilus fredparkeri.

answer: This article identifies and describes a species of snake that is found in Papua New Guinea.

answer: The Bothrochilus fredparkeri is a species of snake with an extremely wide geographic range, stretching from Papua New Guinea.

answer: This article is about Bothrochilus fredparkeri, a species of snake that resides in Papua New Guinea.

answer: The Bothrochilus fredparkeri, also known as the Karimui Basin WhiteLip Python, is a species of snake in the family Pythonidae and is found in Papua New Guinea.